persons not yet ordained may be seen habited like Priests at the Altar with all prescribed Ceremonies practising the reciting those words and performing those actions and Ceremonies which the by-standers can judge to be no other but the celebrating Mass yet in reality there is no such thing done no consecration at all made nor any thing performed but what may be as well done by any Lay-person of either Sex It is not saying Mass or hearing Confessions therefore that the Law condemns and against which it denounces death but only the receiving Priestly Orders beyond the Seas from an Authority derived from the Church of Rome â— This thing alone in England is declared Treason and by consequence no truly legal Conviction can be wiâ—hout the deposition of Witnesses who can testifie the time place and Bishop when where and from whom the accused Person received Holy Orders 127. Honoured Sir you will have the goodness to pardon so prolix an assertion of the innocence of our Catholick Priests and consequently of all committed to their care since your self obliged me to it having in your Animadversions so oft and largely expressed your opinion that they could not clear themselvâ—s from a just suspicion of Disloyalty to which they are more obnoxious than any Catholicks in other Countries Whereas it is most certain that not any of his Majesties Subjects nor any Catholicks abroad can if by Authority required give more unanswerable prooâ—s of their Fidelity and very few in our Nation â—if any equal Whence it follows that whatsoever we suffer it is purely for our Religion and the Catholick Faith that we suffer ¶ 12. Humble Thanks for good Counsel 128. I will conclude this Apology with humble thanks Noble Sir for the double â—dvice you think fit to give me toward the lâ—â—ter end of your Animadversions and I do also promise conformity to them to the uâ—most of my skill and power The first Advice has reference to my self purely The second to the Cause First therefore you counsel me having once been a Son â—f the Church of England and obliâ—ed tâ— her for my Education c. but nâ—w out of Conscience separated from her external Communion at least to live fairly and civilly towards her and to allâ—w some beauty to have been in the Church whiâ—h detained me so long and much more in writing on controverted Points to abstain from revilings c. 129. Sir Obedience to this Advice is very easie to me who never intended to be guilty of such ingratitude and disingâ—nuous an humour as reviling the Church of England and I extremely wondered when I read it in your Animadversions with such atrocity imputed to me But by the way I beseech you once more not to confound Dr. Stillingfleet's Church with the Church of England estâ—blishâ—d by Law Fâ—r the â—uture though Age and a sharp Infirmiâ—y which summons me to prepare an Account of all my Actions to the Supreme Iudge ought and will suggest to my thoughts meditations of another subject more seasonable than Controversie yet in câ—se God by my Superiours shâ—ll engage me in renewing Disputes for defence of his Catholick Truth and â—hurch I here oblige my self to be so wary in the managing of them that the most jealously tender Protestant shall not have cause to be dissatisfied and the like caution I shall observe if it be possible in sâ—parating the Cause of your Church from that of other Sects who will needs in despight of you invade the Title of Protestants of the Church of England 130. Your second Advice Sir is that I should contract the Controversie into what concerns the Church of England soly that is to what is contained in the Articles and Policy thereof without making sallies against Presbyterians Independents c. 131. Truly nothing is more reasonable than this Advice yet withal nothing more difficult than a conformity thereto because it does not depend on me and therefore I dare not promise obedience thereto The only Book wherein the occasion and argument of it permitted me to oppose the Church of England was my Exomologesis and therein I am sure nothing was treated but what was peculiarly essential to your Church As for other Books wherein I was only a Defender I was at the mercy of my Adversary who if he wandred into Exotick opinions I could not help it I was to be upon my guard as well against transverse as direct blows 132. This were Sir an Advice very fit to have been given to Dr. Stillingfleet and truly it would be very convenient if it would please you to make use even now at last of the Interest and Power you deserve to have with him to counsel him to deal so with the Catholick Church as you would have us to do with the English He has scope sufficient allow'd him for he may attaque not the Council of Trent only but all other Councils both General and Provincial received by Catholicks And in case he think it unreasonable that all the pains taken by himself or his friends in collecting recreative matter for the Consolation of his Parishiâ—ners or of Country Gentlewomen should be lost If he have more stories to make sport withal concerning Saints Classical or Heteroclites as no doubt he may find enough for a Book in folio or if he can furnish the Press with examples of some particular persons guilty of Superstitious usage of Images or of exotick Opinions touching Indulgences Confession Purgatory c. it is pity such costly materials should be cast away Let the World see them in God's Name if he have the Conscience to pretend so but let it not be in a Book of Controversie unless in relating such fopperies he will also as becomes a person who would be esteemed ingenuous declare that the Catholick Church approves not such ridiculous stories or exotick Opinions and that she expresly condemns superstitious practices about Images and sordidly gainful usages of Indulgences Now Sir when English Protestants and particularly Dr. Stillingfleet writing not only in quality of an English Protestant but of the Champion of the Church of England assaults the Catholick Church with such Engins what would you advise Catholick Answerers to do Must we say nothing but what concerns directly the Articles or Constitutions of the Church of England Truly that were the best course which also I purpose if it be possibleâ— to take and withal to neglect whatsoever he pretends to confute as the Doctrines of Catholicks unless they can be shewed to be the Decisions of the Council of Trent or other received Councils To conclude this matter You Honoured Sir profess to acknowledge the Doctour a Legitimate Champion of the English Church and that you are exceedingly delighted with the softness gentleness and civility of his Language Let this I beseech you Sir invite you to read over once more his Book which being done I shall be exceedingly mistaken if being demanded seriously in private by an intimate Friend your Judgment
For Hugh Capet King of France inculcating to his Son the like Veneration made no scruple to stile S. Benedict a Father and Guide to all men an Intercessâ—ur with God for the common salvation of Christians a haven of tranquility a sanctuary of security to men after death And lastly Ludovicus Pius Emperour of Germany and Son to Charles the Great names S. Benedict a blessed man of God replenished with the Holy Ghost 34. Noble Sir if these suffice not to preponderate the censure given by you many more might be added as namely no fewer than above fifty wise and learned men of all Nations almost of Christendom who have thought their labours well spent in writing Commentaries on S. Benedict's Rule I will for the affinity of the subject adjoyn a Vindication of Mr. Cressy who you say Sir if he had not been in love with his own mistakes could not have said that Englands Christianity was established by the Disciples of S. Benedict which supposed mistake you several times repeat 35. To this permit me I beseech you Honoured Sir to say with all due respect to you that the mistake is apparently your own for you understand me as if I had said Christianity had not been planted in our Island before the coming thither of S. Benedicts Disciples Which I could not say without forgetting that my self had in no fewer than the first nine Books of my Church History precisely related the beginning and progress of the Conversiâ—n of the ancient Britains But that which I said was That England or the Country and Nation of the English Saxons who drove the Christian Britains out of our part of the Island was indeed converted by the Disciples of S. Benedict And this truly I must stand to and for a sufficient proof I will oppose to angry Mr. Broughton alledged by youâ— the Authentick Testimonies of far more skilful Antiâ—uaries I dare say even in your opinion who in a Writing signed with their hands and expresly in opposition to Mr. Broughton testifie That whereas he affirmed that the first Converters of the Saxons in England were not Benedictins but Equitians They having spent much time in searching the Antiquities of our Nations do affirm they could find only two sorts of Monks in the Ancient Saxon Churches The first such as followed the Egyptian form of Monachism before S. Austin's arrival and the other Benedictins Companions of S. Austin And as for Equitians no such name was extant in any ancient Record Moreover that whereas they could exactly discover the original and entrance of all other Religiâ—us Ordâ—rs and could name the very years they could not do so of the Benedictins which firmly argues that S. Augustin and his Associates were Benedictins And that this doubtless was the reason of the deep root that Order took in the Kingdâ—m which Order also flourished here in the same Age of S. Augustin ' s arrival as they are assured by invincible Testimonies This Declaration was signed and given by these four knowing and uninteressed persons Sir Robâ—rt Cotton Sir Henry Spelman Mr. Iohn Selden and Mr. William Camden 36. And thus I wâ—ll takâ— my last farewel and leave of S. Benedict wiâ—h a firm resolution leâ— Dr. Stillingfleet say what he please of him or any other Catholick Saint never to defenâ— him more in a Treatise of Controversie unless the said Dâ—ctor will undertake to demonstrate That it is a sufficient cause for any one to desert the Communion of the Catholick Churh because S. Benedict S. Teresa c. are venerated in it And the like leave I take of Sancta Sophia and the Prayer of Contemplation except upon the same terms My desire is he should know that we are very well content with our Fanaticks and Fanaticism And I hope he will not be angry with me for this short Prayer I beseech Almighty God that it may be his holy will and pleasure that England may change her Fanaticks into such as â—urs Amen 37. One Prayer more I will add That it would please God to give to the Doctor and all the Doctors friends a holy ambition to aspire to the practise of Contemplative Prayer though by him so much despised It would among other good effects save him much labour in writing Controversies and it would likewise exceedingly beâ—ter his stile It is too much to be put to the trouble twice to make an Apology for praying to God in the perfectest manner that any one on earth ever prayed Yet not wholly to neglect that passage wherein you thought good to second the Doctor in his Objection against Mr. Cressy his Sancta Sophia I refer you and most humbly beseech you to allow one hour or two in perusing a little Treatise of an unknown Author named The Roman Churches Devotion Vindicated whose answer I believe will satisfie your objection against that Book therefore so contemned by him because collected by Mr. Cressy out of the writings of a Holy person who by most happy experience felt what he wrote and which the Doctor in great humility says he does not understand which is no wonder to any one who defers any thing to the judgment of the greatest Doctors of Gods Church S. Augustin and S. Gregory to whom we may add S. Bernard who all affirm constantly that the secret operations of God in a soul purified from all inordinate affections cannot be understood without experience nor easily expressed when understood by such as God has blessed with experience of them I might add to the same purpose the testimony of a Doctor whose authority I am sure Dr. Stillinfleet dares not except against I mean the Great Doctor of the Gentiles who expresly affirms that the sensual man neither does nor can pâ—ssibly understand them because they are spiritually discerned and therefore no wonder if thâ—y be esteemed foolishness by him who has never experienced them 38. And now truly Honoured Sir I beseeth you to let the Doctor without envy enjoy his peculiar endowment and Priviledge of as some think a graceful Art of deriding Saints and Saintly exercises It appears by all the serious passages of your Book that God has given you a far nobler masculine way of Eloquence Whereas the truth is in this new-fashioned sacred Burlesque you have as yet received do considerable Talent And besides this the Doctor may perhaps be displeased with you and tell you that he has no need of your assistance and that you wrong him in attempting to share in the glory due to him alone and which will make him shine to posterity 39. Thus far I have given you Sir an account of the first ground upon which I judged it no offence to Christian Charity not to flatter Dr. Stillingfleet in censuring his Book His unusual confident and insulting manner of accusing and rendring all Catholicks guilty of the most hainous crime that Christians are capable of committing which is most horrible Idolatry and which renders them indeed no
all these Books be sure not to miss in collecting all the Texts containing Doctrines necessary to his salvation 5. And likewise he must be assured by his own light that he conceives the true sence of all these Texts though he know that there are great quarrels among learned and pious men about the sense of those Texts 6. For he must be obliged to believe that there is not on earth any either Person or Society infallible to which he can be bound in Conscience to submit his judgment or commit the care of his Soul 7. Lastly He must have so firm a memory as to be able to reject Roman Doctrines because not contained in Scripture This is Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England and so firm is the Rock upon which it is grounde 77. Now whether that Church of England wherein we were Christned and when we were Christned relied upon such a Foundation as this may quickly be discovered by reading only her Twentieth Article which begins thus The Church of England surely hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith By the Church here she must needs mean the Governours or Pastours and authorized Teachers of the Church of England for none else meddle in prescribing Ceremonies or determining Controversies of Faith And these saith she have Authority that is no doubt in her meaning not an usurped but lawful Authority And if so then she intends that all her Subjects and Disciples should esteem themselves obliged in Conscience to submit to her Decisions both about Ceremonies and Controversies This submission if any of her Subjects interpret to be only external or to imply no more than not openly refusing Ceremonies or opposing Decisions she will not be contented with it This appears plainly in her Constitutions Established and Published by Regal Authority under the Great Seal of England For from the second Constitution to the tenth all Impugners of the King's Supremacy or that affirm that the Church of England is not a true and Apostolical Church Likewise all Impugners of her Articles of Religion of her Ceremonies of her Government by Bishops of the Form of Ordinations Moreover all Authors of Schisms and Maintainers of Schismaticks all these are denounced Excommunicated ipso facto from which Excommunication they cannot be absolved and restored till after they have repented and publickly revoked such their wicked Errours that is they must acknowledge themselves