sacrificed that can expiate the sins of living and dead If you ponder these hints I suppose you may find ground to look upon your Idol sacrifice of the Mass as an abomination of desolation set up in the holy place But how then is Christ a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedeck if he but once offered himself I wonder that Jesuits who pretend to so much acuteness do not advert that there are more Sacerdotal acts then the actual oblation of the sacrifice Was not the high Priests intercession in the holy of holies a sacerdotal act does not our Lord Christ live for ever to make intercession Heb. 7. 25 In the perremant virtue of that one bloody sacrifice once offered on the cross by which he has for ever perfected them that are sanctified Heb. 10. 14. as for that place in Mal. 1. ye will say more then all the Jesuits that have gone before you if you prove that it speaks of your sacrifice of the Mars What is note usual for prophets of the Old Testament then to predict New Testament duties under an allusion to Old Testament rites Have not our Divines brought very considerable arguments to prove that Malachy does not speak of any proper propitiatory sacrifice but of the spiritual sacrifices of Prayer Thanksgiving and other holy actions which Rom. 12. 1. are called a living holy and acceptable sacrifice to God Does not Malachy in that same verse predict that incense shall be offered up although your corrupt vulgar version hath omitted it yet Bell lib. 1. de miss cap. 10. acknowledges that it is so both in the Hebrew and in the translation of the severny But the incense is without doubt to be understood Metaphorically of the incense of Prayer as Psal 141. 1. Why then ought not the sacrifice also be taken in a spiritual sense Doth not the same prophet Malachy speak of Levites also cap. 3. vers 3. and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi. that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteousness and this also in reference to Gospel times as Bellarmine acknowledges cap. cit yet I hope they will say not say a proper Levitical Priesthood is to be set up under the Gospel why then a propet sacrifice Hence Mares against Tirin controv 22. N. 5. says that not only the Chaldee Paraphrasts and other Jews but also among Romanists Isidor Clarius and Vatablus did expound the place of spiritual oblations so also did Tertul. lib. contra ludaeos as is acknowledged by A lapide Nor are we against the accommodation which Fathers have made of it to the Eucharist as to a commemotative eucharistick or significative sacrifice As for the Cavil of Bellarmine Gordon of Huntly Alapide and other popish controversists to pervert this testimony of Malachy to a propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass they are learnedly conâ—ured by D. Morton in his treatise of the Sacrament lib. 6 Cap. 4. and Mares in the place cited not to mention others at the time 16. And lastly Ibid He sayes We protest against all Gods commands and word by taking away free-will in obeying him Does their whole strength consist in lying representations Let the world therefore know we deny not free-will to man we freely assent to Austin Epist. 46. ad Valentinum if there be not grace how shall God save the world if there be not free-will how shall he judge it and with Bernard degra lib. arb take away free will there shall be nothing to be saved Take away grace there shall not be a mean whereby any can be saved I freely grant that all the exhortations promises and threatnings of the word prove that God deals with men as rational and free Agents Only we protest against two sacrilegious crimes of Jesuited Papists in reference to this matter 1. That under a pretence of exalting mans free-will they overturn the absolute Necessity of the free grace of God as if an unregenerate man could do things truely acceptable to God contrary to luculent Scripture Rom. 8. 7. 8. Joh. 15. 3. Matth. 7. 12. Heb. 11. 6. Hence Vincent Lirinensis in commonit cap. 34. quis ante profanum Pelagium who ever before that profane Pelagius did so presume upon the strength of free-will as to Imagine that grace was not necessary to every good work And Concil Aur ans 2. cap. 7. If any say that by the strength of Nature bonum aliquod quod ad salutem vitae eternae peâ—tanet yea cogitare ut expedit aut eligere too think or choose any thing as we ought Haeretico fallitur spiritu 2. We protest against them for overthrowing the efficacy of the grace of God to exalt the Diana of free Will as if both Elect and Reprobate had a sufficient grace And the reason why one is converted not another were not the predetermining power and influence of grace but because the one by his free-will improves his sufficient grace better then the other Yea the Jesuit Molina spares not to say that the measure of Grace may be in him who is not converted entitatively more then in him who is converted and yet through the mal-improvment of free-will may miscarry should not this man make himself to differ from another and have wherein to glory contrary to the Apostle 1. Cor. 4. 