years without having one word of General Councils she passed without them during all that time Nevertheless she had never more need of them supposing them to be infallible means of ending Controversies and suppressing Heresies For in the first three Hundred years the Church was plagued with near Fifty differing Heresies Now judg you whether it be likely that God should appoint an infallible Judg to his Church and a sure way of knowing the Truth and that he should deny her the use of this means for the space of well near two Hundred and fifty years that is to say from the death of S. John the last of the Apostles till the Council of Nice So that in the Ages of greatest purity it will be found that the Church did not derive this purity from any other Fountain but from the simple and pure word of God it makes it evident that the Church may be pure without an infallible Judg in the midst of her Now if the Church may continue pure for the space of two Hundred and twenty five years without a General Council that is to say without an infallible Judg why may she not continue pure three four or five Hundred years For my part I call this a Demonstration that the Church may very well make a shift without those Judges that are called Infallible Let them answer it when they please Observe also that the Church was tormented with Fifty horrible Heresies which thought to have overwhelmed and sunk her and having no Councils she was then left to a Spirit of Error in those times that she had greatest need of a Guide for she had no other Rule but the Writings of the Apostles which according to our Adversaries are Medals with two Faces which may be looked on in a various manner and which all men expound in favour of their own Perswasions It is not amiss to bring hither Tertullian's Book of Prescriptions of which they make use with such success to deceive those that are weak among us It appears by this Book that the Orthodox were in the greatest distress in the World to convince and stop the mouths of Hereticks The Hereticks gave themselves to expound the Scripture after their own manner and in a sense contrary to the truth Tertullian complains thereof and says That false Interpretations do as much injury to Truth as the boldness of those that corrupt the Scriptures He adds That the weak find themselves confounded seeing Hereticks as well as Catholicks dispute from the Scripture To get out of this perplexity he recurs to the Succession of Bishops by whom it might be proved that they taught nothing but what the Apostles had taught before them he found no other way of escape this man had a Mind very much straitned or he was very ignorant Why did he not think of General Councils who are the only infallible means of knowing the sense of the Scriptures Neither he nor any of the Writers of this Age and of that which followed it had any knowledg of them Nevertheless as it is said it was a means established and appointed by God and yet for the space of two Hundred years it must be acknowledged that God hid this means from the whole Church and that he left her in a streight given up to the Humors of Hereticks and to their lewd and false Interpretations No reasonable Man will ever swallow such a Prodigy 3. I intreat you my Brethren to consider if it be likely that God should place Infallibility in Assemblies whose Original was wholly casual and accidental The occasion which gave birth to General Councils was the Conversion of the Roman Emperors to Christianity and the great extent of that Empire For if the Emperors had continued Pagans Councils from all parts of the Empire had never been assembled the Emperors would have looked upon it as a Conspiracy and would never have permitted it Besides if the Roman Emperors by becoming Christians had lost half the Provinces of the Empire there had never been any General Councils neither For the divers Princes which had possessed themselves of the Provinces of the Empire would not have permitted their Subjects to assemble with those who continued under the Rule of the Romans for fear lest these Conferences should be designed to search out ways of returning under the Government of their first Masters Now judg if a Tribunal which in the purpose of God was to be the Fountain of the Oracles of the Church in all Ages ought to owe its birth to a concourse of Affairs and Mundane Circumstances that were wholly and purely so Ought not God to have established this Tribunal without dependance on the World and the Affairs thereof as from the beginning he established Presbyteries so S. Paul calls the Assemblies of Pastors is every City and in every particular Church He must have a very obdurate Mind I think who is not moved and touched with this Discourse and Reason 4. What may be the assurance that a Man may have of such an Article of Faith which is founded on a Matter of Fact notoriously false 'T is that the Councils of the Fourth and Fifth Ages were assembled from the whole Universal Church That say I is notoriously false there were not above three Hundred and eighteen Fathers in the Council of Nice the most ancient and the most venerable of all the Councils What are three Hundred and eighteen Bishops for the whole vast extent of the Roman Empire where there was an infinite number of them It does not appear that all the Churches did depute their Bishops thither nor that all the Provinces of the Roman Empire did assemble to choose some one out of their Body who should carry their Counsel and Advice Constantine called together all the Bishops in general those that could and those that would appeared there none appeared there but those of the Eastern Church there were not Twelve of the Latin Church there out of all Spain none were seen but Hosius Bishop of Corduba out of all France none but Nicasius Bishop of Die or Dijon Besides this there were Churches out of the Roman Empire it may be there were Churches even in the Indies at least those which tell us that S. Thomas carried the Gospel thither ought to believe so 'T is certain at least that there were large Churches in Persia Ecclesiastical History speaks of a great Persecution which was raised at that time against the Christian Churches of Persia by the Impudence or ill guided Zeal of Maruthas a Bishop who burnt one of the Temples which the Persians had consecrated to the Honor of the Fire These Churches of Persia were not called to this Council nor did they appear there All the World are at an Agreement that the first Council of Constantinople held under Theodosius the Great was not General There were none but Eastern Bishops there yea two Hundred years after in the time of Gregory the first Bishop of Rome the Western
that though even the Church should fall into Idolatry we cannot be saved if we separate from it And I say although even the Church of Rome should have Reason at the bottom and were not Idolatrous and that we were out in our Separation we should not hazard our Salvation by continuing as we are Men are every where well where they have Christianity and the marrow and substance of it and 't is a folly to imagine that the Salvation of men depends upon the humor of their Guides It may be therefore that Luther and Calvin were mistaken i. e. That the corruption of the Church of Rome was not great enough to oblige the Faithful to go out of her let us suppose they had done better to leave things as they were I do nevertheless maintain that at this day you do not in any wise hazard your Salvation by continuing where they have placed you because however it be you have Christianity in its integrity you have it wholly pure and uncorrupt In every Society where that is found a man may be saved after whatsoever manner it be formed The Idea which men have formed of Schism for many Ages past is the most false that can be imagined but besides the falshood of it 't is the most dangerous and cruel Chimera that could be found Every Society would be Catholick Church to the exclusion of all others The Church of Rome pretends thus far for her self The Greek Church makes no less pretence thereto He that goes out of this Church breaks the Unity and he that breaks it is no longer in the Church Now he who is no longer in the Church is no longer in a state and way of Salvation whatever he say and whatever he do Behold what they say behold the Chimera We must therefore rectifie this Idea of Schism according to the Unity which we have given you The Unity of the Universal Church does not subsist within the bounds of one certain Communion nor in adherence to certain Pastors to the exclusion of all others but in the Unity of Spirit Doctrine Sacraments and Evangelical Ministry in general i. e. of Pastors declaring the Truth of the Gospel What must be done then to make a Schism with respect to the Church Universal He must renounce the Christian Doctrine the Sacraments of the Church and the Gospel Ministry that is to say He must be an Apostate or an Heretick But every Society that goes out of another and greater Society of which it was a part makes no Schism with respect to the Church Universal whilst it retains the Doctrine the Sacraments and the Ministry of the Gospel it goes not out of the Church because it carries the Church with it and it carries the Church with it because it carries Christianity with it It carries say I the Church with it in such a manner nevertheless that it leaves it in the Society which it leaves for leaving true Christianity there it leaves the true Church there also And the advantage of being the Church and of having Christianity is a Privilege which may be possessed intire and without prejudice to other Christian Societies We must therefore know that there is an Vniversal and Particular Schism Particular Schism is a Separation from a particular Church a Universal Schism is a Separation from the Universal Church Universal Schism consists in the Renunciation of the Universal Church by renouncing her Doctrine Sacraments and Ministry For example If the one half of Christians should separate from the other and set up a new Gospel according to which Moses should be set side by side with Jesus Christ the legal Ceremonies re-established the Evangelical Ministry should be changed into the Ministry of Priests after the Order of Aaron the Sacraments of the Church should be joyned to the Sacraments of the Old Testament it were certain that this would be a true Schism for these Men would renounce the Doctrine the Sacraments and the Ministry of the Gospel The Mahometans without renouncing Jesus Christ and calling him false Prophet have set up a Prophet superior to him and receive the Impostures of Mahomet admit Circumcision and reject Baptism have made a Religion truly and essentially different from that of Christ's 'T is therefore a true universal Schism The Socinians who have renounced almost all the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion who despise and neglect the Sacraments by going out of the Church are become Schismaticks and true Schismaticks with respect to the Church Universal for they have not carried the Church with them because they have not carried Christianity with them According to this Idea Universal Schism or Schism with respect to the Universal Church doth not essentially differ from Heresie and Apostacy Particular Schism is when a Man separates from a particular Church be it for some Point of Doctrine be it for some quarrel about Discipline be it for some personal Differences of the Guides among themselves Of this sort of Schisms there is an infinite number of Examples In the Second Age there was a Schism between the Church of Rome and the Church of Asia about a controversie of Ceremonies about the day on which Easter ought to be observed The Churches of Asia maintained that the Christian Passover ought to be observed on the same day that the Jews observed theirs and they said they held it as a Tradition from St. John. The Church of Rome on the contrary said that Christians ought to observe Easter on the Lord's-day following the Jewish Passover And for the sake of this goodly Controversie Victor Bishop of Rome was so rash as to separate the Churches of Asia from his Communion This Schism continued not only until the Council of Nice but a very long time after for mention is made of the Quartodecimani in the General Council of Ephesus against Nestorius in the year 431. So they called those who celebrated Easter with the Jews on the 14th day of the Month of March. In the Third Age Novatian formed a considerable Schism about a Point of Discipline viz. Whether we ought to receive those who fell in times of Persecution to the Peace of the Church This Schism continued a long time We find this Schism continuing amidst all the great troubles that were betwixt the Arrians and the Orthodox the union of Opinions that was between the Novatians and the Catholicks with respect to the Doctrine of Arrius did not put a period unto it In the same Age the Donatists made another Schism in Africa about the choice of a Bishop of Carthage Two Parties being formed about it a Division was made it spread through all Africa and continued many Ages There happened another in the beginning of the Fifth Age by one named Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople who taught there were two Persons as well as two Natures in Christ Another was made a little while after by Eutyches Abbot of a Monastery in Constantinople who desiring to oppose Nestorius who distinguished two Persons
the first Christian Emperor assembled a Council in the City of Nice to determine the Controversie which Arrius had unhappily raised about the Divinity of the Son of God. The Council after it had determined those matters which respected Faith were willing also to regulate matters of Discipline and made twenty Canons concerning it in which they caused those Practices which were then in use to pass into Laws supposing it may be that they were much more ancient than indeed they were For example it found that the Churches had yet preserved this mark of mutual Dependence that is to say not to make void the judicial Sentences of one the other and not to suffer that a person excommunicated in one Church should have recourse to another to be re-established in its Communion It made a Law thereof in the fifth Canon As to those that are separated from the Communion be it that they are Layicks be it that they are of the body of the Clergy let the Bishops of every Province observe this agreeably to the Canon that says Let those that are rejected by one not be received by others But finding also that it was a custom that in difficult matters respecting Faith or Discipline when it happened that any Persons were excommunicated or deposed the neighbouring Churches were wont to assemble to judge thereof of that also it made a Law in the same Canon and ordained that for the examination of Causes determined by particular Churches a Synod should assemble twice a year in every Province to the end that the Bishop of the Province being assembled might examine these sort of Questions As the Chymera of the Sovereign Authority of General Councils was not yet born so the Fathers of the Council of Nice contented themselves to ordain That Provincial Councils should be held but gave no advice for the appointing General Councils from ten Years to ten as lately the Council of Constance did The Bishops assembled at Nice also found that by custom the Churches that had their Seats in Metropolitick Cities and entertained some superintendency over the Churches of the lesser Cities of the Province they confirmed this usage and made a Law thereof in the sixth Canon Let the ancient Customs say they be observed that is that the Bishop of Alexandria have power over the Churches of Egypt of Lybia and Pentapolis because t is so also that the Bishop of Rome has been accustomed to have In like manner at Antioch and in the other Provinces let the Priviledges of other Provinces be preserved There is nothing that has less foundation than the pretence of most part of the Doctors of the Roman Church who imagin that here is the establishment of those Seats which were afterwards called Patriarchal Neither the Name nor Power of Patriarchs were known at that time And the Council of Nice had no other design but to confirm by a Law that which it found established by custom that is to say that the greater Churches should have some superintendency over the lesser There were then three great Governments in the Roman Empire Rome for Italy Alexandria for the South and Antioch for the East The Churches which were in these three principal Cities of the Empire had arrogated some preheminence over the neighbouring Churches The Council confirms to them this preheminence But we may not imagin as the Roman Doctors would perswade us that the Council did then divide the whole Church into three Patriarchates Rome Alexandria and Antioch as if all the other Churches had been subjected to these three These three Churches are named but for example because they were the principal Besides it is added Likewise let the Priviledges be preserved to other Churches that is to say let the Churches which by custom have obtained a superintendency over their Neighbours as lesser Churches preserve that Preheminence So the Church of Asia which is not named in this Canon is one of those which had Preheminence over her Neighbours to whom this Priviledge was preserved for some time At that time therefore by custom and by the Law of the Council of Nice Alexandria had inspection over the Churches of Egypt Lybia and Pentapolis the Bishop of Rome had inspection over the suburbicarian Churches that is to say the Cities which were either of the Government of the Vicarship of the City of Rome and no more Now the Vicarship of Rome was so far from extending it self to the whole Empire that it extended to but about half Italy on the side of Naples the other part of Italy which is on the side of Milan was of another Vicarship that is to say of another Government whereof the City of Milan was Capital and the Bishop of Rome had nothing to do there The Bishop of Antioch had inspection over the Churches of Syria and no more The other Churches in the Roman Empire were independent of these three Seats and had their Metropolitan Churches under which they ranged themselves for the assembling of their Synods so that in the Canon of Nice nothing is found of the Institution of Patriarchs but only a Confirmation of the Priviledges that the Churches of the Metropolitan Cities had obtained by consent from the lesser Churches round about them It is nevertheless true that soon after the Metropolitan Bishops of these three Cities Rome Antioch and Alexandria began to play the Masters and to claim Right over the neighbouring Churches much beyond the ancient use and intentions of the Council of Nice They took advantage from this that these three Cities were the three great Cities of the Empire and because they alone were named in the Canon of the Council they made use thereof say I to extend their Jurisdiction as we see But it must be observed that this Council of Nice having found that by custom the Metropolitan Bishops had inspection over other less considerable Cities by contributing their assistance and their Care to establish Bishops there did confirm also this Priviledge by the same sixth Canon This must remain certain says the Council that he who hath been made Bishop without the Advice of the Metropolitan the Great Synod declares that he ought to be no Bishop but if Two or Three through Obstinacy and a Spirit of contradiction oppose themselves to an Establishment made by a reasonable common consent and according to the Ecclesiastical Canons let the plurality of Voices prevail against them This second part of the Canon makes it appear sufficiently plain that in the first part thereof nothing is handled concerning the Establishment of the pretended Rights of Patriarchs but only of the Priviledges of the Metropolitan Cities without which the Council will not suffer that any Ordination of Bishops be made in the Cities of the Province The Bishops of these three Cities Rome Alexandria and Antioch making use of the Canon of the Council began to raise themselves above all others In the same time Byzantium which had not been hitherto any other than a very
valid and even to extend these Canons very far beyond their intention They have been willing to perswade First That they have right to receive Appeals whereas the Council of Sardis grants them nothing but the right of appointing a review which is very much different from it Secondly And above all they would make us believe that they have this Power by Divine Right and from the Apostles whereas they have it not but by the Canons of this Council of Sardis In the Year 383 that is to say about Sixty Years after the Council of Nice and Thirty six after that of Sardis was held the first Council of Constantinople which is reckoned for the second of those which are called General altho it were made up of an Hundred and fifty Fathers and no more and tho there were none at all of all the West This Council enlarges and confirms the Hierarchy But it did not yet establish the Patriarchs i. e. the four Seats which pretend to have Dominion over all the Churches of the World On the contrary in the second Canon it ordains 1. That the Bishops of one Diocess i. e. of one Province for then a Diocess did not signifie the particular Church of one Bishop 't was a Collection of many Bishops under one Exarch It appoints say I That the Bishops of one Province should not intermeddle in the Affairs of another and this without excepting the Bishop of Rome 2. It appoints That the Bishop of Alexandria administer only the Affairs of Egypt 3. That the Bishops of the East i. e. of Syria govern their Churches preserving to the Bishop of Antioch the Preheminence that had been given him by the Council of Nice 4. That the Bishop of Asia whereof Ephesus was the Head govern the Diocess of Asia without being subject to Antioch Constantinople or Rome 5. That the Churches of Thrace be governed by the Bishops and Synods of the Province without any other Superior 6. That the Churches amongst the barbarous Nations govern themselves according to the custom of their Fathers without Patriarchs and without Pope There is no footstep of any Papal Authority nor even of any Patriarchal and Universal In the following Canon we read these words That the Bishop of the City of Constantinople hath the Privileges of Honor after the Bishop of Rome because it is new Rome A Canon which gives to the Bishop of Rome nothing but Privileges of Honor and Presidence and grants them to be enjoyed by New Rome in the second Place For this reason the Bishops of Constantinople would no longer sit below the Bishops of Antioch and Alexandria because the City of their Seat was the Imperial City This makes it appear that the Bishops had no Preheminence one before another but by reason of the Cities where they had their Seats and not by any divine Right The Case is the same with the Bishop of Rome That Bishop gained nothing by all this as is evident nevertheless the truth is he always grew higher according to the measure that the Hierarchy advanced For the Exarchs assumed unjust Rights over those which were merely Bishops The Bishops of the Four first Seats Rome Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch raised themselves by little and little above the Exarchs and at last subjected and swallowed them up Particularly he of Constantinople whose Ambition was not inferior to that of the Bishop of Rome made himself Judg of the Exarchates of Pontus and Asia and that of the Barbarian Churches with that of Thrace which he had already 'T was in the Fourth Oecumenical Council held at Calcedon in the Year 451. where it was ordained that * Can. 28. The Church of Constantinople should enjoy the same Priviledges and Honours in Ecclesiastical Matters seeing the City of Constantinople in Temporal Matters did enjoy the same Priviledges and Honors with ancient Rome But if Constantinople did then exalt it self Rome did not do it less in proportion Already the Bishops of Rome began to Lord it over all the West Leo I. was placed in that Seat a Man who had great Parts but of great Pride who played the Master in the Church He declared that a Man is not of the Church when he does not obey it he proceeded so far as to say That Jesus Christ intended that all his Gifts should run down from the Chair of S. Peter as from the Head on all the Body of the Church and that he which dared to separate himself from the Chair of S. Peter ought to understand that he is excluded from the divine Mysteries i. e. from the Church This was the Leo that obtained a Law from the Emperor Valentinian by which he was established Sovereign Judg of all other Bishops for which reason we take this Episcopacy of Leo for the first Point of the birth of the Antichristian Empire This is enough for my end which is not to give you a History of the Hierarchy and after that of the Papal Tyranny in all their Progressions but only an Abridgment of the History of their birth in the Fourth and Fifth Ages That which I have to observe for the conclusion of this Article whereunto you ought to give good attention is that the brief History that I have given you is perfectly agreeable to the Spirit of the Gallican Church at this day She maintains 1. That the Church of Rome is no more but a particular Church as others are 2. That S. Peter had nothing but a Primacy of Order and Presidence above the Apostles 3. That S. Peter could give to his Successors over other Bishops no more but that Primacy which he had over the Apostles 4. That the Bishop of Rome originally and by divine Right had no power over the Universal Church 5. That he did not receive Appeals in the first Ages of the Church 6. That he had no Right to assemble General Councils 7. That he could take cognizance of the Affairs of no other Province but his own no not by Appeal 8. That he had no Right to take knowledge of Matters of Faith to make Decisions therein which should oblige the whole Church 9. That before the Council of Nice and after he had no inspection over other Churches but those which were in the Neighborhood of Rome 10. That he could no excommunicate other Bishops any otherwise than the other Bishops could excommunicate him 11. That a Man might separate himself from the Bishop of Rome without being a Schismatick and out of the Church 12. That the Pope had no Right over other Bishops 13. That the Council of Sardis is the Fountain of that Right of receiving Appeals which the Pope claims 14. That the Rights which the Pope hath at this day excepting his Primacy are by human Law and because he hath assumed them to himself or because they have been conceded to him 15. To which they add he is not Infallible nor superior to Councils nor Master of the Temporalities of Kings Behold the
Non-elect and Reprobates so that it is absurd that God should cause his Gospel to be preached to a herd of Reprobates among which there is not one person on whom the Word can produce its effect It will be therefore in vain that God should preserve Christians in all the East and South for these Christians being out of the saving Unity will be damned just in the same manner as if they were Pagans Fourthly The Schism of the Ten Tribes gives us a convincing Proof that in Schismatical Churches every single Person is not in a state of Damnation Jeroboam separated ten Tribes from the other two he would not suffer them to go up to Jerusalem but engaged them in a formal Schism nevertheless God there preserved both Prophets as Elijah and Elisha and a multitude of Persons which he affirmed to be his own because they had not bowed the knee to Baal There is therefore no particular Church that has reason to boast it self of having Unity alone to the prejudice of all other Churches Fifthly The truth is that on one side the Jews converted to Christianity in the time of the Apostles and on the other side the Pagan Converts lived in a true Schism for these Jewish Christians would have no Communion with the converted Pagans nevertheless they did not mutually damn each other therefore we ought not to damn those which live in Schism whatever it be The converted Jews had considerable Errors they observed the Law and would retain Circumcision with all their might Things incompatible with Christianity as S. Paul declares so positively as to say If any one be circumcised Christ should profit him nothing nevertheless God suffers and saves them with considerable Errors It is not therefore true that the Church is shut up in one sole Communion and that every Error damns when we separate from a Society that is justly called the Church but it 's true that remaining in a Society bearing that Name we may nevertheless be damned when there are mortal Errors there as there are in the Church of Rome Sixthly Ask your Converters who would oblige you to return to the Church of Rome on pain of Damnation under pretence that Unity is in that Church alone ask them I say whether they would pronounce that all the Greek Christians of whom there are millions are damned for this only reason because they will not adhere to the Roman Church who alone has Unity in her possession If they have the front to say yea ask them if they acknowledge the Greeks for Christians They will also also answer you yea pursue and press them by asking how God can abandon to eternal Damnation an infinite number of Christians who according to the Church of Rome hold no Capital Errors and are only mistaken in things of small consequence If the Papists boast of the consent of all Christians of other Communions and particularly of the Geeks in the Invocation of Saints in the Adoration of Images in the Doctrine of Transubstantiation the real Presence and Adoration they do therefore hold all that the Church of Rome esteems necessary to Salvation why therefore will they damn them for little things and for this alone that they will not live in this pretended Unity To compleat the confusion of your Converters by themselves on the subject of this Unity out of which we are departed Ask them if this Unity be not a certain circle in which the true Church is enclosed They will answer you yea proceed to ask them Whether this certain Circle of Unity has not its Centre that is to say a certain eminent Church to which all the rest ought to have their Relation to the end that they may be within the ciâ—cle of Unity they will also answer you yea and they will add that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is this centre of Unity Monsieur de Meaux finds a way to secure himself from the Thunders of Rome by frequent repeating this and indeed this Supposition according to their Hypothesis is of absolute necessity for if this Circle of Unity have no Centre of Adherence it vanishes immediately a man will always be able to say with good reason To what Church would you that I should adhere is it to that of Paris or that of Toledo These are particular Churches which may err if therefore the Pope be ruined if the necessity of Adherence to the Pope be removed the circle of Unity perishes with him which they call the centre of Unity Now observe that at this day the Divines of the French Church your Converters ruine the Pope from head to foot they take away the centre of Unity and by destroying the centre they destroy the circle 'T is to this that so many modern Writings of Maimbourgh Gerbas Noel Alexander made after the Kings Declarations and the Definitions of the Bishops on this Subject or in prospect of them do tend But the Gallican Church never spake so openly as she hath done but a little while fince by the Pen of a Doctor of the Sorbonne called Elias Pin touching the ancient Discipline of the Church Those among you my Brethâ—en which do not understand the Latin Tongue may consuâ—t those that do and they will inform you that in this Book may be read 1. That the Bishop of Rome had originally no power over other Churches 2. That in the first Institution of Patriarchs he had no power but over the Suburbicane Provinces that is to say those near to Rome 3. That the Popes by little and little ruined the Rights of the Metropolitan Bishops and by Usurpation ascribed them to themselves 4. That the Pope has no right to review and finally judge the Causes determined by the Bishops 5. That the Priviledges which the See of Rome at this day enjoys are not by divine Right but either by Usurpation or the Concession of Councils 6. That to be a good Catholick and a good Christian it is in no wise necessary in many Occurrences to adhere to the See of Rome 7. That the Primacy of the Church which the Pope possesses appertains not to him but by a tolerated Usurpation or as a Priviledge granted by Councils This gives him no character of Infallibility nor the right of judging finally and above Councils Behold exactly the Divinity of the Gallican Church at this day for this man in the view of the Court had not written thus without its Order Behold also the centre of Unity intirely subverted and so subverted as it was by Calvin and Luther This being so why do these Gentlemen everlastingly beat upon your ears about their Unity and the centre of Unity There is no more Unity in the Church of Rome since there is no centre of it there for since adherence to the Pope is no farther necessary to be a true Christian you are not departed from Unity and Christianity by departing from the Communion of the Pope observe therefore thereon that Monsieur de Meaux and your