to have been in an Errour a wicked Errour of which they must repent and publickly revoke it 78. This Authority therefore challenged by the Church of England Established by Law â— is manifestly an Authority over the Souls the Judgment and Belief of her Subjects which Authority Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England does expresly renounce Therefore his is a meer imaginary Church which has no subsistence but only in the fancies of a new brood of men which appeared not in England till Mr. Chillingworth's Book came forth And of such a Church Mr. Chilingworth stood in need because he thought he could with more ease to himself defend Dr. Potter against his Adversary F. Knott by depriving the Church of England of her Authority and laying new Principles of a Church the same which Dr. Stillingfleet has borrowed and artificially spread out and which are greedily embraced by our Young Divines because they reduce the main Dispute between Catholicks and Protestants to an exercise of wit and fancy about Adjectives and Participles ending in bilis and dus and ease them of the same tedious labour of reaâ—ing and citing Fathers and Councils which former learned Controvertists Bishops and Doctors thought necessary to undergo 79. Now the reason why the Church of England assumes an Authority obliging her Subjects to a submission of judgment as well as to external Conformity which other Sects cannot without a shameless impudence pretend to and yet do most tyrannically usurp seems to me to this Because she does not look upon her self to be a new-erected Church but as remaining still a Member of the Catholick Church govern'd by Pastours endowed with Authority received thence and continuing in a Lineal Succession from St. Peter And as supposed a true Member of the Catholick â—hurch her Clergy National or Provincial to have right according to frequent practise in the Ancient Church to call Synods and therein reform Discipline and extirpate such Doctrines as they judge erroneous how far spread soever they may be yet in doing this with the peaceable Spirit of St. Cyprian as to other Churches Neminem judicantes aut à jure Communionis aliquem si diversum senserit amoventes whereby they conclude themselves free from the guilt of Schism Neither yet do they assume to themselves an absolute Infallibility in their Ordinances and Decisions but as your self Sir have intimated in your second Question at the end of your Book assuring themselves that as long as they remain true Members of the Catholick Church they have this kind or degree of Infallibility that they cannot fall into Errours excluding Salvation and thereupon they judge they may oblige their Subjects to a submission of judgment and excommunicate Dissenters since no danger can follow in case it should happen to be an errour to the belief whereof they submit especially considering their constant Profession that they will all conform to the Determinations of a true free and legal General Councill 80. Such a Notion I conceive all English Protestants had of the Church of England and her Authority till Mr. Chillingworth published his Book Upon such grounds I am sure our late worthy and learned Friend Dr. Steward thought he could sufficiently justifie the Church of England against the Roman Catholick Church her imputing Heresie or Schism to Protestants And on the same grounds did the most learned among Protestant Bishops proceed in their Controversies for can you think Sir that Bishop Andrews Bilson Montague Laud Morton c. ever entertained a thought that all Christians whatsoever may with their own Light both find all points of necessary belief in the Scriptures and also comprehend the true sence of them and that not a Soul in England was obliged to believe a word of the Doctrine established 81. Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England therefore seems to me so far from being that Church which has been Established by Law that it is the most irrational Church that ever was The Church of Geneva or Holland or other Calvinists though grounded on this most presumptuous Principle That they judge of Scripture and its sence only by an internal infallible Light of God's Spirit yet that being once supposed they proceed rationally thereon when they oblige all their Subjects to submit their judgments to the Teachings of those respective Churches or to their Synods of Gapâ— Dortâ— c. Whereas Dr. Stillingfleet exempting all persons from an Obligation of yielding an internal Assent to any Decisions made by Superiours dissolves the very nature of a Church and deposes all Superiours 82. But
has been not to have been Only as to the determining the precise year I dare not engage my credit upon an ill memory 87. Now Sir by what Logick do you from this Narration infer that I aspersed my Lord Falkland with the Character of a Socinian since he is not so much as â—â—med in the second Narrative whâ—râ— the word Socinian is found Truly I proâ—â—â—â— on my Conscience I was so far from that that I had not a thought of imputing Socinianism to Mr. Chillingworth himself neitâ—â—r had I any just ground from what I there related 88. For Mr. Chillingworth having been disheartened by D'aile from appealing to the Holy Fathers of the Church and being too ingenuous or rather out of fear of God not daring to pretend to Divine Ilâ—uminations against his Conscience and which he could not justifie gladly made use of the grounds which he found first in a Socinian's Book who in stead of a private Divine Spirit substituted common Reason as the only proper Iudge of the sence of Scripture And upon these grounds prâ—cisely has he proceeded through his whole Book But Sir is this sufficient to make poor Mr. Chillingworth pass for a very Socinian Doâ—s the making private Reâ—son â—udge of the true sence of Scripture inâ—â—râ— that neither Christ nor the Holy Ghâ—â—t are God that the pains of Hell are not eternal thaâ— separated Souls have no being or at least no perception c. God â—orbid for tâ—en how many innocent persons would be guilty of Blasphemies unawares to themselves Then not only Mr. Chillingworth but Dr. Stillingfleet and besides them God knows how many more in London and in the Vniversities of England would be Socinians 89. But as touching my Lord Falkland I was so far from entertaining a suspicion and much more from propagating that suspicion to others that I believe there are in England scarce three persons besides my self that are so enabled to give a Demonstration of the contrary which was a solemn protestation made by himself to the greatest Prelate of England of his aversion from those blasphemous â—loâ—â—sies which had been most unjustly by I know not whom laid to his charge It could not possibly therefore be that my having found crâ—dit with two or three pâ—rsons of the Church of England should have induced them to asperse his Lordship with so foul a stain But upon whose credit soever they framed such a scandal so nice a Lover of Veracity and Sincerity that most excellent Lord was that his serious renouncing of such an imputation ought to be esteemed by all Persons of Honour or Honesty a more than sufficient eviction of his innocence And now though I could not without much inward trouble read my self published a Calumniator of the Noblest Friend and Benefactor that ever I enjoyed yet having an inward witness of mine own innocence and an assurance also that no proofs could be made to appear suffâ—cient to justifie such an imputation I took no small pleasure in seeing your most generous Zeal in vindicating his Honour 90. I beseech you therefore Honoured Sir let me no longer remain in your thoughts as a Detractor of that Nâ—ble Lord who I perceive was in a particular manner dear to â—â—ur self also and whose Memory ought to bâ— pretious to every one who has any estâ—em of Vertue Heroical Fidelity to His Master and King incomparable Learning and all admirable Endowments I assure you I was so far from the least intention to blâ—â— his Memory that I should judge my self justly liable to be condemned as defective in the Dutiâ—s of Friendship and Respâ—ct to so Noble a Friend if in case God had ever placed me in a condition capable of doing any considerable good to others I had contented my self with expressing my affâ—ction to him by a few elegant Phrases and windy Elogies having means and opportunity to raise his Family out of that narrow condition in which that most Noble Lord who had been no skilful Projector of profit to himsâ—lf had left it 91. But having been incapable of this I yet thank God that the poor and contemptible condition in which I am doâ—s not hinder me from being in a capacity of shewing my Gratitude in a way I hope for more advantageous to that admirable Person himself than by â—â—â—ry Commendations For though you Sir condemn as uncharitable that Position oâ— Catholicks That no Salvation is tâ— be had out of the Communion of the Catholick Church Yet since all Catholicks grant that this is not necessarily to be understood of an Actual External Communion but that many Christians of vertuous devout Lives and having had a constant preparation of mind to prefer Truth whensoever effectually discovered to them before all Temporal Advantages they dying in this disposition though not externally joined to the Church will be esteemed by our merciful Lord as true Members of his Mystical Body the Church And since it is most certain that all the Alms Prayers and Sacrifices offer'd to God by and in the Vniversal Church are intended by her to be beneficial to all Souls departed as far as they are capable and according as God shall apply them And lastly since I am assur'd that my Lord Falkland lâ—â—ding a vertuous Life despised all worâ—â—ly things in comparison of necessary Divine Truth â— and iâ— being apparent by his Discourse of Infallibility that he had framed a judgment touching the Catholick Church out of certain Catholick Writers who â—epresented it too disadvantageously to him and not with such Qualifications as the Church her self has done Upon these Considerations who can forbid me to desire and even hope that his Soul though not by name recommended may receive benefit and comfort when at the Altar and elsewhere all Catholicks join in praying thus Omnium fidelium defunctorum animae per misericordiam Dei requiesâ—ant in Pace Amen ¶ 8. Concerning King Hâ—nry the Eighth 92. ANother Crime â— it seems of no ordinary heinousness was my stiling King Henry the Eighth a Tyrant for with this I am charged once and again You cannot Sir I am sure believe that I used that word in the same notion 〈…〉 do whâ—n â—hey call Crâ—mwel a Tyrant which imports a Merciless Vsurper Truly I meant no more thereby than what generally Protestant Historiographers and others write of him that he was an unjust and Merciless King I am sure Sir Walâ—er â—aâ—leigh in the Preface to his 〈…〉 Henry was Father of his own most Grâ—cious anâ— Munificent Mistress yet is bold to say That if all the Pictures and Paâ—terns of a Merciless Prince were 〈◊〉 in the World they might all again be 〈…〉 the life out of that King's Sâ—ory 〈…〉 of my â—eâ—â—ioning King Henry 〈…〉 epistle to the English Car 〈…〉 was his cruâ—l dealing 〈…〉 retired devout Predecâ—â—â—â—â—◠〈…〉 whom he caused to be executed as Traytors meerly because they durâ—t not simply upon his will without any previous instruction debate or consultation with his Clergy
without prejudice to Charity yea that Charity it self oâ—t requires them we must likewise acknowledge especially when those who are enemies to Truth or Piety are high in popular esteem for zeal and learning as the Pharisees were among the Iews and thereby give credit and authority to errors and suggestions of cruelty Otherwise we must condemn Moses and the Prophets under the Old Law and S. Iohn Baptist the Apostles and several among the Holy Fathers of God's Church under the New yea we must not except our Blessed Saviour who is Charity it self from our Censure whose sharp reprehensions neither the High Priests Scribes and Pharisees nor King Herod himself no not his own beloved Apostle escaped 10. Therefore before we can give an equal judgment whether and how far reprehensions deserve to be reprehended we ought impartially to consider the motives and grounds of them And to this tryal I most willingly submit my self before all indifferent judges and particularly the genuine learned Protestant Clergy of the English Church insomuch as if they shall determine that in my late to me unusual manner of treating with Dr. Stillingfleet I have offended against Christian Charity or purposely intended to fix any dishonourable brand on the English Protestant Church and the Doctrine or Discipline of it established by Law I will be ready without any reply to suffer whatsoever censure or punishment they shall think fit to inflict on me 11. And noble Sir if now after Sentence pronounc'd by you against me it may be permitted me to petition for a Revision of Iudgment I do not know the proper Law Term I do confidently perswade my self that you will in your own thoughts a little qualifie the rigour of your sentence and not look on me as a person who for one fault against a Doctor almost â— strâ—nger to you has deserved not only to be depriv'd of the happiness of fifty yâ—ars continued favour but moreover to be exposâ—d to the world as a virulent Calumniator of the English Church and to his Sacred Majesties Indignation as a defamer of one of his Royal Ancestours King Henry the Eighth and to the Honourable Parliament and Tribunals of the Kingdoms Iustice as a delinquent beyond all others deserving the utmost severity of the Law and lastly to the haâ—â—ed of all persons of Honour or Vâ—rtue as a most ungrateful infamous detracter from the fame and reputation of the most obliging generous friend that ever was my most dear Lord and Benefactor Lucius Viscount Falkland 12. Now honoured Sir my hope is it will not encrease your anger if I endeavour to clear my self the best I can of these dangerous imputations Yea moreover I am willing to comfort my self in a perswasion if I had had the happiness of a fit opportunity to have evidently demonstrated to you that had you not been wronged by a malicious Informer you would have spared most of these criminal accusations against me and have been a little more tender of my reputation and of the safety of my life My humble suit to you therefore is that at least you would be pleased your self to read this short Apology which I am forced to publish since your concealing your self disenables me to present it to you in writing ¶ 2. The first Motive of the Sharpness against Dr. Stillingfleet was his unusual odious way of managing Controversie 13. BUT I must apply my self first to what concerns Dr. Stillingfleet which occasioned your adding other far more criminal accusationsâ— and of greater danger against me And truly Sir I am sorry that being in conscience obliged once for all to endeavour to clear my self in this point also I cannot possibly do it without danger of renewing the Doctâ—rs personal resentments and yours also against me in case what I shall say touching the Motives inducing me to write in a stile which would have been unpardonable in a Book of Controversie wherein only Catholick Doctrines were to be defended shall give you no satisfaction But you will be pleased to consider that now I only declare what I then thought when that Book against the Doctor was written not what I now at present think And I leave it to the judgment of all men who are able to read his Book and this Epistle whether there was not exceeding great probability and more then sufficient grounds to induce me to suspect him of a design therein in a high degree contrary to Christian Charity and even to humaâ—ity However in some way of compâ—nsation this advantage against me I will freely yiâ—ld him That in case any more such quarrâ—lsom matter from whoâ—e pen soever shall come ouâ— aâ—ainst me I will not defend my self except I be commanded by such as have right to dispose of my Pen or unlâ—ss by false accusation I be arraigned at the Bar of Iuâ—tice and perhaps not then neither in all Points 14. Whereas you say Honâ—ured Sir that my fault was therefore inexcusâ—ble because I had not any provocation tâ— write in such a manner against a person of so dove-like a mildness with the softness gentleness and civility of whose language you say you have been exceedingly delighted c. I beseech you be pleased to consider that no personal provocation or contemptuous reflections were cast by the Doctor on me but only in regard of my Book called Sancta Sophia And I do assure you that though perhaps the reading of them might at first have a little warm'd my blood especially such incivility coming from a person with whom I never had any commerce at all and whose name I had never mentioned yet I should never have judged fit that a resentment of a few phrases of disparagement should be the argument of a Book to be publishâ—d to the world We as Christians must expect to go to heaven per infamiâ—m bonam famam Bâ— pleased therefore to believe that it was not my self that I considered when I wrote my Book but the wrong done to the Catholick Church in his Answer to another particular Adversary and the ruine of all English Catholicks which seemed not to me only but generally to all Catholicks of my acquaintance yea and to many Protestants also to have been the principal Design of his Book That therefore for which very many bâ—sides my self thought Dr. Stillingâ—fleet exceedingly blame-worthy was his unusual unseemly way of managing the Controversie against the Catholick Church Nâ—xt his cruel timing of it 15. First then consider I beseech you Sir impartially the Doctor 's bâ—haviour in the former regard and judge whether he did not renounce all moderation and charity in charging in a most tragical manner the Catholick Church upon three or four accounts with most horribble worse then heathenish Idolatry as also his employing the utmost of his invention all his Logick and Rhetorick to render us upon that account odious and fit to be exterminatedâ— but especially his doing this in quality of an authorized English Protestant as if
