that the pretended proofs out of Scripture alledged by Protestants proceed either because no mention is made of Scripture of such points a way of arguing generally renounced by the Fathers who condemn many Heretiques by Tradition alone without Scripture or because they by drawing consequences out of Texts of Scripture say they can confute such doctrines of the Roman Church which yet upon their own grounds will not suffice to call the contrary opinions so pretended to be confuted hereticall and much lesse will they be a sufficient warrant to make such mortall divisions in the church as are in these dayes 8. From all which considerations it seemed likewise to my weak understanding that this plea made use of by Protestants to excuse their Schisme upon pretence of so many dangerous errours and heresies crept into the Catholique Church necessary to be reformed was a plea of all others the most unreasonable the most unjust that ever was a plea so far from excusing them that above all other things it will make them most unpardonable before God and man a plea formally evacuating the promises of Christ inevitably ruining all Ecclesiasticall authority rendring uselesse and ridiculous all the marks that Antiquity gives us whereby to judge of Schisme and Heresie Lastly a plea which English Protestants by the just judgement of God have to their owne ruine put into the mouths of Calvinists and all other Sects for as they served the Catholiques so have the Calvinists used them upon pretence of reformation and Scripture and the antient Apostolique Church they see themselves rob'd of their church of their faith of their liberty of their livings and many thousands of their lives and yet they that were the destroyers of all lawfull authority and exercisers of too much unlawfull complain of injustice they that pluckâ—d downe the hedges of Gods vineyard wonder to see so many severall kinds of beasts rush in and eat their grapes in a word to use the expression of S. Augustine Et tamen nec serâ— saltem toties divisâ— atque conscissi sentiunâ— quod feccrunt i. e. and yet for all this seeing so many divisions among them seeing themselves so torn in pieces do they not yet perceive the fault that themselves have done Cont. Parm. lib. 1. CHAP. L. A continuation of the former arguments viz. that the guilt of Schisme lies only and wholly upon Protestants Catholiques not uncharitable for saying That Protestancy unrepented is damnable 1. THese Principles laid by the Fathers with unanimous consent of the execrable nature and extremest dangerousnesse of the crime of Schisme together with the severall descriptions and marks which they give to understand it by seemed to me so reasonable and these deductions which I made from the aforesaid principles together with the application of those marks to the present state of controversie between the Roman and Protestant churches seemed so unrefutable Lastly the conclusion and result of the whole matter viz. That the crime of heresie and Schism cannot with the least shew of reason be imputed to the Roman Catholike Church nor with the least shew of reason avoided by Protestant Churches since the Fathers being Judges there is not one mark of Schisme which can be found in the Romane nor one mark but is evidently found in Protestant churches All this seemed to me so unanswerable that unlesse I did resolve to put out mine owne eyes I could not but see that I had all my life hitherto continued in this fearful state of Schismâ— And unlesse I did resolve to proceed to that desperate contempt of Scripture of consent of Antiquity and of all Ecclesiasticall authority as to think Heresie and Schisme to be no other then counterfeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bugbeares invented to fright such foolish Christians as would submit to any authority Divine or Ecclesiasticall I could not but think it more then time to avoid the precipice into which I was ready to fall and and for that purpose to range my selfe to that Communion which both by testimony of Scripture and all Antiquity and by visible experience could demonstrate that a full effect of all Christs promises had been accomplished in her which priviledge not any other congregation in our Western parts at least did pretend to any other way then by calling themselves a part of her whom yet at the same time they called an Idolatresse and a Strumpet divorced from her coelestiall Bridegroom or at least communicated with them that were guilty of such blasphemies 2. I do professe in the presence of God and all his blessed Saints and Angells that I could could not my self imagine nor find in any Protestant writer any exception or objection that came home to the point this one essentiall mark of Schisme viz. forsaking the externall publike Communion of the Catholike Church being impossible to be avoided by them since both all the world sees it and they themselves confesse it though indeed under another and more plausible name 3. I may therefore spare my pains of examining particularly what Mr. Chillingworth and other Protestants alledge for their excuse all which are evidently answered with applying to them that one saying of S. Augustine in his first book to Petilian the Donatist I object to you the crime of Schism which you wil deny And I wil presently prove because you do not communicate with all Nations I may add speaking to Protestants Not with any one Nation or church pre-existent to Luther Calvin confesseth that he divided à toto orbe terrarum from the whole world and so do other Protestants And impudence it self cannot deny but that in respect of externall communion they have to this day relinquished the whole world attempts have indeed beene made to get an entrance into the Greek church but in vain for they have beene rejected and remitted to the obedience of their own Patriarch as appears by the letter of Hieremias Patriarcha c. And therefore for a proof unanswerable that the Schisme of Protestants is a separation not from a particular church as they call the Roman but from all Christian Churches all the world over let them suppose the same question proposed to them which the Emperor Basilius made to Photius the Pseudo-Patriarch of Constantinople With which of the four Patriarchs do you communicate So that as the same S. Augustine saith in the same book Hoc scelus maximum manifestum omnium vestrum est i. e. This crime of forsaking Universall communion is both of all other the greatest and a manifest one and belongs to all the sorts of you 4. If they say they preserve the bond of charity allowing a possibility of salvation to Catholiques onely they separate from Catholique errors which would be damnable to them being so perswaded What is this to Externall Communion Adde hereto that though English Protestants for their own interests to justifie the lawfulnesse of their Succession doe allow such a degree of charity to Catholiques yet it
neglect or forgetfulnesse it is rather probable that that Apostolique Person who taught Christianity first in those quarters brought the Creed with that small defect for the very first Creed of all seems to have been much shorter then that now current as conteining only a profession of Faith in the three Persons in the Blessed Trinity in whose names only Baptisme was administredâ— to which the Apostles or Apostolique persons might afterward adjoyn the other Articles following which addition being made successively it is possible some persons might carry away in their voyages into Africa the breifer Câ—eeâ—s before they were so inlarged 3 In the next place concerning the Occasion and end for which the books of the New Testament were written we ought to consider the books of History apart from the others of Doctrine and Prophecy as being distinguishable both in their occasion and end For the Gospells therefore the whole subject of them is a narration of severall passages of our Saviours Life Death Resurrection and Ascension likewise some of the most considerable miracles which he wrought a sum of the principall points of his Doctrine both morall and mysterious in parables concerning his Church c. Now though the memory of all these excepting perhaps only the severall miracles prophecies c. as much as was suficient for particular persons might and actually was in substance preserved by practicall Tradition as 1. the Mysterious and to us most usefull passages of his Life c. in the publique solemnities appointed from all antiquity in the solemne Fasts administration of Sacraments 2. Morall duties in the publique Confessions and most ancient Penitentiall Canons Love-Feasts c. Yea some of them receiving force almost only from Tradition as not being at all in Scripture at least not so expressely as Mr. Chillingworth requires to points of necessity as unlawfulnesse of Polygamy incestuous marriages in some particular degrees c. Notwithstanding it could not but be infinitely acceptable and satisfactory to all good Christians to be informed as particularly as might be in any thing that concerned so Blessed a Master and Saviour and therefore were these divine books received with all imaginable reverence and joy and preserved with all possible care so farre as thousands willingly exposed themselves to Martyrdome rather then deliver them up to the fire they were read in Churches discoursed on in Sermons illustrated by Commentaries in a word esteemed divine and infallible by all Christians But yet no generall Tradition has come to us that all that is necessary for all persons of all degrees whether single or in Society to bring them to heaven is conteined expresly in these Gospells Which is a certaine proof that the ancient Church did not thinke so or however that they did not think it necessary to thinke so for no one thing generally thought necessary to salvation but has been conveyed under that notion by Tradition orall as well as writing Besides it is clear there is nothing expresse for assembling Synods ordeining severall degrees of Ministers no formes or directions for publike service no unquestionable prohibition of Polygamy incest c. So that although no doubt to some persons in some suddaine desperate circumstances there is in the Gospels to be found enough yea more then enough of meere necessity yea in any one of them yea in two or three verses of any one of them Yet therefore to deduce a generall conclusion that all things simply necessary are conteined in the Gospels is surely very unreasonable and much more thence to inferre a generall Conclusion so as to make it the fundamentall ground of all Sects of Religion and a sufficient excuse for that which if that Conclusion be not oâ—ely not true but not so evident as that there can be no shew of contradiction is a most horrible sinne namely Schisme or Haeresie this to me seemed to be somewhat that deserved a name beyond unreasonablenesse it selfe and that joyned with infinite danger in a point of the highest consequence imaginable 4. Now the same inconveniences will follow though the bookes of the Acts Epistles and Apocalyse were added to the Gospels to make them altogether to be an entire perspicuous Rule of Faith without any need of an authoritative interpreter For first for the Apocalyse it is a meere obscure Prophecy and can contribute little or nothing to the instruction or discipline of the Church Then the booke of the Acts though it relate some particulars of our Saviour after his Ascension as his Sending the Holy Ghost c. together with a very few passages concerning any of the Apostles excepting some few yeares of Saint Pauls travells yet it will prove but a very imperfect modell for setling of the Church in such a posture and with such qualifications both for doctrine and practise as unquestionable antiquity represents unto us the Primitive Apostolique Church And laâ—â—ly for the Epistles of S. Paul c. it is confessed by all and the Text it selfe justifies it that those Epistles were never intended to be written as institutions or Catechismes conteining an abridgement of the whole body of Christian Faith for the whole Church For 1. They were written only to some particular congregations yea many of them to single persons and no order is given to communicate them to the whole Church I am sure no necessity appeares that they should be so divulgâ—d 2. They were written meerely occasionally namely by reason that some particular False teachers sowed certaine false doctrines in some particular Churches founded by the Apostles in the confutation of which Haeresies all the doctrinall parts of those Epistles are generally employed So that if those Heretiques had not chanced to have broached those particular opinions those Epistles had never beene written 3. These Epistles especially of Saint Paul the most and the largest are written in a stile so obscure such intricacy of arguing with such digessions interwoven the Logicall Analysis is so extremely difficult that that gift of interpreting was in those dayes a necessary attendant of the Apostles preaching and I am confident that if an hundred men and those generally of the same Sect and opinions were oppointed to resolve the order and method of S. Paul's arguing there would not three of them agree for three verses together Now upon these grounds how improper such writings are to serve for the onely Rule of Faith which even in Mr. Chillingworth's opinion must be so cleare and evident in points necessary that there can be no rationall possibility of diversity of opinions and by cosequence no need of an authoritative interpreter let him that can believe it and let him that dare put it to the tryall when his soules eternall estate depends upon it CHAP. XI The third preparatory ground viz. the clearing of the ambiguity of these words necessary to salvation 1. THese words necessary to salvation being applyed to severall objects and subjects admit of great variety in the application and use
of Traditionary certitude that may be of a thing passed so many ages since being confirmed by Orall Tradition Universality Records language and practises or customes 6. An inferiour degree of certainty in Tradition yet certainty however is for example that there was such a man as Alexander the Great This is a thing most certain and yet it wants many of those arguments of assurance in the former example There is indeed a kind of Orall Tradition of this likewise yet not arriving unto this age and climate of the world by such a generall succession as the former by reason that Alexander having lived in a quarter of the world remote from us we are not descended from the men of his age who knew him yet it may be some of them or their children coming to Rome delivered this and so some Romanes conveighed it among these Western parts of the world There are no customes or practises among us relating to Alexander so that the main arguments of certainty are 1. Positive that is writings dispersed abroad made by antient Grecians and Romans all testifying the same thing 2. Negative not one man appearing in this age nor to be heard of in the former that denied it or so much as called it in question 7. A yet inferior degree of certainty in Tradition may be exemplified in some writings as in S. Clements first Epistle to the Corinthians lately published and printed in England For that there was such an Epistle written is testified by all Antiquity and was assuredly believed by all learned men in this age before the publishing of it But it is now near eight hundred years that it ha's been missing in the world for Photius I think is the last writer that takes notice to have read it Of late this Epistle was found in an ancient Manuscript in the King of England's Library sent him for a present out of the Eastern countries Now the certitude that this is the same Epistle anciently acknowledged and read in the Church appears in this 1. That the characters of the Manuscript are very ancient yet I do not believe it to have been written by that glorious Virgin Martyr S. Tecla as the credulous Grecians would pretend so that if it had been counterfeited it was done in times when the falsity might have been discovered by unquestioned copies 2. That the stile is agreeing with the ancient simplicity and gravity of Apostolique writings 3. That the subject is the very same that those ancient Fathers who speak of it do mention 4. That all the extraits and passages which the Fathers of the Church do quote out of S. Clements true Epistle are found in this Upon which grounds it may be truly said and I believe no man will contradict it that this is certainly S. Clements Epistle 8. It is likely that besides these degrees of certainty more upon consideration might be found out but these I esteemed enough for my present purpose Now by certainty I intend not certitudinem rei for so nothing that is or hath been is in it self more certain then another for even a thing that ha's its existence from free or casuall causes when it is is as certain as any other thing produced by causes never so determinate efficacious or necessary But certitudinem quoad nos that is our assurance that it hath been And a thing I call more certain in this notion not which ha's less doubt or suspition of not being for if there be any rationall suspition there is no certainty no not in the lowest degree but that which ha's more wayes to prove it self to be certain then another CHAP. XXIV Divine revelations proved to be certain beyond humane story 1. I Will now proceed by way of comparison to demonstrate the high degree of certitude which we may have of divine Revelations testified by the present Church considered as a simple proponent setting aside the authority which she challenges to oblige all men to submit to In which discourse we are to consider four things especially in Christian Religion coming to us by Tradition but in subordinate degrees of certitude viz. 1. Doctrines meerly speculative and which hardly could be testified in the practise of the church 2. Books of Scripture 3. Ceremonies and externall practises not mentioned expresly in Scripture 4. Doctrines and customes shining in the practise of the Church and likewise more or losse clearly express'd in Scripture 2. First for speculative doctrines which could hardly be express'd in the practise of the Church the Tradition of them seems to be very difficult and the certainty not so demonstrable As for example there are in the Catalogue of Heresies made by S. Epiphanius S Augustine and Philastrius certain opinions called Heresies in a large notion which seem not to have been in themselves of any dangerous consequence but yet have been condemned by Popes c. and ever since by a tacit consent of the Universall Church avoided as the opininions of the Millenaries Melchisedechians c. Now whether these Heresies were condemned as contrary to a Tradition or only by a judgement of discretion by shewing that the grounds pretended for such opinions out of Scripture are not concluding but rather the contrary as the second Councell of Orange seems to condemn some doctrines of the Semipelagians is not very certain However they rest condemned and more probably the former way as contrary to Tradition which may rather be believed of the Millenaries because they pretended for their doctrine a Tradition derived from Papias a scholler of the Apostles and it was very far spread in the church and maintained by great Saints and Doctors as S Irenaus S. Justin Martyr c. It might very possible be that the Traditionary doctrines contrary to these Heresies however speculative and which could not be conveighed by any outward practise of the church might have continued in mens memories to the times when these opinions were confuted For no doubt can be made but that the Apostolique churches together with the books of Scripture received the true sense and interpretation of the most difficult passages which might continue by a successive instruction but of which by reason they were no necessary doctrines of Christian Religion many are lost as I exemplified in the former conclusion So that the certainty of such Traditionary speculative doctrines is very hardly demonstrable and thereupon many learned Catholiques conceive that severall lately controverted opinions in the church as concerning Grace and Freewill the immaculate Conception of our blessed Lady c. have been so much agitated without any decision of the church and it ever any of the said opinions come to be decided by a Councell that the decision will at least oblige to obedience and non-contradiction but not perhaps as an article de fide that is as a divine revelation delivered by universall Tradition Since it is generally confess'd that they want such a Tradition See above in this Section 1 Cha. 9.
upon pretence that they were condemnable 7. I know the severall Sectaries of this present age are in this occasion alwaies ready to object the only one blameable action of that glorious Father and Martyr S. Cyprian I mean his contestation with the Pope and opposition to the generall Apostolique Tradition and practise of the Church in non-rebaptization of Heretiques They neglect forget and by their practises condemn that most Christian Spirit of Unity and Charity which shined in him toward those that differed from him in this point and as if his errour had been his only vertue acknowledge him only an example to be imitated in his fault not considering what probable excuses there are to qualifie that single fault of his to which qualifications they in none of their so many rebellions can pretend to as 1. That the generall practise of the Church against him did not appear to him so evident but that he could alledge examples not only of the African Churches but severall in the East likewise as Cappadocia Phrygia c. as he was informed by Firmilianus in his Epistle to him 2. That he himself begun not this novelty but conld justifie the Tradition of it for severall successions at least as high as the times of Agrippinus one of his Predecessours 3. That no generall Councell had determined any thing against him Yea S. Augustine before quoted confidently professeth that if S. Cyprian had survived to the time of the Councell of Nice he would no doubt have relinquished his opinion and submitted to the Councell 8. By this objection borrowed from antient Heretiques it appears that as in the Catholique Church there is a Tradition and Succession of truth so in heresies likewise of errour the latter Heretiques borrowing from their Predecessors though not Predecessors in their particular opinions the same arguments and pretences that formerly have been without successe made use of against the Catholique Church so zealous do such men shew themselves to use all endeavours to renounce that precious legacy of unity and peace which our Saviour ready to relinquish the world so tenderly bequeathed to his Church 9. Then for the second act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz a power coercive and judiciary residing in the Church-governours respectively and supremely in generall Councells lawfully conven'd approved and accepted this authority the primitive times and all ages ever since have acknowledged to be grounded upon the institution and promises of Christ and practice of the Apostles mentioned expresly in Scripture Act. 15. delivered likewise by universall Tradition both orall and practicall v. g. Tell the Church and if he will not c. And wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name I am in the midst of them And The Apostles and Elders were gathered together to consider about the matter viz. in the first generall Councell concerning the controversie about Moyses his law c 10. And here likewise may be verified a like observation to the former viz. That never any one of the Fathers of the Church did ever censure much lesse contradict or disobey the decisions orders or decrees of any legitimate Councell in their own or former times Yea I think I may hereto add something to the utter shame and confusion of the contrivers and propugnators of the late Heresies and Schismes viz. That though most of the antient Heretiques after a Councell had condemned their opinions did indeed refuse to submit to their own condemnation Yetâ— I think there cannot be found in Antiquity the example of one Heretique that ever began to publish a Heresie against any doctrine that had formerly been declared by a generall Councell Such a supereminent degree of Rebellion we must acknowledge to be due and to be appropriated to Luther Calvin c. viz. to tread under foot all kind of Ecclesiasticall authority not only of the present but all former times likewise 11. I shall defer the consideration how admirable and only effectuall a means of unity among Christians is the authority of the present Church and reverence of generall Councells so unanimously acknowledged by all the antient Worthies Fathers Doctors and Martyrs insomuch as the more eminent in learning and sanctity that any of them have been the more earnest Champions have they been of the Churches authority But the proper season to enlarge my self upon this subject will be when I have taken into consideration the contradictory doctâ—ine of Protestants concerning power of interpreting Scriptures and judging controversies CHAP. XXXI Authority of the Christian Church compared with that of the Jewish 1. BEfore I leave this argument of the grounds of the Churches authority and the foundation thereof viz. Christ's promises of indefectibility c. because objections against it are frequently taken out of the Old-Testament namely from a comparison with the Jewish Church which though it enjoyed great promises did notwithstanding fall into a generall corruption both in faith and manners It will not be amisse to set down for what reasons I rested satisfied that none of those arguments ought to have any effect upon me to shake my acknowledgement of the authority of the Christian Church so unalterably grounded and so universally submitted to 2. The first reason was because the Jewish Church had not such promises of indefectibility and security from Heresies as the Christian Church apparently has It is true the Patriarch Jacob prophesied that the Scepter should not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his knees till Shiloh came But this promise I assured my self respected only the outward policy of the Jewish Nation which was to remain in a distinct government not swallowed up by other governments but openly governed by its own laws as a Common-wealth plainly distinguishable from others till the coming of the Messiah 2. They were not furnished with those means of preventing and condemning of Heresies that the Christian Church enjoyeth For the understanding whereof I conceived that the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Law of Moyses was to be considered in two respects first in the plain litterall sense and so it differed not much from the lawes of other Kingdomes the end thereof being worldly happinesse which is only in expresse words proposed in that law Secondly in a spirituall allegoricall and typicall sense and so it had Immediate influence upon the conscience and inward acts of the soul which later sense was taken notice of only by extraordinary persons as Prophets c. Now for the execution of this law in the literall outward sense and notion of it God left sufficient authority in the Priests and other Magistrates threatning every one with death that opposed their sentences and decrees And for the explication of any emergent difficulties God left the Sanedrim together with a succession of Scribes from whose lips the people were ordinarily to seek knowledge Insomuch as our Saviour speaking of such Scribes sayes They sit in Moyses his Chair whatsoever they command you to observe observe and do it Mat.