Church did not as yet receive the Canons thereof So that frankly and openly 't is to scoff Men to call them General Councils in the sense which is given to the Word at this day 'T is true that these first Councils called themselves so but why and in what sense It was according to the Stile which was then in use The Roman Empire was then called Orbis the World Universal the Greeks called it Oikoumene the habitable part of the Earth the Emperors thereof were called the Universal Emperors the Vanity of the Emperors occasioned this the great ones always blow up their Titles The extent of the Roman Empire was great indeed but as if they had been Masters of the whole Earth they caused themselves to be called Masters of the World Universal A General Council in this sense signifies no more than a Council assembled from all parts of the Roman Empire 5. I intreat you to give attention to that which is necessary according to these Gentlemen to make a Council Oecumenical Is it necessary that there be Bishops from all parts of the Church by no means for then the Council of Constantinople were not Oecumenick The Pope was not there either by himself or his Legates and it is not known that there was any of the Western Bishops there Nevertheless 't is Oecumenick but why because that all the Church consented to it at last for its Canons were not received at Rome more than two hundred years after The Church Universal say I hath approved it not by Subscriptions and a formal Consent but by a Consent which they call tacit and implicite and this is indeed the Opinion of the Doctors of France That to make a Council Oecumenick 't is enough that it be afterward approved That is the reason why the Canons of the Council of Antioch which is generally believed to have been an Arrian Council are at this day seen in the Code of the Universal Church That is the reason why many men are willing the Council of Sardis should be Oecumenical 'T is because though there were none but Western Bishops there yet the most part of the Bishops of the East subscribed it afterwards Now I intreat you observe the Absurdity which I am about to make you sensible of Behold a Council for example the first Oecumenical of Constantinople which in its form is but a particular Council and by consequence cannot be Infallible nevertheless because God foresaw that the Council would be approved by all the Church he presides there by a Spirit of Infallibility against all the Rules which he hath establish'd for his own Conduct with respect to Councils So that when God foresees that a Council which is particular in its Composition will one day be accounted Oecumenical because of a consent that will be given to it either by Subscriptions sent and separately made or by a tacit consent he there pours out a Spirit of Infallibility But if he foresees that this Synod will be neglected as a particular Synod he lets it pass for as much as 't is worth and doth not make it Infallible Is not this to play with the Spirit of God and the Reason of Men Who sees not by this example that the Character of an Oecumenical Council doth in no wise depend upon a Spirit of Infallibility which presides there but on the consent of men which persuade themselves right or wrong that such an Assembly hath happily hit on the truth 6. I pray judge whether it be probable that these Assemblies called Oecumenical were infallible Judges of Controversies without knowing it At this day when the Pope assembles an Oecumenical Council this Council believes it self to be Infallible it acts and speaks as such Let them demonstrate to us this Character in the first Councils let them shew us that they acted as infallible and that they spoke as such If I should make a Book whereas I am only making a Letter I could shew you a hundred circumstances of these ancient Councils which will make it evident that this Dream never crept into the minds of any of the Members of those Assemblies that they were there as Infallible Judges But in this case 't is not we that are obliged to prove 't is the Papists for they are those which do affirm Press them say I about it and ask them their Proofs that the Ancient Councils believed themselves Infallible Go farther and ask them Whether it be possible that these Councils should be Infallible and that not one of the Divines of those Ages should doubt of it and that in their Disputes with Hereticks they should make no use of this Authority St. Hilary St. Ambrose St. Austin St. Gregory Nazianzen and St. Athanasius had great Disputes against the Arrians but they never thought fit to oppose unto them the Authority of the Council of Nice as Infallible Where were their Wits Why did they not tell them God hath promised That when two or three are gathered together in his name he will be in the midst of them 'T is a Promise of Infallibility belonging to General Councils The Council of Nice was assembled in the Name of God held in all its forms and assembled from the whole Church it is therefore Infallible and by consequence you are obstinate not to submit unto it Thus they reason against us and 't is thus that men ought to reason naturally when they are of the Opinion and Principles of Popery We do not see one word of this in the Authors of the fourth and fifth Ages On the contrary St. Austin tells the Arrians Let us lay by the Council of Nice on my part and the Council of Ariminum on your part and let us dispute from the Scripture * Cont. Maxim. lib. 3. cap. 14. confessing the one and the other of these Assemblies might err although it be very certain that the Council of Nice did not actually do so 'T is as if I should say to a Mahometan Let us lay by my H. Scripture and your Alcoran as supposing it possible that both the one and other of them may be false It must be granted that I were wicked or a fool to speak thus if it were not upon those Suppositions which are called false and whereof we sometimes serve our selves to draw an Adversary to an absurdity Behold then a Prodigy which passes all imagination the Christians had among themselves infallible Judges and knew nothing of it but behold much more St. Austin not only knew not that he had right to oppose the Authority of the Council of Nice as Infallible to the Arrians but he even confesses to the Donatists that no Authority of Council was supreme and without Appeal The Donatists to prove to him that the Baptism of Hereticks was worth nothing brought him the Testimony of St. Cyprian He answers without ceremony That he acknowledged no Testimony sure and certain but that of the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament that as
to the decisions of Bishops those which came after and above all Councils might very well correct them After which he adds * De Bapt. cont Donat. lib. 2. cap. 3. And even the Councils which are held in every Country and in every Province do without difficulty give place to full Councils which are assembled from all the Christian World and these full Councils so he calls Oecumenical Councils may be corrected by those which follow when that which was hid is discovered and by some experience men come to know what they were ignorant in Observe that the thing under debate was not a matter of Discipline only as they will tell you but to know whether the Baptism of Hereticks were of any value 'T was a Point of Doctrine if there were ever and such 7. To conclude I conjure you my Brethren give yet attention to this 't is that although the Dream of your Converters should have some foundation and that the Church Universal assembled in a Body by its Guides were Infallible the Church of Rome would have no part in this Privilege nor would it extend it self to the Councils since Berengarius which they desire you should look upon as the Rules of your Faith. For these Councils were never Assemblies of the Church Universal since the Schism of the Greeks they are at most but Councils of the Latin Church but the Latin Church say they is become the Universal and Catholick Church excluding all other Christian Communions which are separate from her and by consequence her Councils are those of the Church Universal This is the most foolish of all Pretensions That the Roman Church should be the only Church excluding all the Communions of Asia Africa and Europe We have shewn the extravagance of this Pretence in our former Letters for which reason at present we may well suppose it as indisputable viz. that the Church of Rome for 800 years past hath had no Oecumenical Councils in the sense that she her self understands the Word from whence you may conclude that she hath had no Infallible Councils Furthermore 't is necessary to oblige you to give attention to this Original of Oecumenical Councils in the fourth and fifth Ages because without doubt it was one of the means which the Devil made use of to establish the Empire and Domination of Antichrist Not that the first Councils called Oecumenical were not assembled with good intention and were not very useful at that season and in that time But it happens to this good thing as to the most part of others which have been introduced with a good intention the Devil hath taken occasion from thence to bring in either Opinions or Practices which have destroyed the Church Martyrdom is an excellent work yet from thence men have taken occasion to introduce the Opinion of Merits and Works of Supererogation Respect for the Martyrs is very just and very reasonable yet that hath made way for Indulgences the Invocation of Saints Adoration of Relicks and Images The use of Oecumenical Councils hath been found good upon several occasions The Bishops coming from all Parts have appeared not as Judges but as Witnesses of the Faith of their Churches and this unanimous consent in the Faith hath produced a very good effect for the establishing of Points fundamental But the Spirit of Lies hath nevertheless made use thereof afterwards as a means to build that Universal Empire over the Church an Empire which is one of the characters of Antichrist At the beginning it was the Emperors which assembled these Councils These Assemblies were made by their Authority the Bishops of Rome were of the number of those called to them he must have renounced all Sincerity that doth not agree unto it after he hath read Eusebius Socrates Zozomon and Theodoret. When the Roman Empire was ruined in the West the Emperors having no Authority and longer to call Assemblies of the whole Church because they were no longer Masters of it the Popes who advanced according to the measure that the Emperors declined were willing to lay hold of this Right They endeavoured to re-unite under their Authority all the Provinces which had formerly been united under the Emperors in which they were successful and thereby formed the second Roman Empire which is the Empire of the Boast and of Antichrist These Oecumenical Assemblies were of great use to them in this at the head of which Assemblies they placed themselves in the quality of the first Patriarchs The custom which the Councils took in the Fourth Age of adding Anathema's to their Decisions did also serve them afterwards to possess men with a Chimera of their Infallibility I have not been able to find that Councils did anathematize any one before the Council of Nice We have the Council of Carthage reckoned for the third in the Collection of Father Labbeus held under Cyprian in the year 258. Zonarus holds it for the most ancient of all the Councils he means whose Decisions we have It seems to me we have therein the form of the ancient Councils Every one there speaks his Opinion modestly that which had the plurality of Voices passed but they there made no Decrees nor Anathema's We do not see that in the first two Ages they held Councils for the deciding matters of Faith and Doctrine There was one held about the Controversie concerning Easter that is to say Whether they ought to celebrate the Fourteenth of the Month of March but this was a Point of Discipline There was in those times an infinite number of Hereticks as appears by the Book of Irenaeus but I have not observed that they did assemble Councils against them before the third Age nevertheless if they had look'd upon Councils as Infallible it would have been necessary to prevent Seduction and to secure the Faith of Christians An Article of Controversie The true Idea of Schism That those which are called Schismaticks are not out of the Church AFter having spoken of Vnity and confuted the Sophism which they draw from this Vnity in the preceding Letters we must answer the Sophism which is drawn from the Schism which ruines this Unity 'T is a Point which your Converters do continually repeat and beat upon you Schism say they is a hideous crime Schismaticks are out of the Church there is no Salvation for them and although the Church of Rome it self were corrupt you ought not to break with her Their modern Writers which seem willing to soften the Maxims of the Roman Church do nevertheless observe no measure on this Subject and on this Point They proceed so far as to maintain That although it should be true that even the Church of Rome should be fallen into Idolatry we ought not to forsake her and could not justly set up Altar against Altar We must return to these Gentlemen not Paradox for Paradox but Truth for Lies but a Truth which is opposite to their Falshood as our Antipodes are opposite to us They say
same place or in another 'T is a matter of Fact which our Adversaries cannot deny In the 20th of the Acts the Apostle speaking to the Presbyters or Elders of the Church of Ephesus calls them Bishops and in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus where he speaks sometimes of a Bishop he speaks more frequently of Elders and by Elders he understands the very same which he had called Bishops In the Cities where the Churches were great there were many Presbyters one of them did preside over the rest not by turn but by a privilege which did always appertain to him St. Paul speaks of this President The Elder which rules well is worthy of double honor This presiding Presbyter in the beginning of the second Age arrogates to himself the name of Bishop which before was common to his Collegues so that there was no other but the President of the Presbytery who call'd himself Bishop He attributed to himself also the right of imposing hands as well on those which were received as Pastors as on the Penitents and those which were received to the Communion of the Mysteries In all this there was as yet no Hierarchy no Dependence no Appeals no Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Every Bishop with his College of Presbyters was Sovereign in his District and in his Church and this Church was not dependent of any other You may remember how S. Cyprian in our Eleventh Pastoral Letter hath told us in express words * Epist 74. Every Bishop may use his Authority in the Government of his Church according to his own Will being under no obligation to give an account thereof to any but the Lord. And elsewhere †Concil Carth. Anno 258. That every Bishop is Master of himself and cannot be judged by another Bishop as he also cannot judge other Bishops All honest men are agreed at this day therein The Divines themselves of the Gallican Church maintain it and at this time they lend us their Studies and Illuminations to refute the Flatterers of the Papal Tyranny who would find in the three first Ages of the Church Proofs of the Primacy i. e. of the Principality of the Bishop of Rome over all the Churches of the World. The Defenders of this Antichristian Power quote to us the Action of Victor Bishop of Rome who about the end of the Second Age excommunicated the Churches of Asia because they would not keep Easter precisely the same day that he did and from thence they conclude That the Pope was even then the Prince of all Churches But to this your own Converters do answer for us that in this Victor exercised no Right but what was common to all Bishops and that the Bishops of Asia might exercise it on Victor as he had exercised it on them that this Excommunication of Victor was a separation from his Communion that the Bishops did communicate one with another by Letters which they called Letters of Communion formed Letters c. When they were angry or discontented one with another they did no longer write these Letters of Communion to those of whom they believed the Church had reason to complain and they received no more from them that this is it which Victor then did and that all Bishops have Right by custom to do the same thing The Flatterers of Popes quote to us also the Words of Irenaeus who speaking of the Church of Rome says * Lib. 3. cap. 3. That it was necessary all other Churches should have recourse to this Church because it was the principal and the most potent But the French Roman Catholick Doctors answer for us that the sense is That the Roman Church because the City of Rome was the Capital City of the Empire and because of its grandeur might be a sufficient Witness of Apostolical Tradition because Christians came thither upon business from all Parts of the World and that coming thither they might there be Witnesses of the Faith of all Churches scattered throughout all the Empire and that so the Roman Church made up and formed of all Nations might be a Witness of the Faith of all the Churches in the World. They object to us also That it appears by the Works of St. Cyprian that Bishops condemned and deposed in Africa had recourse to the Bishop of Rome for their re-establishment But the French Doctors answer with us That by the same Letters of St. Cyprian it appears also that these Attempts were disallowed and condemned and that they gave the Bishop of Rome to understand that he had nothing to do to receive the Complaints of any of the Ecclesiasticks of the African Church So that these Gentlemen acknowledge with us that in the three first Ages of Christianity there was no Principality no subordinate Jurisdiction nor no dependence of one Church upon another not excepting the Church of Rome it self But we do also maintain unto them That from the Third Age the Churches that had their Seats in those Cities which are called Metropoles i. e. Heads of the Provinces did obtain a certain Superiority upon the lesser Churches that were in the little Villages of the Neighbourhood because of the need they had of them The Metropolitan Cities were the dwelling places of the Governors of the Provinces the Courts of Justice were there 't was thither they carried their Tributes so that all the Provinces had business there besides the Bishops of these Cities were ordinarily more able than those of little Cities for it has always been the ordinary custom to choose the ablest men for the conduct of the most important Churches and such as were most exposed to the Temptations of human Authority Besides this there were in these Cities many Presbyters which assisted the Bishop and who with him made a Senate able and knowing in matters of Faith and Discipline For these Reasons the Churches of the Country and such as were Provincial addressed themselves to the Churches of the Metropolitan Cities in all their doubts and in all their necessities sometimes to obtain Pastors sometimes to know how they should suppress Hereticks and those which were scandalous and sometimes in other cases and on other occasions This was the reason that the Churches of the Metropolitan Cities obtained by consent a kind of Superintendence over others They confirmed by imposition of hands Pastors in vacant Churches after the People of those Churches had made an Election of them This is the estate in which the Government was found in the beginning of the Fourth Age. Before that time the Names of arch-Arch-Bishops Primates Exarchs Patriarchs and every other Name of Power and Dignity were wholly unknown in the Church But the Emperors becoming Christians Pride introduced it self into the Ecclesiastical Government and in the space of an 150 years or thereabout that Hierarchy was seen to be born and to establish it self which certainly made way for the birth of the Antichristian Empire of Rome and behold how it came to pass Constantine the Great
obscure Church subject to the Metropolitan of Heraclea a City of Thrace sees her self honored by the presence of the Emperors Constantine carried thither the Sâ—at of the Empire and called it Constantinople after his own Name and obtained for it the Name of New Rome Then the Bishop of Constantinople began also to make use of an Advantage by the Dignity of the City where he was So that instead of three Tyrants in the Church which aspired to make themselves Masters of the Flocks there are found four the Bishop of Rome he of Alexandria he of Antioch and he of Constantinople But as Rome always preserved a Character of Greatness and Preheminence over other Cities because it was the stock and root of the Empire they allowed a Primacy of Order to the Bishop of that city without contradiction And this by so much the more easily as the Spirit which built the Mystery of Iniquity had universally established the Opinion that S. Peter accounted the chief of the Apostles had placed his Episcopal Seat at Rome where he established Successors in such a manner that all Bishops in the World did silently consent to grant this Primacy of Order and of Presidence to the Church of Rome for these two Reasons the first that the City of Rome was the Capital of the Universe the second that the chief of the Apostles had had his Seat there so the Bishop of Rome was acknowledged for the first in order in their Assemblies but without any kind of Power or Jurisdiction over others In the mean time the rest of the Hierarchy was formed after the Model of the Government of the Empire The Rome Empire in the East was divided into Five principal Governments 1. That of the East whereof the Metropolis was Antioch and which extending it self over Syria is called East by distinction from the other Oriental Provinces 2. That of Egypt whose Head was Alexandria 3. That of Pontus whereof the Capital was Caesarea 4. That of Asia whereof the Capital was Ephesus 5. That of Thrace whereof the Metropolis was Constantinople So that these five Cities Antioch Alexandria Caesarea Ephesus and Constantinople were the places where the five great Governors of the Oriental part of the Roman Empire had their abode The Bishops of the same Cities advanced themselves also above the other Bishops of the Provinces and formed five Exarchates i. e. five sorts of Patriarchates independent the one from the other in every one of these Exarchates or Patriarchates there were many Bishops and even many Metropolitans in the sense that the Word is taken at this day The Exarchs of Antioch of Alexandria of Ephesus of Caesarea and of Constantineple every one in his Exarchate was above the Bishops in Government whether they were Metropolitans or simple Bishops so it was in the West also There was in Italy two principal Governments under the Name of Vicarships the Government of Rome and that of Milan for which reason the Bishops of these two Cities imitating the Civil Government advanced themselves also in the Ecclesiastick above the other Bishops of Italy The Bishop of Rome had therefore at that time a Primacy of Order and Presidence as we have observed because of the Preheminence of the City and the false Opinion that had obtained that S. Peter had been Bishop there But he exercised no Act of Jurisdiction or Superiority over others It was not permitted him to receive Appeals nor to make void the Decisions of other Bishops They were not the Bishops of Rome that called General Councils they were the Emperors it was not they that determined Controversies of Faith they were the Councils they could not send out their Interdicts nor Excommunications against other Churches or constrain them to Obedience by any Censure If the Bishops of Rome did separate other Churches from their Communion other Churches also kept themselves separate from their Communion adherence to the Bishop of Rome was of no necessity to obtain the esteem of an Orthodox and Catholick Church and there were Churches in those Ages which continued many Years in separation and without any Communion with the Church of Rome without ever being esteemed either Hereticks or Schismaticks Nevertheless it was in the Fourth Age that the Bishop of Rome did sow the Seeds of his Tyranny and took upon himself to judg those which other Bishops had already censured And this happened chiefly on the occasion of the Troubles which the Heresie of Arrius raised in the Church The Arrians became Masters in the East and drave the Orthodox Bishops from their Seats as Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria Paul Bishop of Constantinople c. These Bishops unjustly deposed and driven away retired themselves into the West where Arrianism had made far less Ravages The Bishops of Milan Rome and the principal Seats of Italy continued Orthodox S. Athanasius and others came into Italy and to Rome to implore the Succour of the Bishop thereof and other Bishops of the West to the end that by their Credit and Authority as well with other Bishops as principally with the Emperors they might be re-established in their Seats The Bishop of Rome receives them treats them as Bishops and declares that he had no regard for the unjust and violent Decisions of the Arrians yea he did all that was in his power to re-place them in their Seats At this time i. e. in the heat of these Controversies stirred up by the Arrians the Bishops of the West which were Orthodox held a Council at Sardis in the Year 347. there to judge the Cause of Athanasius and Paul Bishop of Constantinople In this Council the Bishops of the West observing that the Violences which the Orthodox Bishops of the East had suffered from the hands of Heretick Bishops were without remedy whilst these Heretical Bishops should be absolute Masters they thought fit to make three Canons or Ecclesiastical Rules according to which when a Bishop found himself oppressed by unjust Judgment he might have recourse to Rome that the Bishop of Rome should have power to appoint a review of the Process and for that reason send Deputies on his part which should cause a Synod of the Province to assemble and re-judg the matter a second time that in expectation of this second Judgment the Affairs should remain in suspence and the place of the deposed Bishop should not be filled Behold exactly the fatal Point of the first conception of this tyrannical Power which hath since swallowed up the Church The truth is that the Council of Sardis was made up of Western Bishops which had no power to make Laws for the Eastern Church It is also true that the Churches of the East have always scoffed at the Canons of Sardis and never would receive them It is also true that in the West it self these Canons were not received but very lately and a long time after But 't is also true that since that time the Bishops of Rome have never ceased to make
flames before they gave up the ghost they were made to live by skill and art in the most cruel torments sometimes many days and sometimes many weeks together and never did one word of murmuring or impatience escape from them they prayed for their Hangmen they gave Thanks to God they sung his Praises and to their last breath called upon his Name When they tell you at this day If your Religion were true you would adhere more closely unto it answer them If our Religion had been false they had never had so invincible an Adherence to it and so strong a Passion for it nor had they ever suffered death for the defence of it or if there have been some heady persons that have maintained their Opinions with obstinacy even to punishment and death their pains and death hath not been accompanied with an humility so profound a patience so exemplary a love and sweetness so perfect a zeal so ardent a piety so pure and undefiled a submission so entire a joy so firm solid bright and shining The Spirit of Lies and Delusions doth not produce such effects These are the Characters of the Spirit of God they are the effects of Grace and of that Grace that is not given to Reprobates and Martyrs of falshood and imposture My Brethren these Objects are at a distance they are behind you and you will find some difficulty in reflecting on them but you will find none in considering those that are before your eyes they are sufficient to defend you against the scandal of that Facility wherewith they reproach you and wherewith they affirm that your Brethren have forsaken their Religion Oppose thereunto above one hundred thousand persons that have left the Realm within the space of one year last past without counting almost as many more that have forsaken it within twenty years that this Persecution hath continued tho not in its height and rage There are among them those that have forsaken all those things which are called Goods Honours Ease and the convenient Accommodations of Life certainly they did not find it a thing so easie to enter with a satisfied mind into the bosom of the Roman Church Oppose thereunto more than forty thousand Prisoners that are in the Goals and Cloisters of the Realm which chuse to suffer all sorts of miseries and calamities there rather than to embrace the Popish Religion Oppose thereunto Persons of Quality such are the Marquess of Bordage condemned to the Galleys and afterwards to perpetual Imprisonment the Marquess of Musse who every day expects the same condemnation the Marquess of Rochegade and the Gentlemen his Sons the Marquess of Cagni Monsieur Beringhen and all his Family the Marquess of Lunge the Marquess of the Isle of Gast who is in the Citadel of Anger 's and an infinite number of other Gentlemen who prefer the Galleys or a Prison before the pleasure to which the Bishop of Meaux invites them that is of rejoining themselves to that Church in which their Fathers served God. Oppose thereunto a considerable number of Martyrs and Confessors whereof some are in Dungeons that are really the Images of Hell they being deep obscure dark and a hundred feet under ground such are the Reformed of Diepe Haure and other places which are in the Prisons of Aumale of whom we shall be able to tell you particular stories at some other time Add to these more than six hundred persons that are now actually in the Galleys for their Religion This is no hyperbolical Computation but one made by a Roman Catholick a maritime Officer now living at Marseilles we have his Letter and without naming him we shall be able to produce it at a convenient season behold a line or two thereof at present Here are six hundred Gally-slaves of the Religion called Protestant who by their patience move compassion from the most hard-hearted and unpitiful of their Officers The number of them must needs be augmented since that time for the Letter was dated from Marseilles the 27th of June 1686. that is to say more than two months since and without doubt there are more arrived there 'T is newly reported that at this time there are to the number of two thousand some say four thousand in that miserable state and case The famous Monsieur Lewis of Marolles Advocate of Stemenehaud was not then arrived there for he parted not from Paris with the other Prisoners under the same condemnation with himself till the 20th of July and came not to Dijon till the 30th of the same Month from whence at last he arrived at Marseilles laden with a Chain of fifty pound weight about his neck and a violent Fever which never left him during the time of that sad Journey He is a Confessor of Jesus Christ which all Paris beheld at the ‖ Tournello loaden with Chains of an extraordinary weight A Court of Judicature in Paris and also a Prison and preaching in the midst of his Irons All France have their eyes turned upon him as on the greatest example of Courage Piety and tenderness of Conscience that this Age hath seen We shall one day give you the History of his Confession and make you to understand his Sentiments by his own Letters where you will see the Spirit and Character of the ancient Martyrs He is one of our most illustrious Confessors but he is not alone God raises up others every day as you shall learn hereafter The same Sea-Officer that wrote from Marseilles that there were already six hundred Gally-slaves of the Reformed Religion there adds 'T is fifteen days since that Monsieur de Lezan a Gentleman of Quality was condemned to the Gallies being accused and convicted of having been at a Meeting The day after many persons were put to the Rack to oblige them to accuse some men of Name These unhappy Wretches endured both the ordinary and extraordinary Rack with such a constancy as affrighted the Judges and softned the Spirit of the Hangman to that degree that the chief Magistrate was forced to stand over him with a Cane to oblige him to turn the Wheel Behold here truth in matters of fact which can never be doubted seeing they are attested by a person of a contrary Religion who is upon the place and in the Country where these cruelties are committed Behold Confessors which make it apparent that the Church of Rome does not find it a thing so facile as the Bishop of Meaux reports it to cause the Reformed to enter into their Communion Behold Examples of Constancy that are worthy of your most attentive Consideration Death is more easie to be endured than the ordinary and extraordinary Rack and those illustrious Confessors do well deserve the Title of Martyrs But will you oppose to that Facility which your Converters find and whereof they make an Argument to draw you into the Roman Religion will you I say oppose to your Seducers Martyrs in all forms Oppose to them Monsieur Teissier