he had been commissionated by my Lords the Bishops to defend the substantial Doctrine of the Church of England after so cruel a manner and to justifie that her discession from the Roman Church was of absolute necessity by reason of the manifold horrible Idolatries taught and practised in her which I am confident will never be averred by Protestants 16. For what the judgment of the Church of England is in this matter we may irrefragably collect from the Censures Synodically given by her in all those points of Roman Doctrine on which the Doctor grounds his charge of Idolatry against Catholicks to wit The worship of God by Images The formal Invocation of Saints and the Adoration forsooth of Bread in the Eucharist 17. Now as touching the two first of these pretended grounds I beseech you Sir to consider how the Church of England in her establisht Doctrine has express'd her sense in the 22. Article These are the words The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons Worshiping and Adoration as well of Images as of Relicks and also Invocation of Saints is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded on no warranty of Scrâ—pture but rather repugnant to the Word of God 18. And this observation your self has as becomâ—s an unpassionate English Protâ—stant made where speaking of Purgatory you ingenuously profess That if you thought your Prayers or any thing else you could do could be helpful to the souls of your friends or your enemies you would pour them out with all your heart and should not fear any reprehension from the Church of England which hath declared no judgment in the point except it be comprehended in the Article of Purgatory and then the censure is no more then that it is a fond thing which in that case you would be content to undergo This you declare and upon the same grounds since in the same Article no worse a Title and Character is given to other Romish Doctrines as Pardons Worshiping of Images and Relicks and also Invocation of Saints Therefore certainly you cannot approve the Doctors attributing Idolatry to such Doctrines or Practices 19. In the next place be pleased to observe what the Church of England declares touching that which Dr. Stillingflâ—et for an odious purpose terms The Adoration of Bread in the Eucharist in her 28th Article Transubstantiation or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine in the Supper of the Lord cannot be proved by holy writ but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament and hath given occasiâ—n to many superstitions The Body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper only after an heavenly and spiritual manner And the means whereby the Body of â—hrist is received and eaten in the Supper is Faith The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved car ried about lifted up or worshipped 20. You here see honoured Sir the Censure far unlike the Doctors which the Church of England has given of the Dâ—ctrines of the Roman Church touching the Holy Eucharist which Censure you likewise as before will not think fit to exceedâ— she terms them respectively fond vainly invented such as cannot be proved by Scripture but are rather repugnant to the same She doth not so much as stile any of them Superstitious but only giving occasion to many Superstitions Thus far and no farther does she condemn them and I suppose so many grave learned and wise Prelates as joyned in the compiling these Articles and many more who afterwards in several Synods reviewed and without any considerable change confirmed them were as quick sighted to discover faults and as able to proportionate a Censure of them as Dr. Stillingfleet who with all his skill is but a Neophyte in the English Church Therefore it is evident that it was not by the Church of England's warranty and also that it was not the dictamen of calm reason but an uncharitable passion against his neighbours and brethren who never had offended him that incited him so cruelly to expose them to the publick hatred and to the utmost effects of that hatred 21. Perhaps he will say that he is warranted to charge the Roman Catholick Church with Idolatry by the example of several other grave and learned Protestants members of the English Church though I believe he will scarce grant that any before him has prosecuted that charge with such a killing Rhetorick or in a time so seasonable for mischief 22. All this indeed he may truly say And among his Patterns he may if he please reckon some more than Members even Fathers Teachers and Governours of the English Church I mean Bishops and Archbishops who have done the like or in some respect worse for some of them not content to accuse the Catholick Church of Idolatry have written volumes to make the simple believe that the Chief Vniversal Pastor of the Catholick Church is God bless us the very Antichrist 23. This he may say But withal the most sober learned and judicious of the Church of England will tell him that the uncharitable Calvinistical spirit by which those Bishops and Archbishops were agitated did so bâ—ind them that they did not see or perhaps did not care what ruine they brought on their own Order Character and Chuâ—ch by such their intemperate writing and prâ—aching which to Catholicks seemed only noysome words but to the Church of England proved swords piercing into its very bowel For if the Roman Church both taught and practised horrible Idolatry and if the Pope were indeed Antichrist then the Hierarchy of England is ipso facto â— null or worse then the late rebellious Parliament had just reason to destroy them root and branch as persons who pretended a Mission and exercised a jurisdiction publickly acknowledged by themselves to have been received from abominable Idolaters yea even from Antichrist himself And certain it is that those few Presbyterian Bishops and Doctors gave both courage and weapons to the busie factious then call'd Puritan party to wound the Church of England more mortally than without such helps they possibly could have done 24. Methinks therefore honoured Sir my resentment of Dr. Stillingfleet's manner of proceeding in this point was not so criminal that it should so highly incense you as to excite you to a vindication of his honour with so much trouble to your self and so much danger to us since I can withal truly protest tht although you are pleased to stile me a Reviler of the Cburch of England it was a regard to her that hâ—d some influence on me to sharpen my stile And this the rather you may believe because as an English Catholick it concerns us both as to our quiet and safety to lie at the mercy of a Church orderly established and which acknowledges so merciful a King for Head rather than to be exposed to the fury of Calvinism 25. Moreover Dr. Stillingfleet has seemed not to content himself by
aggravating in an unusual manner the atrocity of Roman Doctrines to render us fit objects of popular rage and cruelty But by the fecundity of his invention is the first and only Author who has represented the universal Body of Catholicks as a crowd of crack-brain'd Fanatiâ—ks composed of seduceâ—s and seduced a â—icked Clergy abusing the foolish credulous Laity by ridiculous Lâ—gâ—â—â—s â—â—lse Miracles lying Visions and Revelations By this means Catholicks being represented both as impious Idolaters and either cheating Impostors or silly sheep may seem worthy to be treated as our Saviour was between Pilate and Herod 26. It is worthy your consideration to observe on what occasion or provocation the Doctor entred into this new way of combating the Catholick Church His Adversary chanced unhappily though innocently to let drop out of his pen one line or two which has undone us all This he did after he had declared how King Henry the Eighth having in anger to the Pope given free licence to all his Subjects to read the Bible in English but very shortly after finding how strangely Sects thereupon multiplied in his Kingdom judged it necessary by a pubâ—ick Law to recal that leave Thereupon he added these words Whether the judgment of King Henry ought not to have been followed in after times let the dire effects of so many new Sects and Fanaticisms as have risen in England from the reading of the Scripture bear witness 27. This is all he says Permit me therefore honourable Sir with all due respect to say that it is a great mistake where you say That the first occasion was given the Doctor by charging the Church of England with Fanaticism For his Adversary does not lay any imputation to the Church of England He does not pretend that English Protestants have received any the least tincture of Fanaticism from the contagion of any Sects lately risen in England But the very naming of Fanaticism and England in the same line was provocation enough for the Doctor who seems with an impatient longing to have watched for such an advantageous opportunity to empty his voluminous store of Collections heaped not only out of some foolish obscure Legends for which Cathâ—licks who scorn them as much as himself must yet be derided but likewise out of Histories written by 〈◊〉 Saints and Fathers of God's Church â—cknowledged as such by the whole Church of God both Eastâ—rn and Western for now â—â—ve a thousand â—â—ars in which if his wiâ— serves him to dâ—sâ—race a Miracle or Revelatiâ—â— by â—escanting ironicaâ—ly on some circumstance in the Narration he thinks it sufficient to make the Author pass for a Fanatiâ—k and the whole Church also for not forbidding all her Children to esteem it credible 28. But Sir I beseech you to consider that in case Dr. Stiâ—lingfleet by jesting at a Miracle or saying I do not how credibly soever averred believe it could perswade us also to be of his opinion that for example what S. Gregory wâ—ites concerning S. Benedictâ— upon the credit of four Witnesses were not fit to be believed little prejudice will arrive to the Catholick Cause or advantage to yours till the Doctor can rationally assure men that all is false whatsoever all other holy Fathers and particularly S. Augustin testifies concerning a world of Miracles many of which he had seen with his own eyes and others he had received by the Testimony oâ— many Witnesses living in the place where such Miracles were done evidently prove that the Veneration which Catholicks allow to the Relicks of Saints is acceptable to God The like may be said of other Relatitions made by S. Gregory and delivered upon his own knowledgeâ— or lastly what three or four Religious and learned Abbots write concerning S. Bernard personally known to them A certain Heretick named Henry having infected a great part of the Southern parts of France Zeal for the integrity of the Catholick Faith obliged S. Bernard to travel thither for applying a remedy to which Journey Alberick Bishop of Ostia the Pope's Legate also solicited him He was received there as an Angel of God and the concourse of people to see him and demand his Benediction was so excessively great that he could scarce pass through the High-ways He preached and confuted the Heresies at Tholouse and in several other Cities Particularly in a place called Sarlâ—t After he had preached there were offered to him a certain number of loaves of Bread to the end that according to his custom he might bless 〈◊〉 Thereupon he lifting up his hand and making the Sign of the Cross blessed them and withal said to the People You shall hereby peâ—â—eive that we preach the Truth to youâ— and that Hereticks seduce you if the Sick among you eating the Bread which I have blessed immediately recâ—ver health This proposition of the holy Abbot struck fear into the mind of Godfrey Bishop of Chartres there present who therâ—upon said They shall indeed receive health but vpon condition they eat the Bread with a firm Faith No said S. Bernard having a perfect confidence in God I do not say so but I say absolutely whâ—soever shall eat shall be restored to health that by this Miracle they may know assuredly that we have preached the word of God according to truth And in effect such a world of Sick Persons were perfectly cured that the fame of it being spread abroad through the Province such an insupportable concourse of people assembled every where to see the holy man that to avoid the danger of being stifled he was forced in his return to divert secretly out of the knowâ— ways Now this story having been written by a Venerable Abbot when the memory of the action was fresh in mens minds if it was a forgery ought to be esteemed the most impudently ridiculous thâ—t ever was since the innumerable pretended witnesses of it the Cities in which he preached the Bishop of â—bâ—rtres said to be present c. would certainly have confounded the Author Yet we do not find the least contradiction ever to have been made against it I have made choice of this particular Miracle because it produced many thoughts and scruples in Mr. Chillingworth's mind and mine own also Though probably the Dâ—ctor will despise the consequence of it especially when Saint Bernard himself shall inform him that the particular Heresies of the foresaid Henry were a contemning the Churches Prayers and Sacrifices for the Dead Invocation of Saints Excommunications of Bishops Pilgrimages of Devotion Observation of the Churches Feasts Consecration of Chrism and Holy Oyls and generally all the Ceremonies and Customs of the Church 29. I beseech you Sir therefore be not angry with well meaning Catholicks if sometimes they bewail their Country miserably disunited by a swarm of Sects which you also call Fanatical without the least thought of disparaging thereby the Church of England or however do not express your anger by comparing S. Benedict S. Gregory or S. Teresa c.