persons because they being rude and infirm could never be secure of their belief if it were to depend on medium's and principles which they could not comprehend and secondly in respect of the learned among whom there would be no end of disputing if it were permitted to them to examine whether the Principles upon which Councells build their Conclusions were firm and concluding enough In a word otherwise Religion would not be faith but Science and Philosophy 7. To set down his words at length We must observe that to the Churches infallibility in teaching it is sufficient that she be infallible in the substance of faith in publique doctrine and things necessary to salvation This is manifest because this is the end of the infallibility given viz. For the consummation of the Saints and the edification of the body of Christ that is to the publique salvation of the faithfull Now God and nature as they are not defective in necessaries so neither are they superabundant in superfluities neither is the speciall Providence of God to be deduced to each particular The which Providence as it doth permit many particular defects in the Government of the Universe and this for the beauty of it as S. Augustine de Civ lib. 11. cap. 18. observes so likewise doth it permit many private erroursâ— in the Church and even in the most learned men an ignorance of many things not necessary and this not onely to shew a beauty in opposltion but for the salvation of the Teachers to whom it is expedient to be ignorant of many things that in this regard power may perfected in weaknesse that is may be repressed from pride Thus Stapleton with great solidity and likewise with much becomming warinesse states this Question CHAP. XXXIII Upon what grounds Stapleton may be conceived to have stated this question with more then ordinary latitude 1. TO this determination of Stapleton I will subjoyn the thoughts I had during my â—â—bâ—te with my self about this great and most important controversie together with the grounds upon which I believed that he had been more moderate and condescending in this point then generally other Catholique Controvertists are 2. But first by the way it may be observed that when he speaks of the voice and determination of the Church in the question proposed he means the decree of the Church speaking in a generall Councell representatively in which sayes he the Church is infallible namely with that restriction expressed by him in his last observation viz. in delivering the substance of Faith in publique doctrines and things necessary to salvation Other Catholiques there are which in this matter speak more restrictively then Stapleton hath expressed himself as to name one Panormitan whose words and opinion though for the most part disclaimed by Catholique Writers yet not hitherto consured by any that I know as hereticall they are these Although a generall Councell represent the whole universall Church yet in truth the universall Church is not truly there but only representatively because the universall Church is made up of a Collection of all believers and that is that Church which cannot erre Panormitans meaning to make his words tollerable I conceive is That the decrees of a generall Councell are not absolutely and necessarily to be acknowledged the infallible Doctrines of Faith till they be received by all particular Catholique Churches because till then they cannot properly be called the Faith of the universall Church or of the body of all faithfull Christians to which bodâ— the promise of infallibility is made And this was the doctrine of Thomas Waldensis and some other Schoolmen c. An opinion this is which though not commonly received yet I do not find it deeply censured by any yea the Gallican Churches reckoned this among their chiefest Priviledges and liberties that they were not obliged to the decisions of a Generall Councell till the whole body of the Gallican Clergy had by a speciall agreement consented to them yea which is more till out of the said Decrees they had selected such as they thought good to approve the which they reduced into a Pragmatick Sanction and so proposed them and them only to the several Churches there My Author from whose credit I received this is Thuanas who protesteth in a discourse to K. Henry the IV. related by himself that it could not be found in any Records of that Kingdome that ever any Generall Councell had been any other â—â—y received in France This were a priviledge indeed to the purpose if it could be made good as it is much to be doubted 3. But as for the Opinion of Waldensis it ha's found many abetrours in these latter ages for Fr. Pious Mirandâ—la in his eighth Theoreme de Fid. Ord. â—red saith Those Decrees may justly be â—â—lled tho the Decrees of the universal Church which are either made by the Pope the Head thereof or by a Councell in which the Church is represented in matters necessary to Faith and which are approved by the Church her self In like manner Petrus a Soâ—â— instanâ—ing in the second Councell of Ephesus corrected by that of Chalcedon manifestly implies that Councells even Generall before they be received and approved by the Universall Church may be repealed by a following Councell but a Councell once received can never be altered And therefore sayes he God by his providence over his Church will so order that whatsoever is erronious or defective in one Councell shall be corrected in a following one before it be received in the Church The same Author repeats the same Doctrine again in his observations upon the Confession of Wittenberg cap. de Concil Consequently hereto Cellotius a learned Jesuite professeth That the infallibility promised to the Church is twofold 1. Active by which the Prelats in Councells proposing points of Faith are secured from errour 2. Passive whereby the Universall Body of the Church under all the Prelates in all the severall Provinces respectively is preserved from assenting to or believing an errour Now that in the whole Church whether represented in a Councell or dispersed over the world both these kinds of infallibility are to be found saith he no Catholique can deny He adds In case there hath been any thing decreed by Councells which either hath not been generally admitted or by generall disuse hath ceased that the present Church is not thereto obliged appears clearly by the Decrees of the first Councell of the Apostles in the prohibition of things strangled and bloud In the last place our learned Countreyman Bacon alias Southwell a very ingenuous and acute Jesuite doth plainly enough signifie That it was the opinion not only of S. Augustine but generally of all the Writers of that age that the resolution of Faith had its utmost compleat effect in the reception of the whole Christian world grounding his assertion upon such like passages of S. Augustine as these Those are only Plenary Councells which are gathered out of
Universal Church But they are not satisfied that they ow that submission to the Roman and if not to the Roman they know not to what Church Sol. 16. To say somthing for the clearing this difficulty I shall desire them to consider 1. That whilst the Eastern and Western Churches were joyned in one External communion it is apparent that that Body was the Catholick Church to which the Promises of Christ were made and to which Protestants themselves would not have refused submission 2. That a breach hapning between these Churches is not mortal to the whole Body but onely to that Member that did unlawfully separate 3. By consequence that both the Title and real Authority of the Catholick Church remains in the innocent Part that is either in the Roman or Eastern Church 4. That whethersoever of these two be the Catholick Church English Protestants are Schismaticks since they are divided from both and the pretended grounds of their Divisions are Doctrines received by them both 5. That in case English Protestants would now take into debate to whether of these two parties they should re-adjoyn themselves by that means to become Catholicks again they must be forced to quit both a greater number of their Topical Doctrines and more fundamental ones to fit themselves to an union with the Eastern then with the Roman Church 6. That if they will needs out of Passion prefer the Eastern their Passion will be evident since that whensoever either remorse of conscience or the approaches of death made them see their unsafe condition thousands of them have fled to the Roman Church for shelter but never any to the Grecian or any other but the Roman 7. That as long as they are out of the Roman Church they are in a headless trunck divided from the successor of St. Pèter whom St. Cyprian St. Hierome Optatus c. acknowledged to be the foundation of Unity Order c. Ob. 17. Now if among Protestants any out of a perverse condescendence shal grant that the grounds alledged for the separation of the Eastern Western Churches are not in themselves of such main importance as to hinder them from being really one Catholick Church And therefore that before the present controversies can be decided a general Assembly of them all must be expected Sol. 18. to this they must give me leave to say 1. That they make the Promises of Christ to be casual temporary and obnoxious to critical daies and seasons if they think that the changes of Kingdoms or that the humors of an earthly Tyrant can either evacuate or suspend the force of those promises by which our Lord hath obliged himself to provide that the Gates of Hell that is heresies shall not prevail against his Church The effect of which promise in the opinion of such Objectors must be delayed till the Grand Signior will allow the Grecian Bishops to meet with the Western to consult of and procure the peace and union of Christendom 2. In case they should be permitted to meet Protestants may without the spirit of prophesie foretel their own most solemn condemnation For since both the Eastern and Western Churches do already agree in most doctrines renounced by Protestants viz. Transubstantiation Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the Dead and by consequence a Purgatory in which souls are capable of refreshment by such Prayers Veneration of Images Relicks c. Invocation of Saints Indulgences Merit of good works c. In which Doctrines they do agree as acknowledging them to be Traditionary It is impossible they should ever be perswaded to revoke any of them being met in an Assembly unless they will renounce all order and manner of proceeding in former General Councels which is not according to the Method of Protestants Viz. Endlessly to dispute every controverted Point by Texts of Scripture but to judge of the Truth of Points and the sense of Scripture by Traditien In such Assemblies therefore Bishops will ask one another Have your Fathers delivered to you that Bread after consecration becomes the Body of Christ That this body in the Sacrament is to be adored That we ought to pray for Souls departed in the Faith of Christ c. If so Servetur quod traditum est Now it being apparent that at the present all agree that such Doctrines both in the East and West have been delivered by Tradition and that their meeting together in a Councel will not help to make a contrary Tradition possible It will follow that whether divided or united whether alone or in Assembly they are and ever will be at least so far united as to joyn in the condemnation of Protestants CHAP. V. An Answer to the Remainder of the Preface 1. THe rest of the Preface of I. P. touches my self onely and pretends to shew what success the writings of those great Defenders of the Church of England have had against me in particular forcing me to confess That Infallibility is an unfortunate word That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated it with too great success so that I would wish the word were forgotten or at least laid by c. Now since the Church is not at all concern'd in this but my self onely who am charged with writing an incongruous impertinent Book a Book that deserves no answer but answers it self since it maintains that which its Adversary did not combat c. Truly were it not for I. P. and his friends sake more then mine own I would not answer for my self But since I perceive that the word Infallibility is as unfortunate a word to them as it was to me I will endeavour to take order that it shall be so no more 2. First therfore I say with Mr. Veron that the word Infallibility has been found out by the Schools that love to find out as short waies to express their notions as possibly can be And the world finds very great convenience by it Therefore with reference to the Church Schoolmen and from them Controvertists desirous to express the great veracity of the Church considered as a Judge or witness of Divine Truths deposed by God with her and withal the utmost obligation that all Christians have to beleeve truths so determined and witnessed by her found out this single word Infallibility to express both these by But yet the Church her self hath not as yet assumed or borrowed this word in any of her Decisions from the Schools and therefore being none of the Churches word we are not oblig'd to make her to speak it and the truth is though it comprehends al that they intend by it yet it is no adaequate measure of those conceptions because Infallibility may comprehend a great deal more for truth and our obligation to beleeve it is yet in a higher degree in Scripture then in the Decisions of the Church as Bellarmine acknowledges For the Scripture in all points both of Doctrine and Story and all circumstances is infallibly true not so the Decisions of the
beare armes or offer any violence to his Majesties Royall Person to the High Court of Parliament to the State or Government Being all of them ready not only to discover and make known to his Majesty and to the high Court of Parliament all the treasons conspiracies made against him or it which shall come to their hearing but also to lose their lives in the defence of their King Countrey to resist with their best endevours all conspiracies attempts made against their said King or Countrey be they framed or sent under what pretence or patronized by what forreigne authority soever And further they profess that al absolute Princes supream Governours of what Religion soever they be are Gods Lieutenants upon earth and that Obedience is due unto them according to the lawes of each Commonwealth respectively in civill and temporall affaires and therefore they doe here protest against all doctrine and authority to the contrary And they doe hold it impious and against the word of God to maintaine that any private Subject may kill and murther the Annointed of God his Prince though of a different beliefe and Religion from his And they abhor and detest the practice thereof as damnable and wicked And lastly they offer themselves most willingly to accept and embrace the late Protestation of union made by the High Court of Parliament excepting only the clause of Religion Professing that they cannot without sin infringe or violate any contract or break their words and promises made or given to any man though of a different faith and beliefe from the Church of Rome All which they doe freely and sincerely acknowledge and protest as in the presence of God without any equivocation or mentall reservation whatsoever 3. Now I desire to know what security beyond this any State can expect from any Christian or indeed any man What jealousie can reasonably be given by persons thus clearly and ingenuously professing their consciences and protesting their obedience yet notwithstanding the English Catholiques are ready to give a security even beyond thisâ— the Catholique Bishop pro tempore formerly residing in England having as I have been credibly informed offered his owne person and life as a pledge of the loyalty of all his Cleargy c. under his obedience in so much as if any of them shall be found guilty of disloyalty the Bishop will be obliged to produce such a delinquent to condingne punishment or pay the defect of it with the forfeiture of his owne life These things considered I should not deny even during the time that I was a Protestant but that it was with great impudence and injustice that Catholique Relegion was accused by those two Sects of disloyalty a crime universally and only adhering th themselves and abhorr'd by all sorts of persons all Orders and degrees among Catholiques CHAP. XIV A fourth scandall among Calvinists c. viz. their aversion from unity 1. A Fourth great discouragement which I had to joyne in Communion with the Lutheran or Calvinist Churches was their manifest renouncing of Christian Charity and the peace of Gods Church their unwillingnesse to abate the least point of doctrine even to a very phrase or to alter any thing in discipline though to gaine thereby the greatest good which is unity and reconciliation in a word the Spirit of Donatisme a Spirit of Separation out of the love of Separation it selfe 2. Whether it was a naturall inclination in me to hate all quarrells unlesse most extreamely necessary and unavoidable or my education in the English Church which of all other Sects doth most professe moderation I have alwaies dearly esteemed those writers whether Catholique or Protestant which have endeavoured to lessen the number of differences between Christians to give the most moderate qualified sences to differing opinions and to attempt all probable waies of reconciliation as Hofmeisterus Wicelius Franciscus à Sancta Clarâ c. among Catholiques And Bishop Andrewes Montague Grotius Monsicur de la Millitiere Acontus c. among Protestants I was moreover in mine owne understanding convinc'd that in very many points the differences between Catholiques and Protestants was onely in words while in the meaning both parties agreed as concerning Freewill Predestination Iustification Merit of Good workes sinnes Mortall and Veniall c. Nay further that some negative points of doctrine were maintained even by the Church of England contrary to their owne grounds that is contrary to the Universall consent of Primitive antiquity as denying Sacrifice and Prayer for the dead and by consequence Purgatory sacrifice of the Altar Monachisme Difference betweene Evangelicall Councels and Precepts vowes c. 3. Hereupon it was that mine owne reason assisted by my love to Christian unity perswading me that for worldly respects or out of feare of consequences ungratefull even the Church of England had divided it selfe from the Catholique to a further distance then justice truth and charity would permit I could not answer it to mine owne reason and conscience if instead of approaching to the Catholique Church I should run quite out of sight from it by communicating with those Churches whose generall designe and study it is to make the wound of division incurable and the breach every day wider and wider among whom it is a crime to talke of Reunion in a word who call it zeale to professe division from the Catholique Church even in those very points wherein their consciences cannot but tell them that they doe really agree with it 4. Manifest testimonies of this more then Donatisticall Spirit have been given by Calvin in his most barbarous censure of that too too moderate condescending booke of Cassander D E OFFICIO PII VIRI and by the Calvinist-Churches in France in their comportments towards Mâ—ssicurs Grotius and de la Millitiere upon occasion of those treatises by them published tending to union Yea so in love have they shewed themselves with Schisme quatenus Schisme so zealous to renounce that precious legacy of Peace which our Saviour at his last farewell to the world left to his Church that they multiply division upon division even among themselves making Frusta de frusto of the seamelesse garment of Christ denying Communion to one another even for points in their own opinion of no considerable importance The Lutherans will not communicate with the Calvinists nor the Remonstrants with the Contra-remonstrants nor the Separatists with the English Protestants And whatsoever union the French-Calvinist Churches boast of they owe it entirely to the civill Power there for if that would allow them the liberty they would fall into as many devisions as any of their brethren 5. If sometimes an extraordinary fit of seeming charity have come upon them the Circumstances demonstrate that it was not love of unity or conscience that begat that good mood but meerly temperall hopes or feares I remember S. Augustin Ep. 50. ad Bonifas Speaking of those professed Masters of Schisms the Donatists gives
and after I saw it I did not hastily suffer my selfe to be received into it till I saw there was no other way to escape drowning left me 2. My first thoughts after so successelesse a search of a Church were not doubtingly but sollicitously expostulating in my mind where is the effect of that promise of Christ that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against his Church And Behold I am with you till the end of the world I wondered that the Fathers should so unanimously interpret the Church to be that City seated on the top of a mountaine For I had in vaine sought both mountaines and Valleyes and could not get a sight of it But I concluded that certainly the fault was in mine owne eyes which some mist or disease had blinded and not in want of visibility in the Church since all the Promises of God in Christ are in him YEA and in him AMEM. And therefore that no preconceits of assurance or demonstrations ought to hinder me from examining the pretentions of the Roman Church as well as the rest That it was utterly impossible that the Promises of Christ should faile but that it was very possible that both my selfe and Mr. Chillingworth might be mistaken in beleiving those arguments to be demonstrations which were not That perhaps he did not understand fully the minde of his adversary M. Knot Or perhaps that the opinion and expression of Infallibility combated by Mr. Chillingworth was but an interpretation given by a private Doctour of his sence of the Churches doctrine so the arguments against it not proceeding directly against the Church However that it was very reasonable just and requisite seriously and diligently to examine the true state of that question which if the Roman Church could to my understanding justifie that she had not err'd in there would presently be an end of all my travells and doubts about other particular controversies For who will question or suspect the truth of that Witnesse or Judge in particular speeches or assertions that has once in grosse approved himselfe to be Infallible 3. Had it not been for this point of the Churches Infallibility and some Philosophicall Objections against the Reall Presence c. I had not lived thus long out of the communion of the Roman Church for I alwayes acknowledged that there were in it very many advantages and excellencies to which no other Church had the confidence to pretend As 1. I could not deny having withall the Confession of the most learned Protestants that the Religion of the present Roman Church is the very same Religion which Saint Augustin the English Apostle by the Mission of Saint Gregory the Great planted in England when he converted it from Paganisme so that me thought it was somewhat an extravagant thing to separate now from Rome for those very points by the embracing of which England became Christian Especially considering what persons Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine were of what sublime holinesse and profound learning and how that Religion was confessedly conffirmed by Divine Miracles 2. I could not but admire and infinitely approve the ingenuity of the Roman Church in obliging all her children to interpret Scriptures and to conforme their beleife to the generall consent of Fathers Indeed the Protestants in England especially made honourable mention of the Fathers but none but Roman Catholiques proceed thus farre 3. That if we defined Haeresie and Schisme according to the generall notion of the Fathers viz. that Haeresie is a misbeleife innovated in points of Faith contrary to the Doctrine universally received in the Church and Schisme an uncharitable division of one part from the externall Communion of the whole Of all Churches in the world the Roman could with least reason and justice be accused of these two sinnes for first She only receives and preserves the ancient practise and all the Councells and Synods of the Church Secondly all other Sects apparently broke from her Communion and all Haeretiques were of her Religion before they innovated and introduced new opinions 4. That the method by which the Roman Church decided all emergent controversies namely by the authority of the present Church however I was then perswaded there was some usuâ— pation in it yet de facto ended all disputes and produced an admirable unity in that Church A blessing which not only reason but manifest experience showes to be impossible to be aâ—ceiued in Protestant Churches where scripture interpreted by private judgement is the Rule and Iudge for hitherto never has there been made an agreement in any one controversie among them In so much as the proper difference between Catholiques and Protestants is that if two Catholiques be in debate about any question both of them will agree to bee judged by a third namely the Church and till that be done they breake not Communion But if two Protestants quarrell each of them will interpret and judge both for himselfe and his adversary too there being no umpire between them nor any thing to oblige them to Communion 5. That the sobrâ—st Protestants sometimes are not without some suspicion of guilt in matter of Schisme acknowledging at least that worldly interests had influence upon those Princes that begun separation first a case never to be found among Catholiques And when any such scruples arise in the mindes of Protestants they never trouble themselves with seeing themselves divided from the Greek or Abissine Churches but only the Roman And very many among them on their death beds at least when all secular respects are silent desire reconciliation with the Roman Churches Whereas I believe there never was heard any one example of a Roman Catholique which on his death-bed desired to forsake that Communion to be incorporated into a Protestant Church And 6. There was a sixth advantage far more prevailing with me then all the former though at the first I had but an imperfect view of it namely the eminent rules of sanctity and spirituallity taught by most prudent and pious directors and practised after a manner that nothing in any of the Protestant Churches approacheth neere unto it The story and Order of my information in this particular I will reserve till the Conclusion of this Narration For the present I will content my selfe with avowing that every day the more neare and faire a prospect I had of the beauty of Holinesse my prejudices and objections against that Church in which onely such a jewell was to be found diminished till in the end I could not free my selfe from partiallity at least so farre as to wish that Truth might not be found separated from so heavenly a Companion This Treatise being a Story rather than a controversie I thought my selfe obliged not to conceale my actions though they might be obnoxious to be esteemed imperfect or faulty and am content to heare and thanke whosoever will vouchsafe to reprove mee for them 4. I will not deny but that these seemed to me very specious
and alluring qualities especially being of such a disposition that is one that above all things in the world abhorred quarrelling one who though he durst not betray necessary truths by professing the contrary yet in many cases would willingly have purchased peace with silence lastly one that alwaies suspected his owne reason and that was desirous to find out authority which might deserve to have his reason submit it selfe to it 5. Yet notwithstanding all these invitations so prepossessed was I with the invinciblenesse of Mr. Chillingworth's arguments against the infallibility of the Church joyn'd with an opinion that it was an essentiall requisite to Communion with the Roman Church to acknowledge infallibility in the notion that I apprehended it that it was not without much violence to my selfe that I could obteine from mine owne reason permission to make a serious enquiry into the grounds of it But at last because I would not accuse my self afterward of want of ingenuity and fidelity in denying that to the Roman Church alone which I had performed in respect of all other Churches besides even to the Socinians Nestorians and Eutychians and besides the affaires of England growing every day in the greater decadency I found that I was likely to be forced to a reall necessity of resolving that that Question which at first I reflected on onely upon an imagined supposition namely Supposing the Church of England should come to faile to the Communion of what Church I should then adjoyne my selfe 6. A Question this is which I am confident never any one person of any one Sect of Christians before was effectively forced to determine For never before was there any Religion so wholly appropriated to any Kingdome or Government as that such a Government decaying the whole frame of that Church sunk the professors thereof not being able to find in the whole world any Church into which without renouncing their maine distinctive principles they could enter Since the time that it was Gods good pleasure to rejoyne mee to the Rock from whence I was hewn leading me into the unity of his Church I have conceived that I might attribute this decay and now almost vanishing of the English Church to a double intention of almighty God the first To shew that when Religion in substantiall doctrines especially is framed according to interests of State it does thereby as it were renounce and exempt it selfe from Gods Protection and by consequence not deserving his care is not likely to be long-liv'd the second to the end to shew the curse that lies upon Schisme in generall it may seeme to have been Gods pleasure that that Church which had more shew of excuse than any other whatsoever and that better represented a form of the Ancient and most glorious Church than any other Sect should be the first that should be undermined to the end that others seeing what has been done to a tre◠which had some greennesse in it might thereby prophecy what shall become of their rotten and drye ones CHAP. XVIII Preparations to the examining of the grounds of the Roman Churches authority 1. VVEll at last lifting up my heart in dayly and almost hourely fervent prayers unto almighty God for the direction of his Holy spirit a practise which God knowes I never discontinued from the beginning of my search but now a more urging necessity sharpned the intention and fervour of my heart and striving all I could to cleanse the scals wherein I was to weigh this so important a merchandise from all externall prejudices or allurements or any thing that might hinder my enquiry from being perfectly ingenuous and unpartiall and almost vowing that if God would be pleased to set me on a rock higher than my selfe giving repose unto my minde that onely knew quid fugeret but not quò fugeret I would consecrate the remainder of my life to blesse and serve him in the best and strictest manner I could finde and lastly resolving to purchase truth at the dearest rate possible though with the losse of fortunes hopes friends or Countrey I applyed my minde earnestly and diligiently to the examination of the authority and so much disputed infallibility of the Roman Church to Catholiques a rock of foundation upon which all Religion relyed but to me hitherto a rock of offence and the maine considerable prejudice which drove me back whensoever I endeavoured to make any appoaches toward that Church 2. My next preparation and provision for this businesse was to informe my selfe not so much from particular Catholique Doctors as from the Church it selfe in the decisions of her Councels what was her doctrine in this point and in what manner and termes expressed my designe being to learne onely what was so necessary to be believed in this Article as that without it a man could not call himselfe a Catholique and with subscription to which alone a man might sufficiently justifie himself against all exception to deserve that title For this purpose I applyed my selfe to the Study of the ancient received Councels I perused diligently the Codex Canonum Ecclesiae Universae Burchardus Wormatiensis Caranza's summe of the Councels but especially the Councell of Trent and the Bull of Pope Pius quartus desiring further information from severall learned Catholiques If I perused any particular Controvertists it was with intention to take notice of such unquestioned and unsuspected Authors as had most retrenched from this controversie all particular opinions and had expressed their understanding of the Churches meaning with the greatest condescendence and qualification 3. Having made extraits pertinent to my purpose out of the forementioned Councells and Authors and having digested them I deduced corrollaries out of them importing what authority the Church assumed to her selfe whence derived and how limitted And distrusting mine owne Collections to confirme my selfe further and to assay whether those deductions would be allowable by Catholiques sufficiently informed of the true sense of the Churches doctrine I gathered out of my extraits certaine Conclusions which I digested into a forme of Questions These I sent to a worthy and learned friend a Doctor of the faculty of Paris desiring his resolution whether such senses as I had given of the points mentioned would be receivable among Catholiques or no. His kindnesse and Charity moved him not onely to take the trouble upon him of answering my Questions but likewise voluntary to publish in print the Questions with his answers to the end satisfaction might be given that he had said nothing therein that any Catholique would question Which resolutions of his I thought fit to annex to this treatise 3. Besides all this for my further information and because even during my education in Protestancy I had been advised and was consequently resolved to embrace those doctrines which were most conformable to the profession of the Ancient Church I conceived it necessary to study diligently such Fathers writings especially as had been forced to maintaine the Churches