Viguier of Durfort in Cevennes who was hanged in the borders or entrance into that Country some months since in a place called La Salle only because he had served God in a publick Assembly as also one named Gysot who was burnt alive at Nâ—rac This poor man was so weak as to sign an Abjuration of his Religion through fear and the persecution of the Dragoons or it may be through the weakness and infirmity of his Age for he was more than seventy and drew nigh to eighty years of age Being fallen sick God restored to him his Zeal and Courage that he might obtain the Crown of Martyrdom He refused to communicate after the manner of the Church of Rome and declared That he retracted that unhappy Signature that they had extorted and forced from him The Priest that he might execute the Law that ordains that at any rate whatsoever they must give the Holy Sacrament to the Sick forced him to receive the Host or consecrated Bread and put it into his mouth the old man according to his duty spit it out and therefore was condemned to be burnt alive in the fire He went to this horrible Punishment with the joy of the holy Martyrs He was bound to the Post without any appearance of commotion He sung the Praises of God in the midst of the Flames to his last breath This Constancy made so great an Impression upon the Spirits of all the Inhabitants of Nerac and gave so great an Astonishment to the Executioners that they have not proceeded to execute a like Sentence pronounced against one named Fabiores of the same City and of the same Country condemned also to be burnt alive for having as the former spit out the Host which by force was put into his mouth We have not yet heard that the Sentence hath been executed when 't is done we shall give you notice of it We have a Martyr of a more sublime and raised Order 't is Monsieur Rey of Mismes Student in Theology who after he had preached eight or nine months in Cevennes was taken arrested condemned to Death and executed at Beaucaire on the 7th of August The Circumstances of his Martyrdom his Courage his Answers his Piety are too eminent and peculiar to be wrap'd up and buried in a short Narration We do promise it you at large when we shall have collected from faithful Records all the parts of the holy History of this glorious Martyr Behold already my dear Brethren many things that you have to oppose to those Words of the Bishop of Meaux I do not wonder that you are returned in Troops and with so much facility to the Church But this is not all Set him matter of fact against this pretended Facility and assure him that for more than four months time there have been Assemblies almost every day in Cevennes and in the adjacent parts for the offering up Prayers and Supplications to God sometimes in Woods and at other times in Caves and Rocks and Dens of the Earth The Dragoons which almost always surprize them put them to the Sword according to their Instructions they Kill and Hang and drag them into Prisons but all signifies nothing they assemble nevertheless In the month of June last near the end thereof the Dragoons having surprised an Assembly near Nismes they killed many of them on the place and four they hung upon the trees The Hangmen withdrew supposing that they would have no great inclination to return again to that place But two hours after there was another Assembly in the same place on the dead bodies and in the view of the Carkasses that hung on the trees of the mountains There is not a week passes without like Assemblies and like Massacres They reckon more than sixty persons at an Assembly that was made between Uzes and Bagnol in the beginning of July some add That women were ravished and others ripped up But we reserve the particulars of these things till afterwards and you may reckon that we tell you nothing but what is true and câ—rtain for which reason we chuse rather to defer the edification that you might receive from the firmness and constancy of our Martyrs â—nd Confessors than to tell you any thing as certain that may prove false But this is enough at present to give the B. of Meaux and others of his spirit to understand that they have no great cause to triumph in our weakness and the facility they find in overcoming us It may be they have boasted too soon they are not yet where they thought they were We do already see the vanity of those Bravado's That in four months time there would not be any thing heard of a Hugonot in France These fine projects are shipwrecked and the difficulty is yet to come As for you my Brethren that which we shall say and the Objects that we shall set before your eyes ought to shame you If you have been so weak as to fall you ought to take courage and rise again and to redouble your strength if you have not had enough to support you hitherunto But let us continue to hear the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Meaux Not one of you hath suffered violence either in his Person or Goods Let them not bring you these deceitful Letters which are addressed from Strangers transformed into Pastors under the Title of Pastoral Letters to the Protestants of France who are fallen by the force of Torments These Letters concern you not any otherwise than as they are made by persons that could never prove their Mission So far have you been from suffering torments that you have not so much as heard them mentioned I hear other Bishops say the same But for you my Brethren I say nothing to you but what you may speak as well as I. You are returned peaceably to us you know it Behold one of those objects whereunto we have not been accustomed Maimbourg Varillas Brueys and multitudes of others have had the front to say that Conversions are made without violence On that subject they have been baffled in a manner sufficient to have covered impudence it self with confusion But 't is to wash the Blackmoor's skin These Gentlemen have Foreheads of Brass and can blush at nothing By this little judge of the fidelity of your Converters You that have seen your Goods wasted your Persons contained your Neighbours dragged to Prisons Women shaven and put into Convents Christians let down into Holes where putrified Flesh and Carrion had been thrown Others put into Prisons where the Water runs under their feet being supported by narrow planks upon which they are mounted night and day lest they fall as from a Precipice and perish Others have been burnt and roasted and others made fools by watching them without cessation or intermission All France hath seen it all Europe is witness of it and they dare affirm the contrary to what your eyes have seen Do you think that these Gentlemen dare not
entertained However it be these Gentlemen persuade their Disciples that it is not the Spirit of the Roman Church that doth cause this Persecution Nothing must be imputed to any Religion but what it appoints to be believed The Church never serves it self of force for it hath no other Arms but such as are Spiritual There is among the Doctors of the Roman Church on the one hand an impudence and hardness of Face which is inconceivable and on the other hand there is in their Disciples an abyss of credulity that is incomprehensible Can hardiness and shamelesness be greater than to say that Persecution is not of the spirit of the Roman Church One of our * See the Letter of Doctor Sonstelle Brethre hath written concerning it a little while since with so much brevity that every one may read it and with so much strength as to convince them of the falshood thereof We prove that the Persecution is of the spirit of the Church of Rome by its Principles its Doctrine and its Practice I do not know whether there can be any other source or fountain of proofs when we treat of matters of Fact. The Principles of the Roman Church are that all those that are separate from their Church are damned eternally It s Doctrine is that the Secular Power with Fire and Sword may be employed for the extirpation of those that she calls Hereticks The Council of Constance which France esteems as the most Authentick that hath been these thousand years hath so determined and so it practised For it caused John Lous and Jerome Osprague to be burned The Albigenses Waldenses Bohemians and many others were not Massacred but by order of Councils and Popes who published Crusadoes against them and gave Indulgences and promised Pardon of sin to those that should destroy them The Tribunal of the Inquisition which burns all those that are either suspected or Convicted of Heresie is a Tribunal of the Church established and maintained thereby and it is looked on by the Popes as the great Rampart and Defence thereof Never were there any Massacres committed which were not either Commanded or Approved by Popes They are matters of Fact notoriously known and no body dares to dissent unto them Rome hath sung Te Deum that is We praise thee O God c. and given thanks to him for the Persecution of France Nothing is more proper to make known what is the Spirit of the Roman Church than the Conduct of the Court of Rome We have said that the Pope publickly commends what hath been done in France and hath caused Te Deum to be sung for it In the mean time it is certain that all Men of good sense in the Court of Rome do both detest and scoff at the Conduct of France Whence comes it then that this Court seems to approve in publick that which it condemns in private It is not to flatter the King for they have no respect or regard for him in that Country and every one knows the indignation that they have against him But it is because that Rome dares not declare against the Principles of their Religion If the Pope should condemn ways of violence against pretended Hereticks he would mutiny his whole Church against himself and make himself worthy of deposition He would condemn his Councils he would reproach the memory of his Predecessors he would overturn his own Principles from top to bottom So that the publick approbation which he gives to Persecution is the Sacrifice which he makes of his Conscience to his duty in quality of a Pope But like a Man of good sense he reserves the right of condemning in private all that which he publickly approves The Letter of the Queen of Sueden which hath been made publick in the News of the Republick of Learning hath conjectured discreetly concerning it For it is not to be believed that Queen Christina would dare so openly to declare her self against the Sentiments of the Court of Rome if that Court had approved of this manner of Conversions Behold a second Letter of the same Queen which tells us something more exact concerning the Sentiments which prevail in the Country where she is A Letter of Queen Christina to M 'T IS with astonishment that I have seen my Letter made publick in your Parts I do not understand how it is come to pass and I do assure you that it is not I my self that have published it Nor do I believe that he to whom it was written would so far disoblige his Master as to be willing to do me that pleasure However it be I do not repent that I wrote it for I do not fear any man. I pray God with all my heart that this false Joy and Triumph of the Church do not one day cost her true tears and sorrows In the mean time it must be known for the honour of Rome that all those that are men of merit and understanding here and animated with true Zeal do no more lick up the Spittle of the French Court in this case than I do They behold as I also do with pity all those things which pass in the World where there is given so much reason both of grief and laughter to those that are the Spectators thereof Our only consolation is that God will not abandon his Church but give a glorious issue to all its Calamities which are far greater than are imagined but it behoves us to adore God and the incomprehensible dispositions of his holy providence in every thing that betides us I heartily wish you prosperity From Rome May 18. 1686. Christina Alexandra It behoves us to speak as the case is the Court of Rome disapproves the conduct of the King because it is his Enemy The Persecution is of no value because 't is he that doth it However it be we are in no condition in France to make use of the moderate Sentiments of Italy For the Galican Church hath renounced this moderation She pays Men of Learning to prove that ways of Violence are permitted At this day all the Realm is full of Writers which labour to justifie compel them to come in They quote S. Augustin they report his opinions concerning the Persecution that was raised against the Donatists 'T is notorious that the Clergy of France have been the Authors of the Persecution They cannot deny that they have drawn up all the Edicts and that they have sollicited the execution of them so that we cannot comprehend how the Converters can endure that their Disciples should say That we ought not to impute any thing to a Religion but that which it appoints to be believed and practised and that the Roman Church doth not appoint any Violence to be practised against Hereticks But the Bishop of Meaux finds a very pleasant means to justifie her the Church never serves it self with force by it self says he that is to say it calls to her succour the secular Power to cut
off Heads to hang and burn therefore it ought not to be imputed to her A Sovereign Magistrate contents himself to be Judg and to condemn to Death but he doth not execute he leaves that to the Hangman by consequence if he condemn the Innocent and cause them to die it ought to be imputed to the Hangman and not to him The Church doth a very fine honour to Magistrates she makes them her Hangmen she herself doth not kill but she constrains Princes to kill and burn She constrains I say by Excommunications Censures Exhortations Seductions Sollicitations and the end thereof is she would be able to say The Church dips not her hand in Blood the Church by it self never makes use of force Did the Devil ever cheat after a more impudent and frontless manner I will not say after a more fine and subtil manner for it is to lye without any hope to deceive the Snare is so broad and so ridiculous It were better without Craft to take the way that the Bishop of Meaux takes at last and to maintain that Christian Princes as such have right to punish pretended Hereticks with Death Understand you says he That Princes who are Sons of the Church never ought to make use of the Sword to abuse the Enemies thereof Do you dare to say contrary to the opinion of your Doctors which have maintaind by so many Writings that the Republick of Geneva had power and right to condemn Servetus to the Fire for having denied the Divinity of the Son of God It must be avowed that these Gentlemen are admirable in their confidence Do you dare to say Yes we dare to say it since we say it with most part of the Ancients and with the wisest and most understanding of the Moderns We dare say that the Doctrine which the B. of Meaux maintains here is bloody and cruel and that the Church ought to leave it in share to him who was a Liar and Murderer from the beginning Servetus was burnt at Geneva therefore it is lawful to burn Hugonots and the Calvinists God forgive these unhappy men which have the Cruelty to compare us with Servetus This man was not only an Enemy of the Divinity of Jesus Christ but he was an Enemy of all Divinity he was impious he was a Blasphemer And although he made profession of believing one God the irreverent manner wherewith he speaks of Holy Mysteries makes it plain enough that he had renounced all Religion as well as all Shame It ought to be permitted us to quit our hands of such men They object unto us the Sentiment of our Doctors I answer Our Doctors never did believe that we ought to persecute and burn men that confess God and Jesus Christ according to the three Creeds They never put Papists to Death for the sake of their Religion But although some of our first Writers should have gone too far in speaking concerning the punishment of Hereticks it ought to be known that our Authors are not our Teachers we have but one only Teacher and that is Jesus Christ speaking by his Prophets and Apostles We swear to no mans words but to those of God. And without serving my self of the Examples and Authority of your Doctors tell me in what place of Scripture Hereticks and Schismaticks are excepted from the number of those Malefactors against whom S. Paul hath said that God hath armed Kings and Princes It appertains not to us to shew you that Hereticks are not of the number of those against which God hath put a Sword in the hands of Princes 'T is for you Gentlemen Persecutors to prove to us that they are comprehended there For we have sense reason piety and humanity on our side and besides we have the consent of sound Antiquity for more than four hundred years How could the Church be able to put the Sword in the hand of Magistrates for the punishment of her Enemies in a time when the most scrupulous Christians found it difficult to consent to the Death of those Criminals that disturbed the publick peace and that of particular persons and did maintain that Christians without exception never ought to dip their hands in Blood. In what Dictionary hath Monsieur de Meaux found that evil thinkers and evil doers are the same thing Princes have right to punish evil doers with Death therefore they have also right to punish evil thinkers with Death They have right to punish those whose Crimes are apparent to the publick ruine therefore they have right to burn men whose Crime is in the Conscience the Empire whereof appertains only to God. If the Church have right to call in the Secular Power for the punishment of Hereticks why did S. Paul say simply A man that is an Heretick reject after the first and second admonition Why did he not say Deliver him to the secular Power that he may be burnt Did he not know that in a few Ages Princes would become Christians and have the Sword in their hands Did he only give Precepts for the present time and state Hath this Cruelty of Massacring honest well-meaning but mistaken Persons any affinity with the Precepts of Jesus Christ which commands us to serve our selves with Sweetness Humanity Prayers Exhortations and reasons for the reduction of them It is then permitted to Massacre the Jews for there are none greater Enemies to the Church than they are Is that the Spirit of the Gospel which promises a return and conversion to that Nation How shall they return if they be destroyed Will men never be ashamed of this Antichristian Barbarity Will they never know that it is the Beast in the Revelations who makes himself drunk with the Blood of Saints devours their Flesh makes War upon them and overcomes them and is therefore called Beast Lion Bear and Leopard For he must have renounced reason and humanity and be transformed into a Savage Beast that behaves himself towards Christians as the Church of Rome behaves it self towards us Monsieur de Meaux affirms that what they do against us at this day is nothing but a lawful exercise of the Power that Princes enjoy by Authority from God for the punishment of Offenders And I will prove to him in three words that it is false 1. Princes in the use of the Sword against Malefactors design their ruin that publick Societies be no more troubled with them 'T was the end that was heretofore proposed in Persecutions for Religion 'T was the end that Charles the Ninth pretended to have in the Massacre of S. Bartholomew 'T is the end of the Inquisitors who burn all those that are suspected of Heresie It hath been the end of all Persecutors in past Ages But this is not their end at this day they intend not the Destruction of the pretended Hereticks but their Conversion Therefore although it should be true that Hereticks are not eccepted out of the number of those Malefactors against whom God hath armed Princes this will
Persecutors could no more distinguish the Conduct of this day from that of Charles IX and Henry II. They said that never did any Persecution proceed further than blood and that there was no further pretence to say that they served themselves with moderate ways for our Conversion but this Declaration of the month of July is nothing in comparison of that of the month of April for I dare say that Hell never produced any thing more horrible I impute not this to the Supream Powers who have suffered themselves to be surprised to publish such an Edict A spirit so imployed with designs of finishing his Work as is that of our King is not capable of giving attention to any thing else But I impure it to the Counsel of Conscience to the Bishops and Jesuits which draw up the Decrees and cause them to be signed with blinded Eyes I do maintain that never was there any Society gave so great marks and signs of reprobation as that which forms and executes these projects After that Monsieur de Meaux hath said that that which is done at present is an exercise of the right Fidelity and Justice that Princes have to imploy the Sword for the punishment of Malefactors Let us see how he goes on And although you will not permit to Christian Princes to revenge great Crimes because they are injurious to God may they not revenge them because they cause trouble and Sedition in the State Without doubt those that trouble the State of what Religion soever they be be they Orthodox or otherwise may be punished But who are these that trouble the State are they those which Kill which Massacre and Plunder or those which live peaceably and demand nothing but liberty to worship God according to their Consciences and agreeably to the Edicts which have been granted them with all sorts of promises and securities What trouble do we make in the State What evil have we done in putting the Crown in the Family of Bourbon and in hindering it from falling from the Head of Lewis XIV during his minority Where are our Seditions and Revolts Europe knows and sees who they are which trouble the State whether we or they which lay wast the Provinces which diminish the Revenues of the King which weaken and abolish Trade and force more than a million of souls to search out ways to get out of the Kingdom The Bishop of Meaux adds Do you not clearly see that you build upon a false Principle If it were true they were the Arrians the Nestorians and the Pelagians that had reason to complain of the Church seeing they were those which were Banished and Persecuted and Catholick Princes were those that did Persecute and Banish them First of all I say that they rendered to the Arrians no more but what they had done to the Church They had removed and chased away the Orthodox from their Churches they had Banished the Orthodox and they Banished them Secondly I answer that it is false that Catholick Princes ever did that against the Arrians the Nestorians and Pelagians that is this day done against us Let Monsieur de Meaux a little unfold his skill in History and let him make us see that the Emperors did send Armies into the Arrian Villages and by the most cruel treatments force Abjuration Let him make us see that they did exact subscriptions that they did beat imprison send to the Mines or Gallies those that refused it To conclude I say that there is a great deal of difference between Banishing and Tormenting of Hereticks A Prince that will preserve his State clean may send Hereticks whose Doctrine he would not have dispersed with their Families and Goods elsewhere If the King had been contented to have Banished us with our Families and Goods we had had subject of complaint because of the false opinion that they have entertained concerning us that we are Hereticks doth not give them any right to treat us as such and to break the Confederations made with us and our Ancestors But nevertheless we would have suffered this injustice patiently because it would have been nothing in comparison of what is done against us at this day And at present also the Catholicks which are punished with death in Sueden and so many other Kingdoms would have reason of complaint against those that call themselves Reformed and every one in his turn would have right and wrong right in one place and wrong in another and Religion would depend upon uncertainties Let not Monsieur de Meaux be displeased it is not honest to advance matters of Fact so barbarous as these without any proof yea matters of Fact the falsity whereof are notorious They punish the Catholicks in Sueden and many other Countries with death I demand for the Publick in the Age present and in the Age to come Justice for this Calumny Nothing is more false and more known to be so for there is not a Protestant State where the Papists have not permission to live and live according to their Conscience although in some places they have not the publick exercise of their Religion and they are very few I know not whether Sueden be one of them The rest of that period every one has right and wrong c. is a Riddle which-covers at the bottom the most frightful Doctrine that ever was published It is that every Prince in his Dominions hath right to exterminate by Fire and Sword all those which are not of his Religion It is the established Law which according to Monsieur de Meaux ought to be the same every where to the end that it be not exposed to uncertainties It is I say the most horrible Doctrine that a Christian can teach For according to it the Turks have right to cut the Throats of Christians in all places where they are Masters Behold the argument of Monsieur de Meaux weakned and overturned if I do not mistake nevertheless it is certain that it comprehends in brief the best of all which these Gentlemen have to say on that behalf I had designed to leave the rest of Monsieur de Meaux his Letter because the Chapter concerning the Adoration of the Eucharist and that of the Judge of Controversies which he touches transiently will have their place in the following Letters and there be handled somthing at large But I have thought that the Readers love to find an Antidote wherever they find Poison for which reason we will say something thereon that the weakness of what he doth advance may appear to the end that they may not be imposed upon by these appearances of demonstration He touches the Adoration of the Bread and says The fear that you have that they will make you adore Bread hath some appearance of truth according to your prejudice I am well pleased that they do acknowledge that our fear hath some appearance of truth at least If the real presence were engravers in the Scripture as with a beam
to mark here the Character of sweetness and Christian patience which is peculiar to those that suffer for the Truth his modesty hinders us from naming him but in seeing him behind his Curtain you will learn from him after what manner we ought to suffer all things for the Truth and to suffer with patience as our Lord has given us example The Grace of God be with you all Septemb. 15. 1686. The THIRD PASTORAL LETTER AND Confutation of what Monsieur de Meaux says to establish the necessity of a living speaking Authority concerning a Succession of Chairs without a Succession of Doctrine General Methods for making good the Sophisms and Fallacies concerning the Authority and Infallibility of the Church My Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be unto you from God and our Saviour Jesus Christ YOur Temptations which increase every day do also redouble our grief and cause us to desire with the greater passion to give you assistance and succor for which reason we prosecute what we have begun 'T is to furnish you with Lights for the dispelling of that Darkness wherewith they endeavour to obscure those Truths which you have learned from your childhood Among other things they make great and prodigious attempts to take you off from that adherence that you give to the holy Scriptures and to oblige you to forsake those living Fountains and to run after the broken Cisterns of Egypt which will hold no water The last periods of Monsieur de Meaux his private Letter and the second Article of his Pastoral Letter look that way They are these Periods and this Article upon which we shall make our Reflections and we do beseech you to give attention to them Behold then how Monsieur de Meaux prosecutes his Letter to Monsieur de V In a word the meaning is if Christians when they cannot agree upâ—n the sense of Scripture do not acknowledge a living speaking Authority to which they do submit the Christian Church is certainly the weakest of all Societies in the World the most exposed to remediless Divisions and most abandoned to factious Innovators This is it to which your Ministers with all their Subtleties have never been able to find an Answer In truth 't is to put great confidence in the Credulity of Men to tell them with so much impudence that the Ministers have not been able to find an Answer to this Sophism I do not think that there is any which hath been rejected with more force and more success And we do defie Monsieur de Meaux and Monsieur Nicholas to answer any thing that 's reasonable to what hath been said against the Infallibility of this pretended living speaking Judge in the Answer which hath been lately made to the Book of M. Nicholas intituled The pretended Reformed convinced of Schism We have there answered it and will answer it again But this is no place to answer to it at large We will content our selves to intreat you my Brethren to make two general Reflections thereon First That Remedy can never be good which never produces the effect which Men say it doth always produce M de Meaux pretends that this certain living speaking Authority is an infallible Remedy against Divisions and Heresies For without it says he the Church would be of all Societies most abandoned to Divisions Innovations and Factions If this Remedy be so good why hath it never produced its effect Was not this living speaking Authority in the world was it not say I from the times of the Apostles and the first Ages of Christianity Why therefore have we seen from the beginning swarms of Heresies and Hereticks Simonians Corinthians Basilidians Marcosians Valentinians Marcionites Manicheans and multitudes of others Wherefore in the fourth and fifth Ages of the Church was it torn in pieces by Arrians Nestorians Eutychians Photinians Why do they account to the number of two or three hundred Heresies Why did this brave Remedy against Divisions permit the Schism of the Donatists more than three hundred years That of the Eutychians more than twelve hundred That of the Nestorians as long Why doth not this excellent Remedy put an end to the Schism of the Greeks after the duration of near eight hundred years Was it this living speaking Authority which suppressed the Waldenses and Albigenses or the Fire and Sword of Simon de Montfort and his Villains Why hath this living and speaking Authority permitted the Latin Church to be torn in pieces in these latter Ages Behold in truth a fine Remedy good for nothing and which over and above is established upon inconsistent Principles as hath been proved an hundred times The other general Reflection which I desire you would make is on the great inconvenience that Monsieur de Meaux finds in acknowledging That the Church is the weakest of all Societies in the World. I do profess that it appears very uneasie to me as well as to him and I am not without all inclination to reason with him and say There is no appearance or probability that the Church should be the most impotent of all Societies under the Heavens and by consequence 't is not likely that it should have been the Tennis Ball of Persecutors of Tyrants of malignant Spirits of Schismaticks of Hereticks of factious Innovators and vitious corrupters of the Truth and Worship of God. And so all that hath been said of Persecutions Punishments Heresies Seditions happening in the Church Strife among Bishops their Quarrels and Divisions of the fury of Schisms of the horrible corruption of Manners that hath been seen in some Ages and is seen in this all these things say I are false For 't is impossible that the Church should be the weakest of all Societies which it would be if what hath been said yea and what our eyes see be true So that it must needs be that all Histories be Romances and all Objects that we see Illusions and that there be a Wall of Fire about the Church that hinders all sorts of Evils from approaching it 'T is a Prodigy in my apprehension that Men should be found that will destroy truths in matter of fact sense and experience by Discourses in the air These Gentlemen do never enter into the depths of God's ways they do not perceive nor understand that 't is indeed by the order of his Providence that to the apprehension of sense the Church is the most feeble of all Societies most given up to the will and lust of Persecutors and Men of Faction and Innovation Where is the Society that hath been given up and exposed to so many Schisms Divisions and Persecutions as the Church But the Power of God and the Stability of the Church consists in this that it subsists in despite to all Assaults and that God preserves in the midst of those Schisms and Divisions Errors and Superstitions those fundamental Truths and Precepts of Morality by which the Elect are preserved notwithstanding the general corruption that doth involve and
overwhelm it Herein is the strength of the Church and 't is a Miracle and on the occasion thereof we ought to say 'T is the Finger of God. Without putting you upon Inquiries and Disquisitions consider whether it be likely that God who hath permitted so many depths in the Scriptures and that from thence have arrived so many Schisms among those that profess to receive and believe them hath not left some means in his Church to quiet and determine them Is it likely that there should be no remedy for Divisions but that every one may believe according to his own fancy and the minds of Men be thence led insensibly to an indifference in Religions which is the greatest of all Evils Is not this what I said but even now To discourse in the air against known matters of Fact and against such Truths as all the World confess and avow Let us say with Monsieur de Meaux it is not probable that God should leave so many depths in the Holy Scriptures from which so many Divisions might arise and not leave to his Church some means to put a period to them Behold the Principle And who can deny so plausible a Maxim But behold my Conclusion Therefore there have been never any Divisions about the sense of Scripture which the Church hath not found means to determine Therefore it hath well and easily determined the Divisions which continued well nigh the space of four hundred years about the Sense of those Words The Father is greater than I. Therefore it quieted the Difference about the Sense of those other Words The word was made flesh And 't is not true that there are millions of Christians in the East Nestorians and Eutychians that have not agreed with the Church of Rome about the meaning of them for 1200 years passed Therefore it hath raised the Divisions about the Sense of those Words of Jesus Christ to S. Peter Feed my Sheep And it is not true-that all the Greek Church is at a Schism with the Latin Church thereon and are not of the mind that they mean that the Bishop of Rome ought to be universal Pastor of all Churches They say and 't is believed that the Latin Church hath been divided almost two hundred years about the Sense of those Words This is my body The Lutherans give one sense the Calvinists another and the Romanists a third sense concerning them But that is not true 't is a popular Error and an illusion It is not probable that God should not leave any means to his Church to quiet the Differences that should arise about the Sense of Scripture A Man would think these Gentlemen had a design to scoff and deride Mankind they form an Eutopia a world made at pleasure out of their own imaginations and tell us that the present world is so made and that we are in it and very well and safe there 'T is in vain that we deny it and say 't is not so we see the contrary the world is not made as you report it They answer us you deceive your selves you are blind Buzzards and see nothing you seem indeed to see the contrary but nevertheless it can be no otherwise than we say and we will demonstrate it by reason My Brethren you may there perceive the falseness and illusion of the method of your Converters Learn from hence in three words what is the proper method of confuting them have recourse to experience and tell them you will prove that it ought to be so and I see with my eyes the contrary to what you say ought to be It is not therefore true that God hath given a sure and easie means to quiet the Differences which may arise about the Sense of Scripture God will save his select but he will abandon his Enemies to blindness T is his pleasure that there be Difficulties in the way of Faith and Salvation but he hath filled the Holy Scriptures with Light to dissipate these Darknesses with respect to his Elect. And as for the Reprobates he permit this spiritual darkness which hinders them from seeing the sparkling and lightsome Truths which are in the Scripture to remain upon their Hearts God hath not left certain means to prevent and pacifie Divisions we are convinced of that by experience For Divisions do continue among Christians and have done so for fifteen Centuries what means soever have been used to heal them But he hath left means sufficiently certain for the conduct of his Children to eternal Life by the way and path of Truth 'T is his Holy Word together with the direction of his Spirit which conducts infallibly not whole Societies but all that are his in particular in all the Truths that are necessary to Salvation and preserves them from all those Errors that are mortal to their Souls Think think of that Mr. hearken to your own reason and not to the subtleties of your Ministers Think think of that my Brethren consult both your reason and your sense attend to that which your eyes report and don 't hearken to the vain reasonings of Men who discourse not upon that which is but upon that which ought to be according to their imaginations Behold that which we have to say at present about this important matter which Monsieur de Meaux touches in his private Letter We must now return to his Pastoral Letter and see how he proves the Title of his second Article The second Article has for its Title in the Margin That the Pastors of the Catholick Church are the only true Pastors He proves it by two Mediums The first is That the Pastors of the Church of Rome alone have the advantage of mutual succession in place and feat one to another Monsieur de Meaux maintains that he is in the place af those that planted the Gospel in hit Diocess And all other Bishops he says have the same Glory The second proof is that they have also a succession of Doctrine 'T is well when these two things go together for otherwise to glory of a Succession of Seats without a Succession of Doctrine is in my opinion the most pitiful glory that any one can ascribe to himself The Patriarch of Constantinople who according to Monsieur de Meaux is a Schismatick he and all his Predecessors for above 800 years is also in the place of those who planted the Gospel in those Countries Nevertheless the Bishop of Rome hath anathematized him an 100 times and doth anathematize him every year on Good Friday in the Bull De Coena Domini The Arrian Bishops did hold the place of the Apostles in the East and at this day the Bishops of Denmark Sueden and England are also in the place of them which planted Christianity in those Countries Monsieur de Meaux perceives well that the Glory of Succession can do him no great good without Doctrine and therefore does very fairly renounce it To separate sound Doctrine from the Chair of Succession is to
