part the Parabolicall the Figurative expressions the Naturall the Originals of the Old and New Testaments the Hebrew and the Greeke with the Antient Greeke and Latin Glosses If Hystory may prevaile Eusebius shall bring testimony Palladius Sezemen Socrates Ruffin shall be witnesses St. Bede St. Jerom shall tell what was the practises in the first times of Christianity If the pious Decrees of those Popes which themselves beleeve to be Saints in Heaven shall be heard Catholique Doctors have viewed all their Decrees both before the Councell of Nice and after If conquest by the Arts of Disputation be pretended to they have enterd into the nicest differences and have been cutters of a Commin Seed and are throughly acquainted with all the most retired advantages of Wit and Learning There have been many and great challenges to the foure first Generall Councels Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Calcedon but many Catholiques have not onely read from the first of Nice to the last of Trent but also all other approved Provinciall Councels If the Fathers Doctors and men famous in all Ages be consulted with they will appeare to be all of the same holy Catholique Church St. Basill St. Athanasius Gregory Nazianzen St. Gregory Nessen St. Gregory the great Iraeneus Cyprian Fulgentius Pamphilus the Martyr Palladius Theodoret Ruffinus Lactantius Vincentius Lyrenensis Dionisius the Areopagite Schollar to Saint Paul St. Ignatius St. Polycarpus St. Clement St. Augustine Hierome St. Ambrose Papias Schollar of St. John the Evangelist c. Who will not then put their foot into the same Barke with so excellent company to sayle to happinesse in but remaine in the Cock-Boars of their owne private opinions to be tost with every wave of Doctrine and to suffer Shipwracke The Hebrew and Greek Scriptures are preserved by the Roman Church defendors of the Catholique cause Its Doctrines whether writ or delivered by mouth Historians deliver the same to be with what Popes have maintained Decrees confirmed Expositions cleared Councels declared Schooles taught and Fathers delivered And their practice is demonstrated by all Ancient Laws of England Imperiall Nationall of Forraigne Countries and former times by confession of Enemies Mahumetans Jews Pagans and all those Scismatickes who confesse Antiquity is not for them I shall for those opinions that are pretended to be cause of their departure and the hinderance of their not returning againe to the Church of Rome give you a taste of the Fathers in severall Centuries and withall shew what fruits of piety charity and comfort they have contain'd in them Of the Eucharist Altars Sacrifice The word Transubstantiation must not be indured they say it is but a late word The verity of its Doctrine since the Councell of Laterane onely used hence they impute novelty to the Artikles of the Church they acknowledge the Church hath a power given it to decide controversies and the truth of the reall presence being called in question with subtile interpretation of words the Church must use some words of art to oppose them and secure the truth against their nimble turning of the sence of words so that to quarrell at the word is indeed to quarrell at the exercise of the Churches power moderne rebellions against the Tenents of holy Church forceth it to use some words to hinder the evasions of its enemies which they professe to signifie no more by then what was taught by This is my body The word Trinity was not used till Councels found it necessary to oppose certain Heresies of those times by framing that word But what a sinister laying hold of all occasions is there by those who once undertake to defend a party Ingenuity is fled passion is the Pilot whilst they are tost upon those faithles Seas of error Transelementation is as hard a word and M. Mountague allowes that The Greeks use a word to of the same signification yet no offence taken at it Heare the Fathers severall expressions as well as late Councels St. Ambrose in the fourth Age after Christ by the benediction nature it selfe is changed the change is not made by Faith alone but really saith St. Chrysostome Not every bread but that which receives the benediction is made the body of Christ Saint Augustine in the fifth Age. In answer to Melateiâ— The Bishop of Derry doth ingenuously confesse That Antiquity hath used the expressions of seeing Christ touching Christ in the Sacrament of fastning our teeth in his flesh c. What satisfaction can prevaile with a moderate ingenuity which one shall not meet with in later Schoole-men and Councels Clypeus Tridentinus saith Beleeve Transubstantiation but the manner of Transubstantiating you need not Schoole termes oblidge not whether by adduction or assumption or any other words of Art they may argue but not disturb the Faith of the Church How Christ is present in the Sacrament can neither be perceived by sense nor imagination St. Thomas of Aquin. Jeremias Patriarcha in Greece saith By the power of the omnipotent spirit the bread is changed into the very body of Christ wine into the very blood The Councell of Trent declares that in this Sacrament Jesus Christ true God and true Man is truely really and substantially contained under the species of those sensible things yet nor according to a naturall manner of existing but Sacramentally He was the Word that spake it And what that word did make it I doe beleeve and take it All the Ancients use constantly without flashes of Rhetoricke or translation of words the word sacrifice and not onely to note giving