as those related by S. Gregory and S. Bede to prove purgatory appearances of a child to prove transubstantiation of a black man blotting sins out of a book when a thief did pennance to prove confession Very good Then were not those parcels of faith brought in by those visions And a whimsical proof by any Minister to declare and justifie his text does not infer that divine text to be therefore Enthusiasm He told us before like a Doctor that fanaticism was some new enthusiastick way of Religion or resisting authority under pretence of it Where is all this here Is fanaticism now some other thing nothing but a weak proof whether Dr. Still himself hath ever used in his Sermons any such proof as this is when he hath discoursed of the souls superviving after this life ended I cannot tell But I am confident that if he hath he did not therefore think himself a fanatick nor yet any others who heard him speak it I should if he had either reason or apparition for any thing he utters in this Book of his think the better both of him and it The best is that all these apparitions here related were first written by venerable and grave men whose words are of greater authority than Stillingfleet-derisions § 6. They not onely prove Doctrines bus even define things meerly by private revelations Do they so What are these things so defined What is the reason he changes his phrase and says not as we might have expected he should that they not onely prove doctrines that were before but define doctrines also upon private revelations He is wary in this and calls them things not doctrines But yet hopes still that his Reader will so understand as if they defined doctrines as well as proved them upon private revelations He has a multitude of these little tricks which I must let pass But what things do they define Let us hear them Pope Vrban the fourth determined the festival of corpus Christi day upon a revelation made to some Nuns in Leeds Pope Boniface the feast of the archangel Michael upon another made to the Bishop of Siponto And why saith he should we be told of fanaticism so often Do we found our religion upon any such visions Here we have now the things defined upon private revelations onely a couple of holy days or rather one holy day and one Church built upon a hill and neither of them upon private revelations The appearance of an Angel which caused the building of the Church was solemn and publick But corpus Christi day was instituted apart or rather transferred from Maunday thursday in holy week untill the Paschal festival were ended because in the holy week other affairs of piety towards the passion of our Lord unknown to Dr. Stillingfleet do so take up all that time that people cannot then sufficiently celebrate the institution of the Eucharist as they would and ought to do This is the known reason why corpus Christi day was instituted to be kept apart the thursday after Trinity And if some Nuns had any vision that so it ought to be what then It onely follows hence that the vision they had proved true and not that any part of Catholick religion was built upon such visions For all the religion or faith that is in this business was before that institution of the holy day A circumstance of time or place for the exercise of religion though it be defined is not to define religion it self The real presence or corpus Christi was believed and loved and reverenced long before Pope Urban and the Angels of God honoured before Pope Boniface was born Why saith Mr. Still should we hear so often of fanaticism Do we found our religion upon any such visions And who gentle Doctor does found any relgion upon them Do you call the building of a Church or institution of a holy day a founding of religion And who tells you so often of fanaticism You cast it indeed upon one another here in England Presbyterians Anabaptists and other such like I know no body else who tell you of it But if you will have me speak what I now think all the whole protestant reformation is fanaticism to me even in the most rigorous and strictest sense § 7. Their religious orders even the chief among them Benedictins Carthusians Dominians Franciscans and Jesuits were all instituted by enthusiastick persons upon the credit of their visions and revelations so much hath fanaticism contributed to their support Now this man blows upon us a little more nearly than hitherto and yet he blasts but his own soul thereby For first the Catholick Church is truly and properly supported by Jesus Christ her founder and divine Master Then by the innocence purity and powerfulness of her faith Next to this by the care and vigilancy of Apostles venerable Bishops and holy Priests who made unblameable thereby in themselves are industrious to teach and exhort and see this holy religion observed and put in practise by others committed to their charge And then also by religious people and all those good Christians who do earnestly heed those heavenly dictates of our Lord to fulfill them so distributing the time of this their short life that now they practise one good thing and then another as occasion offers till all justice be fulfilled keeping themselves unspotted of the world So that religious people do no otherways support the Church but by their studious observance of her holy laws and counsels unless the venerable Bishops do call forth some