its Ceremonies were intirely unknown As to what appertains to other Sacraments as is that of Marriage and Penance he must have a mind blinded by prejudice beyond all imagination to believe they may be found in the Scripture Marriage and Penance are indeed found there but there is not one word which does establish them as sacred Ceremonies designed to seal the Covenant of Grace and to confer forgiveness of sins Confirmation is found there i. e. the custom of laying on of hands for the giving the Holy Spirit and that of Anointing the Sick to recover them from Diseases Some of the Proselytes of these Gentlemen make a great business of it and have said to us as a great reproach that we have taken away Confirmation and Extreme Unction It is a great pity that minds which seem inlightned should stumble at trifles And is it not clear that this Imposition of Hands and Extreme Unction was designed for doing of Miracles which are long since ceased But they say that the following Ages did nevertheless practise it That we shall see afterward The Invocation of the Holy Virgin and Saints the Worship of Relicks Adoring of Images and the Service of Creatures in Popery is an affair so considerable that it fills almost all Nevertheless the Scripture of the New Testament says nothing of it Nor is it possible that Men well Educated can persuade themselves that these are Apostolical Traditions when we see not the least footsteps of them in the Writings of the Apostles It is a blindness which cannot be understood As to matter of Fact we can have no dispute with Papists concerning it They must acknowledge that the Apostles and Evangelists speak not one word either of the Invocation of Saints and Angels nor of the Veneration of Relicks nor of the Adoration of Images As to matter of Right if the Church has power to introduce these new Worships let it be proved and put past doubt and Controversie for I do affirm that he must be smitten with a spirit of blockishness that maintains that we may Religiously invoke creatures without the Authority of God and order of his Apostles Plainly it will be said that the Apostles have appointed the Invocation of Saints and that they themselves have practised it but they have left nothing written concerning it I do affirm that he must have a Forehead made of Brass who shall say such a thing And the new Converts who can be persuaded of it make no use of their reason It will never enter into the mind of a reasonable Man that the Apostles have appointed Invocation of Saints and said nothing of it in their Writings Purgatory which they would have pass for a little thing is nevertheless a very great one For Prayers for the dead publick and private Masses and almost all the Roman Worship is founded thereon So that the Holy Spirit could not let it slip If there be a Purgatory it must be in the Scripture or there is none .. I take it for granted and 't is to scoff People to go search this pretended Fire in the prison whence we must not go out till we have paid the utmost farthing in the fire that ought to try all things at the end of the world in the prison where are the Spirits to which Noah preach'd If Heaven and Hell were no other ways revealed in the Scripture the profane would have a fair opportunity to laugh at us The Authority of the Pope is the last of those Articles of Popery that I have represented 'T is an Affair about which there can be no Controversie which has any foundation in the World. Ask your Converters where-is the Pope in the Scriptures they will quote to you the Words of Jesus Christ to S. Peter Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my church Call a Turk a Jew or any other Man that hath common sense and ask him whether he sees therein that God hath established a Man at Rome with full authority to guide the whole Church to damn to save to judge of all Differences to determine without Appeal to excommunicate Kings Princes and Sovereigns he will believe you laugh him to scorn The new Converts which see therein the Apostolick Chair from S. Peter to Innocent the Eleventh have very good Eyes I beseech you my Brethren take your Converters a little to those Texts of Scripture where S. Paul enumerates the Officers of the Church He has given some to be Pastors Teachers Apostles Evangelists Bishops Deacons Elders and Prophets in those places where he declares the Duties of those who enjoy the Offices of the Church Press them say I and demand of them whether they dare say that the Apostle hath omitted the first of all Offices an Office alone in its kind infinitely superior to all others Ask them if they do believe in good earnest that S. Paul declared the Duties of Bishops in general and that he said nothing for the Regulation of the Bishop of Bishops I am persuaded if you press them earnestly thereon they will blush in your Faces Behold I do maintain that I have said enough already for the History of the first Age. The silence of the Scripture about all the Articles of Popery is an indisputable proof that then it was wholly unknown But there is much more you have an hundred positive Proofs that then the Christian Religion was wholly opposite to Popery Against the Real Presence you have all those Passages where the Eucharist is called Bread and a Commemoration of the Death of our Lord all those where 't is said our Lord is on high and not here below Against the Sacrifice of the Mass you have all the Epistle to the Hebrews Against the Worship of Creatures you have the Decalogue and a thousand other Commandments which do appoint that you adore and invoke God alone Against the taking away the Cup and the Adoration of the Eucharist you have the History of its Institution Against Purgatory you have an hundred Texts which tell you that after this life Believers go to Heaven Against the Pope you have all those places where our Lord and the Apostles forbid the Domination of Church-Men both over their Flocks and one another This is not a place to engage in a long Controversie by the Scripture we compose a History not a Disputation Know therefore historically in the following Articles what was the Primitive Christianity Behold what was the form of the Apostolick Church 1. Christians having as yet no Churches assembled where they could for the Service of God and it was almost always from House to House This is apparent both in the History of the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles of S. Paul. 2. In the Assemblies they preached and declared the Word of God. This is also certain and read in divers Texts in the Book of the Acts. 3 They brake Bread from House to House the Sacred Scripture says so expresly that is to say
they had no Altars Pattins Communion-Cloaths or holy Habits to remove from place to place The Mysteries were celebrated in a perfect Simplicity 4. Ordinarily the Sacrament was celebrated at ordinary and sober Meals where Christians came by invitation About the end of the Meal they brake Bread precisely with those Ceremonies which S. Paul describes in 1 Cor. 11. 5. The Sacrament of Baptism was also administred with the same simplicity they contented themselves with dipping persons in Water with the Invocation of the adorable Trinity As is seen in all the Baptisms spoken of in the Book of the Acts. 6. It had been an Abomination to have seen Images And those which have the confidence to shew at this day Images as made by S. Luke and from the time of the Apostles are impudent beyond all imagination Altho these Images should be things indifferent in Religion how is it that the Apostles should scandalize the Jews who had Images in that horror that they broke in pieces the Ensigns of the Roman Emperors How is it that the Jews which sought pretences against S. Paul to destroy him as an Apostate and Violater of the Law never objected to him that he proposed Images to be adored 7. In the Holy Places there was no Altar but to consecrate and communicate they serv'd themselves of the first Table that came to hand they sprinkled no Holy Water on those that entered their Churches they made no Sign of the Cross in the Celebration of the Mysteries 8. They spake and Preached in a Language understood by all the world they officiated in Greek throughout all Greece in Latin at Rome and in all the West to every one according to their Language 9. They gave the Communion to all under both kinds 10. Celebration without Communicants was a thing altogether unknown for the Eucharist was called a Supper or common Meal Now a Meal where one Man drinks and eats alone was never called a Supper or common Repast 11. The Pastors were equal amongst themselves Not to enter into the Controversie about the Difference between a Bishop and a Presbyter which is not at all necessary for you It is certain that all the Bishops of different Churches were all equal among themselves If we falsifie in any of these Articles your Converters shall do well to shame us but they will be obliged to do it by Holy Scripture For they and you must remember that we are upon the History and that we follow the Ages in their order and so it 's necessary that in the first Age they shew us all by the Writers of that Age which are the Apostles and their Disciples Seeing it is not at all in our Design to make a Treatise of Controversie upon the first Age no more than on those that follow this is sufficient for its History and we must pass to the second But forasmuch as we cannot at the present go very far in the second Age we will delay the History thereof to a following Letter and we will finish this with some Letters of our Confessors where you will see the Character of true Christianity and Martyrs you have already seen one Letter of a famous Confessor behold another of the same Author You will understand the Loveliness of this second Letter the better by reading that which was the occasion thereof which was an Answer to the first And therefore you shall have them both here May 27 1686. To our Dear Brother Monsieur de M Confessor and Martyr of Jesus Christ condemned to the Gallies at the Tournelle I Have received your Letter my dear Brother dated from the Tournelle It hath caused me more joy than if I had received one from the Pallace at Versailles or Louvre written by the Hand of the greatest King in the World. You do me much greater Honor than I do deserve to chuse me to whom you may impart the glorious advantages that God bestows upon you Another it may be would answer by condoling and complaining of the Evils that you suffer But as for me God forbid that I should look upon you as unhappy Your state is worthy of Envy your Chains are heavy and your Irons shameful according to the opinion of the world and if you bore them with any other Spirit than you do I should complain thereof But with the Courage and Piety which you seem to me to have I do not believe that there is a person in the world more happy and more glorious The Yoke of Christ is heavy to the Men of the World which are weak but it is sweet and easie to faithful Souls that bear it with patience Your Sentiments and Dispositions are Christian my dear Brother and worthy of emulation but beware of one thing that is Pride If you continue this glorious Work as you have begun it your name will be put in the Catalogue of holy Martyrs whose names yet live laden with Blessings God will distinguish you in his Rewards you shall be with Jesus Christ amongst the first raised from the dead which shall judge others But attribute the Courage that you have to the Grace of God which works this great Work in you so worthy of admiration Alas we have seen pillars broken by the wind of Temptation Men fall unhappily which we had called the Successors of the Martyrs but which have been found Successors to Peter who through weakness denyed his Master Who is it that hath sustained you among so many Falls but the Hand of the Almighty God who supports whom he pleaseth and permits to fall whom he will by the ununsearchableness of his Judgments What an Honor is it my dear Brother to have been willing to chuse you and make you an example of that holy perseverance which is so rare at this day Be of good courage in the name of our great God and most compassionate Saviour Jesus Christ and remember my dear Brother that you suffer for him who suffered for you and render to him that which you have received from him Remember that the loving Saviour offers you a Crown at the end of you Race and that he says to you Soldier of Jesus Christ be of good courage Fight the good fight he which overcomes I will cause to sit down on my throne as I also have overcome and am set down with my father in his throne Remember that the Angels are at present Spectators of your Combat that they wait the issue and that they prepare a place for your holy Soul in their holy Society Either you will continue in these Torments or you will surmount and escape them If this last happens as I very much hope how glorious will you be among your Brethren You will have right to say as S. Paul Let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks and scars of our Lord Jesus We shall kiss your wounds and we shall behold you with envy and admiration If you lose your life in your slavery and
Nourishment of our Members The same Justin which calls the Eucharist Flesh and Blood calls it Bread and Wine after the Consecration and at the time of the Distribution They give says he to all those that are present Bread and Wine over which Praises and Thanksgivings have been made Because he hath said that 't is not common Bread we must not conclude that 't is not Bread at all if it be not thought fit that we say a great Man is no Man because it hath been said that he is no ordinary or common Man. I must also give you notice in this place my Brethren that you beware of a snare that they compose or make of several Passages of the Fathers of this Age where they make you read the words Altar Oblation and Sacrifice on the Subject of the Eucharist and by these Words and Terms they endeavour to perswade you that the Sacrifice of the Mass was then known The word Altar is not found in the Authors of the second Age whose Writings are indisputable 'T is found in the Canons attributed to the Apostles and in the Epistles of S. Ignatius But 't is known that their Writings are not owned by all the World. Nevertheless I am inclined to believe that from that time they called the Table of the Eucharist Altar For why should they make any scruple of using the word Altar seeing they made use of the words Oblation and Sacrifice when they spake of this Sacrament But you must know 1. That 't was an Innovation in the Terms and that in the Writings of the Apostles you never find the words Altar Oblation or Sacrifice on that Subject Read the History of the Institution of the Eucharist the Acts of the Apostles where the breaking of bread is often spoken of that is the Celebration of the Sacrament of the Supper Read the tenth and eleventh Chapters of the first Epistle to the Corinthians where much is said of this Sacrament you do not see these Terms there 2. You must know that these terms Altar Oblation and Sacrifice took their originals from the custom that Christians had in those times of bringing their Offerings of Bread and Wine and other things necessary for the Service of the Church and the maintenance of its Pastors and setting them as an Offering to God on the Communion Table Yea they offered them to God by certain Prayers the Forms whereof are still found in the ancient Liturgies 3 To conclude you ought to hold for certain that these Oblations these Sacrifices c. of the second Age had no relation to the consecrated Signs or Elements For no Oblation was made to God of the Signs or Elements of Bread or Wine after their Consecration Observe that in the passage of Justin Martyr immediately after the Consecration of Bread and Wine the distribution was made and no Oblation between them And for an undoubted proof thereof observe that they are the Believers that make these Oblations and not the Priests alone Hear S. Clement Romanus the Disciple and Companion of S. Paul Those says he who make their Oblations at appointed times are acceptable and happy for in following the Commandments of God they commit no sin By this we do not intend to affirm that afterwards the Priest don't bless these Oblations and present them to God. But learn from S. Ireneus what 's understood by these Oblations and what they were Jesus Christ says he hath given advice to his Disciples to offer to God the first Fruits of his Creatures not that he hath any need of them with respect to himself but to the end they might not appear with respect to themselves ungrateful and unfruitful he took Bread which is a Creature and gave thanks thereon saying This is my body c. And he hath taught us a new Oblation of the New Testament which the Church receiving from the Apostles offer as the first Fruits of his Gifts to God which gives us food and nourishment You very well see that the Church offers not Jesus Christ the Creator to God but Bread which is the first Fruits of his Creation You see well that this Oblation is presented to God as a Thanksgiving because he has given us the Nourishments of Bread and Wine and not transubstantiated Bread for a propitiatory Sacrifice Hear how he speaks yet of these Oblations They are not Sacrifices that sanctifie the Man but it is the Conscience of him that offers sanctifies the Sacrifice c. seeing then that the Church offers with simplicity 't is but Justice that its Oblation pass for a pure Sacrifice before God. Behold an undoubted Blasphemy according to the Principles of Popery The Eucharist is a Sacrifice but the Sacrifice of the Body of Jesus Christ doth not sanctifie the Man on the contrary 't is the Conscience of him that offers who sanctifies the Sacrifice of the Body of our Lord in the Mass There is say I a Blasphemy in all shapes and forms Acknowledge therefore that nothing is debated there but the Offerings that Believers set upon the holy Table And that ye may have a perfect knowledge of what was then done in the Celebration of the holy Supper add from S. Clement and S. Ireneus that which was wanting in S. Justin 1. 'T is the Believers brought Bread Wine Wax Oil and other things necessary in the Church And as for Fruits and Animals Apples and Pulse necessary for the maintenance of life they carried them to the Bishops House 2. These things set upon the Table were consecrated to God by Prayer 3. Of the Bread and Wine which had been thus offered they took one part for the Celebration of the Eucharist and the rest was spent by the Ministers of the Church and divided among them for their support and maintenance Behold the only Oblation that was then made and 't is nothing nevertheless from thence is come an Innovation in the Terms and from thence insensibly is come the Sacrifice of the Mass Behold the meaning of the third the fourth and the fifth Canons attributed to the Apostles The third forbids that they present upon the Altar Hony Milk Birds Beasts and Pulse The second permits to offer Ears of Corn Raisins Oil for the Lights and Incense And the fifth ordains that they carry their Fruits to the Bishops and Presbyters to be distributed among them and their Deacons In the Margin of these Canons the Roman Doctors set these Words The Sacrifice of the Mass appointed by our Lord. What shameless Foreheads have they Do Men sacrifice Oil and Incense in the Sacrifice of the Mass In the second Age where we now are nothing is found of that which is called Confirmation which is one of the Popish Sacraments But it doth not appear that the Primitive Christians even to the end of the second Age did employ any Unction for the giving the Holy Spirit and for the Confirmation of those that had been baptised 'T is true they imposed Hands on
set aside let them produce you another Was there therefore no Saints in these Ages Had they no Martyrs Why did they not invoke the Apostles that had newly received their Crowns Why did they then neglect the Intercession of the Virgin Was it that her Credit was not well established in Heaven at that time and that she wanted time to obtain the Empire which at this day she possesses But why have the Authors of this Age been so impudent to say that they adore God alone and that they adore none but He Justin Martyr says speaking of Jesus Christ He hath taught us that we must adore but one only God when he said This the great commandment thou shalt worship God and him only shalt thou serve Apol. 2. And a little after having quoted those other words of Jesus Christ Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods He adds 't is for this reason that we adore but one only God. And as to what concerns you we give you our Services with gladness in all other things Let not your Eyes be dazled by crafty Tricks upon the word Adore as if Justin Martyr spake of Soveraign Adoration which they give to none but God according to your Converters for you ought to be advertised that he serves himself of the word Proskunoumen which signifies all sorts of Worship and Religious Service A word which signifies properly to prostrate our selves and wherewith the second Council of Nice serves it self when it appoints the Worship of Images So the sense is We do not prostrate our selves we do not give any Religious Worship but to God. See if they can say so at this day in the Church of Rome Theophilus of Antioch and Author of the same Age says * Lib. 1. ad Autol. The King will not that they call those Kings which command under him For King is his name and it is not permitted to another to take it So it is not permited to adore any other but God. St. Ireneus Bishop of Lyons speaking of the God which gave the Law †Lib. 5. cap. 22. It is he alone to whom the Disciples of Jesus Christ ought to perform worship c. And a little after The Law commands us to praise the Creator and serve him alone But hear a Testimony which will instruct you sufficiently concerning the opinions and practice of that Age about it They are the Acts of the Martyrdom of St. Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna After the death of this Holy Bishop ⸫ Euseb lib. 4. cap. 15. his Church writ to that of Pontus an excellent Letter which is one of the most precious monuments that we have of Primitive Antiquity In this Letter the Believers of Smyrna having reported all the circumstances of the death of Polycarpus their Bishop say that the Devil used endeavours that our Brethren might not obtain his body which many among us did very much desire to the end they might participate of that sacred body Some therefore suggested to Nicetas Father of Herod and Brother of Dalces to go find out the Proconsul to advise him not to give us the body for fear say they that having abandoned Christ the Christians may come to Worship him it was at the suggestion of the Jews and at their pressing sollicitation that these Men thus represented the matter For they were the Jews that observed our Brethren when they endeavoured to take the body from the Pile of Wood. Fools which know not that we can never forsake Jesus Christ who hath suffered death for all those that must be saved nor serve any other For we Adore him as the Son of God and as for the Martyrs we love them and are kind to them as Disciples and imitators of the Lord because of the great love which they have shewn to their King and Master and we wish to be their Associates and fellow Disciples The Centurion therefore seeing the obstinacy of the Jews caused the body to be burnt upon the place according to the custom After which we gathered together his Bones more precious than the most precious Stones and more pure than Gold and laid them up in a convenient place In which place if it be possible for us and God permit it we will hold our Assemblies to Celebrate with joy and gladness the Birth day of his Martyrdom in memory of those who have undergone this glorious Combat and to instruct and confirm our descendents by such an example The passage is altogether such as we would wish for we there see all which we search after and what was the Religion of the ancient Christians with respect to Relicks and Saints and from whence began the Superstition and Idolatry which after appeared in the World. First of all you see that in the second Age they served no other but God we serve no other but God. Secondly That the Worship given to the Martyrs was a Worship of love and simple imitation we love them and have a kindness for them These people had lost all sense not to have added and we pray to them if so be they had them prayed to the Martyrs Thirdly That they had no regard to the merits of Saints and Martyrs nor did they pray to God to make us partakers of them we wish to be their Companions and fellow Disciples They might as easily have said as they say now adays we desire to be made partakers of their merits Fourthly That they did not assemble at the Tombs of the Martyrs that they might invocate and serve them but only with design to celebrate the Birth-day of their Martyrdom and the memory of their Sufferings It is an amazing stupidity not to have added and to recommend our selves to their prayers and intercession if any such thing had been in use Fifthly That they did not rend the Bodies of Martyrs in pieces nor distribute their Bones to fill Reliquaire's For they took the bones of Polycarpus and laid them in a convenient place that is to say they laid them honorably in a Tomb. In all this we see the innocence of the worship of the ancient Christians But in that which follows we see the first bloomings from whence afterward proceeded Idolatry 1. We see here an excessive love which Christians did shew towards the bodies of Martyrs they say that they are more precious than the most precious Stones and more pure than the purest Gold. 2. They assembled upon their Tombs and their burying places served them as Temples not simply through necessity for they might have assembled more conveniently in Houses but because they believed those places more Holy and more proper to excite Devotion because of the memory of the Martyrs 3. They Consecrated certain days to remember the Passion day of the Martyrs Indeed they did not Invoke or Pray to them but nevertheless this was done in their honor as we Celebrate the Birth-day of a Prince to whom we give no kind of
Religious Worship and this is that which the Ancient Christians call here to communicate with the body of the Martyr that is to say assemble where he was buryed Pray to God and Celebrate the Mysteries of the Christian Religion in the same place and even over the Tomb of the Martyr In this there is nothing Criminal all is done with a good meaning Nevertheless we shall see how insensibly all did degenerate into Superstition It does not appear that either they Prayed to Polycarpus or that they Prayed for him on the day Consecrated to his memory but we shall see in the third Age they Prayed for the Martyrs and in the fourth Age they Prayed to them Give attention to this passage I earnestly intreat you As to what appertains to Images I think I shall do a thing of great advantage if I prove that the Christian Church had none in their Temples in the second Age for it will appear by the Ages following that they had all sorts of Images even out of Temples in the greatest abhorrence Fasts Lent Abstinence from certain Meats and other Mortifications of like kind which makes so great a part of the Roman Religion which dazle the Eyes of some of our New Converts were intirely unknown in the second Age. We there see and observe Prayers and Fasts very often but there is nothing Read which may make us suspect that they were affixed to certain days of the week or certain months of the year all the days of Prayer except the Lords day were almost always days of Fasting But it was by accident because the Fasting of the New Testament was often joyned with Prayer that the Ancient Christians made it a duty to Fast on days of Prayer But it was a thing unheard of precisely to make Devotion to consist of Fasting without any respect to Prayer and those that do affirm it was the use of the Primitive Church must prove it Now we are certain that they cannot find any proof thereof in the Writings of the second Age. And as to what remains as we shall make it appear by the clearest evidence that the Popish Fasts were unknown in the third Age it will appear by consequence that they were of no use in the second only it appears that they prepared for the Communion of Easter by a Fast of two days St. Ireneus writ to Victor Bishop of Rome on occasion of the Controversie touching the day on which they ought to Celebrate Easter * Euseb Hist Eccles lib. 5. cap. 24. is not only disputed concerning Easter-day but also concerning the form of the Fasts antecedent thereto for some think they ought not to Fast but one day others two others more and others measure their Fast-day by the space of twenty four hours night and day and this diversity in the observation of the Fast had not its being in our Age but hath begun from the time of our Fathers who by negligence simplicity and ignorance have suffered this custom to slip in Nevertheless they lived in peace with each other and we retain it to this day Observe well it is not Lent but the beginning and original thereof These forty hours of Fast are greatned and grown up to forty days So it is that the most innocent practices have been the original of Superstition so dangerous is it to make Innovations although they seem without hazardous consequence let them shew you other solemn Fasts besides this in the second Age. It remains that we speak a word concerning the Pope and the prodigious Authority he arrogates to himself It is a Capital affair in Popery he is the Principle of Unity he is the Centre unto which your Converters tell you you ought to be united if you will be saved God knows what they think of it but we defie them to shew you that the Church of Rome had then any Superiority over other Churches We may assure you without rashness that the most part of the Churches which were in the extreme Parts of Asia scarce knew whether there were any such thing as a Church of Rome they neither knew the name of its Bishop nor the form of its Government nor Customs and therefore were far enough from being subject to its Orders and Decrees We may also assure you there were also Christians in Persia and in the farthest parts of the East which knew not whether there were a Roman Church in the World. Send your Converters to the famous de Launy Doctor of the Sorbonne who makes appear with sufficient clearness and evidence the independence of other Churches and the few bonds and ties that they had with Rome by proving that the adherence they had to the Roman Seat was not accounted necessary in any Age of the ancient Church They produce to you in the second Age Victor who cut off from his Communion the Churches of Asia on occasion of the Controversie about Easter-Day But you ought to understand that this was an attempt without example and which had no effect but was despised of all the World. And besides this was no right that was particular to the Bishop of Rome for other Churches pretended to have that right of cutting off other Churches from their Communion as well as that of Rome Moreover the nearer the Churches of the World were to Rome the more respect and consideration they had for the Church which was there The Churches which were without the Bounds of the Roman Empire scarce knew that there was a Church at Rome The Provinces at a distance from Italy such were Asia and Africa beheld her so far off that they scarce knew either her Customs or her Doctrine nor did they think themselves under any obligation to be instructed in them or to follow them And therefore they continued a long time to celebrate Easter with the Jews and to rebaptize Hereticks without any regard to the Decisions of Victor and Stephen Bishops of Rome The Churches of France which beheld her near at hand had her in greater value and estimation because they were smitten and amazed not at the Majesty of the Church but at the Majesty of the Empire which had its Seat at Rome This is it which made Ireneus Bishop of Lions to say That it was necessary that the whole Church should travel to the Church of Rome because of its more powerful principality That is to say because it was the Seat of the Empire that all Nations come thither and that Christians were found there of all the Provinces of the Empire from whose Mouths might be learn'd what was that Faith which was scattered all over the Earth Behold what was the Christianity of the second Age. And behold the Additions that we find there which afterward was the Seed of Superstition and Idolatry First of all they mingled Water with the Wine in the Eucharist which was not used in the time of the Apostles 2. They carried the Sacrament to the absent which was not usual
