of Spirituall courage in not daring effectually to aspire to so glorious an Attempt 68. Wee must not here forget two Notable Saints which as the Doctour confidently pretends have given him sufficient advantage so to denigrate their persons as by them to cast an aspersion on the Church These are a Holy Widow and a Virgin S. Brigit and S. Catharine of Siena Both these had Supernaturall Revelations therefore says the Doctour they were Fanaticks But moreover their Revelations touching the Conception of our Blessed Lady do contradict one the other and the Revelations of both are allowed and of one confirmed by the Church in a Councill and by consequence the Doctour with assurance pronounces the Church to be a favourer not only of Fanaticism but Errour also To this purpose the Doctour 69. Hereto I answer 1. That all Catholicks acknowledge both these to have been Saints 2. And that each of them hath been favoured with Supernaturall Revelations the publick Office of the Church testifyes Thus much is confessed but it is utterly denyed that the Church does so approve them as to forbid any one to make iust exceptions against them as wee see many Writers on both sides have done she judges they may in generall be usefull to stirr up devotion in Readers minds but she does not confirme them as infallible For how could it be known to the Pope or Councill that any Speciall Revelation made or pretended to be made to another was from God unles the person also testify them by Miracles And it is observable that when examination is made of Miracles in order to the Canonization of any Saint the testimony of women will not be received Naturally imagination is stronger in them then judgement and whatsoever is esteemed by them to be pious is easily concluded by them to be true This I say upon supposition that such Revelations were not pretended by persons interessed on both sides of the Controversy about the Immaculate Conception And particularly touching S. Catharine of Siena Suares affirms That not any who have written her life have made mention of this Revelation It will suffise therefore to set down here what two illustrious Catholick Writers have declared touching this Point The former is S. Antoninus mentioned by the Doctour If you say saith he that some Saints have had a Revelation of these things as S. Brigit it is to be observed that other Saints who have wrought Miracles as S. Catharin of Siena have had a Revelation of the contrary And since true Prophets doe sometimes think that a thing proceeds from Divine Revelation which they utter of themselves there is not inconvenience to say that such Revelations were not from God but human dreames An example hereof may be found in the Prophet Nathan speaking to David proposing to him his dessign to build a Temple to God For David though he answered him by a Spirit of Prophecy the contrary hereof after wards appeared The other is Cardinal Baronius who treating of certain Revelations of S. Brigit and S. Mathildis hath these words I doe indeed honour and Venerate as is due those two Saints but touching the Revelations had by them or rather ascribed to them I receive only those which the Church receives which we know cannot approve things so repugnant 70. I am sorry I cannot impute it to so harmles a Principle as ignorance that the Doctour speaking of two Writers who both of them rejected these pretended Revelations of both these Saints as illusions and fancies adds What becoms then of the Popes and Councills Infallibility who have approved both By which words an unwary Reader will not doubt but that an Oecumenical Councill had made a Canon with an Anathema against all those who should not acknowledge all the Revelations of S. Brigit to have been Divine and the belief of them necessary to Salvation Whenas all that was done by the Councill was upon occasion of Invectives made against those Revelations by many Catholicks to require Ioannes a Turrecremata to peruse and give his judgment of them which being favourable the Councill saith he approved them that is freely permitted them to be read as contayning nothing contrary to Faith and good Manners Notwithstanding which kind of approbation we see liberty taken and with leave enough from the Church by many Writers to decry both the one and the other and there is scarce a Catholick alive that thinks he has an obligation to believe either of them §. 4. Visions c. no grounds of believing Doctrines among Catholicks 71. THe Doctour thinks it advantageous to his cause against the Catholick Church that it should be believed that Visions Revelations c. are made by Catholicks grounds of believing Severall points of Doctrin as Purgatory Transsubstanciation and Auricular Confession Indeed if he could prove that any such Points of Doctrine have been or the Point of the Conception of our B. Lady should hereafter be declared Articles of Faith upon no surer grounds than modern Miracles or Revelations it would have been the Maister-piece of all that he has or ever shall write But this he durst not say explicitely though perhaps he is willing his Readers should understand that to have been his meaning For then almost all the Councils of Gods Church would have confuted him since they professe that the only ground of their Faith is Divine Revelation made to the Church by Christ and his Apostles and conveyed to posterity in Scripture and Tradition 72. Now this the Doctour being I am sure not able to contradict is it to be esteemed a preiudice to Catholick Faith that Almighty God to confound Hereticks and establish the belief of Catholicks should in severall succeeding ages afford particular Revelations or enable his servants to work Miracles And that he has done so we have such a Cloud of Witnesses that credit must be denyed to History in generall if none of such Witnesses must be admitted As for the Doctour the only expedient made use of by him to invalidate their testimony is to produce it in a stile of Raillery 73. As for the instituting Festivalls for example of the Conception of our Blessed Lady c. it cannot be denyed but it is a Lawfull Church-institution and might at any time on any occasion be appointed And if on some Revelation supposed Divine an occasion was given to the Pope to ordain it this can be no prejudice to it being a Glorifying of God for the Blessed Virgin the Mother of our Lord her being either preserved as some Catholicks say or at least Cleansed as others from the common pollution of Originall Sin at her Conception without any determining which of these two hapned to her and so the Festivall is equally observed by Catholicks of either Opinion The like may be said of the Feast of Corpus Christi of S. Michael the Archangëll c. by none of which the least alteration was made in the Common Faith 74.
the contrary saying That because there was no King in Israel everyone went severall ways doing what was good in his own eyes So that by the Doctours way of proceeding one would almost believe that his meaning was that our Saviour had no intention that his Church should be one and consequently that Generall Councills which took great paines to procure Vnity transgressed therein our Saviours order 103. But all Protestants are not of the Doctours mind for though they generally make Scripture not only the Rule but judge also of Faith when controverted Yet they do not so neglect Vnity but that they profess a willingnes to submit their judgments for the sence of Scripture to a Lawfull generall Councill This the Doctour cannot doe now that he has sett forth his Principles unless he will confess the foundation of his Protestant Religion to be unsound He might well enough have done it before whilst he was a Defender of Archbishop Lawd but now it appears that the Archbishops Principles and his are not the same nor probably ever were and I doe assure my self that if the Archbishop were alive none could be more ready to condemn them 104. Other Protestants therefore refuse not submission to Councells as may appear by their confident demanding them For Gesner speaking in their name thus writes We with the loudest voice we can cry out again and again and with all our power we humbly and earnestly beg of Christian Kings and Emperours that a free Christian and Lawfull Councill may be convâ—ked in which the Scripture may be permitted to be the Iudge of Controversies And our Countreyman Sutcliff confidently cryes out that Catholicks are afraid of Councills Yet all the world sees that if a Lawfull Generall Councill were called according to the order of all past lawfull Councills even those received by Protestants they must necessarily be condemned 105. This some others more wise then these loud Sollicitours for Councills saw and therefore when a Councill was ready to be called they providing for themselves would not permit any Point to be decided by Catholick Bishops alone but euery Minister yea Lay-men must have votes in them and a plurality of Suffrages was not to prevayle but an equall number on both sides must dispute and Lay Judges decide that is declared Hereticks must enioy greater Priviledges then Catholicks and instead of a Councill there must be an Assembly of wild beasts consulting to establish Unity in Gods Church which it seems was only to be procured by confusion and not by Order Therefore a certain Lutheran said well of Calvinists calling for a Lawfull Councill that they did imitate a well known Buffon calld Marcolphus who was wont to say That after all his search he could never find a fitt tree upon which he could willingly be content to be hanged Such a tree would a Legitimate Councill prove to the Doctours Principled Protestants 106. Yet there is one expedient for producing Unity which the Doctour may doe well to advise upon for if it take it will certainly have that effect even the Quakers themselves and Fifth Monarchists will not refuse to be of the Doctours Church if they be not already Nay which is more the Catholicks will come in too This is no invention of mine but was many years since suggested by one of the Doctours Protestants Robert Robertson an English Anabaptist of Amsterdam This surely well meaning man perceiving how litle success Scripture alone had to vnite Sects agreeing only in opposing Popery in the year sixteen hundred and two printed a Book in Holland in which he proposed to them all this means of Vnity viz. That they should all ioyn in a common Petition to the States to give them leave to assemble themselves in some Town or field and there each Sect severally to pray to God one after another that he would shew some evident Miracle for decision of their Controversies and declaring which among them had the Truth which he supposed vndoubtedly was not among Catholicks And to the end the Devill might not enter in and deceive them with a false Miracle the man told them he had thought of one allowed by Scripture and which he was sure the Devill could not work namely to make the Sun stand still for a certain considerable time not doubting but that God of his great Goodnes would not refuse to condescend to the Petition of such devout servants of his in a matter so iust and necessary 107. I suppose the Doctour will not deny this design if succesfull to be a most powerfull and unfaileable Mean of producing Vnity which his Principles have utterly destroyed and rendred impossible if not unlawfull And let him with all his wit and invention devise any other more probable since the Catholick Churches Authority is reiected