with such a Brood as if any Christian could be perswaded that these had been the stains of the Catholick Church Pardon my boldnâ—ss Sir â— I beseech you if I say and it is truly without diminishing my cordial respect that I say it seems to me that a Person of Honour is injurious to himself in seeking to disparage the reputation which for so many ages those eminent Saints who even by their birth were Persons of Honour too have had among all Christians Indeed if Catholicks had built their Faith upon their Doctrines Actions Visions oâ— Miracles their Adversaries might have reason to enquire into the authentickness of them But it grieves my heart to see Dr. Stillingfleet not only imitated by you but out done in his unbeseeming comical stile He only exercised his wit in descanting on the Miracles related concerning S. Benedict But you Sir spare neither S. Benedict's Person Actions Rule nor Children You believe him indeed to have been a devout person in a dark time according to his Talent of understanding which you suppose was very weak But â—ithal that 〈◊〉 may have been deluded by the effects oâ— a distemperd fancy as many well meaning men hâ—â—e been And having found an exception against one passage in his Rule where he says That an Abbot sustains the Person of Christ as having received his Sirnâ—me mentionâ—d bâ— S. Paul namely Abba Pater Hence you pâ—â—asantly conclude that S. Benedict thereby proves that our Saviour was an Abbot up in â—arth And withal from thence you think fiâ— to add Is the reading of this Rule now like 〈◊〉 advance the honour of S. Benedict Or is it possible for any man that doth read it to believe the poor man how good soever his meaning might be qualified to give Rules which can improve knowledge and Devotion Which Rules whoever reads will himself be more in danger to be stirred tâ— another passion than Choler that is scorn and laughter 30. First as to your Objection which perhaps you rather intended for a jest I will answer in good earnest that I cannot imagine how you could possibly argue the least defect incongruity or want of prudence in that passage extracted by you out of S. Benedict's Rule I am assur'd you will not deny but that all lawful Superiours are God's Substitutes for there is no such Power but from God I suppose likewise that the Vniversal Church can constitute lawful Superiours and from the Church do Abbots derive their Authority Being therefore lawful Superiours and this also in order to the direction of souls the most proper Title that can be given them is that of Father which is Appellatio pietatis potestatis A name importing both a tender Care and a just Authority So is God and Châ—ist a Father both in heaven and in earth that is in the Greek or Latin tongue Pater in the Hebrew Ab â— and in the Syriack spoken by our Saviour Abba which word therefore the Holy Ghost has thought good should remain in Scripture unchanged in all Languages as several others Amen Hosanna Alleluia c. Was it not thâ—n an exceedingly useful and necessary admonition which S. Benedict gave to Religious Suâ—â—riours that they from their Title of Abba given them by God the Supreme Abba should govern as Fathers and not tyrannize as Lords Good Kings likewise are Abba's so called by God with regard to the Church and so stiled oft by their Subjects Patres Patriae 31. It seems Sir this second Chapter of S. Benedict's Rule did so disgust you that you had not the patience to proceed further Give me therefore leave against this or any other Objections that can be made to set in an opposite Scale the Characters given by a sufficient number of persons considerable for their condition and judgment who had read it through and well consider'd it and let indifferent Readers judge on whether side the greater weight lies In the first place it is worthy to be considered that wheresoever in the Canons of Synods presently after S. Benedict's time and for several ages after the word Regula Rule is found standing alone it is always understood of S. Benedict's Rule In the next place omitting the Testimonies of very many Saints and learned persons who being Benedictins may be esteemed partial as S. Peter Damian S. Bernard c. of such I will only produce S. Gregory whose Character of this Rule is That it is above all others excellent for the Discretion of it and clearness in the expression Moreover the same glorious Pope in a Synod at Rome confirm'd it the tenour of which Conâ—â—rmatiâ—n extant in the Monastery of Suâ—lac is this I Gregory Prelate of the Holy Roman Church have written the Life of Blessed S. Benedict I have also read the Rule which the Saint wrote with his own hand I commended and confirmed it in a Holy Synod I commanded likewise through several parts of Italy and wheresoever the I aâ—in tongue is spoken that whâ—soever shall come to the grace of Câ—nversâ—oâ— shâ—uld mâ—st diligently observe it even to the end of the world I have also confirmed twelve Monasteries fâ—unded by the same Saint And moreover the same holy Father stiâ—es S. Benedict a most excellent Mâ—ster of the mâ—st strict life and a learned Disciple of God the Supreme Verity 32. In the next place several Synâ—ds of Bishops have highly commended the same Rule and strictâ—y enjoyned the observation of it as the Synod â—f Raâ—isbon of Duzy c. The expression of this latter Synod I perceive will little please you where it says S. Benedict blessed both by Grace and Name being inspired by the Hâ—ly Ghost hath in his Rule deliver'd documents consonant to the Holy Scriptures and to the Sermons of the Holy Fathers To these I will only add one Clergy-man more Bonizo Bishâ—p of Sutrium and a blessâ—d Martyr who stiles S. Benedict the Apostle of Monks who shone like the morning Star 33. But perhaps now the Testimonies of Lay persons if considerable for their wisdom and quality that is if Persâ—ns of Honour and Auâ—hority will find with you Honoured Sir more esteem And in thâ— first place I must recal a passage taken notice of by you For it was not indeed a great and wise King who made choice of S. Bâ—nedict ' s Rule by which to manage his Kingdom but it was at least a great and wise Duke even Câ—smo de Medicis Great Duâ—e of Tuscany who being asked by a friend why he had almost always S. Benedict's Rule in his hand answered It was because frâ—m the prudent prescriptions â—f tâ—at holy Father he collected Instructions very proper for the government of his people committed to his charge The same Great Duke also instituted an Order of Knights under the same Rule Besides this Great Duke not only a Great King but a greater Potentate an Emperour will be ready to testifie their Veneration of S. Benedict
Christians and after he had thus declared us fit objects of publick detestation to expose us to publick scorn also as Members of a Church guided by false lights and Fanatical Enthusiasms This is a way of disputing against the Catholick Church hitherto unpractised and therefore an unpractised way of answering seemed to me requisite 40. You may remember Sir the proceedings of the ancient Factionists against the Church of England called Puritans Their Zealots did you no considerable mischief by arguments from reason or authority contained in their Books their Lectures or Exercises But as soon as they found out the art to instil into the minds of the baser sort of their fâ—llowers a Contempt of the Conforming Clergy and rendred your solemn Church-Service your Organs Musick your Copes Surplices Canonical Habits c. a spectacle of derision and sport to them this sport was quickly turned into sad earnest It was scarce saâ—e for a Clergy-man decently habited to appear in the streets of London and not long after they were not safe in their private Country houses Now if the authority of Laws and Governours could not protect against the rude fury of the people the Professors and Teachers of the Religion by Law established in the Kingdom What were we to expect being expos'd to the publick view of mankind as we have been by the Doctor in so odious so deformed and also ridiculous a dress ¶ 3. Of the season cruelly chosen by Dr. Stillingfleet for publishing his Books a second motive of sharpness 41. YET noble Sir this bitter Cup prepared for us might have been recâ—ived and also perhaps drunk by us without extreme danger had it not been presented us in so unlucky a season We had by his Sacred Majesty's gracious Indulgence enjoyed several years a moderate repose A storm indeed now and then began to rise against us yet through God's merciful providence they were asswaged But of late a furious Tempest we know not from what Coast began to threaten an unavoidable Shipwrack to us and this just at a time when we thought we had reason to believe our selves secure in the haven This now iâ— seems was the season long expected and almost despaired of by Dr. Stillingfleet wherein he might empty his Quiver full of fiery darts against his peaceable fellow Subjects And therefore not to lose the opportunity it has generally been observed that the Books written by him against Roman Catholicks Printed and Re-printed were still reserved till a new Session was to begin lâ—â—t otherwise in the time of a Prorogation they might have had small effect 42. Not Catholicks only but many English Protestants both of the Clergy and Laity conceived great indignation at such cruelty proceeding from a Preacher of the Gospel Which indignation was much encreased because they interpreted his violence against Catholicks to have been an effect of great disrespect and ingratitude to his Majesty against whose Indulgence to his faithful Subjects the Dâ—ctor seemed tacitly to nourish discontent in the Kingdom and this after himself and his friends not long before had received an incomparable benefit by the like gracious Indulgence 43. Now Honoured Sir in such circumstances as these it being necessary some Answer should be published to his Book and Mr. Cressy being personally glanced at in an uncivil manner and for his sake the most excellent instructions for Holiness of life and Purity of Prayer that were ever published in the English Tongue disgracefully traduced was it so great a crime in me to tell the world which truly I still believe to be a Truth that scarce any Book has been written against the Catholick Church wherein there was less force for disproving of any of her established Doctrines or more force for the procuring the ruine of those innocent persons among us who profess those Doctrines If a sense of the deplorable condition which I easily foresaw ready to befal the generality of Roman Catholicks and upon which not I alone judged his Books to have a considerable influence drew from my pen a few sharp phrases and reproofs without the least harm or danger to him Can you with equity meerly out of regard to the Doctor 's person and vain râ—putation think fit to revenge his quarrel against me by aggravating in a too tragical stile all the faults of which you either by knowledge suspicion or report judged me to be guilty of which some there are which in case your accusation be as probably it will be a Conviction expose more besides my self to the utmost danger of the Law as Traytors and the rest to the highest displeasure and resentments of my Lords the Bishops and other our worthy friends among the English Clergy yea even of his Majesty himself which I thought I never had and I am sure I never intended to incur This surely was a way of reparation for the Doctors honour as you suppose violated by me beyond what I bâ—lieve himself expected or desired since I am confident whatsoever wrong he may think I have done him it never entred so deeply into his mind as to deprive him of one half hours sleep or to urge him to wish my death 44. Well Noble Sir if I was indeed faulty I am sorry for it And yet in case the Doctor was to blame in his manner of stating the Controversies and especially in his unhappy timing of them I believed that I could not in a bâ—tter manner exercise Christian Charity to himâ— then by endeavouring to discover to him plainly and without a complemental Civility his Transgression against Charity which transgression notwithstanding if I should judge to amount to so high a degree as to bâ—liâ—ve that he either did design or now takes pleasure in the present ruine of Catholicks I should my self also be a Transgressor against Charity 45. But now Sir as I take the boldness to declare the reasons why I think I did not deserve so heavy a Censure for treating with Dr. Stillingfleet in a stile different from that which becomes those who seriously debate Controversies in Religion So neither will I so far justifie my self as to pretend that my Book ought to be exempt altogether from a just râ—prehension for the too free scope which the Author gave to his though not unreasonably grounded indignation Yea moreover in one regard I do sincerely acknowledge a blame-worthy faultiness in my self which consists in taking upon me a liberty to judge rashly of his thoughts and secret intentions Whereas therefore from a consideration of his Principles much different from thâ— grounds on which former English Protestant proceeded I represented Dr. Stillingfleet a having a design of undermining the Authority of the English Prelacy and as continuing a secret correspondence with the Sects declared enemies to the Hierarchy among whom he had had his Education and against whom therefore since his relinquishing them he had never employed his Pen These and other the like reflections on him to his disadvantage I do sincerely
as a good Consciâ—nce obliges me revoke since they are built only on suspicions not sufficient to warrant me to be a Iudge of his Intentions And this satisfaction I hope will deserve to be esteemed cordial and becoming a Christian because it is thus publickly made by me being at too great a distance to apprehend any danger from his resentment whereas the sharp language I then used towards him when I was obnoxious to the effects of his Choler To conclude this present argument I desire you Honoured Sir to reflect on that well known saying better becoming the Wise Laelius than a Comical Poet â— Omnes quibus res sunt minùs secundae magis sunt nescio quo modâ— suspiciosi Ad Contumeliam omâ—iâ— accipiunt magis Propter suam impotentiam se semper credunt negligi ¶ 4. A Religious Profession pretended to be inconsistent with my Fidelity to His Majesty 46. AFter you had so generously laid an eternal Obligation on Dr. Stillingfleet by so publick a condemnation of me for my incivilities towards him you proceed to a charge against me of a far higher nature accusing I should say arraigning me for having renounced my Subjection to the King by being a Benedictin and consequently chusing other Superiours to my self with Obedience to whâ—m my Obedience to the King you say is inconsistent so that I am so obnoxious to the Laws that I cannot securely live one day or set my foot in England c. 47. Sir if by my professing my self a Benedictin and moreover that I am obliged by Vow to obey my Superiours all which I cannot deny your inference be concluding that I am a Traytor to His Majesty God have mercy on my Soul I do not pretend to have any skill in our Statute Laws notwithstanding I never yet heard any one say that the meer being of a Religious Order was declared Treason in England for upon that account a Benedictin Lay brother would be as obnoxious to the Title and punishment of a Traytor as a Priest Besides this the French Benedictins of whose Fidelity to their King you have a good opinion mâ—ke the same Profession of Obedience to their Superiâ—urs without the least jealousie conceived by that State But however the matter stands as to the Dâ—claration of Law I â—eâ—e protest in the presence of God that if I had any suspition that my Vow of Obedience to Regular Superiâ—urs did in any degree prejudice my Obligation of Fidelity to the King either by Nature or Religion nâ—y if I were not certain of the contrary the next Line here to be added should be a renunciation of the Title of a Benedictin and a râ—vocation of the Vow of Regular Obedience 48. I will add further if I had not been assured that by the Profession of being a Member of the Roman Catholick Church I should continue as dutiful and obedient a Subject to His Majesty as ever I had been I had never before my Conversion so much as enquired into the Truth of other Cathâ—lick Doctrines 49. Nay yet farther Sir since I am fallen almost unawares into the humour of protesting though no Protestant I will be yet more bold to protest sincerely That if I were not entirely satisfied yea assured that noâ— the least Obligation of acknowledging any Temporal Authority in the Pope over this Kingdom was