cy-devant est tombée dans la Corruption et dans l Erreur § 1. Corruption horrible dans ses Moeurs p. 80. § 2. Erreurs extremement grossieres dans sa Doctrine pag. 88. Conclusion Generale Que j'estois engagé de sortir de l'Eglise de Rome aprés que Dieu m'en eut fait connoître les Erreurs par les degrés que j'ay marqués dans les deux Parties de ce Discours pag. 88. § 1. L'Occasion d'un Sermon que je préchay sur le sujet du Sacrement me rappella dans l'Esprit toutes les idées que j'avois des Erreurs de Rome pag. 91. § 2. Les repugnances que je souffris et les difficultés qu'il me falut surmonter pag. 94. § 3. Les raisons que je meditay dans mon esprit pour differer ma Conversion pag. 96. § 4. Dieu par sa misericorde me fait vivement comprendre le grand peché que c'est que de s'opposer au saint Esprit et ainsi acheve ma Conversion en me faisant genereusement abandonner la Communion de Rome pag. 101. TABLE INTRODUCTION § 1. The Reasons wherefore I have been engaged to write these Memoires Pag. 1. § 2. That the Conversion of a man who did live in the Errors of the Roman Church is a very great Miracle pag. 5. § 3. After what manner and by what degrees the Spirit of God made me understand my Errors pag. 9. FIRST PART That the Doctrin of the Roman Church is not grounded neither upon the belief of the Primitive Church or the Authority of the Holy Fathers CHAP. I. How I understood that the Doctrin of the Roman Church is not grounded upon the Scripture § 1. The Reading of the Scripture disposes me to acknowledge the Errors of Rome pag. 11. § 2. The Errors of the Roman Church whereof I was perswaded made me find in the Scripture many Difficulties many Insufficiencies and many Contradictions pap 16. § 3. Circumstances which did contribute to hasten my Conversion pag. 22. § 4. Conclusion of this Chapter That the Articles of Faith of the Roman Church cannot be proved by Scripture pag. 26. CHAP. II. How I understood that the Articles of Faith of the Roman Church are not grounded upon the Belief of the Primitive Church nor upon the Authority of the Holy Fathers INTRODUCTION The reading of the Books concerning The Perpetuity of Faith in the Eucharist was an occasion to me to examin in particular the Belief of the Roman Church about that matter pag. 30. Division of the Errors of Rome concerning the Eucharist pag. 34. Section I. That the belief of Rome about the real Presence in the sense of Transubstantiation is a new Doctrin in the Church I. First Proof drawn out of the Arguments wherewith the Fathers of the Church had wont to Dispute against the Heathens pag. 36. II. Second Proof drawn out of the Reasons wherewith the same Fathers had wont to Dispute against the Hereticks pag. 41. III. Third Proof drawn out of the manner whereafter the Fathers had wont to speak of the Holy Saerament pag. 44. IV. Fourth Proof drawn out of the novelty of the Doctrin teaching Transubstantiation pag. 48 Section II. That that which is taught of the Sacrifice of the Mass in the Church of Rome is a Doctrin contrary to the belief of the Primitive Church I. In what sense it is true to say that the Holy Sacrament is a Sacrifice pag. 50. II. That the pretended Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Roman Church is contrary to the Scripture pag. 53. III. What has given occasion to that Error and the degrees of Corruption which brought forth that belief pag. 56. IV. That the horrid abuse which is slid in the Roman Church to offer their Sacrifices in the honour of Saints is a practice contrary to that of the Primitive Church pag. 59. Section III. That the manner of Administring the Sacrament in the Roman Church is quite different and very much opposed to that to which they were used in the first Ages of the Church I. That in the time of the Apostles and in the first ages of the Church they gave the Communion to all the People under both kinds they worshipped not the Host and celebrated not the Holy Mysteries in an unknown Tongue pag. 64. II. The beginning of all the Errors of the Roman Church in the Administration of the Sacrament pag. 70. 1. The beginning of the Abridgement of the Cup. pag. 71. 2. The beginning of the Worship of the Host pag. 74. 3. The beginning of the celebration of the Eucharist in an unknown Tongue pag. 78. Conclusion of the First Part. That the Articles of Faith of the Roman Church cannot be proved by the practice of the Primitive Church nor by the authority of the ancient Fathers pag. 80. Second Part. That the Church of Rome is not the true Church that it's Authority is not Infallible and that it is full of Corruptions and Errors INTRODUCTION The Divine Providence brought forth some occasions which made me resolve to examin the very first grounds of the Question concerning the Authority of the Roman Church pag. 1. 1. The occasion that I had to examin a-new all the Articles of Faith of the Roman Church all which I reduced to the Authority of the same Church pag. 3. 2. The occasion that I had to doubt of the Infallibility of the Pope made me resolve to examin again and without passion upon which is grounded that Authority which the Church of Rome boasts so much pag. 6. 3. Circumstances wherewith I began to examin the Authority of the Roman Church and what I do design in the Rehearsal of them pag. 12. CHAP. I. Of the pretended grounds of the Authority of the Roman Church pag. 16. Section I. That Antiquity Multitude and Succession are not priviledges which ever the Roman Church had enjoyed above all other Churches pag. 20. § 1. That the Roman Church is not the Eldest of all the Churches pag. 21 § 2. That the Multitude is not on the Roman Churches side pag. 25. § 3. That other Churches as well as the Roman have their Succession from Bishop to Bishop from the very Apostles pag. 29. Section II. That neither Antiquity neither Multitude neither Succession are not Infallible marks of the true Church and consequently that a Church may have them all and with them all be an Heretical Church pag. 32. § 1. That Antiquity is not an Infallible mark of the true Church pag. 33. § 2. That the Multitude is not an Infallible mark of the true Church pag. 39. § 3. That the Succession is not an Infallible mark of the true Church pag. 45. Conclusion That it is the Succession of the true Doctrin from the Apostles which is an Infallible mark of the true Church and that the Church of Rome which hath not the Succession of the Doctrin has no reason to boast neither of its Antiquity neither of the Multitude neither
Article de Foy. Et dire la même chose de bonne foy du Purgatoire des Indulgences de l' Invocation des Saints et des autres Articles et non pas s'oppiniâtrer à vouloir trouver dans la Primitive Eglise des Articles de Foy dont elle n'◠jamais eu la moindre connoissance De cette maniere il ne reste plus qu'à examiner s◠l'Authorité de l'Eglise Romaine est Infaillible ou si elle ne l'est pas Voilà le Point indivifible sur lequel je fixois toute ma Religion c'est là où je riduisois toutes les Questions de Controverse et le lien que me tenoit attaché à l◠Communion de l'Eglise Romaine J'exeminay dont cette question de l'Infaillibilite de l'Eglise Romaine mais soit que j'eusse peur de trouver cette Infaillibilité auss◠mal fondée que la Doctrine de la Transubstantiation soit que l'Ambition que j'avois de soûtenir avec honneur le Traité de l'Eglise que l'on m'engageoit en ce temps là de soûtenir dans des Theses Publiques◠m'esbloüist et m'aveugla pour m'empécher de découvrir la Verité soit que la Grace ne trouva pas à propos en ce temps là d'achever l'ouvrage de ma Conversion et qu'elle voulut laisser meurir et enraciner bien avant dans mon esprit les Raisons que j'avois meditées afin de m'affermir davantage dans la Verité de sa sainte Parole Je trouvay des Preuves et des Raisons tant bonnes que mauvaises je me persuaday le premier afin de persuader plus aisément les autres et je soûtins dans mes Theses que l'Eglise Romaine et même que le Pape seul estoit Infaillible quand il détermine quelque chose de Foy. Cette Persuasion me retenant dans l'Eglise Romaine je commançay à m'adoucir et à changer de discours et au lieu que j'avois consideré les Articles de Foy de cette Eglise comme des Erreurs parcequ'elles n'estoient pas Conformes à la Doctrine de la Primitive Eglise et à la Creance des Peres je ne les considerois plus que comme des Nouvautés qui n'estoient pas Criminelles puisque je supposois l'Eglise de Rome entant qu'Infaillible dans le Droit de produire tous les jours ou de déclarer de Nouveaux Articles de Foy. Dans cette Pensée lorsque quelque personne d'Estude me demandoit mon sentiment en particulier sur quelque Question de Theologie je répondois simplement selon mon opinion et je r◠duisois toutes les Questions à l'Authorit Infaillible de l'Eglise Romaine mais quand j'estois obligé de parler en Public e◠devant le Peuple je me eroyois obligé de peur de scandaliser les Foibles de me servi◠de la Methode dont tous les autres o◠coûtume de se servir et d'apporter quoyq◠contre ma propre persuasion des Passages d◠l'Escriture et des Authorités des Ancien◠Peres de l'Eglise pour prouver les Article de Foy de l'Eglise de Rome Voilà quelle estoit ma maniere d'agir e◠ce temps là auquel la seule persuasion 〈◊〉 l'Infaillibilité de l'Eglise de Rome 〈◊〉 retenoit dans sa Communion FIN de la PREMIERE PARTIE MEMOIRES INTRODUCTION § 1. The Reasons wherefore I have been engaged to write these Memoirs I Do consider my self as a publick Sinner since I did profess in the Roman Church a Doctrin contrary to the Gospel I look upon the life that I led there as an express Apostasie from the true Faith And I look upon all the Errors which I Taught as so many publick and scandalous Heresies But after I have considered my self as a scandalous Heretick I consider also that I made against all my Heresies a solemn Recantation After I have looked upon my self as one that was naturally engaged to be an Apostata from the Gospel I consider I have been raised up from that Apostasie by the profession that I made two Years since of the purity of the Gospel In a Word after I have considered my self as a publick Sinner engaged by my Profession to seduce the People and to darken the Light of the Gospel in deceiving those whom I was to Teach I do consider my self as a publick Penitent who having been two Years in the first degree of Penitence in the Order of Hearers as it was ordained by the Holy Canons (a) Concil Nicen can 11. St. Basil Epist ad Amph. cap. 26. of the Primitive Church comes to present himself to my Lords the Bishops beseeching them to receive him into the Church that he might by the Steps which are marked in the same Canons get up into the state of Light and Faith at which he was to aim after his Baptism and from which his Errors drove him far away And whereas I regard the Bishops as my natural Superiours and as so many Judges appointed to declare unto me the Will of God I find my self obliged to give them an account of my conduct and to tell them plainly the means which God has used to bring me to the Truth of his holy Word This is the first Reason which obliged me to write Another Reason is that I do consider my self as a Man taken out of a great Captivity and delivered out of a very dark Prison When God had delivered St. Peter out of Prison by the means of an Angel whom he sent to him the Scripture makes me understand that the Faithful compassed him round about to hear him to whom St. Peter (a) Act. 12.17 rehearsed the marvellous means which God had used to deliver him out of Captivity I do not Question but that the godly People zealous for the Honour of God for the Purity of his Gospel and for the Salvation of all Men as soon as they hear say that God has been pleased to deliver one of their Brethren out of the Captivity of the Devil out of the Prison of the Pope will come presently to meet him to enquire the means which God hath used in bringing him out of so great a Captivity Ah! tell us a little saith that People holily curious which were the motives of your Conversion Was it not a very great trouble to you to part from all the Friends you had to forsake all your Acquaintance to come to live in a Foreign Country I think the common People under the Pope's Dominion live without any knowledge of the word of God Ah! that his Divine Majesty would be pleased to lighten them with his marvellous Truths I make no Question but that all the learned Men and all the Priests who enjoy the liberty of Reading the Scripture may take a perfect notice of the Errors of Rome ah that God would be pleased to inspire
put his hand upon (a) Mar. 8.24 he did see truly but yet he was not able to distinguish Men from Tree the Word of God had restored my Eyes but they were but weak and subject to a great many dimnesses it was need to have some time to strengthen me in the Truth which I had but a glimpse of and to take away the Ignorance of Divinity under the pretences of which the Devil would cloak the Word of God Therefore the Divine Providence that took care for my Conduct disposed all things to hasten my Conversion it brought to pass several incidents which the Profane would call chance but the Saints stile The hand of the Lord. First I was destinated for the study of Divinity four years before all my Companions let the Flatterers and Profane say what they please those who judge holily of things that come to pass understand very well that the design of the Lord in that was no other but to take away as soon as it could be the fair Pretences wherewith Error would have offuscated Truth Secondly the Lord permitted I should come to an able man learned in Divinity both Scholastical and Positive perfect in Right Canon which is the Decrees of Fathers Councils and Popes in a word a man who was marvellous in Study of Controversies and in every thing which can contribute to make an absolute Divine But He permitted also that there might be in so excellent a man the fair Dealing and the Sincerity of a Child that was the reason that some Years after when he had known the Truth of God and the Errors of Rome because he knew not how to disguise Truth he published it every where he could not forbear to say that Indulgences Purgatory and the Obligations of Believing the Articles of Faith of the Pope and of keeping his Commandements upon â—ain of a mortal Sin were so many â—rafty Tricks of Rome to get Money He could not forbear to tell every Body the Mysteries the Factions the Impostures of the most part of those last Councils which are accounted General and Oecumenical by the Church of Rome he defended generously all the Truths which we profess in the Church of England wherefore he drew upon himself all the Persecutions he suffered for Truth so that afterward he died a Martyr for the Gospel by the severity of the Laws of Rome Oh! had he been in the time that I conversed with him as much lightned as he has been since he had saved me many troubles and perplexities he had doubtless delivered me out of that Suspension of Spirit whereunto I was reduced by the subtilty of his Answers and the height of his Resolutions But in that time the Lod did but begin his Conversion as well as mine and lighten us both by degrees yet with these two differences First the Lord destinated him to suffer all kinds of Persecutions to make him a Witness of his Holy Word a Martyr of the Gospel and he has not yet judged me worthy of Persecutions nor of Martyrdom Secondly he would have him raised up to the number of those great Saints whom the World afflicts and torments Ch. 1. §. 4. (a) Heb. 11.38 Of whom the World is not worthy Therefore the Lord ravished betimes that innocent Soul in the liveliness of his Years and speedily was he taken away (b) Wisd 4.11 as saith Solomon Lest Wickedness should alter his Understanding or deceit beguile his Soul Whereas the Divine Justice has looked upon me as a grievous Offendor who am suffered to live that I might Mourn and Weep longer for my Sons §. 4. The Conclusions of this Chapter How I came to know that the Articles of faith of Rome cannot be proved by Scripture IT was under the Conduct of that learned and holy Man that I began to give my self to the Study of Divinity I read what Authors do write concerning those Questions but specially and more exactly concerning the Questions which are controverted which are for the most part the Doctrines the Church of Rome hath received out of pride and covetousness without any ground in the Scripture I found in those Questions several difficulties I came to propound them to my Master there is said he what Bellarmin Answers there is for this matter the Exposition of Cardinal du Perron there is what Bonaventure what Thomas Aquinas what Scotus what Suarez what Valentia what Boivin what Herincx what others say touching that difficulty But when I asked him Tell me I beseech you freely what do you think He Answered me almost to every one of those Questions To tell you the truth said he the Doctrin of Purgatory of Indulgences of Worshiping Images and Reliques the Doctrin of Transubstantiation c. I do not find all these Doctrins very evident in the Scripture I do not see neither how they can be drawn very directly out of those places of the Bible th Authors of Rome are wont to produce to prove them by I give them you said he only to alledge to those who would have a place of the Bible he brought forth in every matter to have some pretence to say seasonably or unseasonably the Scripture speaks of that Matter and to content the Hereticks But to speak plainly I do sincerely confess it is not the Scripture which obliges or perswades me to believe all those Articles but the true and the only reason why I do hold them is because the Church teaches them so There are said I in self at once a great many difficulties abridged it is a great deal more just and more reasonable to deal after this manner than to consume all our brain to find in the Scripture with great pains of false discoursing what the Holy Ghost had never intention to teach therein Let us acknowledge then freely that all the Articles of the Faith of Rome are not in the Scripture nor grounded upon any thing else but upon the Authority of the Church After that all these difficulties may be very easily resolved All the business will be but to know whether or no I am obliged to believe as an Article of Faith what the Roman Church teaches without any ground from the Scripture This was the pass to which I was reduced to this I thought all the Theologie of Rome was to be reduced I did but loose my labour in consulting other Professors of Divinity in Conferring with those Friends of mine who were some Bachelors some Licentiates some Doctos of Sorbon and Curates of some chief Parishes in Paris They spoke but Gibbrish or some Latin words contrary to the good common Secne and Reason when they would have grounded the Doctrin of the Church of Rome upon the Scriptures and they never spake with reason but when at last they reduced themselves as to a Principle to the infallible definitive and final Judgement of the said Church in such matters CHAP. II. Chap. 2. How I understood the Articles of Faith of the
