loco qui omnia condidt Verum tamen adista quae hominibus nota sunt quis potest ejus consilium perscrutari quare in aliis locis haec miracula siant in aliis non siant And I am content to acknowledge my ignorance in imitation of him when nothing appeares in the place it self as sometimes there doth For if any man who hath any lively Faith within him should enter Hierusalem see the place where the Lamb of God was sacrificed the price of our Redemption Payd Innocency condemned the Divine wisdome derided for folly the King of Glory crowned with thornes the Creator scoft scorned by his creatures God dying dying that painfull ignominious death of the Crosse When he should think here his flesh was torne with stripes here his head was crowned with thornes here those hands which wrought soe many miracles were perced with nayles here those feete soe often wearyed in see king the lost sheepe were fixt to the Crosse Here that tongue which had command over the Elements death Hell was imbued with vinager Gall here his side was opened the last drop of Blood spilt the life of the world dyed to rayse to life the world When he considers this with all that his owne sins had soe greate a share in requiring this most aboundant Redemption will not the very place suggesting these more thoughts fixe his Imagination quicken his fancy detaine his understanding stirre up his will to a hatred of sin the cause of all this severe Judgement uppon the unspotted Lamb to confusion for having contributed soe much to it by his owne offences to love God above all things who hath loved us soe much Hereafter before you throw such hard stones at our heades consider whither there be not with us mingled by a communion of sentiments some persons to whome you must owne greate respect to be due I have brought you here into an Assembly of the cheifest Preachers Prelates of all ages all teaching commanding or practising these workes which you deride The Apostles take up the first rank over all Iesus-Christ God Blessed for evermore presiding giving Example suppase in the name of all these S. Basil S. Austin or S. Paul the Apostle should thus speake unto you How comes it to passe that you presume to censure in those of your days that which they practice only in Imitation of us How dare you say that our exercises should kill the vitalls of Religion dull the apprehensions of sin That what Christ did himself what is done by others following his footsteps should leade from Christ hinder the earnest applications to him What answer can you make to these tru Reproaches Think a little sadly on this it will bring you to a temper more be seeming your coat then when you writ what I have here answered SECTION IV. Two objections answered G. B. pag. 63. This is an easy way of escaping punishment ANSWER Can you never settle your Judgment will you let it ever be moved round with every blast of wind Here our way to expiate sins is too easy Pag. 144. it is a heavy yoake a racke to souls When you have experienced them fasting with breade water foe many days a weeke sayd devoutly every day some prayers gon long Pilgrimages on foote taken disciplines worne hayreshirts chaines served the sicke in Hospitalls the Prisoners in Goales given Almes to the Poore watched c. When I say you have tryed these for some months if you continu in your opinion that our way of expiating sins is Easyer then yours I shall think your common sense equall to your Piety admire both alike G. B. Ibidem The Papists endeavour to give a pleasant tast to their Pennances wherefore to the grave melancholy we give of one sort to the fiety sullen of another to the Ioviall a third c. ANSWER Here you deliver a dreame as a certaine Truth Cite the Council name the Authour of such à practice If you can name none as I am sure you cannot owne your selfe the inventer of this which is to say a Calumniator CHAPTER XIX Sacrifice of the Masse G. B. p. 64. Another opposition made to the Preistly office of Christ is their conceipt of the sacrifice of the Masse which they beleive is a formall expiation of sins both for the living dead who are in Purgatory ANSWER You fall soe often that it would tire any man to take you up always It is not tru that Catholicks hold masse to be a formall expiation of sins unica causa formalis the only formall cause of our justification says the Council of Trent sess 6. c. 7. is the justice of God by which he makes us just That is it is habituall grace or Charity But let that passe We say with the fathers that Masse is an Expiatory Sacrifice S. Austin Enchir. c. 110. following his distinction of souls deceased into three classes those in Heaven those in Purgatory those in Hell he says that Masses for for the first are thanks givings for the second Expiations Propitiationes sunt for the third not ease to the dead but some comfort to their living friends Pro valdè bonis gratiarum actiones sunt pro non valdè malis propitiationes sunt pro valdè malis etsi nulla adjumenta mortuorum qualescumque vivorum consolationes sunt Enchir. cap. 110. To cleere yet more this point of the Sacrifice of Masse of Christ offred offring himself in it heare S. Austin l. 10. de Civit. Dei cap. 20. Verus ille Mediator in quantum forman servi accipiens mediator effectus est Dei hominum homo Christus Iesus cùm informâ Deisacrificium cum Patre sumat cum quo unus Deus est tamen in formâ servi sacrificium maluit esse quà m sumere ne vel hac occasione quisquā existimaret cuilibet sacrificandum esse creaturae Per hoc Sacerdos est ipse offerens ipse oblatio Cujus rei Sacramentum quotidianum esse voluit Ecclesiae sacrificium The tru Mediator by taking uppon himself the shape of a servant being made Mediator betwixt God men the man Christ Iesus who together with his father with whome he is one God as God receives sacrifice but as man will have no sacrifice offred to himself to cut off all pretence of sacrificing to any but God In this sacrifice he is the Preist he is the Sacrificer he is himself the sacrifice Or he is the person who offers he is the oblation And he hath ordred the sacrifice of the Church as a dayly commemoration or Sacrament of that sacrifice of the Crosse Thus he Where you see a sacrifice of the Church as a dayly commemoration of that of the Crosse That Christ offers it that he himself is offred in it all this to God no sacrifice being offred to any else If you
