sir to shew out of Plato or Apuleius or any of those writers these words or any others equivalent Hercules pray to thy father Iupiter for me or us Romulus intercede for us So that the greatest part of the Heathens did not dreame of this Mediation those who did assert it treated neverthelesse with those Mediators as with tru Gods Wherefore should I grant that all Pagans held the souls of men to mediate yet there would be a vast difference betwixt their sentiments those of the Roman Catholick Church concerning our saints More errors will appeare out of the following discourse I think it impossible to give one Idea of what the Pagans taught of spirits or incorporeall substances as this name doth comprehend the supreame of all the subordinate or coordinate immateriall Beings souls separated from their Bodys Thales (a) In Athenogor leg pro Christ p. 25. sayd there were of three sortes Gods Demons Heròes that God was the soul of the world Demons spirituall Beings Heroes the souls of men who were good or bad according to the life they ledde in this word Hesiodus (b) In Theodoret l. 8. de Cur. Graec. Affect p. 602. thought that the souls of golden men who lived well were turned into Demons after his life received a charge of humane affaires Iulian the Apostata (c) In S. Cyril Alex. l. 4. p. 115. taught that they were tru Gods to whome the Supreame God committed the care of the severall parts of this World that the God (d) Ibidem p. 141. of the Iews Christians whome Moyses preached was one of the inferiour gods Nay he says (e) Ibidem l. 5. p. 155. that Moyses his God was the worst of all the rest as being Jealous Envious Vindicative c. For which Blasphemy alone he myght have deserved his reprochfull surname Plato (f) in S. Austin l. 8. de Civit. Dei c. 14. seemes to agree in substance with Thales for he distinguishes three sortes of spirituall substances Gods Men Demons The Gods he places in the Heavens Daemons in the Ayre Men on Earth Apuleius (g) S. Austin l. 9. cap. 11. holds all souls of men to be Daemons but assignes three sortes of them Lares are those which are certainly good Lemures or Larvae which are certainly knowne to be bad when 't is doubted whither they begood of bad they are called Dii Manes When you have considered these things you will see 1. how imperfectly nay how falsly you have represented the sentiments of the Pagans 2. How hard a thing you undertake when you designe a Parallel betwixt Pagan Idolatry our Worshipping of Saints for seing all depends on their holding men's souls to be mediating spirits which can never be proved or that those who were good were used only to present men's requests to the Supreame God which is the Tenet of the Catholick Church concerning Saints which is also evidently untru we may ranke this Parallel with Squaring Circles the Philosophers stone expect to see the World made happy with these three rarityes together As to the mediation of Angels Athenagoras (a) Legat. pro Christ pag. 11. says indeed that the Christian opinion was that God created severall orders of Angels had committed to their care the government of the Elements Heavens the whole world not that any one Angel is Governour of the world which the scripture seemes to deny Job 34 14. Heb. 1.14 but that severall Angels have the administration of the severall parts of it I know no Decree of the Catholick Church oblidging us to beleive this therefore I should not dare to censure any man who should say the contrary Yet that opinion hath so much ground in Scripture that I do not apprehend all Mr. G. B. can say to disprove it Josue 5.15 an Angel is sayd to be the Captaine of the Lord's host He seemes the same who Dan. 12.1 is called Michael And Dan. 10.20 there are others mentioned viz the Princes of Persia Greece And why may not these be the Angels who presided over those Countryes we are sure that all Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be beyres of salvation Heb. 1.14 The little ones have Angels who in Heaven always see the face of God Mat. 18.10 And that severall Angels ascended descended on Iacobs Ladder Gen. 28.12 was to shew they mediated betwixt God who was at the top man who lay at the botton of the Ladder Now if particular Angels have a care or charge of particular persons why may not some others have a larger district a more extended charge This you will say is taken from Paganisme And I will answer the Pagans tooke it from the Israelits not these from them And it seemes very probable that when the Arch-Devil who tooke the name of Iupiter had so far prevayled with men as to be by them advanced to the throne of God his next attempt was to get his wicked spirits acknowlged for Gouvernours of the World under him inlieu of those Blessed spirits who were the lawfull Gouvernours appointed by God himself That order of God was not to be abrogated with the old law of which it was no part it being an establishment for the more connaturall Government of the world from the beginning to the end of it I know God can governe all things by himselfe immediately without the assistance of men or Angels that nether the Greatenesse of Businesse can mate him not its number confound him nor its variety distract him nor its intricacy deceive him nor its obscurity hide it from his all seing Eye That having Created the whole World with a word he can governe it so too yet he uses Men (a) Rom. 13.1 he can call all to belevie in him as he did Saul (b) Act. 9. yet he employed an Angel to convert the Centurion (c) Act. 10. vouchsafes to be Fellow-Labourer (d) Mat. 16.