Roman Church not to be grounded on the belief of the Primitive Church neither on the Authority of the Holy Fathers INTRODUCTION The Reading of the Books concerning the Perpetuity of Faith in the Eucharist was an occasion to me to examin in particular the belief of Rome about that matter THus the affairs of my Conversion depended when Providence that watched after the means to work out my safety brought forth an Occasion that did contribute very much to reduce all my Difficulties to the Question of the Authority of the Church of Rome to the end that this Authority being proved false the Doctrin of Rome which is grounded upon it might be presently destroyed It was in the Time when the Dispute of the Perpetuity of Faith concerning the Eucharist made a great Rumor in the World among learned Men. I read with as much application as I was capable of the Books and the Replies both of Mr. Claude and of Mr. Arnaud the Triumph of the Eucharist by Mr. Pavillon the Book of Father Noüet and the Book of the Testimony of our Senses in the Eucharist I do not intend to make my self an arbitrator to judge those rare men who are accounted without contradiction the most Witty and Learned of France Since I do but tell the History of my Conversion I do only rehearse the effects the Reading of those Books wrought in my Soul and I am not so unjust as to hinder the rest of the World to think what they please of those learned Mens writings and to judge them at liberty The reading of those Books brought me abundance of light in the Question of the Holy Sacrament I did consider the Argument of Perpetuity as an Argument which being not Metaphysical was to be reduced at last to a multitude of Probabilities from which one could never conclude any thing with necessity though he would suppose as true with Mr. Arnauld the Principle whereupon it is grounded to wit the Belief of all the Churches in the point of * Which in the Sence of the Roman Church is Transubstantiation reality All the Christian Churches saith Mr. Arnauld believe the real Presence therefore it was the belief of the Primitive Church for in a matter of so great Importance it is impossible there should have been made any alteration in Doctrin This Argument found I know not what repugnancy to be received in my mind for though I supposed the first Proposition to be true which since by the Study of the Histories and Relations of several Countries I acknowledge to be false yet I could not consent to the consequence because the proof of it was not true to my thinking and what endeavour soever of Rhetorick Mr. Arnauld Used to expound and sustain his Thought yet I did ever conceive that it was very likely some alteration had been made in the Doctrin of the Eucharist as well as in other Articles in which every body acknowledges there has been On the contrary I found Mr. Claude's Answer very reasonable This alteration has been made saith he therefore it is not impossible and his proof the Church of Rome doth believe the real Presence with Transubstantiation but they did not believe so in the Primitive Church therefore there has been made an alteration and afterwards he proves in his Book by the Authority of Authors who lived in that time that truly in the Primitive Church they did not believe the real Presence of Christ in the Holy Sacrament This Argument seemed to me very natural sincere and true the proof of it easie and well grounded But for that of Mr. Arnauld's it seemed to me rough uneasie intricate the proofs of it grounded upon suppositions in the Air which could not be reduced at last but to some appearances of truth proving nothing necessarily These Reasons incited me to judge in favour of Mr. Claude against Mr. Arnauld's Argument But though I was perswaded his Argument was not good yet I would not confess the Opinion he was for was not true May be said I Mr. Arnauld hath proceeded a little too far in a false proof and afterwards he hath been engaged for his honour sake to hold it earnestly But in fine Mr. Arnauld is but a private man the Church of Rome may disclaime his Argument and not hold with him So Mr. Arnauld's Reasons being false it doth not follow from thence that the belief of his Church is false since it could have other Proofs and other Reasons That was the cause why I resolved to examin the Question of the Eucharist for my own clearing and here is very near the Method I observed in it Division of the Errors of the Roman Church concerning the Matters of the Eucharist I supposed first as a principle which I received without examination that the Primitive Church was to be our Rule since that Church nearer to the Apostles and our Saviour Jesus Christ had the advantage to suck Truths out of their Source That being supposed I divided all that is to be said of the Eucharist in two parts First The Belief concerning the Sacrament Secondly The form of the Administration of it Since then said I the belief of the Council of (a) Consil Trid. sessi 33. Item sess 13. cap. 4. can 2. Trent touching the Eucharist is not to be found in the Scripture since the Form of Administrating the Sacrament in the Roman Church is so much different from that which is related by St. Paul in the First to the Corinthians chap. 11. and by the Evangelists we are to examin whether the Belief of Rome had not been the Belief of the Primitive Church and whether the Mass which is the Roman Form of Administring the Sacrament had not been instituted by the first Christians And whereas the Church of Rome believes the (b) Consil Trid. sess 33. sess 13. real Presence with (c) sess 13. cap. 4. can 2. Transubstantiation believes that the Mass is a propitiatory (d) Sess 22. cap. 1 2. can 1 2 3. Sacrifice both for the quick and for the dead believes that the Mass as it is now ordained by the Pope is the ancient Form of Celebrating the Eucharist I examined every one of those Questions Ch. 2. §. 1. and I found 1. That the Belief of Rome about Real Presence with Transubstantiation is a new Doctrin in the Church 2. That the Sacrifice of the Mass is contrary to the belief of the Primitive Church 3. That the manner of Celebrating the Eucharist is very much different and quite opposed to that which Christians were used to in the first Ages of the Church From whence I concluded that the Articles of Faith of Rome are not grounded upon the belief of the Primitive Church SECT I. The Belief of Rome about the real Presence with Transubstantiation is a new Doctrin in the Church I. First proof drawn out of the reasons wherewith the Fathers of the Church were used to dispute against the Heathens SEveral
Reasons perswaded me that in the Primitive Church they did not believe the real Presence with Transubstantiation as the Roman Church Teaches it The first of all was the Argument which the Holy Fathers used to prove the Idols of the Heathens not to be Gods The Idols you Worship so earnestly said (a) Arnobi lib. 6. Lactant. lib. 2. cap. 2. they to the Heathens are not Gods If they fall to the ground they cannot raise up again by themselves therefore they need the help of Men they can neither open their Eyes nor stir out of the place where they have been set nor give the least sign of respiration They are subject to Rustiness Worms and Corruption Mice come to gnaw them and work their holes even in the Idols themselves In fine The Doors of your Temples must be shut up with good Locks least Theives should steal those Gods of yours It is to be believed that men who spoke thus would hold the Body Soul and Divinity of Christ to be Really Present in the Holy Sacrament Would not they have had reason to fear that the Heathens who were very able men would use against them the same Argument and tell them Your Host is not a God neither you are not to Worship it for it is subject to the same conveniencies and accidents as our Gods are Would a Divine of the Church of Rome have the boldness to dispute against the Heathens with the same reasons which the first Christians used The People of Paris said about five or six years ago They have stolen to day God Almighty out of St. Sulpitius's Church out of the Parish of Boulogne out of I do not know how many other Churches could that people say by right that the reason why the Idols are not Gods is because they cannot defend themselves against the Theives who come to take them away Those who have composed the Rubricks of the Missal wherein they Teach what is to be done in case the Host is fallen upon the Ground in case that that which is in the Chalice be spilt would they say that the reason why the Idols are not Gods is because when they are fallen they cannot rise up by themselves Thomas Aquinas and other Doctors of the Roman Church who do suppose the Host may grow mouldy that Worms may breed in it should they dare say as did the first Christians that the reason why we are not to Worship Idols is because they are subject to Rustiness Worms and Corruptions A Man of the Church of Rome who knows that the Pope (a) Platina in Victori Victorinus the Third was Poisoned in Drinking that which was in the Chalice That Henry the Seventh Emperour was Murthered with a Consecrated Host and that (b) Math. Paris an 1154. Henry Arch-bishop of York was used after the same manner in taking the Sacrament Durst One who knows all these Stories say the reason why the Idols are not Gods is because some of them falling out of their places have bruised and hurt those who usually walked about them Words are the Expressions of our Thoughts if the Church of Rome hath the same belief and the same Doctrin concerning the Eucharist as the first Christians Why doth it not dare to urge the same things which were maintained by the first Christians Or if the first Christians had the same Faith as the Church of Rome now how came they to urge Arguments which the Church of Rome now dares not maintain It is easie to know how great a prejudice this Argument is against the Belief of the Roman Church so did it work a mighty effect in my Soul And because I thought it very hard to have a resolution to it I proposed it in publick Disputes at Paris and first the Professor denied that ever any of the Fathers had used such Arguments But for as much as I could not abide to take a Lye before so many People I sent for Arnobius his Book and I read therein proofs enough to maintain the Propositions I stood for then the Professor who was as much able to give Distinction to no purpose as he was ignorant in reading the Fathers brought distinctions upon distinctions till at last in denying or distinguishing propositions clearer than the Sun it self he had reduced the Dispute to some Philosophical Question to avoid Answering my Argument I proposed it again to several Learned Men I looked for some Answer and Solution in the Books of Divines and I found nothing no where that could satisfie me in that Difficulty II. Second Proof drawn out of the Reasons wherewith the same Fathers were wont to dispute against the Hereticks THe second Reason that perswaded me that in the Primitive Church they did not believe the Real Presence with Transubstantiation was the Argument the first Christians used to prove against the Hereticks of their Age that Christ had a true Body and that he was not a Ghost Jesus Christ saith Tertullian (a) Lib. 4. Cap. 40. cont Marci Took the Bread and divided to his Apostles he made his Body of it saying This is my body that is to say The Figure of my body But it could not be the Figure of his Body if he had not had a true Body since a thing in the Air such as a Ghost is not capable of any Figure And (b) Lib. 5. Cap. 1. Irenaeus disputing against the Hereticks who said Christ had not taken the Human Nature If it be so says he the Lord has not Redeemed us with his Blood the Chalice of the Eucharist is not the Communication of his Blood and the Bread we break is not the Communication of his Body for the Blood cannot proceed but from Veins Flesh and the rest of the Substance of a Man If these Fathers had believed the Real Presence with Transubstantiation they had spoken thus Had not they said the Eucharist is Christ's own Flesh his own Soul his own Divinity therefore Christ was not a meer Ghost since we have his Flesh in the Sacrament Had not this Argument been stronger than the other wherein they proved that Christ had a true Body because the Sacrament is the Figure of his Body Irenaeus ought to have supposed in the Chalice of the Eucharist Christs own Blood to be and not as he doth that the Chalice of the Eucharist is the Communication of his Blood he should have said the Bread we break is Transubstantiated into Christ Body and not that it is the Communication of the Body of Christ In a word he should have said that the Sacrament was Christs own Flesh Christs own Substance And though those Arguments of the Fathers are admirable and most cogent yet they would have betrayed the Truths if being perswaded of the Articles of the Real Presence with Transubstantiation of the Roman Church they had forgotten to speak of it I am very sure if the Ancient Heresies should come again into the Church there would be never a Divine to
of Christ jesus There was before the Table of the Communion a great Curtain like to that Vail which was in the old time before the (a) Exod. 26.33 Ark of the Testimony and when the Curtain was drawn to set open to the sight of the People the Holy Mysteries the Faithful imagained they saw the Heavens opened as (b) Homil. 3. sup Epist ad Ephes St. Chrysostome speaks they consider'd the Table of Communion as an Altar imbrued all over with Christ's Blood they came to the Sacred Table with an holy horrour and a trembling like to that of Moses when he came nigh to the bush out of the midst whereof God spake with him they were all penetrated throughout with the light of their Faith and they breathed nothing but Fire of Charity which consumend them And in this manner they came near our Lord J. Christ to eat his own Body and to drink his own Blood they regarded the Minister who divided to them the Bread and the Wine of the Holy Sacrament as a Seraphin who was to put upon their tongues a coal of fire to quicken them with the Love of God and the Spirit of Christ But if somebody in that time should have worshipped the Sacr ament in stead of worshipping Christ who is received in the Sacrament he would have been lookt upon as an Idolater he would have been rejected out of the Church and dealt with as an Heretick or else they would have taught him that it is a dreadful Error to worship the Sacrament as if Bread and Wine were transubstantiated into Christ's Body and Blood and that the Faith of the True Church and of all the Saints is to believe That by the means of the Holy Sacr ament we are truly and really partakers of the true Body and of the true Blood of Christ who is in Heaven settled at the Right Hand of God his Father where we worship Him in receiving the Sacrament 3. The Beginning of the Celebration of the Eucharist in an unknown Tongue Now for the third Error which is to be found in the Roman Church in the Administration of the Sacrament we know that it is but fince the Popes have made themselves Soveraigns since they have raised themselves to be Arbitrators of Crowns since they took upon them to depose Kings from their Thrones and usurped that Temporal Power which they now injoy We know that it is but since that time that they have endeavoured as by Right of Conquest to oblige all Nations to speak the Roman Language as a Mark of their Bondage to the Pope following the Example of the old Roman Emperors who after they had reduced several Provinces and Nations under their Jurisdiction constrained them to speak the Roman language That Tyranny of constraining the People to celebrate the holiest of our Mysteries in a Tongue which they understand not is a thing so evidently contrary to that which the Holy Ghost teaches us in the * 1 Cor. 14.16 Scripture that almost all the Christian Churches which have received from the Apostles their Belief and the Form of Celebrating the Eucharist do celebrate it unto this day in the Vulgar Tongue of the Countries whereof they are Inhabitants The Greeks have their Lyturgy in their own Tongue as every one knows the Christians of Moscovia who received of the Apostle St. Andrew the Faith of Christianity have their Lyturgy in the (a) Guagn de Relig. Moscov pag. 250. Slavonian tongue which is the vulgar Tongue of the Country they inhabit The Armenians converted for the most part by S. Bartholomew speak their (b) Cassander Lyturg. cap. 13. pag. 31. own Tongue in the Celebration of the Holy Mysteries The Jacobites who dwell in Syria speak 9c) Brerewood pag. 194. Syriack in celebrating the Eucharist The Abissine Christians celebrate the Divine Service and the Communion in the (d) Chytraeus pag. 28. Tongue of their Country Which makes me believe that all Christian Nations conformed themselves to the practice of the primitive Church and that they have wel perceived the Holy Ghost frobid the celebration of these holy Mysteries which consist in Blessings and Thanksgivings in an unknown Tongue to which the Unlearned could not answer Amen CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST PART The Articles of the Roman Church cannot be proved either by the Practice of the Primitive Church or by the Authority of the Ancient Fathers ALl those Reflexions which I made for my own particular Instruction and Edification brought a great Light into my Soul and overthrew in part the false principles wherewith the Errors of the Roman Church are ordinarily intricated and darkened First I began to mistrust that Church and then afterwards to draw some Consequences against the Errors thereof I thought since it is a thing very natural to mistrust one in all his Conduct after we have once surprised him in a Dault that after having discovered the Errors of the Roman Church concerning the Question of the Eucharist I might reasonably mistrust it in all the other Articles of Faith of which it makes a particular profession and so I saw nothing sure nothing fast in the Church of Rome I believed I might justly mistrust that this Church had done in the Doctrine of Indulgences Purgatory Prayer for the Dead and Invocation of Saints the same that it has done in that of Transubstantiation Reality and Sacrifice of the Mass that is to say I feared they were Articles which had been framed against the Doctrine of the Ancient Church the Testimony of the Holy Fathers and the Authority of the Word of God Moreover I thought that having remarked the Errors of Rome in the chief and most holy of all the Mysteries of Christianity I was not obliged to examine the other Articles and that that only was enough to make me suppose that it had erred in all the other Points of its Doctrine and that one must consequently forsake its Communion if he doth desire to be saved The desire of my Salvation was a desire which Grace had rooted very profoundly in my Soul but the thought of forsaking the Communion of a Church within which I had been brought up was a thought very contrary to my natural Inclinations I could not blind my self from seeing the Errors of Rome but I had not yet strength enough generously to forsake them to the peril of whatsoever could happen The Reasons which made me understand my Errors came every day to present themselves to my mind with some new Lights and Evidences The Church of Rome hereupon I look'd before as if it had been encompassed round about with the Truths of the Scripture grounded upon the Authority of the Saints of the Primitive Church appeared to me at that time bared of all those fine Testimonies But at last the same Pretence which caused me to defer my conversion when the Grace of God had made me understand that the Romish Faith was not grounded upon the Word of God
caused me to defer it again after it had made me understand that this same Romish Faith was grounded neither upon the Authority of the Holy Fathers nor upon the Practice of the Ancient Christians according to the pretensions of the Roman Theologians This Pretence was the Authority of Rome which I supposed Infallible and it was that pretended Infallible Authority which kept me stil in its Communion If the Roman Church be Infallible what matter is it whether the Articles determined by it have any foundation in the Word of God or upon the Authority of the Fathers or Practice of the Primitive Church As long as we suppose it Infallible we must believe all the Articles it teaches and it signifies nothing to say that such or such an Article of Faith was not heretofore believed When the Roman Church shall declare it an Article of Faith to believe That the blessed Virgin Mary was conceived without any original sin and that we must hold as oecumenick the Council of Basil that * Sess 36. teaches us this Doctrine When this Church shall declare That all Christians are truly and really buried in Jesus Christ in Baptism That the Water used in that Sacrament is transubstantiated into Christ's own true Blood wherein our sins are purified and That it is an Heresie to believe that under the appearances of the Water of the Baptism there remains something of the substance of Water That Baptism must be worshipped When the Church shall be pleased to determine all these Articles and to declare that they are implicitly in (a) Rom. 6.3 4. Col. 2.12 Gal. 3.27 Scripture and in the (b) St. August Epist 164. ad Emerit Fathers we shall be obliged to believe them because the Church is Infallible This way of dealing to acknowledge plainly that neither the Fathers of the Church nor the first Christians believed many Articles of Faith which are now believed in the Church of Rome seemed to me a great deal more sincere than to seek in the Fathers what they never said and to make the Primitive Church believe things which it did never so much as think of This way of dealing freely was a little bold but it was just sincere and very easie According to that Method when one asks a Theologian Why do you believe Transubstantiation he presently answers that he believes Transubstantiation as an Article of Faith Because the Council of (c) Sess 13. cap. 4. Trent hath declared that it is an Article of Faith and pronounced Anathema against those who should hold the contrary Is is not better to answer thus than to break ones brain to give unto the Fathers both Greek and Latin several Explications which they would not avow if they were alive and to make the World believe that in those Passages of the Fathers wherein they use these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they have intended to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is an Expression not to be found in any of those Fathers as it is observed by a late (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. Eccles tom 1. part post p. 247. Bishop of Norwich cited by Dr. Hammond in his Catechism I see very well said I that after the Examination of the Scripture and of the Fathers wherein it is impossible to find evidently the Articles of Faith of the Roman Church the shortest way is to refer all the business to the Authority of the Church Thus if the Authority of the Roman Church be Infallible to deal fairly simply justly and honestly we must say I believe the Christian People for whom Christ shed all his Blood ought not to partake of the Chalice of his Blood because the Council of (b) Sess 13. Constance and the Council of (c) Sess 21. Trent have so determined I believe that besides the Sacrifice of the Cross there is another Propitiatory Sacrifice viz. the Mass which blots out the Sins both of the Quick and the Dead because the Council of * Sess 22. chap. 1 2. can 1 2 3. Trent made that an Article of Faith And say the same honestly and in good earnest of Purgatory of Indulgences of Invocation of Saints and of other Articles and not headily drive on to find in the Primitive Church Articles of Faith whereof it had never so much as the least knowledge or Notion Thus there remains nothing but to examine if the Authority of the Roman Church be Infallible This was the indivisible Point whereupon I fixed all my Religion thither I reduced all the Controversial Questions wherefore I examined that Question of the Infalliblity of the Roman Church but whether because I was afraid to find the Infallibility of Rome as ill grounded as the Doctrine of Transubstantiation whether because the greediness I had to maintain with credit and reputation the Authority of the Church which I was ingaged at that time to sustain in Publick Disputes had distracted and blinded me whether because Grace was not pleased at that time to make an end of my Conversion but would have me grow ripe and root very profoundly in my mind the Reasons I had meditated to fasten me more and more in the Faith of the Holy Word I devised many Proofs and many Reasons both good and bad I perswaded my self first that I might perswade others more easily and I maintained in my Publick Theses That the Roman Church even that the Pope alone was Infallible when he determins something that belongs to the Faith That Perswasion kept me still in the Church of Rome wherefore I began to be asswaged and to change my Discourse and whereas I had considered the Articles of Faith of that Church as so many Errors because they were not agreeable with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church and the Testimony of the Fathers I considered them at that time only as some Novelties which were not criminal since I supposed that Church being Infallible had right to produce every day and to declare new Articles of Faith In that Supposal when some Learned Man asked me my Sentiment in particular upon some Question of Divinity I soon return'd according to my Opinion and I reduced all the Questions to the Infallibility of Rome But when I was obliged to speak in publick and before the People I thought my self ingaged for fear of scandalizing and discontenting weak minds to use the Method which others use every where and to bring though against my own perswasion some Passages of the Scripture and some Testimonies of the Ancient Fathers of the Church to prove in particular every Article of the Roman Faith Such was my dealing at that time when the only Perswasion of the Infallibility of Rome fastened me in its Communion The END of the FIRST PART THE SECOND PART SECONDE PARTIE Que l'Eglise Romaine n'est poin◠la Veritable Eglise que so◠Authorité n'est point Infaillible qu'elle n'est remplie qu◠de Corruptions d'Erreurs INTRODUCTION La Providence fit naistre des