virtuous choice men amongst them for their help This is most certain Secondly no less certain it is that the founders of religious orders were both pious and wise persons and several ways proved to be so by their miraculous and innocent lives before their rule was allowed of Nor were any of them accepted as this man speaks of by the credit of their own visions Thirdly although the Benedictins and others here mentioned were very eminently religious in the West part of the Church Yet it is not so certain that they are the chief of all religious that either are or have been in Church in any place or age Very eminent were the orders founded by St. Austin that venerable Doctor and Bishop in Africa the Monks of St. Martin a Bishop in France those of St. Malachy in Ireland the religious of St. Basil of St. Pacomius of Cassianus St. Jerom and several others in the East and South part of the Church Very eminent without all doubt were those many religious Societies whom St. Jerom and others testifie to have spread themselves all over Syria Armenia Persia Ethiopia Asia and all the northern parts even amongst the Goths and Dacians before the fourth age of the Christian Church Very eminent were the religious institutes which were all over the countrey we now inhabit in the Britons time long before our forefathers the Saxons came in upon them under the rule of St. Columba
holy Assemblies the great paramount work of Christianity especially at Mass But these men although moved unto that their exception by a Zeal not evil yet were they fain to yield at last unto the prevaling reasons of other Prelates which over bore their lesser ones Some other of our Catholick Doctors and Prelates would have had us to have used no Pictures that Jews and Pagans might not catch at that pretence to cavil against our Christianity as they did But all these submitted at last unto the prevailing part by whom they were made to understand that the inconveniences they urged were but imaginary and small the conveniences great and real There have been not a few who have excepted against much vocal Prayer because it took up too much of the time which would be better employed in the more principal work of prayer in spirit But yet could they not carry it although their reasons were very plausible and good because that high and Angelical prayer in spirit agreed not equally to all men or to any one consisting of flesh and blood equally at all times and places as vocal prayer does Some have disliked even our material Temples built up so sumptuously as they are because God immense and incomprehensible dwells not in buildings made by mans hands Heaven is his Seat and Earth his Footstool Yet could they not obtain that our Churches should be therefore pulled down or not built up Prayer-books were nothing at all in use amongst Christians in primitive times when they prayed almost altogether in spirit and used no other vocal prayer but that our Lord taught us And yet this hinders us not either to make such books or use them in following times Instead of our beads in wood or mettal they used in ancient times a bag of little stones by the emptying whereof they knew that they had said over our Lords prayer a hundred or perhaps three hundred times according as any one in his devotion had prefixed to himself every day of his life to do for Gods glory and service And there might be inconveniences pretended against our present heads especially those of gold and pearl But they will not be thrown away for that Our Church-musick has been more than once opposed and that by Prelates most holy and renowned men who deemed it an unsufferable lettance to the spiritual recollection which Christians ought above all things to a tend unto that they may have our Lords good Spirit and his holy operations in them especially when they meet together at their holy Synaxis But Church-musick is kept up to this day notwithstanding their reason against it which is very good for other reasons no less good and great than it specified and urged by the far greater number of pious Prelates for it And yet if all or the greater part of Catholick Prelates meeting together should take away all these outward helps from us beads and books singing and Church-musick pictures and Churches and all finding the inconveniences to be now greater than they have been and weightier than any convenience we have by them though the thing would seem very strange to us yet ought we I think to obey them resignedly and attend wholly unto our spiritual meditations either alone or in our Eucharistian meetings and to the other good works commanded orcounselled us in Gospel in expectation of our future bliss and eternal happiness in God which can never be taken from us though all things of discipline or helps in government be alterable § 4. And now it is time to turn back and view the subject of this Chapter that we may see if any one period in it be true and pertinent He tells us first that Papists worship God by Images which logically is not true Then that a representation of the invisible Deity cannot be made which is impertinent Then that the worship given to God by an Image does not terminate upon God which is neither pertinent nor true And so he proceeds on to the very end of his Chapter with sounds either empty or false or both neither heeding or caring what he