7. how then should God be said to work both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13 How should these high epithets and elogies be made of the efficacy of Gods working on believers Ephes 1. 19. the exceeding greatness of his power toward them that believe What meant Austin when he said that God wrought in us indeclinabiliter I Know it would require something of a Scholastick debate to clear the consistency of free-will with the efficacy of free-grace to which I will not at present digress Only to cut off all the Cavils of litigious Jesuits I lay no more necessity upon the will of man then do Thomists and Dominicans if Jesuits dare not pronounce them Hereticks neither can they us upon this account By this time I hope it may appear that in all these particulars the doctrine of Protestants is conform to the Scriptures and the doctrine of Romanists repugnant thereunto And so it hath befaln this Sophister as did the army of Eugenius the Tyrant the darts which they threw against Theodosius and his imperial Army were driven back by the wind into the faces of them that threw them I had almost forgot that the Pamphleter pag. 104 remits me to the touch-stone of the reformed Gospel and to the Manuel of Controversies I believe indeed he is better versed in these trifling Pamphlets then either in the Scriptures or writings of Fathers He will not offend I hope that I commend to his perusal the replyes made to these particularly to Mr. Tombs Romanism discussed against H. Turbervile his Manuul of Controversies CHAP. V. Concerning Transubstantiation and the Number of Sacraments IN the seventh Paper
substance else this should be repugnant to the true Cyprian but for the condition of these Elements as when we say that things are of different nature some common and prophane others holy and Divine in this sense the Elements after consecration are changed in their nature beginning then to be of holy use and Divine vertue albeit Learned Salmasius in Simplicio Verino Pag. 78. suspects that testimony to be vitiated and that it ought to be read nec specie nec natura neither changed in shape nor in nature Romanists have committed many such parricids on the writings of Fathers so that here also I may conclude with a fourth demonstration of Romish Novelty That the substance of Bread and Wine are destroyed in the Eucharist and the body and blood of Christ are substituted in their place was no essential of Faith in the first three ages But this is an essential of the present Romish Faith Ergo c. SECT V. A fifth instance of Novelty concerning Purgatory examined and Retorted THe Pamphleter in his fifth Instance saith that Protestants deny Purgatory and Prayers for the dead Where Sophistically he throwes two Popish errors together Well he knew that no solid testimony for Purgatory could be brought from the Church in the first three Centuries therefore he adds to it prayer for the dead as if the Ancient Church had no other end in Praying for the dead but to deliver them from the torments of Purgatory which shall appear to be a manifest falshood Purgatory is indeed an Article of the Romish Faith as appears by the Council of Trent sess 6. can 30. and sess 25. decret de Purg. and Bell. lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 5. yea so essential an Article that T. C. adversary to the Arch. Bishop of Cant. is bold to say that we are under as much necessity to believe it as the Trinity or incarnation nor is it wonder that they contend so earnestly for it For as Spalat lib. 5. de repub Eccles cap. 8. Sect. 73. hath observed it is the Doctrine which hath most enriched the Church of Rome But it is as far from the Faith of the Ancient Christian Church in the first three ages as Hell is from Heaven Is it not acknowledged by eminent Authors in the Romish Church Roffensis art 18. cont Luth. Polid. Virg. lib. 8. de invent rerum cap. I. Alphonsus a Castro de haeres lib. 8. verb. indulg and lib. 12. tit Purgatorium that it was but lately known to the Catholick Church little or no mention of it made by Greek Fathers and by the Latins themselves received but by little and little Yea that to this day it is not believed by the Greek Church Doth not Sixtus Senensis lib. 6. annot 259. confess that an apology written by Marcus Metrop of Ephesus was given into the Council of Basil in name of the Greek Church disapproving the Doctrine of Purgatory And among themselves there are Authors of great Note who have denyed Purgatory such as Learned Picherel de missa cap. 2. Pag. 250. Barnes Cathol Roman Pacif. Sect. 9. L. D. ad finem paral and doth not Thomas ab Albijs in his tractate de medio animarum statu strike at the Foundation of it But to leave these testimonies out of their own bowels how far the Ancient Church was from believing Purgatory to be an Article of Faith is copiously and Learnedly demonstrated by Dallaeus lib. 6. de paenis satisfaâ— per totum At