Memoires DE Mr. DES-ECOTAIS Cy devant appelle dans l'Eglise Romaine Le Tres Venerable PERE CASSIAN de PARIS Prestre et Predicateur de l'Ordre des Capucins OV Les MOTIFS de sa CONVERSION Divisés en Deux Parties I. Que la Doctrine de l'Eglise Romaine d'apresent n'est fondée ny sur l'Ecriture Sainte ny sur la creance de la Primitive Eglise ny sur l'Authorité des Saints Peres Cequi est plus particulierement et plus evidement verifié dans l'examen de la creance de Rome touchant l'Euchristie II. Que l'Eglise Romaine n'est point la veritable Eglise qu'elle n'a pointe de son costé exclusivement et au prejudice des autres Eglises Christiennes ny l' Antiquite de la foy ny la Multitude du Peuple ny la veritable et legitime Succession des Evéques Que son Authorite n'est point infaillible et qu'elle est toute pleine d'Erreurs et de Corruptions A LONDRES Imprimé chez G. Godbid et se vend chez Moyse Pit à l'Ange vis à vis la petite porte de St. Paul 1677. Memoires OF Mr. DES-ECOTAIS Formerly stiled in the Church of Rome The most Venerable FATHER CASSIANUS of PARIS Priest and Preacher of the Order of the Capucins OR THE MOTIVES of his CONVERSION Divided into Two Parts I. That the Doctrin of the now Roman Church is not grounded neither upon the Holy Scripture neither upon the belief of the Primitive Church or the Authority of the Holy Fathers which is more particularly and more evidently verified in the examination of the Belief of Rome concerning the Eucharist II. That the Church of Rome is not the true Church that it doth not enjoy as absolutely its own outshutting all other Churches neither the Antiquity of the Belief neither the multitude of the People neither the true and lawful Succession of the Bishops That the Authority thereof is not Infallible and that it is full of Errors and Corruptions LONDON Printed by W. Godbid and are to be Sold by Moses Pitt at the Angel over-against the little North Door of St. Paul 's Church 1677. DEDICATION A MONSEIGNEUR Illustrissime et Reverendissime HENRY Evéque de LONDRES Doyen de la Chapelle du Roy Et un des SEIGNEURS Du Conseil Privé de sa Majesté MONSEIGNEVR CE n'est pas d'aujourd'huy que ceux qui quittent le party de l'Erreur pour ambrasser la Verité se trouvent exposez à la persecution du monde et ce n'est pas d'aujourd'huy non plus qu'ils ont besoin de puissants protecteurs pour les deffendre contre l'injustice Vôtre Grandeur sçait que St. Paul n'eut pas plûtôt le tître et la qualité de Nouveau Converty qu'il se trouva abandonné et persecuté de toute la terre Il a beau alleguer aux Juifs les Motifs de sa Conversion disputer contre eux et les confondre les Juifs n'en sont pas pour cela moins enragez contre luy Ces méchants s'imaginent toûjours que les motifs qui ont obligé Paul à quitter la Religion de ses peres pour embrasser la pureté de l'Evangile ne sont autres que l'inconstance de son esprit ou le desir dela nouveauté et dans cette pensée ils le regardent comme un Deserteur et comme un Apostat ils luy dressent des embûches ils font des complots et des conspirations pour le mettre à mort et s'imaginent qu'ils ne peuvent rendre à Dieu un service plus Religieux que de s'obliger par un voeu solemnel à ne point boire ny manger jusqu'à ce qu'ils ayent trempé leurs mains dans le sang de Paul St. Paul est obligé de s'enfuïr il faut qu'il sorte de Damas par dessus les murailles pour éviter la fureur de ses ennemis et qu'il se retire à Jerusalem pour estre plus en seureté Et là St. Paul tout Vase d'election qu'il est il a le déplaisir de voir que les disciples même évitent sa compagnie le craignent et ne se fient pas à luy par ce qu'ils ont peur que sa conversion ne soit une conversion feinte imparfaite et dissimulée et il saut qu'il ait recours à un Apôtre qui luy serve de Protecteur qui le presente aux Disciples et qui leur fasse entendre les moyens admirables dont Dieu s'estoit servy pour operer sa conversion Voilà l'estat où se trouvoit reduit St. Paul aprés sa conversion et c'est aussi l'estat Monseigneur où se trouve reduit encore en ce siecle un homme nouvellement converty D'un costé ceux desquels il abandonne le party deviennent ses plus cruels et plus irreconciliables ennemis ils ne le menacent de rien moins que de le perdre et si leurs voeux et leurs dessins pernicieux n'estoient arrestez par la severité des Loys on verroit bientôt les consequences tragiques de leur Zele indiscret et passionné D'un autre côté un grand nombre de ceux avec lesquels il fait profession dela Pureté de l'Evangile ne se veulent point fier à luy ils le fuyent ils le craignent pour les mêmes raisons pour lesquelles les Disciples craignoient Paul ils ont peur qu'il ne soit pas veritablement converty ils craignent que sa conversion ne soit interressée et imparfaite ou du moins ils craignent qu'elle ne soit pas de durée et qu'aprés avoir demeuré quelque temps parmy eux il ne retourne à son erreur et ne deviene encore une fois le Persecuteur de l'Evangile et dela Verité Que deviendra dans cet estat un pauvre nouveau Converty Pour ceux dont il a quitté les erreurs et qui le persecutent sans misericorde et sans charité il n'a que des prieres à faire à l'Eternel pour leur Conversion dans le temps même qu'il est le plus cruellement persecuté et il leve incessament les mains vers le Ciel pour reconnoistre que les pechez qu'il a commis sont les seules causes qui attirent sur sa teste toutes ces persecutions Mais à l'égard de ceux avec lesquels il fait profession d'une même Foy il a besoin aussi bien que St. Paul d'un puissant Protecteur qui soit son avocat qui parle en sa faveur et qui fasse connoistre aux peuples que sa conversion n'est pas l'ouvrage de l'interrest de l'inconstance ou dela necessité mais que c'est un ouvrage de Dieu et un effet de ses misericordes
them with the Zeal of their Salvation and to turn away their hearts out of Error as he did yours Ah! how many thanks are you to give to God Almighty that he has drawn you out of the Tyranny where you were born But we should be very glad to hear the particularities of your Conversion And it is to rehearse them that I undertook this Discourse to engage you to joyn your Thanksgivings to mine for to thank Him to praise Him and to glorifie Him admiring the Greatness of his Goodness and the Wonders he doth work in the Souls of those whom he has 〈…〉 § 2. The Conversion of a Man who did live in the errors of the Roman Church is a very great Miracle SAint Peter's Chains broken by themselves many Blind men recovering their Eyes many Sick bodies healed many Dead rais'd up again these are very great Miracles and marvellous Deeds of the Highest's Mighty Hand But the Divine alterations which Grace works in our Souls are a great deal more marvellous more worthy of God's Majesty better becoming his Almightiness The Man whom the Finger of God has touched to work the Miracle of his Conversion doth not know himself any more so considerable is that change he feels his Soul entirely perswaded of certain Truths which God has revealed which he regarded heretofore as so many lies and he finds himself delivered from a multitude of errors which he worshipped as the Truth it self Peradventure you would have supposed that the prejudications of Error which he found in his mind from his Child-hood might be like so many petty Tyrants and young Devils who perplex him who vex him who trouble the quietness of his Conscience and raise up in him dimness and darkness stealing from his Eyes the very light of Truth You are mistaken Grace gives him strength to dissipate the evil Spirits and to withstand Error He doth enjoy the light of the Gospel with a peace and quietness which cannot be expressed and as the dawning of the Day which comes first after Night is received by all Creatures with more pleasant and more delightful wellcome than the very Light of Noon so I dare say there happens sometimes the same thing in the state of Grace A Soul newly lightened enjoys sometimes the Light with more pleasure and sweetness than do those who have been all their life long in the broad day-light of the Gospel That a man should live in such a Tranquillity of Conscience as the Saints themselves enjoy in Heaven That he should find pleasure and sweetness in being perswaded of a Truth which he lookt upon before as an Heresie and did not think of without Horrour it is a prodigious work of the Highest it is Almighty Gods mighty hand A Christian who has prostituted himself to all his Passions who has dived into all kinds of Vices and Deboachments who has transgressed all the Commandements of God when Grace touches and Converts him it is a great Miracle yet that man who prostituted himself to all kinds of Vices did never conceive any horrour against those who follow Virtue He did consider Virtue as a very hard thing but not as an Abomination and in the very same time wherein he broke all the Commandements he thought not that it was a great sin to keep them He did not look upon those who observed them as so many Monsters as so many Franticks as a people who deserving the malediction of God and the execration of Men ought to be exterminated out of the World with Sword and Fire But a Man who did live in the errors of Rome before God had hightened him by his Grace he looked upon the Reformed Church as a Church full of Abomination he never spoke of those who follow that Church but with Imprecation and Cursing he never read any proposition of their Doctrin but presently he added an Anathema and damned them to the pit of Hell he had rather have the conversation of Devils than that of a Protestant In a word all the Invectives Raylings Imprecations Maledictions Anathematizations he could heap up were to be poured out upon those who do profess the purity of the Gospel When after all those Repugnancies and Estrangements which seemed to be an obstacle to Truth you see a Man mollified opening his Eyes to the Grace of God changing his Dispositions his Notions his Thoughts and all his Manners Is not that a prodigie of Grace Have I not reason to say that this Miracle is not only greater than that whereby God gives again Eyes to the Blind Life to the Dead but even a great deal more marvellous than that which Grace works in the Conversion of the greatest Sinners § 3. After what manner the Spirit of God made me understasnd my Errors THe Lord our God doth not always shew altogether at once the effects of his mighty Power nor doth he work always after the same manner in all the Conversions of Sinners He speaks sometimes with a thundering Voice which altogether at once beats down dazles and converts a Sinner And it was with such a Voice he spoke to (a) Act. 9. St. Paul when in a minute of time he turned him from the most furious Enemy of the Gospel into a very Zealous Preacher of the same Gospel Other times he begins to speak to a Sinner softly and a great way off He prepares him he prevents him and he puts him in the Dispositions he judges fit for his Conversion It is after this manner he converted the (b) Act. 8. Eunuch of great Authority under Candace Queen of the Aethiopians he doth not overturn him out of his Chariot he doth not cast him to the ground to Convert him suddenly as he did afterwards St. Paul but he dispoes him by the reading of the Scripture to receive the light of the Gospel And it is after this manner the Lord has been pleased to draw me out of the Errors of Rome and to bring me through his great Mercies to profess here freely the purity of his Holy Word This is that which I intend to rehearse in all this Discourse in the First Part whereof I will recite how I understood that the Doctrin of the now Roman Church is grounded neither upon the Authority of the Holy Scriptures nor upon the belief of the Primitive Church nor the Authority of the Holy Fathers And in the Second Part how I understood that the Church of Rome is not the True Church that its Authority is not Infallible and that it is full of Corruptions and Errors FIRST PART The Doctrin of the Roman Church is grounded neither upon the Scripture nor upon the belief of the Primitive Church nor the Authority of the Holy Fathers CHAP. I. How I understood the Doctrin of the Roman Church to be not grounded upon the Scripture §. I. The Reading of the Scripture disposed me before-hand to acknowledge the Errors of Rome BEing in the Ecclesiastical Orders of the Church of Rome I thought
the Bridegroom and the Foundation of the Church as he is stiled (b) De Pontif. Roman lib. 2. cap. 31. by Bellarmin if they do signifie that the Pope is Infallible that he has the power to make new Articles of Faith (c) 2.2 q. 1. art 10. as Thomas Aquinas doth hold If those places of Scripture signifie all these Propositions they are very dark we must confess it is a very hard matter to follow these Consequences since they are contrary even to common Sence That place of St. Paul (d) 1 Corinth 11.24 This is my Body If these Words are to be expounded after the same manner that those other words of the same St. Paul in the same Epistle in the next Chapter (e) 1 Corinth 12.27 Ye are the Body of Christ this place is very easie but if these words signifie that the substance of Bread in the Holy Sacrament is transubstantiated into Jesus Christ his own Flesh into his own substance as it is written (a) Sess 13. cap 4. can 2. in the Councel of Trent that place is very obscure there is not in all the Scripture such another And if we are to give to all the Texts of Scripture which are alike to that so rough an explication to understand them after the same manner the Council of Trent understands that of St. Paul we must needs say that all the substance of Christ is Transubstantiated into the substance of a (b) Joh. 10.7 door that Christ is truly and really a (c) Joh. 1.29 Lamb that the spiritual Rock which followed the Children of Israel in the Wilderness had but the appearances the colour the hardness the resemblance of a Rock but truly and really it was Transubstantiated into the Body into the Blood into the Soul and the Divinity of Christ because the Scripture saith (d) 1 Cor. 10.4 That Rock was Christ And how horrid an absurdity would it be to draw such consequences Ah we must confess the Scripture is very difficult if we are to receive such Interpretations Besides that I did find in the Scripture many Insufficiencies Insufficiencies of the Scripture I thought it was an Article of Faith to believe that the Roman Church is the true Church which Christ has established and in all the Scripture I did find nothing of it I knew it was an Article of the Faith of Rom to believe that it is an Holy thing godly acceptable to the Lord and profitable to Men (a) Sess 25. To call upon the names of the Saints (b) Sess 25. decr 2. To Worship their Images Bones and Reliques according as it is decreed in the Council of Trent And I did not find in all the Scripture any Prayers directed to the Saints after their Death I did not find in all the Acts of the Apostles nor any where else that the first Christians had any Images in whose presence they said their Prayers neither do we read they had any Caskets or Shrines wherein Reliques were kept to bring them abroad in solemn Processions to set them in the middle of their Churches and to Worship them there Wherefore I said sometimes to my self Alas If We keep the same Faith as the first Christians why do We the things which the first Christians never did Why do We call upon the names of Saints Why do We Worship their Images and Bones I found not in all the Scripture Indulgencies or Purgatory in short I thought my self obliged to beieve several Articles of Faith of which there is no mention in the Scripture That made me think that the Scripture was an insufficient Book and that every thing which is necessary to believe for our Salvation is not contained in it But I did not perceive my errors nor the falshood of my discoursing and that whereas I did conclude that the Scripture was insufficient because I did not find in it all those Articles I should rather and more rightly conclude that all those Doctrines are not Articles of Faith since they are not to be found in the Word of God These first glimpses of Truth made a mighty Impression in my Mind though under pretences of Doubts Difficulties and Insufficiencies Contradictions of the Scripture to which were added even many contradictions which I found in the Places of the Scripture whereby the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is utterly subverted in that place of (a) 1 Tim. 4. St. Paul to Timothy Now the Spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the Faith giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lyes in Hypocrisie having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron forbidding to Marry and commanding to abstain from Meats which God has created to be received with Thanksgivings You would say that the Apostle did see by the Spirit the Errors of the Roman Church which he condemns before-hand as Doctrines of Devils Who doth not understand that these words do utterly destroy the Doctrine of the Popes in the Decree of Gracian (a) Distinct 82. can Propos can Propos can Plurimos wherein the Marriage of Church-men is stiled a defiling and a Sacriledge Doutterly destory the Commandements of the Roman Church wherein it is commanded to abstain from Meats upon the pain of a Mortal Sin These Words of (b) 1 Cor. 10.16 17. St. Paul to the Corinthians The BREAD which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ We are all partakers of that one BREAD and in the next Chapter (c) 1 Cor. 1◠v. 26 27 28. As often as you Eat that BREAD c. Let a man examin himself and so let him Eat of that BREAD All these Testimonies of the Holy Ghost were a mighty weight to incline me to believe that the Holy Sacrament was the Bread which is broken Ch. 1. §. 3. But at last error did come again to extinguish this sparkle of Light which began to shine in my Soul and whereas it is the belief of Rome which is to be ruled modified and accommodated to the Truth of the Word of God I did perswade my self that these places of the Scripture were to be ruled modified and accommodated to the belief of Rome and so I was obliged to look upon all those Words of Scripture as so many Contradictions §. 3. Circumstances which did contribute to hasten my Conversion IN that condition I found my self divided betwixt Error and Truth betwixt the Word of God and the Belief of the Church of Rome But Error brought forth some pretences to persist stubbornly May be said I the reason wherefore I come to so many Difficulties Insufficiencies and Contradictions in the Scripture is because I have not read what the Theologians write concerning such Questions may be the Study of Divinity will make plain all these Difficulties supply all these Insufficiencies and reconcile all these Contradictions So I was like to that blind Man whom Christ