says so he do but mention learned Papists and wiser Heathens which may help to butterress up his reputation I cannot but remember here the shadow or Ghost in Virgil which Juno made of Aeneas to draw her beloved Turnus out of the field It seemed to fight and threaten and press on and give back But nothing at all was done really Tum dea nube cave tenuem sine viribus umbram In faciem Aeneae visu mirabile monstrum Dardaniis ornat telis clypeumque jubasque Divini assimilat capitis dat inania verba Dat sine mente sonum gressusque effingit euntiâ— Morte obita quales fama est volit are figuras Aut quae sopitos deludunt somnia sensus Ac primas laeta ante acres exultat imago Irritatque virum telis ac voce lacessit And such a shadow of controversie is all this present Chapter and his whole book also a foming face and feeble force big but empty words rumbling and yet insignificant sounds quâ—ck profers and no progress a daring shadow or armed Ghost without either body or bones And yet such a thing as defies the whole Catholick Church steps out from the rest of his Camp and defies them all alone defies them both in letters syllables words And this is all For he touches no body Because Catholâ—cks by the advice and allowance of their Prelates do keep amongst them the representation of the divine Founder of their Religion who appeared amongst us by his unspeakable Love in form of a Man and of some of his holy followers in the way he chalked out for us therefore he talks of Moloch and Milcom Osiris and Isis Chemosh and Astaroth Baal Peor and Rimmon golden Bulls and Remphan the Calves of Dan and Bethel And what is all this for Wy to over-run Papists and beat us down How can it do that These Idols were set up by Heathens in opposition to the true God and in the very place of God as darkness in the night time is in the place of light This is true What then and therefore I must not forsooth keep the figure of Jesus Christ or of S. Paul or other domestick of my own religion for my own incouragement therein What likness what consequence is there in all this Which is Remphan and where is Moloch Which is the Calf and where is the Bull Nay and here it is worth our observing too that Protestant Gentlement and Ladies of England Ministers and Bishops too have all pictures in their Chambers as well as Catholicks even those of our holy Apostâ—es and Martyrs as well as others And there they are good and lawful figures but in our Chambers they are Bulls of Basan and Calves of Bethel among us Catholick Pictures are against Moses his Law but theirs are not so Although they be representations both in Heaven above and Earth below and Waters
Religion but on the contrary a tenour and rule of life drawn out of Gospel and confirmed by his own Prelate and Ecclesiastical Superiour The ways of fanaticks fanaticism are quite contrary to this Much less have we here any resistance of Authority but a submission to Authority and an humble expectation of their approbation and licence He must surely think our Kingdom of England to be much alienated from the Kingdom of God if he hope to perswade them that love of poverty neglect of worldly wealth and humane literature charity to the poor divine revelations powerful preaching against sin melting affections towards God and a rule of life drawn out of Gospel is fanaticisme He will be a very dull reader who will not hence conclude that our twelve Apostles were the first and chiefest fanaticks in the world And this our wits too much prone to loosness and atheism will greedily enough and nimbly infer and perhaps rejoyce that they have an Atheist in Print to propagate their infidelity Atheism loves not lonelines but is then most secure when the company is greatest But it will be here objected why then did St. Bennet St. Francis and St. Dominick make themselves new rules Is not this a new religion Sir although a Catholick cannot easily be so ignorant as to ask any such question as this is yet because it may be the straw at which Dr. Still stumbles who as in this his whole book he speaks like a Child so for ought I know he may understand like a Child I say therefore that a new rule is so far from a new religion that the Gospel can do little good without it For the counsels and precepts of Gospel whereby our souls are to be sanctified and ordered to our final end are all general and abstracted from any circumstance of time or place or measure or manner to the end they may be indifferent to the many conditions professions and imployments of mankind in their several states and ages Watching fasting works of charity mortification of sensuality continence repentance administration of Sacraments and the various like good things commended to us in our holy Gospel are so prescribed and counselled us that the manner the when the where how often how long and other such like circumstances without which those rules and counsels cannot be brought down to execution and practâ—ce are not specified Therefore hath the Catholâ—ck Church brought down some of these things unto individual circumstances when she appointed rites and times for Sacraments set holy days for people to meet together in their meditations and prayers set times for fasts others for confession others for Communion some for rejoycing in our Lord some for mourning and doing pennance so much and in such a manner as