conformable to his Praises imitates what he extolls and considers those excellent Patterns as so many reproches to the disorders and remisness of his life But he is not induced thereby to invocate them to ascribe to them what is due to God alone and offer them Prayers which being commanded neither by the Precepts of Christ nor his Apostles spring rather from a blind Superstition then a well ordered Piety Non Religioni sed Superstitioni deputantur XX. But supposing the Church of Rome had some small ground in Antiquity for the Invocation of Saints she has not the least shadow of reason for the worshipping their Images Nor is it difficult to prove that Images are a remnant of heathenish Ceremonies which a blind zeal for the memory of the Apostles brought into the Church Hence the Fathers of the Primitive times became extremly zealous to interdict not only their worship but their very sight in the Churches So Origen Eusebius Justin Martyr c. inveigh on all occasions against Images The Eliberitan Council where the great Osius was present he whom the Councils stile their Father and Master condemns by an express Canon the placing any sort of Images in Churches S. Epiphanius forbids the having Images in Churches or in the Crypts of the Martyrs And to shew that his practice did not contradict his Precepts he gives an account to John Patriarch of Jerusalem how having found at the entrance of the Church at Anablatta an Image of our Savior painted upon a Curtain he tore it and wished the Priests to make use of it for the burial of some poor person XXI But it is clearer then the light that by the word Adoration the holy Fathers meant all manner of Worship Those famous men had a Divinity of sense not of terms they were not acquainted with those Distinctions which became the whole business of Scholastics in succeeding Ages They no less included external worship then internal and thought not the one less dangerous then the other S. Augustin was not perswaded that a man could so purify his intentions in adoring an Image but that the Wood and Stone must needs bear some part in it Who is the man saies that holy Doctor who looking upon an Image either worships or praiseth qui non sic officitur ut ab eo se exaudiri putet hoc enim facit quodammodo extorquet figura membrorum I know saies the same Saint in his admirable Book De Moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae That there are many worshippers of the Sepulchres and Pictures of Martyrs Multos Sepulchrorum Picturarum adoratores But I advise you not to take occasion thence of slandering the Catholic Church in aggravating the faults of those People whom she her self condemns quos ipsa condemnat corrigere studet This excellent place shews that there are many disorders in the Church the Church is not at all guilty of and that those are in the wrong who charge a whole Society with the faults of some of its particular members So that when we speak against worshipping of Images we exclaim not against that shameful traffick exercised in the Churches of the Mendicants neither against those Chappels set round with pieces of wax and silver nor against those false Miracles which are only so many baits whereby covetous Monks delude the ignorant and simple and enrich themselves All these things Ecclesia Romana condemnat corigere studet It is well known the pious men of these Monasteries are troubled at such abuses and Bishops wish they were able to apply a remedy to them But we combat the Decrees and Canons of the Roman Church things to which the contrary sentiments are by her stiled Impiety We give them no other sense then she her self would put upon them and we maintain in their most favorable interpretation that she has made Laws of some points quas ipsa Ecclesia Catholica condemnat corrigere studet XXII There is not a learned person in the Church of Rome who doth not consent that to paint God Almighty has bin accounted a crime for twelve hundred years 'T is not lawfull for a Christian saies S. Austin to put in any Church the Image of God in a humane shape Nevertheless the Council of Trent makes it a Virtue to admit of them There is not a Church in which you may not see the unworthy Pictures of an immense and incomprehensible God whose most perfect delineation consists in the impossibility both Men and Angels lie under of conceiving any The Popes Chappell is filled with them and his holiness is pleased to forget that one of the cheif Patrons of Images calls it a folly and an extreme Impiety XXIII Neither is there any understanding person who doth not acknowledge that â—he most obstinate Defenders of Images never went so far as to maintain that â—his soveraign Worship should be renâ—red to them which is due to God alone â—Tis by this only reason they pretend to free themselves of that Idolatry which was laid to their charge So that it is a meer evasion of those who answer to all the authorities of the fifth sixth and seventh Ages against Images that they were levelled only against Divine and supreme worship being a ridiculous dealing no