of Faith no General approved Synods did ever make contrary Decrees so that when any are shown opposite in words they may with sufficient satisfaction be reconciled and manifested to agree in the Catholick sense of Doctrine therein contain'd For could there be really contrary Decrees in points of Catholick Faith determin'd General Councils confirm'd by the Pope and received by the Church that would be eternally false and most unreasonable which is ratified for a most manifest Truth and most agreeable to right reason by universal Church-practice namely That all those who will not he accounted Hereticks must conform themselves to the Deerees of Oecumenical Synods And are the words of Vincentius Lyrynensis in his Admonitory against Prophane Novelties a Discourse as express for us as if it were now ex professo writ against Protestants in this controversy But not to be tedious I will close up these Testimonies so pregnant for the Infallibility of the Church declaring her Faith by Oecumenical Synods with the most famous Speech of St. Gregory the Great Sicut Sancti Lib. 1. Ep. 24 ad Pat. Constan Alexan. Evangelii c. I confess my self to receive and venerate the four Councils as the four Books of the Holy Gospel And then names them yet not with any intention to exclude the like esteem of the fifth being the second Ann. Ch. 553. General Council at Constantinople which afterwards he specifies and were all the General Councils celebrated before his happy Government of the universal Church Neither will the Protestants be ever able to give any satisfactory reason why they do not give the same veneration and acceptance to all approv'd Oecumenical Synods and in particular to that of Trent being confirmed by the same visible Head and received by the Body of the same Catholick Church And to make this more evident I will make a brief parallel of the Protestants Case with the Arians by them confess'd to be Hereticks by which I think will easily be discover'd that they can say nothing to justify themselves against that Council but will be as good and strong for the Arians against the Nicene Fathers their tryals being alike upon their disturbance of the Peace of the Church with new Doctrines and their condemnation alike by the same Authority If they say the Council of Trent was not a lawful General Council did not the Arians pretend the same against the Nicene Synod and all Hereticks take up the same Plea against the Councils by whom they were condemned If they say true they did so but They without cause We justly Let them give us a demonstration of this and we are satisfied and nothing else can carry it in this controversy Did not the Arians repute the Novatians Hereticks being condemned by a Council though not General And yet refus'd themselves to stand to the Nicene Synod though Oecumenical Why The Novatians say the Arians complain without cause We justly Did not the Nestorians and Eutychians abhor the the Arians as justly anathematiz'd by the Nicene Fathers and yet these refuse to obey the Decrees of the Chalcedon Council those of the Constantinopolitan Why The Arians contradicted without cause say the Nestorians and Eutychians but we justly In a word 't is a plea common to all condemned Hereticks with Protestants and if they would speak fully amounts to thus much We will receive no Councils farther then they agree with us and will never acknowledge or submit to any as lawful that condemn our Doctine For when they they have a long time hunted up and down for excuses this in reality is the only and justest cause they have of their disobedience If they appeal from the Council to the Scriptures as in their Opinion standing for them did not the Arians do the same And I dare be bold to say with far more probability then Protestants can pretend to in many points controverted between Them and Us. If they say they never had a fair hearing before Sentence was pass'd against them and that they were condemn'd by their Enemies being Judges in their own cause Did not or might not the Arians and any other Hereticks pretend the same against the respective Councils by which they were condemned And 't is all one as if some Rebels stubbornly refusing to answer for themselves in a just Tryal according to the establish'd Laws of the Kingdom which they have transgressed should after Sentence pronounc'd complain of Illegal proceedings as not being heard for themselves and having no reason to plead where the Party offended was their Judge by his Commissioners This is the parallel And seriously for my own part in the most Impartial examination of it I cannot see any possible evasion for the Protestants but that in all Doctrines of Faith wherein they contradict the present Church of Rome they are as notorious Hereticks by the decisions of the Council of Trent as the Arians for denying the Divinity of Christ by the Authoratative Sentence of the Nicene Fathers And to conclude this Section and Motive after all these express Texts of Scripture for the Churches Authority and Obedience unto her under pain of damnation with the sense of them so brought down to us by the Writings of Antiquity and Church-practice of her jurisdiction which is an evidence that all contrary Interpretations are false and spurious for any blinded with Interest or Passion to venture his eternal Salvation upon a May be otherwise or a probable argument deduced from Scripture leaning on the weak crutches of private reason or a particular Fallible Congregation is a strange and dangerous presumption For in Fine the Authority of the Catholick Church in such matters is of more weight than ten thousand Arguments of private Reason It being a thing manifest to judicious men that there is no place for Ifs and And 's where there can be no evidence brought against a point of Doctrine which the highest Tribunal upon earth had already Decreed and propos'd to be believ'd by all Christians as sufficiently revealed by Almighty God The second Motive That the English Protestant Church making Scripture the only sufficient Rule of Faith without any Visible Judge to Interpret and give the Sense of it Authoritatively to Christians stands on a most uncertain and groundless Foundation SECT I. An Introduction to the following Discourse THus having by the Grace and Blessing of God on my endeavours in the inquisition of Truth found sure Principles whereon to build Faith and Religion in the Roman Church and no where else nothing remained but notwithstanding all interposed difficulties to betake my self to that Communion wherein rationally that is upon Infallible grounds I was perswaded Truth only was to be found and Salvation ordinarily to be expected However that I might give the Religion I had profess'd so long a full hearing to the best of my abilities and understanding before I shak'd hands with it I diligently examin'd the grounds of the Protestant Church and Doctrine which too few do
Ecclesia vera neminem latere potest S. Aug de vnit Eccl. cap. 14. our and his Apostles 't is to continue by a non-interrupted visible succession of Pastors and People to the Worlds end Which is no less express in Scripture than the former Take it from the mouth of an Angel And of his Kingdom there shall Luke 1. 18 be no end Or if that be not sufficient from the Sacred Lips of Truth Mat. 16. 18. it self Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it What but for a time No not so But behold Mat. 28. 20. I am with you always even to the Worlds end This universality is as essential to make the Church Catholick as the former and hereby 't is not only distinguish'd from the Jewish Worship which being Ceremonial and Typical was but to continue for a time and to vanish when the Sun of Righteousness appeared But also from all Shismatical and Heretical Communions of false Christians who separating themselves from this Catholick Church thus founded to continue for ever do erect new Congregations distinct from it Which new-born Communions whatever were their pretences to separate from the old though professing the name of Christ Catholicks did never account any more true Members of Christs Mystical Body or part of the Universal Church as now Protestants pretend to be since their separation then either Jews or Heathens who never acknowledged Christ to their Saviour Witness St. Irenaeus We must obey I. 4 contr Haer. ca. 13 those Priests that are in the Church those that have a succession from the Apostles c. And all the rest who have departed from the original succession where ever they be assembled are to be look'd upon as Hereticks or Schismaticks and all these fall from the Truth Witness St. Austin whom some Epist 48. contr Dom. call the Tongue of the Church and certainly he speaks her Doctrine when he tells the Donatists You are with us in Baptism in the Creed and in the other Sacraments of our Lord but in the Spirit of Vnity and finally in the Catholick Church you are not with us And therefore he says confidently with us elsewhere Let him adore Idols saith the Devil he 's mine let him remain in the superstition of the Jews he 's mine let him quit Vnity and pass over to This or That or any Heresie he 's mine And no wonder seeing that corruptio optimi est pessima Nothing is so bad as the greatest good corrupted For though extensive Judaism and Paganism involve a far greater number of damnable errors yet intensive more malignity is often couch'd in Schism and Heresy by reason of their exceeding perverseness and obstinacy being sins against the greater light and means of grace to come to the acknowledgement of truth Now the Protestants finding themselves wholly at a loss in this particular it being impossible for them to shew a visible succession of their Doctrine and Government in Pastors and People from Christ and his Apostles to this present Age which is a sufficient evidence they neither are the true Church nor any part of it they will by no means allow the word Catholick in the Creed to be understood of a un-interrupted visible succession of Christian Belief and Worship in external Communion as Antiquity interprets it but referring it to Doctrine S. Aug. Ep. 48. only will needs have it sufficient to be true Members of the Catholick Church to profess the name of Christ and believe some Articles always taught and acknowledged though of a distinct Communion wholly and in many points of a different belief from the perpetually visible Church And think they have done enough to prove their Church Universal in respect of time because the Church of Rome from whom they separated did never fail nor cease to be a true Church though as these men pretend much corrupted Which to my apprehension is as much as to say that they who are of different Faiths in a different Communion are notwithstanding of the same Faith in the same Communion and parts separated from the Body yet actually continue Members of it And that a Commonwealth of ten years old may justly maintain themselves to be of a thousand years standing because Monarchy which they cast out to set up their new Common-wealth was of such continuance by a visible succession and agrees with them in some common Principles of Reason and Government Who can resolve these riddles Are not these pretty props to uphold the new Protestant Church to be of the Ancient Catholick Faith Strange Can men of Reason satisfy their Consciences in what concerns eternal Salvation What is the Catholick Church but a Congregation of Believers united in Faith and Worship And yet to hem these men in Jerusalem must not be as a City at unity with it self but a body composed of Antipathies and Contradictions Let them speak ingenuously will not this way of arguing make Arrians and Donatists or any old condemned Hereticks to be Members of the Catholick Church as well as Protestants The Arrians did deny but one point of Catholick belief and were cast out And shall the Protestants who deny many be kept in and reputed Members Shall that absolve the Protestants which condemns the Arrians For 't is not denying this or that but any point of the Catholick Faith with pertinacy whatever it be though Heresies may be more or less malignant and dangerous that casts us out of the true Church and makes us cease to be actual Members of it Besides can they as a Protestant Communion have a perpetual visible succession from the Apostles and yet begin to appear first in the World in the days of King Henry the viii 100 years since and somewhat more Is it any thing to their purpose to produce a visible Congregation of Believers in a never-interrupted succession of the same Faith with them in sueh point wherein they agree with the Catholick Church when such points are not those which constitute them a Protestant Church but those wherein they differ from us If they will with any shew of reason defend their Protestant Faith as such to have universality of time from the Apostles they must produce a visible Body of Christians in Church-Communion professing those points wherein they differ from the Roman Church and for which they separated from her and condemning those points and practices in her which they now do Otherwise to talk of a perpetual succession of the Protestant Religion in a Communion from the Apostles to their present Pastors is no better then a sick mans dream or any airy Vtopia without any real beeing or existence Now the Puritan-Protestants and many other Sects either not well considering the grounds why the most Learned of the Reformation defend the Church of Rome to be a true Church and perpetually visible or else plainly seeing the impossibility of rationally maintaining their deductions thereon depending
perspicuum est c. 'T is apparent from this place that he St. Paul and the other Apostles delivered many things not committed to writing Which Epiphanius also applyes to the same Haere 61. purpose teaching us Oportet autem Traditione uti c. That we must make use of Tradition seing all things cannot be taken out of sacred Writ The Apostles have delivered some things in Writing and others by Tradition Even as St. Paul says Sicut tradidi vobis As I have delivered to you And no less St. Lib. de spir◠S. Basil It is an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in Tradition not written for saith the Apostle I praise you in that you are mindful of whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you And affirms them to be so many that the day would fail him should he enumerate them Moreover That no man will contradict Ibid. it who hath the least experience in Ibid. Church Laws And as potent Patrons of the same Doctrine are St. Iraeneus l. 3 cont Haer. ca. 3 4. Tertullian de corona militis cap. 3. lib. de Praescrip S. Aug. Ep. 118. ad Januarium lib. 5. de bapt cap. 23. The second famous Nicene Council in the 7th Act c. by whom Traditionary points are invincibly vindicated And teach otherwise they could not except their words should contradict their Faith and practice though Protestants who are of a contrary belief are also of a contrary Doctrine and have invented several evasions to darken the evident light of these Texts whereby they alas deceive poor Souls To the native lustre of Scripture if we add the unanimous consent of the Fathers expounding them for us they more manifestly make good against the Protestants that the same Scriptures cannot be an un-errable and compleat Rule of Faith to Christians without Tradition And indeed Catholicks do not deny Scriptures to be a Rule but that they are not the compleat Rule of Faith nor can be a Rule of Faith at all as interpreted by private reason or particular fallibility Congregations which is their new way and practice but as expounded authoritatively by the Catholick Church according to the line of Ecclesiastical Tradition the constant custom of all Ages Now why Religion was setled in the Christian Church by Universal Tradition as a perpetual Rule of Faith rather then written Precepts will presently appear to any one well considering how that way of delivery is far more secure from mistakes and errours than Writings this being notoriously visible in actions common to all mankind in which all sorts of conditions do agree and can read the inward belief of their hearts in those outward well-understood expressions whereas written words are different and if understood by some few eminently Learned yet lyable to a thousand casualties and misapprehensions conveying erroneous Thoughts sometimes even where exactest diligence is observ'd And withall that it is more lasting then written Books which may perish totally by the fury of Persecution or be lost by some accident or other as most certainly some Scriptures are Whereas Christian Doctrine thus conveyed cannot perish but with the total ruine of all Believers But principally that sacred Scriptures themselves both for Canon Incorruptness and true sense of the Text are necessarily depending on Tradition not It on them being a self-evident Principle that needs no proof Which great and notable advantage will be more evident if we consider that the main end and principal errand of the Apostles being to deliver entirely to the World the Gospel or Law of Jesus Christ what they Preach'd throughout the whole World with their common and united endeavours inculcating it in season out of season and ingrafting it by daily and visible practice in the hearts of Believers must needs descend to us with more certainty and evidence of Truth because accompanied with a higher degree of Tradition than the Books of Scripture which were not any part of their Commission or by any joynt consent intended to comprize the whole Law of Christ but meerly an occasional work of their Apostleship according as the present circumstances did require writt by some single Apostle or Evangelist sent to some particular Church or Person as all the Apostolical Epistles upon whose Authority and Credit the whole Church originally must rely to believe it to be the true Writing of such an Evangelist or Apostle that is to be the undoubted Word of God And this is the genuine reason that while Traditionary Doctrines being on all hands acknowledg'd because founded in Universals which cannot easily fail The true Books of Scripture because at first of particular and unknown Authority agreeing therein with all errorus were cauceously rejected by some particular Churches and could not obtain due veneration and acceptance but by degrees as they were communicated to other Christians by those to whom they were at first delivered and so at last upon diligent inquisition received by the whole body of Believers for Canonical In which examination the Traditional Doctrine being universally Famous and first planted in their hearts and that of Scripture originally obscure and of an after Birth They neither did nor could rationally argue thus The Doctrine we have been taught is the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles because agreeable to this Book But thus this Book attested to us for Scripture may safely be received for the Writing of such an Apostle or Apostolical man as they witness who have already accepted it for such because we have no reason to think they are herein deceived or lye against their Conscience in that we find it conformable to the Doctrine we have been taught and have received by Tradition For to have proceeded è converso had been to prove I say not obscurum per obscurius but clarum per obscurum and contrary to all Rules of Logick and Reason Hence it is that we find the Ancient Fathers expounding some Texts of Scripture for Traditionary Doctrines of the Church which afford sometimes perhaps scarce probable Topicks for those points to which they are applyed Now this they do not as if they founded their belief of such Articles upon the Scriptures St Aug. de Civ Dei l. 20. c. 24. lib. de fide Oper. c. 15. S. Am in ca. 3. ad Cor. St. Jer. in ca. 5 Matt. Origen in eandem locum c. as might be specified in the 1st Corin. 3. from the 12 ver to the 16. and Matth. the 5th ver 25 26. for Purgatory The 15 of the foresaid Epist ver 29. For a state wherein the dead may be help'd by the living Luke the 1st ver 34. For the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God c. But being in possession of the belief of such points with the present Church of their Age upon the tenure of Tradition they only bring such places for the further confirmation and explanation of their Faith that very probably such
