his Disciples and from the words of Christ that he drunk the Fruit of the Vine we expound his other words this is my Bloud We expound also these words of Christ This is my Body from St. Pauls words who 1 Cor. 11. saith four times that we eat Bread in the Lords Supper and that we break Bread Certainly that Apostle giveth a clear Exposition of Christ's words This is my Body and this is my Blood saying 1 Cor. 10.16 The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We alledge also those Texts that say that Jesus Christ is no more in this World that the Heaven doth contain him that Christ is like unto us in all things sin onely excepted and that by consequent he hath not a Body dispersed in a Million of several places at once and inclosed whole in every Crum of the Host and in every Drop of the Chalice Likewise when Jesus saith Do this in remembrance of me We expound not these words as the Councel of Trent doth which puts this Sense upon them I do constitute you to be Priests to sacrifice my Body really under the species of Bread and Wine but we bring the Interpretation which St. Paul addeth 1 Cor. 11.26 For as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords Death Consider also that there is great Difference between a Judgment of Authority and a Judgment of Discretion With this last we judge of Meats by the Taste without giving Laws to any And it is so that not only Pastours but also every one of the People may and doth judge of the true Doctrine And it is so that St. Paul will have the Corinthians to judge of his Doctrine 1 Cor. 10.15 I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say Of that matter and of the Interpretation of Scripture I have written a Book purposely which I have dedicated to your Grace and which was presented to you by Monsieur de Cabrilles from me I asked your Grace at Liege whether you had received it Your Answer was that you knew not what was in it for you have laboured to strengthen your self with Reasons against us but would not take Notice how we answer them and have conversed much with our Adversaries but hid your self from your Servants who might have cleared your Mind about their Objections and armed you with Answers Of the Condemnation of Hereticks Your Grace saith farther that you have desired to see whether the ancient Hereticks were condemned by Persons of our Religion and whether one man be found in all Antiquity that had the same Religion as we in all Points These Condemnations of Hereticks were made by men sound in the Faith that were of the same Religion as we in all points who have condemned many Errours now received in the Roman Church The Councel of Laodicea approved by many Universal Councels which were held since rejecteth the Books of Judith Tobit Maccabees and other Apochryphal Books The Eliberin Councel held about the year of the Lord 305 hath made this Canon It is decreed that there shall be no Picture in the Church that the things that are adored or served be not painted upon Walls The Councels that have commanded the Adoration of Images are later by 4 or 5 hundred years In the first Nicen Councel the Marriage of the Pastors of the Church was approved upon the Remonstrance of Paphnutius Such is the fourth Canon of the Councel of Gangra If any makes a Difference of a married Priest as if he ought not to participate of the Oblation when he doth administer let him be Anathema This is the XXXV Canon of the Councel of Laodicea Christians must not forsake the Church of God and go to serve Angels and gather Congregations If any them be found applying himself to that secret Idolatry let him be Anathema because he hath forsaken the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God About the year of the Lord 399 a Councel was held at Carthage of which this is the 23 Canon When Service is made at the Altar the Prayer must always be address't to the Father The present Roman Church contradicts that Canon for in their Service they have Prayers addrest unto Saints This is the 25 Canon of the same Councel In the Divine Service let nothing be offered but the Body and Blood of the Lord that is Bread and Wine mingled with Water The 16 Canon of the IV Councel of Carthage absolutely forbids swearing by the Creatures To this the Catechism of the Councel of Trent is contrary which approveth swearing by Relicks The 10 Canon of that Councel of Carthage saith Mulier baptizare non presumat Let not a Woman presume to baptize The Practise of the Roman Church is contrary to that The Milenitan Councel where St. Austin was present and of which he hath made the Canons forbids Appeals from Africk to Rome in these Words It is declared That if the Priests or other Clerks in such Causes as they shall have shall complain of the Judgment of their Bishops the Bishops shall hear them But he that will appeal beyond the Seas let him not be admitted to the Communion by any living in Africk In the VI Councel of Carthage there is a long Epstle of the Councel