way chargeable upon grave Men. But the Church of Rome to perswade the receiving of these things calls them with an incredible insincerity Ancient practices strives to amuze people by swelling and high flown words and because he miserably abandons himself to his own reason and sinks under the most horrid Impiety who respects not true Councils and Fathers that of Trent speaks of nothing but Apostolical Traditions Consent of Fathers and authority of Councils XXIV All these magnificent promises are reduced to a miserable Conventicle held in the eighth Age to which no Western Bishops nor any of the two parts of the East not one of the three Patriarchs of Jerusalem Antioch and Alexandria came which Pope Nicholas I. and Adrian II. durst never call General A Council called by a cruel and disordered Prince wherein Irene his mother sate President so ambitious and unnatural a woman that she commanded the eies of her own Son to be plucked out A Council at which the most considerable person present was Thalossius Patriarch of Constantinople a man who as Pope Adrian describes him from a Lay-man became Bishop from an illiterate Courtier Patriarch of Constantinople whom the same Pope saies he abhorred as a Monster ut monstrum exhorruit made Bishop against all Ordinances and Canons A Council that founded its Decrees upon Visions and meer Fables such as one of the meanest spirit must needs be offended at The Image of our Saviour given to King Abgarus the Leprosy Baptism and miraculous recovery of Constantine are things of that nature as the learned in the Church of Rome do now account supposititious not to alledge many others which deserve that the
by heat or violence an extraordinary and unusual prudence appears in all their Canons they busy not themselves in calling the Pope Antichrist and Rome Babylon but render them the same respect they had ever done They judg themselves without judging others and are content to pray for other Societies without pronouncing either their Salvation or condemnation XX. As they do separate themselves only from the errours of the Church of Rome so they do pretiously preserve what doth not bear that name otherwise 't would not have bin the work of a pious zeal but of a wicked madness None can deny that there are many great and holy rites in the Church of Rome They therefore by a judicious distinction have thrown out those practises which were evil and retain'd the good XXI Having therefore two businesses in hand to wit the reformation of Doctrine and ordering of manners they have made use of the shortest and easiest means They compar'd all to the Scriptures and customes of the first Ages There is no point of their Faith which may not be proved by Scripture nothing in their Discipline which is not conformed to the ceremonies of the first 500 years XXII The Church of England therefore hath the comfort of having her Doctrine founded on the Scriptures so believed by the holy Saints as she beleiv'd it her Canons conformable to the antient Canons her Liturgy like the first Liturgies When she goes about to interpret the Scriptures she exacts not of her Children a blind obedience as doth the Church of Rome She thinks not to make any volume Canonical which was never really so but she follows the tracts of the Saints and of the Councils and hath learnt from the primitive Church which books in the Holy Bible are the grounds of our Faith and which only the object of our Piety XXIII We may say the same thing of all those points which raise the difference betwixt us and the Church of Rome The most considerable one is that of the Eucharist She treats that incomprehensible mystery with the respect due to it She neither presumes nor pretends to comprehend more of it then Christ hath bin pleased to reveal to them and the antient Church understood It is manifest first that Christ instituted the Sacrament of his body and blood Secondly that he is really present in it Thirdly that he abundantly communicates his grace and his holy Spirit to those who before they receive it seriously try themselves as the Apostle speaks and who not only forsake Sin but the very appetite of sinning and labour to order their life by his example But the manner of his being present is uncertain Christ saies nothing of it it appears noâ— that the primitive Church hath known how That of England receives with thanksgiving what he hath bin pleased to reveal to her and adores with a submissive silence what he hath not bin pleased to let her know We understand nothing of the Lord's Supper but by the Scriptures and the practice of the primitive times and when we limit our selves to that without going any further the manner of expounding it is not difficult The Infinite love of God towards us in that Sacrament destroies not the order which his wisdom hath put in things We leave to Faith all the latitude of it without contradicting the principles of reason But when men pretend to make Evangelists speak as Scholastics or Scholastics as Evangelists and look for Transubstantiation concomitancy and existence of the