end that we may not overcharge your memory and we will fill the Sheet with matters of Fact respecting the Persecution which you suffer and whereof our Brethren from divers places have given us information The Doctrine of the Church is a Flood which rolls and swells in rolling it unhappily gathers more of impurity than good things we shall see it in the third Age. We have already observed Additions and Alterations in the Simplicity of the Christian Worship arrived in the second Age. We shall see many more in this We will begin with the Sacraments as we have done in the second Age. The first of these Sacraments is Baptism we have not observed by the manner wherein Justin Martyr tells us they did administer it that there was made unto his time that is to say until the year 160. of our Lord any considerable Addition But Tertullian a Priest of Carthage who wrote in the beginning of the third Age about forty years after Justin Martyr learns us that in his time they had added some Ceremonies to Baptism that they gave Milk and Honey to the baptised when they came out of the Baptismal Font. E fontibus egressi lact is mellis concordiam praegustant During the space of seven days after Baptism they abstained from ordinary Washings i. e. from going unto the Baths they added also an Unction of Oil after Baptism and the Imposition of Hands Afterwards says the same Tertullian when we are gone out of the water we are anointed with the blessed Unction according to the ancient Discipline by which they were accustomed to anoint the Priests with Oil which they poured out of a Horn c. As to what concerns the Imposition of Hands I believe sufficiently that it was a Ceremony not used in Baptism For it has always been an Appendage of Prayer when they prayed for any one in particular and demanded on his particular the Spirit of God and his Grace Tertullian does not say that it was the custom to kiss those persons that were received to Baptism But it appears by the Answer of S. Cyprian to Fidus that Custom was afterward introduced This Bishop Fidus made scruple to baptise Children before the eighth day because that before that day the Impurities which proceed from their Birth do not appear well wiped off Thereupon S. Cyprian tells him Concerning what you say that a Child in the first days after his Birth is not sufficiently clear and that every one of us have some abhorrence to kiss him we do not think that that can be any hinderance to the giving of him Grace In the mean while as we find no Authors of this Age who speak of this kiss as one of the Ceremonies of Baptism so it is more probable that S. Cyprian speaks it with respect to the kiss which the faithful gave each other before the Communion For then they caused Infants to communicate after their Baptism all together after the same manner they did the adult and before they did communicate it was necessary that they should salute them The same S. Cyprian speaks of certain possessed persons which they did efficaciously exorcise in Baptism in such a manner that the Devils which had resisted all kinds of Conjurations gave place to the Sacramental Waters But it does not appear that this Exorcism was as at this day a Ceremony practised in the Baptism of all Catechumens in whatsoever state they were nor did the Devil go out by virtue of any Exorcism but by the sole virtue of the Baptismal Water sprinkled on them So that we see nothing added to Baptism in this third Age but Milk and Hony which they caused the baptised to eat and the Unction wherewithal they did anoint them when they came out of the Font. These Ceremonies of Unction and Imposition of Hands which were of use in the third Age do oblige us to observe here that they were not at all the pretended Sacrament of Confirmation as they would since make us believe It is true they are that whereof the Roman Church have made their Sacrament of Confirmation But it is false that the Church did then consider it as a Sacrament They were purely Ceremonies of Decency or Mystery which made up part of the Baptismal Administration 1. This appears because this Unction and Imposition of Hands was performed immediately after Baptism this no Man disputes At this day Confirmation is deferred a long time after Baptism and thousands of persons even amongst the adult die without being confirmed 2. The same Minister that had baptised was he that performed this Unction and Imposition of Hands whereas afterwards this privilege was affected by and appropriated to the Bishop 3. To conclude Tertullian tells us expresly that this Unction was in imitation of the ancient Jewish Discipline according to which the Priests were anointed Which he would never have said if he had believed it a Sacrament of the Christian Church For the Sacraments of the New Covenant derive their original from Jesus Christ and not from Moses 'T is the opinion of the Learned Dr. Reynolds of the famous Grotius and of almost all the Learned that are unprejudiced that these Ceremonies were Appendages of the Baptism of the Ancients and that they were added in the second and third Age. But it 's of very little importance to know how the Ancients did consider these Ceremonies of Unction and Imposition of Hands whether as Dependances of Baptism or as Ceremonies separate and distinct from it It is sufficient that they did not consider it as a Sacrament descended from Christ Jesus and that Tertullian who is the first in whom this Unction is observed professes that it is in imitation of Judaism just in the same manner as is the Imposition of Hands The English Church amongst the Reformed hath rejected this Unction which makes the principal part of Confirmation and has retained nothing but the Imposition of Hands to which she hath left the Name of Confirmation 'T is an Ecclesiastical Ceremony which she might retain without crime and which we might abandon without any prejudice to Christianity We have learned that many of the new Converts which have suffered themselves to be seduced are very obstinate and wilful thereupon viz. about the Sacrament of Confirmation about its antiquity and because we have rejected it but they ought to know that we have renounced it 1. Because they have made a Divine Sacrament thereof whereas it was nothing but a Ceremony of human Institution 2. Because it is always permitted to reject those observances which are of no necessity as the Roman Church at this day does not practise the giving Hony and Milk to those that are baptised nor to forbid them bathing during the space of seven days Unction is a Ceremony of no other nature or importance than this 3. To conclude we have judged it to purpose to omit the Ceremony of Unction with the others because we were willing to restore the Christian Worship
Crown on his Head where is the Text of Scripture that forbids it Tertullian answers that though it was not written nevertheless the Soldier had done well because when we dispute concerning Customs Tradition without Scripture is sufficient to Establish them and he proves it by the Trine Immersion in Baptism which was more commended as also by the Milk and Hony that they gave to the new Baptised Among the observances which had not been commanded and in which they did a little deviate from the first institution he puts the Custom of receiving the Eucharist in the Morning in Assemblies before day as St. Cyprian calls them And he pretends that the Custom of taking the Eucharist at Meal-time is that alone which Jesus Christ hath commanded that is to say hath Authorized by his Example from whence it is clear he makes two sorts of Celebration of this Mystery the one Solemn which was done in their night Assemblies the other private that every Family did in their own House Now it is to be observed That in these Domestick Eucharists it was the Master of the House or of the Feast that did Celebrate that did Consecrate and Distribute This is clear by a passage of Tertullian where endeavouring to prove second Marriages unlawful to all sorts of persons and not only to Priests and Ministers of the Altar he says that all Believers are Priests that all Celebrate that all Baptise and by consequence they are obliged by the Law which forbids second Marriages to Priests and Presbyters We deceive our selves very much says he if we imagin that what is forbidden to Priests is permitted to Laicks for are they not all Priests It is written he hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father It is the Authority of the Church which hath put a difference between the Clergy and â—he People and which hath established this sacred honor for the body of the Clergy this is so true that when there â—s no Clergy-man in a place thou dost Celebrate thou dost Baptise and thou art to thy self a Priest now where there are three there is a Church though they be Laicks for every one lives by his own Faith and God has no regard at all to persons Here are divers things which are contrary to false Principles that have been established some time since First of all In this time it was not believed that the distinction of Laity and Clergy and with much more reason that of Priest and Bishop was by Divine right It was the Church and positive Law made this difference 2. Every one for himself and for those that were his might exercise the Ministry 3. And above all All might Baptise and Consecrate and Administer the Sacrament of the Eucharist Offers tingis you Laicks Administer the Eucharist and you do also Baptise that is to say in private Houses For as to publick Assemblies which met before day Tertullian tells us that they did not Communicate in them but from the hand of the Presidents that is to say from the hand of Bishops or Priests which were present In which he insinuates clearly enough that out of these publick Assemblies they Communicated by the hand of Laicks And I my self do not doubt but that this Custom continued in some places even till St. Austins time who assures us that in his time they Communicated after Supper the Thursday before Easter although on all other days of the year they thought it necessary to Communicate in the morning and before they had eaten And it was the Head of the Family that Administred the Sacrament on that day in memory of the first Communion where Jesus Christ as Father of the Family distributed the Holy Bread to his Disciples The same thing was done also in the Churches near to Alexandria and in Thebais according to the Testimony of Socrates We conclude at present from hence two things 1. That in the third Age they did not look upon the Eucharist as a true Sacrifice for would they have permitted every private person to Communicate among themselves whilst they were eating at the Table amongst their Domesticks Sacrifices are not offered but in Temples and upon Altars 2. That according to the Christians of the third Age Oblations Liturgies and other Ceremonies were not considered but as parts of Decency and by no means as things that were of the Essence and of necessity in the Sacrament of the Eucharist for in these Domestick Communions all this was omitted they practised nothing but Consecration Fraction and Manducation of the Bread it was nevertheless a true Eucharist 3. We conclude a third thing by the way it is that there is no need of Mission nor Vocation for the Administration of Holy things and by consequence those people who trouble us so violently about the Vocation of the Reformers and our own have no foundation for it in any Law Divine or Apostolick We will here conclude what we are willing to say at this time concerning the Christianity of the third Age we will add divers things for your Edification and Instruction ☞ First of all it has been judged convenient to let you understand what is the fidelity and honesty of M. de Meaux and your Converters on the Subject of the means wherewith they serve themselves to Convert you It has been thought fit I say to inform you that we have received Letters from the Diocess of Meaux which do fully confute what the Bishop of the Diocess has dared to publish in his Pastoral Letter viz. That the Reformed of that Country had not heard of any torments There is a Letter dated Decemb. 15. 1685. that says We are in confusion Pray to God for us the Dragoons are at Meaux after they had caused all the Country of Claye to change their Religion nothing stands before them behold the pitiable state whereunto our sins have brought us In another Letter of January 3. it is thus In the confusion wherein we are what shall I say to you I am not able to speak to you but with tears of blood the Dragoons have made all to change by force in the Provinces of Meaux and Soissons Another Letter of Jan. 6. from the Diocess of Meaux makes mention of the violences that were offered to a venerable old Man de la Ferte au Col of the Age of seventy eight years called M. de Monceaux Dr. in Physick The Archers came to carry him away in the midst of Winter and without giving him one days respite they carried him away by force When he was in the middle of the Woods he fell into so great weakness and faintness that he resolved to cast himself down in the mire and dye there but they would not do him the favour to let him dye in peace They tempted him by all sorts of methods and in conclusion being able to again nothing upon him they chose to imprison him with very many others I do profess that reading the Pastoral Letter of
do not see there in the Prayers for the Dead any Prayer for the deliverance of Souls out of Purgatory According to the Liturgies of that time they requested two things for the Dead 1. Pardon all his sins voluntary and involuntary give him Angels for his guard For the believed that in these separate places they were assisted by Angels 2. Place them in the Bosom of the Patriarchs and Apostles and of all those that have been acceptable to thee from the beginning of the World where there is neither sorrow nor sighing It is the separate place where according to them Souls rest to the day of Judgment To conclude will you have any thing more than all this Behold it in the Book of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy of the false Dionysius the Areopagite It is to do him great honor to quote him among the Authors of the third Age since he is much more modern But at least in teaching us what was done in the following Ages he will learn us what was not done in the Ages preceding He says 1. That when a Man was dead hi Relations and Friends sung Praises to God that had given him the Victory and caused him to arrive at the end he desired 2. Afterwards they carried him to the Bishop as if it were to receive the Sacred Crown 3. The Bishop caused him to be carried if he were a Laick to the entrance of the Quire of the Church and there they performed the Office of Prayers which began with Praises afterwards they read the Promises of the Resurection and sung Psalms before they passed farther they caused the Catechumens to go out after which they mentioned all the Saints heretofore dead in whose Praises they thought the deceased might have some part They exhorted all those which were present to breath after a happy end in Christ Jesus and in conclusion the Bishop made Prayers for the Dead he saluted the deceased person and after him all the living But what did these Prayers for the Dead contain It is says he that all the sins which they have committed through human frailty might be forgiven them and that God would conduct them into the Land of the Living into the Bosom of Abraham Isaac and Jacob to the place where there is neither grief sorrow nor sighing In all this there is nothing of Purgatory To conclude For the third and last difference of the Sacrifice of the Mass at this day where they make mention of the Dead and the services which the Christians of the third and fourth Age did for them it must be known that at this time they distinguished the Dead whereof they make two sorts there are those which they put in the Liturgy to Pray for them for their rest and deliverance from Purgatory and others whereof they make mention to present their merits to God and to be aided by their Intercession For in the Mass they make mention of the Holy Virgin of the Apostles Martyrs Confessors c. to be aided by their Prayers and to partake in their Merits that is to say they Prayed to them instead of Praying for them but this was a thing unheard of in those Ages It was a thing so impossible that they should Invoke God by the Merit of the Apostles and Martyrs that they Prayed to God even for them just in the same manner as for the least Believers This may be seen in the Liturgies that we have quoted where we have seen they Prayed for all Saints from Abel to this present day and the Liturgy of St. Mark makes express mention of Apostles Martyrs Confessors as of persons for which it says Cause them to rest in the Bosom of Abraham This by the way makes it appear that these good Men make little reflection upon what they say for they request on the behalf of the Apostles and Martyrs that God would set them in a place of rest nevertheless it is one of the Articles of their Faith that they are there already and that they had been there from the moment of their death But as Bellarmin hath well observed their Prayers for the Dead were conceived in the same terms as if they had been made at the instant of time when their Souls left their Bodies an instant which is the precise time of Praying for the forgiveness of their sins and the rest of their Souls If after this the new Converts through their prejudice and blindness will find the Sacrifice of the Mass in the third Age we know not how to help it let them only know that this heap of Prayers for the Dead and Oblations for the Deceased which were added to the Celebration of the Eucharist in the third Age was the unhappy Seed which the Spirit of Lies and Superstition did Sow in the Church that he might cause from thence to spring the false Sacrifice of the Mass Propitiatory both for the Living and the Dead so that they ought not to be astonished if there be some shadow of likeness between these Oblations for the Dead and the Sacrifice of the Mass since the one is the Seed and the other the Fruit the one the beginning and the other the end This Article might suffice not only for the Sacrifice of the Mass and for Prayers for the Dead but also for Purgatory for what we have said proves that Prayer for the Dead was by no means established upon the Opinion that Souls were in fire after death from whence they might be drawn by Masses And you may my Brethren boldly defie your Seducers to shew you in that Age any passage in the Ancients that say so Suffer not your selves to be abused by the Word Refrigerium which signifies refreshment as if they had desired for Souls some abatement of the heat of the flames for this Word signifies no other thing in the Authors of those times than pleasure and locus refrigerii a place of pleasure Beware also of the Knavery of your Translators who in those places where they find offerre pro dormitione that is to offer for those asleep they Translate it to offer for their repose as if the Souls for which they Prayed had been in some Pain and Travel For to offer for those asleep is simply to offer for the Dead Sleep according to the Style o Scripture signifies nothing but Death and to offer for the Dead or for those asleep was to offer by making mention of the deceased Behold that which was added to the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the third Age which began to give it some appearance of the Mass but they yet wanted three great things the Elevation the Adoration and the refusal of the Cup. We do not find the least trace of these three things take it for granted and put your Converters upon the necessity of proving the contrary and you will reduce them to what is impossible As for us if we would bring you Proofs that they did Communicate under both Kinds that they did not
the Severity of Discipline which the Church granted at the request of the Martyrs At this day they call Indulgence the relaxation of the Justice of God which he grants as they suppose in considerations of the Merits and Sufferings of the Martyrs who suffered more than was necessary for themselves To conclude they have changed the Consideration and Respect which they had for the Intercessions of Confessors and Martyrs into Merits and Works of Supererogation The Church did retard the rigor of her Law against Sinners because of the esteem which she had for those that suffered for the Name of Jesus Christ At this day they grant Indulgences by the application of the Merit of those which have suffered too much either by involuntary Persecutions or by chosen and voluntary Mortifications But hear how the same S. Cyprian speaks very aptly concerning one of these Confessors named Lucian who carried himself too haughtily and desired too earnestly that they should have respect to his Letters of Intercession * Epist 34. The Lord Jesus Christ hath said that we must Baptize Nations in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and that all Sins past are forgiven in Baptism But this man that is to say the Confessor Lucian knowing neither the Law nor the Commandments commands that we give Peace and pardon Sins in the Name of S. Paul not considering that they are not the Martyrs who make the Gospel but that it is the Gospel which makes the Martyrs Therefore at that time they did not alledge the Threats of S. Paul S. Peter the Martyrs and Confessors as the reasons for which they granted Indulgences that is to say the relaxation of the Discipline of the Church In the same Age that is to say the third they will produce unto you the word Confession and the terms of being on their knees at the feet of their Priests And they will not fail to find for you there the Auricular Confession practised at this day but there is nothing more false For those which dazle your Eyes thereby do very well know that the Greek word which signifies Confession was not at that time any secret Confession But the whole Act or Actions of publick Penance were so called And if at that Age Penitents were seen at the feet of Papists this was not done in secret and in a place appointed for the receiving Confessions where they acknowledged all their Sins in the Ear of the Priest But in Churches and in publick that they might be admitted by Prayer and imposition of hands either to Penance or to the Peace of the Church It was so certainly a publick Action that the Pagans took occasion from thence to accuse the Christians of adoring the shameful parts of their Priests This Confession was made in publick with Sack-cloth Ashes and Tears begging the Prayers and Assistance of all Christians This may be seen fully explicated in the Ninth and Tenth Chapters of Tertullian's Book of Repentance A Point of Controversie Concerning the Vnity of the Church that it is not in the Church of Rome and that we are not departed from it WHen a City is besieged and assaulted of all sides those that have a desire to defend it would be every where at the same time but they cannot which is their trouble My Brethren we have the trouble at this day you are besieged you are attack'd at an hundred places they batter you by a thousand wicked Reasons we would be every where and defend you on all sides but whilst we endeavour to defend you on one side they deceive and ruine you on another The rash and bold adventure of the Bishop of Meaux who hath told you in his Pastoral Letter That from the Apostles days to his no alteration has happened in the Doctrine of the Church hath engaged us that we may confound him to make you perceive the essential Changes which have been introduced both in its Doctrine and Worship at least in the first five Ages to the end that from thence you may judg of all the rest But whilst we pursue this design which cannot presently be executed I understand that they seduce you by the Sophisms of the Church of its Unity Visibility and the horror of Schism And that which grieves us most is that by the Letters which come or are communicated to us we see that the most part of you who are willing at any rate whatsoever to be at ease and rest where they are do also endeavour to possess themselves of and obstinately to maintain these wicked Reasons and it may be that one of you will know himself in the following words All the World reasons concerning Religion agreeably to their own Light and Passions But the Questions which do most trouble and confound it are these 1. The positive separation which our Fathers made 'T is said that we ought to suffer without separating from the Communion of the Church that the Abuses introduced by Governors may not be imputed to Believers But the Scriptures that make mention of the Heresies that must arrive in the Church do not command Separation for the sake of them On the contrary they exhort us mutually to bear with one another they say that Wood Hay and Stubble may be built on that foundation which is Christ Jesus and that he alone will separate one from the other that the good Grain and the Chaff shall be separated at the last day but we must let them grow together till then Behold exactly the Religion 1. Of our revolted Ministers There has been sent unto us an Account of a Conference which Cheyron an Apostate Minister of the City of Nismes had with the famous Confessor called Mr. Matthew an Advocate of Duras who is in the Town of Constance at Aggues-Mortes that which this Wretch says is the same with what hath been written and you have read 2. 'T is also the Religion of all those which have any understanding or illuminations they cannot but see that the Church of Rome is extremely corrupt But the question is say they whether we ought to separate from it because of its Corruptions yea they say we ought to bear them and add further after all there is but one true Church and although it be corrupt it is nevertheless the Church and we must endure its Diseases and Imperfections The Poyson of this illusion is so eating and dangerous that we have reason to fear that it continues long upon your Minds it will penetrate into them and totally corrupt them and so whilst we are pursuing other Subjects your hearts will be poysoned by this mischievous Sophism in that manner and to that degree that you will never recover This is it which obliges us to return to the Bishop of Meaux's Letter sooner than we intended Nevertheless without forsaking the subject matter we are upon for we will endeavour to intermix things in such a manner that in every one of our following
Letters you will find one Article concerning Antiquity and another concerning the Questions of the Church as you will find in this And forasmuch as these Letters ought to be instead of Sermons to you we will joyn unto them some words of Exhortation as often as we can We return therefore to the Letter of Monsieur de Meaux one of the Bishops of Rome We are considering the third Article of his Pastoral Letter This third Article and that which follows will give us an occasion to confute the Sophisms which they make or you make for your selves about the Church The Bishop of Meaux in his Pastoral Letter does six things 1. He endeavours to establish the Idea and Unity of the Church principally upon the Testimony of S. Cyprian and in consequence thereunto the Unity of the Ministers 2. He proves * Page 12. There is none allowed to separate from the Church and that all separate Assemblies are in a state of Damnation †Page 14. so that a Martyr which dies for the Faith of the Church out of this Unity is nevertheless damn'd 3. ‡ Page 13. That we must not examin Opinions to know whether such an Assembly be the Church ‖ Page 14. But we must know if an Assembly be the Church and judg from thence concerning the truth of Opinions 4. He endeavours to answer to that Text Where two or three are gathered together in my Name I will be in the midst of them A Text that proves wherever is Truth there is a True Church and then comes to his Chimera that all Separation ruins Unity a Chimera which he supports by the Testimony of the great S. Cyprian who is indeed his only Author 5. * Page 17. By the same S. Cyprian he proves that the Church with whom we must preserve Union is the Church of Rome or the Chair of S. Peter 6. In conclusion he falls on the common place of the invalidity of the Call of our first Reformers he proves their Vocation invalid because they were either Laicks or Renegado Priests which had renounced the Ministry The first never having Mission the last having it no longer cannot be lawful Pastors This is the Abridgment of a great number of Volumns which have been made to seduce you within twenty years last past concerning which we do intreat you to be attentive to these invincible Arguments which we have to produce for the subversion of these wicked Engins Although we do not account it a Duty to follow precisely the order of the Articles of the Bishop of Meaux Nevertheless seeing he begins with the Unity and Visibility of the Church we will begin there also and we will make you understand 1. What is the true Unity of the Church 2. What is the Unity of its Ministry 3. What is its perpetual Visibility 4. That to separate from a corrupt Church is not to break the Unity thereof 5. That there is such a degree of Corruption that obliges to separation and that the Church of Rome is corrupt to that degree First My Brethren it is necessary that you make to your selves a just and ligitimate Idea of the Unity of the Church They tell you that there is but one Catholick Church and that there cannot be many This is true there is but one Church universal and even the Word Universal that is added thereunto makes it apparent that there can be but one Just after the same manner that the word Universe by which is signified the World signifies also that there is but one for if there were another World besides this ours would not be the Universe seeing it would not comprehend totally all But the Bishop of Meaux and those that are like unto him give you a pleasant Idea of its Unity and Universality both together The Church of Rome say they is this universal and only Church it is universal and yet nevertheless out of it and separate from it there are many other Churches This is just as if I should say our World is the Universe nevertheless there be many other Worlds besides it Is not this absurd But it will be said that these Propositions are not alike nor the same for we mean thereby all other Churches besides the Roman Churches are false Churches This is another absurdity altogether alike as if a person or a man should say 'T is true there are many Worlds besides ours nevertheless ours is the Universe because all the rest are false Worlds If they Church of Rome did say Indeed I am but part of the Church Universal but I am the only sound and entire part the others are sick and diseased where a man cannot be saved If it should speak thus say I it would speak false but it would speak nothing absurd or contradictory and there would be reason to examin its pretensions to the bottom to know if indeed it be the only Church that is sound and without Errors But it must have renounced common sense to avow that out of her Bosom there are many Churches and nevertheless call her self the Church universal However it be her pretension is that the Unity of the Church consists in a certain Communion characterized and distinguished from all others by certain limits and boundaries and under certain Pastors out of which Communion whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not whether you have considerable Errors or no you are always out of the Church and hopes of Salvation altho you should believe and maintain all the truths of the Gospel from the beginning to the end tho you should be Orthodox as S. Paul retaining all the Articles of the Christan Faith yea of the Faith of the Church of Rome if nevertheless you live in separation with this certain Seat and this certain Church which is the Church Catholick you must be certainly damned I intreat you my Brethren before you go further propose a Question to your Converts Tell them I am content to grant there is a certain particular Church in which is that Unity from which we must never separate But how shall I know that this Church in which is that Unity to which we ought to adhere is the Church of Rome for I have heard say that there are many other Churches among others it hath been told me there is a Church in the East called the Greek Church which hath six Patriarchs that is to say for Popes the Bishops of Constantinople Antioch and Alexandria and these do all in like manner Anathematize the Pope of Rome Propose to them say I this difficulty and press it home and you will see them brought into such streights that they can say nothing but impertinences and absurdities They will tell you that Rome is the seat of S. Peter it is to her that this Priviledg was granted all those which separate from her depart from Unity So that the Greek Church and the three Popes whereof we have spoken are out of the Unity Can there be a