by him and them 108. Notwithstanding all this the Doctour according to his custom and nature is confident that he has demonstrated that the Church of Rome can have no advantage in Point of Vnity above his medley Church Now to the end any impartiall Reader may be a competent Judge between us I will briefly set down the Instruments and Means of Vnity left by our Lord to his Church to 〈◊〉 end the Truth of this Article of our Faith I believe one Catholick Church may remain to the worlds end unalterable 1. Catholicks do ground their Faith on Gods revealed Will in Scripture interpreted by Tradition 2. They believe that God according to his Promise will lead and preserve his Church in all necessary Truth or in the true sense of Scripture 3. That for this purpose he foreseeing that Heresies and Schisms grounded on a false sense of Scripture would in after times come has established in his Church an unfaileable succession of Teachers of his Truth with whom he will continue till the worlds end 4. It is his Will and Command that all Christians should obey these Teachers who are to give an account of their soules 5. These Teachers constitute the Churches Hierarchy 6. The Vniversall Church is represented by these Teachers assembled in a Lawfull Generall Councill 7. Such a Councill therefore is the Supreme Tribunall of the Church from whose Decisions there must be no Appeale 8. But because the difficulties of making such Assemblies are extreamly great therefore it is necessary there should be a standing Authority with power to prevent Heresies and Schisms in the intervalls of Councills arising and disturbing the Church 9. This ordinary Authority is established in the Supreme Pastour the Bishop of Rome 10. His Iurisdiction therefore as to such an end extends it self to the whole Church and is exercised in taking care that the Ordinances of Generall Councills be not by any transgressed and also in case any Heresies arise or that any Controversies in Causis Majoribus can not be otherwise ended either to determine the Points of Catholick Truth opposed or at least to impose Silence upon disputants and Litigants till he can assemble a
quoties to sinners returning to their vomit and giving but small signs of their Will to relinquish sins the Doctour does very well to taxe it as a great hindrance indeed to a holy life But because some few have practised or perhaps taught this he does very ill to make this a Disswasive from ioyning to the Church herself expressly condemning in the Councill of Trent such a facility in Confessours saying The Priest of our Lord ought as far as his Spirit and prudence shall suggest to enioyn wholesom and convenient Satisfactions according to the quality of crimes and ability of Penitents Least if they should happen to connive at sins and be indulgent to their Penitents by enioyning sleight Pennances for grieveous Crimes they themselves become partakers of the crimes of others 125. Besides this the Doctour I believe is not ignorant though it was not for his purpose to take notice of it that not very long since among severall dangerous Positions collected out of some Modern Casuists such scandalous relaxations in administring the Sacrament of Pennance had a principall place all which were not only condemnd by the Bishops of France almost in every Diocese but also a Book the Author of which undertook to defend them was solemnly prohibited and condemned by the Pope since which time such Doctrins have been wholly restrained and silenced §. 8. Of conferring Absolution and Extreme Vnction in articulo Mortis 126. IN the next place for as much as concerns the conferring Absolution and administring the Sacrament of Extreme Vnction to persons in Articulo Mortis who do or have given any sign of Sorrow or desire of them the Church in her Rituall does no more then hath been the practise ever since the first Councill of Nicea And S. Augustin treating of this Subiect in a Sermon tells his Auditors that out of Charity and care to dying persons Gods Ministers upon the least testification of Sorrow in such patients administer the Sacrament to them though despairing that they shall live to doe works worthy of Pennance so leaving them to Gods mercy This they did by warrant from the first Councill of Arles and the Declaration of Pope Innocent But withall he seriously exhorts them to doe such works in time of health and not to to an Absolution conferr'd in such circumstances for though they may be confident of enioying the full effect of that Sacrament yet saith he I am not confident of i◠Yet notwithstanding such want of confidence he would not be wanting to them to afford them all his assistance in such a perillous hour And if the Doctour were seriously examined by any one of his freinds or by any but a Catholick whether in such circumstances he would refuse an Absolution I mean an Absolution according to his Mode by applying the Promises of the Gospell to his Patient Sure he would not say that his custom among his Parishioners is to bid the poor agonizant to goe to the Devill for there was no hopes for him He would no doubt tell him of Promises and bid him rely upon them though he will not permit Catholicks to do so 127. But the Doctour in prosecuting this Subiect alters his Method of proceeding For whereas generally in his Book he endeavoured to make Catholick Religion odious by telling Stories of the actions and Doctrins of particular persons disowned by the Church here he absolves some Catholick Doctours among the rest Monsieur Arnaud and charges the Church itself for teaching a Doctrin as he pretends manifestly hindring Devotion and a Good Life viz. in that her Canon Whosoever shall say that the Sacraments do not conferr Grace exopere operato let him be Anathema Now says he if Grace be effectually conferred by the force of the bare Externall action acknowledged by all Catholicks what need can there be of a true preparation of the mind by the exercise of Faith Prayer Repentance c. in order to the receiving the benefitt of them He further adds that thoug◠Cassander interprets this to have respect to the worth of the Priest as if his unworthines could hinder the Validity and Efficacy of Sacraments though the receivers be never so well prepared Yet saith he this cannot consist with the Councills meaning because in the twelfth Canon following it was condemned expressly and it is not to be supposed that the Councill would frame two Canons to condemn the same errour 128. Thus argues the Doctour but under favour deales not fairely in not citing the Councills Canon entirely which had he done would have spoyled his inferences from it The words are Whosoever shall say that by the Sacraments themselves of the New Law Grace is not conferr'd ex opere operato but that a belief alone of the Divine Promise is Sufficient for the obtaining Grace Let him be Anathema Which Canon was made specially against Luthers errour who attributed all good to Faith alone making the Sacraments entirely useless In which Errour I doe not know that he is followed by any Sober Protestants except the Doctour who by his discourse seems to renounce all benefitt from the Sacraments themselves he will owe Grace to nothing but his own Faith Prayer c. In his opinion the Sacraments of the New Law as well as the old are infirma egena elementa weak and beggarly elements But Scripture and Tradition have taught the Church and the Church us otherwise viz. That by Baptism the Grace of Regeneration is conferr'd that the Holy Eucharist is Semen immortalitatis that by Extreme Vnction and the Priests Prayers sins are forgiven c. 129. Neither from hence can the Doctour rationally inferr that there will be no need of a true preparation of mind by the excuse of Faith c. since the Church herself requires such preparation as the Doctour speaks of And the very term of Preparation implies that some Benefitt is expected to be received from the Work it self besides and beyond what is obtained by Preparations 130. But this being a Doctrinall Controversy and brought in only by the way in this his present discourse the prosecution of it ought to be reserved for his worthy Adversary if he think good Yet this right I will doe the Doctour that he has with Monsieur Arnaud justly censured one particular Writer who required as necessary for example to a worthy receiving of the most holy Eucharist no other preparation of mind but only an absence of Mortall sins to be had by Confession of them But will any rationall man judge that because there are found in a Church a few Teachers of Security and Sowers of pillows under mens Ellbows that therefore it is dangerous to be a member of a Church most free from warranting that Doctrin which is scarce received by one Bishop in it 131. Yea moreover if he would search among School-men who make the largest allowances in this business he will find that generally all require Faith and Repentance in
FANATICISM Fanatically imputed to the CATHOLICK CHURCH by DOCTOUR STILLINGFLEET And The Imputation refuted and retorted by S. C. a Catholick O. S. B. Psalm LXXI 4. Iudicabit pauperes populi humiliabit calumniatorem Proverb XXVI 18 19. As a madman vvho casteth fire-brands arrovvs and death So is the man that vvrongeth his neighbour and saith Am not I in Sport M.DC.LXXII Permissu Superiorum TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR MARC-ALBERT D'OGNATE KNIGHT Counsellour to his Catholick Majesty Commissary for Renevving of Magistrats in the Province of Flanders President of the Chamber of Commerce and Navigation and Envoyé from the King of Spain to his Majesty of Great Brittain SIR It had been to be vvished that vve might have concealed from Strangers the Stains of our Nation and that they might remain ignorant that neither Fidelity to our Prince nor Charity to our fellovv-Subjects can secure Catholicks from the vvorst effects of vvar in the midst of Peace such is the Virulence of one malignant Party vvho though they enioy their lives by an unmerited Pardon of their Rebellion vvill never pardon us for our Loyalty In most Countreyes of Europe there are agitated dayly Disputes and Controversies about Religion and in Books on each side ordinarily some sharpness is mingled But in England our Lott must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vve are forced to contend vvith Adversaries vvhose minds by our late Tumults are rendred savage and implacable They to spite us resume a Nevv vvar against Heaven it self deriding and blaspheming the Saints in Glory And against Gods Church on earth they frame Accusations never heard of before making her greatest Vertues passe for the directly opposite greatest Crimes The most Saintly Exercises of Persons among us consecrated to God and entirely subiect to Authority are disgracefully stiled Fanaticism Because vve vvill not be chusers each one of his ovvn Faith vve are accused to have an Enthusiastick vvay of Religion vvee exercise Charity to our Freinds Deceased and that is called an Impediment of Deuotion vve teach as our Saviour did that the vvay to Heaven is strait and consequently that to enter into it vve must practise Confession of Sins Pennances Mortifications Praying Fasting Alms-giving c. and for this vve are charged to be Hinderers of Piety and a Good Life Our acknovvledging an Authority in Gods Church to end Controversies is called an effectuall Mean to multiply them If out of Compassion to persons guilty of Schism and out of a tender love to Vnity any one among us strains