condemn as Erroneous and Idolatrous they would determine That to be the time when the Church grew rotten and corrupted And so after all their seeming veneration of Antiquity the Ancient Fathers shall not be any Rule whereby to judge of their Faith and Worship but their Faith and Worship shall be a Rule whereby to judge when the Fathers are or are not erroneous A sure way I confess for a new Religion But they cannot escape so neither without condemnation that even by their own confessions so impossible it is for those who contradict Truth not to contradict themselves also and to confute themselves while they oppose her For take the first 5 or 600 years after Christ to be the limiâ—s of primitive Purity and 't is manifest from their own Champions that what they call errors as just causes of their separation from the Church of Rome are Catholick Verities 'T is true saith Whitaker what Cont. 2. q. 5. c. 7. Calvin and the Centurists have written that the Ancient Church did err in many things as touching Limbo Free-will Merit of Works c. I confess saith Tulk Hierom Riot Brist pag. 36. Austin Ambrose c. hold the Invocation of Saints Most of the Fathers saith Kemnitius Exam. Con. Trid. p. 3. p. 2000 did not dispute but avouch that the Souls of Martyrs heard the Petitions of those who Prayed to them they went to the Monuments of Martyrs and invocated Martyrs by Name As long as we stand to Councils and De Noto Col 1559. Fathers we shall remain always in the same Errors So Peter Martyr Which words being indefinite may as well involve the Councils and Fathers of the first 300 years their utmost refuge in Antiquity as after Ages But Whitguift an English Protestant Defen p. 473. Bishop put it out of all doubâ— for he affirms That all the Bishops and Learned Writers of the Greek and Latin Church too for the most part wrre spotted with the Doctrines of Free-will Merit Invocation of Saints It was a custom saith Calvin 1300 years ago to Pray for the Dead Inst l. 3. c. 5. para 10. But all of that time I confess were carried away into Error Which computed from the time he writ must of necessity adulterate the Church in the days of her pre-acknowledg'd Purity And Dudidius plainly acknowledges to his Brother Beza That if it be true Apud Bezam Ep. 1 which the Fathers have profess'd with mutual consent 't is altogether on the Papists side What can we desire more as to the judgment of Antiquity for our justification Thus these men while they pretend only to forsake errors and reform Religion by cloathing the the Church a new with the snowy garments of primitive purity confess unawares enough to condemn themselves out of their own mouths and flatly give the lye to what they produce for their justification They flee to Antiquity to absolve them from error and yet accuse the same Antiquity as erroneous But while they thus condemn the whole Church Councils and Ancient Fathers of errors certainly they could not intend that their own single words should be of any Authority or deserve to be credited by rational men Who desires more satisfaction in this particular I refer him to that most excellent Treatise call'd The Protestants Apology for the Catholick Faith which in an argument ad hominem is unanswerable and plainly demonstrates that Protestants must upon their own grounds either become Catholicks or else confess that their Faith and practice is not the Faith and Practice of the Ancient Church With whom to consent is notwithstanding the Plea of these men to defend their separation from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother not to be Schismatical Some therefore seeing their Church not only to totter but wholly to fall while it pretends to stand on the legs of Antiquity have with greater zeal though with less reason invented another way to justify their Schism and will have no Authority at all attributed to the Fathers and Councils the constant practice and Tradition of the Church for decision of the present Controversies but affirm all things to be uncertain upon that score though never so plainly and unanimously asserted and the Sacred Scripture independent on them must be sole judge and give the decisive Sentence by it self Which position if made speak out says thus much that since the Apostles days there 's not one sufficient witness of what they taught the World to believe and practice as Christ instructed them but that the Doctrine of the Church is to be brought to the touchstone of Scripture by every one in particular and after examination to be accounted counterfeit or true accepted or refused as fancy and private reason shall determine For after these magnificent pretences of their great veneration of Sacred Scripture and deferring all to it this is the up-shot and their Faith is finally resolv'd into no safer Principle A Position so wholly destructive of the certainty of Christian belief so inconsistent with the majestick gravity of Religion such a never dying Hydra of Schisms and Heresies that I know not what can make a surer way for Atheism to triumph over the ruines of Christianity And had our Fore-Fathers been of this judgment and practice doubtless before this time the Cross of Christ had not been the glory but contempt of Nations Besides methinks they cannot but see that while they flee to to Scripture as sole Judge in these Controversies and deny all Church Tradition and Attestation they thereby take away those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth also when 't is confess'd by all who can pretend any right to reason that there 's no possible way for us to know undoubtedly what is the Word of God or not but by the Tradition of the Church Moreover if the written Word must be sole Judge seeing the Scriptures themselves send them to the Church obliging them to stand to her determination in such Cases as is manifest by what hath been said are they not confounded upon their own grounds and must obey the Churches decisive Sentence in all Controversies of Faith or else deny to stand to Scripture In such inextricable waves do they miserably loose themselves who obstinately defend so bad a cause But if notwithstanding these Paralogisms and self-contradictions the Scriptures must still be sole Judge in the present controverted points and they will have them to speak for them against us except it be so convincingly that the Propositions by the very connexion of terms cannot be denyed without some implicancy they are in as bad a case as they were before For if the places produced are justly lyable to various interpretations can they think it reasonable that their private glosses should be preferred before the publick judgment of the Church to whom we owe the Scriptures themselves and from whom we ought to receive as well the sense of Scripture when 't is controverted as we do the
THE PRODIGAL Return'd HOME OR THE MOTIVES OF THE CONVERSION TO THE Catholick Faith OF E. L. Master of ARTS In the University of Cambridge Et tu conversus confirma fratres tuos Luc. 22. 32. Printed Anno Domini 1684. THE PREFACE TO THE Protestant Reader WHensoever it pleases the Almighty Goodness to enlighten with the glorious beams of Divine Truth those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death in so powerful a manner as that forsaking the perplexed labyrinth of Errors they betake themselves for repose and safety into the bosome of the Catholick Church 't is Satan's policy by his Agents to make the World believe that the motives of their Conversion were but weak and carnal least others should follow their example Herein I have been as deeply censur'd as others to whom God has vouchsafed the like extraordinary mercy Yet truly whatever calumnies have hereupon been cast upon me by some who have imbitter'd Spirits and Hearts swoln with rancour against the Catholick Church as much as concerns my self I should for many reasons bave contentedly sat down in silence rejoycing in the testimony of a good Conscience if the good of those upon whom my conversion may have most influence had not in charity oblig'd me to refuse no pains that might afford them help or satisfaction in a business of the highest nature and concernment This was the pressing consideration which at last prevailed with me to give these Motives of my Conversion a publick beeing and common air to breath in that their own eyes might be Judges what just cause I had to change my Religion and how much reason there is for them to follow me Of which I conceive great hopes when to me it seems impossible for any prudential man who seriously enters into the consideration of the grounds of Christian belief with a Soul wholly divested of all prejudices and self-interests whatsoever earnestly imploring the Divine assistance and direction I say it seems to me impossible for any prudential man in these circumstances not at last to discover the truth of the Catholick Religion and acknowledge the Church of Rome to be the only high-road to Heaven and Happiness he will hear a Divine voice whispering Jerim 16. 16. to him This is the old path walk in it and thou shalt find rest unto thy Soul Thus by Gods blessing I sought and this rest at last I found and never found it 'till after much pains and study after many Prayers and Tears after many Fastings and Watchings after many tossings and turnings after many sad delays and expostulations after many conflicts and agonies in Spirit my resolutions by the powerful workings of Grace on my Soul breaking through all difficulties did effectually bring me into the arms of the Roman Church In which I saw no reason to suspect any delusion when my most serious reflections pass d judgment on it seeing this happy change was not wrought in me by any humane persuasion but the God of Truth did by his immediate inspirations begin this work of mercy on my Soul when having no thoughts at all of becoming a Roman Catholick and finding much bitterness in the ways of sin and worldly vanities I was earnestly seeking of God what course I might best take how to please him and save my precious and immortal Soul But to prevent all fear of Enthusiasm pretended illuminations and false lights wherewith many poor Souls in our Nation are so miserably misled God who is as well essential Reason as Goodness did not only move my Will but also rationally convince my Understanding that all Communions professing Christ beside the Roman were more or less erroneous and she only the true Catholick Church according to the constant notion of Antiquity out of which ordinarily Salvation was not to be expected And therefore I must flie to her as to the saving Ark that I might not perish in the deluge of my sins So then this change in me was not a passionate distortion of an interessed will pushing forward the blind understanding to fix suddenly and adhere pertinaciously to more then the light of reason did clear up to the eye of the Soul but undoubtedly mutatio dexterae Excelsi the work of God wrought in my heart by convincing arguments as the following Motives do sufficiently evidence Nor could it be to satisfy the inclinations of sensual nature when I was to forsake my Relations my Friends my Temporal Revenues and Preferments and all worldly contentments to take up my Cross and follow Jesus by contempt of the world in the perpetual practice of self-denyal and mortification And happy is he who had rather have a Cross with Christ than a Crown without him Thus the Father of Mercies was graciously pleas'd by an efficacious call to bring his Prodigal Son Home For his Church is his House where he dwells among his Saints on earth with his special presence to govern and provide for them all things conducing to their happiness From which houshold of Faith I was an Alien while I was a Member of the Protestant Church which stands dis joynted from Catholick Unity by a Schism too notorious to be justified And until we like true Penitents return unto our Mother Church which made us Christians we like Prodigals feeding on ratling Husks of formal Devotion without any substantial nourishment to our Souls miserably mispend our precious time on which inevitably depends Eternity And this shall suffice by way of Preface for an Introduction The door is open enter and view well the Motives and the eternal Sun of righteousness who is the true Light of the World open thine eyes to see and guide thy feet into the way of Peace Yet before the Lecture I thought good to advise whosoever shall peruse these Papers that bere is not to be expected that variety of Arguments which may be found in more Judicious Controvertists but a true Narrative of what principal Motives prevail'd with me to forsake Protestanism and yield my self into the Arms of our Mother Church And yet methinks they are sufficient to convince the ablest Heads if they have but hearts resolved to yield to Truth I must likewise tell thee good Reader that these Motives had long since seen the light if some accidental occasions had not retarded their birth into the World However though they lost their choicest season of publication which is when such Conversions are most fresh in memory yet 't was thought fit by persons as well judicious as zealous that they should by no means live any longer in obscurity but be set upon a Candlestick in the House of God to give light to others and I did acquiesae in their judgment and was content to have them publish'd for the common good Read them Impartially consider them Seriously and practice Faithfully what God shall inspire into thy Soul And remember in thy Devotions Thine in Jesus Christ E. L. The first Motive containing the grounds of the Catholick Faith Sect.
1. AN Introduction pag. 1. Sect. 2. A prepatory discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is pag. 6. Sect. 3. Vniversal Tradition demonstrated Infallible pag. 12. Sect. 4. Vniversal Tradition the Churches Rule of Faith in all Ages pag. 22. Sect. 5. Tradition asserted against Protestants by Scripture and the notable advantages thereof above writing pag. 32. Sect. 6. An introductive discourse concerning the judiciary power of the Church pag. 49. Sect. 7. That there is a supream Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith with an obliging power to belief and obedience under pain of damnation made apparent from Scripture Some Reasons thereof pag. 51. Sect. 8. The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers pag. 63. Sect. 9. The said Authority of the Church clear'd and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages pag. 63. Sect. 10. A further declaration of the Churches Authority or Infallibility in General Councils from Antiquity pag. 84. The second Motive shewing the Protestant Faith without foundation Sect. 1. An Introduction to the following Discourse pag. 97. Sect. 2. Hereticks from the beginning were accustomed to appeal to Scripture as the sole Rule of Faith whereby they would be judged the Catholick Church always believing and practising the contrary pag. 101. Sect. 3. A declaration of the English Protestants Doctrine how and why they make Scripture the only Rule and Judge of Faith Sect. 4. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith pag. 125. Sect. 5. That Divine Scripture is not nor can be a Judge to determine Controversies in Religion pag. 132. Sect. 6. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Scripture to rely upon for our Salvation pag. 148. Sect. 7. An answer to some of the principal places of the Scripture upon which Protestants rely for their Rule and Judge of Faith pag. 188. The third Motive shewing the Heretical Schism of the English Protestant Church Sect. 1. The nature of Schism and Heresie declared from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers pag. 188. 2. The Protestant Church of England is notoriously guilty of Schism and Heresie by their separation from the Roman pag. 203. Sect. 3. Wherein the Protestants plea that they did not separate from the Church but were forcibly cast out from her Communion and therefore the Schism not imputable to them c. pag. 212. Sect. 4. Wherein is show'd the emptiness of the Plea that they did not separate from the Vniversal but the particular Church of Rome pag. 217. Sect. 5. The Vindication of the word Catholick to its notion as us'd by the Church pag. 224. Sect. 6. Wherein the Protestants Plea of pretended errors to justify their separation from the Roman Church is confuted pag. 252. Sect. 7. Wherein the Protestants Plea that the PopesVuniversal Pastorship is an usurp'd Power crept into the Church and therefore without Schism might be forsaken is refuted pag. 273. Sect. 8. Wherein the Popes universal Jurisdiction in Gods Church is further manifested and made good from Councils and the Ancient Fathers grounded on Scripture pag. 282. The fourth Motive shewing Miracles wrought in the True Church Sect. 1. A preliminary Discourse pag. 209. Sect. 2. That Miracles were always vouchsafed to the true Church pag. 316. Sect. 3. Wherein the nature of true Miracles is declared pag. 322. Sect. 4. Some reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner pag. 331. Sect. 5. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between us and Protestants pag. 340. The fifth Motive shewing the eminent Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church Sect. 1. An Introduction pag. 367. Sect. 2. A further Declaration of the Sanctity taught and practis'd in the Roman Church pag. 371. 3. A further prosecution of this Motive from the new Doctrines and profane practice of Heretical Communions pag. 379. The Conclusion pag. 393. ERRATA PAge 38. l. 27. r. fallible p. 44. l. 12. r. other p. 63. l. 3. r. Catholick Church p. 73. l. 3. r. Parish p. 75. l. 10 dele in Councils p. 78. l. 26. r. lowd p. 82. l. 15. r. meanest p. 86. l. 2. dele of l. 3 dele that p. 89 l. 10. r. nonnunquam p. 90. l. 14. r. by general p. 112. l. 13. dele or p. 119. l. 20. r. a too notorious imposition p. 122. l. 2. dele of p. 127. l. 24. r. be p. 148. l. 3. r. absurdness p. 149. l. 21. dele the p. 151. l. 1. r. authoritatively p. 165. l. 22. dele the p. 176. l. 14. r. deceiving l. 15. r. obscure p. 178. l. 20 r whom p. 182. l. 6. r. puts him in mind p. 188. l. 3 r. versâ— p. 192. l. 11. r. but p. 216. l. 15. r. from Christ p. 218. l. 3 dele a p 223. l. 10. r. their p. 230. l. 4. r. reason thus satisfy p. 241. l. 23. r. danger p. 267. l. 14. r. mazes p. 277. l. 21. r. the least p. 294. l. 25. delâ— it p. 303. l. 18. r. by the divine p. 329. l. 15 r. possible not only to p. 333 l 22. r. if incredulous p. 342. l. 21. r. on Berengâ—riuâ— p. 352. l 3. r. say p. 354. l. 23. r. apposite p. 357. l. 13. r. purified p. 303. l 15. r. Case p. 379. l. 3. r. declaime p. 386. l. 1. r. of a â—â—â—â—smatick p. 395. l. 1. r. prosperity p. 398. l. 8. r. unwilling The First Motive SECT I. That the two chief externe Grounds or Motives of Credibility leading to the Truth of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World are Universal Tradition and Church Authority GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke unto the Fathers by his Prophets last of all in the fulness of Time reveal'd his Will unto us by his Son So that the Word was made Flesh not only as a Saviour to lay down his own Life for our Redemption and Suffer for us but also as a Law-giver to instruct us what we must believe and do for his sake and our own good if we will be sav'd Before this last and perfect revelation of all supernatural means to attain to Life deliver'd to the World by Christ the Jews were the peculiar people of God their Synagogue the true Church and their Ceremonial Rights the True Worship instituted by God himself to continue in force during that Pedagogie But the eternal Sun of Righteousness appearing those Shadows were in him fulfill'd and so vanish'd to give place unto the Gospel whose glorious Beams were to Enlighten those that sat in Darkness and the shadow of Death to the uttermost Corners of the Earth Hereupon there being a change of the Law it was necessary there should be a Translation of the Priesthood also the time being now come foretold by Malachy That from the rising of the Sun to the going down thereof Gods Name should be great