authority against Heretiques Thereupon I betook my self to the rending of the Ancient-Church History and besides others I perused exactly Tertullians Praescriptions against Haeretiques c. S. Cyprian S. Epiphanius S. Augustines Epistles and treatises against the Donatists Manichaeans c. Vincentius Lyrinensis S. Hieroms Bookes against the Luciferians Iovinian and Vigilantius I had recourse likewise upon occasion to certaine treatises of Saint Basil and S. Athanasius S. Hilary S. Pacian c. And lastly I judged it an effectuall way of atteining to the understanding the opinion of Antiquity concerning the Church to select the speciall Texts of Scripture wherein mention is made of the Church and to examine how the Fathers interpreted those Texts and what inferences they drew from them in their Sermons and Commentaries in which I might be sure they spoke without interest and passion as having no adversary in sight to combat withall and therefore were not likely to streine themselves in their expressions Such Texts of Scripture were these and the like Die Ecclesiae c. Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And Tu es Pertus c. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it And Ecclesiae quae est firmamentum fidei c. The Church which is the ground of Faith and Pillar of truth c. CHAP. XIX What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches Authority express'd in School-language Successe of his enquiry into Councels and ancient Fathers 1. THe answering of the Questions and especially the perusing of those bookes was the businesse of a good space of time above twelve moneths or more The excessive paines and diligence employed by mee which otherwise would have brene tedious was much sweetned by the discovery every day of new light And I could not but observe the strange effects of education and prejudice which made me believe my selfe to be saparated in my beliefe from the Catholique Church at a distance unmeasurable when indeed I was even at the doores and I am certaine I had been much sooner a Catholique if I had thought or rather indeed if I had considered for if I had considered it well I might have found sufficient ground to think so that the beliefe of the Churches doctrines nakedly as she proposeth them and in the latitude allowed by her had beene sufficient to have gained that title But I tooke those to be the necessary doctrines of the Catholique Church which were onely the private opinions and expressions of particular Doctors And the simplicity of the Articles of Christian Faith was clowded by Scholasticall Metaphysicall tearms which being abstruse nice and unknown to Antiquity rendred the doctrines themselves obscure and withall new and suspected to me 2. And all this by a very pardonable fault of mine For from whom should I receive the doctrines of the Roman Church when a Controversie is raised but from the learnedst Masters of Controversie And how few among them propose the points to be disputed between them and the Protestants in the language of the Church Besides how few among them are there who in disputing will allow that latitude which the Church apparently does There is scarce any Point of Controversie which is not severally interpreted streitned or enlarged by severall Catholiques of severall Orders and education and most of them in confuting the Protestants seeme very earnest and make it almost their whole designe to impose their particular interpretations and expressions for Catholique doctrines But with very little or no successe For a Protestant will be very ready and may with good reason say Though by being perswaded by you I shall become a Roman Catholique yet I might deny all that you maintaine and yet be a Roman Catholique too for I can produce Authors which you dare not deny to be good Catholiques that will not receive nor subscribe to your expression and stating of this Point Therefore seek to convert them first and then come and dispute with me Dispute like a Catholique for the question is not now whether I shall be a Dominican Jesuite Scotist c. But whethe I ought to be a Catholique or no. The truth is by these meanes disputations are endlesse Catholiques themselves affording answers and objections to Protestants against Catholiques Whereas if particular Controvertists as were indulgent as the Church is would be content to thinke that the termes wherein Shee expressed her minde were the most proper their adversaries would quickly be silenced Controversies abated and by Gods assistance union in a short time happily restored 3. The great haâ—me which I received by judging of the Churches Faith by particular new expressions of it puts me into this fit of liberty in censuring thus far the method of those men by whom I have been so long a time so far from being perswaded that I was rather hindred from my reunion to the Church And on the contrary this happy successe in following the direction of some few Catholique authours who separating particular opinions of Doctors from necessary Catholique Doctrines and urging nothing upon me but without assenting to which I could not be a Catholique makes me judge by mine own experience as well as reason that that which healed me of my errours and Schism would not by Gods blessing want the same effect in others also especially among English Protestants â—nd the rather if following the advice of the most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Roven Protestants in stead of wearying themselves with perticular debates would resolve this in the first place why they made the Schism at first and continue in it still What dispensation they have from the authority and unity of the Church so unanimously and affectionately reverenced and obeyed by the ancient Fathers 4. I cannot without ingratitude in this place and occasion omit a profession of that great obligation I have with thankfulnesse to almighty God and respect to his happy instrument to acknowledge the efficacious influence that one Treatise in speciall manner had to the furtherance and facilitating of my Conversion written in French by that skilfull and authorized Controvertist Francis Veron Doctor of Divinity and entituled by him Reiglè generale de la foy Catholique In which he delivers the pure Catholique Doctrine in the words of the Councells streined and separated from all particular opinions or authorities not absolutely obliging And this exemplified throughout almost all the considerable points of Controversie bewteen Catholiques and the severall Sects of Protestants Which method of proceeding is approved by several learned Doctors of the Faculty of Pâ—â—is and the generall designe of it by his late Holinesse Gregory the fifth as was signified to the Author by his Nephew Cardinall Ludovisiâ— yea God himself hath approved and recommended the same Method by his numerous blessings on it in the Conversion
same Author l. 5. c. 19. taught his Disciples many Traditions not written Again S. Dyony Arcop Hier. Eccl. c. 1. at least even by acknowledgment of the most learned Protestants an Author of the second or third age Those prime Captains and heads of our Hierarchy thought it necessary to deliver unto us those sublime and supersubstantiall Mysteries both in written unwritten instructions Again S. Fab. Pope â—â— Martyr Ep. 1. ad Episc. Orientis speaking of holy Chrisme to be renewed every yeare of which no mention is in Scripture addes These things we received from the Holy Apostles and their successors which we require you to observe Againe Tertullian de Cor. Mil. cap. 4. discoursing as he often does of severall rites and practises not mentioned in Scripture concludes in one place thus Of all these and other disciplines of the like nature if thou shalt require a law out of Scripture thou shalt finde none Tradition shall be alledged to thee for the Author Custome the confirmer and Faith the observer Againe S. Irenaeus Cont. Haer. lib. 3. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches to which ordination give proofe many nations of those Barbarous people who beleeve in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit without characters or inke and diligently observing the ancient Tradition Againe the Fathers assembled in that ancient Councell of Gangres Can. 21. We desire that all those things which have been delivered in divine Scriptures and by Tradition of the Apostles should be observed in the Church Againe S. Basil de Spir. Sanc. to cap. 27. 29. of the dogmes and instructions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserved in the Church some we have by written institutions others we have delivered by the secret Tradition of the Apostles Both which sorts have the same authority for as much as concernes piety and there is no man will contradict this that is never so little experienc'd in the law of the Church The same Father in the same Chapter The day would faile me if I should produce all the Mysteries which the Church observes without writing And a little after I account in an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in observing Traditions not written Againe Eusebius Caesariensis de dem Evang. lib. 1. who having said that Christ did not as Moses leave his Law written in Tables or Paper but in the hearts of his Apostles who likewise following the example and intention of their Master Have consign'd their doctrines some indeed in writing and others they have delivered to be observed by lawes unwritten Againe S. Chrysostome 2 Thes. cap. 2. From hence it appeares that the Apostles have not delivered all things by Epistles but likewise many things without writing now both those and these deserve to be equally believed Againe S. Epiphanius haer 61. We must likewise make use of Tradition for all things cannot be taken out of Scripture And therefore the Holy Apostles have given us some things in writing and others by Tradition Againe S. Augustin de Bap. cont Don. lib. 5. cap. 23. speaking against those that maintained that Haeretiques ought to be rebaptised The Apostles sayth he have prescribed nothing concerning this thing But this custome which was opposite to S. Cyprian ought to be believed to have taken its originall from their Tradition as there are many things which the uniuersall Church observe â—â—h and for that reason are rightly beleeved â—â— have been commanded by the Apostles although they are not found in their writings These quotations seemed sufficient to me to shew the generall Opinion of the Fathers to be consonant to the Conclusion before mentioned CHAP. II. The Roman Church agreeing with Fathers in the same Rule of Faith All Sects of Protestants disagree with the Fathers 1. NOw to the end to confront with Antiquity the present Roman and Protestant Churches that it may appeare which of them are the true legitimate children of those Fathers Wee will begin with the Roman Church whose mind we finde clearly expressed in the Decree of the Councell of Trent Sess. 4. concerning Canonicall Scriptures in these words Sacrosanâ—â—a c. Tridentina Synodus c. Perspiciens hanc veritatem c. that is The most holy c. Synod of Trent c. Clearly perceiving that this truth and discipline namely the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is contained in bookes written and unwritten Traditions which were received from Christs Mouth or delivered as it were from hand to hand from the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost dictated it hath arrived even to us Following the Oxthodox examples of the Fathers receives and venerates with an equall affection of duty and reverence all bookes as well of the Old as New Testament since one God is the authour of both as likewise the Traditions themselves whether perteining to Faith or Manners as dictated either by Christs own Mouth or by the Holy Ghost and by a continued succession preserved in the Catholique Church Thus far the Councell of Trent 2. Whether the Roman Church has indeed made good this her profession viz. That in this decree shee followes the Orthodox examples of the Fathers besides so many formall proofes before alledged the confession of many learned Protestants will justifie her As Cartwright Cartw. Witgift Def p. 103. speaking of the forementioned or like quotations out of S. Augustin saith To approve this speech of Augustin is to bring in Popery c. So likewise Whittaker Fulk Kemnitius c. Whit. de Laec. Ser. p. 678. 681. 690 c. Fulkâ— con Purg. p. 362. 397. Kemnit Exam. part 1. p. 87 c. for such like assertions of the Fathers condemne then generally and by name Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Epiphanius Tertullian Augustin Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Eusebius Baesile Leo Maximus Theophilus Damascene c. 3. In opposition to this decreed Doctrine of the Roman Church and by consequence to the Orthodox examples of the Fathers aâ—â— manner of Sects that have separated from the Church or from one another since Luthers â—â—me agree almost in no other point unanimously except in this That the Scripture conteins in it expresly all things both concerning beliefe and practise which are necessary or but requisite to salvation And by consequence that no man is or ought to be obliged to submit to any Doctrine or precept any further then as it can be proved manifestly to him to be conteined in the written word of God 4. The Church of England Art 6. of English Church in particular makes this one of her peculiar Articles That the Holy Scripture conteineth all things necessary for salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or to be thought requisite necessary to salvation
whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you Besides in some cases there may be controversies about points which are not grounded upon Orall Tradition but only Scripture 4. A third inconvenience following the Protestants position is this That since undoubtedly there were in the Primitive Church Traditions in great number besides what is expressed in Scripture I could not imagine what was become of them or how it should be possible they should come to be lost having been received generally through the whole Church and most of them shining in the practise of it To salve this inconvenience Protestants either impudently give the lye to all the Fathers and say without the least proofe that there were none at all Or in England there being under-Sects which by Scripture alone could not be confuted as Puritans Anabaptists Sabbatarians c. they are forced to acknowledge some few Traditions of such a nature although thereby they destroy their maine foundation of Only-Scripture For by the Traditionary doctrine of Non-rebaptization they conclude the Anabaptists to be Heretiques that is erring in a necessary point of doctrine Yet themselves renounce doctrines and practises delivered by a far more full Tradition So great effect hath interest in that Church But what will become of S. Basils saying before quoted That the day would faile him if he should undertake to enumerate all the Traditions left by the Apostles in the Church not mentioned in Scripture For all that even the most condescending Protestants will allow for such may be reckoned five times over in a minute of an hower Considering therefore that such Traditions being visibly manifest for the most part in the practise of the Church are far more easily preserved then any writing can be it will necessarily follow that the rest of that great number are extant in the Roman Church as may be proved of most of them before reckoned by testimonies of Ancient Fathers Vid. sup c. 3. 5. A fourth inconvenience to my understanding unavoidable by Protestants and a great proofe of the truth of the Doctrine of the Roman Church is this Though Protestants generally deny that the points of Controversie debated between them and the Roman Church were universally received by the Ancient Church as Invocation of Saints adoration of Christ as present in the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the dead c. Yet they cannot deny but that in many of the Fathers proofes of these doctrines may be found to shew that such was at least their particular opinions Now if generally the Ancient Church had agreed with Protestants both in denying such doctrines and practise received now in the Roman Church and likewise in making only-expresse-Scripture the Rule to judge by it could not be avoided but that some Synods or Fathers would have taken notice of such pretended errours in the writings of other Fathers and likewise would have produced some of those Texts of Scriptures now made use of by Protestants for that purpose a thing they are so far from that on the contrary we find that many of the Fathers infer the same doctrines from the same Texts that Catholiques now do And Protestants though they alledge some passages of Fathers by which they may seem consequently to destroy such doctrines and to contradict their owne formall assertions in other places yet are not able to produce so much as one Text of Scripture interpreted by any Father to confute any one such pretended errour Which is a thing very remarkable and will argue either that no man in the Ancient Church took notice of such pretended dangerous speeches of so many Fathers or that they understood not the plaine Texts of Scripture if Protestants grounds be true or upon Catholiques grounds since it was impossible but they must have taken notice of such opinions and since they certainly did understand plaine Texts of Scripture that therefore not disputing out of Scripture as Protestants doe they were so far from believing such opinions to be errours deserving a Schisme that they all of them agreed in receiving them as Catholique Truths Other inconveniences which without hope or possibility of remedy do arise from making Scripture alone secluding not only Traditions but likewise any visible obliging interpreter to be the only Rule and Judge of Controversies shall be reserved to be examined in the next Conclusion concerning the Authority of the Church in this businesse CHAP. V. Weaknesse of Protestants proofs for only-Scripture Texts of Scripture alleadged by Catholiques vainly eluded by Protestants 1. AS I said before since Protestants and all other Sects doe against their nature and custome so unanimously conspire to forsake the oldâ— and good wayes by travelling wherein even themselves being judges so many glorious Saints Confessors Martyrs Bishops c. were renowned not onely in their owne but all succeeding times dissipated armies of Haeretiques propagated the Kingdome of Christ over the world subdued Idolatry and made it utterly to vanish though supported with the force of the whole Roman world and in fine arrived to a supereminent degree of glory in Paradice And since in stead of this so successefull a way they have chosen to walke every man in a severall path through those narrow crooked and at least very dangerous because new wayes of a proud selfe-assuming presumption in interpreting only-Scripture each man according to his own fancy interest following the example of no antiquity but only ancient Heretiques in all reason they should have taken order to have justified themselves herein after a more then ordinary manner they ought to have contributed all the invention and skill of all the best wits in each Sect to fortifie this common foundation of only Scripture and no visible judge beyond all other points of difference 2. And so no doubt they have to the utmost capacity of the subject But no skill can serve to build a firme secure edifice upon sand and private reason or fancies of inspiration are more weake and sandy then even sand it selfe For proofe hereof let us consider the pretended proofes and reasons which they alleadge to assert this their fundamentall position viz. that the entire Rule of Faith is the written word of God of which there is not extant any visible authoritative interpreter Proofes hereof produced by them are 1. Negative invalidating such Texts of Scripture as are alledged by Catholiques and expounded by Fathers to prove Traditions unwritten and 2. Positive drawne from other Texts expressing the sufficiency and perfection of Scripture 3. Some Texts by Catholiques produced to prove Traditions and those concerning points of Doctrine as well as practise or ceremonies besides what is written in the Evangelicall books are among others these following out of S. Paul 2 Thes. cap. 1. ver 15. Observe the Tradititions which you have received from us whether by word or by Epistle And againe 2 Tim. c. 2. ver 13. Have before thine eyes the patterne of sound words which thou hast heard
Mysteries Or among the Romans did not the Palilia Suo vetâ—urilia Ambarvalia Lupercalia c. keepe fresh in their mindes the Deities in whose honour and ingratitude for whose favour those solemnities had beene instituted How infinitely more securely and unfailably has almighty God provided for the continuance of Truth and Piety in his Church since those Heathen-Solemnities were repeated but once a yeare in one City or Countrey but Ours every day by numbers of people in all Countries Cities and Villages CHAP. IX A further demonstration of the firmnesse of Tradition Certain objections answered 1. BUt it will objected who knowes but there may yea who can deny but there have crept in alterations even in these Liturgies and formes of Publique Devotions For answer It is confess'd there have for the first Liturgies as S. James and others ascribed to Apostolique Persons were briefe simple lesse ceremonious and as the Church grew more large and splendid so Gods service became more extended solemne and majesticall But that any substantiall part of Devotion any expressions implying or instilling new bred errours have been introduced into the publique formes of God's service that is utterly denyed And they that lay this imputation upon Gods Church are obliiged to produce examples and visible proofes thereof which it is impossible for them to doe with the hundreth part of that assurance that Catholiques by shewing those which are now extant of the Ancient Liturgies by alledging irrefragable testimonies of the extreame punctuall curiosity of the ancient Fathers in exactly and unalterably preserving Tradition according to the Apostles direction Formam habe c. Keepe the forme of sound words will demonstrate the contrary I cannot forbeare on this occasion among many other examples which may be produced to specifie that extreame nicenesse of S. Augustine shewing not only his care to deliver Traditionall truths themselves but the termes also in which those truthes were conveyed to his times Ne me ineptum putes Do not thinke me foolish saith be to Honoratus lib. de util cred cap. 3. for using Greek termes my chiefe reason is because I have so learned these things by Tradition neither dare I deliver them to thee any other way then as I have received them So the same Father dequant anima cap. 34 Divinè ac singulariter in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ traditus c. It is a Doctrine divinely and singularly delivered by Tradition in the Catholique Church that no Creature is to be worshipped with an internall worship of the Soule For I doe the more willingly expresse my selfe in these termes because the Doctrine was taught mee in the same This hee sayes because the word Creaturâ— did not seeme so pure and proper a Latin word From the like grounds proceeded those frequent speeches in Synods which silenced all Haereticall innovation Servetur quod traditum est and Vetus Traditio obtineat and Desinâ—t incessere novitas vetustatem c. Let that which is delivered by Tradition be observed And Let Tradition prevayle And Let novelty forbeare to oppose antiquity c. This care certainly was more curiously observed in the publique Devotions of the Church 2. For proofe whereof besides the confronting the Ancient Liturgies of the Easterne and Southerne Churches let Protestants if they please examine the Ages against which they believe they have the justest arguments of suspition of any other viz. since the time of S. Gregory the Great There are to this day extant his own Missalls in Print and Breviaries in Manuscript in severall Libraries let them examine what changes such ignorant superstitious Times as they thinke and so many wicked Popes as they say and not alwayes untruly have made in these publique Devotions of the Church They will blush certainly to have had the least suspition in this nature of the Primitive Times when they shall see evidently that in the Canon of the Masse there ha's scarce been one word altered for above these last thousand years And in the Breviary not any that will afford them contentment answerable to their paines of comparing them 3 Now whereas some Protestants demand and particularly Mr. Chillingworth in severall places where are we to seek for these Traditions of which the Roman Church talkes so much where is the Cabinet and Magazine wherein they are stored And when will shee empty it that we may see all the treasure that Christ lest unto his Church Hereto it is answered that M. Chillingworth said well that To say a secret Tradition is as absurd as to say a silent Thunder since Traditions are obvious to all Mens Eyes and sound aloud in all Mens Eares shining in the publique visible practice and profession of the Church The Church is so far from pretending as Protestants would faine seem to fancy that she has certaine secret conservatories of these Traditions out of which upon occasion she can draw some speciall ones to determine emergent Controversies and much lesse that the Holy Ghost suggests unto her in time of neede any formerly vanished Apostolique Revelation that whatsoever is not expresly in Scripture or satisfactorily apparenâ— in the publiquely received professions and practises of the Church are not perhaps determinable as points of Faith that is as Traditionary Divine Revelations In so much as some learned Catholiques are of opinion how justly or no I examin not that certaine Questions now ventilated in the Church as concerning the Conception of our Blessed Lady and some of the more subtill and scholasticall Controversies between the Jesuites and Dominicans concerning Grace and Freewill Predetermination and Contingency c. have not light enough either from Scripture Tradition or the publique Profession and Practise of the Church so as to be capable of a precise decision at least so farre as to make such a decision to become properly an article of Faith unlesse perhaps such a one as was that of the Councell of Vienna touching Grace infused into Infants in Baptisme which is set downe in this forme Nos attendentes that is Wee heedfully considering the generall efficacy of the death of Christ the which by Baptisme is applyed equally and indifferently to all that are baptized by the approbation of this Holy Councell have judged that the second opinion is to be chosen as the more probable and more consonant and agreeeing to the sayings of the Holy Fathers and of the moderne Doctors which opinion asserteth That informing Grace and vertues are as well conferred upon Infants in Baptisme as on persons of ripe age See Clementin de sum Trin. fide Cath. And thus the Councell of Basil Sess. 36. determined the point of the imaculate conception of our Blessed Lady not as an article of faith in the present strict and proper sense but tanquam doctrinam piam consonam fidei that is as a pious doctrine and consonant to faith See more in the learned treatise of Franc. as Clara called Systema fidei Cap. 35. 4. Indeed it cannot be denyed but that in
and necessary to be believed and commemorated at least by most Christians capable of instruction however by a well ordered Christian Church Yet meerly because this Mystery of the descent of the Holy Ghost hapned ten dayes beyond the time that all the Evangelists fixed to their Gospells not any of them relates it far was it from them to agree in the omitting of it upon this opinion that it was not necessary To the 3. Question viz. Whether the whole Gospell of Christ and every necessary doctrine of it were not surely believed among Christians I answer Yes Yea more that not onely the Gospell that is the Historicall narration of Christs life Sermons c. but whatsoever the Holy Ghost afterward taught ordered in the Church was the object of Christian faith as perteining to the Gospell that is the New Covenant To the 4. Whether they which were eye-witnesses and Ministers of the word from the beginning delivered not the whole Gospell of Christ I Answer Yes in this sence that all this Gospell as far as concernes our Saviours personall actions and passions during his abode among men hath been delivered sufficiently in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the foure Evangelists all together but in particular S. Marke omiâ—s the Incarnation birth c. of Christ S. Iohn the Lords Prayer the Blessed Sacrament c. very substantiall things in Christian Religion surely To the 5. Whether S. Luke doth not undertake to write in order those things whereof he had perfect understanding from the first I answer still Yes To the 6. Whether he had not perfect understanding of the whole Gospell of Christ I answer Yes yea more that if by the Gospell of Christ we meane as he does the story of Christ he could have added many more particulars not unconsiderable if he had pleased and if he had not thought that that which he did write was sufficient for his purpose and many more particulars yet he could have written of the Gospell of Christ if by that be meant Christian Religion in generall To the 7. Whether he doth not undertake to write to Thâ—ophilus of all those things wherein he had been instructed I answer Yes keeping within the limits of his designe To the 8. And whether he had not been instructed in all the necessary points of the Gospell of Christ I answer Yes viz. understood as before To the 9. Whether in the other Text of Act. c. 1. those words all things which Jesus began to do and teach must not at least imply all the principall and necessary things I answer Yes keeping to his subject To the 10. Whether this be not the very interpretation of your Rhemish Doctours in their annotations upon this place I answer I know not To the 11. Whether all these Articles of the Christian Faith without the belief whereof no man can be saved be not the principall and most necessary things which Jesus taught I must answer by parcells 1. I cannot assent to that that no man can be saved without the beliefe of all these Articles viz. conteined in the Creed of which he treates in this Chapter for I doubt not but some particular man in some cases and extremities may be saved without having received information of our Saviours being borne of a Virgin of his being three dayes in the Grave his Descent into Hell c. 2. I am assured that now Christians having means of more sufficient illumination are bound to believe more then the simple bare twelve Arti les of the Creed for the four first Generall Councels do much enlarge the signification of them and besides pâ—opose other points at least indirectly objects of our belief 3. To the following words I answer that though those points were the principall and most necessary things which Jesus taught yet this makes nothing against Catholique doctrine 1. Because many men are necessarily bound to know more then what is in it selfe simply necessary and 2. Our Saviour himselfe sayes expresly that besides those points which himselfe taught them there were others more sublime and surely necessary to some which till the Comforter came and enabled them further they were not able to beare To the 12. and last Question viz. Whether many things which S. Luke hath written in the Gospell be not lesse principall and lesse necessary then all and every one of them I answer Yes and good reason for it since his intent being to write a History and not a Catechisme it was fit for him to relate grosse modo all things that Jesus said or did whether necessary or not for as every circumstance and action of Christ though worth the knowing was not a mystery necessary to be related so neither were all his words articles of Faith necessary both to be known and believed 3. Whereas for a Corollary and Appendix to these Demands Mr. Chillingworth adds this Prosopopaea to his adversary When you have well considered these proposalls I believe you will be very apt to thinke if S. Luke be of any credit with you that all things necessary to salvation are certainly conteined in his writings alone If his learned adversary would give me leave I would answer That truly I have according to the capacity of my weake understanding well considered these proposalls and S. Luke is of very great credit with mee and yet I doe not finde in my selfe any aptitude at all to believe that all things necessary to salvation that is with respect to all men and all Churches as the present controversy requires are certainly conteined in his writings alone and this for severall reasons before alledged to which I will adde this one more for a close of this whole conclusion viz. Because I judging Mr. Chillingworth's opinion to be very reasonable that upon this hypothesis that all things necessary are conteined in Scripture it must follow that they are conteined there most clearely expresly and so as no reasonable honest man can doubt of the sense of them I am notwithstanding most assured that no man can finde in S. Lukes writings expresse words sufficient to confute all Haeretiques that ever taught any thing destructive to salvation It may be indeed so excellent a wit as Mr. Chillingworth's by the advantage of Logick and diligent reading of Fathers c. may out of S. Lukes Gospel draw conclusion after conclusion and so at last infer propositions contrary to Socinian doctrine for example yet he should deny his owne principles if he should call that doctrine a Haeresie or so much as an errour of the least danger which contradicts perhaps the fifth or sixth consequence drawne from an Article of Faith it selfe Let any man therefore for tryall take S. Luke or all the four Gospells yea the whole Bible and I am perswaded he will finde it a more then Herculean labour out of all to frame such a Creed as the Nicene or Athanasian and much more all the points concluded in the four first Generall Councells which truly
those that wrote this Confession to say this both for themselves and in the name of all their faction to the worlds end and this without consulting any of them to know whether they had received such an immediate revelation or testimony and without pretending to such an eminent gift of Prophecy as never was example of the like since the world began this exceedes all wonder Good Lord to what strange times are we reserved to see a Sect so numerous so powerfull as they have shewed themselves upon many sad occasions and not one of them but is a Prophet What a stupendious thing is this that there should not be found one Calvinist destitute of this so certeine so divine a testimony beyond the assurance of all Churches since Christ and yet not one Englishman or Frenchman unlesse of that faction nor any Christian that I know of besides that knowes any such thing of himselfe or dares pretend to it For surely if any one had it some would professe it since a man cannot have a Testimony but he knowes he has it This is a miracle beyond all that Christ and all his Apostles ever wrought in the Church But is it not more probable nay is it not beyond all probability most certaine most palpable that all these men knowingly and wilfully deceive themselves and would fain but cannot deceive others Is not this apparently a lying against the Holy Ghost Why may it not as well be expected that in their next Confession or rather their Presumption they should pretend as at least most particular writers among them doe for themselves and their heires a discerning infallible Spirit to judge of the sense of Scripture as well as the books Indeed what may not be expected from such as having had a hatred to charity and therefore no true love to the truth God has justly given over to strong delusions to believe such palpable lyes 4. But leaving these men miserably pleasing themselves in pretended inspirations and by that meanes attributing to the Holy Ghost not only all their errours but likewise their renouncing of Christian Charity Unity which is impossible as long as they take upon them to believe that it is from the Spirit that they have divided themselves from Gods Church both in opinion and practise I will returne to my enquiry concerning the authority of the Church CHAP. XVIII Importance of the Controversie concerning the Churches authority Meanes for satisfaction in it abundantly sufficient in Antiquity This Controversie before all others ought to be most diligently studyed by Protestants 1. PRoceeding therefore for mine owne satisfaction to read the Fathers upon this argument and resolving to read them as unpartially as possibly I could that is silencing mine owne understanding when it would interpose that no discourse or Rhetorique ought to have force against those demonstrations which I thought I had against the Churches infallibility or when it would invent forced senses to that world of passages which I found in the Fathers inconsistent with my pre-assumed assurance Proceeding I say in the best manner I could to the reading of the Fathers upon this point I found that as this controversie was of so infinite importance that upon the decision thereof eternall peace or warre in Religion among Christians depended the most wise and mercifull Providence had suitably furnished us with meanes of satisfaction in so important a point infinitely more copious evident and powerfull then in any other besides For in other speciall points of Controversie we must be content to informe our selves of the minde of Antiquity therein onely by particular dispersed passages of the Fathers commonly spoken en passant they having no occasion ordinarily to combate with Heretiques about them But in this businesse of the Churches authority I found Epistles Treatises Bookes yea volumnes full of almost no other subject I found that I may here before the proper season declare the successe of so many moneths labour that the maintaining of the authority of the Church against Heretiques alledging onely Scripture as a Rule and disclaiming all Judges of that Rule but themselves as to themselves had beene the businesse of many Ages the principall employment of many the learnedst holiest Fathers of the Church I found that such an authority of the Church had been a Tradition of all others most Universall not any one booke of Scripture being so often testified of in Antiquity as this I found that if this authority of the Church were not to be preserved inviolable all Synods and Councels that ever were in the Church fell to the ground yea more became not only of no validity but were to be esteemed the most unjust Tyrannicall conspiracies that ever were as presuming without sufficient warrant to accuse and anathematize whosoever opposed or accepted not their determinations even in such points as were not in Scripture at all or at most onely there in consequence to their interpretation Lastly I found to my infinite satisfaction and for which I thinke my selfe obliged to spend the greatest part of my life in glorifying Almighty God for it a full effectuall and experimentall satisfaction by acknowledging this authority and suffering my selfe to be taken out of my owne hands to be conducted by her that Christ had appointed for that office in a word I found that that saying of S. Hierome was most true viz. That the Sun of the Church presently dryes up all the streames of errour and Schisme 2. For these reasons I cannot chuse but adjure all Protestants especially English who think satisfaction and repose of mind upon earth and glory to be revealed in heaven to be things desirable that omitting or at least deferring all particular disputes with Catholiques they would in the first place without prejudice and partiallity examine what the present Catholique Church sayes and in what words Shee sayes it when Shee comes to declare her necessary doctrine concerning this her authority and that having found what it is that Shee requires to be believed they would without altering her expression and without applying thereto any particular Schoole-man's or Doctours interpretations as by an obliging necessity to be subscribed to or received compare what the Church defines with what the Fathers Councels do generally and purposely agree in And if this method produce not in them the same effect which by the blessing of God it did in mee yet at least they will have this contentment after an ingenuous and to my knowledge not-much by them-practised way of examination to conclude that they finde that their owne single judgement and interpretation of Scripture deserves rather to be relyed upon and to be preferr'd above all manner of visible authority of all persons and ages how sacred soever esteemed by others they will either become Catholiques or remaine in their own then not very unreasonable opinion Protestants still but persons meriting from themselves the highest esteem for infallibility that the Church ever enjoyed since the Apostles times CHAP.