to Celestin Bishop of Rome who by a new Usurpation would draw to himself the Appeals of the Bishops of Africk whereby the Fathers of the Councel beseech him to receive no more Appeals from their Countrey forbidding him to send any more of his Legats or to use any more forged Canons to raise his Dignity and bring Worldly Pride into the Church of Christ Therefore Baronius and Bellarmin and Cotton Jesuits condemn that Councel In the Councel of Chalcedon held in the Year of the Lord 451 the Legats of the Bishop of Rome pretending to the Primacy and bringing forth a forged Canon of Nicea laboured to hinder the Bishop of Constantinople from being equal with the Bishop of Rome against which the Councel made this Canon The Fathers with good reason have given Prerogatives to the See of Antient Rome because she was the Imperial City And the hundred and fifty Bishops of the first Councel of Constantinople moved with the like consideration have attributed to the most holy See of New Rome which is Constantinople equal Priviledges judging with good reason that the City honoured with the Empire and the Senate and which hath the same Prerogatives as the Antient Rome Imperial ought to be magnified as much as Rome it self in Ecclesiastical things The Popes of our time and their Advocates condemn that Council not only because it equalleth the Bishop of Constantinople with that of Rome but chiefly because it groundeth the preeminence of the Bishop of Rome upon the Dignity of the City because Rome is the Capital City of the Empire and not
A SHORT VIEW OF THE Chief Points IN CONTROVERSY Between the REFORMED CHURCHES And the CHURCH of ROME IN Two LETTERS to the Duke of Bouillon upon his turning PAPIST Written by the Reverend PETER DV MOVLIN Professor of Divinity in the University of Sedan Newly translated out of the FRENCH Copy which was never Printed LONDON Printed for Benjamin Tooke at the Ship in St. Pauls Church-Yard 1680. To the Honourable Sir NORTON KNATCHBVL Knight and Baronet Honourable Sir THese Letters written fifty years ago to reduce the Duke of Bouillon to the Protestant Religion which he had forsaken never were put to the Press for Fear of provoking that great Lord to confute them with Arguments of Power against which those of Truth and Learning too often cannot stand That they now come out in English the Church of England is obliged Sir to you who having by your diligent Search made your self Owner of a fair Manuscript of the same were pleased to bestow it upon me the Authors Son adding your Request which to me is a Command that I would translate it into English and give it to the Publick I have now obeyed your Order which I could not have done in a more seasonable Conjuncture and I cannot in Duty but return this Translation to the bountiful Giver of the Original Sir you have by your excellent Labours already publisht shewn to the World how well you can match hearty Piety with eminent Learning Now you are pleased to give another Instance of your Affection to both by procuring the setting forth these following Treatises Short indeed they are but as compact with the Sinews of Reason and Learning as any that ever came from the Study of that strong Champion of Gods Cause May God be glorified by it his Truth asserted his Opposers converted and your Zeal for Gods Truth and Glory be rewarded by God and imitated by men So prayeth SIR Your true Honourer and most humble Servant PETER DU MOULIN THE FIRST EPISTLE MY LORD UPON hearing the Report that you purpose to change your Religion I continued a long time doubtful whether I should write to Your Grace about it For being hardly perswaded that such a thought could come into your mind I was afraid to be offensive to Your Grace by my Mistrust But now seeing that Report to continue and increase I could hold no longer from imparting my thoughts to Your Grace upon that Subject being inferiour to none in Fidelity and Affection to your Service You were instructed My Lord from your Infancy by an Excellent Father and a Virtuous Mother in a Religion of which you have learned to fear God and serve him according to his Word In that Religion if you had met with some Scruple you ought at the least to have heard both the Parties and not have taken counsel onely of the Adversaries This is plain tempting of God who being thereby justly provoked blindeth the Spirit of those that seek occasions to turn from his Service Had Your Grace done me that Honour to acquaint me with your Doubts I might have easily shewed you that the Roman Religion is altogether contrary to the Word of God That they celebrate every day a propitiatory Sacrifice for the Redemption of Souls other than the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ That the Communion of the Cup expresly commanded in Scripture is denied to the Laity That the People say Prayers to God which they do not understand and the Publick Service is performed in a Language unknown to them contrary to the express