the Old Testament being Imperfect Carnal Umbratick and Prefigurative of one that was Compleat Sublime and Spiritual Hence St. Chrysost Lib. de Sacerd. comparing the Priests of the Old Testament with those of the New ascribes to them the cure of the Leprosie of the Body but to these the Power to cleanse the filth and impurity of the Soul they bring Fire but these the Holy Ghost And in his Orat. 5. adver Judaeos speaking of the Pontificate of Melchisedeck he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if such a Type were more splendid than the Jewish how much more glorious is the true one Your last Reason for the Jewish Kings Supremacy in Church Affairs is Because by Divine appointment they were Custodes utriusque Tabulae This Argument seems to me very insufficient for such a Proof For tho' the Book of the Law was by Gods Command given to the King it was not that he should expound the Sense of it upon any emergent Controversie but it was given him to govern himself and his Subjects by it That by the frequent reading of it he might learn to fear God and keep his Statutes and that by his Laws and Temporal Sword he should defend the true Religion therein concontain'd As for the Interpretation of the Law that belong'd to the High-Priest according to the inviolable Decree in Malachy 2. Labia Sacerdotis custodient scientiam Legem requirent ex ore ejus They were as Josephus affirms in his Second Book against Appio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Judges of Controversies And in Deut. 17. Princes were by Gods institution to take the Copy of it from the High-Priest And in the same Chapter in doubtful Cases the Jews were oblig'd to recurr to him with severe injunctions to acquiesce in his determinations Now whether the Jewish High-Priest were liable to Error as you assert is not worth my present Discussion no Catholick being bound to believe the Popes Infallibility but in Conjunction with a Council But this is clear the Jews were absolutely oblig'd to submit to his determinations under penalty of Death he having written on his Rationali DOCTRINA ET VERITAS By this you may imagin how dangerous it would have been for any one in those days to have affirm'd him Fallible and upon that pretence to have opposed his Definitions You see our Savior put no such fancies into their Heads but paid much respect to Moses's Chair and tho' he knew that those who sat in it were bad Men yet he says Quaecunque vobis dixerint facite And St. Paul stiles the High-Priest tho' a Persecutor of the Christians Princeps Populi CHAP. II. Concerning the Sacerdotal and Regal Head Of Christian Emperors intermedling with Church Matters The Fathers Opinion of it Particular Emperors who are falsly affirm'd by Protestants to Act as Heads of the Church Of our English Kings Of Henry VIII Of this our present King James II. YOur next Discourse is about Christian Princes these you assert to be Heads of the Church and your Reason for this Assertion is this That if a King be Head of his Kingdom he is Head of the Church because that is in his Kingdom This I must acknowledge to be a very strong Argument to prove a Nero Head of the Church because in its Infancy it was in his Dominions But Card. Bellarmin will give you good information herein and acquaint you how Christian Kings are Heads of the Kingdom and how they may be Supreme Praesunt Reges Christiani hominibus non ut Christiani sed ut homines sunt Reges non ut Christiani praesunt sed ut homines politici c. And again Reges habent primum locum inter Christianos ut Christiani sunt homines id est Cives terrenae Civitatis Non ut sunt Cives Sanctorum Domestici Dei Ecclesiae membra Hence you may see that a King may be absolute in his Kingdom and yet not be Head of the Church those two Estates residing in two several Persons as being of distinct and different Natures The ones Dominion extending to Mundan Temporal Corruptible things the Body and Goods of Fortune the other reaching to things Spiritual Eternal Celestial to things appertaining to another World and Salvation of the Soul And 't is necessary to have two such distinct Governors The Civil Power to maintain Peace to protect and secure us in our Temporals The Ecclesiastick to teach us the true Worship of God to feed us with Food that perisheth not to direct us in Spirituals to the attainment of Eternal Bliss These two Kingdoms consisting of things so widely distant one from the other cannot be injurious or prejudicial to one another or any way interfere but by way of abuse but rather assistant to one another being in themselves Friendly and Amicable Hence Samuel having anointed David King kissed him the Kiss being a Symbol of Peace and Amity This was a Signature of the mutual Agreement and Accord betwixt these two Governments they are both Independent so as one might not usurp on the other or hinder the other in the due Execution of their Charge The Prince is absolute in Administration of all Civil Matters in which all Persons in his Dominions are subject and herein the King may be called Homo a Deo secundus solo Deo minor as Tertull. has it ad Scapul or as Chrysost says in Hom. 2. Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King is Chief and Head of all Men upon Earth The Priest on the other side presides in Church Government in Spiritual Affairs in Resolutions of Controversies in Faith in Explications of Articles of Belief in Interpretation of Scripture c. Thus the Prince is Caput Regale and the Priest is Caput Sacerdotale They are both of Divine Institution The Kingly Power communicated to Princes from Heaven their Charter being deriv'd from God by whom Kings Reign The Priestly Jurisdiction originated from Christ subsisting in its own Nature without Subordination or dependency on the Temporal Power Now to admit and submit to the Sacerdotal Power as Supreme in things meerly and purely Spiritual do's not at all dislustre the Regal Sway nor defringe the least Particle from his Sovereign Jurisdiction the former properly insinuating it self to the secret Closets of Spiritual Recesses where the Scepter of the Temporal Prince has no Dominion Having premis'd thus much concerning the Kingly and Priestly Power I shall make a short Reply unto you about Christian Princes whom you affirm to have govern'd Church Affairs both de facto de jure Now that some of them did intermeddle with Church Affairs is not deny'd several of them being Arians but that they did it de jure will not be yielded you neither could I ever learn how they should come by this Right for 't is evident that Christ committed the Care and Government of the Church and Church Affairs to his Apostles Now if you can produce his Commission for the transferring this Power from their
Carnivorous and Blood drinkers whereas our Apprehensions of Christs Body in the Blessed Eucharist are of a quite different nature from the gross conceptions of those People they as St. Austin affirms in his 27. Tract on St. John understood such Flesh Quo modo in cadavere dilaniatur in macello venditur non quo modo spiritu vegetatur non sicut illi intellexerunt carnem Christus dat suam manducandam carnem So you are to understand that tho' we do believe a real change as looking on the words utter'd by Christ to be absolutely true yet withal we believe no gross change in a Natural way but confess it to be invisible Inexplicable Mystical and Sacramental The words seem very plain and easily enough perform'd if considered as the words of an Omnipotent God the only obstacle lies in our incredulity and high conceit of our Natural Parts and our foolish fondness of reasoning about matters above Reason For to this incomprehensible Mystery sola fide metiendum adorandum magis quam investigandum we must surrender the Forts of our frail Apprehensions to this we must veil the Fasces of our Judgments and dethroning our usurping Understanding subjugate it to the Obedience of Faith knowing it to be too sublime for flagging Reason to soar to tho' its Wings were imp'd with Angelical Plumes Here we must in a more especial manner beware of Philosophy receiving this Blessed Mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as believing Fisher-men not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Critical Disputants not fighting against it with silly Arguments drawn from the quiver of Impotent Nature or from our weak Imaginations like those foolish Persons who fancied the Bodies of Men in Heaven were like those on Earth whereas our Saviour inform'd them better and told them they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like the Angels declaring the original of their Error to be because they neither knew the Scripture nor the Power of God That Omnipotent Power which could substract Weight from heavy things enabling St. Peter to walk on the moist back of the Sea that could make its own Body invisible to the Jews that could make bright and radient things not to shine as his own Body after the Resurrection which tho' it were then more Fulgid than the Sun yet darted no Rays That Power which as it made Nature presides over it divesting Vipers of their Poyson to preserve St. Paul and Water of it's fluidness as those of Jordan and rapid flames of their scorching as those of the Babilonish Furnace to question and disbelieve the Operations of this Power because our Reason cannot comprehend them is not only prodigious Pride in us but it is the highest indignity that can be offered our Saviour But what shall we think of those who call in their External Senses as Judges herein and in a matter of Faith appeal to their Eyes as if those Organs which cannot see the Wind which is a Natural Substance should be able to discern an invisible Mystery of Faith a Supernatural Glorify'd Spiritual Body 'T is impossible the Senses should perceive any thing here this Mystery is too fine and rare for Mortal Eyes nothing to them can seem chang'd the Symbols appearing the same Faith only with the piercing Rays of her more than Aquiline Eyes assisted by the interposition of a Divine Authority penetrating the Veil of the Elements discovers Christ really present there This stupendous and adorable presence of our Savior