among the Gentiles and they should Sacrifice in every place and Chap. 1. 11. a Pure Offering should be offer'd to his Name a new form of Worship prescrib'd a new form of Government erected new Sacraments instituted new Precepts deliver'd Councels super-added agreeable to the Evangelical Law And in a word a Catholick Church founded to continue for ever This Church of Christ as it is one body so likewise it was of one heart and of one mind while Apostolical purity remain'd unspotted The Professors were all united in the same Faith Worship and Government holding close to Church-Tradition the Pillar and ground of Truth without any rent or Schism Till among Act. 20. 29. 30. themselves arose Wolves in Sheeps-cloathing not sparing the Flock teaching perverse things to draw away Disciples after them That is who set up a Congregation of Christians separated from the Communion of that Church which was founded by Christ and his Apostles And so by this means unity being destroy'd and Faith perverted Heresie shut up the gate of Heaven against false Christians as Infidelity did against Unbelievers A sad case this yet not so much to be wondred at seing the Apostle tells us Opportet esse Haereses There must 1 Cor. 11. 19. be Heresies for the Tryal of others and greater glory of the Truth And therefore the true Church hath in all Ages been more or less vex'd with them But never more then in these last and perillous days which since Luther's Apostacy from the Church of Rome have produc'd such an innumerable brood of New Gospels and Sects all pretending to believe and practice those Doctrines and that Worship which were taught by Christ and his Apostles and to be the only true Church of God or at least the purest Members of it Now it being acknowledg'd on all hands that they only are the true Church who believe and observe all points taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation and 't is impossible contrary Beliefs and Worships should be all true and come from the Fountain of Truth Christ Jesus those whom a more serious desire and care of their Eternal Good may excite to seek for satisfaction in so important a business shall upon diligent inquisition by the blessing of God find that the chief externe grounds or evidence ordain'd by Christ for the guiding us in the knowledge of what was taught and left by him to be believ'd and practis'd to the Worlds end and consequently also for discerning which is the true Church among so many Pretenders are those according to which the Church of Rome regulates her Faith and Worship namely Universal Tradition and the Authority of the present Church as shall hereafter be made manifest And the farther they search into the Rule of the Protestant Religion that is sole Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit exclusively to Tradition and Church Authority the more they will see such unsteady Maxims are destructive to Faith and manifestly leading to endless Divisions and Errors in matters of Religion This Conviction I had in examining the Fundamentals of the Roman and Protestant Religion and therefore am not to be blam'd for the Change I made and to my understanding whosoever searches as I did will easily receive the same satisfaction SECT II. A Preparatory Discourse to Church-Tradition and what it is THo' whosoever examines aright the Motives of Christian belief cannot rationally but become a Catholick that is find evidence how he may come to the certain knowledge of what Christ and his Apostles taught the World yet Faith is not grounded on Reason but Authority and that no less then Divine which excludes all possibility of Errour Whatever it is that brings men to know what they must believe Faith hath for its formal Object Divine Revelation into which it finally is resolv'd So that we believe nothing as of Faith but what is revealed and because it is revealed by Essential Verity who can neither deceive nor be deceived Catholicks then believe by Divine Faith Truths only revealed by Almighty God wherein Protestants agree with us But Catholicks believe the same Truths as they are ascertained declar'd and handled down to us by the Testimony of the Church wherein Protestants are defective the difference thefore between us in Faith arises chiefly from hence in that we use not the same externe Medium to convey unto our understandings the knowledge of what Truths are revealed and what not For could we once agree about this latter we should soon be of one Heart and of one mind in all points of Faith especially when once this Medium is proved to be infallible As to this Medium therefore Catholicks regulate their Faith by the Rule or Standard of Tradition and Church-Authority as the externe Proponent of Faith a Proponent also evidenced to them by the same Rule to be Infallible and thus they safely rely on the Testimony of Tradition and Church Authority in Declaring and Expounding both the Sense of Scripture and all other Christian Misteries necessary to Salvation Whilst on the contrary Protestants relying on the sole express Texts of Scripture interpreted by private Reason or Spirit as their only Rule and Guide in matters of Faith become unsteady in their Belief obnoxious to dangerous Errors and divided amongst themselves into endless Sects and Factions But because a more clear understanding of this matter in some sort depends on a right notion of Tradition we shall here define it in the sense it is usually understood by Catholick Divines Tradition then is the delivery of that Doctrine which was taught by Christ and his Apostles from hand to hand descending as such from Fathers to their Children making up the body of the Faithful This is the true notion of Tradition among us Catholicks and it matters not whether it be call'd Divine Apostolical or Universal being only the same thing exprest by divers adjuncts For it is call'd Divine because Christ our Lord as well true God as true man is the Spring-head of it It is call'd Apostolical because the Apostles immediately receiv'd from him things so deliver'd and Preach'd them to all Nations And Universal because Attested by the Catholick Church of all Ages to have been handed to her as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles And to prevent all mistakes let Protestants take notice that the Church of Rome sends not her Children only to search for what is Divine or Apostolical Tradition in matters of Faith and Discipline out of the Writings of the Fathers or other Libraries of Books fill'd with dead Words which are subject to various Interpretations by Critical heads without any hope of Agreement and can have no Authority dependent on Tradition though upon this account she has infinite advantage against all other Communions in the World to justify her Faith and practice in any unbyass'd Judgments But sends them to a visible living Oracle Oral Tradition that is the voice of the present Church attesting
that what she teaches as of Faith she so received from the Age immediately foregoing and so from Age to Age from Millions of Sons to their Fathers up to the Apostles and the Sacred Mouth of Christ himself From Church-Tradition thus explain'd briefly may be drawn those Positions First that the Doctrine taught by Christ and his Apostles comprises all points necessary to salvation Secondly That all such points taught by Christ and his Apostles have been continued in the Church from believing Fathers to their Children by an un-interrupted succession without Diminution or Addition and shall so continue for ever Which involves these two Propositions that nothing comes to us upon the tenure of Faith but what is of Tradition Yea though contain'd in Scripture seing we only are ascertain'd what Books the Apostles wrote and what is the true sense of them by Tradition And that there are no new points of Faith in the Christian Church quoad Substantiam as to the substance of what is reveal'd the present Church only believing what it received from precedent Ages Which assertion whosoever opposes contradicts not me but the Sublime Angelical Doctor St. Thomas expresly teaching that in Doctrina Christi Apostolorum c. 22ae 1 q. ar 10. ad 1am 2am Et in 1a par q. 32. ar 4. corp In the Doctrin of Christ and his Apostles the Truth of Faith is sufficiently unfolded but because perverse men pervert the Doctrin of the Apostles and other Doctrines and Scriptures to their own Destruction as is said in the 2 Ep. of St. Peter and the last Chap. Therefore the explication of Faith was necessary against arising Errors in after-times not containing another Faith but the same more clear'd Thirdly That this universal Tradition or handing of Christian Doctrin by oral Teaching and visible practice of the Christian World is and was the constant Rule of Faith as well after as before the Scriptures were written and received by the Church The first Thesis or Position though it hath been deny'd by some Hereticks as namely the Montanists yet is not controverted between us and Protestants The proof lies upon the second which being demonstrated the third will follow of it self and cannot be deny'd with show of Reason SECT III. The clearness and certainty of Tradition in delivering Matters of Faith NO other externe prudential evidence or assurance in matters of Divine Faith whose efficient Cause is Divine Grace is necessarily requir'd then a Moral certainty that what is propos'd to be believ'd as of Faith is the very same Doctrin which was taught by Christ and his Apostles Which assurance neither is nor can be had among Protestants who build their new Church upon their own confused and unsteady Interpretations of Scripture But is manifestly to be found in that Communion of Christians viz. the Church of Rome which grounds its Faith as to such evidence upon Universal Tradition a Principle not well lyable to Error and therefore cannot rationally be expected to fail those who relie upon it As I shall endeavour to demonstrate thus Christian Religion is supernatural descending from Heaven to us by Revelation that is such a one as is not to be learn'd but from Almighty God and his Missioners namely from Christ and his Apostles and so successively from them brought down to us by Church-Profession Wherefore the Apostles being Commissionated by him to whom was given all Power in Heaven and Earth to this end and purpose deliver'd to the World wholly and entirely the Law of Jesus Christ making so long stay in those places principally in which by mutual consent they had chosen to plant the Gospel 'till by often inculcation it was written in their hearts and by practice so confirm'd and clear'd to their Judgments that rationally they could not mistake or doubt concerning any points so deliver'd all things being by this means sufficiently provided for the constituting and governing of the Church Now though the Apostles were many yet being all taught by the same Master impowered by the same Commission and guided by the same Spirit in all parts of the World did bring up their Disciples in the belief and practice of the same Doctrin and Discipline to continue for ever so that all particulaâ— Churches though of different Nationâ— and Languages founded by several Instructers and so far distant from one another yet did harmoniously meet in the unity of Faith in all points Traditionary whatsoever Neither could it be otherwise they only believing what was taught them by the Apostles and these only teaching them what they receiv'd from Christ and were Infallibly directed in by the extraordinary assistance of the Holy Ghost Amongst which Apostolical Doctrines one main Article was That there should be in all Ages to the Worlds end an Vniversal Visible Body of Pastors and People term'd a Catholick Church Divinely assisted and authoriz'd to preserve teach and hand down to Posterity without Error all Truths necessary to Salvation This Catholick Church thus founded practis'd and taught their Children what they received from the Apostles condemning by her Authorative Rule of Tradition all such for Hereticks and Shismaticks who taught any contrary Doctrines and divided from them By this easie method all Critical Disputations about points of Faith were cut off having only to inquire what had been taught and practis'd from the beginning and to receive all Doctrines witnessed for such by the voice of the 1 Tim. 3. 15. present Church The Pillar and ground of Truth and consequently Infallible in her Attestation Who leave this Rule must needs be obnoxious to Error but how those who stick close to so safe a Principle should fail is morally inconceivable For such Traditionary Doctrines abstracting from Authority cannot loose but gather strength by time because the multitude of Believers increafing and delivering to their Children all points of Faith as they received them the Tradition becomes more famous and universal carrying along with it a greater evidence of Truth and moral Impossibility to be deceiv'd Unless we will say that the Mystical Body of Christ so diffus'd and numerous can forget to day what they believ'd and acted yesterday and so ignorantly mistake or knowingly conspire together to teach their Children to receive any Doctrines as originally proceeding from Christ and his Apostles which yet they never had from their immediate Fore-fathers upon that tenure Questionless that such a Body of Christians should be wrought upon wilfully to damn their own and others Souls by attempting to gull the World to their faces in a business of no less then Eternal Interest or that in things of so high a nature so visible so easily contradicted they should prevail to introduce the belief of a noon-day Lye is surely to be rank'd in a high degree of Impossibility And whososever sees it not as such I know not whether all the Hellibore in Anticyra will cure him For where can one pick a hole in the everlasting coat of universal
to have fail'd in this particular must needs acknowledge this point concerning the Rule of Faith to be Apostolical Secondly They do not consider that seing it cannot be deny'd but Tradition was at first the usual means of Planting and Conserving the Law of Christ the greater part of the World being converted before the Scriptures were written and receiv'd by the Church so that when any false Teachers did arise they of necessity had recourse to Tradition whether they had been so Taught and not to Scripture whether it was so written being impossible to Rule before it had a Beeing I say this being undenyably evident they will never be able to give a rational account to Intelligent persons why an immutable Faith should have a mutable Rule and a standing Edifice should have a moving Foundation If they think to salve this soar by saying Tradition was necessary 'till the written word took place they will never be able to prove that all things at first delivered necessary for the Salvation of the World were afterwards committed to writing by the Apostles And yet 'till this be done satisfactorily who sees not the insufficiency of this assertion But then Thirdly if they could prove that the whole Law of Christ necessary to Salvation at first Traditionarily convey'd was afterwards entirely committed to writting by Infallible Inspiration and deposited in the Church They do not consider that were it so as most certainly they will be never able to prove yet it is necessary Tradition should be the Rule of Faith as well after as before the reception of such a Canon it being impossible for Scripture by its self to perform what Tradition did without it in the beginning For dead words being capable of endless controversy because lyable to various Interpretations Hereticks will either shrowd themselves under the Umbrage of obscure Passages in Sacred Writ or darken plain places with Metaphors or Clouds of witty Criticisms so that no evident Conviction can be had or possibility to hold up Church-unity in Faith and Government except the controverted Doctrines be brought for their tryal to the Touch-stone of Oral Tradition which with the same unerring voice delivers Scripture and the true sense of it to the Houshold of Faith in all Ages And therefore it is Lih de Praescript c 19. S. Irenae cont haeres St. Aug. eont Ep. Fund Vinc. Lyri in Com. that we find Tertullian and other Ancients affirming That no good can be done with Hereticks by disputing out Scripture to reduce them to Truth And if we will not take their word our own experience is an evidence beyond all exception Lastly they do not consider that as in Natural Sciences there are some Prima Principia fundamental Axioms which need no proof into which all Conclusions rightly from them deduced are reducible So in supernatural Revelations there must be some self-evident Principle a Rule of Faith into which points of Faith are resolvable having it self no need of further probation as to such evidence Or else we run in a circle not having any satisfactory ground upon which we may without any more ado rely for the Truth of what we believe Now Scripture is not nor can be such a Principle it depending manifestly as Protestants themselves acknowledge on Tradition by which we only come certainly to know and accept it for the Word of God and so is the Rule of Scripture as well as of other necessary points and consequently the ground or evidence of what we believe upon Scripture-Authority Which yet is not to be understood as if Tradition made the Word of God Infallible but that thereby we are rationally assured what is Scripture and the true sense of it which otherwise is subject to perpetual quarrells of Dissenting minds For my part I see not how Protestants can answer this Argument for they acknowledging Tradition to be the Rule of Scripture and contending for Scripture to be the Rule of Faith Tradition must necessarily be the prime Rule that is the Rule of their Rule and antecedent ground of their foundation And so by unavoidable consequence all their Faith is built upon the credit of Tradition See it clear by a parallel We Catholicks rely upon the Church for points of Faith will Protestants therefore say that we rely not upon Tradition For in relying upon the Church we rely also upon what the Church relyes which in all points of Faith is Tradition We rely upon the Church immediately as an Infallible Guide we rely upon Tradition as an extern Evidence 'T is easily applicable to Protestants receiving the Scriptures upon the credit of Tradition Who while they shun it as a stone of Offence fall upon it as a Rock of Foundation And truly 'till they show us some other self-evident Principle which can assure us what Doctrines Christ and his Apostles taught the World we must believe and maintain Universal Tradition to be the Fundamental Rule of Faith to the Christian Church in the sense hitherto explain'd Thus they might be satisfied with reason in this controversy but because they pretend to be mov'd more with the Authority of the Fathers than our Arguments they shall hear them speak and truly one would think plain enough to their condemnation Witness St. Iraeneus an Anti-Protestant certainly while he teaches * Lib. 3. cont Haer. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Rule of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches Which is not to be understood as if because they have left Scriptures the order of Tradition is by them evacuated but that revealed Truths depending on Tradition only are as Divine and certain as if no Scriptures had been left unto the Church by the Apostles Or else we make the Saint while he is showing the excellent use and necessity of Church-Tradition so Incongruous as to say there is no need of it at all But Arguments might be spar'd when the following instance of Nations believing by Tradition only without Scripture makes his meaning evident Before him in the front of the second Age B. Ignatius St. Johns Disciple Exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the * Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Apostles as Eusebius testifies Had the Rule of Faith been only Scripture as Protestants contend could he have given such advice Yea it inevitably implyes Tradition to be the sure ground to rely upon for Christian Doctrines Doth Origen assert Scripture or Tradition for a Rule while he teaches * In Tract 27. in c 23. S. Matt That in our understanding Scripture we must not depart from the first Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by Succession deliver'd to us And elsewhere he tells us That only is to be believed * In Praef. lib. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church What more full