might well consist with the generality of the Catholick world But because neither is this sufficient for our daily progress unless people considering their own particular occasions and the lettanees which may occur more in one hour of the day then another ether set themselves a further rule for their daily piety and particular ordering of their houses or follow the direction herein of some wiser and better man Hence it is that so many rules have issued forth in the Christian world by which some people have governed their own private houses accommodating them in the best wise they could unto their affairs and others have quite retired out of the world to serve God more perfectly all their life according to this or that approved rule in a more full observance of it under Monastical obedience This is the motive nature and end of so many rules in the Church of God whereof some suit best with one complexion and some with another And all of them tend unto the bringing down of Gospel unto a constant practice And what Christian soever sets himself no such rule nor follows any must needs live a loose and careless if not a wicked life although he should have the whole Gospel by heart and be able to speak it all without book If the exact lives and pious rules of St. Bennet St. Francis St. Dominick St. Basil St. Brunâ— St. Romwall and such like men were printed together in our English tongue with the pictures of their Religious men met together either in their Refectory Schools or Quire this one sight would I am confident more move my good Protestant Country-men who are daily abused with Ministerial lies against us then any one book of controversie can do I will only set down here the one rule of St. Francis according to which his religious disciples are regulated all their life time throughout the world whereby either your self Sir or any other may judge whether he be worthily called either fool or fanatick St. Francis his Rule Chap. 1. THe rule and life of Fryar minours is this To observe the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord living in obedience without property of goods and in chastity Brother Francis doth promise obedience and reverence unto Bishop Honorius his Lord and to his Successors Canonically installed and to the Roman Church And be other Fryars bound to obey Brother Francis and his Successors Ch. 2. If any shall be willing to take this life and shall therefore present themselves to our Brothers let them be sent to the Provincial Ministers who may only and none besides them have power to admit them The Ministers must be diligent to examine them about Catholick Religion and Church Sacraments And if they believe these things and will faithfully confess them and firmly observe them to the end and either have no Wives or those Wives if any they have are entered into Monasteries or by the authority of the Bishop of the Diocesse are dismist a vow of continence now solemnly made and their said Wives be of that age that there can arise no suspicion of them let the Ministers then speak unto them the word of holy Gospel that they go and sell all their goods and bestow them upon the Poor Which thing if they cannot be able to do their good will in this part may suffice And let the Brothers beware and their Ministers too that they be not solicitous about the temporal goods of these men that they may freely dispose those things of their own as our Lord shall inspire them And if Counsel be required the Ministers have leave to send them unto some men fearing God by whose advice they may bestow their goods upon the Poor After this they may grant them their vest of probation namely two tunicks without a capuce and a girdle and drawers and a caparoon down to the girdle unless the Ministers shall otherwise think fit according to God After the year of probation is ended let them be received unto obedience promising ever to observe this life and rule And in no wise shall it be lawful for them to go out of this religion according to the command of my Lord our chief Bishop because according to
Gospel no man putting his hand unto the Plough if he look back is fit for the Kingdom of God And those who now have promised obedience let them have one tunick with a capuce and another without a capuce such as will have it And those who are urged by necessity may wear shooes But let all our Fryars be cloathed with course Garments and they may mend them with Sack-cloath or other pieces on Gods blessing All whom I do exhort and admonish that they neither despise nor judge men whom they shall see cloathed in soft and coloured raiments to use finer meats and drinks but let every one of them judge and despise himself Ch. 3. The Clarks must say the divine Office according to the course of Roman Church the Psalter onely excepted out of which they may have Breviaries But Laimen are to say four and twenty times Our Father c. for their Matins for Lauds five for prime tierce sext none for each of those hours seven for Vespers twelve for Compline seven and pray for the dead And all are to fast from the Feast of all Saints unto Christmas day But as for the holy Lent which begins from Epiphany unto fourty days after it which our Lord by his own holy fast hath consecrated those who voluntarily will fast it Gods blessing be upon them and they who will not let them not be tied to it But