of thanks but propitiation oblation and offering likewise are used by the Fathers of the Councell of Nice Dialog 4.58 This sacrifice singularly saves the soule from Eternall destruction which doth repaire unto us by mistery the death of the onely begotten who although rising from the dead dyes not and death shall have no further power over him notwithstanding in himselfe immortally and incorruptibly living is againe sacrificed for us in the mistery of this holy oblation Fathers in all Ages have spoke and held this Cardinal Perron calls it a sacrifice applicative of a sacrifice Thus doe the enemies of Catholique Doctrines and words by their opposition of them make that which should be the band of Unity the flag of dissention And for the name of Altars St. Ambrose saith He is upon the Altar who suffered for all those under the Altar the bodies of Martyrs who are Redeemed by his Passion St. Augustine saith the sacrifice it selfe is the body of Christ which is not offered to the Martyrs because they themselves are that also The piety and fruits is brings The word Transubstantiaon truely understood affords us the comfort of asserting the truth of Gods promises For the severall modes and manners which those out of the Church fancy to themselves touching the presence of Christ if there were words of Art to expresse how detractive would they be found from the verity certainty and
Thoughts into the smooth and pleasant waters of Devotion which wash the beautifull Walls of Sion rather then into the boysterous Sea of Controversie for which my Barke is too little and I ever returning thence Sea-sicke but onely induced Madam to give your selfe and some other of my worthy Friends satisfaction In the performance of which I shall little value the Censure of those who suffer themselves to be carried away with that easie fault of Fault-finding And doe beseech your Ladyship to give me your Blessing Your Ladyships most humble and most obedient Son R. T. The Contents CAP. I. COnsideration of Religion under the Notion of Reformations Wherein is discourst of severall of their Tempers and Opinions and perticularly of the Church of England CAP. II. Pag. 29. against Melatair An Answer to the particulars of that grand Objection repeated in the Words of Doctor Bramhal If you seeke to obtrude upon us the Roman Church with its Adherents for the Catholique Church excluding three parts of foure of the Christian World from the Communion of Christ Or the Opinions thereof for Articles and Fundamentals of Catholique Faith neither our Reason nor our Religion nor our Charity will suffer us to listen to you 1. Wherein is related the Opinion of Antiquity Of the necessity of keeping communion with the Church of Rome 2. How Protestants agree and how they exclude one another 3. The Catholique Church excludes none but whom their owne errors exclude 4. Of the use of Reason in the Election of Religion CAP. III. A View of some of the chiefe Doctrines pretended to be the cause of their departure 1. Transubstantiation 2. Praying to Saints 3. Vse of Images 4. Praying for the Dead and Purgatory 5. Confession and Satisfaction 6. Of Fre-will CAP. IV. The falling away from the Church under the Notion of Reformation the cause of troubles of State and from the same grounds they build their opinions on arises the grounds of the disturbance of Governments 1. Wherein is declared the ill and unfortunate ends of those who in severall Ages and Kingdomes opposed the jurisdiction of the Sea of Rome 2. True Religion no Enemy to Governments CAP. V. An Invitation of Wits to the Study of Arts and to leave opposing the Church wherein 1. Of the excellency of the Fruits of Piety 2. That they proceed onely from true Religion CAP. I. Consideration of Religion under the Notion of Reformations THe esteeme and value men put on the finding of what is Truth makes all men so plausibly vent their perticular Opinions under the Notion of Reformation so that by the gate and entrance of that word mens understandings are delivered into an inextricable labyrinth of error and no sooner men withdraw their wary steps from one deluding path but they are insensibly conveyed into another and doe but still by the variety of falshoods tend to the Center of those Maeanders nor is there any way to get out of those toyles till by a neglect of all those artificiall fences that each party inclose their opinions with despising the Laws of their mazes men redeeme themselves into the liberty of a dis-interested judgement which neither the name of Calvin or any perticular opinion or nationall alterations hath shut up with prejudice There are sufficient Alarums to hearken to that precept of trying all things and as it is said by one of the Fathers the Church shall never be free from two sorts of persecution outward affliction to try mens affections to God and errors in faith to try their right knowing him but I perceived men subject and tide to any party or to men of perticular opinions rise to no further acknowledgements then of such Tenents and Articles which those men are Patrons of who cry up the Champions of them and are wholly frozen in charity towards those who using the freedom of their reasons make a retreat from their precipices Grotius the glory of his Country and Learning eminent through a universal knowledge and who drew his experience of the state of Christendom at the Fountain head of great affairs imployed all his Junior endevours for reconciling Protestants and bringing them under one band of government yet in the later deliveries of