I find Catholick Authors to describe not to be according to his natural way of Corporeal Existence that is with Extension of Parts in order to place as if one part were here and another part there but to be after a supernatural way without locality being one and the same in many places and whole in every part and portion of the Symbols without the Accidents of the Body as Quantity or Figure being neither thick nor big as to Occupation of place not as expos'd to the External Senses or obnoxious to Corporeal Contingencies but as invisible imperceptible impassible After this manner Spirits in their substances are said to be The Body of Christ here is Spiritual not Sensual as St. Paul avers of our Bodies after the Resurrection 't is sown a Sensual Body but risen a Spiritual Body The Quality of these Bodies are different in reference to Clarity Agility and Impassibility but the Substance perisheth not which made Job say he should see God with these Eyes Thus the latter Adam is call'd A quickning Spirit and as such he is really in the Sacrament So that in fine this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Flesh that is to be eaten is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spiritual Food and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Mystical Banquet CHAP. V. Of Communion in one kind THe third Point by which you would prove the Roman Church guilty of Schism is Communion in one kind This is generally term'd by you and yours but an half Communion and a Violation of Christs Institution and we are herein accus'd by you as Sacrilegious against God Injurious to Men Robbing the Church of Christs precious Blood by giving the People a lame imperfect Sacrament instead of an entire whole one This Accusation runs very high but I will see how just it is That Christ did institute the Blessed Sacrament in both kinds is readily granted but that he commanded it should be always taken in both kinds as necessary to the complement of it is no where to be found and accordingly in this case we have the example of Christ himself who is a sufficient warrant for he having in his last Supper instituted it under both kinds gave it to his Disciples at Emaus Luke 24. but under one where the Text says That they knew Jesus in breaking of Bread Here is no mention of Wine at all but of Bread only and this place is Interpreted by the Fathers of the Administration of the Blessed Eucharist August Lib. 3. de consensu Evang. says Christ did permit they should not know him Vsque ad Sacramentum Panis And Theoph. on that place says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Eyes of those that did partake of Consecrated Bread were open'd so as to know him for the Flesh of our Lord has great and unspeakable Power This was likewise originally practis'd by the Apostles In the Second of the Acts we find that the 3000 Baptiz'd were persevering in the Doctrine of the Apostles and in the Communication of breaking Bread Here likewise is no mention of Wine And in the Twentieth of the Acts we find at Troas when St. Paul made his long Harangue that the Apostles were gathered together on the first day of the Week to break Bread Here is likewise a deep silence of the Cup. This breaking of the Bread is likewise Interpreted by St. Austin of the Sacrament in his Epist 86. ad Casulanum where speaking of St. Paul he says Eadem Nocte fracturus Panem sicut frangitur in Sacramento Corporis Christi produxit
Catholicks had the use of the Cup been frequent they being a sort of Hereticks who by the Principles of their Religion would not drink Wine abhorring it as a thing unlawful to be drunk as a Creature of the Devil as Fel Draconis and so superstitiously abstaining from the Chalice in detestation of which Heresie the Church Commanded Communion in both kinds not as if the other were either unlawful or imperfect but for the detection of those Hereticks pursuant to their Exclusion from Catholick Societies At that time the Bishops to crush and extirpate that Heresie highly extol'd and commended the use of the Chalice but that Error being extinct and in process of time another Heresie arising against the Essential Integrity of Christs Body under either kind as also avouching the absolute indispensable necessity of both the Church began universally to practice Communion under one kind and to confute this Error did not only declare and publish the Truth by her Decrees and Definitions but likewise by her Practice well knowing that as it was not unlawful in its self to Communicate under both sorts so it was likewise not necessary but in its own nature indifferent and so consequently determinable to one or both kinds according to the Discretion of the Church the Precinct and Line of whose Power extendeth it self to things Adiaphorous for things absolutely Commanded Man cannot forbid nor Command things absolutely forbidden This thing being thus of a middle nature was as such within the territory of the Churches Legislative Power which according to the differences of Place Time and Persons hath power to enjoyn both or command but one as