of our Blessed Lady It is certain that in former times men did not set themselves to search into that particular subject because they did not so much as reflect upon it There was onely a confused kind of knowledge and a general Idâ—â— of the priviledges and Prerogatives of the Blessed Virgin above the rest of Mankind without descending to particulars People were wholly taken up with opposing those Hereticks who drew up against the Honour of the Blessed Virgin who would have deprived her of the glory of her admirable and perpetual Virginity even after Child-bearing and above all those who so violently pleaded against thâ— glorious title of Mother of God which is the ground of all her other Priviledges They were satisfied to ascertain that true source or fountain of all her greatness fortifying it by Scripture and Apostolick Tradition without regarding to penetrate further into that suite or train of other priviledges which did accompany that one great prerogative or examining particularly whether it were to be concluded by a legall ensequence flowing from that Principle that she was preserved at the first instant of her being from Original sin It was not at that time positively believed that she was exempt from that stain neither was the contrary in their Creed And this because it was not so much as thought upon At another time it has been thought good to employ many serious-thoughts upon this subject and to search more narrowly into the business Great Contests have risen about it Whole Volames have been written by Learned men who have produced strong and clear testimonies out of the Holy Scriprures for it and have endeavoured to derive it from the very Fountain of Apostolical Doctrine by the way of Tradition Whole Universities and especially that of Sorbon have spoken loud in favour of that Opinion and engaged themselves by solemn Oath to maintain it And yet notwithstanding the Church has not thought fit absolutely to determine any thing concerning this matter of so great importance But leaves us at liberty to believe what we please concerning it She has not proceeded in the same manner concerning her exemption from all guilt even of venial sin For this she has decided and resolved upon as a matter of Faith not that she had any new revelation thereof since the time of the Apostles but that before the proposing this verity to the world 〈◊〉 be believed she consulted with the holy Scriptures Apostolical Tradition and the opinions of holy Fathers coâ—cerning the preeminence and qualition of the Mother of God for the finding out the whole extent of them An having discovered by this means thâ— her being exempted from venial sin wâ— comprehended in that Supreme Dignty as a necessary consequence is â—â—cluded in its Principle she has defined as a Point of faith revealed in the We of God in which it is contained Thâ— is the reflexion of the most eminent as Learned Cardinal de Lugo in his excâ—lent Treatise of Faith Disp 3. Sect. 5. n. 7. Let us now imagine the Churd should do the same concerning the 〈◊〉 emption of the Blessed Virgin from Original sin Let us suppose that she hâ—ving examined the passages of Host Writ and the Testimonies of Tradâ—â— on which are alledged upon this subject should find this also included as in necestary consequence as she did the other as it is not unlikely she would If she should think fit to proceed to a further examin of the business then all we who are Catholicks and agreed in this that the Church is Judge of Controversies and that we are bound to submit to her Decrees should quickly lay aside all difference of opinions â—â—d although we had not hitherto held seas matter of Faith should then believe it to be so not because there had been any new Revelation concerning it â—â—t because the Church should have declared it to have been alwayes revealed although there was not a general Agreement concerning that Revelation 16. Behold then us and Protestants agreed as I take it upon this Principle that the true Church of Christ has power to decide and propose that as an Article of Faith which antecedently to that decision and proposal was not of obligation to be believed From whence is easily concluded that for the franing an exact rational discourse in matters of Faith it is necessary to avoid these two extremes which a loose kind of reasoning is apt enough to fall into The first is That this has not alwayes been believed therefore it is not now to be believed The second This is 〈◊〉 believed ergo it has alwayes and in aâ— Ages of the Church been distinctly believed It is evident by our Principleâ— that this way of reasoning is very salk and erroneous Here then is the reason why when there happens a Contest between two Parties of the same Church supposed alwayes the true Church as we shall by and by shew it is not alwayes necessary that we search narrowly into the doctrine of Antiquity for the discovering what was held in those dayes concerning the matter in Dispute It suffices for ending all debates that we know what the Church having taken full cognisance of the matter shall have determined by a solemn judgement and Sentence according to the usuall form and method What she resolves in such occurrences according to the Word of God the true meaning whereof she faithfully gives us is to be received as matter of Faith whether it were