imposed on English Catholick Priests Secular or Regular by vertue of their receiving Ordination in and from the Church of Rome and likewise that the spiritual Jurisdiction exercised by them in vertue of such Ordination did in no measure prejudice or abridge the Civil Authority justly inherent in Monarchs of what Religion soever I should esteem them very unfit and dangerous Directors of the Souls of His Majesties Subjects and deservedly obnoxious to the utmost penalty of the Laws here enacted against them 50. Now what greater assurance can any one have of this than from a Consideration First That in all Catholick Kingdoms and States where the Supreme Magistrates are jealous enough of their Temporal Rights such Ordinations are not only pâ—rmitted but allowed and enjoined And Secondly That all the same Acts of Spiritual Iurisdiction exercised by Catholick Priests are also exercised by Pâ—otestant Ministers over His Majesties Subjects For these also by vertue of their Ordination do lawfully and validly as they absolutely perswade themselves administer Sacraments absolve Penitent Sinners and I direct Souls in the way to Heaven c. Which Functions you will not surely say to be conferred on them by the King but only that the King permits them to receive them from the Bishop who only can communicate to others the Spiritual Faculties which himself has received from His Superiour the Archbishop 51. Truly Sir the innocence of Catholick Priests in this matter is to me so evident that I believe not any of them but durst commit themselves to the judgment of Dr. Stillingfleet himself but upon this condition that by the great interest you now certainly have in him you could obtain from him a sincere resolution of these few Proposals which I am sure he is able to give viz. 1. Whether among the several Sects with whom he received his Education and Learning the respective Ministers do not exercise all the foresaid Spiritual Faculties and Iurisdictions 2. Since it is certain that such Faculties have been conferred on thâ—m neither by the King nor Bishop but on the contrary are absolutely forbidden by all our Laws both Ecclesiastical and Temporal Whether he esteems the said Ministers to deserve therefore the name and punishment of Traytors 3. With what confidence they can take the Oath of the Kings Supremacy in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil 4. Whether he can demonstrate and if he can he is earnestly desired that he would do it that the difference in these regards between Catholick Priests and Dissenting Ministers is so great that the former deserve only the name of Traytors 5. This if he affirm he ought also to demonstrate that it is incomparably more dangerous to the King that Spiritual Functions should be received and this not immediately from one Person a thousand miles distant than from God knows how many in the Bowels of the Kingdom 52 If you will still oppose to poor Cathâ—licks alone the Laws of the Kingdâ—m which allow these Acts of Spiritual Iurisdictiâ—n in Prâ—testant Ministers and scarce punish them in Presbyterians but make them Treâ—sâ—n only in Catholick Priests To this terrible Objection what Answer can be given but either a silent patience or the same which the Apostles gave when convened before the Sanedrim And truly Honoured Sir if I were so happy as to see such a person as your self sitting in a high Place of Iudicature and were also a Priest arraigned before you for receiving and exercising such a Iurisdiction I should not be much apprehensive of a black Sentence from a Iudge in his own disposition compassionate and who by many years experience has
younger years enjoyed in Oxford That which he esteemed both most false and injurious was my saying That the Presbyterians had constrained the whole Kingdom to forswear the Religion in which they had been bred But truly under favour I do not understand wherein this Expression was either false or injurious to Loyal Protestants For certain it is that at the time to which that Speech had relation the King's Enemies were de facto Masters of the Kingdom and that all the Authority and Power both at Westminster and in the Field were employed most unjustly to constrain all men to swear to the Scottish Covenant In which they so far prevailed that the whole face of the Kingdom both as to Doctrine and Discipline was entirely changed and become Presbyterian And this was all that I did or could mean by that expression the truth whereof was too too manifest To whom therefore any injury was done by me in that passage I cannot yet imagine For though it was too true that the whole Kingdom as to the publick profession and practise had forsworn the former established Religion yet it does not hence follow neither had I the least thought of inferring such a consâ—quence that all yea or that any considerable number of English Protestants had subscribed and sworn to the Covenant no more than that Roman Catholicks had done so On the contrary I knew that both the English Clergy and Protestant Gentry had generally suffered the loss of their Churches and Estates for refusing to take the Covenant and to acknowledge the Vsurpers Authority â— Neither had I the least thought that â—he foresaid publick Change introduced by Violence and Tyranny had diminished the Right which the Protestant Religion had to be justly esteemed the Religion of the Kingdom no more than thâ— Vsurpers invading the Regal Throne could any way prejudice His Majesties Title thereto 63. But a second passage there is offensive to the said Venerable Prelate which I do acknowledge more difficult to be deâ—enâ—ed or excused It is my saying That several of the wisest and learnedst of the Clergy had been content to buy their security with a vâ—luntary degrading of themselves from their Offices and Titles Now in some degree to qualifie a resentment which the English Clergy may not unreasonably conceive from this passage that which I have to represent is That when I wrote the Book I was in a Foreign Country so that whatsoever I could write touching our own Affairs I must have received from Information by Letters or Friends And by such Information I wrote this particular passage 'T is true before I left this Kingdom the unworthy miscarriage of that ungrateful perfidious Prelate D. Williams Archbishop of York was publickly known and abominated And too credulous I was of some few Examples of something alike though far less heinous a nature which were written or brought out of England to the place where I then resided which I afterwards found to have been groundless but till now too late for me thus publickly to disavow 64. Before I quit this trouble some Book my Exomologesis I conceive my self obliged to do right to a learned Doctor of the Church of England Dr. Tillotson who in a Book written against another Catholick Adâ—eâ—saâ—y takes occasion quasi aliud agens to produce a passage in my Exomologesis changed in the second Impression and as he affirms changed with great disingenuity A Copy of his Book I have not at present and therefore I cannot cite his words but to my best remembrance they regarded a saying of mine in the 40. Chapter of my Exomologesis of the first Impression wherein I had called the word Infallible a word to me unfortunate and I had also said that Mr. Chillingworth combaâ—ed with that word with too much success Whereas in the second Impression that same passage which by a new division of the parts of the Book fâ—ll to be in the 20. Chapter of the second Section was so changed as to impute the said success and unfortunateness not with regard to Catholicks but himself only and has followers who to their great harm took advantage unnecessarily of the utmost importance of the said word beyond what his Adversary would have required And as for Catholick Controvertists â— I endeavoured to excuse their employing that word to signifie thereby alone the unappealable Authority of the Cathâ—lick Church I câ—nnot with any confidence affirm that I have given an exact account of the particular proofs alledged by Doctor Tillotson â— to justifie his impuâ—ing to me a very mis-becoming disingeruity in the alteration madâ— Neiâ—her is it needful the fault being manifest But I am willing that my Pen should here publickly acknowledge the justice of that imputation and I will not give cause a second time to have the same disingenuity laid to my charge for I will very simply and ingenuously relate the occasion and motive of the said disingenuous change which was this A certain ancient Vâ—nâ—rable Religious Father who for School-Learning and skill in the Canon-Law was the most eminent pâ—rson in all these Provinces knowing my intention to râ—print my Exomologesis and beingâ— I conceive not well pleased that a dis-reputation should be cast on that sort of Learning in which he excelled earnestly suggested to me a qualification of the said passage in my Book and withal assured me that the Censure I had given of an expression or Term for so many agâ—s in general use among Catholick Controvertists and Schoolmen would every where givâ— great offence And therefore though he would by no means counsel me to prejudice Truth yet that it was not always necessary to discover every thing that is true Therefore his advice was that in the new Impression I should retrench so much in that Chapter as reflected with disadvantage on those Catholick Writers who made use of the word Infallibility Thus he advised me and thus out Reverence to the person I complyâ—d with his desire For which I cannot as I said before blame Dr. Tillotson for charging me with disingenuity 65. The next Book which I justly pretend to be guiltless of the crime of reviâ—ing the Church of England is a short Treatise named an Appendix in which are cleared câ—rtain mis-constructions of my Exomologists â— published by I. P. Author of the Preface bâ—fore my Lord Falklandâ—s Discourse of Infallibility which is annexed at the end of the second Impression of my Exomologesis The said Author I. P. I never had the happiness to know but I wish if Catholick Religion must be opposed it may always find such â—dâ—ersaries that is persons endowed with very considerable parts of learning and acuteness enabling them with as much advantage as their cause will afford to maintain it and in maintaining it not to wander into unnecessary excursions and to use a stile though not void of sharpness yet such a sharpness as will not be ungrateful even to their opponents much less expose them and all
their party to utmost danger Now in my Answer to this unknown Author I think I have not I am sure I intended not to give just offence to him or any other English Protestant 66. Yet this is the only Treatise against which a most Noble Friend besides a general reprehension instanced in a special passage which he thought fit to be sharply censured and this passage was my naming it The late Church of England Now surely Sir none who know me can judge me so utterly void of Humanity or Reason as to think that I meant this expression in a sense of insulting or of contentment in seeing a Church of which all the Friends I then had were members as I then verily thought destroyed by cruel Sectaries the little finger of whose Governours would be heavier to poor Catholicks than the loins of the former State 67. I must therefore acknowledge that at the time of writing that short Treatise I did and who almost did not despair of ever seeing a restauration of the Church of England to its former splendour though many were not out of all hope considering an impossibility of a constant union among those Sects that his Majesty might happily return I well remember that in France attending a certain Noble Person of very high Condition and special trust near his Majesty I once in discoursing ask'd him this Question Whether he thâ—ught not that it was in his power to have hindred the restoring of the English Hierarchy to which after considering a while he answered He thought it was â— Whereto I replied Alas my Lord how dare you adventure yâ—ur soul for all eternity in a Church which your self could have destroyed Thereupon he entred into a Discourse touching the nature of a Church of which he concluded I had a wrong Notion 68. But as for his first Answer I believe there was scarce any one who then doubted but that a small power would be of force enough to hinder the reviving of the Church of England yea most men thought that even his Majesty with all his interest and endeavours could not have been able to have effected it considering that all Sects though in other regards disunited yet unanimously conspired to the destruction of Episcopacy Therefore it argued more than heroical magnanimity and zeal also in his Majesties attempting and executing such a design from which such an incredible number of then not quite-unarmed Opponents could not deter him though also thereby he obstructed the flowing into his Exchequer whole Rivers of rich spoils belonging to the Clergy And truly in both these râ—gards it ought to be acknowledged by all English Protestants that the said Noble Person being then the most inward Counsellor to his Majesty shewed himself of proof both against fearâ— and avarice since no doubt a considerable advantage might have fallen to his share likewise in those spoils These things therefore considered I humbly conceive that the forementioned phrase The late Church of England spoken at such a time did not merit an extraordinary Censure considering also that as a particular Church and of such a peculiar fabrick it cannot appropriate to it self an Indefectibility or challenge share in the Promise of Christ that the gates of Hell shall nâ—t prevail against it 69. The next Book was the Answer to Dr. Pierce his Sermon In which I never heard any thing challenged as disrespectful to the English Clergy excepting one line for which my worthy Friend Dr. Earles then Dean of Westminster gave me a friendly chiding though to say the truth it was in his Wifes quarrel who was much offended with it and I confess with some reason And besides this there was one passage in it at which I my self have been much displeased which is the very first leaf in the Book To which also doubtless I had regard when in conversing with the Protestant Expostulator before-mentioned I complained of injuries done me being absent in the printng of my Books For having left the said Answer with a friend in London who undertook the care of the Impression certain Friends of his thinking I had begun the Answer too abruptly they willing to be in aliâ—no libro ingeniosi framed an entrance into the Book full of taunting and contempt against the Author of the Sermon And having sent me enclosed in a Letter the first sheet I was moved with such indignation and shame at the reading of it that I protested unless that entrance were taken away I would in a printed paper publickly disavow the work For besides my natural abhorring of uncivil language especially in Controversies about Religion I judged that a Writer did himself wrong who first having contemned and undervalued a Book yet thought it necessary to be seriously answered Upon my resentment of this injury done me the Authors of that Preface abolished the first leaf but wanting matter to fill up the void space they qualified much the former uncivil language leaving it as it now appears I took the greater care not to give too much offence no the learned Preacher because I had been informed by some of his inward Friends that it was with great unwillingness and out of necessary obedience to one who had right to command him that in a time when a persecution was renewed against Catholicks he took such a subject for his Sermon at Court. And indeed his unwillingness to pursue such a quarrel gives testimony hereto though it is well known that he is not inferiour to Dr. Stillingfleet either in learning language or any abilities to manage a Controversie to the best advantage And I assure youâ— Sir it is a great comfort and satisfaction to poor Catholicks that since they must be persecuted their Persecutors have not been any English Protestants of the ancient stamp but a new adopted race who it seems cannot forget that Catholicks have declared themselves Enemies to the Masters under whom our new Convertists have been bred 70. One Book yet remains and but one which I am concern'd at least to excuse iâ— not to justifiâ— to be free from this crime of reproaching or reviling the English Church For I suppose my Sâ—ncta Sophia and likewise my Reflections on the two Oaths are out of all suspicion at least of this fault That Book is a short Answer to a short Pamphlet published by Mr. Edward Bagshaw a too well known troublesome Sectary in which he undertook to give a deaths-blow to the Infallibity of the Catholick Church But the weapons used by him were so blunt and the arm which wielded them so weak that the stroke was not at all felt The only Motive therefore inducing me to publish an Answer to so unskilful a Controvertist was to discover his ignorant mistaking of the Point controverted and especially his malice against Catholicks which therefore deserved to be apprehended by us because to the disgrace of the Church of England he writes in a stiâ—e as if he would make the world believe that he had a