of such foul crimes during our life To Heaven Blasphemy accompanyed with finall Impenitency cannot enter it To the Ayre our sins would defile it To the Earth we are un worthy to treade uppon it Hell Hell is the only fit place for us if yet Hell it self hath any torments proportioned to so hainous offences What reply can you make to this with what eyes can you looke on them Should he thence passe into an Assembly of Pagan Idolaters Iupiter the Arch-Divil or Lucifer presiding over them with what Acclamations would he be received How would they rejoice for so noted a Proselite How would the President renew his hopes of recovering that throne by the helpe of so able a man which he affected from the beginning in the sides of the north Isay 14.13 whence he was beaten by the Spirit of God working in with the Primitive Christians That Satan was for a time to be bound after Loosed againe we reade Apoc. 20.3 Such Doctrine as this that he is the tru God gives a greate blow to his chaine And what dispositions there are at present to entertaine him all know Libertinisme Blasphemy all Impiety walking bare-faced men glorying in them seeme to provoke our Just God to punish these sins by that other Paganisme the multitudes flocking to such Conventicles as have little of Christianity more then the name discover how loosely many of the people are united to Christ that there are greate dispositions to a generall Apostasy which I am perswaded E.S. would be as sorry to see happen in his days as any other Yet least althô against his will he should promote see greate a mischeife I wish he renounce this Paradox otherwise that it be writ uppon his Tombe Here Lyeth a Champion of the Reformed Church of Ingland who Beleived in Adored no other God but the Pagan Iupiter I designe no formall answer to his Defence of the Discourse of Idolatry His able Antagonist needes no helpe from my Weakenesse so I let him end the dispute he hath so happily managed hitherto Yet if I am not mistaken I shall lay such principles as may serve for an answer to that booke For seing the manner of handling the matter is new I have taken the liberty to be Longer in it then elsewhere It may be he will having reade what I say find a reason to change his Judgment of us that we can say nothing but out of Bellarmin or Coccius It is no hard matter to satisfy any indifferent man in that point it being so cleere in Antiquity that if we reade Iustinus M. or Athenagoras Tertullian or S. Cyprian Minutius Felix or Arnobius S. Austin or S. Hierome we shall every where find convincing proofes of the falshood of that Errour It may be some may take the paynes to publish some of those Greate men's treatises in Inglish for the publick good to shew the World Mr. Stil 's Ingenuity in handling Controversy Now if he hath the Confidence to falsify so cleere a matter of fact testifyed by Scripture by Fathers by History by Pagans by the Divils them selves and acknowledged by those of his owne Communion how can he be relyed on in Points of Doctrine which are more disputable as being more obnoxious to mistakes not capable of so cleere disproofes He could not possibly have given greater cause to suspect all he writes then by such a Paradox so evidently false so confidently asserted One thing I desire of our adversaryes for their owne sakes that they regard a little what write not fill their bookes with every thing that occurres tru or false I shall take notice of Mr. B. in the tract Mr. Whithy in the title Page of his booke cites as Scotus his Opinion an Objection which he makes answers He myght with like reason have cited him all Divines for Atheisme seing all put some Objections against the Being of a God all Protestant writers of controversy for Popery seing out of them Papist objections may be taken Again pag. 242. he says no ancient Father takes notice of any Heathen objecting to Christians their Prayers to Saints which is an assurance says he there was no such practice Yet S. Augustin twice takes notice of that objection l. 8. de Civit. Dei c. 27. l. 20. contra Faust c. 21. As also S. Hierome ep 53. ad Riparium lib. cont Jovinian c. 2. Againe in the same page he assures there was no mention of canonizing Saints till the 7. century Yet the schisme of the Donatists was in the beginning of the 4. century a greate cause of this schisme was the malice spyght of Lucilla a factious proud exceeding rich woman who was reprehended by Caecilianus then a Deacon for honouring the bone of a Martyr before he was Canonized Os Martyris nondum vindicati says Optatus Milevit l. 1. may be seene in S. Aug. l. 1. cont Parmenian cap. 3. epist 162. Moreover out of the Iliberitan Council can 60. S. Austin Brevic. collat die 3. c. 13. is gathered that the African Spanish Churchs would not admit into the number of Martyrs which was their Canonizing them such as lost their lives having provoked the Persecutors to kill them Soe in the third age there was the custome of Canonizing for the Council of Eliberis