beforehand known or not known to be so And the contrary is an Error which we are obliged with her to condemn and anathematise unless we intend to become Infidel and Schismaticks Here is the Principle we are agreed upon on all sides as I have made appear both by the Doctrine and proceedings of our Adversanes themselves It imports now very much to apply this to the particular subject we have in hand and it shall be my endeavour to effect it CHAP. III. The applying this agreed-on Principle to the Subject of the Holy Eucharist TO make a due Application of this general Principle to the subject of the Holy Eucharist with the same peaceableness and quiet we have hither to endeavoured to maintain and together with the consent of Parties we must needs step a little aside but still in such order and measure that we may go friendly on in the same path hand in hand together without justling one another still laying all Disputes aside The first step therefore that I make of this kind is to produce what is agreed upon on all sides to have been in all Ages believed concerning the Holy Eucharist to wit that it is a Sacrament which is a Memorial of the Death of our Lord Jesus Christ who is there present and wherein his blessed Body and precious Blood are truely received by the Faithful according to the express words of the Son of God himself who says Take and eat this is my Body do this in memory of me This is what
have made a wilful separation from them and declared themselves new Protestants by a new Protestation that according to and in conformity with Holy Scripture which they onely relyed upon their Doctrine was purely Orthodox and that they were the true Church it is certain they would have either heartily contemned their rashness or commiserated their extreme folly And if they had continued refractory and obstinate in their resolution they would have cut them off as corrupt members from the Body of their pretended Reformed Church And this is not to be wondered at because in this they are agreed as well as we That an Assembly of Pastors convocated by Authority represents that Church of which those persons who were at Debate are members and is acknowledged by them to be the True Church because the only Church before Separation and that it belongs to her to end all Differences it not being in the power of the contestors to refuse submission to her Decrees or to fall off from her calling themselves the true Church at a less rate then being esteemed Schismaticks and people that proceed very irrationally This being so solidly grounded and setled by mutual consent it seems to me we are now in a very ready way to end all our quarrells and reunite our understandings by an application of this undubitable maxime unto the matter in hand according to the Principles of Monsieur Claude himself For he will needs have it as we have already taken notice and in this very knack it is that consists the great Secret of the change he so strongly fancies that there was a time when the True Church had but a confused knowledge of this Mysterie without so much as dreaming of a Real Presence or Real Absence Those who first took upon them as he sayes to maintain a Real Presence were of that Church and those who opposed it were also of the same Church because before Sentence given in the case the Church which was fallen into that confused knowledg had not yet resolved which distinctly and positively Presence or Absence was of obligation to be believed and consequently of what belief soever any one for his particular was there was no separation from her made or intended Afterwards Debates and Disputes increased confiderably and broke out at length into very great heats and violence which forced the said Church to call an Assembly of her Pastors who were her Representatives for the clearing and deciding a Point of so great importance Behold us now in the very same conjuncture of things and upon the self-same terms with the Synod of Dort And it is very certain that that Church in which the followers of Pascasius were and those who according to Monsieur Claude opposed his Doctrine held no Council in the ninth or tenth Age wherein this difference was decided in favour of a Real Absence There is not any one of our adversaries who so much as pretends to this advantage against us I am also satisfied that there was none during that time which did conclude the business by setling the Doctrine of Real Presence We can onely infer from hence that the Church having not as yet declared for either side was in the same state and condition she then was in when both Parties acknowledged her for the True Church And even this gives us sufficiently to understand that those disputes if there were any concerning the Doctrine of Pascasius were not then come to any great height or heat since the Church in which the Parties were did not as yet take any notice of them And certainly it is no easie matter to make it out that there was any considerable Contest concerning this subject during the time of the tenth Age. But when in the eleventh Age those who appeared in opposition to this Doctrine made so much stir and noise as to oblige the Church to prevent the mischief by a seasonable and solemn Judgement then was it that this same Church which before she declared her self was owned for and in reality was lawful Judge in