his vvitts to persvvade our Adversaries that the distance betvveen us is not so vast as some of them seem vvilling to conceive his recompense must be contemptuous revilings No Pagans or Cannibals must be esteemed so blindly so horribly I dolatrous No Quakers so ridiculously Frantick No Fifth-Monarchists so dangerous both to Church and State These enormous Excesses vvich have been lately exposed to the vvorld in a Stile partly Burlesque and partly Tragicall vvere never heard of in any other Nation but England and only of late in England and I hope for the credit of our Nation are not taken notice of by many Strangers living here and thereby less in danger to be published abroad But from you SIR they could not be concealed since your zeal to Catholick Religion makes you inquisitive into all things that concern it and your perfect knovvledge in our Language renders all our BOOKS as intelligible to you as if vvritten in your ovvn My hope novv is that you being vvell acquainted vvith the present Temper of our Nation vvill judge aright that a Book vvritten in such a Stile and vvholly composed of malignant Passions and nevv-invented Calumnies against Gods Church vvas only the private Design of a malicious Brain on purpose to feed the exulcerated minds of a malevolent Party among us and consequently not to be imputed to any other besides The affection you bear to our Nation from vvhich you are not quite even in blood a Stranger encourages mee to expect thus much iustice from you As for my self I being I hope not the only person engaged in the defence of Truth and Innocence against Malice and Calumny am desirous to address to you this my Ansvver as a Testimony of my gratefull resentment of the favour and honour you have been pleased to conferr generously on mee in allovving mee a share in your freindship the comfortable effects vvhereof have likevvise been extended to an afflicted Community abroad recommended by mee to your Protection But besides this a far greater obligation both my self and all loyall English Subjects have to honour you for your constant respect duty and assistance vvhich you have allvvayes vvith great zeale shevved to his Sacred Majesty and his cause vvhen he vvas inhumanly treated by the same Party vvhich novv so inhumanly treats his Faithfull Catholick Subjects In vvhich fatall Conjuncture also his banished freinds and servants found in your house Hospitality and kindness vvhich vvith them had been banished out of England I beseech you SIR accept this Address as a gage of gratitude honour and respect from SIR Your devoted Servant in our Lord. S. C. To the Reader THE report is very current that Doctour Stillingfleet wonders and even complains that having made a generall formall Challenge to Catholicks to come openly into the field against him being ready with weapons in his hand he cannot yet have the contentment to give further proof of his Skill and courage against them But surely it is not for the Doctors credit to make such a Complaint when the world knows how all passages into the field are stoppd and even walled up I will not say by himself yet at least by his Partizans how Stationers apprehend greater danger in publishing Answers to his Book then any Books of Sedition or Treason and how during the space of a few months since his last Book saw the light Searches into Presses have been more sollicitously exact and more frequent dayly and hourly then they have been all the years taken together since his Majesties Restauration Inquisitors searching into every hole turning over every small paper and rigorously examining both Maisters and Servants whether any thing has been written against Doctour Stillingfleet How securely now may the Doctor triumph and as oft as he pleases multiply his Challenges of Defiance against Catholick Adversaries so bound hand and foot and at how cheap a rate has he gotten from Tradesmen and Gossips immortall honour by a Book then which England never to this day saw any one pretending to Controversy more harmless to the Church he professes to oppose nor more destructive to the Church he professes to defend Now whether this be not a true Character of it I do willingly and confidently stand to the judgment of any learned and considering Protestant Reader who shall think fit to peruse the following Treatise Notwithstanding it cannot be denyed but that the Doctor has used a wonderfull dexterity in mannaging this Controversy
Enemies Then his Teachers Then the Ancients only by meditating on Gods law and Keeping his Precepts 29. Thus far concerning the severall Heads of accusations of S. Benedict in a scornefull manner represented by the Doctour to make his Readers merry at the expences of a Glorious Saint But withall his Readers are desired to consider that all these heads are borrowed from S. Gregory who wrote the Saints life from the testimonie of certain Holy men who had been S. Benedicts Disciples So that the very same things which S. Gregory wrote to prove the Sanctity of S. Benedict the Doctour makes use of to shew him as it were on a stage to have been a Fanatick a false pretender to Miracles Visions and Inspirations and an Ignorant Fool And all this without any reason or proof given to iustifie such Imputations 30. But the Readers are desired to consider that whatever opinion they have of S. Benedict to the zeal and Charity of whose Disciples notwithstanding they owe their Christianity yet surely S. Gregory was not a person fitt to make sport for the Doctour and his Readers S. Gregory perhaps the most exalted and most humble Saint the most Illuminated Doctour the most zealous and most Charitable Prelat that since the Apostles times Almighty God ever provided to govern his Church Thus he has alwayes been esteemed not only through the Western but Eastern Churches also And can the Doctour think he can find any Reader who has not in his heart renounced Christianity that wil applaud him for trampling with scorn on S. Gregory For it is from S. Gregory indeed that the Doctour is informed that S. Benedict was a Fanatick if he were such an one It is S. Gregory who commended and confirmed his Rule and if the Doctour may be believed it seems very ignorantly and foolishly stiled it Discretione Praecipuam eminent for the discretion of it which is a vertue ill suiting with a Fanatick It is S. Gregory who has conveyed to posterity an account of the Graces and Supernaturall Favours by God conferred on S. Benedict the truth of which I believe scarce any one hitherto has disbelieved beside the Doctour Certain it is that a generall firm belief of them both during S. Benedicts times and afterward made a change in Christendom scarce ever to be paralleld before or since whilst incredible multitudes of well meaning Christians wakened from a Lethargy of sin either flocked together to take on them the Yoke of that Rule or if they wanted such courage powred forth their treasures to entertain such as consecrated themselves to Gods service And all this the Doctour without any proof pronounces Fanaticism and is desirous that men of this Reformed Age should believe these Divine Favours communicated to S. Benedict to have been Illusions of Satan which Satan himself never durst own and that men had done more wisely if they had continued to serve the world and the Flesh rather then to quitt both in following an Hipocriticall Fanatick 31. Surely the Doctour was much to blame and I hope he will sadly reflect on the danger of raising mirth from such an argument as this Or if he doe not it will be very fitt that when hereafter he mentions those two persons so venerated by all but himself he would abstain from calling them Saints For in the same breath to call S. Benedict a Saint and a Fanatick savours something of blasphemy Yet it will be a hard task for him to conquer so inveterated a custome Mens tongues are so enured never to mention them without that Title of Saint that the only expedient to correct that fault in himself and others will be to let his Readers know that he intends the same ill thing by the terms of Saint and Fanatick Thus farr touching S. Benedict and his Rule by examining whereof I conceived men might Judge whether notwithstanding the Doctours Raillery God did not esteem him his faithfull servant 32. The next thing proposed in order to make the like judgement was to consider whether after S. Benedicts death God did not declare the same thing by making choice of the Disciples of S. Benedict to procure an encrease of his honour and considerable blessings to his Church For if he did surely the Doctour himself how bold so ever will scarce dare to disgrace them hereafter by the Title of Fanaticks 33. To clear this it is to be observed that in S. Benedicts age Christians generally were falln into such a decadence from Piety charity among them was become so cold and frozen and all manner of vices raigned so impudently and uncontrollably that Almighty God was even forced to open a free passage among them for Innumerable armies of barbarous Pagan Nations from the North Getes or Goths Vandalls Francks Hunns Saxons Danes Lombards and many others which like Locusts spread themselves devouring all things through all countreyes especially of the Western Church all which did not expresse their fury so much against their Christian Enemies forces as against their Religion Now what could be expected from such Conquerours but that the Christian Faith should be vtterly extinguished 34. Yet such was the infinite Wisedom and Goodnes of God that that which was a most terrible Plague to impious and dissolute Christians then alive proved in generall to Gods Church and Christian Religion a most unvaluable blessing For in a short time God of those stones raised up Children to Abraham Children not like the former who sluggishly contented themselves with the name of Christians and in their lives denyed Christ but heroically zealous servants of our Lord Witness innumerable Churches magnificently built and richly endowed to his honour Witness innumerable Monasteries and Schooles of Piety frequently inhabited by Emperours Kings Queens Princes and Princesses who preferred a voluntary life of Solitude Poverty and Mortification to the end they might more freely attend to heavenly Meditations before Magnificent Courts Scepters and Crowns Lastly witness a numerous Army of Martyrs not a few of them Soueraign Kings and Princesses tender Virgins witness likewise Aposticall Bishops who willingly offered their blood for the Salvation of their Barbarous Murderers 35. Now who were the persons who by Gods most blessed direction instilled into the hearts of all these such an Heroicall Faith and Divine Loue were they not principally the Disciples of S. Benedict Let the Records and Annals of so many Nations in Europe be consulted they will justifie the same and to Gods glory will testify how his Apostolick Preachers to convert their Ancestours have been dignified with stupendious Miracles Yet all these are derided by the Doctour as Fanaticks the Children of a famous Hypocrit and Fanatick by the Doctour I say who cannot shew one Village converted to Christianity by any one of his own sect nor one Miracle pretended to 36. Now if any thing here delivered touching S Benedict and his Disciples be true and if all be not true wee have been deceived by the Common