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Men whome he honours with that employment he can justify those whome he calls with out the concourse of any creature yet he will have us use water and as to the worke of the first day the creation of all things visible invisible God required the assistance of no creature soe the whole work of the last day myght be performed by him alone yet he will use the voice of an Archangel to proclaime it (e) 1. Thessal 4.16 the Angels shall gather together those who are raysed againe to life (f) Mat. 24.31 they shall sever the wicked from the just cast them in to the furnac eof fire (a) Mat. 13.49.50 Thus the Law Prophets Christ his Apostles the old new Testament attest this Truth that Angels concurre to carrying on the worke of our salvation have a commission from God to direct us Now for beleiving
Mankind 〈◊〉 the closest bonds of Peace freindship charity which it doth tempering our Passions forgiving injuries loving our enemyes teaching obediencâ— to those in authority over us by associating 〈◊〉 into one body called the Church ANSWER This is in deed a designe worthy of Christian Religion but imperfectly explicated by you seing you omite the love of God the God (a) â— Cor. 13.11 of Peace who alone can give us perfect Peace Humane wills are naturally oppoâ—â— to one another they cannot meete but iâ—â— their naturall center God And the love 〈◊〉 our neyghbour is never sincere lasting buâ— when it is grounded on the love of God Thâ— first effect of selfe love is to seperate us from God The second to divide us amongst oâ—â— selves Both are the effects of sin nothing can prevent them linck us together in the bonds of charity but he who can remit sins That Peace then which Christian Religion teaches which the Church recomend to her children which in her Prayers shee demands of God is not an effect of human industry but of Grace It proceedes from the mercy of God it is a sequel of Purity of conscience the Crowne of reall tru Iustice In fine it is the work of the unspotted Lambe (a) 1. Petr. 1.19 at whose birth Peace (b) Luk. 2.14 was announced in his name to the world by the Angells who left Peace (c) 10.14.27 as a legacy to his disciples before his Death who was sacrificed on the Altar of the Crosse to reconcile us to his Heavenly father restore Peace betwixt Heaven Earth which the sin Rebellion of Men had banisht You see sir how insufficient your explication of Peace is for the ends you propose You leave out the Cheife most necessary ingredient for purging our dissensions to use a Prophets comparison (d) Ezeh c. 13.10 you build with untempered Mortar You (e) Ierem. 6.14 heale the hurt of the people slyghtly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace You hint indeed at a good humane meanes to Peace Obedience to those in Authority It was to prevent schisme (f) Inter Apostolos unus eligitur ut capite consâ—ituto schismatis toll retur occasio Hieron l. 1. adversus Vigilantium c. 54. that God establisht one Apostle over the rest But your endlesse Divisions subdivisions amongst your selves Shew how inefficacious this meanes is in your Reformation And how can it be otherwise when all your People have before their eyes the example of your first Patriarkes who began your Reformation by rejecting all Authority over them breaking the rules of divine worship setled al over the world till that time acknowledged by themselves Cur non licebit Valentiniano quod licuit Valentino de arbitrio suo fidem innovare Tert. l. de praescript Why may not a Lutheran doe what was lawfull to Luther your first Reformers rejected some articles of Faith then universally beleived because they seemed not to be contained in Scripture why may not the same motive authorize their followers to reject some others which you would retaine althô they are as little to be found in Scriptures Why may not a moderne Protestant retrench some unnecessary ceremony used by you at present seing you have cut off soe many others Let others live by that law which you publish think not soe hyghly of your onne authority as to make your dictamens not only