accidents without their subject c. all seems obscurity and darkness We sacrifice not our reason to faith but we throw aside both of them in saying that God explains himself after a manner conâ—rary to those principles which he hath established The Church of England is therefore in 〈◊〉 right of supposing as receiv'd what she beleives and the Church of Rome is obâ—â—ged to prove what she advances The former supposes the miracle which Christ â—ath wrought adding nothing new or â—npossible the other proposeth a thousand things to our beleif of which Christ â—ath said nothing and which are in â—hemselves greater miracles then that about which the two parties differ besides that they draw idolatrous practices XXIV The Church of Eng. doth not only think her self bound to beleive what Christ saies of the sacrament but she administers it â—s he hath given it us She orders the Sacrament under both kinds according â—o the command of Christ and to the praâ—tice of the Catholic Church and the whole World know the unchristian grounds upon which an Italian Bishop in the Council of Trent thought it was not to be granted for fear of making an argument against the pretended Infallibility of the Church of Rome XXV It is unreasonable that she do's not permit service to be read in the vulgar tongue and the Bible to be â—ranslated She knows nothing was ever grounded upon a less foundation then that and without looking on the orders of St. Paul which are so exact thereupon is there any thing in the World so contrary to reason as to pray to God in an unknown Tongue which exposeth the Praiers to the scorn and irreverence of those that offer them The Eastern Church did alwaies pray in Greek or in languages used by her divers Nations Whilst the Latin was the language of the West it was fitting that the service should be read in it but by the distraction of the Empire the incursions of Barbarians and the various revolutions we find in history that language having lost its life and given place to the various Idiomes of all Nations it was fitting men should pray in such languages as may be understood but it being more for the interest of the Pope to keep people ignorant he hath opposed so necessary a practice St. Jerome translated the Bible into Dalmatian the language of his own Country there are also to be â—ound manuscripts of the Bible in most languages of the World The more universal and dangerous heresies were the more the holy Saints exhorted the People to look in the Scriptures for those remedies which God hath granted against them XXVI The Church of England hath therefore turn'd the Liturgy into her Mother tongue The Priests and the Congregation there present send the same Praiers to Heaven and to take away all marks of Enthusiasm or novelty she hath composed the admirable Book of common Praier It is nothing but a collection of the most pathetical and instructive places of Scripture That which she hath not from thence are the very words of the Fathers or antient collects which by tradition were receiv'd from the primitive Church All is sound all is holy we address our selves to God in God's own language and we speak to him as he hath spoke to us 'T is a happy obligation for a Christian to pray after such a manner wherein a vain imagination bears no part his mind is enlivened his heart softned by that he can preach to himself and
to the Church as to the State The Country is â—carce large enough for their ramblings â—nd the City for their visits The factum â—f my Lord Arch-Bishop of Sens one â—f the greatest Prelates of the Church of Rome is a proof of what they can do We spare the Reader the recital of their â—candalous manners But if these Monks â—ave so little care of their reputation as 〈◊〉 say that this is the practice but of one â—articular House we can prove to them â—y a thousand like examples free from all â—xception that it is not in the City of Provins only but in all other they live â—ccordingly It remains that we speak of the Jesuâ—â—s whom all have spoken against ever â—nce the World knew them If the acts â—f the Clergy of France the Writings â—f Sorbon the Decrees of the Parliament â—f Paris may be credited Christianity â—ath never had greater enemies Never â—id people that profess poverty and obeâ—ience so earnestly affect glory and â—iches The better sort of the Roman Communion in England it self cannot enâ—ure them And all the World knows a person of eminent Quality most zealous for the Church of Rome who ardently desires its re-establishment but on condition that the Jesuits be for ever excluded the Kingdom XXXV Whence therefore comes it that thâ— Church of Rome which cannot be ignorant of so palpable disorders preserves the Friers with so much care 'T is a mistery which must be laid open There are two sorts of persons interess'd in their conservation the Popeâ— and men that are worldly given Thâ—â— latter who would be Christians without submitting to the duties of the Gospelâ— are very glad to find so easie and indulgent guides who give them pillows to leaâ—â— on Ezech. 13. 