Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A34967
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An epistle apologetical of S.C. to a person of honour touching his vindication of Dr. Stillingfleet.
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Cressy, Serenus, 1605-1674.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing C6893; ESTC R26649
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61,364
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165
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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
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