And he led them out as far as to Bethany and he lifted up his hands and blessed them You see therefore that blessing and signing with the Cross are founded on holy Scripture That it was the Primitive practice of the true Church used in all Ages since the Passion of Christ cannot be denied I call to witness all the Crosses that ever have been Erected in High-ways and on Eminent places some by the Apostles some by their Successors others by devout Lay-men and all by the Authority and Example of the Church Witness that great Cross found not many Ages ago in the Indies where St. Thomas the Apostle Preached the Gospel of Christ Witness all the Crowned Heads of Christian Kings that are now or ever have been in the World witness in fine all the Church-Pinacles that ever were seen as well in England as in any other part of Christendom We ought not sure to forget Chairing-Cross supposed by many to have been the richest of most Crosses after that on which our sweet Redeemer has suffered Now I leave to your own Judgement Impartial Reader to consider the difference between the Church that Erected all of those Monuments of Christian Piety and the pretended Church that levell'd all to the Ground and endeavour'd to bury the memory of Primitive Piety and ancient Devotion Do not we find in History that it was revealed from Heaven to the first Christian Emperour an English-man born and his Mother an English-woman also quod in hoc signo vinces you will overcome in this sign and well it became him for he was never ashamed thereof but shewed himself all his Life time a true worshipper of the Cross and for that he had always the better of his Enemies both visible and invisible and it is well known that all the true Worshipers of the Cross do the like But some body will say that I mistake in Protestants that they are not at all such Enemies to the Cross that many of them can very well abide a Crucifix in their Chambers and pay to it due Respect and Veneration And why not I pray a Roman Catholick Cannot he have the Spirit of discerning the Honour due to a Crucifix as well as a Protestant Sure that zealous Church of England Worshipper of a Crucifix intends to perswade the world that what may be a respectful Ornament in his Chamber must needs be a Golden Calf in that of a Roman Catholick and why Because he supposes that He alone has the Spirit of discerning the Honour due to a Crucifix let him shew me this in Scripture otherwise I will shew him that he judgeeth most rashly for there can be no rasher judgement than that of ones interiour which is only known to God scrutator cordium renum Deus true or false Worwip must come from the interiour witness these words of our Saviour populus hic labiis me honorat cor autem eorum longe est a me This People honour me with their Lips hut their heart is far from me You see then that there is but God only that knows their heart beware therefore gentle Reader never to offer at being Judge of that Court wherein God only is Supream Judge and each particular a sub-altern-one none knowing effectually what passeth in foro Conscientiae but God and himself You must needs then be very weary how you judge what you judge and of whom you judge for fear of being judged It is but what we are commanded to observe in the Gospel Nolite judicare non judicabimini do not judge and you will not be judged This is all the Advertisement I have to give you good Reader before you begin to read the ensuing Treatise Farewell ANIMADVERSIONS By way of ANSWER TO A SERMON Preach'd by Doctor Thomas Kenne Lord Bishop of BATH and WELLS In the Cathedral Church of Bath On ASCENTION-DAY last Being the Fitfh of May 1687. I Was honour'd my Lord with being one of your Auditors last Ascention-day in the Afternoon at the Cathedral Church of Bath Your Lordship I own does not want the parts of an Orator and of an Evangelical one too had you but suck'd your Doctrine as St. John hath done De Sacro Dominici pectoris fonte that is to say within the Bosom of his only true Spouse on Earth the Roman Catholick Church Mother and Mistress of all Visible Churches That you have not suck'd your Learning from the Breast of Christ in his True Church I prove ex ore tuo To enter directly to the matter I begin my Lord with your Text drawn out of the 47 Psalm 5. Ver. Ascendit Deus in jubilo God is gone up with a shout the Lord with the sound of a Trumpet I remarked your Lordship sweated hard to fit this Text more to the Typick ascent of the Ark of Alliance from the house of Obededon to Mount Sion than to the real assent of Jesus Christ from Mount Olivet to the right hand of God the Father You took so much pains in describing to the least circumstance of the first that you had not time enough to enlarge your self much on the latter tho' This was far more to your purpose then That it was not want of time for you were a full hour and a half in Chair All that I