Prohibition of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.16 That the Trinity is represented in carved Stone and Picture and the Adoration of Images is enjoyned by many Popes and new Councels contrary to Gods express Prohibition in the Second Commandment Which was taken away from the Law of God in the Offices and Breviaries that the People might not see it That Bones and Relicks of Saints are adored That by the Doctrine of their Purgatory God is made to burn the Souls of his Children for Sins fully pardoned and for which Jesus Christ hath wholly satisfied and that not to mend the Sinners but to satisfie his Justice That the Pope without any Authority from the Word of God taketh upon him to be Successor to St. Peter in the Apostleship and in the Primacy over the Universal Church To defend which Primacy Epistles and Decretals of the Antient Bishops of Rome were forged and many Books and supposititious Passages the falshood whereof we shew by invincible Proofs In Decrees Councels Canons and Principal Authors of the Roman Church the Pope is called God and the Divine Majesty having all Power in Heaven and Earth By which Power he fetcheth Souls out of Purgatory puts such as he pleaseth in the List of the Saints by Canonizing them giveth Pardons of Sins of two or three thousand years giveth and taketh away Kingdoms dispenseth with Oaths made unto God dissolveth Marriages lawfully contracted boasting that he cannot err in the Faith and that he hath Power to add new Articles to the Creed to be Judge above Scripture and to alter that which God hath instituted in his Word Of these I could bring to Your Grace a thousand Proofs drawn from the Decrees and Councels of Popes and from Publick Experience The Pope boasteth that he hath a Treasure in which he layeth up all the Overplus of the Penitential Works of the Saints and distributeth them unto others by his Indulgences and makes multitudes to travel two or three hundred Leagues to get the Remission of their Sins which is offered to them at home gratis by the Doctrine of the Gospel If a Rich man dieth who hath given any thing to the Church he hath many private Masses Obits and Suffrages for his Money But never any private Mass is sung for a Beggar or one that hath given nothing In the Roman Church departed Saints are prayed to of whom Holy Scripture saith that they know not the Hearts of men and whose Invocation hath neither Command nor Example nor Promise in the Word of God I am told that Your Grace hath given ear to Capucins who have for their Patron and Author of their Order St. Francis whose Life if you had read as our Adversaries themselves have publish'd it you might think that it was purposely written to defame him There you may find how he preach'd unto Birds that being stark naked he embraced a Woman made of Snow to repress his Heats that he took up again the Lice that fell down from his Garments and many the like Feats These Capucins as other Monks boast that they doe Works of Supererogation that is better and more perfect Works than God hath commanded in his Law For which therefore they look for a degree of Glory in Paradise above other Saints who had attained to no greater Perfection than to fulfil the Law of God perfectly who thereby have not got any greater Reward than Eternal Life If by the Doctrine of the
who have been favoured with so many Blessings of God who have had an Holy and Vertuous Education and have a thousand Obligations to your Illustrious Lady Mother whose days are likely now to be shortned with anguish and sorrow God hath given to Your Grace in this City * Sedan a Faithful People heartily devoted to your Service which have built your Town and fortified it with their hard Labour and have not been sparing of their Lives and means to defend this State when it was in danger They are a People whom God hath gathered from many places and sheltered under your shadow committing them to your keeping The Subsistence of this little State of yours compassed about with Mighty States depends next to God upon the Fidelity of the Inhabitants and their Love to their Sovereign Think you what Heart-breaking Sorrow it will be to that poor People when they see Your Grace going to Mass What Dissipation what Desolation shall you see ere long in your City when the Holy Scripture shall be banish'd from your House when instead of the pure Service of God the Service of Images shall be established Beads Agnus Dei's and sprinklings of Holy Water When instead of a Few Pastors you shall have Herds of Fryars sowing Discord continually among your Subjects When Ecclesiastical Goods shall be no more in your disposing and the Roman Clergy must have again that which your Predecessors had justly taken from them whereby your Revenues shall suffer a great Diminution When all the Ecclesiastical and Matrimonial Causes shall be no more under the Jurisdiction of your Officers but must be tried at Chalons or Rheims so that you shall be no more Master at home