Traditionary points may be involved in those Texts So that we may safely argue thus far from such expositions they held such Tenets or else they would not have applyed those places for the confirmation of such Doctrines though such Doctrines cannot manifestly be concluded from those places And therefore when Protestants rationally show that some Texts so applyed by the Fathers may admit their Interpretations yea sometimes perhaps with greater probability they must not think they then carry the cause against Them and Us in those points This indeed is enough for Catholicks to do in all Controversies of Faith against Protestants who depend wholly upon Scripture as explicated by Wit and private Reason or Spirit for their Religion But it is no concluding argument against some Ancients for their over-credulity as I may say in relying on such Texts for some points now denyed by Protestants or against the present Church of Rome as relying upon them when that the Fathers neither did nor doth the Church of Rome now only rely upon such Texts for those particular points nor yet upon Scripture for any point of Faith at all but as handed and fensed to us by Tradition But to conclude this point seing Scripture thus manifestly descends to us by a lower degree of Tradition than Christian Doctrine and being received for the Word of God upon the credit of Tradition by Protestants themselves we cannot enough wonder at their unreasonable prevarication in taking the Churches word for the whole Rule of their Belief and yet refusing to rely upon her credit for any one Article of Faith in acknowledging her Authority Infallible in the delivery of the Letter and yet denying to believe her Tradition for the Ssense nor will be perswaded to conform to her in those points and practices which are handed to us by her attestation with far greater evidence of credibility And this being clear to me could I any longer continue a Protestant Had I not all the reason in the world to become a Catholick The second ground of the first Motive viz. The Authority or Infallibility of the Church in determining all Controversies concerning Faith and defining what is of Faith and what not when call'd in question SECT VI. An Introductive Discourse concerning the Judiciary Power of the Church YEt notwithstanding this certainty of Tradition handing from Age to Age the Evangelical Law with so much evidence unreasonable men have arose of perverse minds questioning and contradicting the Truths of Jesus Christ Insomuch that hardly yea perhaps not any one fundamental point of Christianity but hath been controverted in some Age or other Wherefore as Tradition is a constant Rule so the Wisdom and Goodness of Almighty God hath provided in his Church an Authoritative Judge to give Sentence by the guidance of the said Rule if there happen to be contentions about matters of Faith among Believers For unless in such cases an Authoritative Judge be allowed to give a definitive Sentence from which there is no appeal by the contending Parties for the decision of such Controversies Authoritatively assuring us what Doctrines were taught by Christ and his Apostles if denyed and what not when falsly pretended Actum est de fide unitate Faith and Church-unity must necessarily be destroyed and all Religion lost in a Chaos of disagreeing judgments without any probability of reconcilement A supreme and unerring Judicature being then absolutely necessary for the ordering and preserving of the Church in all things essential to Salvation how little satisfaction and that not without just cause I received in this point from the English Protestants who indeed grant a Judge but one wholly Inefficacious to this purpose yea impossible to reconcile Dissenting Litigants as the super-abundant experience of above sixteen hundred years for all Hereticks fly to the dead Letter of Scripture for their refuge hath sufficiently evidenc'd I shall make hereafter appear in the examination of their Rule and Judge and for the present endeavour to demonstrate how all Christians ought to be contented and acquiess as I did in what the Church of Rome teaches and the Catholick Church always hath and doth practice on such occasions Now what the Catholick Church teacheth and always hath delivered in this point is briefly this That all Divine Truths taught by Christ and his Apostles necessary to Salvation whether Traditionary only or also Written are deposited in the Church as a Witness to attest them and as a Judge Divinely assisted to Interpret and give an Authorative Sentence if their be any Controversy about them which all Christians are obliged to believe and follow under pain of Damnation A Doctrine brought down to us from the Apostolical Times by a more visible practice and unquestionable Tradition than the Scriptures themselves which yet the Protestants receive for the Word of God upon the same Authority What concerns the Church as a Sacred Depository of all Revealed Truths written and unwritten hath already been manifested in the precedent Discourse And that the Spouse of Christ is an Authoritative Judge or Infallible Guide to determine all Controversies of Faith among her Children that they may know with security what to believe and follow according to their Duty I hope shall be made no less evident in the following Sections SECT VII That there is a Supreme Visible Judge to decide Controversies in matters of Religion Instituted by Christ Infallible in all points of Faith to which as such all Christians are obliged to a submission of Judgment under pain of Damnation is here made apparent from Scripture And some further Reasons also given TO acknowledge a visible Judge to interpret and apply Laws in Controversial matters is so conform to common Sense and Reason and so confirmed by the experience and practice of the whole World in all kinds of Governments that to deny such a Power from God in his Church is in effect to say That Jesus Christ the Wisdom of the Father hath not so well provided for the regulating and preservation of his Kingdom and peculiar People purchased with his own most precious Blood in order to their eternal Good and Happiness as meer men subject to manifold weaknesses and Passions do by the common Light of Nature and ordinary Principles of Prudence and Discretion provide for the well-being of Families and Commonwealths in Temporal matters A Position unavoidably drawing after it so many strange and to say no worse dangerous consequences that they will be here better lamented than infisted upon But because Protestants whom I have forsaken fly to Scripture as the only Infallible Judge in all Controversial matters of Faith thither I shall bring them first to be tryed and show them out of those Sacred Oracles of Divine Truth which they acknowledge what ample and most abundantly satisfactory provision the Wisdom and Goodness of Almighty God hath made and left in his Church to bring us securely to the certain knowledge of his revealed will nothing being wanting on
his part if we neglect not so great Salvation The chief Texts for the Churches supreme Teaching and consequently Judging and determining Power when any controversies of Faith arise by Commission from Christ the Head-spring of all Spiritual Jurisdiction are these and such like Mat. 28. 18 19. Go ye make Disciples of all Nations teaching them io observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And that this Authoritative Teaching is performed by the Pastors of the Church as his Delegates and Representing his Person is plain from that of St. Luke He that heareth you heareth me and he Chap. 10. 16. Mat. 14. 18. that despiseth you despiseth me Again Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven And again He Ephes 4. 11 12 13 c. gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ 'till we all come to the unity of the Faith and be not tossed too and fro with wind of every Doctrine What more express And yet if it may be the Churches Infallibility in the delivery of the Law of Christ is taught us in plainer terms as namely in Ch. 14. 26. those Promises in St. John The Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you When the Spirit of Truth Joh. 16. 13. S. Matt. ch 28. 19. is come he will guide you in to all Truth And those in St. Matthew Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you and behold I am with you always even to the end of the World And that in the 16 1 Tim. 3. 15. Chap. Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Such a Church as this thus founded thus assisted thus guided cannot possibly teach damnable Haeresies or dangerous Errors but must needs be the Pillar and ground of Truth as that glorious Vessel of Election the great Apostle of the Gentiles doth assure us And therefore we may securely rely upon her word to do it also so much concerns us that not to hear and obey is no less then under pain of damnation and that too from no obscure Texts He that 1 Epist 4. 6. knoweth God heareth us saith St. John and he that heareth us not is not of God and by this we know the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Errour And that famous place Dic Ecclesiae Matt. 18. 17. Tell it to the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be to thee as an Heathen and a Publican Persons doubtless in no fit case for Heaven I 'll name but one more out of St. Mark Go ye into all the World Mark 16. 16. and Preach the Gospel unto every Creature And what then He that believeth not shall be damned Plain and sad places these are to all Unbelievers and Incorrigible Hereticks But especially to these last who receiving these Scriptures for the Word of God do notwithstanding not only not hear the Church Obediently in her delivery of the Gospel but with obstinacy and pride of heart presume to teach the Church and will needs force upon her a new Creed which was never taught by Christ nor handed to us from the Apostles How can such as these escape the punishment threatned in the above-mentioned Sentences Their account must needs be heavy and the light they had will only serve to augment their guilt And I cannot omit for a Testimony of these and such like Texts against Protestants that being so express and unavoidable for the Churches Authority and Obedience to her in their first Editions of their English Bibles after their defection from the Church of Rome for Church they translated Congregation least common understandings should discover how they were withdrawn from their Ancient Faith by new Doctrines and Expositions so expresly contrary to the Word of God 'Till afterwards when by divers Artifices these Teachers perceived they had bred in their Followers a strong aversion from the Church of Rome and that they were sufficiently confirmed in their Errours the word Congregation in the later Translation was turn'd into Church that from the evidence of such Texts they might gain some credit to their usurp'd power set up against the pre-existent Authority of the whole Christian World Neither is it without reason that Christ hath set up in his Church such a supreme Judicature when to deny this Power to those whom he hath appointed for ever to be Governours of his Kingdom on Earth is doubtless to advance the Jewish Synagogue above the Christian Church their Sanedrim or Great Council whesein the High-Priest was supreme Judge in all doubts Deut. 17. and questions about the Law having such absolute Authority in giving Sentence that no man could appeal but was bound to obey under pain of death And yet that was but a temporary Pedagogy delivered by Moses a faithful Servant of the House of God in Types and Shadows prefiguring and leading to Evangelical Perfection whose Ministration is far more glorious endowed with more transcendent and admirable Priviledges foretold by the Prophets and in plenitude of time fulfill'd revealed and established in Person by the Eternal Son of God Lord of all things upon better Promises to continue for ever Secondly Christ our Lord having so dearly purchas'd a peculiar People and furnish'd his Church with all means necessary to the Salvation of mankind if we deny such Authority in her namely Infallibility to witness and when circumstances require to determine by a finally decisive unerring Sentence what these means are they cannot be effectual to the end for which they were with so much Sweat and Blood Instituted to continue for ever being otherwise according to the ordinary method of Divine Providence impossible to be known with an assured certainty and by consequence also to be put in practice Neither indeed could it be truly said that Christ hath provided in his Church all things necessary for our Salvation without this Authority when amongst things necessary that questionless seems to be most so by which we can only come to a certain knowledge of all the rest Thirdly seeing God hath made his Church a Proponent and Witness of his Truth in all Ages for 1 ch 8. that of the Acts Ye shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and all Judaea and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the Earth As to the substance of it belongs not only to the Apostles but to their Successors in the Office of making Jesus Christ and his Law known to the Worlds end the unanimous consent of the Catholick Church must needs be an undoubted testimony of revealed Verities seeing it
contradicts the Justice Goodness and Veracity of God to authorize any to be a witness of his Truth that might lye and deceive the World in their attestation And methinks it concerns as well English Protestants as Us to maintain the Catholick Church for an Infallible Witness seeing at this distance from the Preaching of Christ and his Apostles they as well as we have no other Infallible assurance then her Testimony whereby to know either which are the undoubtd Books of Scripture or what the true meaning of them And thus that Religion which Protestants pretend to be contain'd in only Scripture must rejecting Church Authority necessarily float in an Ocean of incertainties and we miserably be left in the mysts of conjectures among dead Letters with the twi-light of natural reason to search out Faith and the Eternal Salvation of our Souls Lastly the fore-quoted Texts being so express for the Church to have a Power from Christ to oblige all men under pain of Damnation to believe and submit to her Proposals as to Faith God hath also endowed her with Infallibility in bringing to our knowledge revealed Verities seeing otherwise such a Power in the Church and a correspondent obligation in her Children would not bear an equal proportion And therefore these two are inseparably link'd together a Power to bind to Believe and Infallibility in the Obliger Christ assisting his Church with his Holy Spirit to guide her Infallibly into all Truth because he hath invested her with a Power to bind to believe and giving her a Power of obliging to believe because he hath made her Infallible in such Proposals It seeming most conformable to the Divine Goodness and Providence that such an externe proponant of Faith should be established as might afford no just cause to suspect whither it be true or no which is proposed and in all reason no greater assurance can be desired then to have an absolute certainty that that Authority cannot err in points of Faith to whom we must in such Proposals captivate our Wills and Understandings For this is but to assent upon undoubted evidence then which nothing is more agreeable to mans nature Neither is it rational to believe that God who is essential Reason and Wisdom ruling all his Creatures according to the several Dispositions Imprinted in them would impose such a Duty on Discoursive Entities upon other terms Blessed be God who hath so carefully provided for us in giving us a Law which is the only means to Salvation and also an authorized guide to direct us in the certain knowledge of it namely the Catholick which cannot possibly lead us into errour as hath been formerly shewn Thus certainly these Scriptures witnessing the Churches Authority are agreeable to reason now let us see what further light can be added to them from the Writings and universal practice of Antiquity SECT VIII The Churches Authority or Infallibility taught and asserted by the Ancient Fathers IF I should produce what Antiquity affords us on this Subject I should rather transcribe Books than Passages so Copious and Industrious have the Fathers been on all occasions to press a point so necessary S. Athana coni Aria S. Hier. S. Aug. Pole St. Cyp. de vnit Ecc. Tert. c. especially in their Polemical Discourses against Hereticks to vindicate their dear Mother the Church in her Just Rights and Priviledges against all Rebellious contradictors of her Authority And thither I refer such as desire more ample satisfaction for the present I shall content my self with some few choice places and they are these We must believe saith Irenaeus â— l. cont hae ca. 49. those Priests that are in the Church those that have a Succession from the Apostles who together with the Episcopal Power according to the good pleasure of the Father have received the certain gift of Truth We must not believe saith the English Protestant Church those who in their Episcopal Chaires have had an un-interrupted Succession from the Apostles seek not for the Law of God from their Lips for they are fallen from the Truth yea General Councils can err and have erred in Art 21. of the 39. their Definitions having no certain gist of Truth by Divine assistance Thus they flatly contradicting good Irenaeus and Ancient Doctrine Now whom shall we believe The old Saint or the new Protestant Give him a little more Audience for he proceeds thus The Church Cap. 62. l. praed shall be under no mans judgement for to the Church all things are known in which is the perfect Faith of the Father and of all the Dispensations of Christ and firm knowledge of the Holy Ghost who teacheth all Truth But say he what he will Protestants will assume a Power to judge and condemn her of no less gross and damnable Errours then Idolatry and Superstition to justify that thing they call the Reformed Church Though it were no difficult matter for them to perceive the Injustice of such Proceedings when the same Saint goes on and tells them and us That it is easie to receive the Truth from Gods Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich store-house all things belonging to Truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most Ancient Churches and from them receive what is certain and clear concerning the present question Thus far he And if this course is to be taken in small questions doubtless much more in matters of high concern as many points are now controverted between Us and Protestants In such to be left to our own private conjectures and Interpretations would be most unsafe and unreasonable And had Protestants taken the course here prescribed by the Saint for the inquisition of Truth when they first raised questions about Religion as in such cases all Christians ought to do could ever such a thing as the Protestant Church have had a beeing or existence For 't is as visible as the Sun that there was no pre-existent form of Faith in the whole Christian World according to which they modeliz'd their Religion in England and with whom they communicated when they divided from the Church of Rome their Catholick Mother If great St. Austin was not little in esteem with our modern Hereticks they might receive full satisfaction from him in this point if they would Impartially peruse his Writings against the Donatists and other Enemies of the Churches Faith and Unity That of his is very remarkable against Crescontius Though saith he there cannot be produced Lib. 1. cap. 33. from Scriptures any examples of such a thing yet the Truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we do that which pleaseth the whole Church which the Authority of the same Scriptures commendeth that because the Holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgment of