Scriptures any example of such a thing yet the truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we doe that which pleaseth the whole Church the which the authority of the same Scriptures doth commend that because the holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgement of the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity doe demonstrate to the end that because the Scriptures cannot deceive us whoseover is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgement concerning it the which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity 6. Witnesse S. Vincentius Lyrinensis c. 2. Inasmuch as all do not take the Scripture in the same sense by reason of it's profundity but some on one fashion some on another so that almost as many sences may seem to be drawn from it as there are men for Novatianus expounds it one way Photinus another Sabellius another Donatus another Arius Eunomius Macedonius another Apollinarius and Priscillian another Iovinian Pelagius Caelestius another And lastly Nestorius another For this reason to avoyd the labyrinth of so many contrary errours it is very necessary that the line of Propheticall and Apostolicall conceptions should be drawn according to the rule of Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense or intelligence Witnesse lastly S. Leo It is not to be doubted but that all Christian observance is of divine institution and that whatsoever is received by the Church into the custome of devotion doth come from Apostolicall Tradition from the doctrine of the Holy Ghost who doth also now preside over his own institutes in the hearts of the Faithfull that all both obediently observe and wisely understand them Serm. 2. de Ieiun Pent. CHAP. XX. Quotations out of Antiquity for the authority of Councells A contrary character of Heretiques 1. TO the former quotations so expresse so efficacious to assert the Churches authority in points of Religion from which there lyes no appeale I will adjoyne other testimonies of Antiquity to demonstrate the veneration given by all Orthodox Fathers to the Councells of the Church their acknowledgement of their obliging authority and how in obedience to them they submitted their owne particular opinions Witnesse hereof may be either the Apostles themselves or Apostolique Fathers at least in those most ancient Canons whereto S Clement also gives testimony who appointed that Bishops should twice in the year keep Councells and among themselves examine the decrees of Religion and compose such Ecclesiasticall controversies as should arise the first in the fourth week after Pentecost and the second on the twelfth day of Hyperberitaei Octob. Witnesse S. Ignatius Ep. ad Smyrn Do you all follow the Bishop as Christ did his Father Without the Bishop let no man praesume to do any of those things which belong to the Church The same Holy Father Ep. ad Policarp testifieth that it was the order in his time that Syâ—ods and assemblies of Bishhops were frequently celebrated Witnesse Tertullian cont Psych cap. 13. In those countrys of Greece there are assembled in certaine appointed places Councells out of all Churches by which both things of higher importance are agitated in commune and the representation of the whole Christian name is celebrated with great veneration Witnesse that glorious Emperour Constantine in his Epistle to the Churches mentioned by Socrates Hist. Eccl lib. 1. cap. 6. where he saith Whatsoever is decreed in the Holy Councell of Bishops that is universally to be ascribed to the Divine Will Witnesse S. Gregory Nazianzen Ep. ad Chelid Those that agree with Apollinards say that they were admitted by the Councell of the West or Roman Bishop by whom it is manifest they were once condemned Let them shew this and we will yeild for then it is manifest that they assent to the true doctrine for it cannot be otherwise if they have obtained this Witnesse S. Ambrose de Fid. ad Grat. lib. 3. c 7. who calls the decrees of the Councell of Nice haereditariâ— signacula not to be violated by the rash boldnesse of any man And many expressions to the same effect are extant in S. Hilary in his booke addressed to the Emperour Constantius 2 Witnesse S. Augustin con Don. lib. 7. con Crescon lib. 1. It is to us a safe thing not to rush forward in any rashnesse of opinion concerning those things which neither have been agitated in any Catholique-National-Synod nor determined in any Occumenicall but to maintaine that with the assurance of a secure voice which in the government of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ hath been strengthned with the consent of the universall Church And againe In the former ages of the Church before the Schisme of Donatus Id. de Bapt. con Don. I. 1. The obscurity of that Question viz concerning Rebaptization of Haeretiques compelled great persons and endued with great charity to dispute and debate among themselves however without any breach of peace In so much that in severall Countreys for a long time the decisions of severall Councells did vary and clash among themselves untill in a Plenary Councell of the whole world that which was soundly believed was without all manner of doubt confirmed Again Id. con Parm Ep. lib. 2 the question being whether Baptisme can be given by those men also who never have been Christians we ought not to affirme determinately any thing therein without the authority of a Councell so great as may be answerable to the greatnesse of the matter But concerning those who are separated from the unity of the Church there is no question at all but that they doe both reteine it and communicate it and that they do both perniciously reteine and perniciously communicate it without the bond of Peace for this hath been already agitated considered perfected and confirmed in the unity of the whole world And againe Id. de Bapt. con Don. lib. 2. cap. 4. Neither durst we affirme any such thing if we were not well grounded upon the most uniforme authority of the universall Church unto which undoubtedly S. Cyprian would have yeelded if in his time the truth of this question had been discussed and declared and by a Generall Councel established Lastly to omit many expresse testimonies of Vincentius Lyrinensis Facundus c. the last witnesse shall be S. Gregory the Great Ep. 24. who professeth that he receives and venerates the fower first Generall Councells no otherwise then the fower Gospells as likewise that he doth in like manner embrace the fifth Councell This was the language of the Catholique Fathers when they wrote many of them purposely upon this very Question And besides these testimonies other will be produced occasionally in the following discourse 3. On the contrary Haeritiques as S. Basile observes doe generally agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to raise an altar in opposition to the altar of the
that is To be able to give a judgement whether any thing be defined by the Church we must as Cajetan well observes attend unto the errors which the Church proposeth to condemn and not to those things which shee speaks incidently for such things doe not remaine defined neither is it erroneous in Faith to opine against them Now the intention of the Councell of Lateran in that decree was only to exclude the errour of Origen who affirmed That this visible world was not per se directly intended by God but onely occasionally and by accident to be a prison in which the Devills should be punished and hereupon the Councell defined That it was Gods pleasure and will directly and out of his primary intention by his divine Omnipotence to create both the Angelicall and Humane Nature Whereas in that Decree it onely sayes incidently that he created at once from the beginning both these Natures And therefore this last assertion is not by vertue of the said definition become an Article of Faith Hitherto Salmanticencis De Angel p. 364. 4. Hence it will appeare what ill use Mr. Chillingworth makes of the terme infallibility either unwillingly forgetting or willingly concealing the great latitude that is allowed generally and by unsuspected Catholique Authors to the sense and notion of it which latitude I am assured his learned Adversary would have been very willing to have allowed him But it was not for his purpose to accept nor so much as take notice of such allowance it would have spoiled and abated the edge of many of his flourishing and seemingly subtile discourses So that it is apparent that Mr. Chillingworths arguments against the Churches just authority as he pretends which to most English men and I am sure to me once appeared unanswerable If that the word infallibility were but laid by for a while yea if the unquestionably allowable qualifications if its sense were but expressed would I am confident by mine owne experience lose the greatest part of their strength and however appeare not to endanger the Catholique Church at all 5. I doe not speak this being now as I am by Gods grace a Catholique to the end either to shew my selfe foolishly forward to take part with any one Catholique writer or opinion against another for the truth is my resolution was that if my mind disquieted with scruples of Religion should chance to finde rest in the Catholique Church to submit my selfe in all simplicity to her doctrine to avoid as much as might be the interessing my selfe in Disputes and Controversies and the entertaining all unusuall suspected devious and rash opinions and to spend the remainder of my life more to the benefit of my soule then by engaging my selfe in particular factions and partialities either about Doctrines or practices Nor secondly to censure at randome all those that make use of that terme in disputations For I know that before any of our late Schismes that word was used perhaps without any inconvenience by the Schoole men and if it were confined to that place where it was bred there would be still no inconvenience But since by manifest experience the Protestants I speak of England thinke themselves so secure when they have leave to stand or fall by that word and in very deed have so much to say for themselves when they are pressed unnecessarily abruptly and too too rudely with it the sence thereof not being mollified and sweetned by just and allowable qualifications Since likewise it is a word capable of so high a sence that we cannot devise one more full and proper to attribute to God himselfe insomuch as Mr. Chillingworth when he could prove that the Church was not in so high a degree infallible as the Apostles shall I say no not as God himselfe thought he had gained the victory Whereas besides Bellarmine before quoted S. Aug. lib. 2. de Bapt. com Don. cap. 3. expresly allowes to holy Scripture a place and preeminence before the decisions of Councells Lastly since the Church which Catholiques in this controversie doe pretend to maintaine only obliges no man to that word which is not found expresly in any of her received Counsells as Mounsieur Veron professeth yea since shee almost desivers the victory into their hands when they urge only her decisions and when they urge them in the latitude that she allows Can I be blamed if my duty to the Church my affection to mine own countrey and indeed to all that call themselves Christians and the remembrance how if I had not perceived that it might be permitted me in this Controversy concerning the Church to wave that word of infallibility I should perhaps never have had occasion to speak this of it in a writing of this nature Can I I say be blamed if such reasons move me to wish that the Protestants may either never be invited to combat the authority of the Church under that notion Or however that when the terme of Infallibility is used it may not be pressed in a sense more rigorous and comprehensive then the Church her selfe hath expressed 6. Now here by the way I think it fit to the end to prevent any mistake or misconstruction of what hath been sayd touching the words Infallible and Infallibility to expresse my meaning to be this viz. That I am so far from dislikeing the words themselves so generally made use of both by Schoole men and Controvertists that I professe I cannot devile any other single termes by which to expresse the Churches just and necessary Authority For if it be true as infallibly it is I am sure That God hath endowed his Church with an Authority to which all Christisns are obliged to submit their understandings and captivate their wills then it must necessarily follow from the infinite wisdome and goodnesse of God that his divine providence will preserve his church in all truth so as to secure all believers that they cannot be misled by following her nor walk safely when they follow any other direction And by consequence that she can neither deceive them nor be deceived her self all which is clearly imported in the distinct Grammaticall sense of those single termes Infallible and Infallibility Notwithstanding since the same termes may possibly be misconceived because they are capable of comprehending a more extended notion then is here expressed as evidently they do when they are attributed to God and to his immediately inspired word And since Protestants have especially of late entertained and drunk in a notion and conception from these termes far more rigorous and comprehensive then either the church her self or most of the most learned and approved Controvertists do conceive any one to be obliged unto which notion it is as yet very difficult to efface out of their imaginations Upon these grounds it is that both from mine own experience in my self and knowledge that I think I have of the peculiar temper of English Protestants I judged it convenient and even requisite
to exhort Catholiques treating with them especially in such times as these that the fields are even white unto the Harvest and that very many more may probably be won by a charitable complyance yet still without wrong to necessary Catholique doctrine God forbid else then perhaps by the most convincing arguments of reason That they would condescend so far either to the misunderstandings prejudices or infirmity of Protestants as since the Church her self obliges no man to those very expresse termes for a while either to abstain from them in disputes or using them to do it with a qualifying preface urging and fastning no stricter a sense on them then the Churches own Decision of her authority doth require Certainly the receiving of a soul from Heresie and Schisme is a work so infinitely precious and meritorious before Almighty God that it will deserve that we should employ in it not only all our strength of wit and learning but all our charity likwise so imitating the great example of that great Conductor of souls S. Paul who told the Corinthians Astutus dolo vos cepi that is being crafty I caught you with guile namely by instilling Christian Doctrines into their minds leisurely and seasonably neither out of time enforcing unnecessary truths upon them nor hastily and abruptly urging even necessary but perhaps unwelcome ones till he had prudently prepared a way for them Now if we entreating with well minded but seduced souls would imitating S. Paul only propose to them at the first necessary doctrines and those represented with all the lawfull inviting advantages and most easie constructions we should no doubt make many points from which for the present through misapprehension they have a strong aversion very receiveable and very easily digestable to them And by these meanes having been happy instruments of restoring them to the Church we may at leasure if we have a mind seek to induce them to adhere unto and declare themselves for our particular opinions and distinctive interpretations of common points 7. But to return from this digression I most affectionately entreat the Protestants that they would heedfully cast their eyes upon this decree of the Councell of Trent that they would peruse and turn it as they please and when they have done this let them consider if a Synod of Charenton or Dort or Gap do not even while they renounce all visible obliging authority usurp notwithstanding more then the Catholike Church here challenges Would any of them give leave to any among them to interpret Scriptures against their sense established by them Nay do not they command men to interpret Scriptures against doctrines unanimously consented to by Fathers Lastly would they suffer a French Protestant to interpret Scriptures but even as their brethren Protestants in in England heretofore during their prosperity graced by them with that title do ordinarily interpret them for example about Episcopacy reall Presence c If therefore such fragments of churches do allow themselves so much let Protestants try if they can be unreasonable enough to impute tyranny to the Catholique Church for forbidding any in her communion to invent new senses of Scripture contrary not onely to the doctrine universally embraced through the whole Catholike world but to this doctrine as professed to be the same which all Churches before and all Fathers unanimously consent in CHAP. XXII The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 1. I Will now proceed in my narration how and by what meanes after I had informed my selfe of the Roman Churches established doctrine concerning her authority and after I had been assured by very learned Catholiques that I was not obliged to build upon any other expression of this doctrine but that of the Church it selfe I in ashort time arrived to a full satisfaction of all the difficulties and prejudices that before I was incombred withall 2. The objections and difficulties by education and many yeares study setled in my mind against the Churches infallibility or authority and which were not suddainly cleared after I knew that the Church was more moderate and condescending then I had before believed respected not only the substance of this doctrine but likewise many particulars and circumstances of it as likewise the immediate consequences of it forexample How it could be justifyed with certainty sufficient to support a supernaturall faith that the Church was legally possessed of this authority Where this authority was scated whether in the whole Church or some speciall members of it Upon what grounds it was challenged How far it was extended And after all these what might appeare to me to be the most rationall way for a Catholique to expresse his resolution of faith so confidently by all Protestants charged with circles and absurdities 3. To gaine satisfaction in these points as for the foundation I resolved only to consider what the Church her selfe sayd so for an information more particular since the church had not descended to so punctuall an expression of her mind conceived it my best way to have recourse either to the writings or verball resolutions of such Catholiques of unsuspected Opinions as had expressed themselves the most moderately intelligibly with allowing the greatest latitude and lastly most approaching to the grounds which I thought before to be most reasonable The particular persons whose speeches or writings contributed most to my satisfaction I shall occasionally name or reflect upon in the pursuance of this Narration 4. Now I do not vainly pretend to or so much as trouble my self with wishing that any man Catholique or other should believe that the method according to which I proceeded or the grounds which in mine own reasoning I laid were more rationall then others for my intent is only to make an Exomologesis or account of that particular order and progresse whereby I attained repose of mind in the authority of the Church and great contentment in abasing and captivating my reason It will be sufficient for me if the grounds by me laid and inferences from them deserve not to be condemned by Catholiques to prevent which I may with confidence say that I took very good advice and used very great circumspâ—â—â—ion Let them be accounted as imperfect as any man shall please I am very well contented that others should tell me that they could have furnished me with better This only I have to say that purposing to write mine own story and not directions for others I am resolved to tell it freely and ingenuously without concealing whatsoever defaults or wickednesses may by others be imputed to it CHAP. XXIII Grounds laid to prove a certainty of Tradition Severall degrees of it 1. SOme of the grounds laid by me in preparation to a distinct conception and satisfaction concerning the Churches authority founded upon Tradition and the certainty thereof have been already occasionally though somwhat before their due season mentioned in the former conclusion cap. 8. and 9. The substance
23. But if we observe the dependance and limitation of that speech the meaning will appear to be that for the outward practises of Moyses his law the Jews were to submit themselves to the established authority yea even when they interpreted that law to the peoples disadvantage as they did in the case of tythes mentioned by our Saviour in consequence of the former speech including herbs ' as Mint Commyn c. among the Species tythable which Moyses his law did not expresse not necessarily imply 3. Such authority the Priests Scribeâ— and Pharisees had to explain the Precepts of his law for outward practise But as for spirituall points of belief Prophecies or internall sanctity it does not appear that they much medled with them not one decision of the Sanedrim can be produced concerning such matters Indeed who should be the interpreter of such doctrines There were among them two principall factions the first of the Nobility that is Priests and those were generally Sadduces as Josephus informs us the other that popular faction of the Pharisees Now I suppose the Sadduces who denied the immortality of the soul the existence of Angells c. were very incompetent Judges in spirituall matters and yet the authority was principally in their hands As for the Pharisees they were the more Orthodox of the two but wanted authority And to shew that neither party pretended that points of such a nature were within their cognizance it is observeable that neither of them extended their power to the condemnation or excommunication of the other for such differences For for such trifles as heaven or hell c. they gave free liberty of conscience to every one to believe what and how much any man thought fit Therefore surely our Saviour never intended to extend the forecited Text to such decisions of the Scribes For then the people had been obliged to have submitted to that decree of theirs viz. that he should be excommunicated that confessed Christ to have been the Messiah Which Decree of theirs though it seems to be about a principall point of Faith yet the ground of making it was not to determine points of that nature but because they believed or at least said that they believed that our Saviours design had been to destroy the law of Moyses and the Temple and all the Rites which Moyses gave to the Jews therefore as externall Magistrates they provided by such a decree against sedition and rebellion CHAP. XXXII Enquiry concerning the extent of the Churches authority How Stapleton states this point 1. AFter the having examined the grounds of the Churches authority which appeared to me both as firm in themselves as the expresse word of God the promises of Christ and the Prophecies of the Old Testament could make any thing firm and likewise as evidently certain to my understanding as the universall acknowledgement of all Christians in the Catholique Church attested by the continuall profession and practise of all ages of Christianity the quotations yea whole volumes of Fathers and the concurrence of all Councells Provinciall Nationall and Oâ—cumenicall could render any thing that was delivered before our times assured to any man In the next place I took into consideration the extent and latitude of this authority how far it did necessarily oblige all Christians to submit to it and what manner of submission is required respectively to the doctrines Rites Reformations c. decided by the Church 2. Now this enquiry I made not with any designe to make choice of any particular opinion among learned Catholiques to adhere to in opposition to any others for being a Catholique I was resolved to be an obedient son of the Church and onely of the Church but to the end that by instructing my self how much more easie some Catholique Doctors of unquestionable integrity had made the bonds whereby the Church restrained all in her Communion contrary to that conceit which I whilst I was a Protestant had entertained when I opposed the Churches authority under the School-notion of infallibility and that notion extended to the utmost importance of the word I might clearly perceive my selfe and if occasion were discover to others especially of my own country that the exceptions and advantages which we have against the Roman Church proceed only from our misunderstanding of her necessary doctrines or at most that all the efficacy they have is only against particular opinions and inferences made by particular Catholique Writers 3. I did not search for the most qualified sense of the Churches authority in the writings of Occham Almain Major no nor of the most learned spirituall Gerson c. partly because some of those Writers are obnoxious to be excepted against and all of them wrote before the new Schismes gave Catholiques the oportunity to study this controversie more exactly I had recourse therefore to writings published since the Councell of Trent and abstaining from relying upon the suspitious moderatenesse of Cassander Padre Paulo Veneti Picherellus c. I fixed upon the judgement of our learned Stapleton a man seldome cited either by Cardinall Bellarmin Peâ—ron c. without a testimony of his profoundnesse perspicuity and integrity and without the least suspition from any Catholique of tergiversation partiality or unsoundnesse 4. This so approved Doctor in those books which he wrote purposely upon this subject being to determine this Question viz. An Ecclesiae vox determinatio sit infallibilis that is Whether the voice and determination of the Church be infallible gives an exact explication of the true state of the controversie in seven observations called by him Notabilia which are in brief as followeth 1. That the Church does not expect to be taught by God immediately by nâ—w revelations or enthusiasmes but makes use of severall means and diligent enquiry as being governed not by Apostles who received immediate revelation but by ordinary Pastors and Teachers 2. That these Pastours in making use of these severall means of decision proceed not as the Apostles did with a peculiar infallible direction of the Holy Spirit but with a prudentiall collection not alwaies necessary 3. That to the Apostles who were the first Masters of Evangelicall Faith and founders of the Church such an infallible certitude of means was necessary not so now to the Church which pretends not to make new Articles of Faith but only to deliver what faithfully she received and in some cases to adde explications 4. That in conclusions notwithstanding though drawn from means and arguments sometimes of reason and humane documents the Church is infallible Propheticall and by the holy Spirit 's assistance in some sense divine 5. That the ground of this difference is because the Church teacheth not Philosophically and by rules of art but by an authority conferred by Almighty God Hence in Councells we see their Decrees and Conclusions but not alwaies their proofs and arguments 6. That this manner of deciding in Councells was necessary first in respect of ignorant
the universall Christian world Again The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed And again We should not have the boldnesse to affirm any such thing were it not that we are confirm'd by the most unanimous authority of the universall Church Now I suppose their intention is not to refund all authority finally upon the ignorant people but upon the whole Body of the Prelates admitting and attesting what was decreed by a few in Councells by which means the universall Government of the Church sets their seal to the Doctrine of Faith and vertually or by consequence in and with them all Christians universally in their communion and under their charge By this means indeed all possible objections will be taken away and the Decisions of Councells will be the Acts not of ten Bishops representing a hundred and perhaps giving suffrages to Doctrines never questioned or debated by them but of all the Bishops of the Christian world Now it is not necessary according to these Authors grounds that there must be such a Reception of conciliary acts by particular Pâ—â—â—â—â—s â—â—prossely fâ—â—mally and directly it being sufficient â—hat it be done interpretatively that is when such Doctrines are known and permitted to be published â—emine reclamante And till this be done shy they the Councell though in it self it be very legitimate and deserving the â—itle of Oecumonicall yet it does not sufficiently and evidently appear to be so whereas a Provinciall Councell yea a Private Fathers or Doctours opinion so received ha's in it the vertue of a Generall Councell 4. Now this opinion maintained by such considerable learned Catholikes and not apparently contrary to any decision of the Church though I did not intend to subscribe to as undoubtedly true for my resolution alwaies was not to engage my self in any private Sects or topicall opinions and least of all in such as appeared to be exotick and suspitious notwithstanding I was very well contented to perceive that it was at least an allowable opinion For I found it of great convenience to my self to free me from many difficulties For thereby 1. Here is no entrenching on the points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants since they are all not only decided by the authority of Councells but likewise actually assented to and imbraced by all particular Catholique Churches neither as matters of controversie do now stand is it necessary to require any more from Protestants then what ha's been so both decided and received 2. Hereby all the objections which Protestants make from certain reall or imaginary contradictions which may be found in decrees of Councells about other points not now in controversie are apparently rendred ineffectuall for if that be to be only necessarily accounted an article of Catholique Faith which is actually acknowledged and received by Catholiques and since contradictions cannot be actually assented to it will follow that whatsoever decisions of Councells may seem to oppose such articles are not necessarily to be accounted Catholique Doctrines and by consequence not obligatory 3. That so much objected speech of S. Augustine de Bapt. Dom. l 2. c. 3. viz. The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed though it be understood of points of Doctrine as it seems to require such a sense because S. Augustine speaks it upon occasion of rebaptization yet makes nothing against Catholiques who upon the forementioned grounds and authorities need account that only to be Catholique Doctaine which is actually imbraced by Catholiques Yea upon the same grounds the like may be said of that yet more bold speech of Cardinall Cusanus viz. It may be observed by all experience that an Universall Councell may fail Cusan concord l. 2. c. 14. 5. But to proceed to the severall grounds upon which I conceived Stapleton determined this question with a greater latitude and indulgence then most other Writers and yet notwithstanding he hath escaped the censure of any being commended even by those who use much more rigor in it then he has done The first is That no Doctrine can be called an Article of Faith but what was in the beginning revealed and delivered to the Church by Christ and his Apostles 2. That these doctrines have been preserved and continued to these times by Tradition that is not only in books approved and delivered Traditionally but rather in an orall practicall Tradition from one age to another For the Church pretends not to any new immediate revelation though she enjoys an effectuall assistance of Gods holy Spirit 3. That there is a double obligation from decisions of Generall Councells the first an obligation of Christian belief in respect of doctrines delivered by Generall Councells as of universall Tradition the second only of Canonicall obedience to orders and constitutions for practise by which men are not bound to believe that these are inforced as from divine authority but only to submit to them as acts of a lawfull Ecclesiasticall power however not to censure them as unjust much lesse to oppose and contradict them 4. That many I may say most constitutions of Councells in order to practise do yet vertually include some degree of belief as that of Communion under one kind of the use of Images in Churches and upon Altars c. of residence of Bishops of authorised Translations of Scripture c. And that in such cases we are not obliged to believe that Christ or his Apostles gave order that such practises should follow but only that considering Christs continuall care over his Church so clearly promised neither these nor any other orders universally established and practised are destructive to any substantiall doctrine or practise of Christianity and that the authority left by Christ in his church was so large and ample as that when she shall judge it fit considering the various dispositions of succeeding timesâ— she may alter externall practises and formes not essentiall orâ— of the substance of Christian Religion even in the Sacraments themselves as we see acknowledged in some cases by all Christian churches as about the altering of the time and posture of receiving the Eucharist the triple immersion in Baptisme abstaining from things strangled and from bloud c. 5. That doctrines determined by Nationall Councells lay no obligation at all upon any other churches but only those whose Bishops meet together and all the obligation even of those Christians who live within such Provinces is only not to contradict they are not bound to receive such decisions as Articles of Faith the reason being evident because one Nation cannot be a competent judge of Catholique Tradition and there neither is nor can be any Article of Faith but what is delivered that way 6. That the authority of the Pastours of the present Church is not of