precious Gifts to Sects divided from the Church of which scarce any pretend to them and those that doe so do evidently shew by their contempt of all authority renunciation of all Christian Charity furious and restles attempts of new Reformations and Seditious Combinations to the ruine of all Peace that it is a black Spirit which was a Murderer from the beginning by which they are agitated Whereas those humble devout and retired soules among Catholicks stiled by the Doctour Fanaticks are so far from any intention of disturbing Peace and so entirely submitted to Lawfull Authority the Spirit of Prophets being so indispensably Subiect to the Prophets that they are in a continuall readines to renounce all Reuelations Apparitions impulses and whatsoever extraordinary Visitations if they seem any wayes to occasion in them Doubts of the Churches Faith or to prejudice Obedience to her Ordonnances 63. The Doctour I am sure considering his supposed Universall reading cannot be ignorant that such Fanaticks as these though invisible to the busy World were yet esteemd Chariots of Israël and the horsemen thereof That pious wise and Potent Christian Emperours have consulted them in their greatest affairs and have acknowledged themselves obliged to them for miraculous Victories over Tyrants resolving upon warre by their encouragement beginning them with their benediction and conquering by the assistance of their Prayers By their Prayers and not their Disputations the Church has triumphed over Heresies and the world been freed from Plagues and Mortalities At their Names Devills have trembled and by their command though absent those proud Spirits have with a mixture of feare and rage quitted their habitation in the Bodies of unhappy men Yet these the Doctour dares deride and because they are patient will not perhaps repent till it be too lare but will justify still his impious boldnes and petulancy 64. It is truly a sad thing to consider with what disposition of mind persons qualifyed as it seems the Doctour is do apply themselves to the reading of Books of Piety written by Catholicks It is as daggers piercing their hearts when they find no advantage to expresse their malignity If in a great volume full of most heavenly Instructions for the exercise of all vertues and dutyes to God and man they can find but a line or two into which they think they can make their Venenious teeth to enter by that line or two they become edified that is comfortable nourrishment to their minds the whole Book besides being nauseous to them Would not damned soules in Hell if Spirituall Books were sent them thus read and thus descant upon them 65. Now whether the Doctour and some other of his freinds has not shewed himself such a Reader of Catholick Books truly innocent devout and in which the breathing of Gods Spirit may as it were be perceived let any indifferent Reader of his Book be judge How many of such Books from S. Gregory to S. Ignatius his time does the Doctour shew that he has read how many Lives of Saints how many Treatises of Devotion and among them he will give me leave to name Sancta Sophia and poor Mother Iuliana And what account does he give to his Readers of the Spirituall Benefit reaped by him from his laborious reading He it seems is not able out of them all to suggest any point of Instruction in Christian Doctrin not one good affection to God not the least encouragement to a vertuous holy life All these things are vanished out of his memory and evaporated out of his brain having never affected his heart What then does he yeild for his Readers edification He teaches him in reading such Books to pronounce mimically and Scornfully what he finds there concerning Miracles how wel soever attested and concerning Divine Favours communicated by God to his Speciall Servants and this being done to call them Fanaticks and so doeing to esteem such relations sufficiently confuted and such Spirituall Books sufficiently disparaged He teaches him to snatch out of a great Book three or four passages lamely and imperfectly cited to give what construction to them he pleases and whether he does not understand or over-understand them to pronounce them still Fanaticall and there is an end of those Books By the Doctours good will no Protestant hereafter must receiue the least good from them vnless pride malice and contempt of godlines be good things 66. Now having named in the last place poor Mother Iuliana a devout Anchoret about three hundred years since living in Norwich I must needs Signify my wonder what could move his Spleen and choler against her litle Book It is true her language to the ears of this age seems exotick But it is such as was spoken in her time therefore she may be excused Her expressions touching Gods favours to her are homely but that surely is no sin For affections to God are set down with great simplicity indeed but they are withall cordiall and fervent and apt to imprint themselves in the heart of an unpreiudiced Reader The sense and tast she shews to have had of Gods Speciall love to his servants of the omnipotent efficacy of his Grace and his impregnable defence and watchfullnes over his Elect to secure them finally from all dangers of Tentations is indeed admirable Yet the Doctour has no eyes to see any of these things But through what glasses he looked when he spied out blasphemy in her Writing I am not able to say Blasphemy which never hitherto could be observed by so many learned and Religious persons as have perused them But it is no wonder that Spiders should suck and digest into poyson the most wholesom nourishment 67. What hath been hitherto said of Contemplative Prayer is but even too much to such an Adversary it being a Subiect too Sacred and Divine to be treated of in a Polemicall Discourse against an Opponent of the Doctours temper Who I think is the first Protestant Writer that ever made that an argument of Controversy against the Catholick Church The only Excuse that I can devise for so unreasonable a quarrel begun by him is his indulgence to a froward passion conceived by him without any provocation against M. Cressy who severall years since published a Book on that Subiect called Sancta Sophia in which Book notwithstanding he challenges nothing to himself but the Labour of making Collections and the Method of it In that regard therefore it may be permitted him to commend the Directions for the Exercise of Internall Spirituall Prayer and the Practise of all Christian Vertues in Perfection contained in it And this in despight of the Doctours unmerited malice he does with such confidence that he dares promise to himself that if any sober well affected Reader though a Protestant and though at present one of the Doctours admirers shall seriously and with an humble heart peruse it he will either apply himself to the practise of the excellent Instructions contained in it or bewayle his want
His words are these Such a particular way of Reuelation being made choice of by God for the means of making known his Will in order to the happines of Mankind as Writing we may iustly say that it is repugnant to the nature of the Design and the Wisdom and Goodnes of God to giue infallible assurance to persons in Writing his Will for the benefit of Mankind if those Writings may not be vnderstood by all Persons who sincerely endeauour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their Saluation And consequently there can be no necessity supposed of any infallible Society of men either to attest or explain those Writings among Christians 91. What is this now but Fanaticism in the heighth of the Notion signified by the word to make euery Christian Soberly enquiring into Scripture to be his own Teacher in all necessary Points of Faith and it is no matter what becoms of vnnecessary Points and to be a competent Iudge of the true sence of Scripture in them all this without any regard to all Externall Authority infallible or fallible either for an infallible one being vnnecessary what necessity can there be of a fallible Authority which none is or can be bound to Belieue If it be Fanaticism to attend to and belieue certain pretended Illuminations Inspirations and Reuelations concerning particular matters perhaps of no great importance with a refusall to submitt them to any Externall Authority what is it to ground his whole Religion vpon his own fancy enquiring into the true sense of Diuine Reuelation 92. But perhaps the Doctour thinks himself and his Churches secure notwithstanding any thing here said because neither himself nor they pretend to any New Reuelations Illuminations or Inspirations in this matter Notwithstanding he will not find an euasion by this For besides that J am sure Presbyterians at least if not the other Sects and likewise the Huguenots of France in their Confession of Faith haue always professed that they haue not only the true sense of Scripture by Inspiration of the Holy Ghost but that thereby they are enabled to distinguish true Scripture from Apocriphall Writings I will take the boldnes to tell him That he himself does the same and if he denyes it it is because he is ignorant of what passes in his own mind 93. To shew this I will here propose a few Questions to him and he not being present to doe it himself I will suppose he gives me leaue to make Answers to them such as J conceiue he will not disavow The. 1. Question Does he after a sober Enquiry vnderstand and assent to the true sense of Scripture in all necessary Points Answer Yes 2. Question Is his Assent to such Points an Act of meer naturall Reason or is it a Diuine Faith Answer A Diuine Faith surely as he hopes and is fully perswaded For he would be sorry if he belieued not better then Devills 3. Question Is a Diuine Faith a Supernaturall Gift of Gods Holy Spirit Answ. Yes the Scripture saying so expresly 4. Quest. Is this Gift of God communicated to his servants any other way then by Illumination Inspiration or the like Diuine operation Equivalent Answ. J must answer in the Doctours place till he better informs me that no other way is known Jn the last place 5 Q. Does he think himself fobliged to acknowledge that he receies this Faith from or to Submitt this his perswasion of a Diuine operation in him to the Teaching of any Church Answ. He will not though J thank God J doe acknowledge any Church fallible or infallible which can iustly require thus much from him Now therefore a primo ad vltimum does the Doctour want any necessary qualification to make him passe for a perfect Fanatick and Enthusiast a Fanatick by duty imposed on him from the Essence of his Religion and moreouer a Teacher of Fanaticism Jf I could absolue him from this I would very willingly but sincerely I cannot since he himself has giuen me a distinct notion of Fanaticism by which he and his party vnderstands an Enthusiastick way of Religion or resisting Authority Civill or Ecclesiasticall vnder a pretence of Religion by which Notion in it self true and proper he is to be iudged without Appeale 94. Now though the Doctour takes vpon him and is generally conceiued by others to be a Champion of the Church of England yet perhaps it would be rashnes in me from his warrant alone to affirme that the Church of England that Church J mean which is established by publick Authority does now at last ground her Faith on such a Fanatick Principle as the Doctour in her name has layd For then it might indeed be truly sayd that the New Faith of the Church of England is the very Faith of New England The Doctour how learned soeuer otherwise he is but a Neophit in this Church and therefore all he says not to be swallowed presently