or Elvira Optatus speake of it as of a custome establisht This being soe cleere soe obvious I cannot guesse what should ground Mr. Whitby's mistake of no custome to Canonize before the 7. century unlesse it was that he found in Bellar. l. 1. de Sanct. Beatit or in Surius his life of S. Swithbert that this Saint was the first of whose solemne Canonization any records are extant Which yet is far from what Mr. Whitby affirmes of no mention of the custome of Canonizing till the 7. Century Such grosse errours beare the character of a Minister fryghted with Popery writing against it none else are capable of them I have reade very little in that worke for opening it accidentally in that place where those two greate untruths are so confidently advanced that brought to my mind the words of the wise man Prov. 29.20 So I thought I myght spend my time better then on him One word to preuent misinterpretations In the following treatise I put W. L. for Will. Lawd late Lord Primate of Ingland as also E. S. for D. Stillingfleete G.B. for Mr. Burnet not out of any disesteeme of his personall Endowments or want of Respect for his publicke character but only for brevity's sake Which none can be offended with who knows we cite in alike manner Bellarmin Baronius Perron Cayetan without their titles notwithstanding their Ecclesiasticall dignity Selfe defence is of the law of nature is never lesse obnoxious to Censure then when least personall And such is my case whose only endeauour is to pleade for the Cat. Church of which I have the happinesse to
Mankind 〈◊〉 the closest bonds of Peace freindship charity which it doth tempering our Passions forgiving injuries loving our enemyes teaching obediencâ— to those in authority over us by associating 〈◊〉 into one body called the Church ANSWER This is in deed a designe worthy of Christian Religion but imperfectly explicated by you seing you omite the love of God the God (a) â— Cor. 13.11 of Peace who alone can give us perfect Peace Humane wills are naturally oppoâ—â— to one another they cannot meete but iâ—â— their naturall center God And the love 〈◊〉 our neyghbour is never sincere lasting buâ— when it is grounded on the love of God Thâ— first effect of selfe love is to seperate us from God The second to divide us amongst oâ—â— selves Both are the effects of sin nothing can prevent them linck us together in the bonds of charity but he who can remit sins That Peace then which Christian Religion teaches which the Church recomend to her children which in her Prayers shee demands of God is not an effect of human industry but of Grace It proceedes from the mercy of God it is a sequel of Purity of conscience the Crowne of reall tru Iustice In fine it is the work of the unspotted Lambe (a) 1. Petr. 1.19 at whose birth Peace (b) Luk. 2.14 was announced in his name to the world by the Angells who left Peace (c) 10.14.27 as a legacy to his disciples before his Death who was sacrificed on the Altar of the Crosse to reconcile us to his Heavenly father restore Peace betwixt Heaven Earth which the sin Rebellion of Men had banisht You see sir how insufficient your explication of Peace is for the ends you propose You leave out the Cheife most necessary ingredient for purging our dissensions to use a Prophets comparison (d) Ezeh c. 13.10 you build with untempered Mortar You (e) Ierem. 6.14 heale the hurt of the people slyghtly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace You hint indeed at a good humane meanes to Peace Obedience to those in Authority It was to prevent schisme (f) Inter Apostolos unus eligitur ut capite consâ—ituto schismatis toll retur occasio Hieron l. 1. adversus Vigilantium c. 54. that God establisht one Apostle over the rest But your endlesse Divisions subdivisions amongst your selves Shew how inefficacious this meanes is in your Reformation And how can it be otherwise when all your People have before their eyes the example of your first Patriarkes who began your Reformation by rejecting all Authority over them breaking the rules of divine worship setled al over the world till that time acknowledged by themselves Cur non licebit Valentiniano quod licuit Valentino de arbitrio suo fidem innovare Tert. l. de praescript Why may not a Lutheran doe what was lawfull to Luther your first Reformers rejected some articles of Faith then universally beleived because they seemed not to be contained in Scripture why may not the same motive authorize their followers to reject some others which you would retaine althô they are as little to be found in Scriptures Why may not a moderne Protestant retrench some unnecessary ceremony used by you at present seing you have cut off soe many others Let others live by that law which you publish think not soe hyghly of your onne authority as to make your dictamens not only the Rule of Actions but of the laws themselves It shall be lawfull to dissent from this article of Faith but not from that other to quit this ceremony not that when the same rule is applicable to both Is not this properly (a) 2. Cor. 1.24 to Lord it over the Faith of the People What wonder you find your layty refractory to your ordinances they are in this directed by your rule encouraged by your example Wherefore Looke no where abroade for the roote of these tares your Reformers planted them they layd the Egge out of which this cockatrice is hatched They eate the sower grapes which set all your Teeth an Edge Nether appeares there any possibility of a remedy while your reformation subsists this principle of Discorde Schisme being sayd in its very foundation consequently it cannot be removed with out the ruin of the whole structure nor retained without