the time let Cyprian suffice for all lib. ad Demet. cum isthinc excessum fuerit when once we pass from this Life there is no place for repentance nor any effect of satisfaction sure then no Purgatory and a little before to the same Demet he says that when this Life is finished ad aeternae vel mortis vel immortalitatis hospitia dividimu we are divided to the eternal dwellings of death or of immortality where he acknowledges two states after this Life and both these eternal and in Serm. de lapsis he exhorts him that has sinned to confess his sin dum in saeculo est while he is in this World dum admitti confessio ejus potest dum satisfactio remissio facta per sacerdotem apud dominum gratia est where clearly he holds out that after this Life neither confession nor satisfaction can be accepted of God and in his excellent treatise de immortalitate this is one of his chief arguments whereby he encourages Christians against the fear of death because presently after death they are invested with eternal Life ejus est mortem timere qui ad Christum nolit ire ejus est ad Christum nolle ire qui se non credat cum Christo jncipere regnare if departed Saints begin to reign with Christ then sure they are not thrust down to torments equivalent to the torments of Hell But did not the Ancient Church pray for the dead Answ It s granted she did but not for a liberation from torments under which she supposed them to be presently smarting as do Romanists and therefore from these Prayers nothing can be concluded for Purgatory The Ancient Church in their Prayers for the dead did pray for Martyrs Apostles Patriarchs Prophets the Virgin Mary and for all the faithful as appears from Epiphanius haeres 75. and from the Liturgies that go under the names of James and of Chrysostom in bib pat tom 2. graeco latin and from the Liturgy of the Churches of Egypt attributed to Basil Greg Nazianzen and Cyril in bib pat tom 6. edit 4. Cyprian likewise lib. 4. Epist 5. affirms they offered for the Martyrs who had received Palmes and Crowns Many more testimonies may be brought but I sum up all in that testimony of Austin lib. de cura pro mortuis cap. 4. who affirms that Prayers were made for all that dyed in the Catholick Faith Seeing therefore the Ancient Church prayed for those who by the confession of all were not in torment but in a blessed state the scope of their Prayers was not for deliverance from the torments of Purgatory If any aske for what then did they pray for the dead Bell. is constrained to afford us an answer for when he had objected to himself lib. 2. de Purg. cap. 5. how in the Mass for the dead they pray that the Souls of the faithful may be delivered from the pains of Hell from the deep lake from the mouth of the Lyon he answers that although the Souls of the faithful at their particular judgment have received a sentence whereby they are delivered from Hell yet there remains a general judgment where they are to receive a solemn sentence both as to Soul and Body and that the Prayers of the Missal do relate to that last sentence of the great day the same may be said to have been the scope of the Prayers of the ancient Church But yet further to clear that the Prayers of the ancient Church had no reference to
Pope Siricius in epist ad Himmer calls perpetuall repentance purificatorium paenitudinis ignem the purging fire of Repentance and that this is the genuine scope of Cyprian might be confirmed from the series of his discourse but who desires farther satisfaction I remit them to Dallaeus de paenis satisfac lib. 4. cap. 10. Now only remains Austin who is the first Father that really speaks to this purpose about the end of the fourth or beginning of the fifth Century but sure it is Austin concluded nothing dogmatically in this matter as may appear by his non redarguo quia forsitan vâ—rum est lib. 21. de civ dei cap. 26. That which is here objected from him in Ps 37. is to be understood of the exploratory fire at the great day as appears by a like discourse of Austin on a paralel penitential Psalm viz. Psalm 6. where he expresly restricts his speech to the day of Judgment Though none of these Authors which the Pamphleter has gathered up implicitly from his masters do favour his cause yet I confess he wants not patrons for his Purgatory and some of them very Ancient viz Platonick Philosophs he might truely have cited Lines out of Virgil Claudian c. Yea and perhaps from the Turkish Alcoran and the Jewish Talmud from all which Bellarmin is not ashamed to argue lib. 1. de Purg. cap. 11. we do not envy them these heathnish and Infidel abettors Our Learned Countrey man Dr. Forbes of Corse lib. 13. instruct Hist Theol. cap. 1. after a paralel betwixt the Romish Purgatory and the old dreams of Platonick Philosophs Montanus and Origen concluds they have borrowed something from Origen more from Montanus but most of all from the Platonists I conclude with that of Austin lib. 1. de pecc merit remiss cap. 28. non est loâ—us medius ut possit esse nisi cum