the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity do demonstrate To the end that because the Scripture cannot deceive us whosoever is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgment concerning it which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity Two things are suitable to our present purpose which are clear from hence First that though we may sometimes doubt what is Truth yet we can never doubt which is the true Church demonstrated to us by the Scriptures upon whose judgment while we rely we are secure from holding any thing contrary to the written Word commending to us her Authority Secondly That though the Scriptures are Infallible and cannot deceive us yet if we will not deceive our selves and kill our Souls by the dead Letter without the quickning sense we must believe what the Church believes submitting our private reason to her publick Interpretation For else let Hereticks never so much boast of Scripture for them we may tell them in the words of the same Saint This ye Cont. Faust l. 32. c. 19. seem to do that Scriptures may loose all Authority while every one may allow or disallow what his own mind suggests to him out of them That is may not subject his Faith to the Authority of Scripture but subject Scripture to his Faith It being indeed the property of all Hereticks not to take sense from but to bring sense to those Sacred Oracles forcing them by manifest distortions or dark conjectures to speak in defence of their prejudicated Tenets and so make nothing of Scripture while they seem to value nothing else Now what remedy against this intolerable abuse of the Word of God and everlastingly-quarrelproducing evil but that of Origen Quoties c. As often as they Hereticks Ho. in Mat. Praef. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring forth Canonical Scriptures which no Christian but believes and assents to they seem to say Behold the word of Truth is in our Houses but we must not believe them nor depart from the Primitive Ecclesiastical Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Churches of God by succession have deliver'd to us And to put them to silence with that of L. de Praes p. 19. Tertullian We must not appeal to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be setled upon them in which either there will be no victory at all or very uncertain Yea there is no good got by disputing out of Texts of Scripture that is as interpretable by private reason and play'd upon by wit but either to make a man sick or mad But that is only to be believed for for Truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church Thus he fully agreeing with Origen in the fore-quoted place And I cannot omit here what the glorious Bishop of Hippo hath so apposite for our present purpose to his Catechumens The Holy Church the Church which is one the true S. Aust de Symb. lib. 1. v. 6. Church the Catholick Church fights against all Heresies She may be resisted but cannot be conquer'd All Heresies have gone out of her as unprofitable branches cut off from the Vine see Protestants your Original but she remains in her Root in her Charity The gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Nor that to Honoratus when therefore we see God standing for us and so much fruit and proficiency doubt we to repose our L. de util Cred. c. 17. selves in the bosom of that Church which from the Apostolical Chair by Successions of Bishops Hereticks on all sides barking in vain against her hath obtain'd Supremacy of Power To whom not to give the chief is truly either the highest Impiety or harebrain Arrogance Thus the Fathers always brought Believers to the Church for a firm foundation in tottering times there they cast Anchor and fix'd themselves amidst the storms of Controversies and Contentions rais'd by unreasonable men with the wind of strange Doctrines lest they should make Shipwrack of their Holy Faith this still they prest upon all Christians in doubts of Disputations the Church the Church believe the Church the Pillar and ground of Truth the Sacred Depository of revealed Verities the rich Store-house of all things belonging to Salvation protected by Christ to the Worlds end endowed with the certain gift of Truth by the special guidance of the Holy Ghost founded upon a Rock that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against her Which is nothing else but what they had learn'd and received from Scripture and Tradition A Truth so convincing that it extorted from Dr. Field a great Patron of the English Protestants In his Book of the Church words to this effect Controversies are now a days grown to that height and so numerous and intricate that few have time to discuss and search into them thoroughly for satisfaction fewer wit and abilities to do it as such a business of concernment require that no security remains but to fly into the arms of the Church and acquiess in her judgments and definitions But from words let us proceed to deeds from the Doctrine to the practice of Antiquity SECT IX The aforesaid Authority of the Church cleared and demonstrated by the constant practice of all Ages IF we cast our eyes through the whole Christian World not a Popish Priest in the exercise of his Spiritual Jurisdiction but is in some sort a practical proof of this Authoritative Power wherewith the Church is invested by Jesus Christ Yet residing more eminently and with larger extent in Bishops the supreme Order of the Clergy made Overseers of their respective Flocks by the Holy Ghost it appears more gloriously visible in the Decrees and Acts of General Councils the highest Ecclesiastical Tribunal determining all emergent Controversies in Spiritual matters with Anathemae's against all Contradictors whatsoever And Catholicks in all Ages acknowledging their Sacred and obliging Authority paid most inviolably the just Tribute of Obedience to their Decisions with submission of their private Judgments and Opinions however rational before they seem'd unto them So that what points soever were once declared to be of Faith by lawful and approved Councils those who persisted in the contrary Doctrines where accounted Hereticks and being justly Excommunicated for such incorrigible obstinacy shunn'd by all the Faithful as no better than Heathens and Publicans Now I cannot think that English Protestants will say though such Decrees issued out from General Councils yet it was by an usurped Power not of Right and so though such exact obedience was paid by Christians to them yet it was in their own prejudice and not of duty or obligation though truely in deeds they assert it because they pretend much veneration to the first four General Councils and Bishop Montague one of the Learnedest In his Appello ad Casa men they ever had proceeds so far as to defend against his more zealous Brethren of Romes ruine the
Infallibility of all such Councils in Councils in Decrees of Faith And indeed abstracting from the Institution of Christ and Apostolical practice it is so notoriously unreasonable a thing and destructive of all Government to deny Occumenical Synods to be the fiâ—â—est Judges in such matters that few or no Hereticks ever had the confidence absolutely to disclaim against the Authority of such Assemblies as Tyrannically assuming a Power over other mens Consciences in things not appertaining to them but acknowledging their Authority still causelesly pick'd quarrells either about their Calling or Convening or Proceeding or Confirming or Receiving pretending them to be Defective some way or other to justify their Disobedience to their Decrees And doubtless as fittest so if they were not lawful Judges in all spiritual matters by Commission from Christ the Supreme Head of his mystical Body and necessary when made so by present circumstances the Apostles themselves when Controversies arose in the Infant-Church among Believers about some legal Observances would not have taken this course to define those matters Neither would they have prefix'd to their Decrees a Visum est Spiritui Act. 15. sancto nobis and so justly father those determinations upon the Holy Ghost had they not been Divine Sanctions though made by men yet according to the appointment and will of God infallibly assisting their endeavours Neither would the Universal Church in after-Ages have on the same occasions insisted in their steps or presumed in the same authoritative stile to attribute their Meetings and Decisions to the Holy Spirit A Power as Divine withal so necessary that no other way could with so much efficacy and satisfaction preserve declare or explicate the Faith once delivered to the Saints extirpate Heresies maintain Peace and Unity in the Church strengthen the Nerves of Ecclesiastical Authority reform Clergy and Laity and depress the Enemies of the name of Christ our Lord and Saviour Insomuch that Hooker a very learned Protestant pleads strongly for Submission and Obedience to Decrees of General Councels telling those that are otherwise In the Pres to his â—ccl Politic. minded That the way of Peace they have not known going against the dictates of Nature Reason and Holy Writ And as I remember gives instance in the first Councel celebrated by the Apostles the pattern of what were to follow whose Decrees put to silence all former doubts and disputations every Christian obeying without the least scruple to be misled by them and with all readiness as if God himself had spoken to them And questionless the Divine Providence thus order'd that this main point of the Authority of Councels should as well be delivered to the World by Apostolical Practice as Precept that with greater evidence they might know whom and what to follow when questions about Christian Doctrine did arise and that after the definitive Sentence of that supreme Judicature all wranglings were to cease and they had then nothing to do but to obey In the Centuries immediately succeeding though Satans Missioners were spreading false Doctrines to corrupt the Faith and Perturb the Peace of the Church yet no Oecumenical Synods could be celebrated by reason of those General Persecutions which hal'd the Christians to their Martyrdom as far and wide as the vast Roman Empire had Arms to do it And indeed all that while the Blood of those Noble Armies of Glorious Martyrs spoke as lov'd and as Powerfully for the Faith of Christ as the Decrees of living Confessors could have done supplying as it were in that extraordinary manner what these had a constant Power and will also to perform but no convenience to put in execution However they met as well as they could and took the best course those sad times would permit to kill Soul-destroying Heresies and keep true Faith and unity alive in the Christian Church Afterwards in the time of Constantine that Great and Glorious Emperour the first publick Nursing Father of his Catholick Mother when Arianism had Instill'd its Poison into the Veins of many Christian Bishop or Antichristian rather and so diffus'd its Contagion into a great part of the Body of the Church by denying the Divinity of the Son of God the first Oecumenical and most Famous Synod was Celebrated at Nicaea in Bythinia Ann. Ch. 327. to provide an Antidote against his Venemous Infection where after most mature deliberation and debate the Consubstantiality of the Son of God with the Eternal Father was defin'd and declar'd by the Council to be of Faith against the Arch-Heretick Arius and all his followers And the prime end for which General Councils were instituted and endowed with this supreme Judiciary power being for the preservation of the Catholick Faith by the Authoritative condemnation of incroaching Heresies the next Oecumenical Synod celebrated at Constantinople against Macedonius and Ann. Ch. 381. whom he had taught contrary to the Doctrine of the Church to deny the Divinity of the Holy Ghost the third Person in the Sacred Trinity Ann. Ch. 431. The next at Ephesus where Nestorius the Patriarch of Constantinople with his Adherents were Condemned for distracting Christ into two Persons And the fourth at Chalcedon against the Eutychians for contracting Christ into one Nature Ann. Ch. 451. And so others in following Ages to our present times were called on emergent occasions to determine and declaring to all Christians what was to be believed as sufficiently reveal'd by Almighty God and the like practice will be to the Worlds end when the necessities of the Church require it Yet not as making new Substantial Creeds or precise Articles of Faith not before in beeing for that would require new Revelations of God's Will which Catholicks pretend not to acknowledging Christ to be a perfect Law-giver by himself and his Apostles but only declaring and explicating what already is revealed when call'd in question For the definitive Sentence of a General Council in a matter of Faith includes and presupposes an universal Tradition of that Doctrine and is but a publick Authoratative and more explicite declaration of what hath been taught by Christ and his Apostles and what the Church holds upon that tenure when any Contradictors endeavour to rob us of our Holy Faith For Catholick Faith always is the same although the Evidence and verbal Notions of that Faith are not always alike nor is it material so they be but sound and agreeable to Tradition yea sometimes words never before in Ecclesiastical use are accepted by General Councils into the Churches language to express her immutable Faith as circumstances then require for the more efficacious redress of present evils and preventing all mistakes of that nature for the future even in the earnest understandings For by this means Catholicks knowing assuredly what to hold and stick close to in points controverted could not be circumvented by the subtile insinuations and wily expressions of Hereticks whereby they lie in wait to deceive the unwary and insensibly
their side to prohibite Catholicks to speak for themselves in any publick defence it was easie to delude vulgar apprehensions with this plausible Sophism The Papists refuse to be try'd by the Word of God Which things whosoever layes together and seriously ponders as I did cannot but discover that the English Protestant Reformers did not receive a Rule of Faith from the Catholick Church which had been the Square of Christian belief in all Ages and is to continue so for ever but invented or rather assumed from their Predecessors the Ancient Hereticks a Rule of Faith for the Church they were setting up whereby they thought their new Doctrines might with most likelihood be maintain'd and found no better expedient then by denying an authoriz'd Visible Judge to pronounce a definitive Sentence in Controversies of Faith that so they might keep in possession of what they had usurped by eternally wrangling about the right But that we may come to some issue by bringing them out of a mysterious may be declared to stand to something in this main Principle of Religion admit that the written word were the sole and perfect Rule of Faith it being impossible for dead Letters of themselves to rectify things applicable to them for that end and purpose they must needs acknowledge some animated Judge to perform this Office among Christians by applying the Rule to all particulars Now they having denyed the Church this right and so cast off her living voice and Authority in plain terms though insisting in generals they assign no other determinate Interpreter yet must have recourse to Reason or Revelation for besides these three I know not any I say they must either let private Reason make this declaration and Judge of the true sense of Scripture by her innate Light or flie to Revelation and Pretend that the Holy Ghost Infallibly declares by a Divine Light his meaning to them This later way of Divine Inspiration is laid claim to by the Calvinistical party and those strange broods of other English Sectaries who have nothing but Scripture and the Spirit of God in their mouths upon whom in a most Prodigious manner they Father all their Blasphemies to the shame of Christians But it is rejected by all Protestants in any degree rational as meerly Fanatical and invincibly convicted of Imposture by the manifest contradictions of several pretenders to the Spirit of God For can the Holy Ghost reveal to the Calvinists that the Government of the Church by Presbytery hath a Divine right from Scripture and by the same Divine Unction teach the Independents that it is against the written Word c. Private reason therefore is only left them to resolve their Faith into and rely upon in their inquiring after and belief of Supernatural Truths and those sublime Mysteries to the knowledge of which nature hath not sufficient Light to advance her self by her sole native powers beside those mists of passion or prejudice or Education or Interest to which we are daily lyable and which must needs make this way more dark and difficult in order to eternal Happiness However they must take to it unless they will openly recant what they have publickly approved For though at first they kept secret this grand mystery of their State-Religion yet at last great Patrons of the English Protestant Church have with Authority and much applause inthron'd Mr. Chilling worth c. private Reason as a sole Queen and Mistress in the Churches Chair to direct and interpret the Holy Scriptures and from them to give a final Sentence what are the Truths of God revealed to us Without which Sentence or Declaration the Churches Decrees in things necessary to Salvation have no strength at all or obligation Nor then neither as these Rationalists explain it upon the score of Authority but Reason only But how unreasonably and without ground I doubt not to make appear in the following Sections SECT IV. That the Holy Scriptures are not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith TO evidence the groundlessness of this main foundation of the English Protestant Church as declar'd and explicated in the precedent Section with full satisfaction I conceive it lyes upon me principally to make three things good against them First That Scripture is not the sole and perfect Rule of Faith Secondly That it is not nor can be the Judge of Controversies in Religion Which is the common Tenet of modern Hereticks And thirdly That admitting it for a Rule of Faith as in part it is private Reason is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true sense thereof for every Christian to rely upon for his Salvation In clearing the first point I need not labour much having already by convincing arguments establish'd in the 4th and 5th Sections of the first Motive the Catholick Rule of Faith Universal Tradition whither I desire my Reader to return for satisfaction And which standing firm the Protestants Rule of Scripture only must needs be as well a ruin'd as ruinous Principle and fall to nothing Yet that discourse being more general I shall here descend to some particulars to make it visible to very ordinary Capacities that Scripture doth not contain fully all things necessary to Salvation nor is clearly evident without dispute in all points necessary therein contain'd and consequently cannot be the sole and compleat Rule of Faith wanting those two most necessary conditions belonging to it First I say not full and comprehending all points necessary to Salvation of mankind For I demand of them whether it be not a fundamental point of Faith to believe the Holy Scriptures to be the Word of God and yet Mr. Hooker one of the most Judicious Writers of the English Protestants acknowledges this cannot be grounded upon Scripture Of all points saith Hooker's Ecc. Polit l. 2. â—â— I remember he the most necessary to be believ'd is that the Scriptures are the Word of God which is confest impossible for them to prove And proceeding makes a demonstration of it against the Puritans How then themselves being Judges can the Holy Scriptures being a compleat Rule of Faith not comprehending what is most necessary to be believ'd by every Christian If they say this Objection is not pertinent because whosoever makes the written word of God the sole and sufficient Rule of Faith must necessarily pre-suppose the belief of Scripture founded upon some other Principle I reply 't is impertinent to say so because the necessity of a pre-supposition of some fundamental point is a sufficient conviction that the Rule they have chosen cannot be compleat and perfect as they would have it Especially if it be confider'd that the fundamental point pre-suppos'd independent on Scripture but Scripture depending on it must needs be the ground quoad nos to us of all things believ'd in it Which ground or antecedent Principle upon which they as well as we build their belief of such Scriptures to be the undoubted Word of God being the universal