Commission from the Protestant Clergy to be their common Advocate and in their names to vent his own impotent malice for throughout the whole Book he shâ—ws himself exceeding zealous to defend forsooth the Protestant Church of England and not his own miserable Sect against the Papists Now who could restrain indignation hearing such an one crying out aloud We apples swim This short Treatise of mine therefore at least I believe will escape your Censure 71. These are the Books Honoured Sir which I judged reasonable and requisite to be ranged in a rank divided from that which was written against Dr. Stillingfleet In all which a Controversie in several Points being debated against the Doctrines of the Church of England I could not without shewing my self a Prevaricatour abstain from imputing Errors to Protestants and shewing the â—ll consequences of such errors but it was never my intention to give any scope to unseemly passions against persons from none of whom I had received any injuries but on the contrary from many of the most considerable among them not a few signal obligations If now and then an unwary phrase has drop'd from my pen and I am sure there are not many such I shall be far from justifying them but on the contrary I here publickly revoke them And for the future I dare challenge even Dr. Stillingfleet himself to try his skill upon me whether by any contempt either of my Person or Writings he can force me to answer in a language which shall need such another Apology Some worthy friends â—old me that there was at this time a necessity I should endeavour to excuse my self from acknowledging the justice of all your severe sentences against me considering that others also were wounded by them But certainly one Apology against personal imputations will be sufficient and God willing I shall spend my declining days more to the profit of my soul by silence and patiently suffering injuries though silence should be interpreted a confusion of guiltâ— then by composing with great loss of precious time and publishing Books regarding the qualities of persons which Books are scarce ever half so long-liv'd as a yearly Almanack and which serve only to increase the uncharitableness and injustice of this present age in which men will be sure to censure all Books and Persons and are indifferent whether they condemn the Plaintiff or Defendant or both ¶ 6. There was no intention of Reviling the Church of England in my Book against D. Stillingfleet 72. NOW I come to the fatal Book against Dr. Stillingfleet touching Fanaticism which forced you Sir to open a passage to all your indignation against me for my reviling reproaches against the Church and Clergy of England I fear now that no excuse of so great a crime will be admitted by you and that to pretend to justifie my self would be taken for an affront Yet Sir truth is bold and I dare pretend not only to justifie my intention and manner of writing in such a stile but my hope also that the said Book would deserve to be favourably accepted by the English Clergy 73. Now the ground of my justification is a firm perswasion that the present Church of England is the very same that it was when both of us received our Baptism in it by which Baptism we became Members under favour not of the Church of England but of that Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church of the belief of which our God-fathers and God-mothers made a publick Profession for us 74. This perswasion therefore remaining still the same I do confidently affirm and I protest my intention to have been that not any of those sharp phrases and Invectives ought with any justice to be interpreted as meant against the Church of England or the the Doctrines and Discipline of it established by Law but only against Dr. Stillingfleet's Church which he desires indeed should pass for the Church of England but which really is removed from it at a greater distance and opposition than is the Church of Geneva And to demonstrute this it will be sufficient to take a prospect first of the fabrick of Dr. Stillingfleet's English Church framed by himself upon Mr. Chillingworth's Authority and next of the Church of England established by Law as she represents her self in her Articles of Religion and Ecclesiastical Constitutions 75. First then Dr. Stillingfleet has made his Church perfectly visible throughout even from its very foundations or Principles of which the two most considerable and which involve all the rest are the thirteenth and the fifteenth The words are these Such a particular way of Revelation being made choice of by God for the means of making known his wâ—ll in order to the happiness of mankind as writing we may justly say that it is repugnant to the nature of the Design and the Wisdâ—m and Goodness of God to give infallible assurance to persâ—ns in writing his will for the benefit of mankind if those Writings may not be understood by all persons who sincerely endeavour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their salvation And consequently There can be no necessity supposed of any infallible Society of men either to attestâ— or explain those Writings among Christians 76. Is such a Church as this Honoured Sir securely grounded Can you think it a crime in anâ— rational man to call this Church fanatical But why do I talk of a Church In all the Doctors Principles there is no mention of any Church at all as a Teacher or Interpreterâ— not the least regard had to such needless persons as Teachers or Governours Bishops or Presbyters All are sheep without shepherds or shepherds without sheep There is nothing to be found I mean for his sort of Protestants but a Book which all must read though they cannot read and in it find the way to heaven a thing so easie in the Doctor 's opinion that even the blindest man cannot miss it so he will consult that Book But I must recal my word The Doctor indeed does mention a Church or Society and that an infallible one but it is only mentioned to be rejected Now certainly if he rereject that Church which if any Church can have any obliging Authority may challenge the greatest on earth he will much more reject any inferiour Authority or Church Yet since he will take it ill if we do not call an Assembly of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Church please to consider that in this Church every man the most ignorant and stupid must by his own light know first that God has left his whole will touching his salvation in Writing 2. That this Writing comprehendeth thirty eight Books given by God to the Iews and twenty to Christians 3. All these Books this ignorant man must by his own light still know to be both safely conveyed and truly translated though he be not able to read either the Original or Translation 4. He must out of
in opposition to this you say Sir That it is a proof that Dr. Stillingfleet ' s Principles are not destructive to the Authority of the Church of England because the Presbyterians Anabaptists or Independents those enemies of hers who have been so vigilant and industrious so many years to make her totter have not made use of the said Principles nor so much as taken notice of them Hereto I answer They have not made use of them against Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England because they are not Fools For though they may seem to have a great advantage against him by saying besides their acknowledgement of the evidence of Scripture in necessaries That it would be madness in them to leave God's Spirit their own infallible Interpreter of Scripture in other points also for his fallible common Reason which is not able to give assurance even in natural things as whether the Earth move or stand still by which means they being now Spiritual Christians would become 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animal Men. And moreover that they interpreting Scripture by the Spirit may force men to submit their judgments to them Whereas it would be ridiculous to submit to a Church which allows every one to judge of the sence of Scripture by their corrupt private reason These sure are notable Advantages on a Spiritual Churches side Yet on the other side they foresee that by such opposition they shall sadly expose thâ—mselves to his deriding Rhetorick For his Reason will make their Spirit miserably ridiculous He will bid them to make proof to him that they interpret Scripture by the Spirit and to shew when and which way the Spirit left English Proâ—estants to agitate them and also by what marks they know that all of their own faction have the Spirit and they alone though other Sects dissenting and oppâ—sing them do ground their opposiâ—ion on the same Spirit Now it being impossible for any of them by the hâ—lp of their Spirit to answer a word of sâ—nce to his Reason they will lamentably remain at his mercy Therefore they will not meddle with him And moreover they foresee that the Church â—f England will not account her self touch'd in this Dispute For she will renounce both private Reason and private Spirit and tell them that they must receive the sence of Scripture from her Therefore very wiseâ—y they will pursue their old way against her and tell her that she has received her Authirity from Idolaters yea from the Pope whom her own Bishops call Antichrist And God forbid that they should submit to such an Authority And for her Excommunications they account them no better than bruta fulmina on condition that their Purses may not be touched 83. Having therefore in my own perswasion invincible Reasons to make this judgment of Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England and moreover not having ever heard and being confident that I never shall hear that any one English Bishop did or will so far betray themselves as to allow the grounds on which Mr. Chillingworth and after him the Doctor proceeded can you Sir think it just to render me the Object of the general hatred of English Protestants by transferring as you have done on the Church of England all the sharp and scornful Invectives which I have made against Dr. Stillingfleet's Church It is not I assure you the Church of England that I taxed for want of Miracles which are not indeed at all necessary in case she be as she professes a true Member of the Catholick Church But it is Dr. Stillingfleet's Church from which Miracles are to be required since it is a new-fashioned Church the like whereof was never seen before the last Age. And it is only Dr. Stillingfleet's Church to which I upbraided the exâ—â—usion of a Religious Prâ—fession which was nevâ—r condemned by the Church of England And the like I affirm with regard to all other pâ—ssages in my Book which have raisâ—d such indignation in you against me Which indignation I hopâ— you will have the goodness to qualifie when you shall read this my Defence to which I add also once more that if there be any phrase in any Book written by me whicâ— may probably be esteemed a reproachful reviling of the Church or Clergy of England I do here revoke and ask pardon for it ¶ 7. Câ—ncerning my Lord Falkland and detraction from his memory imputed to me 84. I Will here in the next place in regard of the affinity of the Subject annex that special Head among your manifold Accusations against me which concern thâ— Vindication of the Honour and Esteem of my Noble dear Lord Falkland aspersed say you most ungratefully and falsly by me with the Character of a Socinian Truly Sir it was not without some contentment to me to see any one interesting himself in clearing the Reputation of that Noble Person the greatest Ornament to our Nâ—tion that the last Age produced and which certainly could never with justice be blasted by any English Pen or Tongue 85. I was I confess extreamly astonished to find my self called to the Bar upon that account and to see that the ground of my Inditement should be a double Narration in my Answer to Doctor Stillingâ—leet hoâ— I presented D'aille his Book du vray usage des Peres to my Lord Falkland â— which he gave to Mr. â—hillingworth and shortly after sent to me being then in Ireland a Letter of Thanks especially in Mr. Chillingworth's behalf because the said Book had saved him a tedious labour of reading most of the Greek and Latine Fathers to whose Doctrines he had engaged himself to conform his belief And further in pursuance of my Narration I added how Mr. Chillingwâ—rth thanks to D'aille being now become a Protestant and having an intention to defend Dr. Potter against his Adversary F. Knâ—tt was induced by occasion of a Socinian's Book which he had met withal to proceed in the Controversie against Cathâ—licks upon far different grounds from those which had been made use of by former learned Protestant Bishops and Doctors For in stead of appealing to Antiquity Councils or Fathers for the sence of Scripture he resolved to appeal to the Scripture alone and this interpreted by each one 's own Reason and Judgment since in all necessary Points it is so plain as he pretends that none can mistake the sence of it or be obliged to submit his Reason to any external Authority interpreting it and Errour in places difficult will easily find pardon 86. This is the sence of the double Narrative on which you ground your Accusation you are willing also to question the truth of the Narration and to make me pass for a wicked person guilty of forgery All I can say hereto is to protest here in the presence of God that I have not willingly failed in any one material circumstance of this short story and since I am sure that it is true it exceeds the bounds of Omnipâ—tence to cause that which
in a National Synod renounce an Article of their Religion for many Ages never questioned in England or any other Catholick Kingdom This seemed to me an Act in a high degree both unjust and cruel and no less cruel and unjust I dare say does another Act of his appear to Dr. Stillingfleet's Church I mean not only his beheading but leaving a perpeâ—ual foul stain on the memory of his second-first Wife the now exalted virtuous Lady Anne Bulen Mother of Queen Elizabeth 93. But as touching the so highly displeasing term Tyrant I do so much and indeed â—o entirely defer to your Honourable judgment that though I am unable to give a reason for it yet I am now perswaded that I ought not to have named that word For no doubt such persons of high condition likâ— your self are exâ—ctâ—y skilâ—ul in what terms wâ— ought to speak to and of Great Princes I wish therefore I could bâ—â—t it out and if God afford thâ—â—ife and opportunity to â—nd my Church History after the Conqrest of which as yet the affairs of little more than two hundred and forty years are dispatched and which will have its conclusion in the death of the same King I will 〈◊〉 heed of that unseemly word Tyrant and moreover I will consult with knowing persons how after the most tender manner I ought to relate the actions of some of our Kings which I must not always conceal and I cannot with a good conscience but condemn ¶ 9. Of Archbishop CRANMER 9â— FOrasmuch as concerns Archbishop Cranmer whose memory you say will â—e pâ—eserved as of a most worthy Prelate and glorious Martyr notwithstanding the foul imputations cast by Mr. Crâ—ssy upon him to wit Treason For which Crime you also affirm that unhappy and ill advised Queen Mary rather desired to have hanged him than to have him burnt for his Religion But the Law would not extend to serve her turn that way If it would no man would have blamed her for having prosecuted him with the utmost rigour 95. Honoured Sir the Crime of Treason I confess is foul but the imputation of so â—oul a crime is not foul unless it be groundless or false Now I humbly conceive how false soever that imputation can be proved to be you have no reason to suspect me to be the inventer of it and therefore not answerable for it And so much confidence I have in your justice being a person of Honour that you will absolve mâ— now that I shall produce Vouchers of that imputation men of unquestioned credit even with your self In the first place therefore Fox your voluminous Martyrologist expresly says This is certain that the Archbishop