without examining if he wrong the Church of England J am vnwilling to wrong her with him 95. And one particular thing which I have observed from his Book makes me suspect that my Lords the Bishops will not avow this Principle imposed by him on them which is that his Book wants an Imprimatur Now if an Approbation was either not demanded by him or being demanded was refused him it seems strange that against order and Publick command it should be permitted to be so dispersed without any Controll But the truth is there is a great Mistery of late in that Formality of Approbations for some Books want an Imprimatur for the Reader which was not wanting to the Printer Perhaps the Doctours virulence against poore Catholicks was so highly approved by the grave Censor Librorum that rather then it should be hindred from doing mischief to them he was content the Principles also should passe which utterly destroy the foundations of his own Church This may seeme more probable because in like manner a Licence is given to the Printer for a Book of Sermons in one of which composed entirely of Lying Invectives against Catholicks and by a most horrible calumny imputing the Pouder Treason to the Preaching of Catholick Religion there is this passage becoming a Preacher of the Gospell I wish that the Lawes against these Foxes the Papists might be put in execution as they were anciently against Wolues Nothing but an vtter extermination of Catholicks it seems will content the charitable Preacher who seems to intimate also that in his Judgment it is fitt a price should be sett on every Catholicks head as formerly on Wolues to be payed to his murderer Such a Sermon as this the Printer is licenced to print but he who gave it being ashamed that his Approbation of so barbarous a piece should appeare to the world has given order that his Licence should be concealed 96. What judgment therefore in this regard to make of the Doctours
Book truly I cannot determine Only this I may say That if Prelaticall Protestants do allow him for their Champion and approve the Grounds of his Religion it is one of the most Signall Victories that in any Age has been gained by a single Doctour over a whole Church the Governours whereof will be forced to acknowledge that they have no Authority to teach truth or condemn Errours that all the people formerly under them are becom Prophets and that all their Articles Constitutions and Ordonances have been compâ—seâ— and enioyned by an usurped Authority of which they are not willing to be despoyled and perhaps after the example of a late Scottish Bishop to do Pennance for their fault of being Bishops But certainly my Lords the Bishops will hardly with all the Doctours eloquence be perswaded to this compliance with him Regard both to the Kings and Kingdoms safety and their own Character will not permit them to yeeld to an Anarchy first in the Church and presently after in the Kingdom 97. Notwithstanding it cannot be denyed but the Doctour may expect more then ordinary indulgence from them since during their late calamities he did not joyn in the clamour for destroying them He was no Root and branch enemy but on the contrary generously undertook their defence and with great boldness told his then Maisters that though Episcopall goverment and Ordinations as likewise Deans and Chapters which anciently were the Bishops Counsell were not necessary nor perhaps convenient as matters then stood yet neither was their utter destruction they might if the State pleased be retained without sin upon condition that for their Maintenance the ravenous beasts then in power would be content to vomit up three or four hundred thousand pounds of yearly â—ents But my best course is to leave the Doctour to plead his own cause much better then I can doe And I assure him I would not have touched this String nor calld to mind these things passed were it not that hitherto he has made no retractation of any thing written by him and also if his Principles newly published should prevayle in mens minds they would be more destructive to both Kingly and Church goverment then all the Writings of Presbyters and Independents c. 98. But perhaps after all the said Principles though pernicious to Superiours may at least produce Vnity and peace among the people For a man would think if every sober enquirer and who thinks not himself such anone may be allowed to chuse a sence of Scripture for himself what can he desire more Every one then surely will be quiett and contented But I must tell him Quid verbo audio cum facta videam If indeed men could be content to enioy their Faith to themselves and not think themselves obliged to propagate it if they could with patience see their Doctrins confuted their actions derided and their designs opposed peace perhaps might be hoped for ad Graecas Calendas 99. Yet I confess that according to the Welsh Proverb The Gospell and a Stone will drive away a dogg the Doctours Principles and a severe Civill government ioynd together that is a charitable indulgence to tender consciences with a watchfull care to prevent quarrells and eager disputes about Religion may produce that peace which has hitherto never been seen in England since the Reformation and mens minds being enured to tast the pleasure of such a peace may probably in a short time becom as zealous against quarrelling as they are now for it 100. But there is another sort of Peace and Vnity more fitt to be the argument of Writings composed by Ecclesiasticall persons that is Vnity of Faith and Doctrin And this Vnity was intended certainly by Christ when he left his Church established under Spirituall governours to continue in an orderly Succession till the worlds end and was Signifyed by S. Paul saying There is one Body and one Spirit one Lord one Faith and one Baptism c. who also declares that this one Body and one Faith is preserved by Apostles and other Governours instituted by Christ in his Church To the end that Gods people may not be tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrin c. This Unity also is proposed and professed by us in the Creed I believe one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Now this Vnity the Doctour seeing utterly chaced out of his Churches principled by him earnestly endeavours to prove it a stranger to the Catholick Church also and would seem to intimate that if it be possible to be attained it must be by his Principles And the truth is if men might enioy their consciences and would be induced to abstain from quarrelling persecuting and hating one another Truth in the end would probably prevaile were there not one hindrance more I feare insuperable which is that Truth or true Religion has no other passions and Carnall affections to combat withall besides quarrelsomnes It requires a bending and even breaking of the Will to the Obedience of Lawfull Superiours it requires yet further a captivating even of the Vnderstanding to the Obedience of Faith taught them by the same Superiours It requires also a free discovery of the most secret and most difficult to be acknowledged crimes in order to painfull Satisfactions to be undertaken for their expiation and for obtaining Absolution and pardon of them It requires from many a totall renouncing of all carnall Lusts and all Externall remedies of quenching them These and many other severe exactions are required by true Religion and only by itâ— and therefore no wonder if Sects dispensing in these things prevaile so much against it Yet Gods grace is omnipotent and can work greater and more difficult effects in the hearts of his servants when he is pleased to exert it 101. It is truly an Attempt worthy so heroicall a Champion to pretend to bring proofs from which saith he it appears that the Church of Rome can have no advantage in point of Vnity above his Protestant Churches which is in effect to demonstrate that one Article of our Faith ceases to be true 102. Let this be examined and first let us enquire what helps for Unity I mean Unity of Faith and Doctrin Protestants have and then compare them with those of Catholicks First for the Doctour himself who as yet must pass for the common Advocate of Protestants till he be disavowed surely he will not pretend to contribute the least advantage to such Unity unles he hopes to perswade any one That a licence given to every Christian to chuse his own Faith out of Scripture be a probable way to make all agree in the same Faith which Licence he gives and justifying it is the principall Design of all his Principles Is not this all one as to say Let every man in England think and doe what he pleases and by this means all will agree to be Good Obedient Subiects to the King Yet the Scripture argues
which yet does not hinder but that Iudges are reputed fitt and proper to end Law suits 4. That neither the Pope nor the Councill of Trent have decided the fore mentioned Controversies we are to ascribe either to the inconsiderablenes of them or to the want of Sufficient clearness of Scripture or Tradition for either party or to a just and prudent care of preventing Schisms in the Church by such Determinations wherein so considerable parties in the Church are divided in opinion 5. Whereas the Doctour says that the Points in Controversy among Catholicks being many of them the same agitated among Protestants are Points of Faith he is manifestly mistaken For there are among Catholicks no Points controverted but such Doctrins where the sense of Scriptures being variously expounded by the two Parties the Church as yet hath determined nothing which sense of them is de Fide though the Parties themselves would each of them have their own to be so not determined I say so clearly as that both sides are agreed that such is the Churches Decision As for Protestants what Doctrins are esteemed Points of Faith and what School Disputes I think no Oedipus can resolue Doctour Stillingfleet elsewhere saith down right That the Church of England holds no Points to be Articles of her Faith but those wherein the Church of Rome also agrees with her and holds the same to be such His words are There is a great deale of difference between the owning of some Propositions in order to Peace and the believing of them as necessary Articles of Faith The Church of England makes no Articles of Faith but such as have testimony and approbation of the whole Christian world of all ages and are acknowledged to be such by Rome it self and in other things she requires Subscription to them not as Articles of Faith but as inferiour Truths which she expects Submission to in order to her Peace and Tranquillity Thus the Doctour But here I cannot well understand why he saith her Subiects Subscribe them as inferiour Truths and yet maintains the Church of England to require no Subscription to her Articles as Truths for that surely is a requiring of assent to them but a Subscription of non-contradiction or non-opposition of them which consists with the parties holding them Errours Now methinks this the Church of England believing nothing as of Faith but what the Popes and the Roman Churches Faith also secures to them to be so should sound somewhat harsh in the ears of many of his Disciples Again it necessarily follows that the Church of Rome notwithstanding its Idolatry Fanaticism c. yet failes in no necessary Point of Faith 6. Lastly that which makes Disputes among Christians about Dostrinall Points pernicious is not the heynousnes of the Errours themselves on either Party but the refusall to submitt to the Churches Authority when condemning them from whence Schisms are inevitable and such Refusers then truly stiled Hereticks No man will deny but that the Errour of the Photinians or Socinians called anciently Homuncionists for affirming Christ to be meer man is a most grievous Errour incomparably exceeding any among Catholicks Yet if one living in the Commuâ—ion of Gods Church should hold this most pernicious Errour not knowing that the Church had condemned it and being ready to renounce it assoon as he knew this S. Augustin professes he durst not call such a man an Heretick How the Doctour would call such an one I know not But this I will iustify that according to the Doctours Principles he ought to pass for as good and as well grounded a Protestant as himself and therefore especially Orthodox for not submitting his judgment to the Church §. 