the juncture of Affairs may be and the benefit of the Church may require and upon these accounts the Church may restore the Cup again having Power to dispence in this Point of Discipline according as may be most advantageous to its Peace and Unity and accordingly as a tender Mother for quietness sake she restor'd the Cup to the Bohemians and there is no question but that she would have granted it you upon that account had it been requested before your Revolt rather than see you perishing in Damnable Schism Now that the Church has this Power is acknowledged by the Council of Basil Sess 30. Ecclesia quae regitur Spiritu veritatis c. ordinare habet quomodo ipsis non conficientibus ministretur prout pro reverentia ipsius Sacramenti salute fidelium viderit expedire and accordingly the Council of Trent Sess 21. Declarat Synodus hanc potestatem perpetuo in Ecclesia fuisse ut in Sacramentorum dispensatione salvâ illorum substantia ea statueret vel mutaret quae suscipientium utilitati seu ipsorum Sacramentorum venerationi pro rerum temporum locorum varietate magis expedire judicaret Hence 't is that the Church varied from the first institution in reference to time which was then after Supper whereas 't is now taken fasting and before Dinner so I believe that Christ did not strictly tie us up to the first institution but left it to the discretion of the Apostles who afterward referr'd it to the Judgment of the Succeeding Church this seems to be St. Austins Sense of it Non praecepit quo deinceps ordine sumeretur ut Apostolis per quos Ecclesias dispositurus erat servaret hunc locum 118 Epist ad Januarium and certainly 't is more fit that this Power should be lodg'd in the Hands of the Church than committed to the Arbitrement of Private Persons and you had better herein have acquiesced in her Determinations than in your own Elections for what have you gain'd by extorting this Cup but instead of a Cup of Salvation a baneful Potion your departure and Schism from the Church tainting your very Sacraments and poisoning the very Springs of your Holy Actions Omnia Sacramenta Christi non ad salutem sed ad judicium habentur sine charitate unitatis August Lib. 3. Con. Literas Petil. Neque sides neque Sacramenta ullis nisi persistentibus in Ecclesiae unitate sunt salutaria De Vnit Eccles Quid prodest homini vel sana fides vel sanum fortasse fidei Sacramentum ubi lethali vulnere Schismatis perempta est sanitas Charitatis De Baptismo con Donat. Lib. primo CHAP. VI. Concerning Publick Prayers in Latin and of several other Points THe Fourth Point by which you would prove the Roman Church guilty of Paternal Schism is her Publick Prayers in Latin This Point is highly opposed and fancied to be against the Word of God as contrary to the Sense of the 1 Corinth 14. which is generally brought against it and fully believ'd by your Flock tho' if rightly understood nothing to the purpose for this place do's not reprove the Practice of the Roman Church in having her Liturgy in Latin but prohibits Extemporary Prayers in Publick Meetings in an unknown Tongue according to the Inspir'd infus'd Devotion of the Speaker Here is not a Word concerning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Common Liturgy which hath set known Offices for every Day If there were it would be an admirable place for you to confute Fanaticks and to establish your Common-Prayer against Sectaries I know no reason why the Western Church should not have the liberty to make use of the Latin in her Religious Worship which is her Sacred and Learned Language and in her extent the most generally known as well as the Jews use the Hebrew or the Eastern Churches the Greek which altho' consisting of several Nations that speak Languages as much different from Greek as ours is from Latin Nay altho ' the Grecians have lost their own Language which is now no more resemblant to the Learn'd Greek than French is to Latin yet they retain their Liturgy unalter'd in the pure Language of Chrysostom not understood but by the Learned St. Hierom in his Preface in Paralip says That in those Days all those Churches were serv'd in Greek using Basil's Liturgy And Alexander Ross will tell you in his Review of Religion That the Copthies Jacobites Georgians Circassians and others to whom you will give the Right-hand of fellowship use not their vulgar Language but an unknown Tongue to the Vulgar in their Divine Service Now you must understand that it is no Position of the Catholick Church that the Publick Service should be in an unknown Tongue but it being Compos'd at first ever since the Apostles days in Latin in the Western Church the Church did not think it expedient that it should be turn'd into the Vulgar Barbarous Language of every Nation This was not Englands case alone but France Spain Germany Poland c. far'd no otherwise nay most part of the World according to St. August in his Book de verâ Religione Quotidie per orbem universum humanum genus unâ pene voce respondet sursum corda se habere ad Deum And that the Divine Service was in Africa perform'd in the Latin and not in the Punic