either denyed or affirmed they being of a contrary opinion would break Communion from and deny it to other Churches for Schisme about unnecessary things is by all Christians acknowledged a sin almost unpardonable 2. That rationally to affirm a doctrine to be expressed plainly in Scripture it is not sufficient to say it appeares so to me for so almost every one will be forward to say of all his Opinions which he pretends to be grounded on Scripture But that is to be called plain and expresse which ha's not been controverted by men of reason pretending to piety and impaertiality especially if they be in any considerable number so that it will not be satisfactory to say this appears plainly to me and I am sure I am not led by interest or faction as others are for this may be every ones plea against another 3. That where two senses are given of any passage of Scripture the one extremely probable and naturall the other not wholly absurd and whereof the words may possibly be capable in this case one Protestant cannot upon their own grounds condemn or impute heresie to another 3. These positions thus premised in the next place I conceived it very just that before any Sect of Christians did build upon this foundation of the Scriptures containing expressely and evidently all things necessary that they should all conspire to make a Catalogue of points necessary and this with relation to severall states of persons or at least to Communions and Churches I add this limitation because to multiply severall distinct Catalogues for all persons would be of extreme labour and on the other side to make one Catalogue for all men would as Mr. Chillingworth Cap. 3. parag 13. sayes be like the making a coat for the Moon which is continually in the wain or encrease 4. Now to shew the reasonablenesse of this and that Mr. Chillingworths adversary required most justly such a Catalogue from Protestants let but any man consider with himself what satisfaction any man can have from a Protestant Minister when he shall tell him You have the Bible of our Translation in which we affirm all necessary truths to be contained but mixed with a world of unnecessary you are not absolutely bound to study or to be able to read this Bible yet you shall be damned if you be ignorant of those necessary truths dispersed here and there in it to say definitively how many and which are those especiall necessary truths we are not able neither have we authority therefore at your own perill be sure you mistake neither in the number nor sense of those truths we can indeed afford you Articles and Catechismes to which as long as you live with us you must be forced to subscribe but we have no authority for there is none visible upon earth to propose our collections or determinations as obliging in conscience c. In what a miserable case would that Protestant be that should give himself leave to examine upon how meer a quicksand all his pretentions to eternity are built 5. And whereas Mr. Chillingworth would seem to conceive himself secure in the midst of these uncertainties because as he thinks Catholiques also are encumbred with the like I found that conceit of his altogether groundlesse for the promises of Christ remaining firm and appropriated to the Catholique Church it will follow 1. That in the Catholique Church shall be taught to the worlds end all necessary and profitable truths to all sorts of persons so that every man respectively receiving and believeing what the church appoints to be proposed to him cannot fail of being instructed with things necessary c. 2. The same Church being endued with authority to determine the true sense of divine truths a Catholique submitting to the Church cannot be in danger through mistakes or errours so that he who hearkens to the Church ha's his catalogue of fundamentalls made to his hand the Church like the wise Steward in the Gospell out of that store of provisions given her by Christ proportioning to every man his dimensum panis quotidiani his own befitting allowance 6. And here by the way will appear 1. The vanity of that ordinary calumny which Protestants impute to the Catholique Church as if she taught that it were sufficient to ignorant men only implicitly to believe what the Church believes without an explicite belief of any thing for there is none so ignorant but is obliged to know and assent to what the Church teacheth him by his Pastour suitable to his estate and education And secondly an usuall mistake among Protestants who think that all the credenda in Catholique Religion are comprised in the definitions of Councells for before ever any Generall Councell sate the Church was furnished with her full measure of divine truths necessary to be believed which were by her publiquely professed and proposed which have been occasionally declared and distinctly expounded in her Councells But to return to Mr. Chillingworth 7. He by his sharp understanding and long meditation coming to perceive those inconveniences and considering that no Protestant or other Church could upon their generally acknowledged grounds authoritatively define either the number or sense of Articles of Faith so as to oblige any man even within her Communion in conscience to assent and submission For for example if an Englishman would not subscribe to the sense of any Article of the Church of England all the penalty would be he should not partake of the priviledges and preferments of that Church but he might go over into Denmark or Holland whose sense in such an Article he liked better and still be acknowledged even by the English Church to be orthodox enough He therefore was forced to introduce two Novelties among English Protestants which find great approbation the first is to alter the old manner and notion of subscription to the English Articles for whereas before the Protestants there by their subscription testified their belief of all the 39. Articles in the sense imported in the words yea whereas there was a Canon which denounced Excommunication ipso facto to all that should say that any of them were not true Mr. Chillingworth thus expresseth his mind in subscribing I am perswaded that the constant doctrine of the Church of England is so pure and Orthodox that whosoever believes it and lives according to it undoubtedly he shall be saved and that there is no error in it which may necessitate or warrant any man to distrub the peace or renounce the Communion of it This in my opinion saith he is all intended by subscription 8. His second novelty is that whereas the Protestants alwaies professed that the publiqua Confessions of their Churches Faith was indeed their own faith that is such expressions plain and indubitable as are in holy Scripture concerning such points or at least irrefragable consequences from Scripture and therfore were to them as Scripture because their sence of Scripture and whereas they respectively
natures for some proceed directly against it others only against some consequences from it I will therefore weigh first his objections grounded upon the different opinions of Catholikes concerning that point 2. His reasons directly proving as he believes that no church of one denomination can be infallible and therefore not the Catholique Church 3. His proofs that Catholiques in their resolution of Faith are entangled in circles and absurdities 4. His arguments to demonstrate that Catholiques can have no assurance either of the authority of the church or the validity of any acts performed by the Pastors thereof c. But before I attempt a discussion of these particulars I may in generall say of all his objections that since they proceed only against the word Infallibility and that word extended to the utmost height and latitude that it can possibly bear Catholiques as such are not at all concerned in them seeing neither is that expression to be found in any received Councell nor did ever the Church enlarge her authority to so vast a widenesse as Mr. Chillingworth either conceived or at least for his particular advantage against his adversary thought good to make show as if he conceived so 2. But come we to consider his arguments against Catholiques grounded upon the different opinions among them in what subject this Infallibility or authority is to be placed The most pressing and pertinent passage in his book concerning this subject is this which follows viz. What shall we say now if you be not agreed touching your pretended means of agreement How can you pretend to unity either actuall or potentiall more then Protestants may Some of you say the Pope alone without a Councell may determine all controversies but others deny it Some that a Generall Councell without a Pope may do so others deny this Some both inconjunction are infallible determiners others againe deny this Lastly some among you hold the acceptation of the decrees of Councells by the universall Church to be the only way to decide controversies which others deny by denying the Church to be infallible And indeed what way of ending controversies can this be when either part may pretend that they are part of the Church and they receive not the decree therefore the whole Church hath not received it Mr. Chil. c. 3. parag 6. 3. Hereto I answer 1. That there is indeed no need at all of an answer since the very objection answers it self for by saying there are variety of opinions among Catholiques acknowledged for such even while they differ it follows that the objector is not obliged to submit to that Judge which any Catholique refuses 2. None of these will deny that decision of the Councell of Trent viz. Ecclesiae est judiâ—are de vero sensu sacrae Scripturae that is It belongs to the Church to judge of the true sense of holy Scripture And Protestants will not be urged to submit to any more rigid or higher expression 3. Yea moreover this indulgence I am confident will be granted them namely That no man will endeavour to oblige them further then to doctrines and practises determined by one or more Councells universall confirmed by the Pope and actually received and accepted by all Catholiques that is as much as to say to believe that there is indeed an obliging authority in the Catholike Church to impose upon her children a belief of all doctrines proposed in her Oecumenicall Councells let this authority be limited and streightned with as many Proviso's and the sense of these doctrines enlarged and qualified with as many mollifying interpretations as any approved Catholike Doctor hath thought good that is indeed as any reasonable man remaining so can desire only upon condition that they do not prejudice nor grate upon the pure simple language wherein the Church expresses her self Christians are at liberty what particular Doctors sense they like to embrace or whether none at all but will content themselves with the naked decisions of the Church as they lye without making inferences or building thereon further conclusions CHAP. XLI His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered 1. IN the second place we will weigh his reasons to prove that no Church of one denomination is infallible and by consequence no Church at all His words are after he had said that he was willing upon courtesie to grant that Christ made a promise absolute of indefectibility to his Church but be interprets it only in this sense viz. That true Religion shall never be so far driven out of the world but that it shall alwaies have some where or other some that believe and professe it in all things necessary to salvation and that such believers shall never erre in fundamentalls for if they did they were not a Church But he denyes utterly that there is any Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls because no Church is fit to be a Guide but onely a Church of some certaine denomination as the Greek the Roman the Abyssine c. For sayes he otherwise no man can possibly know which is the true Church but by a pre-examination of the doctrine controverted and that were not to be guided by the Church to the true doctrine but by the true doctrine to the Church Now sayes he that there is not any Church of one denomination infallible in fundamnntalls is evident for 1. If it were an infallible guide in fundamentalls she would be infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed 2. That being a point of so mâ—â—n consequence certainly the Scripture would have named that Church 3. Because Catholiques themselves build the assurance of the churches infallibility onely upon motives very credible but not certain Lastly beeause it is evident and even to impudence it selfe undeniable that upon this ground of believing all things taught by the present church as taught by Christ errour was held For example the necessity of giving the Eucharist to Infants and that in S. Augustines time and that by S. Augustine himself and therefore without controversie this is no certain ground for truth which may support falshood as well as truth The same may be said of the doctrine of the Chiliasts which S. Irenaeus and S. Justin Martyr say was a traditionary doctrine from the Apostles times c. 2. To answer this discourse by parcells And first concerning his exposition of Christ's promise of indefectibility to his Church it ha's been answered in more then one place already 2. Where he sayes that there is no Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls I desire to know whether those whom Christ ha's appointed in his church to be Overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governors Assistants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be not fit to be accounted guides at least in Fundamentalls Againe whether an agreement of all these Governours meeting in a Generall Councell be not the supremest authority Thirdly
promises to his Church So that the Church even when she does upon supposition erre yet she does not even then lead any man out of the way to heaven or within the danger of hell gates seeing the promises of Christ are infallible that his Spirit shall conduct or rather preserve his Church in the belief and profession of all truths at least necessary and as for points supernumerary or unnecessary neither unwilfull ignorance nor unavoidable mistake shall be imputed as sinfull to any man 6. To the second proof viz. That if the promise of infallibility had been made to any Church of one denomination certainly the Scripture would have named that Church and have directed all Christians to have recourse unto her it being a point of so main importance I answer 1. The inference is not at all concluding as I shewed before in the first conclusion 2. The Scripture ha's expressely mentioned such promises made to the Church and if we will follow either reason or Catholique Tradition interpreting Scripture we must at least apply those promises to the whole body and succession of the Catholique Church united under one Head since no particular man or Church considered only as a distinct member of the whole can pretend to these promises as peculiarly applicable to themselves Now this whole body was as apparent and distinguishable from particular sects in the times of S. Augustine and S. Gregory as if it had been a Church of one denomination since they framed all their arguments and discourses from the apparent visibility of it and surely to any one that would not shut his eyes would have appeared as clear and demonstrable in Luthers time also 7. To the third proof of Mr. Chillingworth viz. That Catholiques build their assurance of the infallibility of the Church only upon fallible and uncertain grounds and marks I answer that I have made the contrary appear in severall places before demonstrating that it is grounded upon the most firm unshaken foundation that reason can have viz. Universall Tradition by which it is more effectually proved then any particular book of Scripture hath been 8. To his last proof against the Churches infallibility from his two examples wherein the Church is said to have erred universally in points pretended to be of Tradition as namely about the giving the blessed Sacrament to Infants mentioned by S. Augustine and the doctrine of the Millenaries by S. Justin Martyr and S. Irenaeus For the first example I refer my self to the satisfactory answer given by Cardinall Perron to the same objection made by King James Perr repl l. 2. obs 3. c. 11. 2. Concerning the other example of the doctrine of the Millenaries c. I answer that S. Justin Martyr dial cum Trypho saith not that it was a Catholique Tradition nor received by the whole Church but only of himself and many other Christians but withall that there were many also who were of a pure and pious Christian beliefe which did not acknowledge it And when all that could be alledged to prove that doctrine to have been an Apostolique Tradition was said the proof ended upon the report of Papias a very credulous man one that loved to tell stories many of which could not find belief in the Church a man meanely learned and by consequence one that might very probably mistake what he sayes S. John told him concerning that point CHAP. XLII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of circles and absurdities to the resolution of Faith of Catholiques 1. A Third rank of arguments with which Mr. Chillingworth combats the infallibility of the Church is grounded upon the absurdities Meanders and circles which he sayes most unavoidably follow the resolution of the faith of Catholiques Let us hear the sum of his allegations in his own words cap. 2. 118. 119. For Gods sake Sir tell me plainly in those Texts of Scripture which you alledge for the infallibility of your Church do not you allow what sense you think true and disallow the contrary and do you not this by the direction of your private reason if you do why do you condemn it in others If you do not I pray what direction do you follow Or whether you follow none at all If none at all this is like drawing Lots or throwing dice for the choice of a Religion If any other I beseech you tell me what it is Perhaps you will say the churches authority and that will be to dance finely in a round thus To believe the Churches infallible authority because the Scriptures avouch it and to believe that Scriptures say and mean so because they are so expounded by the Church Is not this for a Father to beget his son and the son to beget his Father For a foundation c. The Church you say is infallible I am very doubtfull of it How shall I know it The Scripture you say affirmes it as in the 59. of Esay My Spirit that is in thee c. Well I confesse I find there these words but I am still doubtfull whether they be spoken of the Church of Christ and if they be whether they meane as you pretend You say the Church sayes so which is infallible Yea but that is the question and therefore not to be begged but proved neither is it so evident as to need no proof otherwise why brought you this Text to prove it Nor is it of such a strange quality above all other Propositions as to be able to prove it self What then remains c. But Universal Tradition you say and so do I too is of it self credible and that ha's in all ages taught the churches infallibility with full consent But that it ha's I hope you would not have me take upon your word for that were to build my self upon the Church and the Church upon you Let then the Tradition appear for a secret Tradition is somewhat like a silent Thunder You will perhaps produce c. 2. For answer hereto 1. If Mr. Chillingworth's adversary had grounded the doctrine of the Churches authority meerly and only upon Texts of Scripture capable of contrary senses there might have been just ground for Mr. Chillingworth to have pleased himself as he oft does in insulting thus on him and intangling him thus in his circles But Mr. Chillingworth himself absolves him toward the latter end of the former passage where he sayes But universall Tradition you say and so do I too is of it selfe credible and that ha's in all ages taught the Churches infallibility c. Whereby he shews clearly that his adversary though he serves himself as reasonably he may and ought of some Texts of Scripture to fortifie the Traditionary doctrine of the Churches authority yet makes not those Texts understood in his own sense his onely foundation but universall Tradition which is the proper foundation even of the credibility of Scripture it self and therefore all Mr. Chillingworth's inferences and retortions do not even in his own opinion
church as a doctrine Traditionary and moreover it is attested by all antient Records of the Fathers of the church nemine explicite contradicente and it ha's been practised by Councells in all ages not one Catholique renouncing his obedience In so much as to my understanding there is not one Christian doctrine delivered with so full an assurance nor in the sense and meaning whereof it is lesse possible for a man to be mistaken Now by vertue of this speciall truth of the churches authority Universall Tradition which of it self is most credible and certain being believed and attested by the present church becomes most necessary to be believed by us the Church supplying the place not only of a witnesse but of an Embassadour likewise instructed and employed by Christ himself as S. Augustine most effectually maintains so that in believing and obeying her we believe and obey Christ himself according to Christs own expression He that heareth you heareth me and If any one heareth not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And therefore they that believe Christian doctrines only because they think they find them in the Scripture and believe the Scripture only because their reason or fancy which they miscall the testimony of Gods Spirit tells them that it is the Word of God though the doctrines themselves believed by them be true yet it is a hazard as to them whether they be so or no or however whether that be the sense of them or no it being all one as if a man by some casualty had found a transcribed copy of some part of an Embassadors Pattent or instructions Whereas Catholiques receive the commands of their heavenly King and Master from his Embassadours own hands which not only will not conceale any thing necessary or requisite from them but likewise will be able upon occasion to cleare all manner of difficulties that may arise about the sense of the said instructions or Patent having received glorious promises of continuall residence among us and of divine assistance to preserve him from any at least dangerous error 8. These things thus supposed Mr. Chillingworth's pretended circles and absurdities in the Resolution of Catholique Faith doe clearly and evidently vanish For a Catholique does not only or chiefly believe the Churches authority because to his privaâ—e understanding and reason the Scripture seems to say so but because he knows that the present Catholique Church teacheth so both by profession and practise and that she teacheth this as a Catholike Tradition believed and practised in all ages then which it is impossible there should be any testimony more assured and infallible so that if a man can be sure of any thing done before his own times as all reasonable men do agree that one may he cannot avoid being most sure of this if his passion or interests do not hinder him from searching into the grounds of it I need not therefore particularly give an answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse before produced since it wholly proceeds upon a mistake of his adversaries and other Catholiques grounds and since himself in the close of it seemes to confesse by objecting to himselfe Universall Tradition that if this doctrine of the Churches authority could be made appear to be grounded upon Catholike Tradition it would be as much credible as if the Scripture had expresly testified it since in his opinion the Scripture it selfe and nothing besides enjoyes its authority because it is delivered by Universall Tradition and by consequence would not be lyable to any circles or absurdities So that truly I wonder why seeing Mr. Chillingworth could not be ignorant that Catholiques do generally pretend that this doctrine comes from Tradition besides the proofs of it out of Scripture he should notwithstanding dispute against it as if there were no other ground for it but two or three questionable passages of Scriptâ—re CHAP. XLIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 1. THere is in Mr. Chillingworth's book another rank of objections which though they do not directly combat the churches infallibility or authority yet they had great effect upon me because they seemed to infer that the faith and salvation likewise of Catholiques depended upon extreme uncertainties and casualties and by consequence that a Catholique could not give any assurance that his faith was safely grounded For thus he argues c. 2. parag 63. ad 68. The salvation of many millions of Papists as they suppose and teath depends upon their having the Sacrament of Penance duly administred to them This again upon the Ministers being a true Priest which is a thing that depends upon many uncertain and very contingent supposalls As 1. That he was baptized with due matter 2. With due forme 3. With due intention 4. That the Bishop which ordained him Priest ordained him likewise with due form intention c. 5. That that Bishop himselfe was a person fitly qualified to give orders that is was no Simoniake c. 6. That all that Bishops Progenitors were fitly qualified and so till he arrive to the fountain of Priesthood Now he that shall put together and maturely consider all the possible wayes of lapsing and nullifying a Priesthood in the Church of Rome I believe saith he will be very inclinable to believe that in an hundred seeming Priests there is not one true one But suppose this inconvenience assoyled yet still the difficulty will remain whether he will pronounce the absolving words with intent to absolve you for perhaps he may be a secret Jew Moor or Antitrinitarian which if he be then his intention which is necessary to the validity of a Sacrament will be wanting c. 2. Hereto I answer 1 That such kind of pretended uncertainties or nullities in particulars do not prejudice the authority and stability of the church in generall but that if it be true which ha's alwayes been believed in the church viz. That Christ ha's promised to continue till the worlds end a church governed by lawfull Pastors and preserved in all truth he will engage his omnipotency to make good his fidelity and by consequence he will take care to prevent or remedy all obstacles that can be imagined to be otherwise able to evacuate such his promises and I suppose two such Attributes of Christ are a foundation strong enough to build a faith not obnoxious to such a world of casualties as Mr. Chillingworth suspects 2. That Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse proceeds upon a mistake of the established doctrine of the Catholique Church which ha's not declared all those things to be nullities nor any of them in the sense that he alledges It is true in the Canon law and among Câ—suists there are mentioned many nullities of Orders and other Sacraments as Simony or Heresie or Schisme are said to nullifie the Ordination of a Bishop or Priest But how to nullifie it by taking away the
Allelujah He may answer Amen He may keep the Gospell He may have the Faith and preach it only salvation he cannot have Again l. 3. cont Petil. c. 5. No man preaching the name of Christ and carrying or ministring the Sacrament of Christ is to be followed against the Unity of Christ. Again cont adv Le. Proph. l. 1. 6. 17. If he hear not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican which is more grievous then if he was strucken through with a sword consumed by flames exposed to wilde beasts Again l. de Past. c. 12. The Divel saith not let them be Donatists and not Arians for whether they be here or there they belong to him that gathers without making a difference Let him adore Idolls saith the Divell he is mine Let him remain in the superstition of the Jewes he is mine Let him quit Unity and passe over to this or that or any Heresie he is mine 4. Witnesse likewise S. Fulgentius de rem pec cap. 22. Out of this Church neither the title of Christian secures any man neither doth Baptisme conferre salvation neither doth any man offer a sacrifice agreeable to God neither doth any man receive Remission of sinnes neither doth any man attain to eternall life for there is one onely Church one onely Dove one onely well-beloved one only Spouse Again de Fid. ad Pet. D. c. 39. Hold this most firmly and doubt not of it in any wise that every Heretique and Schismatique whatsoever baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost if before the end of his life he be not reunited to the Catholike Church let him bestow never so many almes yea though he should shed his bloud for the name of Christ he cannot obtain salvation Witnesse lastly S. Prosper He who does not communicate with the Universall Church is a Heretique and Antichrist de prom praed Dei p. 4. c. 5. 5. Surely no man can justly blame if a serious consideration of such testimonies of Scripture such a conspiracy of all the Saints almost of the antient Church agreeing to condemne Schisme as the most heinous inexcuseable sin that a Christian was capable of committing not to be redeemed with Faith Sacraments Almes Miracles no nor Martyrdome it selfe awakened me from the Lethargy I was in and from the presumption which I had viz. that since I my selfe had no influence upon the beginnings of the Separation but on the contrary approached as neere in my beliefe to the Catholique Church as Truth in my opinion would permit me and lastly since I judged charitably of the state of Cutholiques that therefore the guilt of Schisme should never be imputed to me Not content therefore to rest upon these imaginations in a matter upon which my eternall happinesse inseparably depended if the expresse words of Scripture and unanimous consent of Antiquity were to be believed I proceeded to examine the present state of Protestant c. Churches in separation from the Romane by the markes which the antient Fathers afforded me to judge by whether of the two parties were guilty and to which of them this so heynous low viz. 1. They all agreed that Schisme was a thing of it self evident whereof the most ignorant understandings might inform themselves For this being the foundation of all their disputes of the Catholike Church that it is a congregation so visible and illustrious that it cannot be hidden from the eys of any man that does not willingly shut them it does necessarily follow that they who are not in visible communion with that visible church are apparently Schismatikes 5. Secondly and by consequence that the mark of Schisme and Heresie was not a separation from the true faith simply but from that faith which is openly professed by the Church For otherwise if they had defined Schisme with respect onely to the true Faith all the evidence of Schisme would be utterly taken away since it would be alwayes ambiguous and disputable which of the parties in a Schisme held the true doctrine of which ignorant people could not be Judges and the learned would never acknowledge themselves guilty Besides the parties evidently in Schisme would be sure either not at all to acknowledge or at least to excuse and extenuate their fault by saying that though they were in some sort divided from the Catholique Church yet this was not so unpardonable since they left the Church only in points not fundamentall for in such they agree with Catholiques and by consequence remain the same church still in substantialls This is at this day the plea of many Protestants as it was anciently of the Pelagians according to that of S. Augustine de Pec. Orig. l. 2. c. 22. Pelagius and Goelestius saith he desirous cunningly to avoid the odious name of Heresie affirme that the question concerning Originall finne may be disputed without endangering Faith But this assertion of theirs he confuted particularly in his fourteenth Sermon De Verbis Apostoli and in generall against both Heretiques and Schismatiques proves that whatsoever in particular their opinions are yet since they professe otherwise then the church does and requires of them to doe they are in a damnable estate because thereby they vertually renounce one fundamentall Article of faith viz. of the authority and unity of the Catholique Church and therefore if they break communion though but for one doctrine and that of it self of no great importance their orthodoxnesse in all other points will not avail them wanting truth and especially renouncing charity and obedience to the Universall Church Hereupon the same Father in Psal. 54. saith of the Donatists We have each of us one Baptisme in this they were with me We celebrated the Feasts of the Martyrs in this they were with me We frequented the solemnity of Easter in this they were with me But they were not in all things with me In Schisme they were not with me In Heresie they were not with me In many things they were with me and in some few things they were not with me But in those few things in which they were not with me those many things do not profit them in which they were with me So again the same Father Ep. 48. Speaking to the same Donatists You are with us in Baptism in the Creed in other Sacraments of the Lord but in the Spirit of unity in the bond of peace and finally in the Catholike Church you are not with us 6. Thirdly that the proper to all eys visible and essentiall mark of Schisme for what cause soever it matters not is a wilfull separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church So S. Augustine de unit c. 4. Those who do so dissent from the body of Christ which is the Church that their Communion is not with the whole wheresoever it is spread but are fouud in some party separated it is manifest that they are not in the Catholike Church And