was shortly after cast into the Tower and within a while condemned of Treason Again He appeared before the Lords in the Star-Chamber where bâ—ing accused of Treasâ—n and seditiâ—us Papers they sent him to the Tower The same Fox moreover produces the Letters which Cranmer among others wrote to Queen Mary commanding her to acknowledge Jâ—ne Grey to be lawful Queen and to desist from challenging the Crown In the next place Hollinshead affirms that he was arraigned of Treason not only for giving counsel to disherit Queen Mary but likewise because he had sent Horse and Men to aid the Duke of Northumberland then in manifest Rebellion against Queen Mary My third Voucher is Bishop Gâ—dwin who writes thus At first it was thought fit to proceed against Cranmer by Law as guilty of Treason because he had subscribed to the Decree touching the promoting Jane Grey to be Queen Therefâ—re on the twelfth of November after he had been some time detained in the Tower they accused him of Treason together with the said Jane and some others And they were all condemned as guilty of that crime To these I might adjoyn other witnesses to the same effect as Stow Speed Martin c. Only indeed I must confess his kind frâ—endly Successoâ—r Parker tells us in contradiction to his Iuries and Iudges that he was evinced â—f Treâ—son in a form of Iustice without Truth But you may be pleased to be now one of his Iudges and deterâ—ine Whether a man convicted of dispersâ—ng seditiâ—us Papers of prâ—mâ—tiâ—g an usurping Queen of commanding thâ— lawâ—ul hâ—ir of the Crown to desist from her Claim and of sending Horse and Foot to the General â—f â— Rebellious Army be not legally guilty of Treâ—sâ—n and consâ—qâ—ently whether the Law wâ—uld not have extended to serve Queen Maâ—iâ—s turn to hang yâ—ur mâ—st worthy Prelate and glâ—riâ—us Martyr for thâ—t Crime 95. And whereas you reprehend me for saying that the final judgment both touching Ecclesiastical Government and Doctâ—ine was â—eferred by the same Archbishop to a King of about nine years of aâ—e sâ—nce I cannot but knâ—w that in all Kâ—ngdâ—me â—â—rediâ—ary the Kiâ—g is nâ—t less King for being but 〈◊〉 years of age and that all sentences and judgments are as much râ—ferred to him then as when he is at fâ—â—â— age This 〈◊〉 clause I acknowledge but that which I 〈◊〉 on as a most inâ—amous act in Cranmer wâ—s that he an ancient Archbishop of Canterbury in his old age should shâ—w such a slavish â—oâ—did disposition as to expect insâ—ructâ—â—â—s and a â—â—rections in his belief from a Sâ—â—ular Authâ—rity even a Child and again that having all his life madâ— Profâ—ssion of Cathâ—lick Religion he should in the end b◠〈◊〉 râ—â—diness â—o submit himself anâ— his Church to a Sacrilegious Protector whilst against the express will of K. Hen. who had intrusted him with others in the care of his Sons Education he shamefully abusing the lovely innâ—cent Prince did in his Name and aâ— by his Authority utterly abolish the Religion of the Kingdom professed by all his Ancestors and entirely change the â—â—ame of the Church both in Doctrine and Discipline Wâ—ether by the Laws of the Kingdâ—m â— the Protector had just power during the nonage of a King to act in such a manner the part of an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Destroyer I am nâ—t able to deâ—â—rmine You honoured Sir I believe can easiâ—y do it but withal you cannot deâ—y that your glorious Martyr Archbishâ—p Cranmer forasmuch as concernâ—d his Fâ—ith made himself a Disciple to be Caâ—ecâ—is'd in the Principles of his Religiâ—n by a Child of nine years of Age who by virtue oâ— his Fathers latâ—ly assumed Title was become the Head of a Body wâ—ich had no resemblance with the â—ormâ—r â—ither in Belief or Government And that it was the Chiâ—d himsâ—lâ— in person whom the grave Archbishop desired and thought suffiâ—iâ—ntly enâ—bled to be his Catechiser we have his oâ—n acknowledgment in a Letter writâ—en to â—hâ—â—k thâ— young King's Tutor which Lettâ—r is deservedly for his honour recorded by Fox in which we read this passage Ah Mr. Cheâ—k you may rejoyce all the days of your life thâ—t you have such a Disciple who has more knowledge in Divinity in his little finger
then we all have in our whole body The Protector indeed was the great Apostle of the Kingdom but his Mission he must have receivâ—d from his Pupil both to preach a new Faith and to consummate former Sacriledge In the mean time the humble Archbishop remained in expectation what he was to believe and in an uncertainty whether his Ordination weâ—e valid or not I will end tâ—is matter with the Character of Cranmer given by Duditius an eminâ—nt Protestant Cranmâ—r â— says he seems to have been bâ—rn and framed for dissimulation which quality he made use of in all things through his whole life ¶ 10. Of the Re-Ordination imputed to Catholicks 96. THis word Ordination puts me in mind of a dangerous Question which you thought fit to propose How Mr. Cressy and the rest who have received Orders in the Church of England can justifie or excuse their being Re-ordained after they change their Religion since so many Councils have declared against it and no one for it and since the succession of Bishops is as plainly manifest in one Church as in the other And what difference can there be assigned why such as the Greek Church who come to them are not Re-ordained but thâ—se of the Church of England are compelled to be 87. Noble Sir for any thing that appears in your Animadversions you may be one of the honourable Iudges and perhaps possessed of the highest Office of Iudiâ—â—ture and therefore I humbly take leave in answering this Question to leave out Mr. Cressy's name since he is loth to write and publish any thing that may pass absolutely for an evidence under his own hand against his own life in case he be suspected to be concerned in this matter as you say absolutely he is Indefinitely speaking therefore and without a dangerous reflâ—ction on any one those of the English Clergy returning to the Catholick Church are not permitted to exercise the Sacerdotal Office without being â—as you stile it Re-ordained but in Catholick language simply Ordained and of this several reasons are given I will only name one but such an one against which I cannot imagine a possible Reply and that is a consideration how the Form of Ordination and Consecration was purposely and studiously changed by the Church of England to shew that she renounced that Function which by the Catholick Church yea by the Greekish and all ancient Churches was esteemed formally essential to Priesthood which is Confâ—cereâ— offerre Corpus Domini She will have Priests but she will have no Sacrifice which two I believeâ— have never been divided by any Christian Church before the last Aâ—e So that though the present new Form considered simply in it self did not invalidate Ordination for the Greek Church also Ordains in a Form different from the Roman yet the declaring such to have been the Motive and ground of the change most certainly does And that this was the Motive seems to me evidently collected from the 31. Article of the Church of England The words are these The Offering of Christ once madeâ— is that perfect Redemption Propiâ—iation and Satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world both original and actualâ— and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone Wherefore the Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly said that the Priests did offer Christ for the quick and the dead to have remission of pain or guilt were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits Hence it is plain that the Church of England renounces that Function which the Catholick Church esteems essential to Priesthood and consequently in England Priesthood seems to be a new quite different Order and far from being the same which is conâ—erred in and by the Roman Church Therefore I conceive Sir you had noâ— much cause to wonder or blame Catholick Churches for not admitting such persons to exercise the Functions of Priesthood since neither their Ordainers nor they themselves ever had nor intended to have such Functions or Faculties conferred on them but on the contrary esteemed them in a high measure injurious to our Saviour's Priesthood ¶ 11. Of several speculative Pâ—ints of Controverted Doctrines Of a State-Religion And of Professions of Loyalty â—8 THâ—se Noble Sir are the several Crimes laid to my charge I mean such as personally regard my self alone And thâ—se are my respective Answers There may possibly be some more besides these in your Animadversions which have escaped my Observation though I think there are none so considerable as would much oblige me to lengthen this Apology a work God willing which shall be the last of this nature There is another great Crime far more hainous than all thâ—se of which not my self alone but many others better than my self are eithâ—r accused by you or rendred shrewdly suspâ—cted which is a want or perhaps a disability of giving satisfaction to the State of our Fidelity to his Majesty This is in several places repeated by you and most accurately descanted on among your nine Questions near the conclusion of your Book 99. This is indeed a subject of great concern and therefore deserves a more serious application it being also the last ground of reprehension with an Answer whereto my purpose is to conclude this Apology For honoured Sir I beseech you not to take it ill or interpret it a neglect that I am silent with regard to several passages in your Animadversions since the whole design of this Apology is the endeavouring to qualifie the Indignation which you have conceived against me and I doubt imprinted in the minds of too many besides Whereas therefore you have inserted Reflections and Censures on several speculative Points of Catholick Doctrine I may justly be dispensed with for interesting my self in such a subject especially considering that I do not find that you have a purpose to make Controversie your serious employment It any professed Protestant Controvertist shall borrow from you any arguments against Catholick Tenents which he knew noâ— before as truly Doctor Stillingfleet may from your Discourse touching the nature of a Church which is far less irrational than his own he may then begin to speak de tribus Capellis 100. The sum of what you write Sir on this subject seems to me to be this 1. You lay a certain new ground of your Discourse which is that besides Christian Religion considered according to its essentials which are exceedingly few and which are absolutely unchangeable there ought to be acknowledged another Christian State-Religion containing other Doctrines not essential both regarding belief and discipline which may be altered approved or rejected by a National Church though never so far spread or never so long continued 2. In consequence hereunto you require me to explain what is the full intent of that spiritual Power which we acknowledge in the Pope over England and whether it be more than is granted by the Sovereign Power and Municipal Laws of the Kingdom 3. And from
is to oblige even Ecclesiastical persons to perform their Duties yea even Bishops also to govern Christ â—s flock according to the Orders prescribed them and all their Subjects to live in all Christian Piety and Virtue We sincerely acknowledge all this and that in executing this they are God's Substitutes But we dare not acknowledge them to be the Successors of Christ's Apostles We receive Christian Doctrines and the Orthodox sence of Scripture not from Princes but from such Pastors and Teachers only as God has appointed by a Lineal Succession to continue in his Church to the end of the World for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ that we be not children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men c. These divinely authorized Teachers and Pastors by the assistance of God's Spirit promised to them do preserve the Church one Body consisting of several distinct Members united in the same Catholick and Apostolick Faith and Charity which Faith is unalterable both as to the Foundation and Superstructure We do not understand your State-Religion We never till now heard of such a Position as this That all Churches in case they preserve entire only the Fundamental Articles of the Creed though the Supreme Power respectively in them took liberty to change any other Doctrines were sufficiently Orthodox And I confess when I had read such a Discourse in your Animadversions touching a State-Religion I then exceedingly wondred at the Approbation 107. But Sir does this concern only Roman Catholicks in England Are they the only persons obnoxious to a suspicion of Disloyalty and to all the most horrible punishments threatned in our Laws against Traytors because they dare not profess the State-Religion You seem to be perfectly acquainted with the State of France and you are well satisfied with the Profession of Fidelity made by the Hugonots But have they any reverence for the State-Religion there Do not they freely justifie their own Religion against it even that Religion the Profession whereof they extorted by shedding the blood of many Myriads of their Kings faithful Subjects Yet notwithstanding all this they are now in your opinion very faithful Subjects too and no man thinks of obliging them to the State Religion Doubtless also you know England better than France How many thousand Dissenters are there from the State Religion besides Roman Catholicks yet the terrible Laws are made only against Roman Catholicks From Roman Catholicks only care is taken of exacting Oaths both of Fidelity and Supremacy as being esteemed the only dangerous Subjects in the Kingdom and this for the Treasonable Actions or scarce one score of persons abhorred by all the rest For the discovery and prevention of such personal Treasons Thanksgivings must solemnly every year be paid to God and Devotion at such times is expressed by renewing malice against innocent persons Whereas a delivery of the whole Kingdom and Church from almost an Vniversal Rebellion designing the extinction of Monarchy and Prelacy both yea and executing the Murder of the lawful Sovereign is not esteemed a motive for a publick Engagement to pay thanks to God or to preserve in mens minds a memory of his wonderful Blessing to the Nation neither it seems is there at all a necessity of requiring from any a Retraction of the Principles of Rebellion or a promise that it shall never be renewed Noble Sir I beseech you not to interpret this to be spoken out of a malignant envy against any or a desire that others should share in our sufferings Perhaps there is a necessity considering the Constitution of the present Age that some party should remain for ever in a state of suffering And this being so it is certainly agreeable to Prudence that those should suffer whose Religion teaches them to suffer and who have been so long enured thereto who most certainly will meekly suffer without resisting and who do sincerely profess that according to their perswasion it is absolutely unlawful to defend their Religion persecuted by Sovereign Magistrates by any other way but suffering Notwithstanding it is probable that these Statesmen may find small cause to boast who have thought fit to continue the last Ages policy when for the gaining of a present advantage or preventing an inconsiderable incommodity it was judged expedient to have always in a readiness this mean of giving contentment to the Vulgar by complying with their clamours Christianâ—s ad Leâ—nes For they might have done well to have some apprehensions least those Lions after they had devoured their destined prey might perhaps next with more security and a fiâ—rcer appetite turn upon their Masters 108. It is now at length time to say something to your Principal Proposal in which I am most nearly concern'd which is your wish that English Catholicks ' would give an evidence and security of and for their Fidelity to His Majesty c. that so they may shew themselves as good Subject's as those of France who by occasion of a seditious Book have you say Sir in a Declaration of the Sorbon concerning the King's Independency thus certified their resolution in the year 1663. Quâ—d Subdâ—ri fidem c. That Subâ—ects do so entirely owe Faith and Obedience to their most Christian King that upon no pretext whatsoever they can be dispenced therefrom For this you commend the French But as for English Catholicks they in your judgment do depend on the Pope so entirely that they have a Religion quite different from that which is professed and established in any other Cathâ—lick Country in Europe 109. Honoured Sir it cannot indeed be denied but that English Catholicks I mean Ecclesiasticks have a peculiar dependance on the See of Rome more than Catholicks generally have in other Countries For without in Authority thence derived they cannot come into England to sacrifice their lives for the Spiritual assistance which Charity requires from them to their Brethren here But Sir it such a dependance be a crime to whom 〈◊〉 to be imputed It is câ—rtain they themselves would much rather live under such Orâ—inary Superiours as govern in all Catholick Countries But this will not be allowed them to their great griâ—f It cannot therefore be help'd but they must either râ—nounce Châ—istian Charity and suffer their poor Country-men to starve for want of Spiritual Nourishment or apply themselves to 〈◊〉 who alone as the case now stands can give them a Mission and Authority to die for Faith and Charity 110. But Sir I cannot conceive how such a special dependance as this should move you to think that we are of a Religion quite different from that of other Catholicks abroad For whatsoever Iurisdiction our Priests do exercise it is the very same which in case there were any Catholick Bishops in England would have been conferred by them No other Commission have they no particular engagement to