the case did not omit to call a Canonical Council for deciding the matter And which is very remarkable never did hold a more solemn one nor ever did she expresse her self more clearly and more effectually concerning any subject For when Berringarius Arch-Deacon of Angiers who had also wrought upon and gained Bruno Bishop of the same Church unto his Party began to take up and engage for the Doctrine of Iohn Scotus or Bertram which at the first had made no great noise and to maintain it with a great deal of vapouring and busle against the Real Presence two Councils were held in one year Anno 1050. the one at Rome and the other at Vercelles where the Opinion of Berengarius was declared heretical as being contrary to the Word of God and the Book of Iohn Scotus from whence he had taken it raising it a strain higher against the Real Presence was also condemned About some five years after another Council was held at Tours where berengarius himself appeared to give an account of his Doctrine which was examined in his presence and condemned by a Decree made against it to which he subscribed with his own hand abjuring his Error and promising under oath never to defend it more But he breaking his oath and falling again to broach his old Principles another Council of an hundred and thirteen Bishops was solemnly held at Rome where this Arch-deacon was again heard speak for himself also and his Doctrine again condemned not onely by the Council but by himself who publickly renounced and anathematised it according to that famous Formula Ego Berengarius c. de consecr dist 2. which was composed and approved by the whole Council himself having desired it should so be done after he had burnt the Books of Iohn Scotus in full and open Council But he being of a most unsetled spirit and finding much difficulty to quit the honour of being Head of a Party which was highly agreeable to his ambitious humour quickly began again to instruct his Schollers in the old way and that he might make them the more sure to him had the boldness to write against that very Formula which himself had signed with his own hand This was the cause that twenty years after another Council was called at Rome where this poor Relapsed creature being now about fourscore years old did again ask pardon for that miserable relapse he had made into that Error which he now the third time retracted and abjur'd signing a new Formula which did contain in more clear and express terms the Real Presence and the changing of Bread and Wine into the Body and Blood of our Lord. And he signed it purposely in that manner because his Disciples following his example had perverted the words of the other Formula into quite another sence This last time he shewed himself by his constancy to be more man than formerly For he
persevered in repentance untill his death which happened ten years after upon the Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord when as is related by William of Malmsbury he said On this day it is that we Celebrate the Feast of the Apparition of our blessed Saviour and on this day it is that h◠will appear to me either to receive me into his glory as I have some hopes he will in regard of that Pennance I have done or which I have too much reason to fear to punish me for having seduced so many poor souls The truth is he left many disciples after him who proved more obstinate in Error than himself had been and who from time to time had the luck to make such Proselites as our Protestants perchance would make some difficulty to admit into their Communion For this cause six years after his decease his Error was condemned afresh in the Council of Plaisance where they were forced to meet in the open fields by reason of the prodigious multitude of Prelates and Divines who came thither from Italy France Germany and other parts of Europe even from the Empire of Constantinople with the Embassadors of Alexis who there demanded succour against the Infidels The Historian who was contemporary with this Council Berthol Constantiens and gives us an Abridgement of it having been himself there present in the company of nigh four thousand Ecclesiastical persons and above thirty thousand of the Laity who were as Spectators of it has these very words Moreover the Heresy of Berengarius which long ago had been anathematis'd was here again Condemned and the contrary Catholick Doctrine confirmed to wit that the Bread and Wine when they are Consecrated at the Altar are truely and essentially not figuratively onely changed into the Body and Blood of o◠Lord. After this Item haeresis Berengariana jam ab antiquo saepissimè anathematifata iterum damnata est sententia Catholicae Fides contra candem firmata videlicet quod panis vinum cum in Altari consecrantur non solùm figuratè sed verè essentialiter in Corpus Sanguinem Domini convertuntur 1215. some time passed in the Church without hearing any more of this business But the Albigenses undertaking it again about the twelfth Age the fourth Council of Lateran renewed the condemnation of it about the beginning of the thirteenth There was also to be seen one of the goodliest and most numerous Assamblies of the Clergy that ever had been known For it consisted of four hundred and twelve Bishops Greek and Latin of above eight hundred other Prelates and Doctors from all parts of the Christian world with the Embassadors of both the Emperours and of all the Kings There was solemnly confirmed the Doctrine of the Real Presence and the substantial change made in the Holy Eucharist And as in the great Council of Nice they made use of the word Consubstantiality for expressing what the Word of God teaches concerning the Divinity of the word Eternal So in that of Lateran they applyed the word Transubstantiation for the expressing that admirable change which the Church Transubstantiatis pane vino in Corpus c. t. 4. Conc. Extrav de sum Trin. 