his judgement acknowledges that an impossibility and that there was a necessity to return to Catholique obedience or to communion with the Church of Rome as a Rock against which hitherto all Heresies had beat themselves into froath He made me with more equall eye look upon the ingenuous retractions of Doctor Vaine and Doctor Cressey against whom notwithstanding I had an edge for deserting that which as I thought should have centred all judgements and devotions but after finding them fetch from deep search of antiquity their resolutions of returning to that Church from which the ill accidents and obliquity of late times had misled men with reluctancy I found their testimonies true and my most rebelling understanding their reasons most imperiously brought to capitulate finding that though men professe to become ready captives of Truth yet they are unwilling to think but that they are in its fetters allready wherefore I obtained of my selfe to discharge all pre-ingaged affections all byas of Faction and interest resolving to pay that Homage to my Creator which I should finde he required of me knowing that when he commands a Sacrifice nature must sleep affections be silent I found this likewise a great deale more plausible to my selfe than easie with faithfulnesse to put in practice I perceived that a constant and steddy Judgement was required to enter upon the quarrellings of Polemick Discourses where were used so much subtilty in arguing partiall proceeding ingenious diversion where wits were imployd for conquest ayded with the advantages of Language and Science not for to be rewarded with the triumph of Truth but to beare the Lawrell for having conquered men with words though not satisfied them with reason Wherefore I considered the difference between what may be said what should be thought and therefore to discharge that duty which a man owes his own reason for the utmost examination and scrutiny of Truth I consider'd the Foundations and Authorities upon which severall parties at the same time did challenge mens devotions 1. The Presbyterians who acknowledging and ingeniously professing to be more convinced by then tyde to the Fathers or Antiquity equall their owne Interpretations and Preachings to the dignity and verity of the Text extolling and crying up their imaginary discipline to the meanes of setting up of which they sacrifice all Morall Civill Ecclesiasticall obligations counting it want of Zeale in Gods service to be true in any relation when for the promotion of the Covenant it is expedient to be failing in them this is their invention to which they ascribe an Apotheosis they dresse it up and adorne it with Scripture Phrase making the two Attributes of Gods Mercy and Justice all the threats and promises of either but to damn and crown mens
Europe and Asia who deflowred faire Italy and set fire to the Suburbs of Rome And yet against Gregory the fourth the Sea of their incursions found its bounds that its waves should goe no further The Duke of Burbon saith Fox died censured being slain in the assault of Rome whose Faith hath still prevailed in spight of German Scismes or the powerfull oppositions of Dalmatia Slavonia Bulgaria or the entertainement of Luthers dissolutenesse in Dania Suevia or Calvins subtilities in Zelandia Franciae Genevah and all other blindnesses and powers of the rest of the world Julian dyed with a Vicisâ—i Galileae thou hast overcome ô Galilean meaning our Saviour The Arrian Emperors opposed and were confounded The Jacobines Armenians and Grecians are under the Tyranny of the Turkish Empire whilst they deny obedience to the Church of Rome How many Pagans Emperors before Constantine opposed it and almost all dyed miserably Foure hundred Heretiques before Luther Bernard Lutzen catalog Haeret. whose malice was all dasht into froath upon this Rocke How many of the Kings of Scotland England Portugal France Emperors have been miserable deposed slaine who have contended with this Sea in its jurisdiction Bede lib. 3 4 5. hist Like successe had those Saxon Kings who opposed the Faith of that Sea some whereof submitted and became religious men and those that were Apostates miserably put to death The British Kings disobeyed Rome in the observation of Easter and manner of shaving of the Crownes of Priests a leaven thousand of their Munks who defended this opposition were wrapt up in the sad catastophre of being slaine by the Pagans sword their Country mastred and awed by their hired souldiers and of Kings over them were made subjects to them Upon the stage of every Kingdome these parts have been acted and have concluded in direfull Tragedies from whose every parcell and passage in our conquerors life Edwards Henries Richards the observation of men might store themselves with most stupendous examples of their sufferings in and from their contests with the Roman Sea the revolt defection and falling away from which I shall shew to be pregnant with the unheard of mutations distractions wars and tumults which threatens such fatall trepidations and concussions in the bowels of all moderne States and as effects which are included in their causes so all these evills to be shut up and vertually contained in the principall upon which their departure from Rome is made propositions which seemingly blausible yet the higher they get into esteeme and reputation so much the more powerfully doe they showre downe upon their followers desolation destruction one may behold them at first like little Aery soft and tender strings exhaled and ascending