been manifested in the precedent Section And for further confirmation I here ask whether Hoc est Copus meum Hic est Sanguis meus be not plain words without any Ambiguity in their Grammatical construction We Catholicks indeed taught by the universal Tradition and practice of the Church doubt not of the Sense of them But can Lutherans Calvinists and English Protestants maintain their meaning to be clear and perspicuous among whom above fourty several Interpretations some flatly repugnant to each other are found about them Can such variety and contrariety proceed but from obscurity Either from that or else some of them must wilfully contradict Scripture and resist the Holy Ghost by maintaining a dangerous Doctrine against their own knowledge and Conscience But who those are I leave them to wrangle upon their own grounds eternally among themselves In the interim I 'm sure upon Catholick Principles they all stand unanswerably convicted of wilfull Heresie Besides Christ's real descent into Hell is an Article of Faith yet the Calvinists deny it against Scripture Acts 2. v. 27 and 31. as plain Acts 2. 27 31. in our judgment and so think the English Protestants also as the Apostles Creed They bring no other Scripture for their Negative but flatly deny this place to be evident and concluding Now what must be done to end this Controversy in a fundamental point The clearest Text Scripture affords is already produced to give them satisfaction 't is unsuccessful and they raise clouds of new invented Interpretations to hide it from their own and others eyes Can Scripture now judge and conclude this Controversy Moreover the Lutherans and English Protestants agree with Catholicks in asserting the necessity of Baptism to Salvation grounding themselves on that of St. John Except Joh. 3. 5. a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God The Calvinists hold the contrary and by no means will allow Water there mention'd to be taken literally for natural Water but drink it all up with a dry Metaphor How can they convince them if Scripture alone be judge If with us they urge them with the consent of Fathers Universal Tradition and practice of the Church so interpreting these words of our Blessed Saviour the Controversy is at an end Or if Calvinists will be yet contending they can speak nothing Solid or Rational in their own defence To all which may be added that judicious and accute Observation of an able Controvertist That though Apology for Tradit p. 137. one intent and end of writing St. John ' s Gospel was to show the Godhead of Christ which the Arians afterwards denyed yet the design prov'd so unsuccessful that never any Heresie was more powerful and spreading than that which oppos'd the Truth intended by his Book So he yea and it is most certain the Arians at this day do make more use of that Gospel than any other part of Scripture to beat down the Divinity of the Son of God A manifest argument that Scripture was never intended by the Author of those Sacred Oracles for the final decision of controverted points but for something else proper and agreeable to the nature of dead writings However we make no question but all Catholick Doctrines are contain'd in the Bible by Rational deductions with infinite advantage above what our Adversaries can produce for their defence upon the same grounds as hath been made to appear by able Controvertists before any Impartial and understanding Judges More need not be said in a matter condemned by the common sense and experience of the whole World SECT VI. That private Reason in Controversies of Faith is not the Interpreter and Judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every Christian to rely upon for his Salvation SOme English Protestants of Critical Heads to qualifie the absurdance of the former Thesis still holding close to the written Word for a compleatly sufficient Rule of Faith make private Reason the Interpreter and Judge for every Christian A Principle which though it may seem plausible and gain followers because it makes every one Sui juris independent and his own Master a thing so desirable and sweet to flesh and blood yet no less than the other doth it contradict the whole Christian World always teaching Vt Scripturas ipsas sic Scripturarum sensum pure imperturbate solum ad nos Traditionis alneo deferri That the pure and uncorrupted sense of the Scripture doth depend upon Tradition as well as the Scriptures themselves And accounting it a giddy Spirit of Heretical rashness Scripturae interpretationem ex proprio ingenio petere To refuse to give ear to the voice of the Church and give ear to the Whisperings of private Reason which is so exterminating a Principle and destructive of Religion that it doth not ruine this or that or some few Catholick Truths but like a general deluge with an irresistable torrent sweeps away the Church it self by overthrowing the unity in Faith the Life and Soul and Essence of it 'T is a subject would afford a large field of Discourse but I shall content my self with brevity and I hope others also Whosoever shall desire more ample satisfaction I refer him to the Exomologesis of Mr. Cressy where 't is solidly confuted in answer to Mr. Chillingworth the great Patron and first publick Assertor of it with approbation The principal Arguments which convinc'd me for I was one of those very unreasonable Rationalists when I was a Protestant and with which I rest fully satisfied are these following First if private reason be the only Interpreter and Judge of Scripture for every Christian I desire those who are minded to give a satisfactory Answer to those places of Sacred Writ which in my poor judgement cannot stand with their position St. Peter teacheth us 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 c. That no Prophecy of the Scripture is of private Interpretation but Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy-Ghost That is as the Sacred Pen-men of Gods Word writ by Inspiration of the Holy-Ghost being his publick Instruments to reveal the Divine Verities to the World so those Sacred Oracles are not to be interpreted Authorative by the private Reason and Will of men but their true sense and meaning if call'd in question is to be received from the Governours Concilium Trid. Ses 4. of the Church whom God has authoriz'd to declare his will unto his People Of which he gives a convincing reason in his 3d. Chap. telling 2 Pet. 3. 15 16 17. us That in his dear Brother Paul's Epistles are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction This is not compatible to the definitive Sentence of a Judge in any Controversy which must be so clear and perspicuous that the most unlearned or refractory cannot doubt or mistake after pronunciation Neither
is this difficulty in matters of no moment but in points necessary where Souls do perish through misbelief We find in the Acts of the Apostles that Philip the Deacon drawing near to the Chariot of the devout Eunuch and hearing him read Act 8. 30 31 c. the Prophet Isaias said Vnderstandest thou what thou readest And he said how can I except some man guide me He had not learn'd the Principle of their Rationalists to bid the Holy man spare his pains of Exposition or if he would be doing that he was not bound to believe one word he spoke for Truth 'till his own reason made it Authentick For this wild Doctrine frees every man in matters of Eternity from all Authority of humane Teachers though of Divine Institution so that be we Jews or Heathens or in what Church soever we have been Baptiz'd we must stand to no Creed believe no Catechism or abridgement of points necessary though confirm'd by the practice of the whole Christian World rely on no Instructors but believe and practice the quite contrary if our private reason judges it to be contain'd in Sacred Scripture Doubtless if his judgment had been preposess'd with this proud arrogant Principle Philip had preach'd in vain nor had he believ'd unto Salvation but would have dismiss'd the Evangelist with some such words as these I have a desire to save my Soul and therefore have given you a hearing but all this is nothing yet to me I will search the Scriptures farther to see what I must believe and when I have made my Creed I will send for You to Baptize me Which plainly contradicts the method of saving instruction deliver'd by the great Doctor of the Gentiles in that famous Climax How shall they call Rom. 10. 14 15. on him in whom they have not believ'd And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they hear without a Preacher A Preacher with Mission and Commission from Jesus Christ But no place is more convincing than that 1 Tim. 3. 15. to Timothy The Church is the Pillar and ground of Truth And if the Church how then must every one build upon his private Reason for the true sense of Scripture in all things necessary to Salvation St. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ whose Missioners then are those who teach the contrary Lastly I desire them to reconcile this Article of our Ancient Creed I believe the Holy Catholick Church with their novel Doctrine The Caetholick Church hath nothing to do with my Faith I believe my own Reason and nothing else in giving the true sense of Scripture to me For my part it being clear to me from the written Word that the Church hath a promise of Infallibility in matters of Faith That there is a command from Christ laid upon every one to hear her voice under pain of damnation and that otherwise the above named Article would not have been inserted into the Apostles Creed as a fundamental point I could see no safety or certainty in matters of eternal Interest but by wholly renouncing my most weak deceitful self and delivering up my self entirely into the hands of the Catholick Church to be taught by her what I must Believe and Do to be saved Nor found I any thing more reasonable then to captivate my understanding to the obedience of Faith when the God of reason doth require it at our hands Secondly to make every one an Interpreter and Judge of the true sense of Holy Scripture for himself unappealably by Reason seems evidently to me to deprive us of the only rational and solid means which is required to produce a well grounded Faith of Supernatural Verities in the Soul of man Which thus I manifest Supernatural Faith being an assent of the understanding to things revealed meerly for the Authority of the Relator without any farther dispute when once we have an assurance that God hath revealed them two things must necessarily concurre in all mediate productions to beget this act firmly and rationally in any Soul namely Ist Divine Revelation of things to be believ'd which is the formal Object of Faith into which it is ultimately resolv'd And 2dly A certain knowledge or moral evidence that such are revealed by the mediation or intervention of which the understanding elevated by Grace proceeds to the foresaid assent Now suppose there were no Objects of Supernatural and Divine Faith but what are contain'd in the written Word 't is not the bare and naked Letter but Scripture rightly understood that is the Word of God and of Infallible verity except therefore we have some Medium or means to convey assuredly to our understanding the true sense of Scripture our Faith cannot but halt and totter when we cannot rationally afford a firm assent to such a thing as revealed and have just cause to suspect whither we rightly understand that Scripture which contains the Revelation And certainly this cause of suspition will be ever just while private reason is the Interpreter and Judge of Holy Writ when abundant experience tells us nothing is more Fallible nothing more deceitful nothing sooner bribed with pride or passion or prejudice or education or interest to make words speak what never the Author intended by them Insomuch that hardly any fundamental point delivered in Scripture but hath been called in question and still is by too many protesting withall their sincerity and endeavours to attain to the true sense of Scripture by the light of their own Reason to which they appeal as their Judge and Protector in those wilful and irrational proceedings Neither indeed have Heresies arose in the Church but from Scripture misinterpreted by private reason as the * Non aliunde natae sunt haeredes nisi quod Scripturae bene intelliguntur non benè St. Aug. Tract 18 in Jeab Er de Gen. ad Lit. l. 7 ca. 9. Non ob aliud siunt haeretici nisi quod Scripturas non recte intelligentes suas Falsas opiniones contra earum veritatem pertinaciter asserunt alii passiom S. Ambr. in Titi. Vincentius Lyrin ca. 36. S. Irenaeus l. 1. c. 1. S. Hier. ad ca. 23. Isaiae S. Hilar. in lib. ad Constantinum Origenes Hom. 31. in Exodum c. Fathers and Church-history sufficiently testify Alas poor Souls that have such a guide to carry the Light which must direct them to eternal Happiness If they make their Light Darkness how great is that Darkness When their guide misleads them what remedy is there left to recall them into the path which leads to Heaven The Catholick Church indeed is inriched with so great a priviledge by Christ our Saviour that she cannot err in things necessary to Salvation as hath been manifested in the precedent Motive by Reason Fathers Councils Scripture Tradition and practice of the Christian World Whom we may as undoubtedly believe in delivering to us the true sense of Scripture as the Letter and upon whom
relying we have only a firm and rational belief of revealed Verities constant and immoveable among all the changes of Sects and Hereticks True it is in every act of Faith there is use of Reason whether it be referred to the Authority of God revealing or the Church proposing For we captivate our understanding to the obedience of Faith because we judge nothing more reasonable than to believe God and we securely rely upon his Church whom he hath promis'd to assist with Infallibility in such proposals But shall we say therefore that Reason is the prime intrinsical Motive of Faith and into which it finally is resolv'd Nothing less For this discourse and approbation of Reason are but necessarily previous and antecedent to our deliberate and rational acts of Faith the acts themselves are acts of the understanding not discoursing but purely assenting Which assent is not for Reasons sake but for Authority Were the last resolution into the judgment of private Reason Faith could not be Divine or Supernatural Reason indeed produces an act of Faith as well in Catholicks as Protestants but with a vast difference For a Protestant believes such a Truth to be from God relying upon his Reason only that it is revealed and this assent is not rational because his ground is deceitful But in a Catholick Reason acts only so far in points of belief as to bring him to Authority declaring such Truths to be sufficiently revealed by Almighty God which he cannot with any reason suspect to be Fallible in such declarations I believe this says a Protestant because my Reason tells me it is revealed and will allow no other judge of this Revelation I believe this says a Catholick because an Infallible Authority assures me iâ— is revealed and my Reason tells me there is no other sufficient ground or evidence for Divine Faith and therefore give up my private judgment to the Church And which of these Principles is more safe and rational let Reason judge Thirdly I demand of these Rationalists whether there be any such thing as Heresy in the World and what it is Oportet esse Haereses 1 Cor. 11. 19. c. There must be Heresies St. Paul hath said it and that 's sufficient And as for what it is 't is well known the Church hath always taught That Heresie is the voluntary Election of some private opinion contradicting the Doctrine of the Church And that he is to be accounted an Heretick who neglecting the Churches Authority with a stubborn mind defends wicked opinions But if we should admit their new definition That Heresie is to contradict any fundamental point expresly contain'd in Scripture In my poor judgment according to such a definition there 's no such thing as Heresie or Hereticks but both Arians Anabaptists Fanaticks c. are as good Catholicks as any Christians of the World For if private Reason be the only judge of the true Sense of Scripture for every one to rely upon these and all other condemned Hereticks the Montanists excepted relying upon the written Word as interpreted by Reason with sober enquiry and real endeavours to find out Truth cannot justly be so reputed The Arians have so much Reason and Scripture too in the bare Letter on their side that take away the Churches Infallibility and universal Tradition interpreting and delivering to us the true sense of it the Controversy would never be decided All places would swarm with Nestorians Eutychians Anti-trinitarians Barengarians Anabaptists c. neither could we condemn them if this Principle be good for doing their duty in following Scripture as the Light of their own private Reason or Spirit dictates to them Let them not say that these and such like are justly condemn'd for contradicting express Scripture against their knowledge and the judgment of their own Reason For they must remember first that themselves do not condemn the Anabaptists upon only Scripture grounds Secondly that it hath been demonstrated that all fundamental points are not so express in Scripture as they imagine And thirdly that 't is most uncharitable to say That all those whom they condemn for Hereticks do against their own knowledge and Conscience contradict the express Word of God and run headlong to hell with their eyes open Can we possibly imagine that among so many Millions of Arians there was not one single person had any Conscience It cannot be denyed but that many Hereticks have and do live Vertuously in the Eyes of the World For who knows not That Satan sometimes transforms himself into an Angel of Light And while they profess and protest that if it was once made apparent to them that their Tenets are against the Word of God they would not one minute persist in them we judge it uncharitable to affirm that notwithstanding the protestations of their sincerity and real though misguided zeal they all wilfully sin against the Light and knowledge of their Consciences We Catholicks indeed assert That sufficient evidences of credibility are produced by us to convince them of their Heretical opinions and dangerous state without Repentance But withall we say That God in his just Judgments which are inscrutable suffers them through strong delusions to believe Lyes in that the Light of Truth is veiled from their Eyes by passion or prejudice or worldly Interest while they so continue and we pray for them in hope that the Father of infinite Mercies will in his good time discover Truth unto them and bring them home unto his Church But for these Rationalists to damn all those whom they esteem Hereticks as contradictors of the Word of God against their Conscience and knowledge is a censure most unreasonable and little beseeming such whose lives are not so Gospel-like but that many Sectaries who differ from them in fundamentals may justly be reputed at least as conscientious and in charity cannot be thought otherwise All which duely consider'd plainly proves that they must either change their Judge of Controversy in points of Faith or give us some new Rule to discover Heresy And withall that if they will stick close to this Principle they must maintain that all the General Councils of the Church even that celebrated by the Apostles themselves were meer tyrannical Usurpations in obliging all Christians to believe and practice according to their Decrees whatever their private Reason could say to the contrary Fourthly in vain and to no purpose hath Jesus Christ instituted Authoritative Overseers and Governours in his Church For the perfecting Eph. 4. 11 12 c. the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the Edification of the Body of Christ till we all come in the unity of Faith c. If every one must acknowledge no visible Authority upon Earth to have any obliging power over him in Doctrines appertaining to God but be his own Teacher in all points of Faith according to the Dictates of private Reason Fifthly If every one be sent to Scripture to compose a Creed for himself