7. The Doctrin of Pennance Vindicated from the Doctours mistakes 115. NOw notwithstanding what hath hitherto been said I do nothing doubt but those popular Readers for whom only I conceive the Doctour wrote his Book will still resolutely judge every line of it unanswerable The like they will say concerning the other Points of accusation charged by him on the Roman Church as 1. many obstructions of a Holy Life 2. Endless Divisions How happy are we will they think who have escaped out of such a Babel were Frantick Subiects are governed by more Frantick Superiours where mens ears are deafned with endless quarrels and where Lawes are made against Piety In the former regards Papists may deserve our pitty or contempt but in the last our hatred For what cruelty is not too Mercyfull against the Professours of a Religion which teaches so many Doctrins hindring a good life necessary to Salvation that it is scarce possible any of them should be an honest man The Doctour has told them that these wicked men make the Sacrament of Pennance ioynd with Contrition that is as he interprets a remoâ—se of mind for sin sufficient for Salvation But his Adversary in effect bids him with Contrition to ioyne Confession and Absolution He is contented but he will needs have one condition more added which is forsaking of sin which they of the Church of the Rome not requiring notwithstanding all their Confessions and Absolutions a thousand times repeated they destroy the necessity of a good life 116. Here if the Doctour were asked Does the Catholick Church held the Doctrin here by him reproved He could not say she did because then the express Decision of the Councill of Trent disproves him Where three parts of the Sacrament of Pennance are declared Contrition Confession and Satisfaction Now in two of these the forsaking of sin are contained For Contrition implies a sorrow for sin proceeding from a love of God victorious over sin and consequently a detestation of sin And Satisfaction signifies yet more viz A holy revenge taken by the Penitent upon himself for offending God by denying to himself even Lawfull pleasures because unlawfull ones have tempted him to sin which is a great deale more then Protestants require 117. A disposition one may say inferiour to this required by the Councill served Davids turne who says I said I will confess my sins unto the Lord and thou forgivest the iniquity of my sin I cannot now believe the Doctour will acknowledge that a Sinner repentant of his sins out of a love of God Victorious over the Devill the world and the flesh and weho tstifies that sorrow and that Love by submitting to severe Pennances and Mortifications willing also to declare to his own Confusion his most secret sins with a serious purpose of amendment will thereby be put in a state of pardâ—n and Salvation Especially having received from Gods Authorised Ministers Absolution from his sins Absolution I say pronounced by Commission and Iurisdiction from Christ himself and not such an aery Phantosme of an Absolution as the Doctour interprets to be the applying the Promises of pardon in Scripture to the particular case of dying persons for this saith he is that we mean by Absolution and which say I the Silliest
woman in the Doctours Parish can conferr as well and validly as himself But who are these Wee who mean no more then this by Priestly Absolution I am sure not the Prelats of his Church But I must not say his Church when I mean the Church of England who all hitherto have justified this as one essentiall Character of the order of Priesthood and Episcopat unles since the New Reformation not yet ten years old they have been content that this Character should be wiped out by the Doctour and that instead of the Fathers of Gods Church Maister Calvin should be the universall authentick Teacher of their Clergy But I believe the Doctour will in vain expect this compliance from them And I am sure the now highest and worthiest of his Prelats will not be of the number of the Doctours Wee who has solidly asserted this Primitive Doctrin and to confute whom perhaps the Doctour has published so pittifull a sense of Absolution to their preiudice ingratiating himself with all other Sects enemies to all Ecclesiasticall Orders and Ordinations and making every one of them as before Iudges of the Scriptures sense so now Vsurpers of their Offices and as they hope ere long of their Revenues 118. The Church then is manifestly free from the charge here imputed to Catholicks by the Doctour and by him made use of to deterr any one from ioyning themselves to her because in her not by her Doctrins are by some taught destroying the necessity of a good life All the Doctour can say is Some reach some such Doctrins which some also refute and the whole Church disavows This being so with what conscience can the Doctour pretend danger upon this account in being members of the Catholick Church whenas in his own Protestant Churches for which he has layd grounds and Principles every Christian is allowed by himself in these Principles to chuse not only what opinions but what Articles of Faith after using a sober enquiry into the Scriptures they like best And what most horrid Doctrins he has thereby excused and defended all Christendom at this time sees with amazement and detestation 119. Surely when the Doctour wrote this passage he conceived himself quarrelling not with Catholicks who constantly assert against Protestants the necessity of good works to Salvation and their Efficacy in it upon Supposition of our Lords gracious Promise to reward them but with some of his own Protestants perhaps with himself who exclude all Merit of good works from a Christians Salvation or with his Patriarch Luther who said that good Works did more harme then good Therefore he may doe well to ask them pardon after Contrition and Confession of his fault 120. Certainly if he could bring himself to a willingnes of informing himself in true Catholick Doctrins he would find that the way to Salvation there taught is much strayter then that which is chosen by Protestants and Holines of Life far more strictly required For proof of which it were sufficient only to repeat what was even now cited out of the Councill of Trent touching the Doctrin of Pennance But a proof visible of late to all our eys are so many Apostats from the Catholick Church Apostats first from Obedience and Chastity and next from Faith For doe not they declare to all the world that Carnall Liberty and Carnall Lusts drove them first out of their Monasteries and next out of the Church As soon as they come into the aire of Protestancy a woman becoms necessary to them and Fasting insupportable and if they can ravish from Christ a Spouse consecrated to him they promise to themselves a more gainfull and honorable reception But if they will needs have Women because the woman is handsom and attractive is therefore the Pope presently turned Antichrist does our Lord cease to be present in the Sacrament is Purgatory presently extinguished doe Angells and Saints no longer deserve to be acknowledged our Protectours in a word have they forgotten what they formerly beleived and are they in a moment inspired to answer to a new Catechism full of new Articles of Faith gravely proposed to them by a Patriarch and Pandar for impure Apostats out of the Pulpitt What influence has the woman upon them to make all this change Truly the very same the Woman had from the Creation She presents an Apple to them which wonderfully delights them to look upon Especially if growing in England where they heare the fairest are to be had But if besides seeing it they get a tast of the Apple their eys are presently opened and as it were in uno radio solis they see all good and evill and nothing appears good but what the woman approves and without which they can not enjoy and maintain the Woman nor make a companion and Mistress to our noblest young Ladyes 121. But leaving these putrid Carcinomata of the Catholick Church and infamous stains to the Protestant is it not apparent that the Doctrin of Pennance and Mortification hath been rejected by Protestants not because they are hindrances of good life as the Doctour says and I dare say not one understanding person in his own Parish beleives him but for the Severity of them and contradiction to Flesh and Blood Besides this where doe we hear of Restitution of goods got by Usury and deceit among Protestants there being among them no obligation of confessing such sins and by consequence of making Satisfaction without which Absolution cannot be granted The Doctour will not allow me here to name those Schooles of Holiness and Devotion Monasteries though from the Primitive times esteemed a principall Ornament of Gods Church because he will esteem them nothing but Schooles of Fanaticism 122. But in generall most certain it is that among Catholicks the Study of ways promoting Holiness and Piety is incomparably greater but withall more painfull then among Protestants 123. But this satisfies not the Doctour who brings in Bishop Taylour using the same argument with him in his Disswasive from Popery viz the no-necessity of forsaking sins in the Catholick Church since if a man commits them again and again he knows a present remedy toties quoties it is but confessing with Sorrow or Attrition and upon Absolution he is as whole as if he had not Sinned Yea if after Sixty or eighty years together of a wicked life he shall doe this in the Article of his death this instantly passes him into a state of Salvation Yea moreover the Doctour afterwards taxes the Indulgence of the Roman Church because in her Rituall she ordains that Extreme-Vnction should be conferred on persons unable to confess as being under a delirium or wholly insensible if before it be but probable that they desired it or gave any signs of Contrition And hereby saith he if any sins have remained upon them they are taken of by vertue of this Sacred Vnction 124. As touching the too great facility allowed by some Catholick Writers in giving Absolution toties