hath upon Psalm 56. and in his 166. Epistle ad Donat and on 1. Ep. of S. John Tract 2. c. And again in Psal. 70. The Christian world is promised and this is believed by them This promise is fulfilled and it is contradicted by them And againe If the church shall not continue here on earth even to the end of the world to whom did our Lord say Behold I am with you even to the end of the world And again de Bapt. con Don. l. 3 If from the time of S. Cyprian the church perished from whence did Donatus appeare out of what earth did he bud out of what See did he arise from what heaven did he fall And again cont Jul l. 5. If by those holy Priests of God and famous Doctors Irenaeus Cyprian Rheticius Olympius Hilary Ambrose Gregory Basile John Chrysostome Innocent and Hierome the Manicheans have violated and corrupted the Church Tell me Julian who was it that brought thee forth was it a chast Matron or a Harlot who in her travelling brought thee forth by the wombe of spirituall Grace into that light which thou hast forsaken I willingly omit infinite other passages especially out of S. Augustine to the same purpose because even Protestants generally do not question the substance of that truth herein contained CHAP. LII Application of these proofes to the advantage of the Romane Catholique Church and against Protestants c. 1. THe cause therefore is clear in the generall Thesis that the Fathers opinion was that by vertue of Christs expresse promises his church was to continue visible and distinguishable from all other unlawfull congregations to the worlds end This I do not find denied by the English Protestants I mean neither that this was the sense of the Fathers nor that this sense was ture 2. The great controversie therefore is in the Hypothesis or application of the generall Thesis viz. whether that such conclusions as the Fathers deduce from the visibility of the Catholique church in their dayes may rationally be inferred from the Roman Catholique church visible in these dayes For example that it is unlawfull upon any pretence of errors or abuses in practise to separate from the externall communion of that church which now calls it selfe the Catholique Church which is only the Roman for the Grecian churches though they challenge the title of Catholique Churches that is true members of the Catholique yet I doe not find that they make an association to their externall communion a necessary condition to all Christians 3. The English Protestants say no against all Roman Catholiques who unanimously affirm that since such discourses of the Fathers were grounded upon Christs promises to his church which were to be effectuall to the end of the world that therefore they are as fitly and necessarily to be applied to the present as to the antient Catholike church and that no other church but that in communion with the Roman can make any valuable or legitimate pretentions to that title Though the truth is if it be to be granted that there is any visible Catholique church at all whose externall communion is necessary the Protestants are inexcuseably culpable since they neither would nor could upon their grounds communicate with any church in the world that was in being when Luther began his Apostacy 4. In this controversie therefore upon these following considerations and grounds I fully satisfied my self that the plea of Roman Catholiques was just and reasonable For â— Though English Protestants deny the Roman church to be the Catholique church cum Emphase yet they acknowledge her to be a true member at least of the Catholique church being forced hereto for their own interest to justifie the lawfulnesse of their Ordinations c. And this acknowledgement alone is sufficient to condemne them for their separation as guilty of Schisme since he who separates from an acknowledged true member of the Catholique church doth consequently separate from the Catholique church 5. Secondly they acknowledge that the whole body of the present Catholique church enjoyes the same priviledges and authority that it did in the times of the antient Fathers that a Schisme from it is as pernicious as antiently that a truly Generall Councell now is as obliging and unappealable from as heretofore And upon these grounds they will condemn themselves since it is apparent that if the Easterne churches were assumed together with the Western to make up the full body of the Catholique most of the opinions and pretended errours upon which they ground the lawfulnesse and necessity of their separation will appear to be the doctrines of the church called Catholique even in their sense as e. g. acknowledging the blessed Sacrament to be a proper Sacrifice propitiatory for quick and dead the Reall Presence per modum transmutationis Prayer for Dead and Purgatory Invocation of Sâ—ines Veneration of Images c. And therefore if all the four Patriarches had met at the Councell of Trent they had Infallibly concur'd in condemning the Protestants as Heretiques in these points and their separation upon such grounds is Schisme properly so called 6. Thirdly it appeared evidently to me that those communions and congregations of Christians which acknowledge subjection to the Pope could only rightfully challenge the name of the Catholique church For 1. I took it for granted that that which was called the Catholike church after the times of the four first Generall Councells when the Aâ—â—ans Photinians Macedonians Nestorians Eurychians c. were anathematized was indeed the onely truâ— Catholique church by which account the Abyssine churches as being at least antiently Eutychians and severall Eastern churches as Nestorians Jacobiâ—es c. were and are to be excluded from that denomination which yet the Protestants now although they dare not communicate with them would admit into the body of the church but most unreasonably for if the Abyssines continue yet Eutychians the Protestants of England who receive the foure first Generall Councells do thereby acknowledge them to be Heretiques if they have quitted Eutychianisme and really adjoyned themselves to the Roman church according to severall Embassies mentioned by Damianus à Goes c. then Protestants will find it so much more to their disadvantage to argue any thing from the Abyssine churches 2. I could observe nothing which could make me doubt that that which was called the Catholique church from the four first Generall Councells to S. Gregories the Greats dayes inclusivè was indeed so For if in S. Gregories dayes there was a Catholique church is Protestants grant there was then that which was in communion and subjection to him was only it since none that I know pretend to allow that title to any congregation divided from him Now in the church of S. Gregories time it is apparent that in a manner all points of Doctrine now by Protestants called errours and causes of their separation were universally acknowledged as Catholique doctrines as I shewed before by a joynt confession
of the most learned Protestant writers by which they vertually confesse that if they had lived in S. Gregories dayes they would as well have separated from him Besides it appeares by S. Gregories Epistles that he as Pope enjoyed a supereminent authority and sollicitously exercised a care over all Christian churches As for his Jurisdiction as Patriarch and the extension thereof that I took not here into consideration since it is not a point pretended to be an Article of Faith 3. From S. Gregories dayes till the separation of the East from the externall jurisdiction rather then the Faith of the Pope and Western churches the whole body of the church under one visible Head remained as it did before enjoying the title of the Catholique church no other pretending thereto 4. Since the Division of the East from the Westerne churches caused as I conceive upon a quarrell about the Popes Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and not any point of Doctrine the limits of the Catholique church seem to be much streitned Concerning which Schisme if it be indeed a Schisme properly so called I apprehended no necessity to be very curious to inform my self being perswaded during the time of my being a Protestant that as for that one point of belief concerning the Procession of the Holy Ghost wherein the Greek church expresseth her self otherwise then the Roman if in substance and sense there be a reall difference that the Roman church was Orthodox And besides that I know not any point of doctrine wherein the Greek church agrees with Protestants to condemn the Roman church It is true they communicate in both kinds but I could never find that the Greeks made that point any pretext of their division from the Roman neither indeed can they since they also give the Eucharist to the sick onely in one kind acknowledging withall that such communicants receive the whole effect of the Sacrament As for the story of the Schisme it was begun by Photius the Pseudo-Patriarch of Constantinople upon ambition and interest because the Pope would not confirm his illegall intrusion into that Chair which generally ha's been a fatall occasion of almost all Schismes as long since S. Cyprian hath observed Lastly it is manifest that those rights of Jurisdiction also which since that Schisme have been denied by the Greeks to the Pope were not then begun to be demanded but had been possessed by him for severall ages so that there was at least injustice if not error on the Grecians part 7. Fourthly that the Pope as successor of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles ha's a primacy and superiority over all Bishops and Patriarchs yea an authority over the whole Catholique church so that he may truly be called the Head of the Church ha's been delivered by so constant and universal a Tradition that it cannot without extreme impudence be denied Now how far this superiority and authority extends I thought it needlesse curiously to inform my self since as far as I can learn all that the church requires in this point even from ecclesiasticall persons is a subscription to this profession mentioned in the Bull of Pope Pius IV annexed to the Councell of Trent and collected out of the same viz. Romano Pontifici Beati Petri Apostolorum Principis successori ac Jesu Christi Uicario veram obedientiam spondeo ae juro i. e. I do promise and sweare true obedience to the Pope of Rome successor of blessed S. Peter Prince of the Apostles and Vicar of Jesus Christ. 8. Now that thus much is of universall Tradition what greater proof can be desired then may be afforded us in a late book entituled Les Grandeurs dell ' Eglise Romaine where such a world of testimonies out of Councells Occumenicall and Provinciall Popes Fathers both Eastern and Westerne Histories Ecclesiasticall c. are produced to maintain the Co-union of S. Paul with S. Peter in at least some degree of his universall authority which not withstanding are not an hundredth part of that which may be alledged out of antiquity for S. Peters Principality and the Popes as his successor Yea that great Councell of Chalced on acknowledged and received in England even when it endeavoured to deprive the Pope of some part of Jurisdiction yet acknowledged this his superiority and authority as Pope the Bishops there calling him their Head and themselves with all Christians members under that Head Moreover Socrates and Zozomen writers far from being partiall for the Pope yet mention antient immemoriall canons of the church wherein at least a negative voice is given to the Pope in any thing that shall be introduced to oblige the whole church To conclude Monsieur Blondel the most learned French controvertist that ever undertook their common quarrell against the Pope in that large volume which is spent in confuting particular extravagant opinions concerning that subject as touching the infallibility and Monarchicall Omnipotence of the Pope his Lordly and domineering headship and a Monarchicall power usurped by him by which to subdue all the members of Christ c. yet notwithstanding which is very remarkable he confesseth himself that never any Councell or Nation no not that of Florence nor Trent it self ever adventured to define any thing concerning such excessive titles and power as the Popes Partizans do attribute to him But on the contrary that the titles of the Apostle S. Peter ought not to be put in debate since that the Grecians and Protestants also do confesse that it hath beone believed and that it might be indeed that he was the President and Head or Chiefe Chef of the Apostles the foundation of the Church and possessor of the Keys of the Kingdom of heaven Yea moreover That Rome as being a Church consecrated by the residence and Martyrdome of S. Peter whom antiquity hath acknowledged to be the Head Chef of the College Apostolique having been honored with the title of the Seat of the Apostle S. Peter might without difficulty be considered by one of the most renowned Councells viz. that of Chalcedon as Head Chef of the Church Which is in effect to acknowledge that the necessary doctrine of the Roman church concerning the Popes Primacy and Authority is Orthodox 9. Upon which grounds since it appeares to have been an universall Tradition of the church besides expresse words of Scripture that the Catholique Church was to remaine visible to the end of the world that is a church possessed of all substantiall Christian doctrines preserved in all truth governed by lawfull Pastours as one body consisting of ruling and ruled members under one visible head which S. Cyprian makes the foundation of Unity Ecclesiasticall I concluded as I thought rationally that that part of the Christian world which continued in Communion with and obedience to this so acknowledged Supreme Authority might and ought most justly to challenge the title of the Catholique Church 10. Therefore though the priviledge of an independent Patriarchall church which the English Protestants
accuse her of Schisme for not separating from her selfe and and the whole world and for not being able to hinder them from committing that most sacrilegious crime and they impute Heresie to her for being constant in maintaining the decisions of all Councells and the profession of all churches and ages 4. But before I examine the vanity of these imputations by stating those six particular controversies I shall desire our English Protestants to meditate sadly upon two subjects especially The first is Which way they can imagine it to be possible that an errour should imperceptibly creep into the belief and practise of the whole church even setting aside the security we have against any such mischiefe by the meanes of Christs promises For was it not true which antiquity testifies yea and S. Paul himself expressely that the Apostles and Apostolicall men were instant in season and out of season to make known to the primitive Christians and to inculcate diligently and laboriously into their minds the whole sum of Christian doctrine not forbearing both publiquely and from house to house to reveal to them the whole will of God not suppressing any thing that was profitable Act 20. 20. 27. And this so fully and effectually as that if an Angell from heaven could be supposed to teach any thing not only contrary but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. besides that which they had taught he was to be accursed Galat. 1. 8. Then do not the Fathers tell us and what proof can Protestants produce to make them appear to be lyars when they tell us that at least for five hundred years all caution imagineable was used to prevent and exclude any novelties that any Heretiques yea or any Christians though as learned as Origen or as holy as S. Cyprian should attempt to introduce May we not adde hereto that whatsoever novelties of the least moment should be obtruded by any would discover themselves to be novelties by thwarting the publique profession and practised devotions of the church as S. Cyprians Rebaptization would oblige all men to practise that which they had alwayes forborne and the Arian and Pelagian c. impieties would constrain the church to alter the formes of prayers to the Sonne of God and for Gods Grace to cure the impotence and perversenesse of nature acknowledged in the daily publique confessions Upon which grounds S. Cyril against Nestorius and S. Leo against Eutyches disprove the errours and impieties of their Heresies by producing the profession and practise of the church in administring the holy Eucharist whereby she restified her beliefe of a reall presence of the very body and bloud of Christ there which could not consist with their Novelties So that upon the same ground if Invocation of Saints Prayer and offering the most holy Sacrifice for remission of sinnes to the dead Veneration of Images c. had been novelties would not such practises have more directly thwarted the publique devotions of the church then the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches How was it possible then that such doctrines should have been taught by any particular Father as confessedly they have been and not any one appeare that should discover and protest against such innovations what charme was there in these doctrines above all others to cast the church into a sleep that she should not perceive them or to silence the Fathers that against their custome in all other innovations they should not open their mouths against them And much more how was it possible that the publique Liturgies and devotions of the church should come to be changed by admitting such pretended novelties and superstitions and yet no signes or footsteps be left that such a wonderfull change ha's been made not one writer to be found that can tell us of any one that opposed it 5. The second thing that I desire them to consider is That since it is at this day and ha's been for many ages the universall belief of the church that all such pretended Novelties were indeed Catholique and Apostolique Traditions what arguments Protestants can reasonably esteeme sufficient to disprove this beliefe and to dispossesse the church of her renure Will the silence of one or two Fathers think they be of force enough to such a purpose If so I doubt whether the church would then be able to maintaine any one Article of Faith Would a few seeming difficulties and obscure seemingly opposite quotations out of some writings of a few Fathers serve their turn It did not so in the cause of the Arians of the Pelagians of the Novatians c. and why only in the present controversies Will quotations of Scripture decide the questions against the present church Indeed if it could be imagineable that the whole Catholique church could at the same time and with the same hand deliver us Scripture and doctrines contrary to expresse Scripture if she could be supposed either so foolish as not to see that which no body could be ignorant of or so wicked as clearly seeing what God said to command us not to believe him but rather the quite contrary then she might deserve to be stiled Schismaticall because she continues in such a wicked unity and Hereticall because she would not submit her judgement and aushority to the passions and lust of an Apostate Monke But even Protestants themselves will absolve her from such a high degree of guilt as to contradict expresse and formall Scripture And as for Texts of Scripture either obscure or ambiguous or â—ationally admitting severall interpretations though to some prejudicate ears they may seem to sound otherwise then the church teaches in all reason and honesty the churches interpretation of them ought to prevail against any private mans I am sure all sorts of Sects will either submit their judgements to the sense of their particular churches or at least will conceal their opinions when they cannot submit them this civility and duty teaches all men But as for the children of the Catholike church they have an obligation binding them in conscience to trust the same church for the sense of Scripture especially in points which she sayes are of Universall Tradition which they have trusted for the Scripture it selfe and therefore S. Augustine said well and like a perfectly good Christian and Catholique The words of Scripture are so to be understood as the world hath believed them which that it should believe the Scripture hath foretold And surely he that will duely consider of what weight the universal testimony of a whole age of the church is to prove a Tradition will never think that a few objections or obscure passages either in Scriptures or two or three Fathers who are apt to speak unwarily when the matter is not in controversie should decide the cause against it especially considering that it is almost impossible to receive absolute satisfaction of the doctrine of former ages any other way or at least any other way so well as by the universall agreement of the
not true because they find no satisfaction in the discourses and answers which the Schoole-writers endeavour to give to a thousand foolish objections which they conjute up out of Aristotles Philosophy against this Mystery to be adored and trembled at It is onely Scripture testimonies of Faâ—hers Ecclesiasticall Tradition Generall Councells and the Profession of the present Catholique Church which are the proper Judges of this controversie and whose authority when it is employed as it ought will assert this divine truth of the Reality of Christs presence by way of conversion in the blessed Sacrament to the confusion of all Novelties and all Blasphemies of Heretiques The antient both Latin and Grecian Fathers who certainly were of wits as subtill and pierceing as any that have succeeded them yet never thought upon such nice enquiries as now every young Philosopher can prattle of and therefore I professe since I am far from finding any obligation at all lying upon me to the contrary yea since the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. c. I. hath defined this point in the language of Antiquity and not of the Schools saying that Christ is present in the Sacrament Sacramentaliter i. e. mysteriously inexplicably I will never endeavour to answer any Philosophicall arguments any other way then with such words as these of S. John Damascene The Bread and Wine is changed into the Body and Blood of our Lord but this after an unsearchable manner For of this matter we know no further but only that the word of God is true and efficacious and omnipotent Damasc. de Orthod Fide lib. 4. cap. 14. Of the Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the holy Eucharist 9â— Let us now consider to what the church obliges all Catholiques in this point If any one saith the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. Can. 6. saith that Jesus Christ the only Son of God ought not to be adored with the exteriour worship of Latria it self in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and that for that end it ought not to be proposed publikely to the people to be adored and that those who adore him are Idolaters let him be Anaâ—hema Which worship of Latria is not given to the outward Symbolls of the Eucharist but only to Jesus Christ himself there present A certaine degree of respect even by the confession of the Calvinists is due to all outward instruments of Religion as to Chalices to the books of Scripture to the water of Baptisme and to the Species of Bread and Wine in the Holy Eucharist And Catholiques allow no more But the true object which a Catholique adores with this sublime act of adoration or Latria is in the case in hand Jesus Christ himself who is to be adored every where wheresoever he is present and therefore likewise in the holy Eucharist in the which the Catholique church knows and acknowledgeth no other substance as the Calvinists desire to impose on them but only Jesus Christ. And if they be Idolaters for this the Lutherans are so too who teach the same doctrine though they expresse themselves in the point of the Reall Presence after another new-invented manner yet notwithstanding the Calvinists when their worldly interests obliged them could be content to comunicate with the Lutherans and could swallow their pretended Idolatry but out of fear and hatred of Catholique union make even the church her self a prejudice against her doctrine 10. For mine own part whilest I was a Protestant I professe I could never answer to mine own reason why we should condemn the worshipping of Christ whom we professed to be present in very truth without figures or fancies If he had not been there after a peculiar Sacramentall manner I might lawfully notwithstanding have worshipped him there because I may and ought to worship him every where as being God omnipresent yea though his humane nature be locally present only at the right hand of the Father in glory yet I may worship the man Jesus Christ every where because that person which is God and Man is every where present viz. according to his divine not humane nature and yet it seems when a new accâ—ssion of another kind of Sacramentall truly reall presence is added to the former though I acknowledge this later presence to be as reall as the former I must be forbidden to expresse that I acknowledge and believe it any other way then by saying with my lips that I do so I must then deny unto him in that place at his owne table and altar and at that time whilest are celebrated those mysteries adorable even to Angells themselves that worship and respect which I would have given him at mine own table or whilest I was doing the ordinary works of my calling But it will be said perhaps you are not forbidden to worship him but you must not worship him as present there And why for Gods sake Bid me rather believe that he is not after an epseciall manner present But this is tyranny and injustice in the highest degree to command me to believe that he is as truly though after another manner present there as at the right hand of his Father and at the same time to command me by my works to belye my belief No no. Quà m magis ingenuè Peribonius How much more ingenuous are the Socinians then all other Sects for whereas the rest would gladly pretend Antiquity and take much unprofitable pains to make a Father now and then speak a word in their favour The Socinians instead of puzling themselves to untye cut asunder all such knots and difficulties they with an impudent resolutenesse break through all obstacles Let the antient church determine what it please and let the antient Fathers agree to speak as they have a mind if what is spoken and decreed either suit not with what they fancy that the Holy Ghost does mean or naturall reason being Judge ought to mean or if the Holy Ghost in their opinions hath been silent in it without more aâ—o they presently reject and condemn it upon which grounds they strein not to alter all the language almost of the church they know no such thing as a Sacrament they acknowledge no promises to nor no â—ffects of such ceremonious actions as the church and all Christians call Sacraments they scoffe at the Reall Presence and abominate the adoration of Christ in his Mysteries Let S. Ambrose de Sp. 5. l. 3. say By his footstool is meant the earth and by the earth the body of Christ which every day we adore in the mysteries and which the Apostles adored in our Lord Jesus Let S. Augustine in Psa. 48. say For he took earth from earth both because be conversed here in very flesh and gave us likewise very flesh to eat for our salvation Now no man eats that flesh but that he adores it first And thus a way is found how the Lords footstoole is adored And again Epist 120. expounding that of the Psalmist All