〈◊〉 firmiter by a necessary sequel has deduced out of the words of Christ himself 11. Our Brethren of the Reformed Church will here peradventure tell me that they do by no means acknowledge the Church of Rome to be the True Church as Berengarius did and that they have no intention to follow him in obeying her Decrees as that Arch-deacon did I did foresee well enough that this might be objected by them to give me occasion to fall into Dispute But this snare is easily avoided by telling them that this is not our business for the present It is not now our question whether the Church of Rome have yet at this day all the Marks of the True Church whether she be the Holy City of God or become a Babylon being fallen into an horrid confusion and corruption of Doctrine They may if they please find wherewithal to satisfie themselves in this Point in those Doctors who have treated of Controversies and particularly in that great Work of the great Cardinal Richelieu who has scarce omitted any thing which might be said upon this Subject And consequently I think it were not hard by very good reasons and motives to shew these Gentlemen that they have done themselves no great right in separating themselves from her But this being a Point which may afford matter of Dispute for all such as are in the humour to quarrel with any thing which is not according their fancy I have taken special care to avoid it and to say nothing of the Church of Rome We speak here onely of that Church of which those who first began the debate were members before she had determined any thing on either side Whether this Church were the Church of Rome of not the Church of Rome concerns us not at all so we be agreed in this that it was the True Church at that time I have need of no more I will have nothing at present but what Monsieur Claude pleases to afford me I will enter with him upon the ninth Age when the True Church after her good dayes which lasted eight hundred years found her self I know not how in a confusion of knowledge After which some there were who montioned a Real Presence others opposed it still remaining joyntly together in the same Church before they separated by a refusal of obedience to her Decrees Hereupon the Dispute growing hotter and hotter the Church gives Sentence That Church I mean whereof the two Parties contesting are members which Church is the True one because the onely one before separation made for the constituting another Church apart and which Church also has full power to end all Differences so as to oblige to a submission to her Decrees Behold here what is precisely required for the concluding all I pretend to which I shall now endeavour to make out 12. Let us then now come to reunite all the parts of this Discourse that we may make it up with the consent and agreement of Monsieur Claude Behold here people who are of the same Church with us which Church even according to himself is the true Church there being but one in the world for them and us too at such time as all according to him were yet in that confusion of knowledge Some as he tells us think good to propose a Real Presence Others oppose it and stand for an Absence Here you have the Parties contesting When the Dispute grows hot and makes too much noise a general Council is held which represents this Church and which upon the emergency of concestors as we are agreed has power to determine what is to be believed as matter of Faith even although there was a general ignorance of it before When the Decree is passed those who are cast and
please to furnish me with and grant me of their own accords 8. And to oblige my self to perform it with as much clarity and brevity withal as may possibly be I will conclude the matter in these three Chapters following In the first I will propose the Maxime or Principle which I intend to make use of and I will establish it by the Doctrine and proceedings of Prorestants themselves In the second I will apply it according to their own Rules unto the Subject of the Holy Eucharist And in the last I will draw those Consequences which their own agreed-upon Principles do afford me This seems to me the way to force our Adversaries but sweetly to return of themselves to that True Faith from which a miserable Schisme has unfortunately separated them by the revolt of their Fore-fathers I am not able to say what success I am like to have in so noble an enterprise My endeavours nevertheless shall not be wanting to effect it upon those terms which I have prefixed unto my self At least I intend to secure this advantage that having no litigious quarrel with these Gentlemen if I prove not so fortunate as to perswade them into and reduce them to the obedience of the Holy Church I will not at least interrupt that civil peace and sociable tranquillity we