perpetuall danger of renting it in Pieces I wish these troublesome schismes endlesse discordes amongst your selves may make you seeke a proper Remedy by a Reunion to the center of union God his Church CHAPTER V. Of the Characters of Christian Doctrine G.B. p. 8. I shall add to this the main distinguishing Characters of our Religion which are four Pag. 8. First its verity Pag. 10. The second its genuine simplicity perspicuity The third its Reasonablenesse the fourth its easinesse Thus you ANSWER Are these the only or even the Cheife Characters of Divine Truths whither you take them as they are delivered in holy writ or as taught in the Church Can you find no other quality peculiar to them not common to others Then humane learning may equall if not surpasse Divine Take for example some principles naturally knowne as Two two make four or The whole body is greater then any part of it These are Tru it is impossible they should be false They are Perspicuous Easy no man can doubt of them who understands the termes They are Reasonable for what more reasonable then to assent to Evident Truth Nay of we compare then with supernaturall Truths as to their Perspicuity Verity in order to us the advantage seemes greater on the side of naturall Truths 1. o For no man ever doubted of the Truth of these having once understood their termes many have doe doubt of faith althô sufficiently proposed And 2. o no man ever dissented from those Principles when he had once admitted them many have Apostatized from their Faith Soe that all the Prayses you give to Faith belong more to naturall Sciences then to it Such a stranger are you to its tru Prerogatives The reason of this stupendious blindnesse in searching the scriptures is that you reade them as a master not as a disciple you intend not to learne from them what to beleive but to shape them to what you think you have the word but reject the sense which is to the word what the soul is to the body it gives it life motion The (a) 1. Cor. 2.14 naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him nether can be know them because they are spiritually discerned You see fir that some may reade or have the word of God yet not comprehend its meaning nay that it may seeme folly unto them The words may be words of (b) Iohn 6.61 lise everlasting yet they cry Durus est hic sermo this word is hard who
speake as though he were able to under stand These two Bookes are held to be Apocrypha by Protestants of which I will not treate at present yet why they should deny them credit in a matter offact I know no reason But because they regard not what is reasonable in their controversys but what serves their turne I will shew the substance of all this in bookes of unquestionable authority (a) Isayas 44.17 The residue of the Ash be maketh a God he falleth downe unto it adores it prayes unto it sayth deliver me for thou art my God The sayings of the other Bookes are only ampliations of this Soe they cannot be denyed without rejecting this nor this admitted without retaining of those A fifth reason is that the Idolaters were really perswaded that their Idols did helpethem Hieremy (b) Hier. 2.27 Saying to a stocke thou art my father to astone thou hast begotten me Certainly those who could beleive that they ought their Being the greatest of all gifts to their statues or Idols of stone or woode would much easier believe they owed to them other goods of an inferiour nature Certainly the Jews (c) Hier. 44.8 ascribed their past felicity in Hierusalem to their sacrifices offred to the queene of Heaven their then present miseryes to their ceasing from those sacrifices But the most publick owning of singular benefits from Idols is that of the Israelits (d) Exo. 32.4 These are thy Gods o Israel which brought thee our of the land of Aegypt Which words S. Cyril of Alex. l. 9. contra Julianum p. 308. B. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understands to be sayd to that very calfe which Aaron had cast If Mr. Still think not this reason cleared enough out of Scripture I shall desire him to reade what is written by the Greekes of the Palladium of Troy what the Romans thought of it of their Ancilia what Macroblus writes of some Nations who chained the Gods Protectors of their Cittys fearing they should forsake them Let him at least reade S. Austin l. 1. de Civit. c. 3. And if he be not convinced that the Pagans had confidence in their statues or Idols I say he shuts the eyes of his understanding soe close as to exclude al lyght but what pleases him serves his turne Adde to his Saint Cyprian l. ad Demetrianum Pudeat te eos colere quos ipse defendis pudeat tutelam de iis sperare quos tu ipse tueris Be ashamed to worship those whome you defend to expect protection from those who themselves neede yours I have two authorityes more to confirme this reason Jeremy (a) Hier. 10.5 affords the first They must be carryed because they cannot goe Wherefore Feare them not for they can nether doe hurt nor good To what intent could this reason be alleadged unlesse it were to confound that opinion that the statues themselves could helpe or hinder The Pagans then were possest with that opinion My other is out of David (a) Psal 113.8 or Ps 115.8 who having sayd that the Idols of the Gentils were silver gold the worke of mens hands that they had eyes could not see eares could not heare- c He concludes his elegant induction with these words May every one who makes them be like unto them also all who trust in them There was then a Trust a confidence a relyance on those Idols which could not be grounded but on an opinion that they did Good Adde to this what R. Majmonides says as he is rendred by