Devotions in their Natiue Tongues which are for the most part taken out of the Publick Liturgy and moreouer has commanded all Pastours to interpret to the people in the administring of Sacraments especially the most Holy Eucharist whatsoever they are capable of vnderstanding by which means there is scarce a Rustick so ignorant but well vnderstands what the Priest does through the whole course of the Masse 149. Matters standing thus the Church esteems it more prudent and more conducing also to edification in generall that all Catholick Churches should serve God vniformly in a language which cannot be corrupted especially such provisions being made for the peoples good then to haue the Service of God exposed to Corruptions and continuall Changes But if the Doctour think himself wiser then the whole Western and most Eastern Churches much ioy may he take in his great humility 150. But after all how can the people say Amen will the Doctour say from S. Paul I answer S. Paul in that place Speaks not of the Common Divine Service which was celebrated then in a language well vnderstood and at Corinth doubtles in the Greek tongue but of these Spirituall Hymns and Praises of God extraordinary that were delivered by some in a tongue vnknown And all that can be deduced from it and applied to the Publick Divine servcie is this that either this be performed in a known Tongue or when the Church hath reasonable Motives which she not we must judge of not to change the formerly vsed language of it so much as is necessary for the common people to vnderstand and say Amen to be interpreted as the Apostle saith there ouer and over again Now such Prayers Collects Psalms Hymns Litanies c. as are thought necessary for the common people are interpreted by the Churches order and they have them ready in their Primers Manuels c. Euen all the parts also of the Service of the Masse necessary to be known by them 151. Jt is certain that it is not out of a desire that the people should be ignorāt that the Church thinks not meet to change the language of her Liturgy And I would to God that were the only hindrance of reuniting England to her once beloued Mother for then the breach would not last long §. 12. Of the Churches denying the Reading of the Bible indifferently to all 152. BUt the last and greatest Hindrance of piety and which is wonderfull of Vnity likewise in the Doctours opinion is the Roman Church her denying the reading of Scripture to all persons promiscuously without exception This fault the Doctour will neuer forgiue Her And the truth is if euer there should be a restraint of such liberty in England all the Principles of his Religion would vtterly goe to wrack For how then should euery Sober Enquirer into Scripture frame a Religion to himself How much would the number of Sects be diminished which is great pitty Then Pastours and Teachers would perswade the people that it is their duty to believe and obey them and not to be their own Directours which is intolerable Therefore in so great a concern the Doctours zeale in this Point aboue others may well be forgiuen him 153. How much would the Doctour be beholden to that freindly man who could furnish him with but one line out of any Ancient Ecclesiasticall Writer Father or Councill to iustify the Fundamentall Principle of his and as he pretends of all Protestants Religion viz. That euery sober enquirer may be a Iudge infallible of the sense of Scripture in all Points necessary to Saluation But I can assure him such a freind is not to be found Nay I believe he would thank that man who could shew any Ancient Heretick an Authour of that enormous Doctrin for as he cannot but know that he embraces seuerall Points condemned by the Ancient Church in Hereticks he would no doubt with ioy adopt this Point so beneficiall and necessary to the fabrick of his Protestant Churches 154. To descend to our Modern times Though Luther Calvin Zuinglius c. those disturbers of the world to gain the affections of the Common rabble were very earnest to put the Bible into their hands yet does the Doctour think that they would patiently haue suffred any of their followers to chuse any other Religion out of it but what they as Prophets sent from God had taught them Nay would the Doctour take it well of his own Parishioners if they should doe so Yet he is angry with Catholicks because we rather trust the Churches iudgment then our own a strange quarrell certainly But it is a folly to think that any of the Common sort of people seek into the Bible to find their Religion there not one in ten thousand among us but for his whole Faith relyes vpon the credit and supposed honesty of some zealous Lecturer or reputed learned Doctour Now J would fain know of Doctour Stillingfleet with what conscience he can suffer a whole Congregation of well meaning men who can rely vpon nothing but authority to prefer his authority before that of the whole Church For nothing can be more contrary to the Rules of Common reason in them and for their sinning against Reason he must be answerable to God How does one of the Doctours Parishioners find his whole Religion in Scripture Thus The Doctour will bid him read the last verse of the 6. chap. to the Romans or he will read the words to him The Gift of God is eternall life Here says he the Papists are plainly confuted who say that God rewards our good works with Heaven He will tell him again that the Papists hold that our Lords body is in the Sacrament How shall they be confuted Christ indeed says This is my Body What then this must be vnderstood as if he had sayd This is the figure of my Body Then plain Scripture interpreted by the Doctour is against them Again Look out the first Chapter to Titus you will find that those who are called Elders or Presbiters in the fifth verse are called Bishops in the Seaventh Here our Antichristian Prelats are plainly confuted who exalt themselues aboue Elders c. 155. But one Point there is of main importance to these who will find all things in Scripture which is A Proof that these Books which they are taught to call Scripture are the same which were Anciently written by men inspired by God That they have not been corrupted and that they are rightly interpreted None of all these things they can find in Scripture what remedy therfore for this None in the world but the Doctours own authority He will tell them perhaps that the Vniversall Tradition of all Ages which is of it self credible testifies this and therefore they ought to belieue it But if they should reply and tell the Doctour that for all necessary Points of belief they were according to his Principles to be Iudges for themselues but of that which they call
at the best a few Sensuall incestuous Fryars abroad and Popular Preachers at home yea as we have lately seen even Mechanicks Souldiers or any other ignorant persons actuated by the Spirit of Pride and Licentiousness to begin a Sect fitt for the palats and complexions of Seekers after Novelties 162. Matters therefore standing thus in these later times can any rationall man be perswaded that if any of those Holy Fathers cited by the Doctour had lived among us or if such Heresies had been spred among their Disciples and pretended to have been evidently deduced from Gods Word they would have been so zealous in their Exhortations to a promiscuous reading of Scriptures But how much think we would such their zeale have been cooled in case such an Architect of Principles as the Doctour is had been in Vogue in their times For Principles they are which evidently contain the most pernicious Soule-destroying Heresy that ever assaulted Gods Church Principles which banish Peace Charity Humility and Obedience vtterly from the Church and State Principles which if through Gods judgment they should generally prevaile what think you would become of our Saviours Promise for there would not be left in the world one Church at all true or false Since where every one is acknowledged the only inventer and Iudge of his own Faith there may meet a Multitude but it is no Church none having right over another errour and truth vertue and vice being equally Iustifiable Lastly these are Principles the admirable vanity of which I think was never paralleld by any Heresiarch but a certain Rhetorius mentioned by Philastrius who taught That all Heresies were in their precepts of life innocent and in their Doctrins true Omnes Hereses rectê ambulare vera docere 163. Non sum ambitiosus in malis I may with a good conscience protest that it is only Truth and a Charitable compassion to soules miserably seduced by so Comprehensive a Heresy as is contained in the Dostours Principles which hath moved mee to fix such a brand upon them Not that I suspect that he would approve such consequences but I am confident with all his skill he cannot avoyd them 164. Now I must acquaint the Doctour that my iust indignation against these Principles is heightned from my own unhappines if not guilt in being the first who gave occasion that they should be known and received into the Church of England This I am sure neither he nor perhaps any one now alive does know and therefore I will acquaint him with the true Story concerning them 165. As I remember it was in the year 1638. that I had occasion to accompany a Noble freind in a iourney from Dublin to London When we were ready to return I went to a Booksellers shop to search out some bâ—oks to be carried back into Ireland and among others I bought Daillé du vray usage des Peres a Book at that time not at all taken notice of That Book the same night I shewd to my Noble dear Lord Lucius Lord Falkland who perusing and liking the Contents of it desired me to give it him which I willingly did About a month after my return into Ireland he sent me a most civill letter full of thanks both in his own but especially in M. Chillingworths name for that small present telling me that that litle Book had saved him a most tedious labour of reading almost twenty great Volumes 166. This Mysterious speech I easily understood For M. Chillingworth a litle before was returned out of Flanders where he had professed himself a Catholick and being sent for by Archbishop Laud was strictly examined by him touching his Religion And whether he went to Masse or Common Prayer to whom he gaue this account That he had entertained such scruples touching Catholick Religion and withall was as yet so vnsatisfyed with the grounds of the English Protestant Religion that at the present his conscience would not permitt him to goe either to Masse or to Common Prayer And therefore with his Graces leaue he was resolued to spend a year or two in a solitude and the Study of Greek and Latin Fathers fully purposing to embrace that Religion which appeared to him most consonant to what the Fathers generally taught The Archbishop much commended his design and dismissed him with his blessing and a promise also that he should enioy entire liberty to prosecute so laudable a Study Very busy in this Study I found and left him in England But it was presently after interrupted by that vnlucky Book of Daillé which perswaded him to a light esteem of the Holy Fathers vpon whose authority he would no longer rely But yet this did not bring him into the Church of England so as to think himself obliged to belieue her Doctrins and whose authority he saw was much inferiour to the other and from all subordinate but diuided English Sects he had a horrible aversion and contempt Therefore without any long demurr he fixed his mind vpon Socinian grounds which he afterwards shewed in a litle Book of one of them which was an Answer to certaine Theses Posnanienses which Theses as J remember asserted the Authority of the Catholick Church in opposition whereto the Socinian reiecting all Externall Authority layd these very grounds of his Religion That in all necessary Doctrins the Scripture was clear Therefore euery sober Enquirer might with ease find them in it without any help of a Teacher or at least any obligation to believe him Vpon these grounds M. Chillingworth dilated his Discourses with much art and gracefullness of Stile in his Book against a learned Catholick writer And the same grounds so discoursed on Doctour Stillingfleet has contracted Methodically into his Principles And both these Books though manifestly destroying all Authority in the English or any other Church haue been patiently and quietly suffred yea commended by Superiours here to their infinit dammage as is seene at this day which dammage is J belieue more sensible to them since they see no considerable prejudice to Catholicks by them for J doe not remember to haue heard of any one Established Catholick Shaken in his Faith by such grounds Though I confess they obctructed a good while my entrance into the Catholick Church 167. Now it being certain that these Princi ples came originally into England from the Socinians a Sect maintaining a Fundamentall Heresy it is of small edification and less glory to the English Church in case as the Doctour pretends his Faith and hers are built on the same Principles that she should consequently acknowledge herself forced to desert the grounds vpon which she proceeded since the Reformation as being grounds by M. Chillingworths discovery found to be Sandy and ruinous and consequently acknowledge all her Articles of belief all her Laws Constitutions Canons c. misgrounded The consideration of this besides disreputation cannot but raise great Scruples in the minds of her Disciples and Subiects till she not only disavow