greater Absurdity than to answer by that which has been under dispute It is not true that Rome is the Chair of S. Peter we shall it may be have occasion to prove it to you in some other place But although it should be true where is it said that the Priviledg of Unity ought to be affixed to the Chair of S. Peter The Pope of Constantinople says I am in the Chair of S. Andrew who was an Apostle The Pope of Antioch says 'T is I who am in the true Chair of St. Peter for according to Tradition St. Peter was seven years Bishop of Antioch before he was Bishop of Rome so that it is the first Chair sounded by the chief of the Apostles The Pope of Alexandria saith I am in the Chair of St. Mark who was an Evangelist and had the Spirit of Infallibility as well as St. Peter Behold three Popes against one three Churches against one three Apostles or Evangelists against one wherefore then Gentlemen Converters would you that I should esteem you as only in the rightful possession of Unity to the prejudice of Persons which pretend to have as good a Title to it as your selves Press these false Babylonish Teachers on this point and you will see such confusion and such a multitude of Words in their Discourse which will discover to you the falseness of their pretensions After this we will consider the Proposition in it self The Vnion that is necessary to Salvation is included in the Church of Rome alone out of it there is neither Salvation Faith Grace Remission of Sins nor the True Church so that every man which is separate from it by Schism alone without Heresie dies eternally I do maintain That this Proposition is the most foolish but withal the most cruel and barbarous that ever was asserted and I do beseech you my Brethren to be attentive to the proofs that I shall make thereof First According to the Scripture Fathers and Evidence of Reason the Unity of the Church ought to contain Universality in it self that is to say That Church which is One ought to be universal and extended through all the World it ought to comprehend all Christians I will not prove this for it 's clear and also confessed 't is a truth so known among the Ancients that they look on certain Schismaticks of the fourth and fifth Age called Donatists as Fools These People in the beginning of the fourth Age separated themselves from the rest of the Church of Carthage and all Africa this Separation was caused by the Election of a Bishop of Carthage This hath always been one of the most fruitful Sources of Division These Donatists said precisely that which the Church of Rome says at this day * Aug. de Agone Christi Cap. 28. All the Church is fall'n into Apostasie and is only preserved in the Communion of Donatus upon which St. Augustine thus cries out Oh proud and wicked Tongue Certain other Schismaticks called Luciferians fell into the same dotage That the Church was perished and continued not but in Sardinia and some Mountains near Rome where they had Followers and Disciples St. Jerome treats them on that Subject as men that had lost their Understanding †Jerome Dialog adv Lucifer If it be so says he Jesus Christ died only for the Peasants of Sardinia Where then is the accomplishment of that word of the Father Ask of me and I will give thee the Heathen for thine Inheritance Behold exactly the folly of the Papists the Church is perish'd throughout the World except at Rome and in the West but we with the Scriptures and the Fathers say Let the North give up and let not the South keep back All the parts of the World shall bring forth Children to God and the Church ought to be extended to all places where the Gospel is Now the Church of Rome is not at Constantinople nor in Muscovy Asia Egypt Africa or Ethiopia where nevertheless there are multitudes of Christians it is not in England Holland Sweden Denmark nor in a great part of Germany The Church of Rome reacheth not to all the Countries and Kingdoms for 't is ridiculous to say that 't is dispersed throughout the World because there are some Jesuits at London in the Low Countries Sweden Constantinople and in the East and some Latines hid here and there where they have small Congregations but little known and as it were under ground I might as well say that Calvinism is extended through all Italy because there are some of the Reformed scatter'd here and there in it Secondly According to the Hypothesis of the Church of Rome every one that errs though never so little that is to say who goes off from that which the Romanists determine is out of the Unity of the Church and without hopes of Salvation Behold how ill this agrees with that notable Passage whereof those of ours that are weak and fearful make great use 't is that of St. Paul 1 Cor. iii. 11. where the Apostle says For other Foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ Now if any man build upon this Foundation Gold Silver precious Stones Wood Hay Stubble every mans work shall be made manifest c. and the fire shall try every mans work c. And if any mans work be burnt he shall suffer loss but he himself shall be saved Without taking notice of what may be difficult in this Passage 't is clear That those which build are Teachers that the Gold Silver and precious Stones are sound Doctrines that the Wood Hay and Stubble are such as are unsound and false 't is also clear that they which teach these false Doctrines may be saved and with greater reason they which are seduced by them It follows not from thence as our perverted People pretend that a person may be saved in the practice of that Worship which ruines the Foundation as they do in the Church of Rome but it follows at least that a person may be saved that teaches Doctrines opposite to Truth provided that they subvert not the Foundation and by consequence the Church of Rome is ridiculous as well as cruel to damn all those which are out of her Communion for Errors that are light and trifling for having pronounced Anathema against those which deny for example that Infants dying without Baptism are damned Mr. Nicholas makes no difficulty to condemn all those which do not believe the sovereign and absolute necessity of Baptism Thirdly We have a third proof of the falseness of this Pretence that the Roman Church is in possession of that Unity out of which there is no Salvation in this That God preserves the Ministry of his Word in many Places and in many Churches which do not submit to the Latin Church The Word of God never returns without effect The Wisdom of God will not permit that he should preserve the Ministry in places where there are none but
Converters are not men of Fidelity to press you by Principles the falseness whereof they themselves confess for in the Pastoral letter of Monsieur de Meaux in his Catholick Exposition and every where else to hear him speak of the centre of Unity you would say that the Pope possessed this Title by divine Right and behold these Gentlemen profess to us That 't is by a handsome Usurpation tolerated and by the concession of Councils That which Councils have given him they may take away from him This makes it apparent how little of honesty there is in the Quotations which these Monsieurs make from St. Câ—prian who without doubt had a false Idea of the Unity of the Church so false and so ill formed that your Converters themselves will not dare to warrant it We have treated this matter at large in our Answer to Monsieur Nicholas where we have made it apparent that this false Idea of the Unity of the Church which St. Cyprian did communicate to St. Augustine did put the latter to that perplexity and confusion from which he could not withdraw himself on the subject of the validity of the Baptism of Hereticks In the following Letter we must say something as well on the point of Antiquity as that of Controversie and we will make it evident also in the same Letter that supposing this Roman Idea of Unity to be false all their Arguments and Sophisms vanish and come to nothing 15. January 1687. The ELEVENTH PASTORAL LETTER AN Article of Antiquity the end of the History of the Christianity of the Third Age concerning Tradition and the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome An Article of Controversie Reflections upon a Writing lately addressed to the Reformed of France A Continuation of the matter concerning the Unity of the Church Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given to you from our God and Saviour Jesus Christ I Have not obliged my self to acquaint you with all the sad Accidents that do betide us in our Exile and Persecution but the death of the excellent Mr. Claud is an event so grievous that I cannot forbear speaking one word concerning it God hath taken him to himself since our last Letter He was the Father of our Prophets and we may well cry after him My Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horseman thereof God had formerly affixed him in a particular manner to the conduct of the most considerable of your Congregations but Providence made him become in a manner your universal Pastor by the care that he took to defend you from the dangerous Sophistry of those that endeavoured to seduce you and he was herein successful in â—uch a manner as might cover all our Enemies with shame and confusion I acquaint you with the loss that you have sustained that you may lament and look on it as a mark of the continuation of God's displeasure against you His Justice was not yet satisfied the Arrows of his Quiver were not all drawn forth this stroke was still owing to us I pray God this may be the last If you be grieved your Enemies you may be sure rejoyce at it but they must know that if the Ashes and Blood of the Martyrs hath been the seed of the Church the Tombs of the Prophets do preserve their Spirit which passeth to their Disciples If the Grave inclose the Flesh and Bones of this great Man his Writings will preserve his Wit Knowledge and Illuminations and God will not suffer a failure of Persons which shall prophesie on his Tomb for the maintenance of those Victories that he hath gained for the Truth God will do his work in your fight and you shall see this Church which is dead rise again after four days but it may be he will do this work himself and when you see those fall and drop away one after another whose Writings and Discourses might be of use to ruine the success and triumph of Lyes be persuaded that God will derive his Praise from the mouths of Children and that he that laid the Foundation of the Kingdom of his Son by Fishermen will re-establish the Ruines thereof by earthen Vessels into which he will pour his Treasures He whose loss we lament was whilst he lived one of those Instruments which God served himself of for your Edification and Defence Whilst you pour out tears upon his Grave and throw your showers there you may gather sweetness thence Out of the Eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness Death that devours and takes all things from us cannot hinder us from searching and finding our Edification in the Remains of this great Man. His last Words will serve as a Support to our Faith. It was not the pleasure of God that he should shed his Blood for the defence of his Truth but he hath made his last Words which are the effusion of his Spirit and of his Soul give Testimony to those Truths which he had preach'd and defended I have says he laboured all my life in the search of the best Religion and being now about to give up my Soul to God I do declare That I have not found any but our own which I have so often defended and in which I am now about to dye which is the true way to Heaven The Words of dying men are the proper Voice of Conscience for in that last moment Dissimulation has no place so that they are the Seal of all the Truths which he hath so gloriously defended My design will not permit me to speak all on this Subject which it were necessary you should know I shall leave it to some other Person and return to the matter of our preceding Letters This shall consist of one point of Antiquity and another of Controversie We are to finish the History of the Christianity of the Third Age. And after we have fortified you against the Illusions which your Seducers frame upon some Passages of the Writings of St. Cyprian and Tertullian on the Subject of Repentance Auricular Confession and Satisfaction I must also fortifie you against the Snares that they compose for you from the Writings of the same Tertullian on the Subject of Tradition for they do not fail to tell you That the Fathers nearest the Apostles had a great respect for the unwritten Word that they did often dispute against Hereticks by Tradition and that Tertullian himself did maintain That there was no other way of disputing against them But to secure you from this Snare Learn First That when Tertullian disputes and proves that which he advances by Tradition it is almost alway about indifferent Ceremonies and matters of practice As in the Book concerning the Soldiers Crown where he proves by Tradition the bearing of no Crown upon the Head of Dipping three times in Baptism of giving Milk and Honey to be eaten by the newly baptized of giving Alms and Oblations for the Dead of not Washing seven days after Baptism 'T
Words of Tertullian ill understood learn from the Example of St. Cyprian who lived in the same Age That Tradition was at that time a proof whereof Men made use according to the diversity of their Apprehensions and their Interests Tertullian seems to make great account of it and St. Cyprian laughs at it when on the subject of Hereticks which he would re-baptize contrary to the Practice of the Church they objected to him Tradition Custom ancient Usage and antique Practice he rejected these Proofs with Contempt and Scorn Stephen had written to him Let nothing be innovated in Tradition Where is this Tradition answers he ‖ Epist 74. is it in the Gospels in the Acts or in the Epistles An ancient Custom without truth is nothing but an old Error And in another Epistle he saith * Epist 63. Since we must hear none but Jesus Christ we need not examine what those that went before us have done but that which Jesus Christ hath done before all for we must not follow the Custom of Men but the Truth of God. To conclude they endeavour to put Scruples in your minds on the Question of the pretended Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the Roman Church by certain Passages of Tertullian and St. Cyprian either corrupted or ill expounded But that is a business the discussion whereof is too long to be handled at this time yea 't is above the capacity of most of you only know that 't is so far from truth that they did acknowledge the Sovereign Authority of the Pope in that Age that Tertullian makes no scruple to scoff at the Pretensions of the Bishop of Rome and to call him in Raillery the Bishop of Bishops because of some kind of Primacy which he began to pretend to For even in that time the Mystery of Iniquity began to work St. Cyprian despises the Excommunications of Stephen Bishop of Rome and opposes himself to the attempt of those who would appeal to Rome about matters determined in the Provinces of Africa This is that St. Cyprian to whom some Persons attribute the Acknowledgment of the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome who said on the Question of the Baptism of Hereticks and of the Admission of Bishops which had lapsed and fallen †Epist 72. In which case we will do violence to no man nor will we give Law to others observing that every Bishop may use the Power given him according to his Will in the Government of the Church being under no Obligation to give an account thereof to any one but the Lord. 'T was to Stephen Bishop of Rome that he spake thus Judge you whether he acknowledged him for his Superior Hear how the same Cyprian speaks in the face of a Council assembled at Carthage in the Year 258. Let none of us call himself Bishop of Bishops or endeavour to force his Collegues to a necessity of Obedience by a tyrannical fear and terror seeeng every Bishop is Master of himself and cannot be judged by another Bishop nor can he judge other Bishops 'T was also with respect to Stephen Bishop of Rome that he spake thus Has any one the front to say That speaking thus he acknowledged him for his Superior Observe that it was no small Affair that was now under debate 't was about the Baptism of Hereticks a Question which had made a great noise and which Stephen would have decided with too much Authority The Bishop of Meaux after a hundred others of his Communion to prove the Primacy of the Pope by S. Cyprian quotes a Passage from his fifty second Epistle which proves that these Gentlemen do not fear to make themselves ridiculous provided they may seem to say somewhat 'T is a Passage where he pretends S. Cyprian says That the Roman Emperor did suffer in Rome a Priest which was his Rival with more impatience than he suffer'd a Caefar in his Armies which disputed the Empire with him That is to say that the Roman Emperors did impatiently suffer that the Bishop of Rome should be called High Priest to the prejudice of that Dignity which the Emperors assumed unto themselves So that according to this reckoning they were jealous of the Bishops of Rome and look'd upon them as their Rivals in the High Priesthood In truth this is more ridiculous than if one should say The King of England who calls himself Head of the English Church were jealous of the Curate of the Parish of St. Martin in London The Christians certainly were not above one in a hundred in Rome and the Bishops of Rome at that time made less Figure in the World than an Incumbent of five hundred Crowns per annum makes at this day for besides that they were Poor they were also humble What Agreement could the Emperor in quality of a Pagan High-Priest have with this pretended High-Priest of the Christians To be his Rival he must aspire to the same thing I should rather have chosen to have said That the Mufâ—i looks on the Patriarch of Constantinople as his Rival The meanest Scholar knows that the Word Aemulus which signifies Rival signifies also Enemy and 't is clear that S. Cyprian means that that cruel Persecutor the Emperor Decius beheld with more Indignation a Priest that opposed his Religion than he would have look'd upon an Enemy that had disputed the Empire with him To conclude although St. Cyprian should have intended to compare the Bishop of Rome with the Pagan High-Priest it would not follow that the Bishop of Rome was Head of all the Christians in the World for the Roman Priest was not Head but of the Religion of the City of Rome and not of the whole Empire 'T is true that St. Cyprian corrupted the Idea of the Church and opened a door to the most cruel Doctrine that ever was advanced he made a false Idea of the Unity of the Church which he encloses in one only external Communion And because the Unity of one visible Head was not yet invented he imagined I know not what Unity of Episcopacy which all the Bishops did individually possess whereof nevertheless they all administred but a part This inconsistent Imagination gave place afterwards for the Substitution of one single Head to the end that a visible Head might be given to the Unity of the visible Communion which might be the centre thereof This suffices to give you an Idea of the Christianity of the Third Age and by this History you may observe what was altered in Doctrine or Worship 1. They introduced the use of the Sign of the Cross at least in private for we find it not as yet in the publick Acts of Religion We have said nothing to you concerning it as yet because it is a little thing about which we should never make Complaints against any one provided they be not superstitious in the use of it 2. The Liturgy of the Sacrament of the Eucharist was augmented and increased exceedingly by many Prayers
and I will leave them in their Retirement very peaceably provided they put themselves into a state of Inaction as well in respect to us as to God but if they continue to trouble us the Dispute may have an Issue which will not turn to their honor This Digression which hath been longer than I could have wished will be the cause that we cannot proceed far in the Article of Controversie We are on the true Idea of Unity The last part of our preceding Letter was employed in refuting the false Idea of Unity We have made it appear that 't is a foolish and cruel Opinion to shut up Salvation in any single Communion and that of all the Sects of Christianity that of Rome has the least right to pretend to it The Bishop of Meaux brags much of four or five Passages of St. Cyprian to prove this cruel Paradox This ancient Doctor goes so far as to say * Lib. de Vnitate That there can be no Martyr but in the Church that when a man is separated from its Vnity 't is in vain that he sheds his blood for the Confession of Christ Jesus This Maxim in a large signification may be endured for indeed there may be Hereticks who confessing the Name of Jesus Christ but on the other side ruining the Foundations of the Christian Religion may dye for the Religion of Jesus Christ to no advantage but the Application which S. Cyprian makes thereof is one of those faults over which wise men ought to draw a Curtain He proceeds so far as to apply it to the Novatians Now it must be known these Novatians were good Christians a thousand times better than are the Papists seeing they did not ruine any of the Foundations but retained and believed all the Christian Verities only they were something severe in Discipline and would not receive those that fell in times of Persecution to the Peace of the Church Was not this a great crime Was not this a fine occasion to say as Cyprian did That a Novation was no Christian Was not this a very fine Foundation for that terrible and cruel Sentence That a Novation dying a Martyr for Jesus Christ was nevertheless damned Of what make and constitution are the Doctors of the Roman Church that make use of these Excesses which ought to be hid out of Honor to those great men which fell into them These are Scars remaining in their Flesh to the end that we should not exalt them too much by reason of their great Virtues Behold my Brethren the eye wherewith Mr. de Meaux looks on you he for your sakes makes use of the eyes which St. Cyprian had for the Novatians concerning whom he said A Novatian is out of the Church he is no Christian So says Mr. de Meaux concerning you The Calvinists are out of the Church and are no Christians And why then Gentlemen do you address to us Pastoral Letters Why do you call us your wandring Brethren Will you dare to say that we are no Christians Let these Writers of Pastoral Letters says Mr. de Meaux who shrowd themselves with some shreds of S. Cyprian take all his Doctrine entire Go to Mr. you may say unto him If you find the Doctrine of S. Cyprian so good why don't you take it whole and entire Why don't you say that all the Greeks and all the Christians of the East are not Christians Dare you say that all the Greeks which have been martyred by the Turks and Saracens since the Tenth Age are damned and that they did not suffer Martyrdom although they suffered for Jesus Christ For my part I am persuaded that if you press your Converters on this Subject with their Passages of St. Cyprian they will blush on both Cheeks Remember therefore with respect to St. Cyprian that the love which he had for the Peace of the Church and the horror that he had for Schism ran him into that excess to believe or say That out of that I know not what exterior Unity of the Church a man could not be saved 'T was in this Age that men began to corrupt the Idea of the Church as I have already observed To what will all this come and what profit will you draw thence my Brethren 'T is that thereby you will prove to your Converters the falseness of this Doctrine That the Unity of the Church is included in the Roman Church that out of this Church or in any other private Communion there is no Salvation and thereby you will convince them that they are not infallible for if this Article be false That the Roman Church alone possesses that Vnity she hath erred and that in an important and capital Affair You will also thereby convince them That the Roman Religion is the most cruel and the most damnable of all the Sects of Christianity forasmuch as it condemns the most men For by defming that she alone possesses saving Vnity and by condemning all those that are not in this Vnity she damns three fourth parts of the Christian World. And to conclude you will establish your selves in a holy confidence that by being or having been out of the Roman Communion you have not bâ—en out of the Vnity and you have not shut the door of Salvation upon your selves since Salvation is not included precisely in the Roman Communion and that saving Vnity is not shut up within the circle of any certain Communion On the Subject of this Vnity you will desire me without doubt that I will furnish you wherewithal to answer the Question which your Converters will put to you In what then does the Vnity of the Church consist if it does not consist in adherence to such and such Pastors Answer them my Brethren That this Vnity consists 1. In the Vnity of Spirit forasmuch as God and the Spirit are the Soul of all Christian Communions which do retain the fundamental Truths 2. In the Vnity of Doctrine which is one through all the World where Jesus Christ is purely taught 3. In the Vnity of Sacraments which are the same every where where they have been preserved and not corrupted Let Churches be separated and set at a distance one from another as far as the Antipodes are from us let them have no knowledge one of another They will not cease to be one by this triple Vnity of Spirit Doctrine and Sacraments If there were a pure Church in the farthest part of Ethiopia or in the utmost part of China we should be one Church with them though we had never heard any thing said one of another It is not therefore the Unity of Ceremonies of Worship Discipline and Pastors which makes the Essential Vnity that 's an accidental Unity which a man may break without going out of the true Unity So the Novatians which were separated from the Church for a little unhappy point of Discipline were in the wrong no doubt and greatly in the wrong and Novatian above all who was the
first Author of that Separation But 't is a ridiculous Chimera to imagine that they were out of the Essential Unity seeing that when they went away they carried with them the true Jesus the true Doctrine and the true Sacraments They were yet the Church they were Christians whatever St. Cyprian says of them and not only their Martyrs obtained the Crown of Martyrdom but their penitent Christians obtained Salvation although they died in Schism There are particular Unities and a general Unity Particular Unity consists in certain Bonds such as are common Ecclesiastick Government common Discipline and certain common Ceremonies You are not in particular Unity with the Episcopal Church of England with respect to Government But this Unity signifies nothing to Salvation he must be a mad man to damn Christians because they either have or have not Bishops The general Unity which consists in the three things which I have said is the only essential necessary and saving Unity If you agree with the Church in Government Discipline and Ceremonies and don 't agree with it in Opinions in Sacraments and Spirit you have no Communion with it if you differ in Government and Discipline and agree in Truths Sacraments and the same Jesus you are at Unity with it and with God. This Vnity of the Church whereof we have now discoursed makes me think of that unity of Souls which ought to prevail among the true Members of the Body of Christ It is the Character under which the Apostolick Church is described unto us They were all of one heart and one mind 'T is this holy Unity which draws down the holy Spirit for when the firy Tongues fell upon the Apostles they were all with one accord assembled in one place 'T is the absence of this holy Unity which in part hath drawn down those unhappy Effects of the Wrath of God under which we now groan Call to mind the Divisions the immortal Hatreds Jealousies Quarrels and Strifes which have been seen in the midst of you even on occasions and in things for which Peace and the Spirit of Charity were particularly requited One was of Paul another of Peter but not one for Jesus Christ Men made their own Passions and Interests to triumph and trampled under foot the Glory of God and the publick Edification The strictest friendships were always ready to break on the first transport of Passion The Spirit of Vengeance had no rest till it had revenged the Injuries it thought it had received and we knew not what it was to sacrifice a resentment to the Love of God and his Christ God has made these civil Wars to cease by a cruel and strange War. You have a common tye more than you have had you have had the same Faith the same Sacraments the same Churches and the same Holy Table besides you have at this day your common Affliction and your common Misfortunes 'T is certain that even in the World this makes a tye among Souls and it should do with far greater reason when men suffer the same grief for the same cause and for the same God. You ought mutually to love each other because you are afflicted for God and by consequence you ought to love those also who suffer for you they are your Confessors who have the glory to maintain in the Prisons those Truths with you have been so weak only to keep close in your Hearts having not the courage to shew them openly Among those which are in divers Prisons of the Realm for the Cause of God there are an infinite number that want all things these are Voices that cry against you to Heaven in a terrible manner and say What a shame is it that Jesus Christ is in Prison that he is Sick Hungry and Thirsty that he freezes with cold during the rigor of the Winter and that these Peters who grew pale at the word of a Servant don't go to visit him to give him Bread and Cloaths You know what will be the Sentence that the Lord will give to such think of it and partake-in the Bonds of your Brethren though they be at the utmost ends of the Kingdom Feb. 1. 1687. The TWELFTH PASTORAL LETTER AN Article of Antiquity The beginning of the History of Christianity of the Fourth and Fifth Ages Of the Original of Monks An Article of Controversie Of the Unity of the Ministry HAving finished the History of the Christianity of the Third Age we enter upon the Fourth We shall not distinguish that of the Fourth and Fifth they are so interwoven that they cannot be separated All the Superstitions false Worship and Corruptions of Discipline which are found established in the Fifth Age took their beginning in the Fourth We enter upon Ages in which the Church had entirely changed its Face it is no longer a persecuted Church it triumphs it reigns it ascends the Throne The Emperors becoming Christians drew along with them by their Authority and Examples an infinite number of Pagans who had that Complaisance and Civility for their Masters as to become Christians But the Church also on her part had the Complaisance to burthen Religion with vain Worship and Ceremonies borrowed from Paganism All that which she thought might be innocently taken from thence she took to draw them over to her The Bishops inrich'd by the Liberality of Constantine and his Successors became proud they would have a distinct Jurisdiction from the Civil they established for themselves Tribunals It appears by the Book of Constitutions falsely ascribed to the Apostles that the Bishops had Flatterers which said of them or rather they said of themselves many incredible proud and impertinent things * Vit. Const lib. 2. cap. 37 38. They set themselves above Kings they said that they must pay them Tributes and Tenths and that Men owed them greater Honors than Kings and that they had power to condemn to everlasting Fire Above all the Pomp and Pride of the Bishops of Rome that ruling City became such that they gave jealousie to the Chief Magistrates of the Empire They added to the Sacraments new Ceremonies an Unction before Baptism beside that which followed after it the Prayers and Ceremonies of the Liturgy of the Eucharist which they call at this day the Mass were much increased and augmented they made use of Holy Waters they consecrated Oyls and Chrism their Funerals were enriched with Ceremonies borrowed from Judaism or Paganism they had their Ninth day their Fortieth day and their yearly Obits or Prayers for the Dead they affixed Prayers to certain hours which at this day they call Canonical the Cock crowing Nine of the Clock Mid-day Three of the Clock and Vespers In these Ages they did essentially alter Divine Service by intermingling therewith the Service of Creatures A kind of Furie for Relicks seized on the Spirits of Men nothing was heard to be spoken of but Visions by which they had been discovered and Miracles which had been done by them they carried
this reason that in the true Church there be so many Scandals so much Negligence so much Indevotion so many Debaucheries so much Luxury so little Reformation of Life and so little Zeal for the conversion of those which go astray and wander 'T is for the same reason that he permitted the Reformers to have their faults that they did not agree together and that they intermingled humane Passions in their conduct and on the other side for the same reason God permits that in Churches the most corrupt both in Doctrine and Worship there be Souls that seem to seek seriously their Salvation who have at least the appearance of Christian Virtues and it may be good Intentions If the true Doctrine were always accompanied by a holy life and an edifying conduct in those that follow it and that on the other hand Error and Superstition were never found without disorder and an ill life the choice would be too easie Where would be the difficulty Where would be the snares Where would be the danger of wavering Therefore God who will lead his Elect to his end by obscure ways that they may have recourse to him for his light by rough Paths that they may support themselves on him suffers this mixture and confusion of good and evil of evil Doctrine and good Manners of good Doctrine and evil Manners 'T is his pleasure by this profound conduct to oblige us to regulate our Faith not by Prejudices but by his holy Rules and Word 4. In the fourth place once more though I condemn no Person in particular nevertheless I conjure you my Brethren and Sisters to stand at a defiance with Hypocrifie 't is a grand Comedy and an inexhaustible Fountain of Illusions 't is the Character of Persons that live in Convents and a Character that has prevailed for a great number of Ages I could produce to you Witnesses concerning it against which nothing can be said Arnald d' Villeneve Nicholas de Clemangis Arch-deacon of Bayeux and an infinite number of other Popish Authors have made descriptions of the humble and devout Appearances of Monks and Nuns which hid and disguised an Abyss of Pride and Impurity Do you think my dear Sisters which are in Convents that you see the inward part of the Houses where you are and of the Souls with whom you converse Do you not think in the first place that the Persons with which you are placed have order to shew themselves to you on the fairest side and that they do not take care of letting you see their Faults their Jealousies their Quarrels their Hatreds their Lusts their Mirths if they have any Besides this Do not you apprehend that they have chosen the Houses which they know to be best governed to lodge you in and that you ought not to judge of all Convents by those in which you are If you read the Relations of those which have travelled in Italy and Spain they will inform you That in those Countries those Houses that are called Religious are infamous Places where the most criminal Debaucheries are exercised with Impunity Those of France are less irregular but so it is that we do not at all know the inside of them but when the curtain is drawn never so little we see that 't is there almost as 't is elsewhere The Business of the Nuns of St. Claire and of Provence against the Cordeliers of the same place which was pleaded a little more than twenty years ago informs us thereof and makes it apparent That at that time all the Convents of Nuns under the Government of the Cordeliers in what place of France soever they were were places of Prostitution This is of no ancient date Behold the original of Monks which have caused so many Evils An Article of Controversie concerning the Vnity of the Ministry WE having refuted in our two preceding Letters the Fallacy which your Converters take from the Unity of the Church Before we leave the matter of Unity we must say something of the Unity of the Ministry for that also is another source of the Illusions of your Converters The Ministry of the Church is one and only one say they it hath proceeded from Jesus Christ and his Apostles they have delivered to their Successors that which they received from the Lord these delivered it to others at length this only Ministry is come to us and he that hath not Communion with us hath no Communion with Jesus Christ of whom we are the only legitimate Successors and Ambassadors Is it possible that men should be capable of suffering themselves to be cheated by so great a Chimera Certainly if we did not see this we could not believe it That men of good sense should be capable of believing that God hath tied Salvation to a Succession of men which hang upon each other and are fastened tail to tail like Sampson's Foxes in such a manner that out of this file of men there is no Salvation whatever a man does or says These men make us a cruel God who damns Christians only because hazard birth and a thousand other accidents hindered them from being born and living under this thread or chain of certain Doctors which call themselves the Successive Bishops from Jesus Christ even to us That is to say that in the Bishoprick of Meaux for example there hath been no Salvation but for those who have been precisely under the Pastoral Staff from Mr. St. Faron unto Mr. Bossuet who shall be also one day Mr. St. Bossuet if the Gods which rule at Rome favour him In the extent of the whole World he who hath not lived under the long Succession of those Bishops which have sat at Rome from St. Peter to Innocent the XI is damned as certainly as the Devil be it that he that been chaste as Joseph patient as Job zealous as St. Peter orthodox as St. Paul pure as the Virgin for there is but one Ministry and out of this Ministry all are in a state of Perdition The Greeks have a Ministry they have Bishops and those true Bishops According to Mr. de Meaux they hold all the Doctrine of the Church they believe Transubstantiation it self for we have good testimonies that they have been well paid for it in these last days but that signifies nothing they are all damned because they are separated from him who is the centre of the Unity of the Ministry they are not under that one Ministry which alone is saving I do maintain that the time will come when we shall no more believe that which we see at this day It will be said you would fain make us believe it you would persuade us that the men of past Ages have lost their sense yea I do maintain they must have lost it to suffer themselves to be deluded with such Imaginations It must be that the Medicine be given thee by such a hand if thou wilt be healed else it will poison thee Ah! my Brethren open your eyes