drawn with the more powerful aspect of the Son yet with you shall ere long find descending upon you in hard condensed thunder stone with wild flaming expansions breaking forth of the wombe of that cloude that bred it or like the woodden horse peaceably at first let in yet streight filling the Towne with bands of Armed men A way certainely as Solomon saith which seeming right in a Man 's owne eyes yet the end thereof is death I will first take a view of some of their perticular opinions and see what a dangerous influence they have upon Governments Calvin teaches That the Lawes of the Magistrate doe not binde the Conscience Luther Preaches That it is the nature of the Gospel to rayse wars and seditions among Christians c. that there is no hope of remedy till all humane Laws be taken away and then that which is the Foundation and ground of all Reformation so called that all things are to be setled ordered changed according to their agreeing or disagreeing with Scripture the interpretation whereof must be the perticular judgements of private Men. This rule is equally strong for all sides too stiffe to recant or yeeld to others judgements and this same rule must patronize as many opinions sects as the various fancies of men busied in Scripture can invent or suggest thus naturally flowes from this rule of Reformation not onely diversity of opinions various judgements and opposite Doctrines but strong and numerous parties that cry up such a man for their Apostle or imbrace such an opinion for their Faith severall bodies of considerable strength whose obligations are the defence of such opinions New and severall interests whereby every one studies their owne preservations and upholdings though never so contrary to each other or destructive to the Government where they live so that those who in a contemplative way and abstracted consideraon did but lately talke of the purity of the Gospel of light and truth finde themselves by and by plunged in all practises turbulent seditious unjust oppressive A wrong principle in the understanding doth not onely multiply notionall absurdities but begets and produces sinister actions these numbers of men of severall perswasions and Doctrines comes to be variously planted and spread in severall Countries and Governments whether brought in by way of Traffick negotiating one with another or that such men being banished their own Countries they sow their ill seed in others Provinces or whether the errors be native and sprung up there or that as infection they catch and spred by way of example and imitation yet thus the world becomes to be blended and the subjects in all sorts of Governments get a new Primum mobile to their Allegiance and duty and instead of intending the good of the community where they live they are busied in the advancing of that body which for conformity and holding the same Tenents with them they become concerned in so that if in one Government a sort of them be opprest for their seditious practises presently in all others those of the same opinion are alarumed so that Governors streight finde their Laws silent distractions multiplying and none secured of their owne subjects who doe either profusely throw away on their confederates that treasure and mony which should be the support of their own Country or if those opinions have taken hold of active and generous spirits which endevour still to make others of the same opinion with them presently they expect Forraine ayde and help to change their proper policies and Governors Then through the innate reverence that all people beare to the opinion of Divinity beleeving that the spirit moves upon the Face of their Preachers watry discourses they become powerfull like the winds to make the people as the Sea swell and become unpeaceable whilst each bandies against other and all against the State thus are all the veins of Christendome fil'd with these unwholesome and noxious humors whilst Ambition and Heresie often shake hands together for Ambition seeks but under any pretence to procure the affections and services of men and to apply them to their owne uses and now so great bodies of men wanting but countenance and great persons to be their head and encourage them these two
seek their mutuall ends in this conjunction no discontented or ambitious great one but hath a prepared way to awe or be revenged on his Prince or State and Kings and Governors themselves are at last forced to hang their Crownes and Diadems upon the maintenance and upholding on one party or other who becomes strong or weake as that party ebbes or flowes all the rest esteeming themselves but persecuted by their power and would at last prove like the Ivy which first dissolves the Wall and then seems to uphold it Thus did Reformation so called Jehu like drive its war-like Chariots through Germany Mars so long a time seeming to have set up his standard there whilst replenished with these unwholesome humors the German Diets became not so wholesome as before and no lesse suddainely hath those sparkes taken hold and flowne over the French Stables whilst Genevah the Lady of the Lake challenges the Prerogative of the Apostolicall Seate and dictates Laws to its Brethren From Calvins Institutions the Switzers cantonize their Religion as well as Country and not meanly have these seeds grown up under the shade of Orange Tree The Dane with graver pace recedes from their former Ecclesiasticall league and now all breaking up and disbanding the face of Europe which was seen one and intire in the Sea of Rome is