be found in the Roman Church who durst prove against them as did Tertullian against Marcion that the Sacrament of the Eucharist is the Figure of Christs Body and that consequently Christ was not a Ghost On the contrary a Protestant would be able to bring against those Heresies the same Arguments which the first Christians used and he would be warranted therein by all his Church From whence comes that difference if not from that that a Protestant believes nothing concerning the Sacrament but what they believed in the Primitive Church whereas a Divine of the Church of Rome acknowledges several articlesof Faith which were unknown among the First Christians and which consequently are the cause he cannot speak the same Language nor use the same Arguments they used These two Reasons seemed to me so much the stronger because I looked upon them not as the opinion of a single man who may be deceived or some place of a Book which may be corrupted and drawn into an ill sense but I looked upon these Reasons as the Reasons of all the Church and publick Weapons both of Learned Men and of the People to fight the Heathens and the Hereticks with all III. Third Proof drawn out of the manner whereafter the Fathers were wont to speak of this Holy Sacrament THat which confirmed me that in the Primitive Church they did not believe the Real Presence with Transubstantiation was the manner wherewith the Fathers both Greek and Latin were wont to speak of those Mysteries Theodoret (a) In 55 Quaestiosuper genesim says It is an extreme foclishness and extravagancy to Worship what one Eats 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the same in (b) Dialog 1. Intitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another place The LORD says he did the honour to the visible Signs to call them his BLOOD and his BODY not having changed their Nature but having added Grace to Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is there any appearance that the Fathers believed what the Council of Trent teaches A Divine of the Church of Rome who should say that it is an extreme extravagancy to Worship what one Eats That Christ hath not changed the Nature of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament would he not presently be sent to the Inquisition and condemned as an Heretick to be burnt a live The Eucharist say the Fathers of the Church (a) Cyprian de Caena cap. 6. is a visible Sacrament whereupon the Divine Essence imparts it self after an unutterable manner It (b) Idem cap. 2. is an Holy Nutriment capable of rendering us Immortal which is very much different from the ordinary Nutriments we are daily fed withal It keeps indeed the kind of a corporeal substance but it makes known by an invisible efficacy that it possesses the Presence of a Divine Vertue (c) Hilary de Trinit lib. 8. we are in Christ by his corporeal Birth and he is in us by the Mysteries of his Sacraments (d) August cap. 12. cont Adimant The Lord did not doubt to say this is my Body when he gave the Sign of his Body He (a) Idem in Psal 3. permitted Judas to be present at the Banquet wherein he committed and gave to his Disciples the Figure of his Body and Blood If a Roman Author should use these expressions which the Holy Fathers used would not a Bishop of the Roman Church zealous for the Interests of the Council of Trent say to him Sir 't is not enough to say with Cyprian tha tthe Divine Essence imparts it self in the Eucharist after an unutterable manner the Hereticks say all that You must say furthermore the Body and Soul of Christ are there really in the room of the substance of Bread 'T is not enough to say the Eucharist is an Holy Nutriment of a Divine Vertue the Hereticks do confess all that You must say moreover it contains the Real Presence of Christs Body and Blood 'T is not enough to say that Christ is in us by the Mysteries of his Sacraments the Hereticks do believe the same thing but you must say he is in us really his Body his Soul his Divinity In fine you must have a very great care of saying the Sacrament is the Sign and the Figure of Christ's Body and Blood as St. Austin said you must say to the contrary that it is not the Figure of Christ's Body and Blood you must say that it is Christ's own Body and Blood into which the Bread and Wine of the Lord's Supper is Transubstantiated Certainly this Bishop would speak well according to the belief of the new Roman Church but he would be far from the Doctrin of the holy Fathers He would forsake the Faith of the Primitive Church he would bring forth propositions of which the first Christians have been wholly ignorant he would even condemn the Belief of 330 Bishops of a general Council held at Constantinople in the year 754. for those 330 Bishops condemning as Idolatry the Worshiping of Images among the Reasons they brought did exhort the People to be contented with the Images that Christ has instituted giving in the Holy Sacrament Bread and Wine as Images and Figures of his own Body and Blood and speaking of the Bread of the Eucharist Behold there is said those Fathers the Image of his life-giving Body and a little after The Lord say they has commanded us to put upon the Table this Image especially chosen to wit the substance of Bread least Idolatry should slip in among the Christians if he had been represented under an Human Figure IV. Fourth Proof drawn out of the Novelty of the Doctrin teaching Transubstantiation ALl those Reasons perswaded me not only that the belief of the Real Presence with Transubstantiation was not the belief of the Primitive Church but furthermore that they were Articles of Faith newly devised And I knew afterwards they were no older than the beginning of the thirteenth Age when Pope Innocent the Third in the (a) Scotus in 4. Sent. dist 11. quaest 3. Council of Lateran in the year â—214 set among the Articles of Faith the Belief of Transubstantiation since we see that in the end of the Ninth Age about the Year of our Lord 870. Bertram or John Scot one of the most learned Men of that time wrote a Book by the command of Charles the Bauld King of France touching the question of the Eucharist wherein he maintains openly the Belief of the Protestant Church since we (a) Biblioteca Patr. de Div. Offi. find a letter of the Emperour Charles Magne to his Teacher Alcuinus wherein these words are to be read Jesus christ supping with his Disciples broke the Bread and gave it to them likewise the Cup in figure of his Body and Blood In fine since even in the Canon of the Mass instead of these words which are to be found there now Ut nobis Corpus Sanguis fiat dilectissimi Filii tui c. That it may become to us
Christian Congregations do not agree together to know which of them has the true Faith and the true Religion instituted by Christ that was the point of my difficulty In that part of Europe wherein I find my self by the chance of my birth see two Congregation two Christian Churches the Roman and the Reformed which both boast to have that true Faith excluding the other now how to resolve that difference and to know which of them has truth of it's side The Roman Church brags it self to be the eldest it reckoneth a multitude of people and nations who conform themselves to it's Communion and shews a long Catalogue of Popes who have been settle one after another in the Seat of Rome but if it be asked to set open to the light its Articles of Faith and to examine whether or no they be agreeable to the word of God to that true Faith which has been taught us by Jesus Christ our Lord it cryes out frets and is disturb'd it cannot abide to come to that examination and would be believed upon its own word On the contrary the Reformed Church brags of nothing she could say that it is she truly that is the eldest since the doctrine she teaches if conformable to that which Christ himself taught us she could shew in all ages and in all parts of the world whole nations which are conformable to the same doctrine which she has learnt from Christ she could show long Catalogues of Bishops and Patriarchs who have succeded one another in the Chairs which the Apostles themselves have established which are with her in Communion and upon all those accounts she could demand as well as the Roman Church to be believed upon her own word without coming to the examination of her doctrine but forasmuch as she knows that this manner of dealing is unjust and that she is sure she teaches nothing but what is agreeable to the word of God she desires nothing so much as to be examined by the rule of the Scripture and gives leave to all the world to compare the doctrine she teaches with that which they taught in the Primitive Church with that which the Apostles with that which Christ himself taught when he was upon the earth Now which of these two Churches acts more sincerely and which of them have we most reason to suspect of error and falsehood If fomebody should come to a payment with you and you could not know surely whether his mony were good or false coyn would not you use weights and a touch-stone to examine the mony And if the man should be angry and alledge to you that the mony which he pays you seems very acnient that there is in the world a great deal more such as that and that he has received it successively from his great great Grandfather Would you not say to his Sir there is great quantity of ancient mony which is false for all that if this mony be not good all the mony in the world which is alike to it is not good neither and if these pieces be false you may give them your Children succes sively to the end of the world but they would not grow better for all that but if notwithstanding the man would be believed upon his word and could by no means abide you should bring his mony to the trial would not you take occasion from thence to think not without cause that such a man intended to cheat you SECTION I. Antiquity Multitude and Succession are not Priviledges of the Roman Church above all other Churches Such is the manner of dealing in the Church of Rome which is a great argument that the doctrine she teaches is not agreeable to the word of God since it cannot abide by any means that it should be examined by that rule she brags that she has on her side Antiquity the greatest number and succession and in repeating often those fine principles which dazle the world in saying them over and over and boldly in causing them to be published every where by her controversial and Theological Writers she has made the World almost believe that she is the eldest of all the Christian Churches and that among all the Christian Congregations there are but few which are not submitted to the Church of Rome and in fine that the Pope is the only true Successor of St. Peter these are the three false principles upon which the Roman Church grounds it self but which have no other foundation than the boldness wherewith those of that Church have used to publish them § 1. The Roman Church is not the Eldest of all the Churches WE learn of the ancient Ecclesiastical Authors Origine Eusebius Hierome Isidore and others that the Apostles after they had received the Holy Ghost which an order to go to publish the Gospel in all the world were scattered abroad as so many flouds full of the Holy Ghost to preach the word of God in all the Nations St. Peter preached in Judea Galatia cappadocia pontus Bithynia and Rome St. James the son of Zebedee in Judea and Spain St. John in Judea and Asia the less St. Andrew in Scythia Europea in Eprius Thracia and Achaia St. James the brother of our Lord in Jerusalem St. Philip in Scythia and Phrygia St. Bartholomew in the Indies and Armenia the great St. Matthew in Ethyopia St. Thomas preached to the Parthians Medes Persians Brachmans Hyrcanians Bactrians and Indians St. Simon in Mesopotamia and Persia St. Judas in Egypt and Persia St. Matthias in the higher Ethyopia St. Paul and Barnabas in many Countries of Europe and Asia Now I would very fain know upon what ground the Church of Rome would be accounted the eldest of all those Churches which have been erected by the Apostles of Christ if one of them have the right to be accounted and called the eldest of the Sisters it seems in all reason that it must be the Church of Jerusalem for it was in Jerusalem that Christ himself preach't the greatest part of his Sermons there he exercised his Offices of Priest and Bishop 't was in that City he was sacrificed for our sins 't was there the Apostles first declared the word of God as it is to be seen in (a) Chap. 24. v. 47. St. Luke it was of that Church St. James was created the first Bishop in the world it is the Church of Jerusalem which is called by Theodoret (b) Hist Ecclesiast lib. 5. cap. 9. Mother of all Churches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. it is the Church of Jerusalem which is to be acknowledged as the first of all Churches according to the Testimony of all the Fathers who were present at the Council of Constantinople as Baronius himself testifies in the year of our Lord 382. If the right of Antiquity is to be given only to a Church instituted by St. Peter the Church of Antioch in Syria is to have in that the priviledge above the Church of Rome for
hands on all the Churches there will be no other proof of Christianity no other shelter for the Christians who shall desire to know the truth than the Holy Scriptures than the word of God and truly in that time as well as in all those which I have marked heretofore the Multitude will follow the part of error and the true Church shall be reduced to a little flock which shall be strengthened only with the word of God against all the Stratagems and the persecutions of Antichrist To make an end of that proof I will rehearse what happened in the Council of Nice according to that which Sophronius (d) lib. 1. cap. 8. relates all the Bishops thought to introduce into the Church a new Law which was that those who would be in the Sacred Orders should lead a single life the good Priest Paphnutius a venerable old man of a holiness and purity free from all slanders rose in the middle of that multitude of Bishops You must not saith he to them lay so heavy a burthen upon the shoulders of those who are in the Sacred Orders you are to consider what St. Paul (e) ad Hebr. 13.9 saith that Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled to that voice a numerous multitude of Bishops Priests and Deacons who were present there vouchsafing their attention considered that Holy old man as an Apostle who came to declare to them the word of God and changed their resolution so knowing by the Doctrine of St. Paul that Marriage is honourable in all they left all the Church-men free to live in the state of Marriage as they had us'd to do before Do but judge now if in that time the Multitude got the advantage over truth and if the Fathers of that Council were of the opinion of the Roman Church that the Multitude of those who hold one and the same Doctrine is a mark of the truth of that belief §. 3. Succession is not an Infallible mark of the true Church IF Succession could give the right of being Infallible there is no Church in the world which had more right to be esteemed such than the Church of Jerusalem it is of Jerusalem that it is said (f) 2 Chron. 33.4 7. in Jerusalem shall my name be for ever In this house and in Jerusalem which I have chosen before all the Tribes of Israel will I put my name for ever (g) 2 Chron. 7.16 I have chosen and sanctified this house that my name may be there for ever and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually (h) Psal 132.13 14. The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation this is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it c. and I will also clothe her Priests with Salvation it was upon all those fair promises the Priests proceeded in withstanding the truth which was preached to them by the Prophets it was for that reason they exclaimed so often upon all occasions (i) Jerem. 7.4 The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these But hear what the Lord answers (k) v. 8 11 12 c. Behold ye trust in lying words that cannot profit Is this house which is called by my name become a Den of Robbers in your eyes behold even I have seen it saith the Lord but go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel And now because you have done all these works saith the Lord Therefore will I do unto this house which is called by my name wherein ye trust and unto the place which I gave to you and to your Fathers as I have done to Shiloh and I will cast you out of my sight c. The same is to be seen in the other Prophets where Jerusalem after it had been established by the Lord as a Tabernacle which should never be removed it is said afterwards that for its abominations it is transported into Babylon If Shiloh hath ceased to be the house of God if Jerusalem be reduced into a Wilderness where nothing grows but Briers and Thorns where (a) Isaiah 5.6 God will command the Clouds that they rain no rain upon it hath the Church of Rome any reason to brag so much because it hath been in times past the Nurse of Martyrs the Seed-plot of Saints doth it follow from thence that it is still at this time in the same condition it was in the first Ages of the Church Hath not the present Church of Rome a great deal of reason to fear that after all the abominations it hath been filled withal by those who have had the government thereof it may be dealt with like Jerusalem that it may be made a Den of Robbers an horrible Babylon a dreadful Wilderness where grows nothing but Briers and Thorns and where God hath permitted that the Heaven of the Holy Scripture should be shut up and that there should not fall a drop of his word upon those who stubbornly persist in its abominations In fine could the Church of Rome be in hope of having more priviledges than many other Churches which have been built by the Apostles in the Eastern part which have conserved during long space of years their right succession preserved from Bishop to Bishop from Pastor to Pastor and which notwithstanding all that have been since by the Turks turned into several Mosquées where those Infidels have the exercise of their Religion If the Church of Rome would say that the Doctrine it teaches is to be followed because the Popes who do govern at this time have succeeded one another from Bishop to Bishop in St. Peter's Chair I answer that for the same reason in the time of Paul Samosatenus it was necessary for every body to be an Heretick because Paul of Samosate was right Bishop and Patriarch of Antioch that he had succeeded lawfully Demetrius Demetrius Fabius Fabius Babilas who succeeded Zebinus he Philetus he Asclepiades he Serapion he maximinus he Theophilus he Cornelius he Hero he Ignatius he Evodius who succeeded lawfully St. Peter I answer that in the Age wherein lived Nestorius every body was engaged to be a Nestorian because Nestorius was rightful Bishop and Patriarch of Constantinople right successor to Sisinius to Atticus to Arsatius to John Chrysostomus to Nectarius to Gregory of Nazianze and so from Bishop to bishop the 36th according to the Chronicles of Nicephorus who had lawfully succeeded in that Chair the Apostle St. Andrew In fine to follow without partiality that principle of Rome and to give it the extent such a proposition ought to have which is always false if it is not universal and capable to be the first proposition of a Syllogism I answer the Popes are to revoke the Thunderbolts they have thrown against the Church of England