upon this folly and be ashamed thereof Be assured that every hand which gives you the true Doctrine is good in that respect the saving Remedy of Truth heals from whomsoever it comes Where is this pretended Unity of the Roman Ministry Where was this Ministry and this Unity of Ministry during the space of a hundred and fifty years in the Tenth Age and half the Eleventh a time in which Baronius and all the Roman Doctors do confess to us that the Popes were Monsters Ungodly Wicked Adulterers Magicians Poisoners Simoniacks and Blasphemers 'T is the Popish History it self which teacheth us this Was not this a very fine centre of Unity The Lines which proceed from this Centre to the Circumference were they not very clean The Rays which beam from such a Star do they not pour down benign Influences These were the Successors of the Apostles Blessed Successors They left what they did receive they gave one another an infamous Mission irregular and against the Canons by the Ministry of two Whores which ruled at Rome Behold the brave Vnity and Succession of this pretended Ministry What became of this glorious Unity of the Ministry in the time of the Western Schism when we saw for the space of fifty years a Pope at Rome and another at Avignon which damned one another of which one was the Vicar of Jesus Christ and the other of Antichrist who not only mutually damned each other but also thousands of millions of Men which lived in the different Obedience of Avignon and Rome What a fine thing was this to see two Centres of Vnity How finely at ease would Mr. de Meaux and his Collegues have been at that time they who speak so much to us of the centre of the Unity of the Ministry instead of one only centre to have had two Confess my dear Brethren that this Unity of Ministry is a foolish dream in it self yea vain in the Church of Rome who find it no more there than elsewhere The Church as all Societies in the World in its progress suffers a thousand changes in its form We may not imagine that the Ministry of the first Ages of the Church was constituted as that of this Age. The Bishops were neither Worldlings nor great Lords nor Plenipotentiaries nor Tyrants in the Church They were the first Presbyters and the perpetual Presidents of the Elders or Presbyteries who were of the same Order with themselves 'T is the Pride and Vanity of Man which hath made this distinction between the Bishop and the Presbyter 'T is the mystery of Iniquity which began to work even in the times of the Apostles The Presbyters were then so little distinguished from the Bishops that even the Clergy were not essentially distinguished from the People Remember my Brethren that which you have read in the eighth Pastoral Letter that in the time of Tertullian all the Laicks were accounted Presbyters and that it was permitted even to them to celebrate the Eucharist in private and in their Families So that this Unity of the Ministry could not depend upon I know not what external form for this external form hath changed perpetually until at length it degenerated into this Antichristian Power which is seen in the Roman Hierarchy This Unity is no more in Succession For we cannot find a Church which hath not suffered Interruption in its Ministry either by the Violences of Persesecutions or by the intrusion of false Pastors or by the Crimes and Vices of wicked Bishops If Mr. Bossuet were obliged to prove the Unity of his Ministry without interruption from Mr. St. Faron to himself he would it may be have something of trouble therein In what then consists the Unity of the Ministry In the Unity of Doctrine and Religion If the Bonzes of China and the Brachmans of India did preach the same crucified Jesus with my self and the same Christianity pure and without corruption they would have the same Ministry with me It would signifie very little with me from whence they derived their Succession whether from St. Thomas the Apostle or from another Thomas a Nestorian Heretick God has not tied Salvation to such and such hands nor hath he obliged us to a necessity of receiving the Gospel from some certain men rather than from others But enough concerning this Article of the Unity of the Ministry because 't is a matter which must be handled again when we come to dissipate the cheats and juggles by which your Converters endeavour to perplex you about the Character and Mission of those from whom we have received the Reformation If we would see a lamentable Desolation we must behold the Province of Languedoc Persons worthy to be believed lately arrived from thence do represent unto us this Desolation as one of the most hideous and frightful Objects which ought to have place in the Histories of these days It can never be well understood how the fury of false zeal should transport the Court to make a horrible Desart of one of the most lovely Territories of the Kingdom Cevennes and lower Languedoc are cover'd with Troops which find means to live where Turks would have died of Famine more than six months since after the Plunder Extortions and Wastes that have been made there that is to say after these miserable People had suffered those Oppressions which had drawn from them that little Blood that did remain so that Paleness Fear and Death may be seen written and engraven upon their countenances There are Villages and Towns wholly depopulate The Inhabitants that could not flee are guarded by Dragoons which carry them to Mass with Muskets and Swords in their hands and who at their coming out of the Church put them into Files that they may number them and see whether any be wanting yea or no. There are a great number that lye in Woods which have no other places of Refuge but Rocks no other Houses but Caves neither Nourishment but Roots of the Field because whereof they do better resemble Carkasses than Men. The City of Nismes have had experience of new Severities They have banished to the Islands and I know not whither beyond the Seas four hundred of its Inhabitants and they have hanged eleven and sent Prisoners the Heads of the chief Families M. Baudan la Cassaigne and others all eminent Persons to Carcassoon and Pierre An Cise Who can doubt but this is a just Castigation of that unworthy Action which the Country suffered to be extorted from them France did oblige a great number of men to give under their own hand that from henceforward they would do all the duty of good Roman Catholicks that they would be found no more at Conventicles that they would discover their Relations and Friends that they would Communicate and that if they failed in any of these things they intreated the King to chastise them severely for it Who doubts but such an Action as this is capable of bringing down the most terrible Judgments of
well where they are as if they rejoyned themselves to the other Christians of the East provided they be endowed with a Spirit of Charity If they be so rash as to condemn the rest therein they sin but the Greeks which condemn them are not less guilty than they although they descend directly from the Catholick and Orthodox flock and the others be only a separate branch And this helps to shew you that although a Schism were criminal in its Original and headily and rashly made nevertheless it is not always necessary under pain of eternal Damnation to return from whence we came From whence I confirm the Thesis which I laid down at the beginning of this Question that the Idea which they make to you about the horror of Schism is a Dream and that tho it should be true that our separation from the Church of Rome in the beginning of the past Age were rash the People which followed it in the simplicity of their Hearts would not hazard their Salvation thereby they that made it were to account for it and at the most those which do maintain it So my Brethren you would be in safety and only we in danger But I very well perceive that this is not enough to calm the Perturbations which your Converters and your own Thoughts may give you about it For you will say supposing that our separation from the Church of Rome in the last Age were unjust and rash 't is true that we who did not make the Schism shall not suffer thereby Our Fathers when they went out of the Church of Rome carried the Church and Christianity with them and this Christianity may nourish and save us maugre the Separation Nevertheless on this supposition we do no ill yea we shall do well to re-unite our selves to the Church of Rome We shall heal a Wound which being open renders the Church deformed Peace is to be preferred before Division This is without doubt the descendants which acknowledg that their Ancestors did wrongfully separate from a certain stock do well to re-unite themselves thereto for edification although it were not absolutely necessary to their Salvation Therefore that we may come nearer to the case in which you are at present with the Church of Rome we must suppose a Separation which was made for reasons of some worth and value i. e. because of Corruption in Doctrine and Worship This is the case in which you are and on this supposition we will shew you in what follows that you cannot return to the Church of Rome March 1. 1687 The FOUTEENTH PASTORAL LETTER AN Article of Antiquity The Original of the Hierarchy and the Antichristian Tyranny of the Bishop of Rome An Article of Controversie A Continuation of the matter of Schism Although the Corruption of the Church of Rome were not extreme it would not be lawful for us to return thither Some Objections of the new Converts concerning it Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given to you from our God and Saviour Jesus Christ SInce we have been upon the History of the fourth and fifth Ages we have found there two great Novelties which have had very unhappy effects in the following Ages They are the Monastick Life and the Councils that are called Oecumenick Behold a third of them 't is the Original of the Hierarchy which hath given birth to the Antichristian Tyranny This Word signifies sacred Rule or Government and thereby is understood that Subordination of Pastors which hath been seen in the Church for a 1000 or 1200 years In this Subordination are seen the lowest Orders in the lowest Seats above these lowest Orders are seen Priests subdivided into Curates Deans rural Deans c. Above the Priests are the Grand Vicars above the Grand Vicars are the Bishops above the Bishops are the Arch-Bishops or Metropolitans above the Arch-Bishops are the Primates above the Primates are the Exarchs above the Exarchs are the Patriarchs and above all these is seen a Head which was framed insensibly and by little and little and placed there this is it which is called the Pope All this is a new Invention with respect to the Apostles and this Hierarchy was unknown before the Fourth Age. We have the Happiness at this day to have the French Church that is to say your Converters for testimonies of this Truth They do maintain That the Apostles established no precise form of Government that they contented themselves to preach the Gospel to send persons to do so and to place in every Church a Bishop to govern it They say that it is not certain that S. John the eldest of the Apostles i. e. he which lived longest did give to the Churches of Asia amongst whom he died any form of Government that it was in the Fourth Age that the Hierarchical form of Government was given to the Church that therein they followed no divine Right or Institution of the Apostles who determined nothing concerning it but the Polick Order and Form of Government found in the Roman Empire As this Empire was divided into Provinces Metropolitical Cities and Prefectures i. e. Governments so they also divided the Churches into Metropolitan Provincial and National And indeed from the time of the Apostles there was no Principality nor so much as any Primacy in the Church The Apostles by an Authority which they received immediately from Jesus Christ governed the Church without Subordination and without Division The Spirit which guided them being one and poured out on them all they were always at agreement it what concerned the Edification of the Churches but they did not leave any Successor that had the same Authority with themselves It is not true that St. Peter was their Prince it does not appear that he had any Primacy of Order above the rest 't is true he is often named first but that doth not prove that he was the first or the President of the Apostolical College We see that the other Apostles treated with him after such a manner as makes it apparent that they did not acknowledge in him any kind of Preheminence which should advance him above them We see that they sent him to Samaria it would have appertained to him to send and not be sent if he had been the Prince of the Apostles We see that after he had preached the Gospel to Cornelius and some other Pagans they made great complaints thereon We see that S. Paul rebuked him to the face and even in publick because in the presence of the Jews he warped and used some dissimulation with respect to the use of indifferent things forbidden by the Law of Moses Men do not use to deal so with their Prince The Successors of the Apostles left in all Churches Presbyters or Bishops to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments but in the beginning the Presbyter and the Bishop were not distinguished Those which S. Paul calls Bishop in one place he calls also Elders or Presbyters in the
't is Soulier the Priest a man the most given up to the Spirit of Calumny that ever was in the World the most desperate and frontless Lyer that Popery ever bred up and to make his Elogy in one word Bipedum nequissimus the greatest of Knaves This man publishes in the year 1682. a furious Libel against the Reformed under the Title of The History of the Edicts of Pacification in which amongst other Proofs of our lewd and Criminal Conduct prosecuted and carried on to the end he makes use of this Act drawn up says he by the Synod of Montpazier in the form and words in which it is here seen The Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Lower Guyenne Assembled in the Synod at Montpazier the first of July 1659 and some days following UPON the report made by Mr. Ricottier The first was the Minister of Clairac the other of Nerac of the Care that he hath taken with Mr. Vignier now absent at the desire of some of the Society to obtain that our Brethren of England should concern themselves in the preservation of our Liberties which they endeavour every day to destroy wherein they think he hath laboured happily by the interposition and assistance of Mr. Daret And having learnt from the Mouth of Mr. Daret and seen by Letters which have been written to him and whereof he had given a Copy to the said Mr. Ricottier that to maintain us in our Priviledges and prevent the dissipation of our Flocks they offer not only to interceed for us but also in case of refusal to bear Arms into this Province if we promise them Cromwell was yet alive and give them assurance to put into their hands all the Cities and places whereof we can dispose The Society approving the Care of the said Messieurs Ricottier and Vignier after having all promised by Oath made to God not to reveal a Secret of this importance return Thanks to the said Mr. Daret for what he had already done to make it successful and do intreat him to go assoon as he can and know what assurances they desire and promise on our part that we shall give all those that are possible and as a Pledge thereof they have drawn up the present Act which shall be dispatcht to him to this end and purpose and the Original put into the hands of the said Vignier to be secretly and faithfully kept there until the business can be executed to the Glory of God and the Comfort of our poor Afflicted Flocks c. The Original is Signed by the President the Assistants and the Register of the Synod This Imposture caused all those that saw it to tremble and the Reformed stirred all that they could to justifie themselves from this Calumny but this was no time to succeed in an Enterprise of Justification for Persons whom they had resolved to destroy after the most cruel manner in the World and whom by consequence they would look upon as Criminals Nevertheless the Synod of the Province of Guyennâ— did what they could and took the Resolution expressed in the Act of the last Synod held in the Province and I think she last Synod that was held in France Behold the Act faithfully printed according to the Copy Signed by the Secretary himself An Extract from the Legier Book of the Acts of the Synod of the Reformed Churches of Lower Guyenne held in the City of the upper Thonneins by the Permission of the King the ninth of December and some days following in the year 1683. ARTICLE the Sixth THE Deputies of the Church of Burdeaux having represented to the Society that in a Book made by Mr. Soulier the Priest printed at Paris 1682 Intituled A History of the Edicts of Pacification the said Soulier in the 393 page of that Book and in that which follows it hath reported an Act which he pretends to be made by the Synod of Monpazier to give thanks to Mr. Ricottier and Vignier both Ministers for the Care they had taken to engage the English in the Interests of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom with these two Circumstances noted in the Margin of that Book the one that the said Mr. Ricottier was Minister of Clairac the other that Cromwel was yet alive then and at the time of the said Act adding that the Original thereof had been put into the hands of the said Vignier and taken in his Closet after his Death by Mr. Monier Minister of Nerac that this Act was put into the hands of Monsieur the late Bishop of Agen and whereas this Act is a suppositious piece and injurious to the Honour of the Synod and to the Memory of the said Ricottier who was then Minister of the Church of Burdeaux they account themselves particularly concerned to make the Calumny of this Act appear and also their inviolable Fidelity to the Service of the King therefore they represented the said Book and likewise the said Legier Book of the Synod held at Montpazier the first of July 1659 desiring the Commissioners to view the said Book in the page marked and quoted and likewise the Legier Book of the Synod of Montpazier but the Gentlemen the Commissaries said it was no part of their Commission to examine Books or Papers of preceeding Synods that it appertained to the Society to look to their justification where and as they should think good that for their parts they pretended not to take any cognizance thereof Whereupon the Society after they had reflected upon the Importance and meaning of the said Act and having examined it together with the Legier Book of the Synod held at Montpazier the first of July 1659 it appeared by comparing these two pieces that the aforesaid Act printed in the Book of Soulier is not in the said Papers of the Synod and moreover that the falseness of this pretended Act is clearly proved by two Circumstances in matter of Fact one whereof is that by the Table of the said Legier Book of the Synod of Montpazier it appears that the late Mr. Ricottier was not Minister of the Church of Clairac the other Circumstance is this that 't is certain that Oliver Cromwel died the thirteenth of September 1658 and so it was impossible that the Churches of this Province could have any Correspondence with him in the year 1659. After which the Society resolved that humble Remonstrances should be made to his Majesty to assure him of the inviolable Fidelity that the said Churches had preserved and should always preserve for his Service and to desire that he would be pleased to appoint that the said Soulier should be Condemned to make them such satisfaction as he should judge fit with prohibition both to him and all others that for the time to come they injure them no more by Calumnies of that nature The present Extract is taken from the Papers of the Act of the Synod held at the City of the Upper Thonniens the ninth of September and some days
the Author of the Policy of the CLERGY and of the Answer to the Calvinism of Maimburgh We only know concerning this Author by report that he hath a great Contempt for Soulier and his Works so that if he make Books expresly to vex him he may set his heart at rest for he will never obtain his end The Ninteenth PASTORAL LETTER An Article of Antiquity The Original of Images An Article of Controversie A Continuation of the Matter of Schism The Corruption of the Roman Church was so great that we were forced to a Separation A notable Letter concerning the Confessours carried to America Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given unto you from God and our Saviour Jesus Christ WE have been obliged to interrupt the subject of our Pastoral Letters to refute a heinous Calumny cast upon one of our Synods and which reflects upon the whole Body At this time we take again our matter and our order we remember that the last Article of Antiquity which we handled was that of the Invocation of Saints which took its birth in the fourth and fifth Age 'T is the fourth change which altered Christianity in those Ages the first was the Original of Monkery the second was the Establishment of the Hierarchy the third was Oecumenical Councils and the fourth was the Invocation of Saints and the Worship of Reliques Behold a fifth 't is the Introduction of Images into Churches The Worship and Adoration of Images did not come so soon and we do not see the spreading thereof till the sixth Age But in the fourth and fifth Ages men began to bring Images into some Chappels consecrated to the Memory of Martyrs And 't is a thing that could not fail to happen One depth calleth to another and when men fell into Idolatry to men they were not far from Idolatry to Images for 't is very natural to represent those men which we Invoke and to give Honour to their Images For which reason I am amazed that the second Part of Paganism viz. The Adoration of Images came so slowly after the Worship and Adoration of Saints But the aversation which the first Christians had for Idols held firm as yet for some time after the Birth of the Superstitious Worship of the Martyrs and their Reliques It is therefore true that in some Provinces about the end of the fourth Age a person may shew you Historical Representations in the Churches they began to paint the Histories of the Bible It appears by a passage of Gregory Nissen * Greg. Niss Orat. de Divin filii Sp. S. that the History of the Sacrifice of Abraham was painted in some Church And by another Homily of the same Gregory Nissen †Orat. in Theodor. Martyr it appears that they began also to paint the Histories of some Martyr or Martyrs in their Temples The Painter says he hath expressed the Flowers of his Art drawing on a Table the great Actions of the Martyr his Resistance his Combates the savage and bruitish Assaults of Tyrants the flaming Furnace and the happy Consummation of the Martyr and a Table in which was Jesus Christ in Humane shape over-looking the Combate If we were of the mind of your Convertors we would hide such things as you might very well be ignorant in but we are sincere in our Confessions as we are willing to be in our Defence and Allegations 1. For first we do maintain That in the fourth Age the Church had as yet a horrour for all Worship of Images They begun to introduce them into Churches only for Ornament And if your Convertors do produce to you any thing of these Ages which seems to signifie that they Adored Images hold it for certain that they are false passages or taken from false and suppositious Books 2. We do maintain That the use of painting Historical Tables in Churches did not begin till about the end of the fourth Age And before Gregory Nissen of Capadocia who lived about the Year 380 we do not find any mention thereof among the Ancients 3. In the third place you ought to know That this Custom was then very rare and that we cannot discover any Churches but those of Cappadocia in Asia and a certain Church in Italy where Images were seen in their Temples 'T is true some quote a passage of St. Basil taken from his Homily upon the Martyr Barlaam by which they would prove that in the Chappel of this Martyr they had set the History of his Martyrdom for St. Basil there invites the Painters to represent magnificently the Combates of the Martyr But it is certain that the Painters to whom he speaks are Orators which he exhorts to represent well in their Discourses the glorious Sufferings of Barlaam But although it should be to Painters without Figure that Basil speaks as the City of Cesarea whereof he was Bishop was in Cappadocia this would serve to fortifie that which we maintain viz That this dangerous Custom of introducing Images into Churches was not any where else but in the Province of Cappadocia for no Author of this Age speaks of it but the Bishops of that Country unless it be Paulinus Bishop of Nola who tells us That he caused the Representation of the Sufferings of St. Faelix the Martyr to be put in the Chappel that was dedicated unto him Now 't is to be observed that this Paulinus Bishop of Nola fells us also two considerable things First That the Custom of placing of Pictures in Churches was very rare The second That that which put him upon doing it was a design to represent to the Eyes of the Country People those Combates the painting whereof would make more impression upon them than Descriptions made by the mouths of Orators Some peradventure will demand of me Faulinus Bibliothec Pat. Tom. 14. Edit Lugdu says he what was the reason which occasioned me to resolve to make the Figures of Animate Creatures to be painted in Sacred Houses seeing the Custom thereof is very rare And he adds That it was to try whether the sight of these enameld and raised Shadows of Colours would not make some impression upon the gross and stupid minds of the Vulgar He says also in the same place That his end was to employ these Dregs of the People in the Contemplation of these Figures on Feast days to the end that they might spend the less time in Debauchery Observe thereon that then it was very rare to see Pictures in Churches therefore they did not expose them to the Adoration of the People For Objects of Adoration and Worship ought to be known by all besides they were put there only for the use of the Vulgar 't was not therefore to give any Worship to them for they are not only Country People which are obliged to Religious Worship To conclude Paulinus says expresly That it was only for Commemoration and not for Worship 'T is therefore from this good but superstitious man
Paulinus that this leud saying hath taken its original That Images are the Books of the Ignorant 4. The fourth thing to which you ought to give attention is That then they did not set in Churches any Figure Image or Statue of a single person but Historical Representations in large Tables where many persons and many actions were represented This makes almost an infinite difference for it never entred into the mind of Man that Historical Tables whereon were some times represented the Devil tempting Jesus Christ oftentimes Hang-men pblucking off the flesh of a Martyr with Pincers were placed there for Worship For so men would Worship the Devil as well as Jesus Christ and the Hangmen as well as the Martyr Indeed when the Idolatry of Images was brought into the Church 't was by Pictures or Statues which represented but one or two of the Saints Now 't is certain say I that about the end of the fourth Age those which gave themselves liberty of introducing Images into Churches placed nothing there but Historical Pictures and Tables To prove the contrary to you they may produce a passage of Gregory Nazianzen where he complains of this That some would destroy the City of Diocesarea raze the Temples and pull down the Statues thereof * Epist ad Olympium Our greatest grief says he is not that the Statues are pluckt down although that be troublesome too Because immediately before he was speaking of the Ruine of Temples some it may be will serve themselves of that to perswade you that Statues were in their Temples But that is false and 't is certain that he speaks of Statues which were in their publick places Our grief is says he that with the Statues they pull down and destroy an ancient City And to the end that you may not be able to delude your selves thereby be advertised That the Greeks would never suffer Statues in their Churches and that yet to this day they Adore nothing but Images or plain and flat Pictures and by a humour sufficiently pleasant they accuse the Latines of being Idolators because they Adore Statues As if their Images of Mosaick Work were much more worthy of Adoration than Embossed Figures However it be this demonstrates that Gregory Nazianzen could not speak of Statues which were in Churches 5. To conclude the last thing whereof you are to be advertised about the Original of Images is That in the time that this mischeivous Custom of putting Images in Churches began in some places the good Bishops opposed themselves thereto with Zeal and treated it as an Abomination It were convenient that you should read thereon a passage of Epiphanius Bishop of Salamina in Cyprus who lived about the year 375 that is to say exactly in the same time that Gregory Nissen suffered Pictures in the Churches of Cappadocia I came one day says Epiphanius into a Village which is called Anablata 't was a Village in Palestine * Epiphan in Epist ad Joh. Jerus having seen there as I passed by a burning Lamp I enquired what place it was I learnt that it was a Church and being entred there to Pray I found on the Door of the Church a died Vail hanging there having an Image painted on it as it were of Christ or some Saint for I do not remember in good truth whose Image it was having therefore seen that contrary to the Authority of the Scripture they had hung the Image of a Man in the Church I rent the Vail and advised the Sexton of the place to employ it rather to wrap up the body of some poor dead person to carry him to his Grave John Patriarch of Jerusalem took it ill that Epiphanius had attempted such an Action in a Diocess where he had no Jurisdiction but he did not condemn the Action in itself This passage is without reply and your Seducers will never have any thing to answer to it It appears that the use of introducing Images into Churches was so rare and so little received that he which undertook to put one in the Church of Anablata did not dare to put it any farther then the Door At this day men have the insolence to set them upon Altars And even Epiphanius a little while before in the Church where this Image was lookt upon the attempt as the Violation of the Law although it were even the Image of Jesus Christ for he supposes it might be the Image of our Lord nevertheless he made not the least scruple to rend it and hated not the attempt ever the less Notwithstanding 't is very probable that after St. Epiphanius the Custom of so placing Pictures and Tables in the Churches of the Martyrs did continue and increase The People which naturally fall into Superstition did not tarry long ere they abused those Images which were placed for them in the Sepulchres of the Martyrs 't is from the People that the Worship of Images came as well as the Invocation of Saints that could not stay long after this for when they adored men which might be painted 't is natural to make Images of them So St. Austine learns us that in his time the Invocation of Saints passing from the People to the Pastors the People running much father began to Adore the Pictures of the Martyrs But behold how he speaks of it The Manichees heaped together all the popular Superstitions and all the Actions of private Persons to make Crimes of them against the Church and upon that St. Austine tells them * Lib. 1. de-Moribus Eccl. c. 34. Do not collect those who making profession of being Christians have nothing which answers to their Profession do not joyn yourself to the croud of ignorant People who being on the side of true Religion are superstitious c. I know there are many which Worship Pictures and Sepulchres Unto the middle of the fifth Age nevertheless few Images were seen in Churches after the year 450 many of them were seen there 'T was not only those of the Martyrs that were placed there they put also those of the Bishops in the Churches of their Diocesses The Image of Thomas Bishop of Apamea was set on the top of the Church †Evag. lib. 4. cap. 26. Theodorus Lector tells us That in the Reign of Anastatius * Lib. 2. Macedonius Bishop of Constantinople caused his Images to be set in Churches and that Timothy who was put in his place some time after would not perform Divine Offices in any Church before he had caused the Images of Macedonius to be removed It cannot be imagined these Images were set there for Adoration for no man makes his own Images to be adored But that in the fourth and fifth Ages men did not give any Religious Worship to Images by the publick Authority and Approbation of the Pastors is a truth which cannot be disputed by those who have any remains of Conscience and Honour This appears by the Testimonies of Authors of that time