the other Lent from Ashwednesday unto Easter day let them all fast that Other times excepting Fryday they need not fast And in times of manifest necessity let no brother be tied to corporal fastâ—ng And I counsel admonish and exhort my brothers in our Lord Jesus Christ that when they chance to walk through the world they do not wrangle nor contend with words nor censure other men but be meek peaceable modest gentle and humble civilly speaking unto all men as becomes them And they ought not to ride but in a manifest necessity and urgent weakness In what ever house they enter let them first say Peace to this house and let them according to holy Gospel eat what is set before them Ch. 4. I do firmly command all my brothers that in no wise they receive Money or Coin either by themselves immediately or by another person interposed And for the necessities of the sick or the cloathing of brothers the Ministers only and the Controlers may by their Spiritual friends take special care according to places and times and coldness of countries as they shall find expedient for their need this still provided that as it is already said they receive no money nor coin Ch. 5. Those brothers whom our Lord hath given the gift and strength to work let them labour faithfully and devoutly yet so that idleness our souls enemy being kept out they extinguish not the spirit of holy prayer and devotion unto which all other temporal things ought to be still subservient And for reward of their work they may take the necessaries of body both for themselves and brothers besides coin or money and that humbly as becomes the servants of God and followers of most holy poverty Ch. 6. Our brothers may appropriate nothing to themselves not house not place not any thing but as strangers and pilgrims in this world in poverty and humility serving our Lord let them confidently go for Alms. Nor must they be ashamed for our Lord for us hath made himself poor in this world This this is the high towring spire of our sublime poverty which hath installed you my dearest brothers heirs and Kings of that Kingdom of the Heavens It hath made you poor in pelf but in vertues it hath raised you up on high Let this be your portion even this poverty which will conduct you unto the land of the living unto which my dearest brothers remaining close and wholly fixt no other thing for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may you wish to have under Heaven for ever And where ever my brothers are or meet with one another let them show themselves towards one another as domesticks and let each one open to the other his necessity freely For if a mother nourishes and caresses her carnal child how much more carefully ought each one to support and love his spiritual brother And if any of them fall into sickness other brothers ought to serve him as they would be served themselves Ch. 7. If any of our brothers by the instigation of Satan shall sin unto death for such sins as it has been appointed among our brothers that recourse should be had only to our Provintial Ministers let the said brother be bound to have recourse unto them as soon as possibly he may without delay And the said Ministers if they be Priests must enjoyn him a pennance with mercy if they be not Priests let them cause it to be enjoyned by other Priests of the Order as they shall according to God think fittest and they must take heed they fall not into wrath and trouble for the sin of another for anger and disturbance in ones self and others hinder charity Ch. 8. All our Fryars universally must still have one of the brothers of this religion for the Minister general and servant of the whole brotherhood and him they must constantly obey and when he goes out of office an election of a successor must be made by the Provincial Ministers and Controllors in the Pentecost Chapter wherein the Provincial ministers are bound to meet where ever it is by the minister general appointed and this once in three years or in some other term of time either greater or lesser as by the said Minister it shall be ordained And if at any time it should appear to the universality of the ministers Provincial and Controllers that the said general elect is insufficient to the service and common good of the brothers the said brothers unto whom the election does belong may in the name of our Lord choose themselves another for a custos and after the Pentecost Chapter the Minister and Controllors may all if they please and it seem good unto them in the same year convocate their brothers unto a Chapter in their custodies Ch. 9. Let not our brothers preach in the Diocess of any Bishop where it is forbidden them by him And let no brother presume at all to preach unto people unless he be first examined and approved by the Minister general of this Fraternity and have by him that office of preaching deputed to him I do also admonish and exhort all our brothers that in any preachings they make their expressions be well examined and chast unto the profit and edification of people denouncing to them vice and vertue punishment and glory with brevity of speech for an abbreviated word hath our Lord made upon earth Ch. 10. Those brothers who are Ministers and servants of their other brothers must visite and admonish their other brothers and charitably reprove them not commanding them any thing