the Rule of Actions but of the laws themselves It shall be lawfull to dissent from this article of Faith but not from that other to quit this ceremony not that when the same rule is applicable to both Is not this properly (a) 2. Cor. 1.24 to Lord it over the Faith of the People What wonder you find your layty refractory to your ordinances they are in this directed by your rule encouraged by your example Wherefore Looke no where abroade for the roote of these tares your Reformers planted them they layd the Egge out of which this cockatrice is hatched They eate the sower grapes which set all your Teeth an Edge Nether appeares there any possibility of a remedy while your reformation subsists this principle of Discorde Schisme being sayd in its very foundation consequently it cannot be removed with out the ruin of the whole structure nor retained without perpetuall danger of renting it in Pieces I wish these troublesome schismes endlesse discordes amongst your selves may make you seeke a proper Remedy by a Reunion to the center of union God his Church CHAPTER V. Of the Characters of Christian Doctrine G.B. p. 8. I shall add to this the main distinguishing Characters of our Religion which are four Pag. 8. First its verity Pag. 10. The second its genuine simplicity perspicuity The third its Reasonablenesse the fourth its easinesse Thus you ANSWER Are these the only or even the Cheife Characters of Divine Truths whither you take them as they are delivered in holy writ or as taught in the Church Can you find no other quality peculiar to them not common to others Then humane learning may equall if not surpasse Divine Take for example some principles naturally knowne as Two two make four or The whole body is greater then any part of it These are Tru it is impossible they should be false They are Perspicuous Easy no man can doubt of them who understands the termes They are Reasonable for what more reasonable then to assent to Evident Truth Nay of we compare then with supernaturall Truths as to their Perspicuity Verity in order to us the advantage seemes greater on the side of naturall Truths 1. o For no man ever doubted of the Truth of these having once understood their termes many have doe doubt of faith althô sufficiently proposed And 2. o no man ever dissented from those Principles when he had once admitted them many have Apostatized from their Faith Soe that all the Prayses you give to Faith belong more to naturall Sciences then to it Such a stranger are you to its tru Prerogatives The reason of this stupendious blindnesse in searching the scriptures is that you reade them as a master not as a disciple you intend not to learne from them what to beleive but to shape them to what you think you have the word but reject the sense which is to the word what the soul is to the body it gives it life motion The (a) 1. Cor. 2.14 naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him nether can be know them because they are spiritually discerned You see fir that some may reade or have the word of God yet not comprehend its meaning nay that it may seeme folly unto them The words may be words of (b) Iohn 6.61 lise everlasting yet they cry Durus est hic sermo this word is hard who
nether in this world nor in the next Whence it follows that some sins are forgiin the next world Neque enim de quibusdam veraciter diceretur quod non eis remittatur neque in hoc saeculo neque in futuro saeculo nisi essent quibus etsi non in isto tamen remittetur in futuro Aug. l. 21. de Civit. Dei cap. 24. Now to Mr. G. B. G.B. p. 55. For Purgatory the proofe from Scripture was only drawne from one wrested place of the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 3.12.13.14.15 ANS How can you say this when amongst the ancients S. Austin uses another text as we have just now seene And Bellarmin hath nineteene texts of Scripture as your Patriark W.L. will tell you p. 353. G. B. The Apostles words containe only a Proverbiall forme of speech to expresse the risque they run The Apostle speakes not only of arisque or hazard but of an effectuall losse He shall fuffer losse Says he verse 15. G. B. p. 55. Many visions apparitions were vouched for the proofe of Purgatory ANS I never saw any vouched for that intent I am sure nether the Councill of Trent nor that of Florence nor Benedict XII vouched any such thing for that intent I think not our divine Faith much concerned in asserting the Truth of any purely humane hystory I think most apparitions to be such Yet because severall Protestants as well as all Atheists utterly reject all such relations I desire them to reade S. Austin l. de Curâ pro mortuis cap. 10. where he says it would be an Impudence to deny them all Impudenter venire videbimur si haec falsa esse responderimus And in his 16. chap. he says he had learnt non incertis rumoribus sed