and must confess that they did wrong when they excommunicated it and that the Church of England is infallible and has the true Faith since in it they do conserve from Bishop to Bishop from the times of the Apostles a right Succession in all the Ecclesiastical powers But it is not upon Succession only that churches are to ground the Doctrines they profess the Reformed Churches are very willing to be examined after the very rule of the Gospel and do not defend a false principle by antiquity as those of the Roman Church do CONCLVSION That it is the Succession of the true Doctrine from the Apostles which is an Infallible mark of the true Church and that the Church of Rome which hath the Succession of Doctrine hath no reason to boast neither of its Antiquity nor of its Multitude nor Succession IT is true that the Fathers used the Argument of the Succession against the Hereticks Tertullian (a) De praescrip cap. 32. urged it against those of his time Optatus (b) Lib. 2 3. against the Donatists Augustin against the Manichees the Arians and the Pelagians but lest you should be mistaken do but read exactly those Fathers and you shall find that with the Succession of Churches and Bishops they required a Succession of Doctrine which Tertullian calls a Consanguinity and an affinity of Doctrine to prove they were the true Church which St. Augustin said it was impossible to prove throughly but by the Scripture Let them produce said Tertullian (c) De praescr cap. 32. the beginning of their Churches let them shew us the order and the succession of their Bishops from the beginning and at last bring forth some of the Apostles or some instructed by the Apostles who were Authors of their Churches c. But though they should have dispatched that step though they should have devised some Catalogue of Succession yet they should not have got very much by that for their Doctrines compared with that of the Apostles will make it appear by they diversity and the contrariety there is betwixt them that neither the Apostles nor those who have been instructed by them were the Authors of their Churches even saith he they shall be condemned by those Churches which though they have not for their Author neither one of the Apostles nor one instructed by them immediately as being erected after the time of the Apostles begun in our days are nevertheless Apostolical because of the Consanguinity of the Doctrine they teach which is the same with that which was taught by the Apostles And St. Gregory of Nazianze (d) In laud. Athan. shews that the succession is to be esteemed by Piety sooner than by Seat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he who professes the true faith is partaker of the same Seat he who doth the contrary though he doth sit in the same seat is an enemy directly opposed to that Chair which he sits on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the Succession of the Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be esteemed the true Succession for it hath the truth of it whereas the other hath but the appearance thereof Thus you see that even by the testimonies of the Fathers To be a true Church it is not enough to have the Succession of the same Chair and the Succession of the Bishops which the Roman Church boast of upon all occasions since one may shew a long Catalogue of Succession and be an Heretick for all that as you see by Tertullian his Testimony since one may sit upon the same Chair which was Catholick heretofore and for all that be the sworn enemy of that Chair as it is manifest by the testimony of St. Gregory of Nazianze but a Church ought to have the Succession of the Faith the Succession of the Piety and shew as Tertullian speaks a Consanguinity of Doctrine Consanguinitatem Doctrinae and this the Church of Rome doth not boast of at all since it cannot abide that we should speak of examining its doctrine by the word of God and of comparing it with the Faith of the Primitive Church with the belief of the Apostles Let not therefore the Church of Rome boast that it hath possessed almost all the finest Churches in the world the Arians have possessed them as well as they and St. Hierome for all that calls them Hereticks The Church saith that Father (a) In Psal 133. consisteth not in walls and buildings but in the truth of the Doctrine the Church is where the true Faith is 't is not above 15 or 20 years past since the Hereticks possessed all these buildings even all these glorious Churches but in that time the Church was there where the true Faith was Ecclesia autem ibi vera erat ubi fides erat Could not we have said the same in this Kingdom 'T is not above 120 or 160 years past before the time of Henry the 8th and Queen Elizabeth when the Papists possessed all these buildings even all these Churches but in that time the true Church was there where the true faith was Ecclesia autem ibi vera erat ubi fides erat Do not let them say that the Pope hath succeeded St. Peter for we will answer that Nero was Successor of Augustus and notwithstanding Nero was a Tyrant Augustus was a good Prince we will answer that the King Manasses succeeded Ezechias and yet for all that Manasses was a wicked King Ezechias was a Saint In fine we will say that the Arian Bishops had succeeded the Catholicks that the impious Nestorius was the right Successor of St. Andrew in the Chair of Constantinople that the famous Heretick Paul of Samosate was the right Successor of St. Peter in the Church of Antioch and that all those as well as the Popes have succeeded others who had ruled before them but as the night succedes the day sickness good health death life CHAPTER II. The true Grounds of the now Roman Church Chap. 2. AS soon as I had overthrown those three false imaginations of Antiquity Multitude and Succession wherewith they used to cloak the Errors of the Church of Rome it was very easie to know the true grounds and foundations whereupon it is built and those grounds being neither the Authority of the Scripture nor the Doctrine of the Primitive Church nor Antiquity nor the Concurrence of the Multitude nor the Succession of Churches or Bishops I knew aftere a diligent examination that they could not be other than the Ambition and Covetousness of those who govern it and it is from thence that all the corruptions and all the errors of that Church have proceeded SECTION I. The Ambition of the Popes §. 1. The Pope exalts himself above all Kings whereas by right he ought to be submitted to them POpe Gregory the 7th in a Synod held at Rome in the year 1076. established 27 Propositions upon which is grounded all the greatness of Rome which are called the Dictatorship of the
be possible that God should ask of me an account of the Salvation of those men who will stubbornly follow errors and who are all disposed to tear me in pieces if I dare publish the truth Am I better than I know not how many learned men who live in France who know wery well the errors of Rome who notwithstanding continue in the communion of that Church Am I better than a great many Doctors of Sorbon who are perswaded that the Church of Rome is fallen into a multitude of Errors and Corruptions even as many of them have often declared to their friends Am I better than several Bishops and Archbishops of France who suppose themselves equal in every thing to the Bishop of Rome who do not repute his decrees to be of an infallible determination In fine am I better than all those Gentlemen who compose that famous Society of Jansenists who are almost all the most learned writers the rarest men and most witty in all that kingdom Am I better said I than all those excellent men who are accounted even among the Papists as if they were perswaded of all the truths of the Protestant Church whom the Papists themselves accuse as if they intended to establish the purity of the Gospel to abolish those pretended Sacraments newly found out by the Church of Rome who are lookt upon as if they intended to introduce into that kingdom prayers in a vulgar tongue overthrow the Superstitions of the Mass and destroy the obligation of the secret confession unto a Priest For those Gentlemen for all that they know evidently the errors of Rome do not forbear to say the Mass to preach to write Books even in the matter of the Eucharist for the very doctrine of Rome to administer the Sacraments after the form of that Church and more than that they Dedicate their Books to the Pope himself to dazle the people and to make as if they would have acknowledged his jurisdiction and his Authority If so be that all those excellent and learned men do dissemble may not I dissemble withy them If they do deceive the people may not I deceive them also and perform but outwardly all the functions they expect of me §. 4. God makes me understand how great sin it is to withstand the Holy Ghost anâ—â—â—â—so makes an end of my conversion and brings me out of the Communion of Rome THese thoughts brought me into such a condition that I was very near staying still in the Roman Church the mind which one may have to live in quietness and security in the middle of his friends and kinsmen among a people of whom he is almost worshipped was a mighty prejudice which hindred me from discovering the error and falsehood of all those considerations But at last the grace of God did perform its uttermost endeavour to take me out I understood that God is Truth and that lying and dissimulation have no other Father than the Devil What! shall I spend all my life in seducing the people in perswading them what I do not believe my self Alas those good people will think that I speak from my heart that I preach the will of God that I declare to them his heavenly orders and I all the while should be but the instrument of the Devil those who have no convenient time nor opportunity to instruct themselves in the Holy Writings because they are treasures which the Pope has hidden from them will come to me to take advice upon their doubts I shall perceive sometimes in those innocent souls the rayes of Grace which is pleased to work sometimes mightily in the simplest Consciences as the Sun on the untilled lands shall I then withstand the Spirit of God deceive the ignorant with a lye coloured with several Sophismes to suffocate springing truths which Grace would have produced shall I say that God doth speak this when God doth not speak it and should not I be the most wicked in the world to abuse thus and deceive men who should come to me with so much of innocency and sincerity The examples of all those learned men whom I proposed to my self just now signifies nothing to answer at the great tribunal of God's severe Justice their sins will not be an excuse for me I thought then I heard all the maledictions (a) Jerem. 14.15 Ezech. 23.6 which God has pronounced against the false Prophets who seduced his people And what doth a Priest who says the Mass in the Roman Church and who is fully perswaded of the truth of the word of God doth he not cause the people to believe that there is no bread in the Sacrament that the bread is Transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ is not such a Priest guilty before God of all the Idolatries of the people and of all their errors c Those last hindrances being overthrown after Grace had overcome the shifts which my natural inclinations had before devised I took the resolution to forsake entirely the Church of Rome and to retire into some country where I might freely and publickly make profession of the purity of the Gospel I did very well foresee that I was to bid an everlasting farewell to all the satisfactions of this world to take my leave of all the delights and recreations of the earth and wait for nothing but crosses troubles sorrows and all kind of persecution from the Enemies of the Gospel I did foresee that I undertook the greatest and most important business of all my life but the hope of my eternal Salvation quickned me and the inward comfort I felt in following the light of the Spirit of God made me undergo all kinds of troubles and difficulties Thus I went out of the Church of Rome these are the means wherewith God Almighty has been pleased to work my conversion such has been the goodness of God towards me this is the fulness of his abundant mercies not only he made me understand my errors lightned my mind with the marvellous light of his Holy Word but furthermore he drew me out of those errors by the Almighty strength of his arm and brought me into a land full of light and truth a Church which is Jesus Christ's peculiar kingdom where we disown detest and abhor those impious and pernicious errors of the Church of Rome those doctrines which are destructive of true Christianity The God of all mercies keep us in this Holy faith and call home such as are willfully or ignorantly gone astray and give them grace to receive the love of the truth that the number of those whom he has chosen from the beginning may increase more and more to the Honor and Glory of his most Holy Name Amen FINIS
j'estois persuadé me firent trouver dans l'Escriture bien des Difficultés bien des Insuffisances et bien des Contradictions pag. 16. § 3. Circonstances qui contribuerent à l'avancement de ma Conversion pag. 22. § 4. Conclusion de ce Chapitre Que les Articles de foy de l'Eglise Romaine ne se peuvent point prouver par l'Ecriture pag. 26. CHAP. II. Commant je connûs qu les Articles de foy de l'Eglise Romaine ne sont point fondés sur la Creance de la Primitive Eglise ny sur l'Authorité des Saints Peres INTRODUCTION La Lecture des livres De la Perpetuité de la foy sur le sujet de l'Eucharistie fut cequi me donna occasion d'examiner en particulier la Creance de l'Eglise Romaine sur cette matiere pag. 30. Division des Erreurs de l'Eglise Romaine touchant l'Eucharistie pag. 34. Section I. Que la Creance de Rome touchant la Presence Reéle au sens de la Transubstatiation est une Doctrine nouvelle dans l'Eglise I. Premiere Preuve tirée des Arguments dont les Peres de l'Eglise se sont servis en disputant contre les Idolatres pag. 36. II. Seconde Preuve tirée des raisons dont les Peres se servoient pour Disputer contre les Heretiques pag. 41. III. Troisieme Preuve tirée dela maniere dont les Peres s'expriment sur le sujet du Saint Sacrement pag. 44. IV. Quatrieme Preuve tirée dela nouveauté dela Doctrine dela Transubstantiation pag. 48. Section II. Que ceque l'on enseigne du Sacrifice dela Messe dans l'Eglise Romaine est une Doctrine contraire à la Creance de la Primitive Eglise I. En quel sens il est veritable de dire que le Saint Sacrement est un Sacrifice pag. 50. II. Que le pretendu Sacrifice Propitiatoire de l'Eglise Romaine est contraire à l'Ecriture pag. 53. III. Cequi a donné occasion à cet Erreur et les degrés de Corruption qui ont avancé cette Creance pag. 56. IV. Que l'abus épouvantable qui s'est glissé dans l'Eglise Romaine d'offrir leurs Sacrifices en l'honneur des Saints est une pratique contraire à toute la Primitive Eglise pag. 59. Section III. Que la maniere d'Administrer l'Eucharistie dans l'Eglise Romaine est tout à fait differente et bien opposée à celle dont on se servoit dans les premiers Siecles de l'Eglise I. Que du temps des Apôtres et dans les premiers Siecles de l'Eglise on communioit tout le Peuple sous les especes du Pain et du Vin on adoroit point l'Hostie et on ne celebroit point les Saints Mysteres en Language inconnu pag. 64. II. L'origine de toutes les Erreurs de l'Eglise Romaine en l'Administration du Sacrament p. 70. 1. L'Origine du retranchement de la Coupe pag. 71. 2. L'Origine de l'adoration de l'Hostie p. 74. 3. L'Origine de la Celebration de l'Eucharistie en une Langue que le Peuple n'entend point pag. 78. Conclusion de cette Premiere Partie Que les Articles de foy de l'Eglise Romaine ne se peuvent prouver ny par la pratique de la Primitive Eglise ny par le témoignage des Ancients Peres pag. 80. Seconde Partie Que l'Eglise Romaine n'est point la veritable Eglise que son Authorité n'est point Infaillible et qu'elle n'est remplie que de Corruptions et d'Erreurs INTRODUCTION La Providence fit naistre des occasions qui me firent prendre la resolution d'examiner serieusement les principes sur lesquels est fondé l'Article de l'Authorité de l'Eglise Romaine pag. 1. 1. L'Occasion qui fut cause que j'examinay de nouveau tous les Articles de foy de l'Eglise Romaine lesquels je reduisois tous à l'Authorité de cette Eglise pag. 3. 2. L'Occasion que j'eus de douter de l'Infaillibilité du Pape me fit prendre la resolution d'examiner de nouveau et sans passion sur quoy est fondée l'Authorité dont l'Eglise Romaine se vante si fort pag. 6. 3. Les circumstances avec lesquelles je commancay de faire cet Examen et quel est mon dessein dans le recit que j'en fais icy pag. 12. CHAP. I. Des pretendus fondemens de l'Authorité de l'Eglise Romaine pag. 16. Section I. Que l' Antiquité la Multitude et la Succession ne sont point des privileges que l'Eglise Romaine possede par dessus les autres Eglises p. 20. § 1. Que l'Eglise Romaine n'est pas la plus Ancienne de tontes les Eglises pag. 21. § 2. Que la Multitude n'est pas du costé de l'Eglise Romaine pag. 25. § 3. Que d'autres Eglises aussi bien que la Romaine on t leur Succession d'Evéque en Evéque depuis les Apôtres pag. 29. Section II. Que ny l'Antiquité ny la Multitude ny la Succession ne sont point des marques Infaillibles dela veritable Eglise et que par consequent une Eglise peut avoir toutes ces marques et ne pas laisser pour cela d'estre Heretique pag. 32. § 1. Que l' Antiquité n'est pas une marque Infaillible de la veritable Eglise pag. 33. § 2. Que la Multitude n'est pas une marque Infaillible de la veritable Eglise pag. 39. § 3. Que la Succession n'est pas une marque Infaillible de la veritable Eglise pag. 45. Conclusion Que c'est la Succession dela veritable Doctrine depuis les Apôtres qui est une marque Infaillible dela veritable Eglise et que l'Eglise de Rome qui n'a point la Succession de la veritable Doctrine n'a pas sujet de se vanter ny de l' Antiquité ny de la Multitude ny de la Succession pag. 51. CHAP. II. Des fondements veritables de l'Eglise Romaine d'apresent pag. 56. Section I. De l'Ambition des Papes § 1. Le Pape s'éleve au dessus des Roys au lieu que de droit il deveroit leur estre soûmis pag. 57. § 2. Que le Pape s'éleve au dessus de toutes les Eglises en s'atribuant injustement la Primauté et le titre d'Evéque Vniversel Et que s'attribuer ce titre c'est un Blaspheme et une Apostasie dans le Christianisme pag. 62. § 3. Que l'Ambition des Papes va jusqu'à l'Impieté pag. 69. 1. Que le Pape s'attribüe une Authorité aussi grande que celle qu'on attribüe à Dieu pag. 70. 2. Que le Pape s'attribüe même des tittres que l'on attribüe qu'à Dieu et à Jesus Christ nôtre seigneur vray fils de Dieu pag. 72. Section II. De l'Avarice des Papes pag. 76. Conclusion de cette Seconde Partie Que l'Eglise Romaine n'estant fondée que sur les principes que j'ay rapportés
of the Succession pag. 51. CHAP. II. Of the true Grounds of the now Roman Church 56 Section I. Of the Ambition of the Popes § 1. The Pope rises above all Kings whereas by right he ought to submit to them pag. 57. § 2. That the Pope rises above all Churches taking unjustly to himself the Primacy and the Title of Universal Bishop and that it is a Blasphemy and an Apostasie in Christendom to take upon him such a Title pag. 62. § 3. That the Ambition of the Popes extends it self as far as Impiety pag. 69. 1. That the Pope takes to himself as great an Authority as that of God Almighty pag. 70. 2. That the Pope takes to himself the same Titles which we have used to give but unto God and unto Jesus Christ our Saviour the true Son of God pag. 72. Section II. The Covetousness of the Popes pag. 76. Conclusion of the Second Part. That the Roman Church being grounded only upon the Principles which I have rehearsed is fallen into Corruption and Error § 1. An horrid Corruption in its manners pag. 80. § 2. Some extremely gross Errors in its Doctrin pag. 84. General Conclusion That I was engaged to go out of the Church of Rome after that God Almighty had made me know its Errors by the degrees which I have rehearsed in the two parts of this Discourse pag. 88. § 1. The occasion of a Sermon which I Preached about the Sacrament called again in my mind all the Notions I had of the Errors of Rome pag. 91. § 2. The difficulties that I suffered and the Oppositions which I had to overcome p. 94. § 2. The Reasons which I thought upon in my mind to defer my Conversion p. 96. § 4. God through his Mercies makes me understand how great a Sin it is to witstand the Holy Ghost and so made an end of my Conversion bringing me to forsake generously the Communion of Rome p. 101. MEMOIRES Mementote Mirabilium Ejus quae fecit Prodigia Ejus et Judicia oris Ejus PSAL. 104. Vers 5. Cantabiles mihi erant Justificationes tuae in loco Peregrinationis meae Psal 119. Vers 54. MEMOIRES INTRODUCTION § 1. Les Raisons qui m'ont engagé d'écrire ces Memoires JE me Considere comme un pecheur public puisque j'ay fait profession dans l'Eglise Romaine d'une Doctrine contraire à l'Evangile Je regarde la vie que j'ay passé dans cette Eglise comme une Apostasie formelle de la foy et Je regarde toutes les Erreurs que J'y ay enseignées comme des heresies Scandaleuses mais apres m'estre regardé comme un homme qui vivoit dans une heresie Scandaleuse Je me regarde aussi comme un homme qui ay fait Abjuration de cette heresie apres m'estre regardé comme une personne que mes peres avoient engagé comme naturellement à estre Apostat de l'Evangile Je me regarde comme relevé de cette Apostasie par la profession que J ' ay faite depuis deux Ans dela pureté de l'Evangile Et enfin apres m' estre consideré comme un pecheur public engagé par ma profession à seduire les peuples et à obscurcir les veritéz de l'Evangile en seduisant ceux que J'estois obligé d'inftruire Je me regarde comme un Penitent qui apres avoir demeuré deux années dans le premier degré dela Penitence dans le rang des Ecoutans comme il estoit ordonné dans les Canons dela primitive Eglise vient se presenter aux Evesques leur demande la permission d'estre receu dans l'Eglise et de monter par les degrés que demandent ces mesmes Canons à l'estat de Lamiere et de Foy qu'il pouvoit pretendre par son Baptesme et duquel il s'estoit eloigné par ses Erreurs Et Comme je considere Messeigneurs les Eveques comme mes Superieurs naturelles et comme autant de Juges qui me sont assignés pour me declarer les ordres de Dieu Je me sens obligé de leur rendre comte de ma conduitte et de leur declarer sincerement les Moyens dont Dieu s'est servy pour m' attirer à la lumiere de son Evangile Voila la premiere Raison qui m'oblige d'écrire Une autre Raison c'est que je me considere comme un homme sorty d'une grande Captivité et deliuré d'une obscure Prison Quand Dieu eut delivré St. Pierre dela Prison par le moyen d'un Ange qu'il luy envoya l'Ecriture me fait comprendre que les Fidelles s' assembloient autour de luy et qu'il leur racontoit les moyens merveilleux dont Dieu s' estoit servy pour le delivrer dela Captivité Je ne doute pas que les Ames Sainctes Zelées de l'honneur de Dieu dela pureté de l'Evangile et du salut des Ames si tost qu'elles entendent dire qu'il a pleu à Dieu de delivrer un de leur Freres dela Captivité du Demon ét dela Prison du Pape ne s' assemblent aussi tost autour de luy pour luy demander les Moyens dont Dieu s'est servy pour le retirer d'une si horrible Captivité Ah! dites nous un peu disent ces Ames Saintement curieuses quels on t esté les Motifs de votre Conversion N'avés vous pas eu bien dela peine à vous separer de tous vos Amis à quitter toutes vos Connoissances pour venir vivre dans un Pays Estranger Je m'Imigine que les Peuples qui vivent sous la Domination du Pape sont dans une ignorance espouvantable des choses necessaires au salut ah s'il plaisoit à sa divine Majesté de les eclairer de ses lumieres Je ne doute point que les Personnes sçavantes et tous les Prestres qui ont la liberté de lire l'Escriture Sainte ne connoissent parfaitement qu'ils sont dans l'Erreur ah s'il plaisoit à Dieu de les toucher du Zele de leur Salut et de les Convertir comme il vous a Converty Ah! que vous avés de graces à rendre à Dieu de ce quil vous a retiré dela Tyrannie dans la quelle vous esties né Mais enfin nous serions bien aise de sçavoir les particularités de vôtre Conversion Et c'est pour vous les raconter que j'entreprens ce discours afin de vous engager de joindre vos Actions de graces aux miennes pour Le remercier pour Le loiier pour Le glorifier en admirant les Torrents de Grace qu'il repand et les Miracles qu'il opere dans les Ames de ceux qu'il veut sauver § 2. Que la Conversion d'un homme qui a vescu dans les erreurs de l'Eglise Romaine