by the Deed of Epiphanius which we reported touching the Image which he found in Anablata and by another passage of the same St. Epiphanius cited by the Council of Constantinople against Images in the Reign of Constantine Copronimus and reported by that Image-worshipping Council of Nice †Evag. l. 4 c. 26. Take heed to yourselves says Epiphanius retain the Traditions which you have received turn not from them to the right hand nor to the left Remember also that you put no Images in Churches nor in the Dormitories of the Saints c. nay put them not even in your own Houses St. Chrysostome saith in a passage alledged by the same Council * Synod 7. Act. 6. We have the presence of Saints by the Scriptures and not by Images Amphilochius †Synod ib. Bishop of Iconium Contemporary of St. Basil also saith We take no care to paint the fleshly Countenance of Saints with Colours upon Tables but we immitate their Life and Conversation by Piety and Vertue St. Austin upon the 123 Psalm doth expresly deny That among the Movables and Ornaments of the Church there were any Images that had Mouths and spake not and Eyes that saw not This appears also by the Fact of Serenus Bishop of Marseilles and of Gregory the First Bishop of Rome which was not till the end of the sixth Age Serenus had broken the Images of his Church because the People adored and fell down before them as those of which St. Austine speaks Gregory blames him for breaking the Images and praises him that he hindered men from worshipping them which makes it evident it was not then believed generally that they might be adored 'T is true nevertheless that in the fifth Age the brutish and superstitious People in some places began to believe that the Images of the Saints had some Vertue in them For Theodoret in the Life of Simeon Stylites reports That it was said that at Rome men set the Images of Simeon Stylites at the entrance of all their Shops to obtain some Protection and Security from them But besides that this was but a report apparently false 't was a popular Superstition in which the Church was not concerned An Article of Controversie A continuation of the matter of Schism that the great Corruption of the Roman Church forced us to a Separation HItherunto in speaking of Schism we have reason'd upon one or other of these two suppositions either that our separation was not established upon good Reasons or at least that the corruption of the Church of Rome was not at the highest degree and therefore it was in some sort tolerable We have proved in our thirteenth Pastoral Letter that although our Fathers had done ill in their Separation nevertheless you do not hazard your Salvation by continuing in the Protestant Communion Afterwards we made it appear that supposing the Church of Rome very corrupt although the Corruption were not wholly intollerable you cannot return thither at this day without destroying yourselves because the Providence of God hath drawn you thence by a Miracle in the persons of your Fathers And we have dispersed the Illusions which you put upon yourselves therein and which some amongst you have communicated to those which are fled for Protection into these Countries But at present let us no longer suppose any thing which is false let us consider things as they are i. e. let us consider the Corruption of the Church of Rome in its utmost extent and reason upon it It is the third Supposition according to which I will shew you that you cannot with a good Conscience return to Popery If the Corruption of the Church of Rome be extream if she be Idolatrous if she be Impure if she be Antichristian if she have introduced true Paganism into the Church we must necessarily Separate from her as soon as we can and the Separation being made to re-unite ourselves unto her is a Crime for which we can expect no Mercy There can be nothing of doubt in this kind of reasoning but the Supposition viz. That the Corruption of the Church of Rome is extream and wholly unsufferable So that this is the only thing which remains to do about the matter of Schism to justifie our Separation and prove to you that you cannot return to Popery without Damnation this we shall do in this and the following Letter To give you a true and natural Idea of the Corruption of Popery by a short Discription 't is necessary at first That you discharge yourselves of those vain Charms and false Appearances wherewithal they dress and present it to your Eyes First you may not consider Popery by the Christianity upon which 't is built for 't is thither that you turn your Eyes immediately 'T is a Religion say you where the true God is worshipped and the true Jesus where the Holy Trinity is believed the Incarnation of the Son of God Redemption by the Death of Christ Jesus the last Judgment the Resurrection of the Flesh everlasting Life and everlasting Death How can such a Christianity be ill Distinguish my Brethren in the Popish Church Christianity from Popery That which I would have you consider and which I have told you is Christianity But that which I will describe unto you the ugliness whereof I will set before you in an abridgement is quite another thing 't is that which hath been added to Christianity 't is Popery Say not it sufficeth us that Christianity doth continue in the Roman Church that is false it is not sufficient 'T is not enough that the Substance doth continue in poysoned Wine to make it safe and wholsom Do not you imagine that this is only a plain Comparison 't is an example that doth demonstrate and prove Wine as good and excellent as it is is not more spoiled by the Mortal Poyson mingled with it then Christianity in the Church of Rome is spoiled by the Popery added thereto Have you never read any where that the Roman Church is like a great double Temple whereof the lower part is consecrated to God and the superior part to an Idol This is a Comparison which hath all the force of Examples to prove and demonstrate Do you believe that a man after he had worshipped in the Church below consecrated to the true God should ascend into the Church above and adore Idols Do you believe say I that such a man were in a good and safe way 'T is true Christianity remains in the Roman Religion 't is the Church below but they have built upon it the Idol Church and that is Popery Do not you imagine therefore that you can Worship only in the Church below or live in the Christianity of the Roman Church without partaking in Popery This cannot be these two parts of the Roman Church are not built together as two Churches whereof the one is below and the other above By an unhappy Art of the Devil you cannot enter into the
one without entering into the other You cannot worship God without partaking in the Worship of Idols You cannot partake in the Heavenly Sacrament of Jesus Christ without participation in a false and corrupt Sacrifice and without prostrating yourselves before the Idol of Bread. You cannot confess Jesus Christ Head of the Church without adhering to a false Head to the Head of a Body which is altogether Antichristian You cannot call upon God in publick Worship unless at the same time you call upon Creatures It remains therefore that we prove unto you that Popery so confounded and mixt with Christianity is mortal impure and intollerable The second general Advice which I have to give you is That well to understand Popery you must not look upon it in the Books of your Convertors in the Explications of the Catholick Doctrine or other painted Tables which disguise to you the Religion into which they force you to enter Discharge yourselves also from this wicked imagination That we ought to attribute nothing to Popery but what is ordained by its Councils For there is nothing more false and more distant from truth then that the Councils have not expressed in their Decisions all those frightful Excesses into which Popery is fallen therefore they are not to be imputed to her 'T is a wicked consequence all that is done in a Church be it by order of her Councils be it by use and common custom ought to be imputed to her 'T is true that St. Austine in a passage which we quoted above would not grant that the Manichees should impute certain Superstitions which the People practised to the Church but 't was because there were few persons in comparison to others that fell into them And the Teachers condemned them instead of supporting and maintaining them But we impute nothing to Popery but Extravagances universally practised and defended by their most famous Doctors I will give you yet a third Advice 'T is that for the true understanding of Popery and all its Deformities you must not look on it in certain places and at certain times For Example At this day in France they shew you the Popish Religion in a smooth and polished condition with respect to the Authority of the Pope they tell you that to speak properly he is no more than the first Bishop he is not the Vicar of JESUS CHRIST that he is not the true Head of the Church nor the true Center of Unity that he is not Infallible that he has no more Power over the Bishops than the Bishops have over him they speak to you with great indifference concerning the Worship of Images as a thing esteemed not very necessary they do extreamly mollifie the Invocation of Saints reducing it to a small matter The Bishops give order that little of those popular Devotions which are capable of giving you scandal be practised in their Diocesses I do declare to you that it is not by the small Country of France nor by this little space of present time that you ought to look on Popery to know and see all its Deformities In what follows we shall have occasion to shew you that all these Reformations are nothing that they are fictitious and that although they should go further than I know not what appearances it would not suffice but in expectation of that I advise you at present my Brethren that for a true understanding of Popery it behoves you to look on it every-where and in all times You must behold it in Italy and Spain as we as in France and Germany you must look on it in all preceeding Ages at least in the seven hundred or eight hundred Years which went before our Reformation observing these three Rules 1. That you look on Popery such as it is in itself distinct from Christianity 2. That you look on it in its practice and universal usage 3. To conclude that you look on it above all in Spain and Italy as well as elsewhere and that you look on it in all those times which preceeded the Reformation If you do thus say I I do maintain that you cannot behold the Deformitie of Popery without horrour First you will there see a Head which calls himself the most Holy Lord his Holiness and the Vicar of Jesus Christ who bears on him all the Characters of Antichrist He sits in the Temple of God as if he were God he makes himself to be adored as God he has his seat at Rome the City upon seven Hills he hath ten Kings under him which give Obedience to him he is clothed in Scarlet as the Whore in the Revelations he bears a Triple Crown he has upon his Forehead the names of Blasphemy calling himself God on Earth the Vicar of Jesus Christ the Spouse of the Church the Mouth which pronounces infallible Oracles he sits upon a Beast i. e. on an Empire viz. the Roman Empire which he hath raised up again He makes the Image of the Beast to speak and be adored he hath established in the Church the true Image of the Roman Empire and causes this Image to be adored on pain of Death he hath two Horns two Powers as a Lamb the Temporal and Spiritual speaks like a Dragon and is the Protector of Lies and Falshood He works false Signs and Wonders to support his false Religion his Teachers make profession of Austerity Celibate Abstinence and Fasting and refuse Marriage He hath his seat in Babilon that City of Merchandize where all things are sold and where they make Merchandize even of the Souls of Men He causes his Mark to be born i. e. his Profession upon the hands and upon the forehead The name of Latine Church and Latine Pope contain exactly 666 which is the number of the Beast This Pope this pretended Vicar of Jesus Christ is seen under a Canopy or Cloth of State in pomp and in magnificence he is seen trampling crowned Heads under his Feet making himself to be carried on the shoulders of Emperours causing Princes to kiss his Feet He hath been seen as a furious Lion in all Ages covering the Earth with Blood dethroning Emperours pulling off their Crowns Absolving Subjects from the Oaths of Fidelity given to their Kings and thereby putting a Sword into their hands from whence have followed cruel and barbarous Civil Wars He has been seen encouraging the Father against the Son and the Son against the Father Subjects against their Kings and stirring them up to run their Swords into the Bowels of their Soveraigns He has been seen putting all Europe into a flame and carrying confusions blood and disorder every-where by his Ambition He hath been seen fighting with Competitors called Anti-popes conducting Armies shedding Bloud dispeopling Cities and laying wast Fields by Fire and Sword He has been seen with his Arms in his hands like a mad man filling the World with Horrour and Desolation to maintain his pretended Succession to the Inheritance of Christ Jesus He has been seen
Church be he Priest Bishop or Guide thereof Make Reflections in this place on the monstrous Doctrines of your Converters of whom the most part will tell you that to be a true Member of the Church it suffices to make profession of the Faith and to adhere to lawful Pastors So that Priests that are Sorcerers and Sodomites which you have oftentimes seen burnt at Paris were the true Members of Jesus Christ This is capable of making a man tremble with horrour They will say to you thereon if they were not true Members of the Church and of the Body of Jesus Christ they could not be the Guides thereof Such a one is an evil Man he is nevertheless a true Bishop he must therefore be a true Member of Jesus Christ and of his Body Answer to this that which one of the Writers of Port Royal says somewhere That oftentimes those which Build Jerusalem and Guide it are the Citizens of Babylon Tell them that to be a lawful Pastor and Guide of the Church to be able to administer the Word and Sacraments with Authority it s enough to be a Member of the external and visible Society it is not necessary to be a Member of the true Church to be in the hand of God an Instrument of his Work. A King may administer Justice and administer it very well by a wicked man who hath inwardly all sorts of inclinations to Injustice It will be said a man cannot be the Head and Guide of a Body without being a Member thereof for the Head is one of its principal Members It must be answered That false Pastors are true Members of the visible Society of the Church and that they are also true Heads of that Society whereof they are true Members but they are neither Heads nor Members of the principal and invisible part of the Church who are true Believers and truly righteous persons They are not therefore true Heads but of that part whereof they are true Members and that sufficeth them for the external Administration of the Word and Sacraments for the truely Righteous receive the Word and Sacraments in quality of the Members of the external Society They will press you further and tell you You do confess the Church is visible because she hath a Body which is an external Society But is it always visible Although you should answer That it is not necessary that the Church be always visible they would not be able to convince you of the contrary by reason For a man who is visible by his body may be sometimes hidden and by that means be invisible May not the external Society of the Church which is visible have been at sometimes and in some seasons hidden through the Persecution of Pagans or Hereticks But confess to them that the Church hath been always visible and will be to the end of the World. 'T is true that the Persecutions under the Pagan-Emperours were very great but they never proceeded so far as utterly to destroy all Assemblies of the Church to that degree that there were no visible Society of Christians the Christians were well known under the Persecutions seeing they knew where to find them to make Martyrs of them the Church was visible in the midst of the flames She remained visible in the Heretical Assemblies of the Arrians for those that held the Truth in those Assemblies themselves were more numerous than those that erred concerning it If there were any place where the Church were become invisible it was in the Papism for never was there a Church so corrupt and drowned in Superstitions as that Nevertheless the Church continued there visible because that Christianity and the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion did abide there I do not say that they did remain there in their Integrity but the contrary nevertheless it sufficeth that they did continue there 't is necessary therefore that you know that where-ever Christianity fore that you know that where-ever Christianity remains sensible and visible the Church remains visible for it is Christianity that makes the Church If a Sect become so corrupt that Christianity is no longer visible in it such are the Mahumetans and the Socinians who have rejected the Foundations the Church is no longer visible among them unless it be as a dead man remains visible but it is also visible that he is dead without life and without soul so in the Sects which have rejected the Foundations the Church remains visible but it 's also visible that such Churches are without life without soul without salvation In the Sects which preserve Christianity although they have added very many things thereunto and even such things as overturns the Foundations thereof the Church doth not fail to remain visible because Christianity both is there and is seen there If therefore they do inquire of you Where was your Church before Luther and Calvin Answer them She was in the Christian Societies that were in Aethiopia in those which were in Aegypt and in Africa in those which are and were in Asia in the Greek Church that was at Constantinople and Antioch in Muscovy and the Churches of Russia and she was even in the Church of Rome itself If they ask of you Was the Church visible in these Societies or were the Members thereof hidden Answer them That the Church was visible in these Societies forasmuch as Christianity and the Creed of the Apostles in the true sence thereof explained in the first six General Councils were visibly preserved there Add you that the true Members of Jesus Christ and of the Church were hidden and not visible because those that sincerely and truly adhered to this true Christianity contained in the Creeds of the Christian Church were not known by name but that these Believers were hidden was not at all peculiar to these corrupt Churches because of their Corruption for the case is the same in the purest Churches the true Members of Jesus Christ and of his body are hidden because we do not certainly know those which adhere to the Christian Faith in sincerity and with the heart Behold a pure and native Explication of the true Visibility of the Church and of the Perpetuity of that Visibility The Bishop of Meaux and your other Converters will seem to you very well pleased in this that you confess the Church is visible and always visible Behold they will say one point gained For if the Church be always visible 't is of necessity that there be a Succession in the Ministry a train of legitimate Pastours There will always be Teachers with whom Jesus Christ will teach and the true Teaching will never cease in the Church These are Monsieur de Meaux that great Converter's own words That is to say from the perpetual Visibility of the Church he draws these three conclusions 1. That pure and true Teaching hath never ceased in the Church 2. That there will always be a series and train of legitimate Pastours 3. That Jesus Christ
Martyrdom of M. Charpentier of Rufac in Angoulmois 16 Letter Concerning the Invocation of the Blessed Virgin It s Original and in what Age. An Answer to the New Converts about Schism The Martyrdom of M. Barbut at Nismes Confessours sent to the Western Isles A Letter of M. Guirant Confessor of Nismes The Martyrdom of M. Mollieres A false Alarm about a Massacre at Nismes 17 Letter Three Proofs of the Novelty of the Invocation of Saints An Answer to the New Converts about Schism The Martyrdom of M. du Cross Other Confessours M. Chantguion and Chemer Martyrs and Confessors of Vassey A Letter of Madam de V. The Confession of Jane Balle in the County of Charollois 18 Letter An Answer to Soulier the Priest about a pretended Conspiracy at Montpazier 19 Letter Concerning the Original of the Worship of Images The Corruption of the Head and Members in Popery did force and constrain our Separation M. Matthew de Durass a Confessor M. the Baron of Verliac and Madam his Wife sent to America and drowned A Letter from Cadez concerning the Confessours sent to the Islands 20 Letter Concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass in the fourth and fifth Ages A Description of the Corruption of Popery A Confession of M. de Cross his Doughters The famous Martyrdom of M. Menuret The Cruelties of Rapine The young Women Whipt 21 Letter The Faith of the fourth and fifth Ages about the Eucharist An Apology for our Reformers Father Paul the Venetian his Reasons why he did not break with the Church of Rome 22 Letter The Faith of the fourth and fifth Ages about the Eucharist Concerning the perpetual Visibility of the Church M. de Lalo M. de la Pierre M. de Saint Cross M. de Beauregard M. de Bardonnanche Confessors of Dauphine M. de Lis a Martyr of Dauphine 23 Letter The Sacrament was not Adored in the fourth and fifth Ages An Answer to the Confequences of the perpetual Visibility of the Church A Letter of the Vicar-General of St. Malo concerning the Effects of the Thunder which fell into the Church An Accident happening to the Host on Corpus Christi Day at Paris The Burning of the great Church at Rochel Thunder falling on divers Churches Confessours drowned at Martinique 24 Letter The Church of Rome hath neither Tradition nor Conformity with the Scripture which make it visible to the Vulgar Aug. 15th 1687. AN APPENDIX Containing A NARRATION OF THE WARS and SLAUGHTERS Occasioned by the Jesuits and Missionaries in Aethiopia FOR THE Promoting and Establishing their Religion there AND Some brief ACCOUNT OF THE Late Persecution in Hungary IN the beginning of the precedent Age James Alvarez a Priest of Portugal brought Letters from David the King of Aethiopia to Pope Clement the Seventh He found him at Bolonia with the Emperour Charles the Fifth and gave him those Letters which promised Obedience to him on the part of the King of Aethiopia This Promise of Homage coming from the South was very acceptably received by Clement the Seventh who saw all the West ready to revolt and shake off the Yoak of the Roman Church The Letters of King David to the Pope which are certainly very submissive are yet to be seen but at present the Aethiopians pretend that James Alvarez was an Impostor and a Cheat who falsified the Civilities of the Emperour and interpreted his Letters wholly otherwise than they signified in the Original because Obedience to the Pope and the Terms wherein they are expressed were utterly unknown in Aethiopia at that time John Bermudes came to Rome at the same time to desire assistance from the Pope against the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Adel. The Pope received and treated him with great kindness and furnish'd the Abyssines which were at Rome with what was necessary for their entertainment and to imprint Bibles and Littanies in their own Language All these Civilities were so many Snares to make them fall by an intire submission to the Bishop of Rome and oblige them to embrace the Romish Religion Ignatius Loyola the Founder of the Order of Jesuits earnestly sollicited a Commission to go and labour in what they call the Conversion of this Great Empire He could not obtain it but it was given to John Barrett a Jesuit with the title of Patriarch of the Abyssines This Barrett took or received for a Companion Andrew Oviedo with the title of Bishop They both embarqued in Portugal for the Indies to the end that they might pass from thence into Aethiopia King Claudius had succeeded to David his Father The Patriarch and his Suffragan Bishop would not venture themselves with this new King without knowing of what spirit and humour he was They sent three Jesuits James Dias Goncal Rodrighes and Friar Fulgentius Freyra to get intelligence concerning him they came and were received with sufficient kindness by the King of Aethiopia But he learnt that the King of Portugal sent him these men and prepared others to instruct him and his people in the Roman Religion this affrighted him He stood in doubt a long time betwixt the fear that he had that these new Evangelists and Converters should trouble both Church and State and that of offending the King of Portugal of whose friendship he thought he had need He had divers Conferences with them the sum whereof on the part of the Portugese was That if the Abyssines would be saved they must acknowledge the Pope for the Vicar of Jesus Christ and submit to him under that Character and Title But the Abyssines answered That it was an Affair which could not be concluded without consulting the other Patriarchs At last King Claudius permitted that the other Priests of Portugal should come and promised to receive them kindly The Patriarch John Barrett nevertheless durst not hazard his Patriarchal Dignity upon the Word of the King. He continued in the Indies and sent the Bishop Andrew Oviedo accompanied with five Priests of that Society The King of Aethiopia received them very civilly and permitted them to perform Divine Offices according to the Roman Church yea it was permitted to all to joyn themselves to the Communion of the Church of Rome But Oviedo not content with that was very importunate with the King to oblige him to submit himself to the Pope He answered That his Ancestors had never acknowledged other Superiour in holy things than the Successors of St. Mark that is to say the Patriarch of Alexandria This is worthy of observation and makes it apparent that Alvarez exceeded his Commission when he came to yield obedience and submission to the Pope in the name of David the Father of Claudius For the Son could not have said that his Ancestors had never acknowledged any other than the Successors of St. Mark if very lately his Father had designed to submit to the Bishop of Rome and did actually do it Oviedo presses the business Claudias obstinately refuses At last he consented to Conferences in which the Jesuits had great
the year 1606 was made the Treaty called the Pacification between Rodolphus Emperour and King of Hungary and Stephen Bothskey Kis-ma-ria The first Article whereof grants That the Reformed Hungarians should not in any thing be troubled in the exercise of their Religion and that all the Churches taken from them during the Troubles should be restored to them All the Kings of Hungary which have been since Matthias Ferdinand the Second and Ferdinand the Third have confirmed these Priviledges by their Declarations To conclude the present Emperour in the year 1655 when he was crowned King of Hungary confirmed by an express Declaration all that his Predecessours had done The eleventh Article of that Declaration concedes That for the Conservation of Peace amongst all the Orders and States of Hungary the business of Religion shall remain free without receiving any Disturbance according to the Constitution of Vienna and the Articles published before the Coronation in such sort that the exercise of Religion shall be entirely free for the Barons Lords Nobles free Citizens and generally for all Estates and Orders of Hungary as also for the Towns and Villages which will embrace it so that no person of what estate or condition soever may be hindered by his Majesty or other Temporal Lords in any manner or under any pretence whatsoever from the free use and exercise of the said Religion Things were in this estate in the year 1671 when a Jesuite named George Barze Titular Bishop of Warradine calling himself Counsellour to his Imperial Majesty published a Book with this Title Truth declared to all the World which makes it appear by three Arguments that his Imperial Majesty is not obliged to Tollerate the Lutheran and Calvinist Sect in Hungary It is easie to understand what a Work of this Title that has a Jesuite for its Author doth contain The design thereof was to justifie the Persecutions which had been already made against the Protestants of Hungary as well as those they were preparing to make For already a long time before the publication of this Writing some particular Lords had set up for cruel Persecutors Among others Francis Nadasti Paul Esthersiazy and many others at the instigation of the Priests and Jesuites had employed both fire and sword they had massacred the Reformed in their Churches hanged them up on the bars of their Church-doors and many others they had thrown head-long from Turrets The Arch-bishops Bishops and Popish Gentlemen had thus used them and also pulled down the Churches in the Countries which held and depended on them The free Cities and those who depended only on the Emperour were exempt from this storm but they shall have their turn on the occasion following Many great Hungarian Lords of the Popish Religion as the Nadasties the Serinies the Frangipanes joyn themselves to Francis Rakotsqui and took Arms against the Emperour for private Quarrels The Troops of Austria on this occasion entred into Hungary on the year 1670 and defeated these Rebels The Arch-bishops Bishops and Jesuites of Hungary thought they must not let slip the opportunities they now had to persecute the Protestants They served themselves of these insolent victorious Troops in all the free Cities to do the same Violences which had been done by particular Lords against the Reformed Without form of Process they took away their Churches they banished the Ministers they put them in Prison they massacred a great number they charged the People and even the Nobility with Taxes Souldiers and Garisons they offered a thousand and a thousand Violences to oblige people to change their Religion All the Ecclesiasticks every one by himself acted like unbridled Furies The Prisons were filled with these miserable Wretches the Churches were razed every-where in the most places there were horrible Massacres and even whole Villages burnt because they were wholly inhabited by Protestants they hung the Ministers at the Doors of their Churches There was one named John Baki a Minister of the Church of Comana who was burnt At Cassovia and Posonium they put to death a great number of persons of all Sexes of all Ages and all Qualities They banished all those whom they dare not kill In one word all Hungary became a place like Hell for the Reformed where death punishments and torments presented themselves every-where before their eyes To give some colour of Justice to these Violences they established a Chamber at Posonium made up of all such as were found most cruel Enemies to the Protestants They summon'd the people before they summon'd their Pastors hoping that they would fall the more easily by the Temptation and that fear would cause them to change their Religion those which appeared and supported themselves on their innocency were cast into Prisons oppressed with Fines persecuted after a hundred manners and constrained at last to change their Religion To those which had courage enough not to renounce the Truth they presented a Writing to be subscribed by which they made them promise they would forsake their Pastors that they would not protect them and that they would not oppose the Priests in taking possession of their Churches On which Condition they promised to let them live in peace in hope and expectation that the Spirit would enlighten and Convert them Some fell and made their subscriptions others perished through misery famine and torments in the prisons When they had thus subdued and abused the people they turn themselves to their Pastors they established three Chambers of Justice the one at Tinew and two at Posonium before whom they summoned at first a small number of Pastors of the Confession of Ausburgh They appeared to the number of thirty two or thirty three the 25th of September 1673 they presented them a Writing to be subscribed importing That it was their will and pleasure that they should say that to escape the sentence which might be pronounced against them for their Rebellion they did consent to one of these three things Either to Renounce all exercise of their Office for ever and to live as good Subjects privately in the Realm or to go voluntarily into Exile with promise never to return again into the Estates of the Emperour or to embrace the Catholick Religion in which case they might remain in the Kingdom and enjoy all sorts of Advantages there The providence of God permitted this unjust and altogether unrighteous procedure to the end that these poor accused persons might have an opportunity to justifie themselves from the Crime of Rebellion whereof they were accused Is it so that men used to proceed against those that are Traytors And has it been usual to punish them with a voluntary Exile or by a simple Renunciation of their Offices and Charges They did all that they could to oblige the Pastors to subscribe this Writing and the most part of them fearing death did subscribe confessing themselves culpable though they were innocent and went voluntarily into Banishment Section This attempt having succeed sufficiently well