Dionysius Vossius p. 8. Ab his simulacris bona mala omnia provenire indicabant universis proinde summo jure coli metui And Athenagoras in his Embasly for Christians p. 25. Ownes the same but attributes the effects to spirits dwelling in them My last reason is taken from the severall arguments produced in scripture against Idolatry that they were made by men that care must be taken they did not fall (b) supra that they have no motion (c) Sap. 13.15 Bar. 6.26 Cannot defend themselves from wormes or birds fire or theives or even from the sacriledges of their owne Adorers as S. Ambrose (d) Bar. 6. Psal 115.5 Ier. 10.5 observes out of the example of Dionysius the Tyrant (e) lib 2. de Virginibus ante finem You will say Pagans were wise men how could they then be capable of soe grosse an Errour ANSWER This is that weakenesse of the understanding incident to some who in matters of fact require demonstrations soe a Philosopher denyed locall Motion because he could not answer the reasons against it deserved no other confutation but by this question Foole what doe I now proposed by a man who walked It is cleere out of what I have sayd that the Pagans de facto did beleive their Idols to be Gods why should we give eare to a speculative reason against an evident hystoricall Truth As if man left to himself did nothing but rationally or did not many times soe far darken his understanding as to shew little use of it in his greatest concernes It was the greatest folly imaginable I grant it yet that is incident to man when he is abandoned of God And this the Ingratitude of Phylosophers deserved For whem (a) Rom. 1.21 they knew God they glorifyed him not as God nether were thank full but became vaine in their imaginations their foolish hart was darkned professing them selves to be wise they became Fooles And changed the glory of an In curruptible God into an Image Thus S. Paul If you reply you see who you will dispute against viz the Fathers S. Paul Hieremy Isayas the Holy Ghost If you still think the Paralel just betwixt the Idolatry of Pagans the worship given in the Catholick Church to Images skew your Art in sophistry prove that we hold our Images to be Gods that we put our Confidence in them expect good or feare Evill from a stocke How pittifull would your discourse be should you dispute against us in this manner a Crosse is made by a man ergo it is not a representation of our Saviours death The statu of our B. Lady cannot move without the helpe of man ergo we are not to hope for any thing from God though her intercession In fine ether what Fathers what Scripture containes against the Idols of the Gentills is to no purpose all their Reasons are frivolous or our doctrine of Images differs from theirs of Idols the first is blasphemy therefore you must subscribe to the second SECTION II. The Beginning Occasions of Idolatry CAlvinus lib. 1. Instit c. 11. l. 8. says Idolatry began almost with the world Omnibus ferè à mundo condito saeculis But he nether gives any reason for this assertion nor determins its Authour nor time R. Majmonides says it began by Enos the son of Seth Grandson to
Benefices or perferments establisht for such as invent storyes without any ground I know none in a fayrer way to them then your selfe You cannot but know that we hold Contrition to be an essentiall part of the Sacrament that he who confesses without sorrow is soe far from obtaining Pardon for the the sins past that we judge him guilty of a new sacriledge Consider a little what you say if not for conscience the feare of God which you seeme not to regard as least for your credit G. B. pag. 61.62 What can take off more from the value of the Death of Christ then to beleive it in the power of a Preist to absolve from sin ANS That cannot take from the value of that sacred Passion uppon which it is built By Baptisme sins are remitted without derogating from the value of the death of Christ The same of Absolution Because in both these Sacraments the merits of the Passion are applyed to cleanse our souls in such a manner as Christ hath ordained by authority derived from him In civill matters as no man can lawfully take uppon himself the authority exercise the function of a Judge without a commission from the King Soe it is no lesse unlawfull to refuse due obedience to Judges Lawfully commissionated We have a lawfull commission in the Ghospel we stick to that till wet see better grounds to vacate it then such frivolous reasons as you bring CHAPTER XVIII Of Pennances Fasting Prayer Pilgrimages G. B. pag. 62. Adde the soorne put on Religion by the Pennances enjoyned for sin abstaining from flesh Pattering over Prayers repeating the Penitentiall Psalmes going to such Churchs Altars with other ridiculous observances like these which cannot but kill the vitalls of tru Religion And who can have any sad apprehensions of sin who is taught such an easy way of escaping punishment ANSWER Experience shews us whither practice preserves more the vitals of Religion yours or ours I am perswaded I shall have occasion before we part to give you a prospect not very pleasing of the piety of your Proselits who as S. Paul sayd 2. Tim. 3.13 Proficiunt in pejus have waxed worse worse ever since your Brethren have had the direction of them But what are these Observances which move you to laughter Fastings Prayers Pilgrimages so much recommended even commanded in both old new law sometimes in scripture often in Councils Fathers coÌ„firmed by the practice of the Church through all ages These things seeme ridiculous to this Democritus a new man as much a stranger to tru Piety as his Education hath beene to Prayers Fasting Pilgrimages as far as appeares by his workes That he should thus deride all Penitentiall workes designed ether to punish our past offences or prevent those to come to reconcile us to our Creator or rivette us to him when S. Paul the chosen vessell the Temple of the Holy Ghost the Doctor of the Gentils separated from his mothers womb called unto Grace (a) Galat. 