et persecute et dont le Monde n'est pas digne et c'est pour cela que Dieu a de bonne heure ravy cette Ame innocente au commancement de la vigueur de son âge depeur comme parle le Sage que la Malice du Monde ne pervertit son Entendement Au lieu que la justice Divine ne m'a regardé que comme un grand Criminel et me laisse dans le monde pour pleurer mes Pechez §. 4. Conclusion de ce Chapitre Que les Articles de Foy de l'Eglise Romaine ne se peuvent prouver par l'Escriture CE fut sous la conduitte de ce Sçavant Homme et de ce Saint Personnage que je commançay de m'appliquer à l'Estude de la Theologie je lûs tout ceque disent les Autheurs sur ces Matieres et principalement et avec plus d'exactitude sur les Matieres que l'on appelle de Controverse qui sont presque tous les Articles que l'Eglise de Rome a reçeu de la main ou de l'Interest ou de l'Ambition sans aucun fondement dans l'Ecriture Sainte Je me formois sur ces Matieres une multitude de Difficultés et je venois les proposer à mon Maistre voicy me dispoit-il ceque repond Bellarmin voilâ— l'Explication du Cardinal du Perron voilà ceque dit St. Bonaventure St. Thomas Scot Suarez Valentia Boivinâ— Herinex et les autres mais quand jâ—luy demandois Je vous prie franchement qu'elle est vôtre pensee il me répondoit presque dans toutes les Questions à vous dirâ— le Vray je ne trouve point la Doctrine dâ— Purgatoire des Indulgences de la Veneration des Images et des Reliques 〈◊〉 Doctrine de la Transubstantiation c. je 〈◊〉 trouve point tout cela bien clairement danâ— l'Escriture Sainte je ne voy pas non plus que cela se puisse tirer bien directement des Passages de l'Escriture que les Theologiens alleguent pour prouver ces Articles et je ne vous les donne que pouâ— vous en servir contre ceux qui veulent quâ— sur chaque sujet on leur apporte bien oâ—mal à propos quelque passage de 〈◊〉 bible pour avoir Pretexte de dire que l'Escriture parle de ces Matieres et pour satisfaire les Heretiques Mais pour parler Clairement et en bonne Consequence J'advoüe sincerement que ce n'est point l'Escriture Sainte qui m'oblige de croire et qui me persuade de tous ces Articles mais que la Vraye et la Seule Raison pourquoy je les soûtiens c'est parceque l'Eglise les enseigne Voilà disois je en moy mesme bien des Difficultés retranchées tout d'un coup il est bien plus juste et plus raisonnable d'agir dela maniere que non pas de s'aller allambiquer la cervelle à vouloir trouver à force de faux Raisonnements dans des Passages de l'Escriture Sainte ceque le Saint Esprit n'a jamais eu intention d'y enseigner reconnoissons donc franchement que tous ces Articles que l'on tient de Foy dans l'Eglise Romaine ne sont point dans l'Escriture et qu'ils ne sont fondez que sur l'Authorité de l'Eglise de Rome Apres cela au moins toutes ces Difficultés seront fort aisées à resoudre il n'y aura quà sçavoir si je suis obligé de croire comme Articles de Foy ceque l'Eglise Romaine enseigne sans fondement dans l'Escriture ou si je n'y suis point obligé C'est là le point où j'en estois reduit et où il me sembloit que raisonnablement toute la Theologie des Papistes se devoit reduire J'avois beau consulter les autres Professeurs de Theologie et conferer avec ceux de mes Amis qui estoient les uns Bacheliers les autres Licentiés en Theologie et les autres Docteurs de Sorbonne et Curez des principales Paroisses de Paris ils ne disoient que du Galimatias et du Latin contraire au bon Sens et à la Raison quand ils vouloient fonder les Opinions de l'Eglise Romaine sur des Passages de l'Escriture Sainte et ils ne parloient raisonablement que quand enfin ils se reduisoient comme à un Principe au Jugement Infaillible Deffinitif et sans Ressort que l'Eglise Romaine donne sur ces sortes de Matieres CHAP. II. Chap. 2. Comment je connûs que les Articles de Foy de l'Eglise Romaine ne sont point fondez sur la Creance de la Primitive Eglise ny sur l'Anthorité des Saints Peres INTRODUCTION La lecture des Livres de la Perpetuité de la Foy sur le sujet de l'Eucharistie fut cequi me donna occasion d'examiner en particulier la Creance de l'Eglise Romaine sur cette Matiere LEs Affaires de ma Conversion estant disposees de la maniere que jâ—ay rapportée dans le Chapitre precedent la Providence qui veilloit pour ainsi dire à mon salut fit naître une occasion qui contribüa beaucoup à m'obliger de reduire toutes mes Difficultez à la Question de l'Authorité de l'Eglise de Rome cequi m'obligea dans la suitte apres avoir reconnu que cette Authorité estoit fausse de reconnoiste aussi que la Doctrine de Rome qui n'est fondée que sur cette Pretendüe Authorité estoit mal fondée puisqu'elle ne l'estoit que sur le Mensonge C'estoit dans le temps que la Dispute de la Perpetuité de la Foy sur le sujet de l'Eucharistie faisoit le plus de bruit dans le Monde parmy les Sçavants Je lûs avec le plus d'application qu'il me fut possible les Livres et les Repliques tant de Monsieur Claude que de Monsieur Arnauld le Triomphe de l'Eucharistie de Monsieur Pavillon le Livre du Pere Noüet et le Livre du Temoignage des Sens dans l'Eucharistie Je ne pretens point icy me faire l'Arbitre de ces Grands Personnages qui passent sans contredit pour estre des plus Sçavants Hommes de France comme je ne fais que raconter l'Histoire de ma Conversion je ne fais aussi que rapporter quel effect la lecture de ces Livres fit dans mon Esprit et je ne suis pas assez injuste pour vouloir empecher le reste du Monde de porter sur les Escrits de ces Grands Hommes le jugement qu'il leur plaira La lecture de ces Livres me donna bien des Lumieres sur la Matiere du Saint Sacrement dela Cene. Je considerois l'Argument de la Perpetuité comme un Argument qui ne pouvant estre de
le Sacrement de la Cene le Pain et le Vin pour Images et Figures de son Corps et de son Sang. Et parlant du Pain de l'Eucharistie voila disoient ces Peres l'Image de son Corps Vivifiant Et un peu aprés Le Seigneur disent ils nous a commandé de mettre sur la Table cette Image particulierement choisie c'est à sçavoir la Substance du Pain de peur que l'Idolatrie ne se glissa parmy les Chrestiens s'il avoit esté representé sous la Figure d'un homme IV. Quatriéme Preuve tirée de la Nouvauté de cette Doctrine de la Transubstantiation TOutes ces Raisons me persuaderent que non seulement la Creance de la Presence Reéle et de la Transubstantiation n'estoit pas la Creance de la Primitive Eglise mais encore que c'estoient des Articles de Foy nouvellement inventés et qui n'estoient guere plus ancients que le commancement du 13. Siecle quand le Pape Innocent 3. au Concile de Latran en l'année 1214. fit passer parmy les Articles de Foy l'Article de la Transubstantiation puisque nous voyons que sur la fin du 9 Siecle envivon l'an 874 Bertram ou Jean Scot l'un des plus sçavants Personnages de ce temps là escrivit un Livre sur le suiet de l'Eucharistie par le Commandement de Charles le Chauve dans le quel il soûtient clairement la Creance de l'Eglise Reformée Puisque nous trouvons dans la Bibliotheque des Peres au Tome des Divins Offices une Epître de Charles Magne à son precepteur Alcuinus dans laquelle on lit encor ces Paroles Jesus Christ soupant avec ses Disciples rompit le Pain et leur donna Semblablement la Coupe en Figure de son Corps et de son Sang. Et enfin puisâ— que mme dans le Canon de la Messe au lieu de ces Paroles que l'on y lit presentement Ut nobis Corpus Sanguis fiat dilectissimi Filii tui c. oâ— y lisoit celles qui se trouvent au 5. Chaâ— du 4 Livre des Sacrements attribué St. Ambroise Fac nobis hanc oblatiâ—â— nem ascriptam quod est Figuâ—â— Corporis Sanguinis Domini Nostâ—â— Jesu Christi Tout cela me fit connoistre que poâ—â— establir la Creance de la Realité et de lâ—â— Transubstantiation dans l'Eglise Romaine il avoit falu non seulement corrompre les Escritures et leur donner unâ— sens absurde impossible et ridicule maiâ— encor s'opposer à la Creance de toute l'Antiquité corrompre les Escrits des Saints Peres Ch. 2. §. 2. et même le Canon de la Messe laquelle avant que cette Corruption épouvantable se fut glissée dans l'Eglise n'estoit qu'un certain nombre de Prieres assez devotes et bien raisonnables Cette Pensée commança à me faire avoir deâ— l'Horreur pour la Creance de l'Eglise de Rome et me méfier de toute sa Doctrine SECT II. Ce que l'on enseigne dans l'Eglise Romaine du Sacrifice de la Messe est une Doctrine contraire à Creance de la Primitive Eglise I. En quel sens il est veritable de dire que le St. Sacrement est uâ— Sacrifice JE decouvris bientôt aprés la suitte eâ—â— le progrés de l'Erreur et la fausseté dâ—â— cet autre Article du Concile de Trenteâ— Que la Messe est un Sacrifice Propitiatoire pour les Vivants et pour les Morts Afin d'éclaircir cette Question il faut supposer avec l'Ecriture que les Prieres les Aumônes les Actions de Graces que nous rendons à Dieu et la reste de nos bonnes Qeuvres sont des Sa crifices Eucharistiques c'esâ—ainsi que le Prephete Osée appelle les Actions de Grace qu'il rendoit à Dieu les Victimes de se Levres c'est ainsi que le Prophete Daviâ— s'addresse à Dieu Mon Dieu dit ce pre phete Que mes Prieres soient exposée devant vous comme un Parsum eâ— que l'Elevation de mes Mains soit devant vôtre Majesté comme un Sacrâ—fice du Soir Ainsi St. Paul à l'imitâ—tion de David dit Qu'il faut offrir 〈◊〉 Dieu un Sacrifice de Loüange c'est a dire le Fruit des Levres de ceux quconfessent son Nom. C'est dans ce Sensâ— que tous les Chrestiens sont appellez dam l'Escriture Sainte des Sacrificateurs Vous estes dit St. Pierre La Generation Eleüe la Sacrificature Royal la Nation Sainte le Peuple Acquis afin que vous annonciés les Vertus de Celuy qui vous a appellés des Tenebres à sa merveilleuse Lumiere Et St. Jean dans sei Revelations à celuy qui nous a aymé et nous a lavé de nos Pechéz dans son Sang et nous a fait Royaumes et Sacrificateurs à Dieu et à son Pere à luy soit Gloire et Force és Siecles des Siecles Amen Par où vous voyez que les Sacrifices des Chrestiens sont des Prieres des Aumônes des Actions de Graces et de Bonnes Oevres et que tous les Chrestiens sont eux mémes les Sacrificateurs qui les offrent à Dieu Dans ce sens je conçevois bien que le Sacrement de la Cene estant la Commems ration dela Mort du Fils de Dieu estoit uâ— Sacrifice d'Actions de Graces de Loüanges de Reconnoissance et de Devoir ainsi que jâ—l'ay du depuis appris plus clairement dans le livre de nos Prieres Communes où immediatement apres avoir reçeu la Commâ—nion nous faisons cette priere à Dieu Seigneur Pere Celeste nous Tes tres humbles Serviteurs supplions ta Bonté parternelle d'accepter misericordieusement se Sacrifice de Loüange et d'Actionsde Graces que nous T'offrons et quoyque nous soyons indignes de t'offrir aucun Sacrifice nous te supplions neantmoins d'accepter celuy cy comme une Marque des Devoirs et des Services que nous sommes obligés de rendre à Ta Divine Majesté Et dans ce temps là j'embrassou déja tres volontiers la Doctrine que j'ay apprise depuis dans le livre du Sacrifice du Chrestien composé par D. Sim. Patrick Dans le Catechisme du D. H. Hammon Et dans la reponse de l'Archevéque Cranmer à l'Evéque Gardener C'est à sçavoir Que le Sacrifice Propitiatoire a esté fait par Jesus Christ seulement mais que le Sacrifia de Commemoration et d'Action de Graces est fait par le Ministre et par le Peuple II. Que le Pretendu Sacrifice Propitiatoire de l'Eglise Romaine est contraire à l'Escriture LA Doctine du
soupçonner qu'elle n'eut fait à l'égard de la Doctrine des Indulgences du Purgatoire de le Priere pour les Morts de l' Invocation des Saints et des autres Articles cequ'elle a fait à l'égard de la Transubstantiation de la Realité et du Sacrifice de la Messe c'est à dire Je craignois que ce ne fussen des Articles qu'elle eut forgés contre lâ— Doctrine de l'Ancienne Eglise le Teâ— moignage des Peres et l'Authorité de lâ— Parole de Dieu Davantage il me seâ—â— bloit qu'ayant remarqué ses Erreurs daâ— le Principal et le plus saint de tous les Mysteres du Christianisme je n'estois paâ— obligé d'examiner les autres Articles eâ— que cela seul suffisoit pour me faire supposer par un Prejugé bien raisonnable eâ— bien fondé qu'elle avoit erré dans toâ— les autres Points de sa Doctrine et qu'â— falloit par consequent abandonner sa Communion si l'on vouloit estre sauvé Le desir de faire mon Salut estoit une de sir que la Grace avoit imprimé bien avant dans le fond de mon Ame mais la Penses d'abadonner la Communion d'une Eglise dans la quelle j'avois esté noury estoit une Pensée bien contraire aux Inclinations de la Nature Je ne pouvois pas m'aveugler pour m'empécher de voir les Erreurs de l'Eglise Romaine mais je n'avois pas encore assez de force pour les abandonner genereusement au peril de tout ce qui pouroit arriver Les Arguments qui m'avoient fait voir mon Erreur venoient tous les jours sâ— presenter à mon esprit avec de nouvelles Lumieres et de nouvelles Evidences L'Eglise de Rome que je m'estois autrefois representée comme environée des veritez de l'Escriture et comme appuyée sur l'Aâ—thrité des Saints de la Primitive Englise â—ee paroissoit pour lors depouillée de tous ces Témoignages Mais enfin le même Pretexte qui m'avoit fait differer ma Conversion lorsque Dieu m'avoit fait connoistre que la Foy de Rome n'estoit point fondée sur la Parole de Dieu me la fit encore differer aprés m'avoir fait connoistre que cette même Foy de l'Eglise de Rome n'estoit point fondée non plus sur l' Authorité des Peres ny sur la Pratique des Premiers Chrestiens ainsi que le pretendent les Theologiens de Rome Ce Pretexte estoit l'Authorité de l'Eglise Romaine que je supposois Infaillible et ce fut cette Authorité pretendüe Infaillible qui me retint encore dans la Communion de Rome Si l'Eglise Romaine est Infaillible qu'importe disois-je que cequ'elle determine n'ait aucun fondemnet dans la Parole de Dieu ny sur l'Authorité des Saints Peres ny sur la Pratique de la Primitive Eglise la supposant Infaillible il faut croire tous les Articles qu'elle nous enseigne et il ne sert de rien de dire qu'autrefois en a point crû un tel Article Quand il plaira à l'Eglise de déclarer que c'est un Article de Foy de croire que la bien-heureuse Vierge a esté conceüe sans Peché et de tenir pour Oecumenique le Concile de Bâle qui la determiné il faudra croire qu'elle a esté conceüe sans peché Quand il plaira à l'Eglise de déclarer que tous les Chrestiens sont reélement et veritablement Ensevelis en Jesus Christ dans le Baptéme et que l'Eau dont on se sert dans ce Sacrement est Transubstantiée au Vray Sang de Jesus Christ dans lequel nos Pechez sont purifiez Que c'est une Heresie de croire que sous les Especes de l'Eau du Baptême il y demeure quelque chose de la Substance de l'Eau et qu'il faut Adorer le Baptême Quand dis-je il plaira à l'Eglise de dêterminer tous ces Articles et déclarer qu'ils sont implicitement dans l'Escriture et dans les Peres il faudra se soûmettre à croire tout cela sur l'Authorité de l'Eglise parcequ'elle est Infaillible Cette maniere d'agir d'Avoüer simplement que les Peres de l'Eglise et les Premiers Chrestiens n'ont point crû quantité d'Articles que l'on tient presentement de Foy dans l'Eglise Romaine cette maniere d'agir dis-je me paroissoit bien plus sincere que non pas d'aller chercher dans les Peres ce qu'ils n'ont jamais dit et de faire accroire à la Primitive Eglise qu'elle a crû des choses aux quelles elle n'a seulement jamais pensé Cette Methode de dire librement la Verité paroissoit un peu hardie mais elle estoit juste sincere et bien aisée Et selon cette Methode quand on demande à un Theologien de l'Eglise de Rome Pour quoy croyez vous la Transubstantiation il répond simplement qu'il croit la Transubstantiation comme un Article de Foy parceque le Concile de Trente en la Sess 13. c. 4. a declaré que c'est un Article de Foy et prononcé Anatheme contre ceux qui diroient le contraire Ne vaut il pas mieux répondre de la sorte que de s'aller tüer la cervelle à donner à tous les Peres tant Grecs que Latins des Explications qu'ils ne voudroient pas recevoir s'ils estoient au Monde et faire acroire que tous les endroits où les Peres se servent de ces Mots 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ils ont vou lu dire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui est une expression que l'on ne trouve nulle part dans pas us de ces Peres comme on peut l'apprendre de l' Evéque de Norwich cité par le Docteâ— Hammond dans son Chatechisme Je voy bien disois-je qu'apres l'Exameâ— de l'Escriture sainte et des Peres dans les quels on ne peut pas trouver évidement le Articles de Foy de l'Eglise Romaine le plus court chemin c'est de s'en rapporteâ— Ã l'Authorité de l'Eglise desorte que 〈◊〉 l'Authorité de l'Eglise Romaine est Infaillible pour agir sincerement simplement et en homme d'honneur il faut dire Je croy que le Peuple Chrestien pour lequel Jesus Christ a répandu son Sang ne doit point Participer au Calice parceque le Concile de Constance et le Concile de Trente l'ont ainsi determiné Je croy qu'outre le Sacrifice de la Croix il-y-a un autre Sacrifice Propitiatoire qui remet les Pechez des Vivants et des Morts parceque le Concile de Trente en a fait un