all enjoy under the Authority of the Lawes of our Gracious King by words and expressions which are apt sometimes to sound too loud and bite too sharply I will not I say have my part in those too bitter and violent expressions which the earnestness of Disputation is naturally apt to lead a man â—â—to unless more than ordinary care be used for the checking them Finally I will avoid the bitterness of those obstinate Contests which are too frequently accompanied with that sharpness and animosity which is not at all beseeming the civil breeding of this Age nor this happy time of Peace when all our worâ—â— ought to carry a certain sweetness with them which may inspire and maintain Union and Charity CHAP. II. The settling of this general Maxime That that Church in which are found the two Parties concern'd has ever had the Power to determine all differences and to declare that as matter of Faith which before there was no obligation to believe And that we are bound to acquiesce unto her decisions under the penalty of being Schismaticks 1. THere is not any one to be sound among those who bear the name of Christians who does not acknowledge that there is in the World a True Church which our Lord Jesus has purchased with the price of his own most pretious Blood All those who have separated themselves from us into so many several Sects declaring that their Congregation is the Company of the Faithful and the Church of God agree at least in this that they hold for certain that there is a True Church of Jesus Christ wheresoever it is to be found It is moreover evident that those who first entred into Dispute concerning matters of Faith were all of the same Church which Church before it did declare for either side of the Dissenters and before one Party made a separation was the onely then in being and consequently the True Church Now of this Church it is I intend to speak and I averr that all generally do agree that She is endowed with Soveraign Authority to define and propose that as matter of Faith which antecedently to her definition no body perchance was obliged to accept under that notion 2. For proof of this Verity which is not well to be denied when understood this reflexion is to be made out of St. Paul to the Romans Chap. 10 That to be bound to believe a thing as a Point of Faith it is not sufficient that it be contained in the Word of God which is the onely motive of divine Faith but it is also necessary that we know it and that we know it as revealed by God For to know it we must hear of it and for this purpose regularly speaking it is necessary that it be proposed by full Authority as the formal words of the blessed Apostle do clearly import How shall they believe him whom they have not heard Quomodo credent in quem non audierunt Quomodo autem audient sine praedicante Quomodo autem praedicabunt nisi mittantur Rom. 10. v. 14 15. Ergo fides ex auditu auditus autem per verbum Christi v. 17. and how shall they hear without a Preacher but how shall they Preach unless they be sent There is then no obligation to believe without a previous instruction concerning an Aâ—â—icle of Faith and this cannot be without the Ministry of those who are appointed by the Church to propose her Doctrine which Doctrine is grounded upon the Word of God In regard of this the Apostle concludes in this manner Faith then is by hearing and hearing is by the Word of Christ Thus for there is no difference betwixt us and Protestants They do own that for this end it is necessary there should be in the Church Ministers of the Word of God for the proposing by her Authority that which is contained in the Divine Word They profess that in order to an obligation of believing any particular point it is necessary that it be distinctly known and that it be proposed by some legal Authority to be believed 3. This notwithstanding there are many things which we are now obliged to believe which were not distinctly known at some other time nor proposed unto the Faithful as Points belonging to Faith and necessarily to be believed by them It is a verity which no Protestant I think will make difficulty in For I will now grant them that all that we are to believe is contained in the Word of God which we have received in the Holy Scriptures and which the blessed Apostles have delivered unto us having first received it of their Divine Master Christ Jesus But I hope also they will not stick to acknowledge that all that is comprehended in Holy Writ whether in the sence of the Letter or in the Consequences which are included in those Divine Principles has not alwayes been clearly and distinctly known by all persons and at all times It is an admirable sure of Tapistry wrought by the hand of God himself and framed with a most rare variety of gracefull figures both for ornament and instruction of his Church but it was not from the beginning exposed all at once to view These rare lineaments did not appear but by degrees as it happened that the pieces were unfolded one after another upon occasions It is a most fertile soil which bears a marvellous variety of sweet flowers of excellent fruit and all sorts of choice grain in its bowells as it were inclosed or shut up in the seeds which are as so many Treasures with which she is inriched but you must expect till the Sun disclose and discover them making them spring and bud