the rich of the earth have eaten and worshipped And they also saith he are brought to the table of Christ and partake of his body and bloud but they adore him only they are not satisfied because they doe not imitate him Let S. Chrysostome in 1. Cor. say This body the wise men worshipped in the manger c. Let us at least imitate those barbarous men we who are the Citizens of heaven Thou seest him not in a manger but upon the Altar not a woman holding him in her armes but the Priest himself present and the Spirit abundantly powred upon the sacrifice presented there Lastly let Theodorct Dial 2. say The mysticall Symbolls are understood which are celebrated and believed and adored likewise as being the very things which they are believed to be What is all this to a Socinian though all antiquity agree in the like language and not one Father explicitly dissent from it But as for Protestants not having the confidence to renounce the Fathers authority they make it their task to prove out of such places that the Fathers intended by such speeches that it was Idolatry to worship Christ present on the Altar But Nobis non licet esse tam disertis Of Communion under one Species 11. This is not a matter of doctrine but meer practise The church sayes not it is unlawfull to take it in both kinds but onely that upon reasons sufficiently prevailing with her she thinks fit in the ordinary practise it should be so administred The Governours Ecclesiasticall therefore are to be answerable for it But to demonstrate that even those who is their private opinion think it were better it should be administred in both kinds yet ought not upon pretence thereof to break forth into a sacrilegious separation I will only recommend these few considerations to our English Protestants viz. 1. That there is no explicit command in Scripture that the Sacrament should be communicated under both Species If they urge the example of our Saviour and the manner how he administred it they know that they themselves allow authority to the church to alter formes not essentiall to the Sacraments and accordingly practise both the form in Baptism and the holy Eucharist otherwise then they were first instituted 2. That it is evident and no ingenuous Protestant will deny it but that even in the Primitive churches it was an ordinary practise in severall occasions to receive it only in one kind 3. That not one proof can be shewed that the sick ever received the cup. 4. That notwithstanding in the opinion of Antiquity those who received it so were believed to have enjoyed the whole benefit and vertue of the Sacrament 5. That the Greek church though she gives it ordinarily in publique in both Species yet neither in private nor to the sick no nor as it is said in Lent Neither doth she make that difference any ground of her separation from the Roman church 6. That Protestants confesse that those who have a naturall antipathy against wine may receive the body alone and may notwithstanding assure themselves that they want no fruit or effect of the holy Eucharist Upon which grounds if they would duely consider what a horrible crime Schisme is they would no doubt believe that this were not a sufficient excuse for them 12. The only proof that I will give of the opinion and allowed practise of antiquity in this point shall be to set down here in English the 289. Epistle of S. Basile ad Caesariam Patriciam a memorable monument of the usage of private communicating of the holy Eucharist and that only under one Species among the antient Christians His words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is And truly every day to communicate and participate the holy body and blood of Christ is a good and profitable thing seeing he himself hath said in expresse words He that shall eat my flesh and drink my blood hath eternall life Now who does doubt but that daily to participate of life is no other thing but daily to live Therefore it is that we our selues do communicate four times every week to wit on our Lords day on the fourth day on the sixth day and on the Sabbath day And moreover upon other dayes if the memory of any Martyr be celebrated Now it would be superfluous for me to demonstrate that that custome is not to be condemned by which Christians were necessitated in the times of persecution in the absence of the Priest or Ministsr to receive the Communion privately with his own hands since an inveterate practise hath effectually confirmed it For all those who lived Monastically in the Deserts where there was no Priest reserving the Communion in their Cells received it of themselves In Alexandria likewise and in AEgypt each one of the common sort of people for the most part hath the Commnnion reserved in his own house For the Priest having once offered the Sacrifice and distributed it he that receives it entire all together and afterward daily communicates of it ought to believe that he communicates and receives the very same which the Priest gave him For likewise in the Church it self the Priest delivers a part of the Sacrifice and the Communicant receives it with an entire power to dispose of it and so with his own hands lists it to his own mouth Now it is the very same in power or vertue whether any one shall receive one only portion from the Priest or many portions together Hithertâ— S. Basil. CHAP. III. Of Invocation of Saints Of Veneration of Images Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory Of Indulgences And of publike service in the Latin tongue With what charity and modesty the doctrines of the church are to be examined 1. COncerning Invocation of Saints to shew the opinion of the antient church about it it may suffice to take notice that for denying the lawfullnesse of it Uigilantius was accounted an Heretique as Dr. Fulke the Centuriators Osiander c. acknowledge out of S. Hierome I am sure S. Ambrose sayes in the very language of the Councell of Trent We ought to pray unto the Angells in our owne behalf who have been given for guards unto us we ought to pray unto the Martyrs whose boâ—â—dies remaining among us seem to be as it were a gage and hostage of their protection And S. Augustine in Psal. 85. in the language of the Church Litanies All Martyrs intercede for us adding To the end that they may rejoyce in our behalf who pray for us And Theodoret l. 8. de Martyr gives the very sense of the present church in this point We do not adore the Saints as Gods but we pray unto them as divine men that they would intercede for us A Tradition this was of the antient Jewish church also as those words of Josophus witnesse The pure souls which hear those that call upon them obtain in heaven a most holy place And the
and would the State there suffer them to upbraid the sacrilegious usurping of such infinite revenewes as have been ravished both from the living and the dead in that Nation there is no doubt but that practise would have yet continued there for the English church it self hath decided nothing against it excepting only in consequence by denying Purgatory which is necessarily supposed in prayer for the dead Yet I may say they do not indeed deny Purgatory in the whole latitude as the church ha's decided it which obliges no man to any particular conceits about it though perhaps received as a certain Tradition by many credulous Catholikes as if it could be nothing else but a certain subterraneous mansion ful of tortures fire and brimstone c. None of which the church expressely acknowledgeth but only Purgatorium esse animasque ibi detentas sidelium suffragiis potissimùm verò acceptabili altaris sacrificio juvari i. e. That there is a Purgatory and that the souls detained there are benefited by the prayers of the faithfull and especially by the acceptable sacrifice of the Altar Councell of Trent Sess. 15. Yea in the following words that Councell expressely commands Bishops to take care that neither any uncertain groundless or subtill discourses of it should be published to the people in Sermons but onely what is found delivered by the holy Fathers and sacred Councells which is in sum that the souls of Christians not dying in a perfect estate romain in a condition which may be eased and meliorated by the prayers Oblations and Charity of the living according to the expresse assertion of S. Augâ—stine We ought not by any meanes to doubt but that the Dead are helped by the prayers of the holy Church by the saving sacrifice and by the Almes which are distributed for their soules to the end that God may deale with them more mercifully then their sins have deserved For that is a thing which the church observes having received it from the Tradition of the Fathers Aug. de Verb. Apost Ser. 32. Of Indulgences 5. That which the church commands to be believed as Catholique Traditionary doctrine touching this matter of Indulgences is briefely contained in the Bull of Plus IV. relating to the 25. Session of the Councell of Trent in these words I believe that power of Indulgences hath been given and left in the Church by Jesus Christ and that the use of them is very healthfull to Christian people The ground of which doctrine according to the position of Alexander of Hales Durand Paludanus and others quoted at the end of this discourse is the practise of that severe discipline and correction which in the most primitive times was exercised against especially publike and scandalous sinners those severe penitential Canons then executed those painful Exomolâ—geses prostrations cilices weepings covering themselves with ashes rigorous fasts but principally those long abstentions and banishings from the most holy Sacrament yea even from entring any further then into the porch of the church which the primitive zeal imposed upon Delinquents which are mentioned in the most antient Ecclesiastical writers and most expresly in Tertullian and S. Cyprian An example of which severity more rigorous then all before mentioned S. Paul hath left us in that censure of his upon the incestuous Corinthian whom he delivered over to Satan to be tormented by him in the flesh for the saving of his soul l Cor. 5. which censure he calls by a general word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. an objurgation by or before many 2 Cor. 2. 6. from whence ecclesiasticall censures were called in the 7. 8. General Councels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding to shew that Ecclesiasticall Governors ought to mix Christian charity and meeknesse with their severity especially when they see great signs of compunction and amendment in the Penitents the same Apostle hath left an example likewise of Indulgence and favour to the same person which he expresseth by the two verbs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. graciously to spare and to comfort In conformity to which rule the Primitive Churches as upon occasion they used great severity so likewise great benignity also to Penitents which S. Cyprian calls the giving of Peace 6. But in succeeding times zeal and servor of devotion growing cold and generally Christians not being able to support so great a rigor the church in wisdome thought fit to qualifie both the severity of penalties imposed to shorten the times of abstention from the holy Eucharist and to grant remission and Indulgence especially in Articulo mortis generally unto all Penitents hence came it that the intercessions of Confessors and Martyrs in behalf of Delinquents were admitted by the Bishops as we read frequently in S. Cyprian hence the two favourable Canons of Indulgence viz. the 10 and 12. of the first Councell of Nice 7. In these last and most wicked times wherein the antient Ecclesiasticall Discipline is almost wholly lost not through any fault of the church which enjoynes all Priests to have before their eyes the antient penitentiall Canons and by them to regulate their penances but through the generall overflowing of coldnesse in devotion prophanenesse and impatience of suffering and likewise through the impudence covetousnesse and partiality of Priests no man can yet deny but that as the power of inflicting censures remains in the church so likewise doth the power of Indulgences 8. Concerning which Indulgences all Catholiques do unanimously agree to these two points 1. That they are profitable and 2. That the Church hath power to grant them according to the Decision of the Councell of Trent But as for the extent of the vertue of Indulgences and as touching the conditions required to the receiving them fruitfully Catholike Divines are divided in their opinions For 1. concerning the extent of their vertue Bellarmine l. 1 de Indulg c. 7. sets down this as an opinion maintained by Catholiques viz. That Indulgences are no other then relaxations of Penalties enjoyned by Confessarii or which ought to have been enjoyned according to the Canons Which opinion saith he is maintained by grave Authors Alexander of Hales sum Theolog. p. 4. q. 23. memb 2. Durand and Paludanus Pope Adrian 6. in 4. Sent. q. de Indulg And likewise by Soto the Dominican and Card. Cajetan both which teach that Indulgences are never granted but for Penalties injoyned Now both these were appointed by the church to maintain the Doctrine concerning Indulgences against the late Heretiques Likewise Maldonate the learned Jesuite in his book de Sacram. c. 2. de Indulg q. 1. 2. p. saith that the opinion That Indulgences are only relaxations of the Penalty either enjoyned in the Sacrament of Penance or ordained by Ecclesiasticall Law seems to him to be the most true opinion because it is held by good Authors and seemes to be demonstrated by unanswerable arguments And in pursuance hereof the same Author produceth eleven reasons
the substance of the three first of which is this Because we ought to believe that the Indulgences now in use in the church are the same that were antiently practised as the Councell of Trent expressely sayes Now saith he we find no other Indulgences in the antient church and Councells but such as we have mentioned Again It was the custome of the church to add this Particle to the Indulgences given De Pooeitentiis injunctis since therefore saith he the church hath so warily expressed her self it would be temerarious to interpret her meaning otherwise The same doctrine is strongly maintained likewise by Estius in 4. Sent. dist 20. ◠10. 9. In the next place concerning the conditions required to receive benefit by Indulgences all Catholiques agree that these three are necessary 1. Authority in him that grants them 2. A just reason for the granting them 3. Due dispositions in the party receiving them Now for this last point Card. Cajetan as he is quoted by Bellarmine l. 1. de Indulg c. 12. maintains That besides the conditions of being in the state of Grace and of accomplishing the actions ordained for the gaining of Indulgences there is a third condition necessary to him that would receive fruit by them which is that he have a will to satisfie God by his own labours as much as he can and that Indulgences are of no profit to those who will not satisfie for themselves when they can From whence he concludes That in such an infinite number of persons that visit the churches in the times of the solemn Stations and the like Indulgences there are but very few that reap the profit of them iudeed This opinion saith Bellarmine is profitable and pious though perhaps it is not true But since Card Bellarmine the learned Estius Chancellor of Doway professes his belief that this opinion is not only profitable and pious but very true See his Comment in 2. Ep. ad Cor. cap. 2. v. 11. as likewise in 4. Sent. dist 20. Sect. 10. The like is strongly maintained by Comitolus a learned Jesuit in Resp. Moral q. 36. who confirmes his opinion by the testimonies of Antisiodorensis Henricus à Gandavo Adrian VI. Boniface VIII Sylvester c. Now the aforesaid Authors who teach that Indulgences are onely relaxations from Penances enjoyned vel ab homine vel à . Canone do not therefore believe that they are satisfactions only to the Church and not to God for Maldonate expressely declares the contrary in these words in the forecited place Cùm injungitur poenitentia ab Ecclesia c. when the Church enjoynes any Penance she enjoynes it not only to the end that by such a Penance we should satisfie the Church but God also Now the Indulgence is answerable unto the Penance enjoyned and by consequence it is granted us not onely to the end that this penalty should be remitted us before the Tribunall of the Church but before Gods Tribunall likewise And from thence he concludes that though Indulgences do regard directly onely Penances which are enjoyned to be accomplished in this world notwithstanding they do consequently deliver from the paines of Purgatory likewise For saith he since God does not punish the same fault twice and since the penalty which men pay in Purgatory is the same with that which they ought to have paid in this world if the Church by the means of Indulgences does remit the penalty which in this life is due to the Justice of God it follows that she remits likewise that which shall be due in Purgatory that is to say that which those living persons to whom such Indulgences are granted ought otherwise to suffer in Purgatory Now whether this Doctrine deserve a separation let all reasonable moderate Christians judge Of Publique service in the Latin tongue 8. This is a matter which concerns only the outward order and decorum of the church an whereof Ecclesiasticall Governours are only to be judges and disposers so that if there be any excesse or inconvenience they only are answerable before Almighty God particular persons are not at all concerned in it Indeed if the Church had appointed her service in the Latin tongue on purpose that the people should not understand it Or if she had decreed that it was a thing unlawfull that any body should praise God with the understanding but onely Priests and Bishops and learned men Protestants might have some pretence for their clamor in this regard But 1. since the Church found her Liturgies in the same tongue through all the Westerne world from the beginning of Christianity 2. Since no example can be found in any antient churches Jewish or Christian Eastern or Westerne that the languages of Publique Service have beene altered though those of the Countryes have beene insomuch as in our Saviours time the Jewish Devotions were performed in Hebrew when the people only understood the Syrian tongue so the Cophtites so the AEthiopians and so the Jewes to this day 3. Since it is apparently both of great comelinesse and benefit that there should be an uniformity in Gods publike worship so as that wheresoever a Christian travels he may as well joyne himself with other Christians in the service of God as when he staid at home 4. Since particularly for the Masse the greatest part of it from all Antiquity was performed in a low voice by the Bishop or Priest the people neither hearing nor in the antient Church seeing him by reason of a vail or curtain which was drawn between the Altar the people excepting only at some certain peculiar times as at the Elevation c. 5. Since the church permits the translating and publishing of her Liturgies since she commands the Priests to explain and inculcate unto the people the meaning of all mysteries and since she furnishes even the most ignorant persons with devotions suitable to their capacities and far more beneficiall to them then the hearing the Psalms and other parts of Scripture read so difficult and abstruse that even the most learned must confesse their inability to comprehend them Lastly since an indiscreet promiscuous exposing of Scriptures hath beene the occasions of so many inconveniences a better though sadder proof whereof cannot be given then in the present state of England where every one reading Scripture and all visible authority of interpreting it so as to oblige others to receive such interpretations being disclaimed every one of those infinite numbers of Sects believe that they find in Scripture sufficient warrant for all such horrible seditions and murders as have lately been committed there Therefore the Catholique church hath esteemed it a thing befitting her wisdome to continue an uniformity in her publike worship received from our Fathers and her care and charity to appoint respectively to every condition and state of Christians their proper allowance and dimensum of spirituall food and to imitate our Saviour who would not reveale even to his Apostles themselves all the mysteries of the
Kingdome of God during the times of their infirmity when they were not able to bear them 9. These being the principall points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants I judged fit to signifie how when I considered what the church had declared to be her sense of them separating them from private opinions to which no man is obliged they appeared so reasonable and so consonant to antiquity that if I should have continued in a separation from her for their cause I must at the same time have professed to have renounced all interest in the most glorious Saints and Martyrs that ever the church enjoyed And if it were Gods good pleasure that all other Protestants lovers of unity would think fit not to judge of the Catholike church by the character given of her by Calvinist Controvertists who lay to her charge whatsoever imprudent or erroneous positions they find in any particular Catholike author insomuch as I am confident not one objection among twenty in their writings proceeds directly against the church but that if they would be perswaded to hear her testifying of her self in her publike doctrine they would find that they have been cousened into the guilt of this pernicious exterminating crime of Schisme by the passions and iuterests af men enemies to peace and Christian charity and that they have been enemies to Gods church for telling them the truth that perhaps themselves believed in the sense and latitude that she proposeth it Lastly if they would but think the judgement of their own Bucer in Mat. c. 26. worthy to be hearkned to who tells them Nihil esse damnandum quod ull ◠ratione bonum esse queat i. e. That nothing is to be condemned especially in the Church the Spouse of Christ and Mother of us all that by any way or in any sense or respect can be good they would think themselves obliged to consider the doctrines of the church with all possible caution modesty humility and charitable construction and not ruine their souls by forsaking her Communion till they found that charity her self which covers a multitude of sins could not excuse her that is till they found that notwithstanding the promises of Christ the gates of bell had actually prevailed against her CHAP. IV. The Holinesse taught and practised in the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the Doctrines The Authors former exceptious against certaine practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of Mysticall Theology c 1. I Will now discharge the promise which I made in the XVII chap. of the first Section which was to give a narration what effect the eminent rules of holinesse and true solid devotion which contrary to my expectation I found in the Catholike Church had upon me and that not onely to incline my will to love them and desire the practise of them but to dispose my understanding also to be more docible and more easily perswaded of the truth of speculative points which were professed in a Church so enriched and by persons whose whole employment was to love serve glorifie and admire the goodnesse wisdome and all other perfections of Almighty God to meditate day and night upon the holy Mysteries of our Salvation and to mortifie all manner of vice passions and lusts farre more intrinsecally spiritually and perfectly then any thing that I had seen or read before could give me a notion of I hope I need not be ashamed to professe this and however I will not forbeare to publish mine own shame by professing that the life and Councells of S. Charles Borromée and the truly Christian Spirit of humility and meeknesse shining in the writings of Monfieur Sales Bishop of Geneva gave more satisfactory answers to all the objections of Protestants then any I had hitherto found in all the volumes of those famous Cardinalls Baronius Bellarmin and Perron or at least that the former gave a point and a pierceing vertue to the discourses of the later which in former times I had often and without much effect perused 2. That way of satisfying doubts and controversies was the stranger to me because it came directly contrary to my expectation for I must professe I had in former times a far stronger aversion from the Catholike Church considered by me as an enemy to Holinesse then as an enemy to truth I had observed 1. In generall that most of the points in controversie betweene Catholiques and Protestants were such as contributed either to avarice or ambition 2. I saw that rich men to whom our Saviour said it was impossible that they should enter into the Kingdome of heaven were the easiliest admitted of all others by the prostitution of pardons and Indulgences 3. I saw that many Casuists had handled the sins of great men Usury and Simony so tenderly and favourably allowing so many qualifications that it was become almost impossible to deprehend them 4. I saw the antient discipline of the church almost quite vanished and absolution given upon a small penance for such sins adultery blasphemy and that most horrible and atheisticall gallantry of Duelling which the antient church would scarce have pardoned after ten years macerating of the body and soule with fastings weepings and yet greater austerities and for which she would not have received to peace the persons guilty by recidivation by admitting them to the Communion no not in Articulo mortis See the annotation of Petavius upon S. Epiphanius ad Haeres 59. 5. I saw me thought that absolutions were given as of course and that persons though habitually addicted to mortall sins yet upon an outward profession of sorrow expected and challenged pardon and admission to the blessed Sacrament and all this toties quoties 6. I saw that attrition i. e. sorrow for sin meerly out of fear of being damned with the Sacrament was counted a sufficient qualification to remission of sins whereby in my opinion charity it self became unnecessary Such prejudices as these was I possessed withall all which I imputed to the church her self insomuch as though I suspected that my understanding might be over-reached by subtill Disputants to excuse the errours which I believed to be in the Roman church yet I was resolved that it was impossible my will should be seduced so far as to approve such enormous practises 3. Now the occasion and manner how I came to be satisfied of the eminent sanctity taught and practised in the Catholique Church and concerning those practises not that they were excuseable but that they were not to be imputed to the church which was most innocent of them was as follows It hap'ned not long after my arrivall at Paris that my curiosity led me among other places to visit the Monastery of the Carthusians whom we deprehended in their ordinary employment of prayers and in the place of their almost continuall residence the church A sight that was which made a strange impression upon my mind being at that time also in some
most perfect will of God by which in time there is made a perfect denudation mortification and annihilation of a mans own private will and a suffering ones self to be inacted and moved immediately by Almighty God and at last a contemplation of the divine essence without any medium without all help of grosser imaginary forms an absorption of all operations called by them a divine idlenesse whereby the soul reposeth securely and with unspeakable pleasure in the bosome of her heavenly Bridegroom I speak not now of strange effects outward and respecting the body as Elevations Extasies c. which though admired at by others yet are neglected and even pray'd against by spirituall persons themselves 6. Now to prove that these are neither dreams of ignorant souls nor sublime extravagances of soaring spirits we may consider that 1. The greatest understandings that many of the last ages have brought forth as S. Bernard S. Thomas Aquinas S. Bonaventure and I. Picus Count of Mirandula c. have all written uniformly upon the same subject and have shewed clearly that what they wrote was not meer speculation but comprehended practised and felt by them 2. That even the meanest capacities have arrived to the perfection of contemplation as S. Isidore a plain husband-man in Spain S. Teresa S. Catherine of Siena and of Genoa silly ignorant women that unparallel'd young Heremite Gregorio Lopez Insomuch as whosoever shal with a true resignation pure intention enter into this life of the Spirit though his understanding be not able to give him entertainment for meditation yea though he be not able to help himself with reading others yet if being informed of the necessary points of Catholike Faith he humbly constantly move his wil to frame cordially acts of love and resignation c. to God even such a man or woman shall not fail to arrive it may be to a higher degree of union then the most learned and skilfull Doctors even to that perfection of which S. Paul speaks Crucifigor cum Christo vivo jaem non ego sed vivit in me Christus i. e. I am crucified with Christ and I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 3. To the end to be secure of delusions it is observeable that whereas in other Sects â—â—â—re are certain counterfeitings of such a mysticall familiarity with God joyned with strange motions and effects as awong the Anabaptists Famulists Quakers Ranvers c. strange examples whereof in the last age we may read in Florimundus Raemundus yet now daily out-done by those Sects in England as at Malton in Yorkshire London and other places where they abound yet such illuminations discover their black Author in that the persons are far from being cleansed of their carnall lusts pride malice c. and the design appeares commonly to be the troubling the world with some new pretended Revelation and Reformation c. Whereas among spirituall persons in the Catholique Church the inseparable qualification for contemplation is a deep humility a most tender charity and love of Catholique unity 4. Lest a suspition should arise that this mysticall Theology and doctrine of contemplation should be an invention of Religious Orders to magnifie themselves in the worlds opinion as having means to a neerer approach to Almighty God then the rest of the world We may consider both that the same rules for substance are found in the writings of the antient Fathers as S. Dâ—onisius Aroopagita S Augustine S. Basil Joannes Cassianus S. Hierome c. and that even those most active Fathers and Bishops of the church have notwithstanding attained to a great perfection of contemplation yea that in this last age there have not appeared any more perfect therein then those two famous Bishops viz. B. Francis de Sales Bishop of Geneva and S. Charles Barromée that most unwearied sollicitous Arch-Bishop of Milan and Cardinal and Antonio de Roias a Spanish secular Priest Though withall it cannot be denyed but that a retreat and disengagement from the world solitude silence and other austerities be very powerfull and effectuall dispositions thereto But concerning Mysticall Theology I shall refer those that desire further information to the writings of Thaulerus Harphius Rusbrochius the Bishop of Geneva S. Teresa and many others Particularly the severall Treatises as yet Manuscripts of that late very sublime contemplatiue F. Augustine Baker a Monke of our English Congregation of the Holy Order of S. BENET The yet imperfect sum of whose methodicall instructions concerning Internall Prayer having happily met withall at Rome I found my self pressed to hasten my reconcilement to the Church because I thirsted to become capable of practising those heavenly instructions And afterward in France but especially in my passage through Cambray having seen many more of the same Authors writings the Spirit of which did eminently shew it selfe in the lives of those excellently devout and perfectly religious Benedictine Dames there and being by them informed which within a few dayes mine own eyes assured me of that the same doctrine was received and practised by their Fathers at Doway I presently contrary to all my former resolutions to dispose my selfe only among strangers in a religious life determined to fix my self at Doway I forbore in the former Impression to mention this Author among the rest because I thought his books were confin'd to Cambray where they were written or to his own Convent at Dowvy But being since assured that they were largely dispersed even among the secular Clergy I could not without ingratitude now omit his name and I hope that e're long a ful account of his spiritual instructions concerning the severall Degrees of Internall Prayer shal be happily communicated to the world methodically digested authoritatively published to the glory of God great advancement of devout souls in his divine love 7. For my present purpose it will suffice that by that short enquiry I made I satisfied my self that in no other Congregation but the Catholique Church only were to be found either rules in writing or living directors for a true spirituall life in any comparison approaching to those before named Insomuch as I have often wondred why Protestants would not at least borrow and transcribe such writings for their own use and practise and all that I could say for answer to my self was 1. That according to that saying of the Fathers Spiritus sanctus non est extra Ecclesiam i. e. The Holy Spirit resides not any where out of the Church that is disperses not his extraordinary favours and sublimer gifts any where else 2. Because Protestant Religion c. renouncing all Evangelicall Counsells of perfection as voluntary poverty chastity c. and their avarice having swallowed all the revenews which nourished men in a solitary life of meditation and contemplation they both want such effectuall helps thereto and dare not for fear of being censured as half-Catholiques commend or practise the means proper and conducing to it