the Body and Blood of thy most well-beloved Son c. These other words were to be read Fac nobis hanc oblationem ascriptam rationabilem acceptabilem quod est Figura Corporis et sanguinis Domini Nostri Jesu Christi which is the Figure of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ All that made me know that to establish the belief of Reallity with Transubstantiation in the Church of Rome there hath been need not only to corrupt the Scriptures and to give them an interpretation which is absurd impossible and ridiculous but moreover to withstand all Antiquity Ch. 2. §. 2. to pervert the Writings of the Holy Fathers even to suborn the Canon of the Mass which afore such monstrous corruption was slipt into the Church was but a certain number of Prayers devout enough and very reasonable Those horrible alterations which I discovered caused me to look with detestation upon the belief of the Roman Church and to mistrust it in every thing SECT II. The Belief of Rome about the Sacrifice of the Mass is contrary to the belief of the Primitive Church I. In what sense it is true to say that the Holy Sacrament is a Sacrifice A Little while after I discovered the consequences and the progressions of the Error and the Falshood of this other Article of the Council of Trent (a) Sess 2.2 cap. 1 2. can 1 2 3. The Mass is a propitiatory Sacrifice for the Quick and for the Dead To explain this Proposition we must suppose with the Scripture that Alms Prayers and Thanksgivings and the rest of our good Works are Eucharistick Sacrifices so the Prophet (b) Cap. 14. v. 3. Hosea calls the Thanks which we give to God The Calves of our Lips So David directs his Prayers unto God saying (c) Psal 141.2 Let my Prayer be set forth before thee as incense and the lifting up of my Hands as the Evening Sacrifice So (d) Ad Heb. 13.15 St. Paul following after David says Let us offer the Sacrifice of Praise to God continually that is the fruit of our Lips giving thanks to the Name It is in that sense that all the Christians in the Scripture are called Priests Ye are (e) 1 Pet. 2.9 says St. Peter awchosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a peculiar People that ye should shew forth the Parises of him who has called you out of Darkness into his marvellous Light And St. John in his (f) Rev. 1.6 Revelations He has made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father From whence you see that the Sacrifices of the Christians are Prayers Alms Thanksgivings and good Works and that all the Christians are themselves the Priests who offer them to God In that sense I conceived very well that the Holy Sacrament being the Commemoration of the death of the Son of God was a Sacrifice of Thanksgiving of Praises of bounden Duty and Service as I have learned since more perfectly in the Book of Common-Prayer wherein immediately after having received the Holy Communion we say O Lord and Heavenly Father we thy humble Servants entirely desire thy Fatherly Goodness merceifully to accept this our Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving And Although we be unworthy through our manifold Sins to offer unto thee any Sacrifice yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service And then I did embrace very willingly the Doctrin I took since out of D. D. H. Hammond his (a) Lib. 4. Sect. 4. Practical Catechism out of Arch-bishop Cranmer his (b) Lib. 5. p. 377. Answer to Bishop Gardner D. Sim. Patrick in his Christian Sacrifice viz. That the Propitiatory Sacrifice had been made by our Lord Jesus Christ only but that the Sacrifice of Commemoration and Thanksgiving is made now by the Minister and the People II. The pretended Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Roman church is contrary to the Scripture THe Doctrine of the Council of Trent touching this Question seemed to me very harsh They must believe that Christ is Immolated every day in the Sacrament that a Roman Priest doth offer the Son of God unto his Father and that he doth offer him as a Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Quick and the Dead Alas said I is not that to wrong Christ's Priest-hood to give him so many Fellow-Priests and petti-Sacrificers St. Paul (a) Ad Heb. cap. 7.23 Teaches me that the difference betwixt Moses's Law and Christ's consists in this that in the Law of Moses there was need to keep several Priests for as much as being Mortal they were to be Successors one to another but in the Law of Christ our Saviour Jesus Christ who is the Priest himself has no need of a Successor since he is living for ever since he is Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec They truly were many Priests saith he because they were not suffered to continue by reason of Death but this Christ because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood after that who doth not see that the Roman Church which says that her Priests are true Sacrificers and Christ's Successors in his Priesthood wrong Christ our Lord supposing that his Priest-hood has the same Imperfection as that of Moses's Law St. Paul teaches me that the Reason why in Moses's Law they reiterated their Sacrifices because the Blood of the Beasts which were offered was not able to sanctifie Sinners The Law Ad Heb. 10.1 saith he can never with those Sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect For then would they not have ceased to be offered Because that the Worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of Sins What then Doth the Church of Rome mean that the Sacrifice of the Cross was not able to Sanctifie Sinners that it has no more virtue than the Sacrifices of Moses's Law which were to be very oft reiterated doth that Church intend to give the Lye unto the Apostle who says (a) Ad Heb. 10.10 That we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all And that (b) Ad Heb. 10.14 By one offering he has perfected for ever them that are Sanctified If the Sacrifice of the Cross of Christ has sanctified us all there remains nothing to do but to gain to our selves by Faith an interest in the Merit of his Death and Passion What do then signifie all those reiterated Sacrifices And if Christ's Priest-hood is everlasting Christ being living for ever why do they appoint Successors in his Priest-hood Are not all the Masses of Rome as many Blasphemies which accuse the Death and Passion of Christ of insufficiency and imperfection And all those Romish pettiSacrificers erected without any Order or Vocation of God are not they the Usurpers of Christ's Priesthood III. What has given occasion to that Error and the Degrees of Corruption which brought forth that Belief TO discover the stock of that Error
are attributed or that they have been thereafter increased adulterated and filled with Corruptions But let it be what it could these Liturgies though corrupted are nevertheless works of Antiquity and since many of the Authors of the Roman Church hold them all authentical we may rightly urge those works against them to make them to acknowledge that in the time those Liturgies were written the manner of administring the Eucharist was entirely different from that of the Church of Rome in the abridgement of the Cup in the worshipping of the Host and in Celebrating in an unknown Tongue which is a strong Proof against the novelty of the now Roman Church II. The beginning of all the Errors of the Roman Church in the administration of the Sacrament BUt without farther insisting upon Proofs which may be said to be negative only which nevertheless are of great weight and have almost the force of a Demonstration in Questions wherein one Sect is accused of Innovation it is very easie to produce positive Proofs to shew the Novelty of those Errors since we know the time when they were brought into the World and that we know their beginning and their Authors 1. The beginning of the abridgement of the Cup. We know by (a) Consult de utraque spec pag. 1025. Cassander's report that the Eastern Church has always given the Communion under both kinds to every one of the Faithful and that even in the Roman Church the custom of distributing to every body the Bread and Wine of the Sacrament did last more than a Thousand years the erroneous custom of Abridging the Cup of Christ's Blood to all the People was born in the Council of Constance in the 13. Session wherein the Council after having acknowledge that it was the custom of the Primitive Church to communicate under both kinds established as a Law the custom of taking away from the People a part of the Sacrament and declared hereticks those who say That it is an error to withstand the custom of the Primitive Church the Example and Institution of CHrist and the Commandement to which he has boud us upon ternal Damnation viz. the Commandement of Drinking of the Chalice of his Blood This is will some say a very strange Doctrine that a Council notwithstanding the Custom of the Primitive Church Christ's Example and the Commandement he has injoyned unto all the Faithful should dare forbid all Priests to give the Communion under both kinds and would have it be an heresie to obey our Lord Jesus Christ to be conformed to his Example and to follow the practice of the Saints who lived in the primitive Church This is a very Churlish and ungentile manner of dealing But what Reasons had that Council to forbid to administer the Communion under both kinds Are ye curious to know them I have learnt them of Chancellour * Tract contr Haeres de Cons. sub utraque specie Gerson 1. The Mens Beards which grow on their Lips 2. The loathsomness which one should have to drink after others 3. The costliness and difficulty of getting Wine 4. The inconveniencie of Frosts in Winter 5. The importunity of Flies in Summer 6. The trouble that the Deacons should have to bring Wine to the Faithful 7. The danger of spilling 8. And the Peoples unworthiness to equal Priests in receiving the Sacrament if he received it under both kinds These are the Reasons of great moment which have obliged that Council to withstand so directly the Institution of Christ and the holy Custom of all the Primitive Church Truly are these Reasons sufficient to abolish so express a Commandement which Christ has injoyned to all the Faithful to drink his Blood Are there some new inconveniencies which have happened since to alter the Form in which Christ has instituted the Sacrament Had not Men their Beards in the time of Christ Was there no body to be found in the Apostles time 'till the Council of Constance who had loathsomness to drink after others Is Wine dearer now in France Italy and Spain than it was then in Syria Graecia jerusalem and Constantinople Did not Wine freeze before the Council of Constance Is it but since that time Flies have vexed the People in Summer Are the trouble of the Deacons and the danger of spilling wine such things as Christ had not foreseen And are the Priests of the Roman Church more elevated in Dignity than Christ himself was and his Apostles that there should be need to set betwixt them and the People a difference which was never set betwixt Christ and his Apostles betwixt the Apostles and the rest of the Faithful 2. The Beginning of the Worshipping of the Host As for the worshipping of the Host not only we do not find that Christ or his Apostles ever worshipped the Sacrament or that this was the use of the first Faithful not only we do not find in all these Lyturgies whereof I have spoken any footstep of that worshipping But furtheremore we do know all the degrees whereby this Errour fair and softly slid into the World We know that it was Pope Innocent III. who first commanded that some Boxes should be kept in the Church wherein the consecrated Host should be conserved That it was Peope Honorius III. about the Year 1220 who renewed that Decree with this new Addition that upon those Boxes these words should be written Hìc Deum adora Here adore God and that the same Pope ordained that the Host should be Elevated We know it was Pope Gregory IX who added to that Elevation the Sound of a little Bell about the Year 1230. And in fine we know that it was Innocent IV. who ordained that the Host should be worshipped These are the degrees whereby that Error has been established in the Roman Church And if you would know what Engins they have used to give Authority unto that Worshipping you are but to read Platina and the * Ad Evam reclusam data apud Vrb Vet. 6. Id. Sept. An. Pontif. 3. Bull of Pope Urban IV. directed to a Nun called Eve and you shall see that about the ear 1264 this Pope Instituted the Feast which is called Corpus-Christi-Day upon the Revelation and the Request of that Nun to whom he sent the Book of the Office of the Sacrament which is said to have been framed by Thomas Aquinas We know that afterwards Pope Clement V. in the Council of Vienna ordained that this Festival Day should be kept by all those of the Roman Church And that about the Year 1360 they began at Pavie to make Processions and Tabernacles which was afterwards observed in all Towns that submitted to the Popes Authority Before the time that the Roman Church had corrupted the Word of God the Christians did receive the Sacrament with devotion with zeal and an holy greediness it was with a joy which cannot be expressed that they met in the Churches to participate of the true Body and true Blood
it is the most ancient of all the Churches which have been ever governed by St. Peter in antioch St. Peter executed the function of Bishop even according to Baronius seven years before he had ever been at Rome it was in Antioch that the faithful were first called Christians as it is reported in the Acts of the Apostles and it is the Church of Antioch which is called by St. Chrysosthome the chief and Capital of the whole world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In fine if the Mother is more ancient than the Daughter if the Spring is before the Brook the Greek Church is more ancient than the Roman the Greek Church was erected by St. Paul and S. Andrew and it was from that Church as from an holy Spring the name of Jesus Christ was scattered abroad afterward through the Kingdoms and Nations of the earth it was from the Greek Church the Roman received the New Testament the Apostles Creed that of Nice and St. Athanasius it was of the Greek Church that the Roman learnt the very names of Baptisme of Eucharist of Bishop of Priest of Deacon c. So that the Bishop of Bitonto (c) lib. de actis conc Trident. pag. 18. acknowledges in the Council of Trent that the Greek Church is the mother of the Roman and that it is from that Rome has received all it possesses ea igitur Graecia mater nostra cui id totum debet quod habet Latina Ecclesia You may judge now upon what are grounded those fine Titles of Eldership of the Roman Church of which they make so much noise and so much boasting §. 2. That the Multitude is not of the Roman Church's side THE vanity the Church of Rome is puffed up withal to have Multitude of its side is not better grounded than the Antiquity of it Truly if you should dwell in the middle of Paris or of Rome and without taking any notice of the things which are acted in the world should take the word of the Preachers of the Church of Rome they would make you believe that all the Christians in the world belong to the Roman Church and that there is but a very small number of those who will not submit themselves to the Pope's jurisdiction But if you will lift up your eyes and look upon that which is done in the world you shall find that of all the three great parts of the world which have been known to our Fathers ASIA is all full of Christians who have received their Faith from the very Apostles and who never have received nor receive yet the domination of the Pope you may find there the Christians of Palestine submitted to the Patriarch of Jerusalem the Syrians and the Melchites under the Patriarch of Antioch the Armenians and Georgians subjected to their own Patriarchs and Metropolitans who do not acknowledge the dominion of the Pope you may see there the Mingrelians the Circassians the Christians of the less Asia submitted to the Patriarch of Constantinople the Jacobites the Christians of St. Thomas submitted to their peculiar Patriarchs and not to the Pope of Rome If you set your eyes on AFRICA and on those in that part of the world who have received the Gospel you may find there the Egyptians and the Cophtes to be subjected to the Patriarch of Alexandria the Ethiopians or Abissins have their own Patriarch who doth not acknowledge yet unto this day the jurisdiction of Rome what relation soever the Pope's Missionaries had made of it As for that Province whereof the Jesuites make so much noise which they call the Kingdom of Congo the Governours whereof have submitted to the Popes Dominion it is very easie to know that it is nothing but a Mission of Jesuites such as those which they have erected in Goa in Jappan even in England in the very chief Town of this kingdom to root therein in spight of all the Laws of the Kingdom and all Magistracy In EVROPE the Greeks are submitted to the Patriarch of Constantinople the Moscovites have a Patriarch at Moskow who relies not on the Pope the Christian Protestants and Reformed in England in Danemark in Swedeland in Holland in Switzerland in Germany and in Hungaria are subjected to their Bishops and Metropolitans who are not subjected to the Pope and every body knows that in Bohemia in Poland even in France even in some Countrys of Italy all is full of Reformed Churches which do not acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Pope So that all that great huge multitued whereof the Roman Church boasts so much is Spain most part of Poland France and It aly some Cantons of Switzerland part of the Low-Countries and of Germany this is that great multitude of people parturiunt montes c. what is that in respect of the whole world And lest some body should think that those Churches which are not submitted to the Pope be some small Churches those who will take the pains but to read the Historians shall find that the only Patriarchat of Constantinople has contained 80 Bishopricks and 40 Archbishopricks the Church of Antioch 150 both Bishopricks and Archbishopricks that of Jerusalem more that 76 and that there have been only in Africa 420 both Bispopricks and Archbishopricks according to Myraeus's relation a Pag. 94. which have never followed the belief of the Roman Church from thence you may Judge of the rest §. 3. Other Churches as well as the Roman have their Succession from the very Apostles AS for the matter of Succession if you hearken to those of the Church of Rome you would think that only in the Church of Rome the Bishops have succeeded one another from the beginning of the Christendom Those Gentlemen would make all the world believe that the Churches which are not of their Communion have neither Vocation nor Title nor Ordination and consequently no right in the Ecclesiastical Functions in the Administration of the Sacraments or Preaching the word of God But if you will but open your eyes and read Nicephorus Cedrenus and other Historians you shall find in the Churches which have never submitted to the Pope which have ever kept the purity of the word of God several Catalogues of Bishops and Patriarchs who have succeeded one another from the Apostles time In Jerusalem Jesus Christ our Lord the Son of God the Holy one began the function of an Everlasting Bishop which he will continue to exercise during all Eternity St. James was the first Bishop afterwards next Simon Cleophas then Justus the Jew c. and so successively Bishop after Bishop Patriarch after Patriarch unto Germanus and Theophanes who in our days have ruled that Church being the Patriarchs thereof In the Church of Antioch St. Peter was the first Bishop whom succeeded Evodius then Ignatius then Hero then Cornelius and others successively who have so well conserved the doctrine of the Primitive Church with the right succession of St. Peter that he of those Bishops who lived about the
year 1237 agreed together with the Patriarch of Constantinople to excommunicate the Pope Gregory the 9th and pronounce Anathema against his Errors In the Church of Alexandria the Patriarch Gelasius who ruled that Church in the year 1636 succeeded Cyrillus Cyrillus succeeded Meletius Meletius Joachim and so from Bishop to Bishop they succeeded the Evangelist St. Mark who was the first Bishop of Alexandria In the Church of Constantinople the Apostle St. Andrew who was the first Bishop of it as relates Nicephorus had for his successor Stachys Stachys had Onesimus Onesimus Polycarp and so successively 177 Bishops the most part great personages and learned men unto Cyrillus and Methodius who ruled that Church in our days and Parthenius who rules it unto this very day It was to one of those Patriarchs that the Ministers who Preached the Gospel in Germany sent their Confession of Faith in the year 1576 for a token of Uniformity of Doctrine they had with all the Eastern Church SECTION II. That neither Antiquity nor Multitude nor Succession are infallible marks of the true Church and consequently that one Church may have them all and with them all be an Heretical Church IT is very easie to know by all that which I have rehearsed before that if we must judge of the truth and of the right of a Church by its Antiquity or by the Multitude of those who profess the same belief or by the Succession of its Bishops it will not be in favour of the Roman Church shutting out all others since you may find some Churches more Ancient than the Roman Church some Churches more large and more numerous and whose Succession is as sure at least and without comparison a great deal less interrupted and less disturbed than that of the Church of Rome has been by Schismes of I know not how many years by the Heresies of its Bishops and the Monstrous life of a great many Popes But for as much as the truth of a Religion doth not depend upon a question of Chronology Geography or History I will shew that neither the Antiquity of a Church nor the Multitude of those who stand of its side nor the Succession of its Bishops are infallible marks which oblige us to believe that such a Church is the true Church of Christ since it may be very possible that such a Church may have all those marks and for all that be an Heretical Church §. 1. Antiquity is not an infallible mark of the true Church IT is a rule receive by all Lawyers that things which have been worth nothing in the beginning can never grow better in time (a) L. quae ab initio ff de reg Juris quae ab initio non valuerunt tractu temporis convalescere non possunt and Tertullian (b) de virg veland holds for a principle that there is no Prescription against truth veritati nemo praescribere potest if you be a possessor of a house of a field of land and you have enjoyed it peaceable during a hundred years though you should have lost all your Evidences or suppose you had never any the prescription of a hundred years would establish you rightful possessor of that field land or house But it is not the same in regard of error and truth if you have been in an error from the beginning of the world all that long Prescription of years will not give you a right to maintain such an error because error cannot be strengthened by Prescription and a thing which was false from the beginning of the world can never become true by continuance though it should last as long as Eternity it self it would be always new in respect of truth on the contrary the things which are true bring always with themselves the character of a right Antiquity according to that principle of the same Tertullian that truth is altogether antient and everlasting veritas sempiterna antique res est and is it from that principle that after he has supposed that there are several things which seem new which nevertheless are very Ancient he concludes that it is not so much novelty as truh that confutes throughly all Heresies Haereses non tam novitas quà m veritas revincit So that following this principle to prove that Prayers directed to Saints that the worshiping of Images that the Belief of Transubstantiation are so many errors 't will go a great way to shew their novelty that they be Articles of Faith of a New impression but yet it is not enough barely that they are new wemust moreover show that those Articles are contrary to Truth that is to say the word of God let a matter of Belief seem to you as much new as can be if the Articles it contains be true if they be agreeable to the word of God to that Doctrine which we have received from the very Apostles it is an Ancient belief therefore do not say that the doctrine they teach in the reformed Churches is a new doctrine you are to examine first if it be true if it be agreeable to the word of God and if you find it such you are to say that it is an Ancient doctrine but if so be that in one of those Churches which derive their Original from the Apostles they should teach a doctrine which is not conformable to the Gospel the priviledge of antiquity will not excuse them from error they would be ancient inveterate diseases whom the priviledge of being old would not be able to heal Is there in all the world a Religion more ancient than that of the Idolaters yet dare any say that the priviledge it hath of being old gives it that of being true and Infallible and do you think that the ancient Fathers of the Church who disputed against the Heathens would have urged against them that among all Religions and Churches that is always the most true which is the most Ancient it was on the contrary what the Heathens objected to them against the Gospel as (a) lib. 4. Recognit Clement Alexandrinus relates What then said those blind men shall we forsake our Idols the Religion which hath been given us from hand to hand by our great great Grandfathers And it was to that argument of antiquity the Fathers used to answer that antiquity signifies nothing in matter of Religion that the custome of worshiping Idols being an error the antiquity they boasted of was an Antiquity of error according to that of (b) Epist 74. ad Pomp. St. Cyprian consuetudo sine veritate vetustas erroris est In fine said St. Clemens if your Father has been a Thief a deboshed and a dissolute shall you be obliged to be a Thief a deboshed and a dissolute becaue your Father was so is there any crime in the world which would not be committed without punishment if Antiquity could priviledge wickedness and free it from punishment The Prophets knew not this fine doctrine whereupon the Popes pretend to