diabolo qui non est cum Christo and the Author Hypog lib. 5. Tertium ignoramus nec in scripturis invenimus hence emerges a fifth demonstration of Romish Novelty That the Souls of the faithful undergo Purgatory pains after this Life was no essential of the Christian Faith in the first three ages But it is an essential of the present Romish Faith Ergo c. SECT VI. A sixth instance of Novelty concerning invocation of Saints examined and retorted upon Romanists THe Pamphleter in his sixth Instance saith that Protestants deny invocation and Honouring of Saints where he bewrays either gross ignorance or so much disingenuity as to verify in himself his other Apocryphal Text quod interiora ejus sint plena dolo for though Protestants deny invocation of departed Saints yet they acknowledge they ought to be honoured They cordially homologate that of Austin de vera relig cap. 55. honorandi sunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter Religionem It will prove an hard province to all the Romanists of the World to produce one authentick Instance for invocation of Saints within the first three ages either from Canonical or extra Canonical Authors For as to Canonick Writers Eccius a violent Romanist in Euchirid cap. 15. acknowledges that there is no explicite command for invocation of Saints either in the Old or New Test And for extra Canonical Authors Sixtus Senensis lib. 6. Bibl. annot 345. reckons out many in the first three ages Irenaeus Justin Martyr Tertul. Clemens Romanus and Origen to whom in after times he adds Lactantius Victorinus Prudentius Ambrose Chrysost Yea and Pope John the 22. maintaining that Saints do not enjoy the beatifick vision before the resurrection of the last day and though he hint at a piteous evasion to draw some of their words another way yet the evidence of truth makes him acknowledge that all their words could not bear such an interpretation Consequently these could not maintain a proper invocation of departed Saints this being the reason why Bell lib. 1. de beat Sanct. cap. 20. concluds that Saints under the Old Testament were not invocated because they were not yet admitted to the beatifick vision Did not the Fathers of those ages explicitly reject invocation of Angels as Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 25. reckoning invocation of Angels and incantations together as things not practised by the Church And Origen lib. 5. cont Celsum lib. 8. says that our Prayers are to be offered up to God alone by his only begotten Son and why Angels are not to be invocated he brings diverse reasons How is it that in the excellent tractats concerning Prayer written by Tertul. and Cyprian there is no mention of invocation of Saints How is it that in all the Sermons of Origen there are no ave Maries or invocation of Saints recommended Do not Romish Catechists in expounding the first command labour to reconcile their invocation of Saints with the prohibition of that command but Origen in Exod. homil 8. though he prolixly treat of that command makes no mention of invocation of Saints Are not these evidences that invocation of Saints was not then in fashion Do not the Fathers of these ages define Prayer to be directed to God alone So Tertul. de orat cap. 1. 9. apol cap. 30. Iren. lib. 1. cap. 32. cap. 35. lib. 2. cap. 17. Origen cont Celsum lib. 5. lib. 8. and after them Athanasius orat 4. cont Arrianos Well did Ambrose express the sense of the Church de obit Theod. Tu Domine solus invocandus es should not the argument of Athanasius orat 4. cont Arrianos concluding the deity of Christ because he was invocated be very inconsequent if the invocation of Saints had been judged lawful When in the fourth Century invovation of Saints began to creep in was it not doubted if departed Saints knew particularly the affaires of the living Hence Nazianzen's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orat 3. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 orat funeb in laudem Basilii Hierom in Epitaph Nepotiani non audit quicquid dixero Ambrose de obitu Satyri cum quo loqui non possumus c. How could they then hold it as an Article of Faith that Saints are to be invocated Did not the Council of Laodicea can 35. condemn expresly the invocation of Angels Is it not a notorious imposture of Romanists to substitute for Angelos either in the Title Text or Margin Angulos as is observed to be done by Caranza Crab Binnius Canisius Is not that Canon commended and the worship of Angels condemned by Theodoret in cap. 2. ad Coloss Doth not the Pamphleter bewray how desperat his cause is when all the testimonies he brings are either spurious or impertinent These from Denys de Hierarch cap. 7. Clements Apost constut Cornelius 1. Epist and Origens Lament are all spurious and most of them quite impertinent That of Clement which should have been cited lib. 5. cap. 7. speaking only of Honour due to Saints that of Cornelius which not only Cocus in censura Pag. 36. has demonstrated to be spurious but also as