the Pope at all 111. I might therefore if I would contrive a Form of Profession of Loyalty and such a one as I am confident could not with reason be excepted against I might do this if I would but truly I desire to be excus'd for I will not do it First because as to your self there is no need For Honoured Sir you have done it your self for us all and for the whole Kingdom You are satisfied with the Declaration of the King of France his Independency lately made by the Sorbon importing That Subjects owe to their King such Fidelity and Obedience as that upon no pretence whatsoever they can be dispensed therefrom You Sir judge this to be a sufficient engagement and truly so it is And can you suspect any English Catholick unwilling to subscribe to such a Declaration if legally tendred to him I would to God you could as easily perswade all the rest of the Kings Subjects to do the like and with as much sincerity But by this your easiness to be satisfied in a matter of this nature me thinks I perceive that to my grief you Honoured Sir are not a Counsellour of State nor a Leading Member in the Great Council of the Kingdom For such Grandees have not usually had any liking to Professions of Allegiance easie to be understood sufficient to give reasonable satisfaction and which generally Catholicks will accept A second reason why I will not take upon me neither would I advise any other Catholick to frame a Form of such a Profession is because it may probably do much harm and without question will do no good 112. And this puts me in mind of a Promise I made before to give you a Reason quite different from that mentioned by your self why I wished that he who took care of the second Impression of my Exomologesis had quite left out that form of Profession of Allegiance as by mis-information you Sir said he had Now my reason is because I find by experience that not the least good but on the contrary very great inconveniences have been caused by the said Form so published You certainly have heard Honoured Sir of the Irish Remonstrance which one particular officious person proposed and a Subscription whereto he procured by Publick Authority to be imposed on all Catholicks in that Kingdom It as but too well known what Commotions Dissentions and scandalous Invectives on both sides this has occassioned and moreover what dangers to the party which opposed him Yet doubtless many who had no considerable Objections to make against any clause in the said Form yet refused to subscribe to it out of indignation that one person should without Commission from them take upon him to force them to cloath their Concâ—pâ—ions in his Expressions Others probably there were who did not approve some of his Phrases though in general they were willing enough in an ordinary way to give as good testimony of their Fidelity as himself they perhaps thought them unnecessarily rude undutiful and dis-respective to the Supreme Pastor and that alone will be sufficient to cause a publick Condemnation of the whole Profession by occasion of which Condemnation many tender conscienced Catholicks cannot avoid the being involved in terrible dangers from the Supreme Magistrate requiring such a Subscription All these perniciouâ— Consequences have attended the foresaid Irish Remonstrance And in the end please to take notice that this Irish Remonstrance is the very same Form of Profession without the least alteration which is to be found in both the Impressions of my Exomologesis Have I not therefore just reason to wish it had never seen the Light and likewise to resolve never upon mine own judgment to frame any other Form of the like nature 113. But it is very strange Sir that you should suspect that in England we should have a Religion different from that of Catholicks abroad because we do not agree upon a sufficient Form of Profession of Loyalty since you must needs know that very few if any at all would refuse Subscription to that Form prescribed by the State in case that unlucky word Heretical were blotted out Now would your Conscience Sir permit you to condemn as Traytors all such as are willing sincerely to take that Oath on condition they might be permitted in repeating it to skip over that single word a word of no manner of importance to the substance of the Oath or it they might change Heretical into Contrary to the Word of God which I verily believe was the sence intended by King Iames for so learned a Prince could not by the word Heretical intend what Catholicks in the Schools mean by that word since he knew that the Church in a General Council had never had occasion to publish a Decision upon that subject But whatever since was intended by King Iames it is but too certain that other Politicians contrived that word on purpose that the Oath might be refused as appeared when Secretary Cecill having been informed that fourteen Catholick Priests meeting in Fleetstreet had given their judgment that the Oath as it lay might lawfully be taken in great choler told some other Privy Counsellours that they might think of contriving a New Oath of Allegiance since the Papists were resolved to take that which was already made Now it may reasonably be judged that it was on such grounds as these that the fore-mentioned Fourteen Priests made no scruple to determine the lawfulness of taking the Oath as it lies whose judgment very many others also at that time followed understanding the word Heretical in the sence of those who compiled the said Oath since common Reason teaches That all Oaths Professions and Promises are to be understood in the sence of those who frame and require them and not of those upon whom they are imposed 114. It were madness therefore in us to expect that any Oath contrived by our selves how stringent and how comprehensive soever would be admitted especially in these times And truly Sir it is a very sad case that upon such a pretence we should be supposed more than all Catholick Subjects in other Nations to be wanting in Fidelity and to have renounced the Duty taught us by our Catholick Ancestors who were so far from acknowledging any Supremacy of the Pope in Temporals and much less any Authority in him to depose Princes that even in those times when Church-men had the greatest Power in this Kingdom Statutes were made with the joint Votes of the Clergy upon occasion of some Usurpations of the the Roman Court in which the Penalty was no less than a Praemunire against any one who without the Kings License should make any Appeals to Rome or submit to a Legats Iurisdiction or upon the Pope's Summons go out of the Kingdom or receive any Mandats or Briefs from Rome or purchase Bulls for Presentments to Churches And which is most considerable the ground of their rejecting Papal Usurpations is thus expressed
you will not confess that what he writes in defence of the necessary Doctrine of the Church of England and in opposition to the necessary Doctrine of the Catholick Church will scarce suffice to fill up the void Pages of art Almanack 132. Give me leave to insert here a forgotten passage of yours and a Consideration upon it You say Sir That the Council of Trent is not yet received in France and in many other Catholick Countries Under favour Honoured Sir you will I suppose grant that the late famous and learned Archbishop of Paris Peter de Marca was better informed in the Ecclesiastical State of France than your self a Stranger Now in his Volume de Concordia Sacerdotii Imperii he writes expresly The Definitions of Faith of the Council of Trent were admitted by a Publick Edict made concerning the same matter in the year 1579. But the Decrees which regard Discipline are not received in France because they are not ratified by the Law of the Prince Although the chief Heads which do not infringe the received Customs and ancient Rights of the Gallican Church are comprehended in Regal Constitutions several times published concerning that matter Which thing how grateful and acceptable it was to Pope Clement the Eighth is testified by the late King Henry the Great in his Rescript of the year 1606. Besides de Marca a late learned Writer Cabassutius an Oratorian declares out of the Records of the French Clergy that in their General Assembly at Paris in the year 1615. the Canons of Doctrine of the Council of Trent were unanimously received by the whole Clergy And long before that even from the rising of the said Council each particular Bishop had received it in their respective Diocesan Synods Thus Sir you see a sufficient reception of the Faith delivered by the Council of Trent in France both by Authority Episcopal and Regal 133. Thus Sir God be thanked I am come to an end of an Apology perhaps as ungrateful to my self as it can be to you For were it not that many others better than my self were concerned in the Accusations I should have been contented to have spared so much pains for declining the Worlds ill opinion of me Non enim à vobis judicabor aut ab humano die And now all is done I do not expect nor so much as desire to be esteemed by your self Honoured Sir or by any others altogether innocent Though my Reason tells me that the imputing such horrible Crimes to the whole Church of God not the Western only and our Accusers taking so unhappy a time did deserve some resentment yet I am willing enough it should be believed that such a resentment has been expressed with a pâ—ssion not too carefully moderated and too long continued But such is the nature of disquieting Passions though Reason may put them first in motion unless the same Reason be continually watchful over them their motion naturalâ—y will become more and more violent and impetuous 134. Another proof of this I beg leave with all due respect Noble Sir to borrow from your self Your tender respect to the Church of which you are a Member suggested to you that the boldness I had taken to give a homely and disrespectful Character to Dr. Stilling fleet 's Church was directed in my intention against the Church of England This raised in your mind an Indignation against me which you thought sit to make known to the World In the beginning you assure your Readers that whatever other faults they may find in your Animadversions yet they shall not find the same of which you complain For you will give no body ill words nor provoke them by contemning their persons c. And accordingly at the first you are even too calm for in stead of Reprehensions you heap on me far greater Commendations than I deserve or dare acknowledge for my Good Nature Civility Good Manners Learning Natural Parts c. till I wrote that unhappy Book against Doctor Stillingfleet And thereupon you promise to treat me with that candour that becomes an old near fifty years continued Friend But alas this promise is quickly forgotten For my Invectives against Doctor Stillingfleet are only gentle harmless stroakings if compared with the keen Darts and Stings which through the rest of your whole Book are aimed against me and which in case they reach home God have mercy on my Soul For not content with the subject mentioned in your Title Page which is the censuring of my Book against the Doctor you renew almost all the same and some more dangerous Accusations against whatsoever I had formerly wrâ—tten in which you discover what I could never see and I am sure never intended a Criminal Disrespect to His MAIESTY yea strong suspicion of an intention to revoke my professed Fidelity to Him likewise you or some for you find more reviling Reproaches and those renewed against the Church of England and the Protestant Clergy and God knows how much mischief more all which joyned together especially against a Person who as you are pleased to say but surely cannot legally prove has been Re-ordained in the Roman Church will be more than sufficient to render me a Victim of Publick Iustice unpitied by all Now truly Sir if all this will not satisfie Doctor Stillingfleet's utmost revenge against his petulant Adversary certainly he has a Heart harder than the Nether Mill-stone 135. Yet after all this I believe sincerely Honoured Sir that with and in the midst of all this sharpness you have not quite forgotten your Fifty Years Kindness which you are pleased to call Friendship that you gave a freer scope to your Indignation to the end to force me either to clear my self or by begging pardon to be restored in some measure to your favour And that you will be well pleased if in this Defence I shall have alleadged any thing that may qualifie my supposed faults As you truly judge that it was Zeal of the Honour of the Catholick Church a Church not only contemned but horribly defamed by Doctor Stillingfleet which urged me to an unusual way of Vindication of her I have the same reason to judge that the like Motive produced a like effect in you which therefore I cannot wholly condemn And how happy should I think my self if God would be graciously pleased to transfer your Zeal to the same Object with mine I will conclude with an humble Request That you would be pleased to depose one Opinion which you seem to have entertained which is That because Catholicks have been taught from the beginning That Salvation is only to be had in the true Catholick Church therefore they cannot have a Cordial Friendship to those who are not in the same Communion On the contrary I do confidently assure you That though there be one special sort of Alliance called by the Apostle Philadelphia a love of Brethren peculiar to good Catholicks among themselves yet true Christian Charity the Noblest kind of Friendship ought to be extended to all which Charity is likewise warmed with a Zealous Tenderness of Compassion towards Virtuous Protestants our particular Friends considering the present danger we suppose them to be in and such Compassion impells us if we have any Piety to frequent and servent Prayers for their Eternal Happiness All which effects by Gods Grace shall never be wanting in me towards such an Honourable though as yet to me undiscovered Person who has for so many years honoured so worthless a Creature with the Title of Friend God Almighty have you always in His Holy Protection So I beg leave to subscribe my self Honoured Sir Your most humble and most obedient Servant in our Lord S. C. From my Cell the 21 of March Anno Dom. 1674 being the Anniversary day of St. Benedict Page 43 44. Page 18. 2 Cor. 4â— 6. Aâ—t 22. Pag. 167. Art 28. Vie S. Bernard lib. 3. c. 7. Bern. Ep. 240. ad Com. Tholosan Seâ—m 65. in Cant. Page 28. Page 39. Page 42. Tertul. l. de Cont. c. 2. Greg. Dial. l. 2. cap. 36. Baron A. D. 595. Greg. in l. 1. Reg. l. 4. c. 4. Syn. Rat. Syn. Du. 2 Cap. 8. Baron ad An Do. 1089. Tho. Gâ—â—l in l. diâ—â—â— Religiosu Helgâ—ldâ— ap 〈◊〉 ad A. D. 1029. Câ—andia in vitae S. Aâ—giâ— Page 29.202 Vid. Apo. Benedict p. 202. 1. Cor. 2.14 Terent. Page 84.85 Act. 4 1â— Page 85. Pag. 1â— Pag. 21â— Page 77â— Page 77. Vid. Sect. 111. Prâ—ncip 13. Princip 15. Art 20 Constit. 2 3 c. Pag. 197 Ob. Sol. Pag. â—â—â— Pag. 41 240. Page 79 80. Fox p. 1698. P. 1282. P. 1279. Hollinsh an 1553 Godw. in vit Mar. Reg. Park in vit Mar. Reg. Fox p. 1179. Dudit in vit Pol. Pag. 250 Art 31. Pag. 245. Pag. 243 Pag. 9. Pag. 12. Ephes. 4.11 12 13. Pag. 246 Pag. 9. Sect. 61. supra Stat 25. 27. Edw. 3. Stat. 16. Rich. 2. Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. Amos 7.13 Iuâ—â— 19.7 Dan. 6.12 Pag. 237 238. Pag. 148 Pet. de Marca lib. 2. c. 17. S. 6. Cabassut Notitia Concil in fine Pag. 5 6. Pag. 240