1.15 when he I say chastised his Body brought it under subjection (b) 1. Cor. 9.27 least preaching to others he became himselfe a Reprobate What meanes did he use for his security to mortify his body but those this good man Counts Ridiculous ObservaÌ„ces viz Fasting Prayer the like we are sure he was animated with the Spirit of God what Spirit animates you SECTION I. Fasting AS for Fasting our B. Saviour (c) Mat. 4.1 Fasted forty days forty nyghts He foretells his Disciples (a) Mar. 2.20 fasting when the Bridegroome should be taken from them That is after his Ascension He directs us how to fast promises a Reward (b) Mat. 6.17 to our fastings when duly performed He teaches that Fasting (c) Mat. 17.20 Marc. 9.29 gives us a Power over the Divils When any worke of greate moment was to be done Fasting was used (d) Act. 13.2 As the Disciples or Apostles ministred to the Lord Fasted the Holy Ghost sayd with fasting (e) Act. 14.23 Prayer S. Paul S. Barnabas were consecrated Apostles These with Fasting Prayers (f) 2. Cor. 6.5 ordained Bishops in every Church And S. Paul severall time speakes of his Fastings (e) Act. 14.23 In Watchings in Fastings (g) 2. Cor. 11.27 Again In hunger thrist in fastings often What was the practice of the Christians of the second age Tertullian will teach us Apolog c. 40. pag. 71. where having reproached the Pagans with their Feastings in times of publick calamitys he represents the contrary life of Christians Nos verò jejuniis aridi omni continentiâ expressi ab omni vitae fruge delati in sacco cinere volutantes invidiâ coelum tundimus Deum tangimus cùm misericordiam extorserimus Iupiter honoratur You Feast says he but we dryed up with fasting living in perfect continency abstainning from all contents of this life prostrate in sackcloth ashes charge Heaven with the odium of afflicting Persons already soe much afflicted when we have by these Penitentiall workes forced God to take pitty of the world Iupiter is honoured by you For the third age see what Moses a Maximus other Confessors required of Penitents Iejunio extenuari That they should grow leane with fasting All the subsequent ages give as many testimonyes to the duty advantages of Fasting as there are of any work of Piety This the Fathers teach in their sermons the Bishops command in their Canons the faithfull practice in their lives all recommend by their example Nay Protestants themselves owne this Truth The Authour of the Duty of man Sunday 5. n. 34. To this duty of Repentance Says he Fasting is very proper to be annexed The Scripture usually joynes them together If you desire to know the fruites of fasting S. Thom. 2.2 q. 147. a. 1. names three 1. to mortifye curbe our bodyes 2. To rayse our mind to Heavenly things 3. To punish in our selves the ill use of some creatures by depriving our selves of the use of others A fourth reason is to encrease merit Grace Glory Virtutem largiâ—is praemia says the Church in Praef. Quad. SECTION II. Prayer PRayer being a raysing of our souls to God it exposes our understanding to the Divine lyght places our will in the warmth of Divine love Wherefore nothing can be more efficacious to cleere our mind from its ignorance darknesse nor to purge our will from its depraved affections passions It is a key which opens the Treasure of God's Mercy opens our hart to receive its effets It is a River of Benediction whose waters cleanse our soul from its imperfections moisten our hart make our good put poses budde forth flourish fill our will with the fruites of vertues It is often recommended in scripture See (a) mar 13.33 watch Pray Pray (b) Mat. 26.45 that
we forgive And as betwixt the two brothers in Rebecca's Wombe soe betwixt these two loves there is a combate within our breast For (a) Gal. 5.17 the spirit covets against the flesh the flesh against the spirit these are contrary to one another And this is that perpetuall combate which we undergoe by reason of which this life is termed (b) Job 7.1 Militia est vita hominis super terram a warfare And (c) Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Bonum est homini ut illo prosiciente quo benè vivimus elle desiciat quo malè viv imus donec ad persectum sanetur in bonum commutetur omne quod vivimus we are conquered when selfe love prevailes over the love of God but we conquer when the love of God gets the better Wherein then doth consist the perfection of a Christian In a hart pure from bad love not yeilding consent to the motions of selfe love but resisting them a hart filled with the love of God following in all things the motions of Divine Grace the guidance of the Holy Spirit And (d) Aug. in Psal 64. Interroget se quisque quid amet inveniet undè sit civis could we certainly discover which of the two loves rules in our hart we should certainly know the state of our soul Supposing these principles let us attend Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 76. Religion elevates the souls of mn to a participation of Divine nature where by they being inwardly purifyed the outward cōversation reguluted the world may be restored to its primitive Innocence men admitted to an inward intimate fellowship with their maker ANS What you say of participation (a) 2. Pet. 1.4 of Divine nature is out of Scripture likewise our souls being inwardly purifyed our inward fellowship with God All which is