Salvation Is therefore Faith excluded No doubtless For without Heb. 11. 6 Faith 't is impossible to please God Or because The Just shall live by Rom. 1. 17. Faith are not good works necessary What means then St. Paul to tell us That though we have all Faith 1 Cor 13. 1 2 c. without Charity tt profiteth us nothing He also teaches us That whosoever Rom. 10. 9 c. calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved Is it therefore enough of it self to bring a man to Heaven The Truth is Prayer saves us good Works save us Faith saves us Hope saves us and therefore properly enough they are said to do it severally though only conjointly they are sufficient And when St. John tells us He writ the Life and Death of Jesus Christ that thorough Faith in his Name we might be saved He little dream'd that in after Ages a Generation of men would arise that should affirm he taught That his Gospel did comprise in particular all fundamental points of Faith sufficient for the Salvation of mankind To that in Timothy I answer First 't is evident by the Gontext that the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament being such as Timothy had learn'd from his Childhood when little if any of the New could be written and divulg'd out of which I am confident our Adversaries will not pretend to determine all points of Catholick Doctrine acknowledg'd by themselves necessary to Salvation which quite overthrows their Argument from this place Secondly suppose we should grant it to be understood of the Scriptures of the New Covenant yet it will not follow from hence that therefore they are a compleat and perfect Rule of Faith whereby to judge all Doctrines whether they be revealed verities or not when from the 4th Verse 't is clear to any understanding eye that St. Paul exhorts Timothy to hold constant to the Faith received principally upon the tenure of Tradition Which is our Catholick Rule and to which we must stick close as he elsewhere teaches us Though an Angel Gal. 1. from Heaven should preach the contrary This Timothy was to do this Traditionary Depositum he was to keep whether ne had been ver'd or no in the Old Scriptures or any New written and deposited in the Church Yet withall he puts in mind of a peculiar advantage to confirm his Faith received by Oral Tradition And make him a perfect man of God or Bishop throughly furnish'd unto all good works proper to his Pastoral Office in that from his Infancy he had been brought up in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures which are able to make men wise unto Salvation through Faith in Jesus Christ and are profitable for Teaching for Arguing for Reproving for Instructing in Righteousness the Flock committed to his Charge And thus indeed it makes against themselves and for us highly who makes use of Scripture for a Rule of Faith as regulated and expounded by Tradition But to force the words to speak what they would prove from hence cannot be without manifest absurdity and contradiction As if the Apostle should say Timothy continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them And yet do not trust Oral Tradition though from the mouth of an Apostle but the Scriptures only for your Religion Thirdly weigh well the words themselves in the ballance of right Reason and they will easily be found too light to carry the cause on their side All Scripture divinely inspired is profitable for teaching for arguing for reproving for instructing in Righteousness c. True 't is so taken collectively yea distributively every verse of Scripture is profitable for some such end and purpose as is here specified And what then Therefore it is sufficient to regulate our Faith in all points necessary to Salvation and to determine all Controversies in Religion Good God! As if what is profitable for our Salvation must presently be sufficient for all things required to it Speak ingenuously is there such a word as sufficient or compleat Rule of Faith or sole Judge of Controversies or words equivalent contained in this Text Or doth St. Paul say that Scripture is all-sufficient of it self to perform these Offices without the Churches Interpretation Because 't is profitable in the hand of a Learned Bishop to Teach to Dispute to Correct to Instruct the Souls for whom he must give an account to God Is it therefore a sufficient Rule for every learner and ignorant Christian to square and cut out his own Faith by to interpret and judge of according to his own private Reason and to compose himself a Creed though contrary to Fathers Councils and the whole Christian World Does St. Paul say this Will this Text justify such an inference Yet this he must say or this place concludes nothing against Catholicks To the last out of the Apocalypse and not the least they rely upon in this Controversy I shall give a brief answer as seeming to me of all other most impertinent and non-concluding For the true meaning thereof is plainly this Whosoever shall presume to add to these Divine Revelations any other than what I have already described in this Book and endeavour to obtrude them upon the Church with the stamp of my Authority to gain credit to them or shall deny any Prophesies herein contain'd to be written by me let such a wretch expect the Vials of Gods Vengeance to be pour'd on his accursed head for so wicked an Imposture and Infidelity Which being evident thus must run their Argument God will severely punish those who shall add deceitfully or substract maliciously from St. John ' s Prophesies therefore the Bible ' s a compleat Rule of Faith and the sole Judge of Controversies about Religion An inference too gross to be confuted Yet from particular premises they draw an universal conclusion and on such weak and absurd reasonings from Scripture build their Church But how English Protostants will defend their Brethren the Lutherans from the wrath of God I say not for diminishing but even taking away this whole Book of St. John's Revelations from Sacred Canon I know not Thus therefore it appears there is nothing here produced by our Adversaries that proves evidently the all-sufficiency of Scripture for a Rule and Judge to decide all Controversies in Religion that the above-cited Texts but being throughly examin'd either conclude not for them or for us So much we are beholding to our Antagonists To conclude after an impartial and full examination to the best of my Abilities I finding the foundation of Protestanism to be really groundless and built upon meer uncertainties I forsook it and my own self to rely on the Catholick Church for my Salvation I renounced my own deceitful and weak reasonings upon Scripture to believe what the Fathers have plainly and unanimously taught what hath been declared in approved Oeneral Councils and what hath
true Church who knows himself by communicatory Letters which anciently were in use to be a Member of the Roman Church in which the Primacy of the Apostolical Chair always flourish'd More need not be said at present to shew that to be true Members of the Catholick Church is to live in the same communion with the supreme Pastor thereof under the same Government in the acknowledgment of the same Articles of Faith in the participation of the same Sacraments in the same manner of worship brought down to us by Tradition from Christ and his Apostles And to be separated from this One and Catholick Communion after once we have been Incorporated by Baptism is formal Schism pertinaciously to contradict her Doctrines of Faith is formal Heresie Thus the Scripture and Ancient Fathers concerning the nature of Heresie and Schism Now let us see whether the Protestant Church of England by separating from her Catholick Mother in Doctrine and Government be not both Schismatical and Heretical whatever is pretended to the contrary SECT II. Wherein is shew'd that the Protestant Church of England is guilty of Schism and Heresie by their Separation from the Roman THe Separation of the English Protestants from the whole body of Christians into a Church by themselves is a matter of Fact not so Ancient that it cannot be easily traced The Case in short was this King Henry the Eighth was of the same Faith and Communion with his Pious Predecessors from the very first Conversion of our Island and the whole Church in all Ages 'till the Popes Spiritual Power did cross his Amorous desires And then alas the unruly passion of Love so blinded his Reason that he could not see or would not longer acknowledge the Primacy of the Church of Rome which not long before he had so famously maintain'd against Luther the Apostate that deservedly he was rewarded with the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith For giving way to his Intemperate pleasure he fell passionately enamour'd on Anne Bullen who being of a subtil wit and perceiving the King charmed with her Beauty was resolv'd not to yeild to his Will unless he would first marry her This her resolute denyal did blow up the fire of his Love to a greater height and he being toss'd up and down with the billows of several passions determin'd at last with himself to quench those raging flames with her embraces according to her own terms though the impendiments seem'd almost insuperable and the consequences might prove very sad Hereupon he pretends scruples of Conscience about his Marriage with Queen Catharine no less then 22 years after their solemn Espousals sealed with the endearing pledge of Issue to succeed him in the Royal Throne And upon his hot Devotion to his new Saint he grew suddenly so tender-hearted in the point that by all means his former Marriage must be disannull'd that the storm and inquietude in his breast might be appeased And forthwith Addresses are made to the Pope to Commissionate Legates in England to hear and determine the business with all possible speed But the Queen appealing from them to Rome by the advice of her most Learned and Counscientious Councel and the Pope understanding the equity of her Case and how much it might be endanger'd where the King had so much power accepting of her Appeal recals the hearing of it to Himself and after mature deliberation notwithstanding all attempts and political motives to the contrary gave it as he was bound in Conscience on the Queens side against the King Which indeed was no more then to ratify what before had been adjudg'd lawful both by the Apostolical Chair with the approbation of the Christian World His Majesty now perceiving that all hopes were pass'd to procure from Rome a Divoce from his Lawful Wife and Vertuous Queen whom he could not but Honour even while he persecuted and a Dispensation to Marry his Beloved he grew highly enraged and passion so far prevail'd that abandoning Catholick Christian Peace and Unity he renounces all obedience to the Church casts the Popes Authority out of England under pain of death to the Acknowledger makes himself sole Head of the Church in his own Dominions and consequently Judge in his own Cause and then no question all things must pass for him and an usurped power would effect what Justice could not In a word he Divorces himself from his most Religious and Vertuous Queen shakes hands as I may say with Religion and joyns himself to Anne Bullen This was the original of this fatal Schism from this impure fountain stream'd a deluge of miseries upon our 'till then most happy Island For no sooner had he to satisfy his lusts remov'd the rampire of Church Government the sole preservative of Faith and Unity but an inundation of Evils broke in violently upon us and with Schism likewise Heresie Sacriledge Oppression ruine of Churches and Monasteries extirpation of Holy Orders contempt of Religion by making it lyable to perpetual changes uncertainties and and confusions as sad experience hath but too clearly manifested Thus was the Protestant Reformation as they call it in England first brought forth into the World and these are the Miseries which attended it I wish this point might be serionsly and impartially weighed and I doubt not but by God's Grace it would prove to others as it did to me a strong motive to return to Catholick Unity And here it will not be amiss to take notice what mark the Holy Scriptures have stamp'd upon Schism and Schismaticks to be known by Among your selves saith Act. 20. St. Paul shall arise men teaching perverse things to draw Disciples after them So did their first Reformers being Members of the Catholick Church till they contradicted the Doctrine which they before believ'd with the whole Body of Christianity to come from Christ himself and his Apostles teaching new Doctrines to draw Disciples after them They went out from us 1 John 2. saith St. John And so did they erecting a new communion distinct from the universality of Christians under a new Church Government it being never heard of before that a Secular person should be Head of a Spiritual Body or that Christ had left such an Oeconomy in his Church Scripture then condemns them for it condemns such Who will not hear Mat. 18. the Church it condemns such who 2 Thess 3. will not obey the word of her Governours it condemns such who sepeperate St. Jude Rom. 16 17. themselves who cause Dissention and Scandals contrary to the Doctrine delivered to the Saints And such were they as evidently in matter of fact as any thing that 's left upon Record in the World If therefore whosoever before them in the like sort separated themselves from the Church were accounted Schismaticks by all Catholick Christians how came they to be no Schismaticks by their Separation Never let them pretend any cause given on the Church's side to justify them for the Church
Corruption 't is morally impossible that such novelty as an universal Usurpation in matters of the highest concern should insensibly creep into the Church without discovery and invade the whole Christian World without opposition and this too in producing notoriously visible effects which necessarily must accompany such an innovation Doubtless such a change in a matter of pretended Divine Institution would have made a strange clamour and confusion in the Christian World One may as well maintain that the bloody alterations of Government in our Island have crept into the Nation and after the sad miseries of so long a war leaving behind it evidences to every eye no man can tell how or be sensible when and in what manner those grand mutations hap'ned Yea this might be defended with more show of reason those alterations being in Temporal matters acted in a corner of the World and therefore more easily brought about with lesser noise and better stifled in their birth that they might not be transmitted to posterity then this usurpation in a Spiritual Government founded by Christ himself to continue for ever over all the Nations of the Earth in those things which concern the eternal Salvation of their Souls Those reverend Witnesses of our Ancient Faith the Holy Fathers who were so tenacious and careful of Christian Customs and the Doctrine once deliver'd to the Saints that they have exactly observ'd and register'd in the least innovations of Faith or practice which new Teachers would have brought into the Church and were always more ready to part with their lives than any one point of their Religion would they have quietly suffered the Government of the Church the sole Conserver of its Doctrine instituted by Christ himself to be changed and not generally complain contradict oppose register and publish it to the whole World that they might know it to be a usurpation a spurious issue no plant of our Heavenly Fathers planting and therefore to be abominated and rooted out It is incredible that they who were so eagle-ey'd to observe and eager to contradict matters of far less moment should in a business of such concernment be wholly silent and betray the Truth For if they have declar'd the Bishop of Rome's supreme Power and Jurisdiction in Gods Church as Successor to St. Peter in his Primacy to be an usurp'd Authority and of humane invention and as such oppos'd it let them show it out of their Writings that we may know when by whom and by what means 't was introduced into the Church so as to invade the whole Body of Christianity And if they cannot as most certainly they cannot having labour'd in vain to do 't for above these 100 years and their own differences about the time when 't was first brought in being a manifest proof it can never be assigned and confess'd so by the most ingenuous among them seeing 't is a Government that hath been in quiet possession of the Christian World time out of mind with a belief of its divine institution handed as such to us by Universal Tradition unless they will divest themselves of reason they cannot but acknowledge that ab initio fuit sic 't is as old as Christian Religion and all those Schismaticks who disobey so Sacred a Power under the pretence of usurpation The Divine Right of the Pope's Supremacy in Spiritual matters being thus vindicated those pretences of a Godly Reformation and reducing Church Government to its Primitive Institution fall to nothing of themselves what they call Reformation being a violent usurpation of anothers right and upon what Motives is too notorious to be justified 'T were much to be wish'd they would lay to heart how in the late Revolutions by Gods most remarkable judgments on them those very weapons which they us'd against Papal Power have been taken up by the Presbyterians to the ruine and extirpation of Eposcopacy for some time And those Zealots in the same sort as handsomely cudgell'd by the Independants all equally pretending a Godly Reformation and reducing Religion to its primitive Purity Here I might conclude this Motive of my Conversion wherein I have been very large because Schism being a matter of fact is more discernable by ordinary capacities than disputes of things more abstracted from sense and consequently it is more easie to discover to all Seperatists the danger of their condition that they may return to Catholick unity especially considering the proof wholly lyes on our Adversaries side to demonstrate so long a continued Government as the Pope's Primacy over the Catholick Church to be a meer Tyrannical Usurpation or else to stand unanswerably convicted of Schism for renouncing such an Authority evidenced unto us by Universal Tradition which is our tenure in points of Faith However in that many poor Souls not knowing or not considering the strength of universal practice and immemorial possession on the Catholicks side are still seduced and kept in error by some places gleaned here and there from Sacred Scripture and the Writings of Antiquity wrest'd to their purpose that they may evidently see that all such verbal proofs from dead Letters are made to speak what the Authors never intended I shall ex abundante to give them all possible satisfaction in a matter of so great consequence produce such clear Testimonies from undoubted Records of Antiquity speaking the Faith and practice of the primitive Church in the point of the Pope's Supremacy to be the same with the new present Church of Rome that more cannot be required by men of Reason SECT VIII Wherein the Pope's Universal Power and Supreme Jurisdictidiction in Gods Church is farther manifested and made good from Councils and the verdict of Ancient Fathers grounded on Sacred Scriptures WE holding St. Peter to be constituted by Christ himself the Head and Prince of the Apostles that is to have a Supreme Power and Jurisdiction in Gods Church peculiarly entrusted to him and the Pope's universal Pastorship to be founded on the Primacy of St. Peter as his Successors the Testimonies we are producing must make good too things First that the Ancient Church believed St. Peter to be Prince of the Apostles and Head of the Universal Church Secondly the Bishops of Rome succeed him in that Authority and Jurisdiction Here the Fathers first declare their belief in these particulars I begin with Anacletus Pope and Martyr immediately after the first Century speaking the very words of the present Church Haec Sacrosancta Ann. 101. Epist 3. ad omnes Epist Romana c. This Holy and Roman and Apostolical Chair hath obtained the Primacy and eminency of Power over all Churches and the whole Congregation of Christian People not from the Apostles but from our Lord and Saviour as he said to Blessed Peter the Apostle Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church Julius the first of that Name in the Roman Chair writing to the Bishops of the East in behalf of St. Athanasius that invincible