cou'd pick out of your tedious description of the Ark was that when you compar'd it to a long Chest with painted Cherubims much like to the Angels you Paint now adays I thought your Church allow'd of no Angels to be Painted at all But now that you speak of them you cannot deny but they were Painted or Engraved on the Ark by Gods own Direction God cou'd never give directions for Idolatry You see then my Lord that to have a Crucifix or Picture of Saints or Angels and pay due respect to them cannot be Idolatry provided still that the Worship of Latria only due to God be not given them but a respective veneration which we call Dulia for Saints and Angels and Hyper-Dulia for the blessed Virgin Mother of God. In the Second place I took notice your Lordship thought it too too long you were without giving a fling at the Popes Supremacy to which you shew'd all aversion imaginable and that because he is call'd Supream Spiritual Head of Christs Church on Earth We call his Holiness it is true Supream Spiritual and Visible Head Vicar of Jesus Christ and Successor to St. Peter the first visible Head our Saviour hath ordained in his Church and we have Scripture enough for calling him so as you shall soon see but you have none to the contrary I remember you said that Jesus Christ was and is the only spiritual Head of his Church A little distinguo here my Lord may do well Jesus Christ is the only Supream Spiritual and Invisible Head of his Church as well Triumphant as Militant Concedo Jesus Christ is the only Spiritual and Visible Head of his Church Militant I deny because this Church
of that Verse I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven if any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I will give is my Flesh which I give for the Life of the World. What can be more positive for our purpose Yet Beza had the impudence to translate most perfidiously Life giving Bread instead of Living Bread but in this he was most absurdly perfidious for the Sun is Life giving tho' not living and being granted that this Bread is living it must of necessity be Jesus Christs own precious Body St. Paul 1 Cor. 10. v. 16. Proves it positively as appears by the following words The Cup of Blessing which we bless is it not the Communion of the Blood of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ And 1 Cor. 12. v. 29. for he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not discerning the Lords Body There is none if he be not wilfully blind but may see out of both these passages and out of many more that before Jesus Christ gave this Sacrament to his Apostles at the actual giving it them and after he had given it them and they to others both Christ and his Apostles call it Flesh and Blood Christ sayeth This is my Flesh this is my Blood. And the Apostles name it Corpus Domini the Lords Body Now my Lord I will urge one instance more against your Communion by Faith only and thus I proceed either your Lordships Soul in your actual Communion ascendeth to Heaven there to feed on Christ by Faith or else Christ descendeth to feed your Soul. What to this my Lord You cannot allow the first for so your unglorified Soul should be in two places at once which you deny even to the very glorified Soul and Body of Christ You do not allow the second for so Christ shou'd be in two places at once and if in two why not in an hundred and an hundred thousand For the one is no more difficult to Gods absolute Power then the other This you do not allow for once granted the rest cou'd not be denied I wou'd fain then know what you are at in your Sacramental Communion for I do not find any third way your Lordship can feed in truth and really on Christs Body in your Sacrament nay I am sure you never found it out yet your self nor ever shall Now I see you must own you cannot well tell the way or manner how your Soul feeds on Christs most Sacred Body in the Sacrament You eat him then non dijudicans Corpus Domini viz. Not discerning the Lords Body Pray then read your own judgement in St. Paul 1 Cor. 22. judicium sibi manducat bibit He eats and drinks his own judgement I shall beg of your Lordship once more to deal sincerely and tell me your own opinion of the Protestant Communion I know full well what you say in the exposition of your Catechism Printed for Charles Brome anno 1686. That I know and will soon bring down your very words which are quite opposited to what I heard you Preach the last Ascention-Day But tell me once more I pray your meaning in this particular For my part I want day to find you out for I see your Sermon contradicts your Writings non es ergo tibi constans i. e. you are not constant to your self For now you receive Christs Flesh and Blood virtually now Figuratively another time spiritually by Faith and in Exposition of your Catechism you contradict all that in teaching the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ to be verily and indeed taken by the Faithful in our Lords Supper Here are your own words Pag. 75. Glory be to thee O adorable Jesus who under the outward and visible part the Bread and Wine things obvious and easily prepared both which thou hast commanded to be received dost communicate to our Souls the Mystery of Divine Love the inward and invisible Grace thy own most blessed Body and Blood which are verily and indeed taken and received by the Faithful in thy Supper for which all Love all Glory be to thee These are your own words my Lord Catholick enough on the Paper but quite contrary to what you teach in the Pulpit for there you say That the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is verily and indeed taken by the Faithful and here you say not at all but sometimes one way and sometimes another spiriritually to day by Faith only and virtually to morrow and in your Catechism you write indeed and verily So that I cannot compare your Opinion of this Mystery better then to what White of Lincoln chargeth Bishop Ridley with concerning the destruction of Altars and the Erecting of Communion Tables in the beginning of the Reformation You will find it in Doctor Heylins History the 5th year of King Edward the 6ths Reign Pag. 106. Here are the words That when their Table was Constituted they could never be content in placing the same now East now North now one way now another until it pleased God of his goodness to place it quite out of the Church So much out of Heylin I say the same of your Lordships placing the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament now Virtually now Figuratively now Spiritually now by Faith only and in your Catechism verily and indeed until at last it pleased God of his goodness to place himself quite out of your Sacrament Disprove this parity if you can In fine I remember your Lordship protested mightily against Roman Catholicks for Coining and Forgeing new Articles of Faith as well in relation to Transubstantiation as to spiritual Supremacy c. You ought to know my Lord that there is no Church on Earth that protests more against Innovations in matters of Faith Manners and Religious Ceremonies than the Roman Catholick Church As to what belongs to Faith we say write and teach publickly that all Articles of Faith are in themselves un-alterable being they are Eternal Verities whose Objects are eternally true Omnes articuli fidei sunt immutabiles eo quod objecta eorum sint eternae veritatis Nay we say and solemnly protest that St. Peter with all his Successors together if you will in one Chapter cannot alter and much less make one only Article of Faith they all being eternal verities belonging solely to Gods immediate Revelation It is true the Church can declare what is of Faith to be of Faith and what is not of Faith not to be of Faith And this is all the Church of Rome pretends to in the Decision of matters of Faith. So much in answer to your Lordships vehemency against Coiners of new Articles of Faith. Find them out and our Church will condemn 'em with much more Authority than your Lordship who ought rather to charge your own Church with that errour witness your 39 Articles than ours This is the substance my Lord of all
the convertible Points I took notice of in your last Ascention Sermon and unless I be much mistaken that days controversie was in order to take away all suspicion of your being Roman Cotholickly inclined For your Lordship living as Seneca saith sine impedimento that is to say without a Wife and having the reputation of one that lives morally well which is enough for the Rabble to say you are Popishly affected you undertook that days work to take away the scandal which had no other ground than your good Works thank then my Lord your own Church for this abuse which proceeds from that unhappy Merit-killing Doctrine which prives out of your Schools all good Works and Meritorious actions To this purpose I remember the Friday following your Lordship us'd all means in your instruction of Faith to perswade your Auditors that Abrahams Justification was for his Faith and not for his good Works All your Proof was because Abraham believed before he was circumcised a very weak or rather no argument indeed quasi vero that all Abrahams good Works were only comprehended in his circumcision Pray tell me now if you have this positively in Scripture You can never do it my Lord but you will find the contrary in positive Terms both in the New and Old Testament What shall be the final Judgement of Predestination and Reprobation Shall it not be for Doing or not doing good Works Witness the very words of our last Sentence recorded in the Gospel venite Benedicti patis mei esurivi enim dedistis mihi manducare c. Come ye blessed of my Father c. I was hungry and you gave me to eat c. And the other Sentence shall be most terribly terrible against the Reprobate for want