When instead of Subjects altogether depending upon your Authority you shall have Jesuits and Capucins about you having a strict Intelligence with those of Bruxels whence Jealousies and Fears will arise greatly noisome to your State I could represent to Your Grace many Considerations to make you apprehend that by this Action you will ruin your Affairs even in this World and lose the Love of those that have been your principal Honour and Support that hereby you will pull up the roots of your Reputation Honour and Greatness fill with Grief and Confusion your dearest Relations and draw upon you the Contempt of Persons of both Religions For even the greatest men of the Roman Church in France that govern themselves by Humane Prudence say that you take your Measures amiss and cannot believe that ever you will take that Resolution But the worst consequence of it is that thereby you will lose your Soul For you have a great Account to give unto God who knoweth the Hearts who is just and terrible and will not dally with those that dally with him I have poured forth and pour still for your Grace Prayers before God Sighs without number neither am I without hope that God will be merciful unto you One thing at least My Lord let me crave at your hands that if you have any Scruples Doubts about your Religion you will be pleased to defer your final Resolution till being come to this Town you may hear the two Parties and till we may speak to some Doctors of the Roman Church in your Presence And I may be bold to promise to Your Grace to make you acknowledge that you have been possess'd with Calumnies against us that both the Tenets of the Roman Church and Ours have been mis-represented to Your Grace and that Gaultiers Passages are false and forged This if I cannot obtain of Your Grace by my most humble Request yet so much comfort at least I shall have that I â—ave discharged my Conscience But if I be so unfortunate as to lose your Grace's Favour for speaking the truth to you it will be well for me that I have but few days to live in this World which I will pass away in sorrow tho' in hope to have them ended by Death when it shall please God to receive me into his rest And what Sorrow soever may exercise me in my Life I will never leave praying for your Prosperity and Salvation as resolved to be as long as I live My Lord Your Grace's most humble c. A SECOND LETTER OF Dr. DV MOVLIN TO THE DUKE of BOVILLON In Answer to a Letter of the Duke 's to his Sister Mademoiselle de Bouillon MY LORD MAdemoiselle de Bouillon your Sister hath done me the Honour to impart unto me Your Grace's Letters to her about the Causes that disquiet your Conscience Upon which I hope that your Goodness will not take it ill that I make some Reflections and try whether God will make Use of me to contribute something towards the Quiet of your Soul and to turn you from the way which I see you take contrary to the Doctrine of the Gospel You begin by expressing your Design not to separate your self from my Lady Dutchess your Wife neither in this World nor in the other Whereby you declare that you had resolved to be of your Ladies Religion before you knew whether it was good or evil and that your Enquiries about Matters of Religion were made after you had formed that Design and taken that Resolution Concerning which I could say many things but Respect stops me being unwilling to be offensive to Your Grace You say next that you have not sought the Grounds of the Religion of My Lady Dutchess any where but in the Holy Scripture And yet in your whole Letter you allegde not any one Text of it You say next that it is a point in controversie which are the Holy Scriptures in which Question we have great Advantages For the Books of Tobit Judith Maccabees c. are Books not extant in the Hebrew which is the Original Tongue of the Scriptures of the Old Testament Jesus Christ and his Apostles cite the Books of Moses the Psalms the Prophets c. but never cite any of those Apocryphal Books The Jewish Church before Christs coming never did acknowledge those Books * As we learn of Josephus and Philo. And those Books are stuffed with Fables as I have fully shewed in my Book against Cardinal du Perron Book 1. chap. 61. And whereas you appeal for the grounds of your Religion to the Fathers we have for us the Councel of Laodicea Melito Origen Eusebius Athanasius Cyril of Jerusalem Gregory Nazianzen Amphilochius Epiphanius Tertullian Hierom Ruffin Hilary Philastrius Gregory I. Bishop of Rome and many more all which to alledge might be tedious to your Grace Yet if you shall command it I will send you a full List of them St. Austin in this Point doth contradict himself and the Third Council of Carthage which is objected to us is otherwise in the Greek Copies than in the Latin Of the Interpretation of Scripture You add that there is a Controversie about the Interpretation of Scripture The Pope and the Roman Church boast themselves to be the infallible Interpreters