18. as speaks the Prophetâ— that is to sin with less disturbance Now to glory in a great number of followersâ— 't is enough to entice and allure thoseâ— whom a half piety and shadow'd devotion keeps still in their sins The Pope oâ— the other side supports them not only by acknowledgment as people to whom hâ— ows a great part of his grandeur but witâ— design of making use himself of them upon occasion Before the Court of Rome had invented Privileges and Exemtions the Monks that lived in submission to their Bishops and in an happy ignorance of the disputes of the Schools were but of small use to it they sought after sanctity more then science But when the Pope began to encroach upon the Jurisdiction of Bishops he began by substracting from their autority Monasteries which being weary of the vigilance of their Prelates were wrapt with joy of having none that should examine their actions That they might not seem unworthy of Popes new favor they began to make head against their Bishops to study Decretals aspire to Scholarship and change their ignorance into a demi-science which hath brought so many evils upon the Church And indeed since they have bin extremely faithful to the Pope Of nine Divines which he sent to the Council of Trent seven were Monks The Holy Father requires not them to defend his rights by good arguments by reading the Fathers or studying learned Languages but only to clamor and cry out They are not engaged to prove that those who deny the supremacy and infallibility of the Pope are Heretics but to spread abroad that they are Heretics In the affairs of the five Propositions and the magnificent Formulary of Alexander the Seventh the Jesuits ne're put themselves to the trouble of shewing that the five Propositions were in Jansenius but only clamor'd that they were there They thought not themselves obliged to demonstrate the Pope had power to exact the signature of the Formulary but only bark'd all about that those that subscribed not to it were worse then Arians XXXVI There are in France fifty thousand Monks at least the greater part are Preachers and Confessors that is people that bear relation to all places of the Kingdom Doth any write against Religion or manners maintain the most scandalous Principles in the World and the most opposite to those of the Gospel there is not one that appears to defend either But if any speak against the usurpation of the Pope then the Theaters streets public places private houses and palaces of the Grandees are full of Monks that cry with open mouth that Heresy hath infected the whole World Had Charles the Fifth who aspired to the universal Monarchy used this means he had infallibly succeeded The best policy in the World is to have in all Kingdoms thirty thousand Agents who have influence on an infinite number of Persons and are maintain'd at so small a rate by him that emploies them XXXVII The Church of England is therefore in the right to reject such Friers as they are now King Henry the Eighth knew that with them it was impossible a King could be master of his own Estate and a Bishop rule his Church And these two things being equally necessary to the repose and welfare of a Nation this action of his is not to be condemn'd XXXVIII In banishing Friers the Holy Church of England hath banished at the same time all those novelties wherewith they abused the credulity of People indulgencies reliques fraternities and all that which is commonly taken for a true piety She hath substituted in their place praier reading of the Gospel preaching and generally all that may conduce to the converting the heart Her design in it is not to draw after her a multitude of Women loaden with sins who alwaies learn and are never instructed but to establish in her Sons such things as are solid and durable In primitive times all these waies were unknown true piety decreasing the Friers thought it sufficient to substitute in its stead an appearance of it The holy Church of England beleived she ought to deal quite otherwise for the welfare of Christians and that she was obliged to endeavour to render them like those of the golden age as much as that of Iron wherein we live would permit XXXIX Of all practices of antiquity there is none so venerable as the manner of sanctifying the Lords day The holy Church of England celebrates it with an admirable piety Saint Augustine believed that it was less criminal to till the ground then to dance on this day Both the one and the other is equally forbidden in England Plaies Balls pleasures journies are things not so much as to be mentioned XL. The Church of England limits not its self at the sanctifying of the Lords day She hath divers other daies to excite the piety of her Sons and those are the festivals instituted in honour of the most glorious mother of God and the Saints As this custome is very antient in the Church and a man cannot open the writings of the Fathers without finding marks of it she thought it fit to preserve religiously such observances By this the Church makes to appear the union of her body in what state