Authors whose larger Opinions I had occasionally made use of I have protested my disengagement from particular Dogmes Nay I have not refused to retract and cancell what I judged fit to be retracted and more I could not do with a good Conscience For the generall argument of the book being a story of what was pass'd it was not possible for me to alter any thing in the Narration for God himself cannot make that which ha's been not to have been Or if I should publish my self so palpable a lyar as because some passages do displease some persons therefore to say that such things were not such what good or convenience would proceed from a lye God is my witnesse in matters of this nature I despise credit Nay more I know not how but I find a gust in making a Retractation whensoever I can conceive it requisite For I count it no vertue to write plausibly or eloquently or learnedly But I esteem it a great vertue not to persist in an errour nor because I haue said a thing once therefore ever after to maintain it for a false or vain credits sake If I have not given sufficient proof of this in this second Edition of my book I do beg of every charitable Catholique Reader to suggest to me what they yet shall judge fit to be altered and to give me convincing reasons for it and I promise them a very cheerfull readinesse to content them and not great resistence against being convinced 5. Only this one thing I must professe to them that it is not a convincing argument to me to hear any say Other Controvertist's have inwrapped within their treatises many Thoologicall Doctrines beyond what Catholike Religion obliges them to as concerning the Popes Infallibility c. therefore you are obliged to follow their example For I must needs tell them that besides it is in it self unreasonable to spend time in disputing with Protestants upon Questions in which some Catholiques will be of their side I cannot but impute the unsuccessefulnesse in such disputes and the paucity of Converts to such a way of managing Controversies when Catholiques shew what a number of Doctrines they are able to maintain more then is necessary and more then concern Protestants to hear of So that it is to be feared the design of such Catholique writers is not so much to seek the Conversion of Protestants as to shew their zealous adhesion to the particular Doctrines of their Order or Party For mine own part truly I am no tyed to any peculiar Dogmes that holy Congregation to which by Gods providence I am inserted an unworthy Member does not exercise that violence over spirits subject to them as to force a belief of any unnecessary distinctive Doctrines upon them or a profession of doctrines which they do not believe or would not if they lived any where else Conscience and not faction or partiality is the director of our assent and it is from the Church only that we receive the Rule of that assent Now enjoying this liberty and having I thank God neither hopes nor fears from the world I will not captivate my own understanding to any but God and his Church nor my tongue or pen to any particular Schoolman or Controvertist Now my meaning is not hereby to imply that I condemn any of these Doctrines but onely that I desire leave being to deal with Protestants to be silent and take no notice of such questions wherein they are not concerned but are whil'st troubled with those disputes so much the longer detained from entring into Catholique Communion 6. Having made this profession of my resolution to offend none and yet withall of being subject to none but the Church to which only and not any Faction in the Church my desires and endeavours shall be to invite Protestants and to which if by Gods blessing they adjoyn themselves they shall be equally welcome to me to whatsoever party in it they shal range themselves If hereafter any Catholique will not content himself with that satisfaction which I have and will as far as reason and conscience will permit give him If he be unlearned I must desire him to dispense with me for taking Rules from him how to manage Controversies If he be learned and especially if himselfe be imployed in the Conversion of souls then I desire him to give me leave with all respect and humility to ask him is there any such priviledge given to any Rank of English Missioners as that souls may not be suffered to be converted unlesse it be upon the grounds of Suarez or Scotus or Becanus c. Is it lawfull in France to propose the churches doctrine pure and unmixed with privat opinions and is that unlawfull in England Is the Councell of Trent a suspected Rule without such or such a Doctours interpretation I have been informed that severall persons and I have known some that have reaped good by so despiseable a Treatise as this God whose power is made perfect in weaknesse giving his blessing to so imperfect but well meaning work Can any charitable Catholique envy this or be sorry that Protestants should be delivered by any from their errours and Schisme unlesse the instrument of their conversion devote himself to all your particular distinctive Tenets Truly for my part if since my being a Catholique I have entertained any particular Doctrines though they should be never so contradictory to yours yet since with all that difference we remain both of us firmly united in the beliefe and profession of all Doctrines truly Catholique I should willingly and cordially encourage any Protestant to believe you and condemn me upon condition that his esteem of you and prejudice against me might be an inducement to him the sooner to entertaine a good opinion and liking of Catholique Religion it self If in this Book there be mentioned any opinions in your opinion too large yet doubtlesse you cannot but know that they are publiquely and uncontroulably asserted by unquestioned Catholique Authors Or however the Quotations will now inform you so much and direct you to their particular Treatises And the principall of these Authors are Salmeron Bacon Molina c. learned Fathers of the Society as likewise Salmanticensis Monsieur Veron Estius c. Out of such Authors as these I do quote many passages and opinions accounted indeed generally of the largest allowance but yet not condemned by any On the contrary their books have been in the highest manner approved These opinions I quote not as mine own for I professe against espousing any in this Book but as doctrines and interpretations though not so generally embraced yet universally uncondemned Now shall these men passe untouched who asserted and published such opinions and must I be traduced as an unsound Catholique for transcribeing them and for only saying that they said so 7. Experience of what is past obliges me to prevent misconstructions for the future for which purpose this little that hath beene said
say confidently it is all to be found comprised sufficiently in the little Catechisme made for Infants others would add the Common-Prayer book others the book of Homilyes others would yet thrust in the book of Ordination others the 39. Articles and Canons others besides would have the four first Generall Councells not to be forgotten and lastly some few of those who are pure Protestants indeed would say the whole Canon Law in as much as concerns doctrine especially and as far as it is not revoked by Acts of Parliament All this with all that went before is the entire Rule of English-Catholique Doctrine And all those for their severall answers would produce English Fathers and Doctors whose books have been received and approved without contradiction in the Church of England 4. To save the blushing of an English Protestant I would not suffer Mr. Chillingworth nor my Lord Falkland to put in their votes for they would have renounced all these and protested that neither the Catechisme nor Common-prayer-Book nor Homilies c. nor all these together contain that doctrine of the Church of England to which all are obliged to submit but only the Bible the Bible and nothing but the Bible and this not interpreted by any Bishop or Synod of Divines but by every good mans reason let him shift as he can An answer which it admitted not only totally destroyes the spirituall Jurisdiction of the English Clergy but all authority whatsoever even of the civill Magistrate in matters of Religion yet to shew the great impartiality of English Protestants towards Catholike Faith because they fancied that by such a position Catholiques might receive some damage they not only admitted this position of M. Chillingworths and saw it approved by their Doctor of the Chair but triumphed in it as the great Master-piece of the wit of this Age whereas if they had but half an eye open they might have seen in it the inevitable ruine of their whole Fabrick So that J. P. did not well consider what poor service he ha's done and what small refreshment he ha's given or rather what a dishonorable Epitaph he ha's fixed upon the monument of his deceased Church by giving his Testimony of applause to this Treatise of my Lo. Falklands as one of the great Defenders of the Doctrine of the English Church which is more ruinous to it then all the spitefull writings and plots of Cartwright Knox Henderson or all the rabble oâ— Geneva joyn'd with them But to return 5. A Supposition being made of the foresaid answer and it being granted that all these answers have been published or without contradiction or censure admitted in the church of England should not that man be very negligent of his souls good that being to examine the truth of its doctrine should trouble himself any further then with the little Catechism of half a sheet of paper as plainly and as simply written as is possible as if the children that are to learne it had composed it since all say it is at least part of the Rule of the English Faith and some without censure of others say it is all what a while must the poore mans soul be held in suspense if he were to stay till he had search'd into the Common-prayer-Book Homilies Canons Acts of Parliament Proclamations of the King Antient Councels Canon-Law c. his soul perhaps might be disposed by death God knows where before he had examined the hundredth part of what was necessary 6. Now to apply this to the present subject it is agreed by all Catholiques that the church is an infallible witness and guide Protestants profess that if this could be made evidently appear they would hold out in no controversie at all for they would never dispute perpetually with them whom onely to hear were to be satisfied this therefore is to be made evident unto Protestants yea more evident then that any particular decisions of the Church do seem to them evidently contradictory to Scripture This is the task of Catholicks especially Catholick Missionaries Now though when it is said The Church is infallible This be commonly understood of all the whole Church in general yet when we say She is an infallible Guide it is most ordinarily understood of the Church speaking by some authorised person or persons representing the whole body 7. About this Representative there is diversity of opinions among Catholicks some say the Pope alone does sufficiently represent the Church as a Guide infallible Others a Generall Councell though without the Pope Others a Generall Councell convoked presided in and confirmed by the Pope And lastly others as learned Fa Bacon acknowledges add further this condition that the decision of such a Councell bee accepted and submitted to by the whole Church All that hold any of these opinions are universally esteemed good Catholiques and I would to God all Protestants had so much humility as to subdue their own private Reason to the largest of them and for Catholiques this I may confidently say That they who without betraying the Truth make the way to the Church easiest and plainest have most charity and Faith enough the others may have more Faith I would they had more Charity too Truly to my understanding there is some inhumanity in urging Protestants to more then Catholiques will be obliged to or to think that to Protestants prepossessed with passion and partiality that can be made evident which is so far from being evident to some Catholiques that they renounce it Since all changes therefore proceed by degrees in the name of God let it not be expected from Protestants that they should with one leap mount to the utmost verge and extent of all Doctrines held by Catholiques That they should at one gulpe swallow both all Catholique Doctrines and all Theologicall Dogmes Be it granted therefore that it is true that the Pope is infallible I will beleeve it as a Theological truth but since neither the Church nor the Pope himself has told us so I cannot if I would beleeve it as a Catholick Doctrine what therefore have I to do to dispute of it to Protestants whom my duty is onely to perswade to the belief of the Churches Doctrine What pitty is it that they must be delayed and as it were kept out of the Church till all objections that they can make and be furnished even from Catholicks themselves to make against this position be answered or all advantages that they can advise against any Bulls or Decretals be cleared to their satisfaction 8. Therefore I being ingaged to make good to I. P. That the Church speaking by a Representative is an infallible Guide would fain choose that Representative which is qualified with all the conditions allowed by any uncensured Catholicks to make it most easie and most acceptable to Protestants which is a general Councel Confirmed c. by the Pope and accepted by the Church But yet I wil abstract from this last clause of being acâ—epted
do not to such a degree prejudice the persons but that the Votum Baptismi will suffice them And Simony does not wipe out the Character though the Church in detestation of that crime does in validate the Popes acts and destine him when the crime is proved to a Deposition And as for my Lord Falkland upon what a mistaken notion of Infallibility he proceeds in this discourse let the 27th and 28th Paragraphs of that Treatise according to a more exact impression 1646 witness where enveighing against Catholicks for putting Hereticks to death and preventing a Recrimination for Calvin's burning of Servetus And the Church of England executing Catholick Priests He concludes that passage with these words The Church of England confessing she may erre is not so chargeable with any fault as those which pretend they cannot and so wil be sure never to mend it And besides I will be bound to defend no more then I have undertaken which is to give reason why the Church of Rome is not Infallible Whereby his Lordship shews clearly that in his opinion an argument from any supposed erronious opinion or faulty practice in the Church was of force to disprove the Churches Infallibility although such an errour or ill practice was never authorised by any decision of a General Councel nor universally spred through the whole Church as this example mentioned by him apparently never was 6. It was from the like disapprehension that my self formerly had of the notion of Infallibility and misapplication of it to points controverted by Catholicks in which the Church it self is entirely untouch'd that I conceived Mr. Chillingworth's book unanswerable and by consequence was so long kept at a distance and disheartned from so much as taking into debate whether the Catholick Church was to be considered by me when I was in quest of a new one had I not reason then to say that the word Infallibility was not as I. P. quotes me simply an unfortunate word but to me an unfortunate word not for any fault that was in the word it self but for my misinformation and mistake of the true sense and inportance of the word and was it a betraying of the cause or a confession of guilt when I said that Mr. Chillingworth had combatted against that word with too great success Success I mean not against the Church but against his own soul and the souls of his fellow-English-Protestants if I may lawfully call them his fellows who conspiring with him in the mistake of the word were and are God knows with him frighted from the Church which is placed out of the reach of all the shot and noise that he makes against it It was therefore not without cause that I wished that the word might be forgotten or at least laid by that is as long as Protestants do and will persist in a wilful mistaking of its sense and notion And that this was my meaning and no thought of finding fault with the word Infallibility it self which I acknowledged to be as fit a word to express the Authority of the Church by as could be found in one single tearm does evidently appear in many passages of my book and therefore notwithstanding that wish of mine and seeming advice to others yet I my self unawares in all this discourse till I came to this point made use of the same word but it was with a resolution to say what I have now said to prevent any more mistaking of it I. P. therfore if he well consider it will finde little ground to please himself with those other words of mine That Protestants have indeed very much to say for themselves when they are press'd unnecessarily with it and therefore I desired that they might never be invited to combat the Church under that Notion It was pure pitty to them that I said thus and not the least apprehension for Catholicks They have indeed much to say for themselves when they are press'd unnecessarily with it and the occasions of their mistaking it not taken away for they will run into endless disputes and such disputes as Catholicks will furnish them with armes to defend themselves whereas if they be urg'd to produce what they have to say for themselves when the Authority of the Church speaking in a lawful Oecumenical Councel is objected to them they are dumb and ashamed to name the new and quickly decrepite Church of England and its Authority which vanishes at the very sight of the Authority of the Universal Church yea and as silent will they be when they are invited to combat the Authority of the Church under the notion of Infallibility so that that notion be first clear'd and warning given them to abstain from misapplying it to questions in which onely particular Catholicks and not the Church it self is concerned but indeed I should not have said They have much to say for themselves for alas it is miserably against themselves in the highest degree when they either unfortunately or wilfully shroud themselves under ambiguities of words or when they change the state of that question which should end all questions either devising or catching at all advantages to keep them out of Gods Church 7. Upon these considerations if I said that Infallibility was to me an unfortunate word had not I reason to say so since it indangered my loss and caused my delay of attaining to the fundamental happiness of this and the next world which is to become a member of the Church of Christ This might have been spoken without any prejudice or disparagement to the word it self as it may be truly said that Homousion the Churches own word was an unfortunate word to the Arians as likewise that Theotokos was an unfortunate word to the Nestorians since they would not accept heaven unless they might have it without being oblig'd to receive those words Therefore I. P. must pardon me and give me leave to say more that is that Infallibility was an unfortunate word not to me onely but to Mr. Chillingworth likewise and to my lord Falkland and to I. P. himself and indeed to all Protestants since they will needs to their own great disadvantage make advantage of it to embroil Controversies to multiply objections and to exclude themselves from the Church and this they do because they will neither use nor accept of any other word And this word which is in it self and confined to the present acception very expressive and proper they will needs understand in a far more sublime and comprehensive Notion then Catholicks intend thinking that if they could shew that any particular personal opinions of Catholicks or any practise in the Church did swerve from that rectitude which they imagine to be imported by that word that they had reason to renounce the Churches Infallibility and authority though by being in the Church they would have no obligation to joyn in such opinions or practises What Protestant would have the confidence to say that it doth not belong to
Infallibility or Authority of the Church I am most assured if the reasons given by me against M. Chillingworth be indeed concluding and my answers to his objections satisfactory that if Mr. Chillingworth had been alive to read my book and had thought so too he would not have made that poor shift that I. P. hath done and have said that Mr. Cressy did unreasonably to impugne him 11. In the next place forasmuch as concerns the manner of my Answer which I. P. in the eighth Paragraph says is yet more unreasonable In that I deserting the Infallibility answer onely to the authority of the Church so making this authority answer for that Infallibility I answer that it was onely a mistaken notion that both I and Mr. Chillingworth and all Protestants have of the word Infallibility that I deserted and desire I. P. likewise to desert with me but as for the true Infallibility which is in effect al one with the Authority of the Church it could never enter into my thoughts to desert it and it proving to be the very same thing with the Authority of the Church obliging under damnation it is very reasonable that this Authority should answer for that Infallibility and that Infallibility for this Authority 12. As to the three Absurdities in the opinion of I. P. following from the unreasonableness of my answer of which the 1. is That after all I have said to Mr. Chillingworth's arguments I must still acknowledge them unanswerable as they were intended by him that made them 2. That my Answer must be to no purpose because I pretend to answer his arguments as against the Authority of the Church simply considered without Relation to such an Infallibity which were never made against an Authority so qualified And 3. That if I intend to refute all opposition made to the Infallibility of the Church by an assertion of its bare authority then must I assert that authority which is fallible to be as great and as convincing as that which is Infallible c. Here I answer that there is no need of any further answer for that which is already said demonstrates all these consequences to be meer mistakes grounded upon mistakes Yet because for good I. P. sake I am content to take the pains to say more then absolute necessity requires therefore that which is already said being presupposed to the first pretended Absurdity I answer 1. That Mr. Chillingworth did esteem both the Rhetorick and Logick of his Book prevalent not onely against Dr. Potters single Adversary and his grounds but against the very foundations of all Catholick Authority insomuch as he challenges all Catholicks whatsoever protesting that if they be able to answer but a very few leaves of his Book he will submit and go to Mass presently And 2. The truth is if his positive grounds of The Bible and nothing but the Bible interpreted casually by private reason be the onely Rule not Infallibility onely but all Authority is destroyed Therefore his intention was that his arguments should have heir force not onely against that notion which he thought his Adversary had of Infallibility but against the thing it self whether you will call it Authority or Infallibility And by consequence 3. I have no obligation to think still for it never concerned me to think his arguments to be unanswerable as they were intended by himself 13. To the second pretended Absurdity I further answer that it is true Mr. Chillingworth very often mistakes even his Adversary in his acception of the word Infallibility And this I said in general in the Book and much more that he mistakes in his application of this mistaken notion to the Churches Authority or qualified Infallibility But though I said this in general you will finde that when I come to a particular answer of passages and grounds quoted out of him they are such as concern the positive fundamental grounds of his whole book and destroy not onely all Infallibility but all Authority yea the very being of a Church whether Catholick or Schismatick And where I answer particular objections against the Church I have no recourse to his mistake of Infallibility Therefore my answer is to some purpose though many of his objections be to none as to Catholicks in general 14. To the third supposed Absurdity I answer that I had rather think I. P. did read my Book negligently then that he would censure it malitiously and against his conscience if he did read it with care For it is evident through my whole book that my own thoughts were c I have clearly signified those thoughts to have been that Infallibility and Authority are in effect all one as applyed to the Church For to say that the Church has authority in a General Councel to propose Doctrines of Faith and to oblige all Christians under penalty of damnation to receive and beleeve the said Doctrines and withal to say that she is fallible and may deceive and propose falsities for truths and so propose them as that there can be no appeal from her would be the extremity of injustice and the exalting of a Tyranny more grievous then Sicily ever felt a Tyranny upon Souls I wonder therefore what art it was that I. P. used when he extracted out of my book that because of the ill use that Mr. Chillingworth c. made of the Scholastical word Infallibility exalting it to the supremest degree that the word could import that is to a degree not at all pretended to by the Church no nor scarce by the Scripture it self and therefore I declared my willingness not to serve my self of that word which was none of the Churches own and desired others also either to abstain from it or at least to adjoyn such necessary qualifications to it as were allowed by the Church to the end that Protestants might see what it is that they combat and ought to submit to viz. The just and lawful Authority of the Church in interpreting of Scriptures Authoritatively and proposing of Doctrines with absolute obligation of beleeving I wonder I say by what new art he extracted this consequence that I must assert that that Authority is as great and convincing which is fallible as that which is Infallible Did I ever deny or give the least ground of suspition that it was in my heart to deny the Authority of the Church to be Infallible in Decisions propounded by her as traditionary Is it to say the Church is fallible or a Guide that may lead a soul out of the way or a Judge capable of mistaking because there may be spread in some places of the Church some Opinions no Decisions or some practises which Protestants may account unwarrantable No no it is meer guilt in I. P. that made him draw such an inference he is loath to see the truth appearing out of clouds I may more truly call the word Infallibility the Darling of Protestants then as he does of Catholicks a Darling to them
few learned and truly spirituall men hath armed it with a plenteous magazine of Reason invincible CHAP. XXXIX An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's seventh and eighth grounds 1. TO the seventh ground viz. That a certain infallible Faith is not required since reason which is the only agent is fallible and the grounds not evidently certain such a probability will serve the turn as can produce in a mar obedience c. For answer hereto I desire Protestants to consider 1. Whether at the first planting of Christianity probable grounds of belief had been sufficient if not as most certainly not how come they to be sufficient now If it be replied that we must either be content with probable grounds or none I answer there is no such necessity because for all the substantiall points of Christianity we have universall Tradition and that with all advantages for assurance imaginable insomuch as if all men would call him mad that should deny that there was such a man as King William the Conqueror of England which is yet attested only or principally by a Nationall Tradition there that man would deserve a title worse then the former that could doubt of the universall testimony of the Catholique Church all the world over that such Traditions have come to them from their ancestors c. 2. I desire them to consider what course they will take to convert the now Jewes and Turks or Heathens to Christianity if they shall once tell them that they can give them no better then probable motives of our Religion For they will doubtlesse reply that they will never quit their own Religion in which they and their ancestors have been bred and of the truth of which they likewise have at least in their own opinion a probable Tradition for a new one not assured 3. To consider the example of the antient Jewes For if those very persons who were eye-witnesses of the miraculous delivery of the Law and by consequence were most assured of the divinity of it yet notwithstanding would not quit temporal pleasures and allurements for the future rewards therein promised is it likely that the Christians of these times will upon confessedly only probable grounds and promises and those not to be expected till after death renounce assured and present delights and embrace assured and present miseries mortifications and abnegations 2. To the eighth and last ground viz. That since all Christians agree in necessary doctrines which are expresse they ought not to deny Communion the one to the other for other doctrines contained obscurely in Scripture and that that is the only effectuall means of reducing and preserving unity among Christians I answer that it is apparently contrary to experience what is here said For neither do all Christians agree in all necessary doctrines nor in all which themselves esteem necessary neither will they allow Communion to men differing in points by their own Confession nor esteemed so much as substantiall Yea let England witnesse if our Presbyterian Calvinists do not think many thousand Hecatombs of Christian bloud a fit sacrifice to prepare a tyrannicall introduction of a few circumstantiall novelties Therefore to say men ought and it were well if they would do otherwise and in the mean time destroy all Ecclesiasticall authority to constrain them to what they ought to do is to destroy all Christian Communion indeed all manner of policy and society For upon the same grounds we may as reasonably contend for an universall Anarchy since all men ought by the law of reason and nature to live in justice temperance and peace and therefore let lawes be annulled and Judges deposed But God whose imprudence is wiser then the wisdome of men seeing our figmentum our naturall perversenesse hath appointed Civill Governours to overawe Delinquents with the whip and with the sword and Ecclesiasticall Magistrates likewise into whose hands he ha's likewise put a spirituall scourge and sword too to correct or cut off putrified or mortified members the whole foundation of which Policy and order would be undermined by such an allowance given to all sorts of Christians to become judges and interpreters for themselves in matters of Religion upon a groundless and never-yet-accomplished hope that they will all agree to use this power with meeknesse and charity 3. Besides let all the world judge of the extreme partiality of English Protestants they say that no man ought to refuse Communion for differences in points in themselves not necessary or fundamentall and they acknowledge that Catholiques agree with them in all points fundamentall and yet they not only refuse to communicate with them but call their Communion damnable and Idololatricall Yea moreover seek to justifie the execution of the most bloudy lawes against Catholike Priests performing their duties that ever any Christian Nation heard of 4. Mr. Chillingworth indeed maintains this their partiality of refusing Communion with Catholiques upon this ground because no man can be allowed by the Councell of Trent to enteâ— into Catholique Communion that believes not all doctrines of faith therein defined to be of universall Tradition many of which they disbelieving ought not or if they would cannot be received into Communion Hereto I answer 1. That the Bull of Pius the fourth requires subscription to the Councell only from Priests c. 2. Can any antient Church be named that ha's not alwaies done the same 3. Do not the Lutherans Calvinists yea the Church of England both before and since the writing of his book the same 4. Does not the omission of requiring an uniform profession of Faith evidently destroy all Ecclesiasticall authority and leave every one in a liberty hitherto unheard of in Gods Church of thinking and believing and judging and saying and doing what he himself pleases 5. The unappealable authority of a Generall Councell being once destroyed would not Babel it self and the seventy languages of it as some reckon them be order and unity it self in comparison with a Christian Church so confused and mangled wherein not seventy but seventy thousand languages might be allowed For as for this phantasticall Utopian way of Unity here first devised and proposed to the world by Mr. Chillingworth let even the most ignorant of his judges give sentence whether as long as men have passions and as long as there is pride in their hearts and tentations in the world it be not utterly impossible to be compassed and if upon an impossible supposition it were effected whether such a kind of unity would deserve the name of unity and not rather of an universall stupidity and Lethargie CHAP. XL. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection concerning difference among Catholiques about the Judge of Controversies 1. HAving thus far considered Mr. Chillingworth's generall grounds concerning a Judge of Controversies dispersed in severall places through his book I will proceed to take a view of his principal objections against the Catholike doctrine concerning the authority of the Church which objections are of severall