testibus certis not from uncertain rumours but from undoubted withnesses that S. Faelix had appeared both to Citizens strangers during the siege of Nola. Had you the same Faith which was then in the Church you would beleive these things your denying them which the Primitive Church S. Austin beleived shews you to be anitmted with a different Faith CHAPTER XVII Priestly Absolution G.B. pag. 60. Another Art for detracting from the value of Christ death is the Preistly Absolution ANSWER This objection is no product of your owne wit you may find it the Authors of it together with an Answer to in S. Ambrose l. 1. de Poen c. 2. Aiunt Novatianise Domino deferre reverentiam cui soli remittendorum criminum potestatem reservant Imò melli majorem injuriam faciunt quà m qui volunt ejus mandata rescindere Nam cùm ipse in Evangelio dixerit quaecumque ligaveritis quis est qui enm magis honorat utrum qui mandatis ejus obtemperat an qui resistit Ecclesia in utroque servat obedientiam ut peccatum alliget relaxet The Novatians says this Saint pretend to honour God by reserving to him alone the power of forgiving sins But really none are more injurious to him or wrong him more then those who breake his orders For whereas he in the Ghospel sayd whose sins soever you bind Who honours God more he who obeys his commands by using that power or he who resists them Now the Church obeys both the commands to bind loose sins effectually binding loosing them Thus S. Ambrose You see Sir that our Doctrine now was that of the Church in S. Ambrose's time that the Novatians held your doctrine made use of the same pretext as you doe to defend their doctrine The Church for which S. Ambrose pleades was Catholick soe must we be in this seing our doctrine is the same with theirs The Novatians in this were Hereticks what are you Indeed the words with which our B. Saviour (a) Mat. 16.18 first promist secondly (b) Ioan. 20.22.23 actually communicated that power to forgive or retaine sins are soe expresse that it is the greatest disrespect imaginable soe to wrest them as they must to draw them from their naturall sense I desire you to shew your art invent us some speach which in soe few words shall more cleerly expresse this sense the Catholick Church understands them in And as for Fathers see S. Cyprian in many places S. Basil qq brev q. 288. S Leo epist 91. ad Theodorum Greg. hom 26. in Evang. Cyr. Alex. lib. 12. in Joan. but above all S. Chrisostome l. 3. de Sacerd. c. 5. tom 3. edit Savell pag. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Those who dwell on earth says he are enabled to dispense the things in Heaven To them a Power is given which nether Angels nor Archangels enjoy for to these it was never sayd what you shall bind Earthly Princes have power to cast into prison but their Power is restrained to Bodyes only Where as the bond we speake of reaches the soul Heaven it self In so much as what Preists doe below God ratifyes above the lord confirmes the sentence of the servant And what is this but to have put into their hands all Power to dispose of Heaven whose sins you forgive are forgiven whose sins you retaine are retained What Power can be greater then this God the Father hath given all Power to Iudge to the son the son hath communicated all that same Power to Preists Thus this Glorious Saint You see sir the grounds of our beleife in this point the cleere words of our Lord (a) Ioan. 20.23 whose soever sins you remit they are remitted unto them You see the Fathers the Primitive Church explicating those words as we doe you see Novatians were held for Hereticks for understanding those words otherwise What ground have you to deny a Truth delivered by Christ to the Apostles from them handed downe to us G. B. pag. 62. It was counted a Blasphemy in Christ when he sayd thy sins are forgiven thee which shews it to be blasphemy in all others it being an invasion of his Prerogative ANS Here we have a blasphemous accusation of the Scribes against Jesus-Christ opposed against the cleere words of Christ the meaning of the whole Church Nay their words althô full of malice convinced of falshood by a miracle are preferd before those of Christ as being made a Rule by which his must be interpreted Thus under-pretence of asserting the authority of Christ you overthro wit as your Brethren ruined their souveraigne under pretence of making him a glorious King But say you Christ cleered himself from the Power was committed to the son of man to forgive sins ANS That same Power given by the son of man to the Apostles their successors doth cleere us G. B. pag. 61. After a sinner hath gon over his sins without any signe of remorse told them to a Preist he enjoins a Pennance without wayting that they obey it he says I absolve thee after this they judge them selves fully cleansed from sins ANS Were there