tru althô you nether tell what they meane nor understand it your selfe But that by Christianity the outward conversation should be regulated or primitive Innocence restored is aliene or untru That by Christianity outward conversation is regulated is aliene Orderly conversation being a meere externe naturall quality many times as excellent in Infidels as Christians Certainly the perfection of Christianity may be found in Anchorets preserved in a desert Whence a good conversation appeares not to be a very materiall ingredient of perfection And that Christianity should aime at restoring the world to its primitive Innocence it absolutely false for that Innocence cannot be attained unto nether in this life nor the next not in this in which the greatest Saints have their (b) Rom. 7. combats from which man in state of primitive Innocence was free not in the next the state of glory being above that of Innocency Soe nether of these is the end of Christianity G. B. pag. 76. What devices are found out to enervate Repentance sins must be divided into mortall veniall ANS From the beginning there hath always beene observed an inequality of sins I will omit moderne Divines which you doe not understand Councils which you regard not Bede in c. 5. Jac. distinguishes them the māner to expiate them which in the Greeke Church is still in use That same is observed by S. Austin Enchir. c. 71. cited above Chapt. 18. sect ◠The Beloved Disciple (a) 1. Io. 5.16.17 speakes of sin unto death others not such S. Paul (b) 1. Cor. 6.9.10 should discove rthe Plot what Was Christ concerned in this device who distinguishes sins against the holy Ghost from others whither will these men Leade us or goe themselves or what can besecure from those tongues which spare no more the doctrine delivered by Christ by the Apostles or the primitive Fathers then that of moderne Divines I know all sins are offences of God yet I doe not with the Stoicks think all sins equall or him as greate a sinner who speakes an Idle word as him who kills his owne father The contrary Paradoxes may find place And be admired in Calvin by his deluded followers but certainly no sober man can approve them G. B. p. 77. Their asserting that simple attrition qualifies men for the Sacrament ANS You doe more for you think Attrition sufficient to justify without the Sacrament Pag. 76. having sayd that Repentance remission were always united you explicate Repentance to be a horrour of sin uppon the sense of its native deformity contrariety to the law of God which makes the soul apprehend the hazard it hath incurred by it so as to study by all meanes possible to avoyde it in all time coming This is all you say which any divine knows to be only Attrition as not expressing cleerely the only motive of tru Contrition love of God above all things for his only goodnesse Give Glory to God Is it not tru that yov had heard of a dispute beyond seas betwixt Iansenists their Enemyes about the sufficiency of Attrition to justify with the Sacrament And you never would take the paines to examin the sentiments of ether part or their motives but relyed suppon the first apprehension which occurred to you Your writings give a probable ground for this conjecture G. B. p. 76. All the severitys enjoyned by Papists for Pennances doe but tend to nourish the life of sin ANS You may as well say the severity of the laws against Robbers murtherers the Axe Halter tend only to nourish inclinations to rob kill Sure your common sense is far different from that of others else you would never advance these Paradoxes Nether will it serve your turne if you recurre to the pecuniary mulcts enjoyned to some for first you cannot blame those without blaming Scripture which recemends Almes giving as a (a) Dan. 4.24 meanes to redeeme sins Secondly because worldly men are not soe willing to part with their mony how generous soever you are were you to give a crowne for every untruth you print you would by that pecuniary mulct not be encouraged to write as you doe CHAPTER XXII Theologicall Vertues G. B. pag. 78. That which is next pressed in the Ghospel for uniting souls of mankind to God is that Noble ternary of Graces Faith Hope Love ANS You can never speake soe much in commendation of the Theologicall vertues as they deserve for their merits surpasse all we can say And if you compare the least of them with those called morall vertues it will out shine velut inter stellas Luna minores Yet Faith and Hope must doe Homage to Charity or Love at to their soveraigne as to the end to which they are designed to the fountaine of their life cause of their value This I have sayd above yet I againe repeate it for their sakes who soe set up the merits of Faith as to neglect Good workes (a) Iac. 2.17 without which Faith is dead to place is after Charity without which Faith (b)
chapters that I myght be the better understood to avoyde tedious Repetitions of the same things which S. Cyril reproached to Julian the Apostata l. 2. initio may with as much reason be reproached to Mr. B. seing he objects our saying Prayers in Latin pag. 32. 35. 80. 115. 121. 