ground their Religion for when they would have excited the Jews to forsake their errors and to give over their sins they said to them that a great while ago they had entertained the word of God contumeliously I spake unto thee in thy prosperity (c) Jerem. 22.21 saith the Lord but thou saidst I will not hear this has been thy manner from thy youth that thou obeyedst not my voice (d) Jerem. 32.30 31 32. The Children of Israel and the Children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth for this City hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury even unto this day that I should remove it from before my face because of all the evil of the Children of Israel and of the Children of Judah which they have done to provoke me to anger they their Kings their Princes their Priests and their Prophets and the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem c. Whereby it is very easie to see that the Prophet believed not that the people of Israel had any right to deal wrongfully with the word of God because they had done so during I do not know how many ages neither that the Kings the Princes the Priests the Prophets and the People could pretend to stay still in their blindness because in all ages before there had been found many of the Kings of the Priests the Prophets and the People who had gone astray from the Law of God to prostitute themselves to errors In fine jesus Christ himself knew not that fine maxime of Rome that antiquity is a true mark of Infallibility for when the Scribes and the Pharisees said (e) Joh. 8. that they were Children of Abraham he answered them that their Genealogie was a great deal more Ancient since they were Children of the Devil himself but he thought not all that fair Antiquity could render them Infallible could give them right to reject his holy word and the truths he came to preach to them §. 2. Multitude is not an infallible mark of the true Church IF the Multitude be a mark of the true Church we must need say that there was no true Church in the time of Enoch in the time of Noah in the time of Abraham that there was no true Church neither whilst Christ Jesus lived upon the earth nor in the time of the Apostles nor in the time of the Arians if the accounts we have received of their numbers be true When the Antichrist shall appear in the world the Church and the true worshipping of God shall be almost destroyed or what would be yet more horrible to imagine we must say that the Church of Antichrist shall be the true Church that in the time of the Arians those who denied Christ our Lords Divinity were the true Church that in the time of the Apostles and the Martyrs the Heathens had the true manner of worshipping God that Christ and his Apostles were not the true Church but that it was those who Crucified him who had reason on their side and who doth not see that all these propositions are so many Blasphemies which yet are good consequences from this principle urged by the Romanists but are horrible impieties and falsehoods How far be these propositions from the thoughts of the Fathers and from truth St. Augustin (a) In Psal 128. faith that the true Church was for a while inclosed in the single person of Abel a while in the single person of Enoch a while it did consist all in the family of Noah and since in that of Abraham I should be ashamed to prove here among reasonable people that it was among that people of God before Christ his coming and among the faithful in the Primitive Church that the true Religion was to be sought after not among the Idolaters and the Heathens and you would look upon me as a man who thinks all the Christians very little zealous for the love of Christ if speaking to those who profess to follow him I would engage my self to prove what all the world ought to suppose as a principle not to be contested that whilest Christ lived upon the Earth with his Apostles it was in that holy Colledge of Christ the true Church was to be found not in the Synagogue of the Jews which was all compacted of men who gasped but for the blood of the righteous who sought but to oppress the truth As for the time of the Arians it is true as Theodoret witnesses (b) Lib. 2. Hist Ecclesiast cap. 16. that the Emperour Constantius spake of Athanasius as of a naughty fellow whom all the world looked upon with detestation because he held Christ's Divinity Who art thou said that Emperour to Liberius what part of the world art thou to come all alone to trouble the quiet of all the Earth It is true as Hilary (c) In lib. de Synod witnesses that in all the ten Provinces of Asia there was but the bishop Eleusius and a very small number of people with him who persisted in the true knowledge of God it is true as St. Hierome (d) Contra error Joan. Jerosolim witnesses that in all the East there was but Athanasius and Paulinus who followed not the errours of Arius nevertheless the true Church was not destroyed it was not in the Communion of the Arians though they were the Multitude it was in the single Bishop Eleusius it was in Athanasius it was in Paulinus because as Liberius answered to the Emperour Constantius the word of Faith is not lessened by the small number of those who profess that Holy word neither by their loneliness non diminuitur solitudine mea verbum fidei and according to the witness of Tertullian (e) De pudicitia it is not the great number of Bishops that makes the Church the Church may consist in one or two saith (f) De poenit cap. 10. the same and Gregory of Nazianze where are those saith he (g) Orat. cont Arian who describe the Church by the Multitude they have the People for them and we have the Faith they have abundance of Gold and Silver but we have the true doctrine of Faith whereby you may see that in that time the true Church did not consist in the Multitude Neither shall it be in the Multitude that the true Church shall be found in the time of Antichrist the Church shall be reduced to a very little number according to the testimony of Christ (a) Luke 18.8 when the Son of man cometh shall he find Faith on the Earth St. Hierome (b) In Sophron. 2. saith that in that time the Church shall be reduced to a Wilderness shall be deivered to the wild Beasts and shall suffer all the evils whereof the Prophet gives a description and St. Chrysostome (c) In Mathaeum homil 49. saith that when the ungodly Heresie which is the Army of the Antichrist will come to lay
was Bishop of the place where that Council was held since according to the Authority of the Chancellour (b) Tom. 4. in propos utilibus ad exterminat schismatis Gerson in the Apostles times four Councils were held where St. Peter was not present now it is a principle in the Doctrine of Rome that the title of Universal Bishop gives one the right of presiding in all Councils from whence the consequence is manifest As for the times which have followed those of the Apostles we know that the Popes have not always presided in all general Councils and that the only thought of being elevated above other Bishops and stiled UniversAl was an abomination among all the Antients and a thing lookt upon as an Apostasie and a monstrous error proceeding from the bottom of Hell to plant Impiety and Idolatrie in the middle of the Temple of God About the end of the fifth Age about the year 600. John Patriarch of Constantinople would have challenged to himself the title of Universal Bishop and was in that enterprise supported by the favour of the Emperor Mauricius at the novelty of that monstrous title all Christendom was stricken with horror Pope Gregory the Great stirred up with the zeal of the honour of God withstands vigorously the establishment of that new title he writes to Eulogius Patriarch of Alexandria and to Anastasius Patriarch of Antioch (a) Epist 36. Never a one of my predecessors saith he has been willing to consent to a title so profane as that of universal Bishop challenging to himself the primacy over the other God forbid that Christian minds should ever be infected with such an opinion as to believe that there may be in the world some Bishop who could by right take to himself the title of Universal And in another (b) Epist 24. lib. 6. epistle to the same Without speaking saith he of the wrong which is done to you if some body be called Vniversal Bishop this Vniversal Bishop being faln all the Vniversal Church must need fall to the ground together with him and what madness saith he what levity is it to run after such a Doctrine To the Emperor Mauricius (c) Epist 32. lib. 4. he protests that it is not for his own particular interest that he withsTands that pretended Primacy of the Bishop of Constantinople he makes him understand that it is the business of all the Church that such a title is contrary to the ordinances of the Gospel to the Holy Canons of the Church and that it is an usurpation Nunquid ego in hac re piissime domine propriam causam defendo c. Causam Vniversalis Ecclesiae ago c. That such a title is new in the Church never one of my predecessors saith he again has been willing to consent to that title of singularity lest other Bishops should be thereby deprived of the honour which is owing to them and in another Epistle (d) Epist 30. lib. 4. to the same Emperour he doth openly declare that if any Bishop desires to be called Universal Bishop he is the forerunner of the Antichrist In fine he writes to the Bishop of Constantinople himself he prays him he beseeches him he exhorts him not to consent to that title full of error of ambition and madness he saies that it is a temptation of the Devil of which he must beware and that to consent to receive so mischievous a title is nothing else but to lose the Faith and to become an Apostate from Christianity But alas those words full of zeal and truth were the last words of the true Roman Church that Church ceased with Gregory the Great and there succeeded in its place a corrupted Roman Church whose Bishop challenged to himself that monstrous name full of Blasphemy and Apostasie which his predecessor withstood so generously The Emperour Mauricius was murthered by Phocas Phocas usurped the Empire and made himself a Tyrant and to have some prop for his tyranny he gave Boniface III. to make him his creature the title of Universal Bishop and that title which the Bishop of Rome thus usurped was established by degrees fair and softly by the Pope's cunning tricks so that about the year 642. they began in the superscription of Letters whcih were written to the Pope Theodorus to set these words which are related by Sygebertus in his Chronciles To the holy Father of Fathers and Soveraign Prelate of Prelates c. Against that monstrous name full of Blasphemy and Apostasie the Churches of Greece of Dacia and Illyrium made opposition and the Kingdoms of France Spain and England were a long while afore they could abide that huge and heavy burthen of the Popes dominion and submit themselves to that primacy and universality of the Roman Bishop This is the story and the progress of that primacy and it is upon that title of Universal Bishop and sovereign Prelate that the Church of Rome asserts the Pope to be infallible that it is by his judgment that the other Bishops must be governed and likewise on the contrary that there is none upon earth capable of redressing what the Pope has once ordained as it is written in one of those 27 Propositions in which consists the Dictatorship of the Pope § 3. That the Ambition of the Popes extends it felf as far as Impiety YOU would imagine that proposition to be a Paradox viz. That the Roman religion is grounded upon Impiety since there is nothing more contrary to Religion than Impiety but as much paradox as it is it is very true for all that or if one of the members of that Proposition is to be destroyed to hinder it from being a Paradox we are to say that the Romish is not a Religion As for the other member of the proposition to wit that it is grounded upon Impiety nothing is more true and more easie to to be proved The Church of Rome is all grounded upon the Authority of the Popes now the Authority of the Popes is injurious unto God's Majesty it doth establish a manifest Impiety therefore it is evident that the Religigion or the Church of Rome is grounded upon Impiety To prove the 2d Proposition of that argument I have nothing else to do but to shew that the Popes challenge to themselves the power of dispensing with the Gospel and the commandments of God and after they have taken to themselves a power as mighty as that of God Almighty they had the temerity to take also to themselves the same titles that we use to attribute only to God or to Jesus Christ our Saviour 1. The Pope takes to himself as great an Authority as that of God Almighty ACcording to the Maxime of Optatus (a) Lib. 3. That there is none but God about Kings and Emperours that he who exalts himself above those anointed of God raises himself above all men and makes himself equal with God Cum super Imperatorem non sit nisi solus
all kind of gainful Bulls whereupon Pope Sixtus IV. was wont to say That he should never want mony if so be that he should never want Pen and Ink to write Do but open the Historians and you shall find there the crafty tricks which the Popes have used to draw huge sums of mony out of the Kingdoms that have acknowledged his jurisdiction About the year 1216 whilst England overcharged and almost opprest groaned still under the tyranny of the Pope the Pope sent his Legates into this kingdom they Preached a Crosadoe against the Turks and the Bull of the Pope granted those who would make a voew to go into the Holy land to recover the holy Sepulcher the forgiveness of their sins and a degree of Glory in Heaven above the rest upon this a great multitude of Gentry sold and mortgaged their Lands and Estates for the charge of that journey but as they were armed and furnished for their journey another Legate came that dispensed the English from their vow and gave them the same graces and indulgences without budging from their own houses provided they would give to the Pope as much mony as was necessary to have been spent in their journey These are the fine devices which the Pope used to draw mony out of England never a year past but the Popes sent over into this Kingdom some new Commissions some new pretenses to raise mony in so much that the Pope called England his garden of pleasure and his bottomless treasure It is by the means of Bulls Indulgences Forgivenesses Dispensations and other such stuffes the Pope has used to draw from other Kingdoms as well as from England innumerable summes of mony In the time of Martin V. they brought out of France to Rome 9000000 nine millions of Crowns which are 2250000l two millions two hundred fifty thousand pounds sterling and at this time the Popes are wont to complain of France and the Italians stile it Heretick or at least Semiheretick because the Pope has now out of that Kingdom every year but 28 Tuns of Gold which are 560000l five hundred sixty thousand pounds sterling and 1690000l sixteen hundred ninety thousand pounds sterling less than they had used to receive Do but judge from thence what he has what he had and what he intends to have out of all the other Kingdoms which are submitted to his dominion Conclusion of the second Part. That the Roman Church being founded upon the principles which I have rehearsed is fallen into Corruption and Error §. 1. Horrid Corruptions in its Manners WHat can we expect of a Church which is grounded upon Ambition and Covetousness but that it must fall into abundance of Errors and prostitute it self to all kind of corruption and so it is happened to the Church of Rome Do but read the lives of the Popes who have ruled it since its fall you shall find there such dreadful and horrid stories as scarcely could you find amongst Turks and Idolaters Pope John XI who was Bastard to Pope Sergius governed the Roman Church about the year 931. he was a Monster as Baronius himself relates yet for all that he was the chief of the Roman Church Do but judge now what could that Church be whose head was a monster Pope John XII had the government of the Roman Church about the year 955. he was but 18 years old when he was made Pope Baronius speaks of that Pope with horror and execration and if you would know the particularities of the life of that Pope you are but to read Luitprandus (a) Lib. 6. cap. 11. Sygebert (b) An. 963. and Antonin (c) In his Cronicl Tom. 2. tract 16. §. 16. and you shall learn that that Pope was worse than a Turk or an Idolater he took Children to make them Bishops he conferred the Sacred Orders in a Stable he drank to the Devils good health his occupation all the day long was to spend the time in playing at Dice or other sorts of games and it was in those pastimes he used to call upon the name of Jupiter and Venus after which the death of that Pope was conformable enough to the life he had led for whilst he was in the middle of his dissolutenesses the Devil beat him so much that he dyed of it was not the Roman Church well grounded upon the Authority of such a Pope and is it not a thing well contrived to say that a Pope who calls upon the name of Devils enjoys an infallible Authority and that a Church which is grounded upon such an Authority is unable to receive or conceive any error We are but to read Platina Onnphrius and others who are Historians of the Roman Church to discover the wickednesses of the Popes Pope Boniface murthered (a) Baron an 985. two Popes to be their Successor in the Chair of Rome and Benedict IX who was but ten years old when he was made Pope by the faction of his Father lived a monstrous life all the while he sat in the Chair of Rome witnesses Baronius Platina and others There has been a time that they have seen three Popes at a time excommucating one another they have seen in that Chair Popes Murtherers Popes Adulterers Popes Sorcerers perjured persons simoniacal and full of all other crimes that can be imagined and to say that such Popes are infallible that they be governours of the Church of Christ truly if we speak strictly there is not an evident Metaphysical contradiction no more than there is an evident Metaphysical contradiction in saying that Jesus Christ might take even the Devils to make them the ordinary preachers of his Gospel and the Organs of the Holy Ghost and that he might chuse Sathan to make him the governor of his Church Nevertheless though those propositions contain not a strict impossibility yet we may say that they contain an infinite number of inconveniences and impossibilities in Morality and men can hardly believe that God almighty should have chosen Sathan among all his creatures to make him the governor of his Church I say the same of the Popes Men can hardly believe that God should have chosen the good friends of the Devil those creatures which the most moderate among the Papists call monsters to make them the Organs of the Holy Ghost and the Chiefs of the true Church Judge of the members by their Chief and enquire from those who have travelled into Italy what life lead the most part of the Cardinals and other Princes of that Church or else read what Honorius of Authun Sygebert and St. Bernard have written this is for corruption of manners §. 2. Some extreamly gross errors in the doctrine of Rome AS for the errors that are built upon those principles which I have rehearsed I should write a great volume if I should relate them all and shew that it is upon those principles that the discovery of a Purgatory the Doctrine of the Mass the Corruption and