himself obliged in conscience by breaking all Rules of Piety and humanity to do all manner of despight to his Catholick fellow-Subiects he would hereafter at least please to abstain from reviling and blaspheming Gods Saints or traducing the most Divine exercises of contemplative soules more perfectly practised only in Heauen Jt argued certainly a heart brimm full of the Gall of bitternes that to oppose only one single line of his Adversary pag. 31. in which all that he sayes is the mentioning new Sects and Fanaticisms he could allow one hundred and twenty Pages in a senceless and execrable recrimination not considering or rather perhaps too much considering and intending that such a recrimination should reflect with great disparagement on the English Protestant Church In whose Calendar severall of those Saints to this day possess a place Truly in all reason his Attempt by his Socinian Principles of depriving the Governours of that Church of all Anthority granted by her Princes and Parliaments ought to haue suffised him without traducing her as a Canonizer of Fanaticks What excuse he can make for this I cannot imagine unless perhaps his tenderly scrupulous conscience dictates to him that the Scottish Covenant requires all this and more from the obligation whereof the Bishops cannot it seems and his Brethren Presbiters will not absolue him If so his zeale methinks should incite him yet further and particularly to make use of the power and high esteem he has by his late Book gotten in his Vniversity of Cambridge to become a Godfather in rebaptizing and giving a New Name to an ancient and famous Colledge there which at present has two Names both of them extremely inconvenient and prejudiciall to the Design of his beloued Book being called not only S. Benets but likewise Corpus Christi-Colledge For as long as these names continue neither will S. Benedict pass there for a Fanatick nor the Reall presence be esteemed aground of a worse then Pagan Idolatry But I believe he will scarce be able with all his Rhetorick to obtain from them such a compliance or even perswade his own Parishioners to renounce Heaven except S. Gregory S. Benedict S. Francis c. be excluded thence A Second Request is that since to his great credit order has been taken by his friends more solicitous for him then their own Church to render his Book unanswerable he would hasten his zealous Huguenot Brethren of the Savoy iust such Defenders of the Church of England as himself to enlarge his conquests through France also by sending abroad their French Translation of his formidable Book the Rationall Account There will be no need to fear any officious Searchers nor the least obstruction to their dispersing their ware in France for there Catholicks are so confidently secure of the invincible Truth of their Religion that the King himself not only permits but invites yea and expressly commands the subtillest of the Huguenot Ministers to write and publish freely whatsoever they are able to say in defence of themselves or against Catholick Doctrines Now it is manifest that the Doctours friends the zealous Searchers and murderers of all Answers to his Book do not believe that he has any confidence at all either in the truth or honesty of his cause And iust reason they have since it is a cause evidently destructive both to the English Church and state as hath been demonstrated And if themselves had any regard at all either to their Church or the Civill state and peace of the kingdom all betrayed by him they would see and acknowledge that their vigilance would have been much better employed in preventing the birth of so deformed and pernicious a monster My third Request is indeed J fear too reasonable to expect it should be granted by an Adversary of the Doctors temper It is this His design beeing to deterr all English-men from Communion with the Catholick Church from a consideration of dangerous Doctrines and Practises in it he is requested that hereafter he would not abuse the world by fathering on the Church Exotick opinions of particular Schoolmen and by representing the Churches Doctrines lamely falsely and dishonestly His enormous faultiness in this regard in mitation of Doctor Taylor committed in his last Book through every one of the Points mentioned by him may be visible to all heedfull Readers and irrefragable Proofes hereâ—fare in a readiness to be produced if his busy friends the Searchers could be perswaded to rest in their beds in the night time He cannot complain of any difficulty to find out all necessary Doctrines in which Catholicks universally agree as we may for Proteflant Doctrines The Councill of Trent alone will sufficiently furnish him Or if he think fitt to have recourse to the interpretations of its Decisions in all reason and conscience he ought to content himself with such as seem to him most moderate and rationall Christian charity and love of Peace requiring this from him But I fear his unconformity hereto must be pardoned For his principall vocation now being to be a Controvertist to which it seems he is by Superiours engaged and to which employment Preaching Sacraments and all must yield it will be impossible for him to write volumes of Controversy his way if he be confined to matters only which are pertinent or to arguments which are Logically concluding For how could he then delight profanc Readers with ridiculous stories or give scope to his own more profane Fancy in descanting irreligiously on the actions of Saints or fill up many sheets with nasty occurrents raked out of dunghills and charging them on the Church which abhorrs them more then himself How could he I say thus play the Controvertist if he were to assault the Church only in her necessary Doctrines and Discipline exhibited in her Councills I must therefore I fear prepare my self with patience to receive a Refusall to Requests though in my opinion very reasonable and which I here sett down because J believe they will be esteemed such by ingenuous and judicious Readers who surely will not judge the cause of Catholicks prejudiced by the Doctors confutation of a Church no where extant in rerum naturâ except in his own disordered Fancy Lastly he is desired to consider that Almighty God commands us to loue Peace and Truth Zach. 8. 19. both these For Peace alone without Truth is a conspiracy in Errour and an imprudent zeale for Truth may be more pernicious then Errour Both these therefore ought to be loved together And to Hate both Peace and Truth seems a depravation scarce consistent with Human nature or any Rationall Agent besides the Devill himself Since therefore the Doctor by demolishing all Tribunalls in Gods Church which might peaceably end Controversies has endeavoured as much as in him lyes to banish Peace eternally from among Christians it is iustly to be expected from him that being now become by Profession a Controvertist he should give some better testimony to the world that he is at least a Seeker and Promoter of Truth and that his Design in writing Preaching and Disputing is to conquer the iudgments of Dissenters to a belief of that which himself pretends to be Truth But can any reasonable man imagine that he had so much as a desire to convert Catholicks who alone seem to be esteemed by him Dissenters by such a Book as his last is which they cannot read without trembling at the blasphemies of it and without a horrible aversion from one who would make their Church and Faith odious for Doctrines and Practises which the said Church is so far from owning that she condemns them and would moreover persuade them to forsake an established Communion without being informed whither to betake themselves These proceedings are so unreasonnable that it seems manifest he had not so much as a thought of convincing their iudgments so that he will have small reason to wonder that not one single person can be found whom he looks on as an enemy who has given him occasion to erect a Trophey yea moreover though perhaps he will not believe it that a considerable number have against his will had their eyes opened by him to see the desperate state of that cause which seems to seek its last refuge in the Protection of such an Advocat A strange fate certainly this is of a Book so boasted of and to which such conquests have been promised Therefore any sober Reader who shall heedfully reflect on the Doctor 's abilities will hardly be perswaded to believe that he intended his last should be a Book of Controversy but rather an Engin raised by him to work during the space of a few months some considerable mischief against the persons of innocent Catholicks at a season as he thought proper for his purpose when he conceived thereby the whole Kingdom might happily be incensed against them Which holy design if he could effect it would afterward be indifferent to him whether his Book were confuted or not However our hope is that Dominus iudicabit pauperes populi bumiliabit Calumniatorem FINIS Nullos esse Deos in ane coelum Affirmat Selius probatque quod se Factum duÌ„ negat haec videt BeatuÌ„ Martial l. 4. Epigr 21. Pag. 262. Psal. 118. Mem. 2. Cor. 12. v. 2. 3. 4. P. 334. P. 336 P. 336. P. 337. P. 244. Suar. in 3. S Th q 27. Anâ—on Summ. p. 1. tit 8. c. Baron ad A. D. 604. P. 248. P. 235. Irenic P. 392. P. 346. P. 349. P. 350. 13. Principle 15 Principle I. Que. Ansvv. II. Qu. Ansvv. III Qu. Ansvv. IV. Qu. Ansvv. V. Qu. Ansvv. Irenic Eph. iv 4. 5. vers 5. Gesner in Re Bellar. Def. Schlusscâ—b P. 443. Ration Accou p 54. Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. l. 4. c. 16. P. 180. Conc. Triden Sess. XIV cap. 3. P. 183. P. 181. P. z12 Conc. Tâ—id Ses. XIV c. 8. August lib. 50 hom Hom. 41. Conc. Tâ—id Seâ— VII de Sacram Can. 8. P. 206. Gal. 4. P. 183. Aug. Hom. 50. capvlt P. 681. Luk xvi 9. Lib. de curâ pâ—â— moâ—tuis cap. 4. P. 183. Conc. Tâ—id Ses. xxv Decâ—et de Indulg Ibid. P. 516. P. 188. P. 174. Cor. 14 1. Cor. 14. Vers. 5. 9. 13. 27 28. P. â—15 P. 174. Philast Preface pag. 6. Ibid. p. 22.