now by these numberlesse Fractions but parcels and peeces representing severall Faces the sacred anchor of Religion being moved True religion not contrary nor prejudiciall to Governments all the ships of States and Goverments come to be tost and troubled Religion being like the Sunne which whilst it keeps its owne proper and heavenly course gives light and influence to all but when the pretence of it serves earthly ends it causes a conflagration and is a Phaeton to set the world on fire Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum True Religion must be such that it carry no distruction to Common-wealths though it last for ever as the worship of Christ was instituted to doe There are vices of men and there are vices of times but disobedience to Governments or Doctrines of disloyalty are detested by the Catholique Religion and the Canons and Decrees of the Church I will recite the words of an English Jesuit This Priesthood which is now rejected is the same which was given to St. Peter and the Apostles the same which St. Augustine and his Associates had that converted England the same which hath been honor'd of all Kings since the same Sacrament unchangeable the same power of order the same jurisdiction there is not any poynt of civill regiment in that Sacrament being wholly spirituall and supernaturall nothing concerning a temporall Common-wealth no renouncing or deniall of any authority in England no conspiracy to Prince no authority communicated but to offer Sacrifice to Pray to Preach minister Sacraments The Grecians the Germans and other people having their Doctrine diverse to the Church of Rome have their seminaries in the same City and their Priests maintained by the same Popes yet the Princes of those Nations for the greater part being Infidels Turkes condemne not their Priests for Traytors but admit the exercise of their Function as agreeable to the Common-wealth and as it were a great absurdity to say that the Pope in relieving the Catholique Students of Palestine Grecia Armenia and such Nations should doe it in hope to be temporall Lords of those Countries but onely for love to true Religion so is it improbable he should have any such intent in England as unprobable as the other to be under his temporall regiment no Article we defend Prayer to the Saints Prayer for the Dead restitution for wrongs and injuries to those that live obedience to Governors the validity of their Laws the force of good works the number grace and reverence of the Sacraments pennance and punishment for sin both in life and after teaching duty to God honour to Magistrates equallity to all injury and oppression to none the chiefest poynts of true regiment cannot be offensive to a well ordered policy CAP. V. An Invitation of Wits to the study of Arts and to leave opposing the Church with the excellency of the fruits of Piety which onely can proceed from true Religion IT is observed by the most Ingenious Lord Virulam That in Divinity there was nothing to be added by the wit of Man and in stead of finding wantings and desideratars complained here of too much luxuruancy of Mens brains for God hath so surely founded his Church on one side and the Devill hath so busily in the night sowne Tares on the other that there is no imployment here for the restlesse agitation of Mens heads It was truely observed by another That Men must either resolve their Religion into Reason or Authority if into Reason then they must beleeve no more then they can prove by Reason If into Authority It was apparant where it had continued this sixteen hundred yeares but the measure of truth is many times the maintaining Mens cause but not truth the guide of their cause they transferre and send the beams of their wit to gild the clouds of their error How unhappy are the triumphs of those endevours which strive to make falshood appeare more like truth then truth it selfe As the English Poët describing truth by Vna which is still one and the same and falshood by Duessa which is doublenesse complains Though Una was as faire as faire might be Yet false Duessa seem'd as faire as she When the edge of wit is turned aside to maintain an error how are men uncharitable to Texts of Scripture how doe they pretend to a Genealogy by thredding all the oppositions that ever was in any Age against the Church on the line of their Discourse for their service such and such Ages must have the plagues of Egypt brought upon them grosse darknesse The Fathers must pretend to no more knowledge then that which hath now the approbation of mens more refined braines and the lately found out rules of Reformation so called must over-rule the witnesse of Antiquity the Authority of Councels the constitutions of the Church When Ireneus and St. Hierom c. doe magnifie the Apostolicall Seat they must be held but flashes of Rhetoricke dashes with their Pen they make use of hard niceties elaborate thinnesse weake finesse where Sillogismes must seem to uphold the Church whereas that which is comprehended within the rules of reasoning will fly no higher then reason can carry it Thus doe they strive to place in the Clouds that Article of I beleeve the holy Catholique Church Divine words being such that they require a Simple beleever but argue a disputer impious because in Divinity we respect not what is spoke but who speaks How doe the holy vertues of Charity and Humility give place to Ambitious heats and contentions and tryalls of wit where men more strive to get the conquest in words then to become the happy subjects of truth Is there