131. The like of Attrition Prayers to Saints Idolatry Masse Indulgences c. which are always at hand to fill up a Period encrease the bulke of his booke which would dwindle to an inconsiderable bignesse if that repetition were auoyded The Booke hath very little new it renews commonly the old objections which have bin often baffled by our controvertists Trita haereticorum arma colligit S. Prosper which proceedes not from want of wit or Study in both he abounds but from the nature of his cause which is capable of no better Defence For this reason I may be excused if I am short in my replyes Yet sometimes I shall enlarge where ether the difficulty it self or the manner of urging it is singular Such is the reproach of Idolatry which is old having bin objected to the Cat. Church by the ancient Iconoclasts by the first of our late Reformers yet it appeares of late in such adresse as it may seeme quite new Heretofore all acknoledged the Pagan Idolatry to have consisted in the worship of Idols or Divils Calvin sayd * Calvinus l. 1. Instit c. 11. n. 9. Deum aeternum Iudaei unum verumque caeli terra Dominū sub simulachris suis persuast erant se colere Gentel suos licet falsos Deos quos tamen in coelo habitare fingerent the Pagans were perswaded that in their Idols they adored their false Gods which they thought resided in Heaven He thought then they were false Gods The same was the opinion of those who followed till of late that some new men pretend that the Iupiter of the Pagans was the tru God all others were only names of his Attributes or Mediating Spirits I find none of this opinion before Mr. Stillingfleete nether hath he long bin of it for an 1663. when he printed his Origenes Sacrae he held the contrary as I will shew hereafter Till he shews his Authour we may call this the Stillingfleetian error Magnum Stillingfleeti Incrementum And I Desire him to shew any Christian who ever sayd I adore the Pagan Iupiter Did ever any Martyr professe that he beleived in adored Iupiter as well as his Judges or the Emperors did but refused only to adore his statues because he himfelf by his law Exodi 20.4 had forbidden it Or sayd the reason why they refused to Sacrifice Beasts or offer incense to Iupiter was because he Iupiter himself required of them other sortes of Adoration No certainly Yet those are the thoughts which would naturally have occurred had both partyes agreed in professing the same one tru God had only differred about the manner of worshipping him This is my first reason against E.S. his Paradox A Second is that the Controversy betwixt Christians Pagans had bin quite altred had what he says bin tru We sind them disputing about the pretended Divinity of Iupiter the like of their other Gods the Pagans affirming him to be the tru God the Christians proving him to have bin a man son of Saturne Rhea borne in Crete◠buryed there to be personated by a fowle seducing Divil as W.L. renders their words Now this Point could never have bin disputed had both partyes agreed that the thing signifyed by the Name Iupiter had bin the one tru God all the difference had bin about that name As de facto no Christian ever disputed with the Turkes about the Being of one only God because they call him not as we doe Deus or God but Alla. This hint gives us a fayre prospect into the sentiments of Christian Antiquity for all Disputants both Christians Pagans must have spoken nothing to the purpose if what E. S. says be tru A third reason the strongest of all is that as E. S. States the Controverly Pagans were in the ryght Christians in the wrong For what sayd the Christians Iupiter was a vicious man is a filthy Divil What sayd the Pagans Iupiter is the tru God Now what is the reall truth according to E. S. Iupiter in the tru God blessed for evermore By which words he gives-in Evidence for the Pagans against the Apostles who in oposition to Iupiter the whole rabble of such like fictitious Divinitys planted the Christian Faith against the Glorious Martyrs who watred it with their blood against the ancient Fathers who defended it with their writings against the Primitive Church which profest it amidst the greatest Persecutions against God himself who by invisible Graces visible Miracles confirmed it lastly against that very Iupiter for whome he pleades who owned himself to be a filthy Divil What censure can be toe severe for so rash a verdict Seing by it the Pagans are absolved the Christians condemned this by a pretended Professor of Christianity an Assertor of its primitive Purity Imagin your self to E. S. I speake to be brought into agreate Assembly where all the Faithfull souls of the three firstages were met where on the oneside were placed the glorious Martyrs in scarlet robes deyed in their owne blood on the other Renowned Doctors Fathers in white shining garments symbols of the lyght of their Doctrine which directs the Ignorant to Heaven at the upper end the Apostles Evangelists neere them the 72. Disciples all the rest stood in the middle Think that all fix their eyes on you doubtlesse from Heaven they do so as on the first man who retaining the name of a Christian asserted the Error they overthrew opposed the Truth they upheld viz that Iupiter was not God but ether a wicked man or a filthy Divil Imagin they say unto you How happens it that our cause which for so many ages triumpht over Impiety should now fall under it being arraigned at the Bar of your Iudgment there found Guilty How chances it that we the Martyrs should have spilt our blood we the Doctors have employed our wit studyes utmost industry we the Apostles Disciples have spent our labours whole liues we the faithfull exposed our selves to the greatest torments to destroy the Kingdome of Iupiter who you say was the tru God What excuse can you alleadge for this fact of which you find us guilty viz first of denying the tru God secondly of accusing him of Incest Adultery Rapes Sodomy Rebellion Parricide what not all which we charged on Iupiter by an unparallelled Blasphemy if he be God And which aggravates our crime we all continued obstinate in asserting these Blasphemys even to our last gaspe breathed out our souls in finall Impenitency To what place will you sentence us after our death whome you find quilty