of good Works Ite maledicti in ignem Aeternum c. Go ye cursed to the everlasting Fire c. And why Esurivi enim non dedisti mihi manducare c. Because I was hungry and you did not feed me c. I will content my self now with one Proof out of the Old Testament it is in the 30th Chapter of Deuteronomy 19 verse I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you Life and Death Blessing and Cursing therefore choose Life that thou and thy seed may Live. How cou'd God Almighty call Heaven and Earth to Judge them if he had not endowed them with Free Will for you cannot Lawfully hang a Cripple for not running nor a Man Born Blind for not Reading You must make God then far more cruel than Man if he damns for not doing Good Works you supposing he deprives him of Free-will which is the Doctrine of our pretended Reformers who attribute all to Faith and nothing to Merit As for your Lordship I think I cannot deal fairer with you then to remit you to the Western Window of that Cathedral wherein I heard you Preach and there you will find in Capital Letters your own Judgement drawn out of the 2d Chapter of St. James v. 26. For as the Body without the Spirit is Dead so Faith without good Works is Dead also This is all I have to say against those two Sermons I heard your Lordship Preach now I beseech the Almighty God that you may rather soon then late make it your main Concern to find out Truth and for this purpose you must invoke faithfully and fervently the Holy Ghost to Englighten your understanding that you may see your errour and enflame your will to embrace truth and return speedily to the bosome of Christs only saving Church on Earth and then you will have the Sign of the Holy Cross in Veneration you will make use of it in the beginning of all your undertakings You will own out of the words of God himself a Visible Spiritual Supream Head of his Church on Earth and that the Sacrament of the Altar cannot be a Sacrament according to the Institution thereof if Christs most Sacred Humanity be not there substantially and really present And finally you will confess that Free-will and Meritorious Actions are absolutely necessary for Salvation Recant timely my Lord otherwise it is much to be fear'd that this just Judgment shall surprize you ignorans ignorabitur Do what lyes in you and God will never refuse his helping hand It is a Principle with us in Divinity that facienti quod in se est Deus non denegat Gratiam Do it again I say with all the speed possible for S. Ambrose assures us that the Holy Ghost doth not Love to be put off Nescit tarda Molimina Spiritus Sancti Gratia. Tertulian says Christiano Christianum non est a Christian has no to Morrow but will say with the Royal Prophet ecce nunc coepi Your Lordship will Pardon me I hope for exhorting you to mind your Salvation timely having no other Interest in your Conversion but the Glory of God and the good of your Soul. But if you shut your ears to this spiritual Admonishment I call God to Witness that there is not a Tittle in this silly Scroul but shall arise in Judgement against you I am but a poor Begger I own nay a Begger indeed that begs his bread daily and feeds only on the Charitable Benevolence of Christians and will do so while I live in please God for I can never aspire higher but do not despise the words of the little ones quia infirma mundi elegit Deus ut confundat fortia I am the weakest of all men I confess in utroque homine yet my poor Prayers shall be for your Lordships speedy Conversion to the greater Glory of God to your own Eternal Felicity to the great Joy of all the Angels and Saints of Heaven to the publick Edification of your fellow Subjects to the Conversion of Thousands of your poor stragling Sheep and perishing Lambs and finally to the unspeakable comfort and satisfaction of My Lord Your most humble Servant and Well-wisher in Soul and Body F. J. R. FINIS Books Printed and sold by Nathaniel Thompson at the Entrance into the Old Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross A Manual of Controversies clearly demonstrating the Truth of Catholick Religion By Texts of Holy Scripture Councils of all Ages Fathers of the first 500 years Common sense and Reason And fully Answering the principal Objections of Protestants and all other Sectaries Price bound 1 s. 6 d A Manual of Devout Prayers Fitted for all Persons and Occasions To which is added the Rosary Latine and English Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary c. The Prayers of St. Bridget and other most devout Prayers upon several occasions never before published With a Catholick Calender for ever Price 1 s. A most excellent way of hearing Mass with profit and Devotion Containing the whole Mass in Latine and English with divers choice Select Prayers before and after Confession and Communion An an Examen of Conscience To which is added the Rosary of our Blessed Lady Prayers to