Bullwark for the Catholick Faith against Cent. 4. Ep. ad ori Episc the Arrians is no less express and punctual to our purpose Sicut B. Petrus Apostles c. As Blessed Peter was chief of the Apostles so the Roman Church consecrated in his Name by our Lords institution was first and Head of the rest and all great Churches and Assemblies of Bishops should have recourse to her as to the Mother Church and Supreme I have put these too together because Popes which cannot derogate from their Authority our Adversaries having nothing justly to say against them St. Irenaeus surely was no Protestant in this point affirming The most ancient known Church to all men L. 3. cont haer c. 13. founded and establish'd at Rome by the two most famous Apostles Peter and Paul brought down by succession of Bishops to his time to be that Church to which by reason of its more powerful principality every Church that is all the Faithful over the World ought to resort Tertullian calls St. Peter The Rock of the Church and the Bishop In praeser c. 22 36. of Rome the High Priest and Bishop of Bishops Origen is clear When says he the chief charge of feeding Christs sheep was given to Peter and the In ca. 6. Ep. ad Roma Church founded upon him c. There was required of him the confession of no Virtue but Charity Relating to that place in the 21 of St. John's Gospel where is described when and how our Blessed Saviour invested him with this Supreme Pastorship and Jurisdiction We saith St. Cyprian as the Epist ad Ju mouth of the Church hold Peter the Head and Root of the Church But that famous place elsewhere is more full and convincing The enemy perceiving De vnit Eccles his Idols to be forsaken and his Temples to be deserted by the multitude of Believers invented a new deceit to gull the unwary by the name of Christian raising Heresies and Schismes to corrupt Verity and subvert Faith This is O Brethren because we have not recourse to the Origen nor seek to the Head Which if we would consider and examine there would need no long Treatise nor many arguments to find out the Truth Our Lord said to Peter Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And again after resurrection saying As my Father sent me so send I you c. Yet to John 20. 21 c. manifest unity he constituted one Chair and by his Authority he dispos'd the Origen of that Vnity to begin from oneâ— The rest of the Apostles were that which Peter was the Primacy was given to Peter that the Church of Christ might appear to be one and one Chair Here are couch'd many things remarkable First That all Hereticks and Schismaticks are not true Members of the Catholick Church but meer nominal Christians Secondly that Heresie and Schism in their own nature are as damning sins as flat Idolatry being Satan's new-invented snareâ— to catch poor Souls and his utmost endeavours to keep up his tottering Kingdom after the promulgation of the Gospel to all Nations Thirdly That unwary Souls are only taken by these ginns of the Enemy who have not recourse to the Visible Head of the Church in communion with whom Truth is only to be found Fourthly That St. Peter is this visible Head of the Church constituted by Christ himself first by Promise afterwards by Commission The Promise Thou art Peter and Mat. a6 upon this rock will I build my Church unto thee will I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven The Commission Feed my Lambs feed my Joh. 21. Sheep Being words spoken to St. Peter and no other Apostle Fifthly To prevent an Objection that they were all Apostles as well as Peter and therefore equal in Authority he grants they were equal in the Apostleship as much as concerns an illimited Power and Commission to Preach the Gospel to all Nations and so they were all foundations of the Church But St. Peter in a more peculiar and eminent manner was a rock on which the Church was founded in as much as he was made their Head and supreme Pastor of the Faithful To whom St. Hierom wholly accords affirming That although all the Apostles were alike in Apostleship yet Christ for the better keeping of Vnity L. 1. adv Jouin. c. 14. and Truth would have one to be Head of them all that a Head being once constituted occasion of Schism might be taken away Neither is he less punctual in asserting the Bishop of Rome to succeed Peter in this Primacy writing thus to Pope Damasus Ego Beatudini tuae id est Cathedrae Petri communione consocior Ep. 57 58. c. I am joyn'd in Communion with your Holiness that is the Chair of Peter I know the Church is built upon that rock whosoever eates the Lamb out of his Family is a Prophane person Whosoever is not in Noah ' s Ark perishes in the flood Ask St. Austin his Faith in this Tract 56. in Joha point and he tells us The Primacy among the Apostles by special grace is pre-eminent in St. Peter And elsewhere he calls St. Peter The Head Ep. 86. of the Apostles the Gate-keeper of Heaven and the foundation of the Church And what he believ'd concerning the Power of his Successors is evident by these words Sedenti Ep. 162. in Cathedra Romanae Ecclesiae c. The whole Christian World in the transmarine and remotest parts of the Earth is subject to him who sits in the Chair of the Roman Church St. Gregory also assures us that he knows no Bishop but is subject to the See Apostolick And that the care and Principality of the Church L. 4. Epist 32. Ep. ad Maurit hath been committed to St. Peter the Prince of the Apostles and yet he is not called Vniversal Apostle That is as if there was no other Apostle but He. Thus vindicating the supreme jurisdiction and Primacy of the Roman Bishop as St Peter's Successor against John the proud Patriarch of Constantinople arrogating to himself the Title of Universal Bishop in a sense contrary to the Doctrine and practice of the Catholick Church To cite more at large would be tedious but to these might be added the Epistle of St. Marcellus Pope and Martyr to the Bishops of the Province of Antioch concerning the Primacy of the Chair of Rome Leo the great Ser. 3. Anniu Assump Ser. 2. in Nat. S. Petri. Epist 89. S. Athana Ep. ad Faelicem S. Ambr. in ca. 2. ad Galatas l. 6. ad Lucam c 2. S. Epipha haer 51. S. Chrysost Hom. 55. in Matt. Optatus Milevit l. 2. cont Parm. Fulgentius de Incar gratia c. 11. Prosp l. 2. de Voca Gentium ca. 6. Euseb Ep. 3. Campaniae c. And many others but these may suffice This harmony
the Ancient Church Now the places a Sacred Writ by which the Ancient Fathers usually prove their Belief in this point are principally two our Saviours Mat. 16. 18. words to St. Peter I say unto thee thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven c. The other John the 21. 15 16 17. verses Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon Son of Jona lovest thou me more then these He said unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He said unto him feed my Lambs He said to him the second time Simon Son of Jona lovest thou me He said to him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He said to him again feed my Lambs Hee saith to him the third time Simon Son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was sorry that he said unto him the third time lovest thou me and said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus said unto him feed my Sheep These I say are the principal Scriptures which the Ancient Fathers make use of to prove St. Peters supreme Jurisdiction in Gods Church and his Successors the Bishops of Rome as may be seen by most of the Testimonies before alleadged and might be shown by many more I shall produce but two or three Ecce clavis regni caelestis c. Behold Peter received the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven power of binding and loosing is given to him The care and government of the whole Church is committed to him Are L. 4. Ep. Ep. 32. St. Gregory's words relating to these Texts and vindicating the Primacy of St. Peter and his Successors the Popes of Rome as may be seen at large in his Epistle to the Emperor Maritius Petra dicitur Petrus c. Peter Ser. 47. is called a rock saith St. Ambrose because as a stone immoveable he bears up the compacted body of the whole Christian Fabrick Though 't is not denyed but the Ancient Fathers sometimes take this rock to be St. Peter's Faith whereof he had then newly made confession however more unanimously they expound this Rock to be St. Peter's Person as Head and Pastor of all the Faithful But never understood it of St. Peter's Faith as separated from his person So the Rhemish Testament Madonate c. upon the place do assure us As for the Text in St. John hear Dr 〈◊〉 S. Jâ—â—â—â— Eusebius Emissenus expound it Our Lord first committed his Lambs and then his Sheep to Peter because he made him not only a Pastor but the Pastor of Pastors He 's therefore the Pastor of all for besides Lambs and Sheep there 's nothing in the Church And though Protestants will not see it yet St. Gregory says 'T is plain to all that read the Gospel that from our Lords own mouth the charge of the whole Church was deliver'd to Peter Prince of the Apostles Insomuch that as Maldonate hath observ'd upon the place there was never any Father Greek or Latine who ever understood or expounded it in a contrary sense So then Scripture-grounds the Ancient Fathers had for their belief in this point Upon which Scriptures notwithstanding they did not rely as barely consider'd in themselves but as so expounded by the universal Practice and Tradition of the Church the only Infallible Interpreter of the written Word and unerring Rule of Catholick Faith Which being apply'd to these Sacred Texts make them speak clearly our belief to any Impartial understanding and therefore considering the Fathers Faith and practice they could not be lyable from them to other Interpretations Of which this is a manifest Argument in that they first of all began to expound them otherwise who deny St. Peter's and the Pope's Supremacy Which yet they cannot do without much injury to the Sacred Texts upon their own grounds For if abstracted from Church-tradition and practice they be with all their circumstances impartially weighed in the ballance of reason they very much declare a peculiar power intrusted to St. Peter in the Oeconomy of the Church not at all imparted to the rest of the Apostles For here 's a promise of the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven made to St. Peter alone though the rest were present I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind c. And this singular promise is usher'd in with singular circumstances all relating solely to St. Peter For upon our Saviours interrogation Peter making an express Confession of his Faith in these words Thou art Christ the Son of the living God our Lord gives him in particular a solemn Benediction saying Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona and I say unto thee thou art Peter Et supra hanc Petram alluding to his name the very name our Blessed Saviour gave him when he chose him to be an Apostle and 't is remarkable that 1 Joh. 42. having immediately before called him Simon he now calls him Peter which signifies a Rock of which no reason can well be given but that the allusion to this name of his by the next words might let him and the rest understand that he was the person design'd upon whom as upon a Rock the Church should be founded in a peculiar manner and upon this Rock will I build my Church And then follows I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven c. Now put them together and sum them up Blessed art thou Simon I say unto thee thou art Peter Et super hanc Petram I will build my Church I will give unto thee the Keyes c. Doubtless all these particularities concerning Peter and none else of the Apostles though all were present must in all reason amount to thus much That St Peter was to be invested with some eminent Authority over all the rest And as St. Peter had good grounds from these particularizing circumstances solely relating to himself upon so solemn a promise to believe and expect that it would be fullfill'd when the time design'd for it by Divine Wisdom was fully come by the collation of some extraordinary power peculiar to himself Joh. 21. So we find in the other fore-quoted Texts that Truth it self was as good as his word expresly and by name intrusting to St. Peter the Charge and Government of the Universal Church by a Commission repeated thrice for the greater certainty that the promise before made was hereby fullfill'd and withall to leave a greater impression in his mind of the dignity and difficulty of the Supreme Office and Pastorship wherewith he only now actually was invested 'T is frivolous to say they are but admonitory expressions to mind St. Peter of his duty in doing the work of an Apostle when the words carry as much in their face an Authoritative Commission as Go teach all Nations spoken elsewhere to all the Apostles
un-interrupted Succession of lawful Pastors and true Doctrine Scripture is very copious I shall name a few A City seated on a Hill cannot be hid The Mat. 5. 14. Is 2. 2. Psal 18. mountain of the house of our Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains In sole posuit tabernaculum suum Isa 59. 21. My Spirit which is thee and my words which I have put into thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seed for ever All Dan. 7. 13 14. Nations Tribes and Tongues shall serve him his power is an eternal power that shall not be taken away and his kingdom shall not be corrupted Thou art Peter and upon this Mat. 16. Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Christ gave some Apostles some Eph. 4. 11 c. Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors some Doctors for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edification of the Body of Christ c. 'Till we all meet in the unity of Faith and be not as Children toss'd about with the wind of every Doctrine See more in Esa 62 Ezek. 37. Matt. 5. 15. c. From which and such like places this Major Proposition is evident As also from Antiquity We must seek for Truth among whom the Succession L. 4. de hae c. 45. of the Church from the Apostles and the Purity of Doctrine is maintain'd in its Integrity So St. Iraeneus What I believe says Tertullian I received L. de praesc c. 37. from the present Church the present Church from the Primitive that from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ. And St. Austin tells us That the succession of Priests from the Contr. Ep. Fund c. 4. very seat of Peter to the present Bishop held him in the Church Which if it shall not continue here on earth to the end of the World to whom did our Lord say Behold I am with you alwayes to the Worlds end It is easier L. 3. de Bapt. cont Donat. saith St. Chrysost that the Sun should be extingush'd then the Church should be obscured Concerning which St. De utilit cred c. 7. Austin assures us The Prophets have spoken more plainly and manifestly then of Christ himself And therefore 't is no wonder the same Saint affirms That the Church hath this most certain mark that it cannot be hid Cont. Petil. c. 104. And certainly it is not hid except to those that are lost the Children of perdition who seeing will not see and hearing will not understand Who shut their eyes against a light set upon a Candlestick and are so blind as not to see so great a mountani as the Catholick Church As the same Father complains of the Hereticks of his days From which premisses thus prov'd it invincibly follows that the Protestant L. 3. cont Parm. and all other Heretical and Schismatical Churches being wholly destitute of these inseparable badges or marks of the true Church viz. Universality perpetual visibility by an uninterrupted Succession of Pastors and People from Christ and his Apostles to this time cannot possibly be the true Church Whose builder and preserver is God All which manifestly belonging to the Church of Rome and those in Communion with her by most undoubted Records of all Ages it likewise as inevitably follows that this Church of Rome only is the true Catholick Church and all other Communions but false Worshippers Thus briefly of these indubitable marks of the true Church from Sacred Scripture so much made use of by the Ancient Fathers to reduce the Hereticks and Schismaticks of their times to the Catholick unity that I may not too long detain you from beholding Miracles wrought by God in his Holy Church for the confirmation of our Faith SECT II. That Miracles were vouchsafed always to the True Church SUch is the Sublimity and Purity of Christian Doctrine so sublime in respect of knowledge so pure in respect of practice that if there was nothing else to witness that it came from Heaven they of themselves are sufficient evidences that the Author of it can be no less then of incomprehensible Wisdom and infinite Holiness Notwithstanding as God was pleas'd by wonderful Signs and frequent Miracles to set his Seaâ— to attest the truth of it that it might find entertainment from contradictors so in after Ages in opposition not only to all false Religions who deny Christ and maintain their Worship to be right but also to many seduced Christians who pretend to have among them the Purity of this Doctrine the same infinite Goodness hath more or less continued Miracles in his Church that we may see with our eyes what we ought to believe with our hearts and not be deceived by false Teachers This Heavenly Testimony God vouchsafed to the Jewish Worship whilst it was in force and therefore cannot in reason be denyed to the Christian Church being in every respect a Ministration much more Divine and Glorious and no less standing in need of such a Priviledge Moses brought forth the Children of Exod. Israel from the house of bondage in signs and wonders and mighty deeds The Sun stood still at the Prayer of Jos 10. Joshua and went back 15 degrees Isa 38. at the earnest request of Hezekiah The bones of Elizeus the Prophet rais'd a dead man to life The constant cure Joh. 5. 3 c. of Lame and Diseased persons in the Pool of Bethesda immediately after the motion of the water by an Angel was a standing Miracle c. All which with many more were evident Testimonies of the Divine presence among them that the Creator and Governour of Heaven and Earth was their God in a special manner and they his peculiar Church and People To which might be added their many Prophets of extraordinary Power and Sanctity not only miraculous in their predictions but sometimes mighty in signs and deeds Though 't is observable that St. John the Baptist though more then a Prophet then whom none greater was born of women yet did no Miracle to attest his Mission Doubtless not without some singular cause perhaps because the Jewish Synagogue was then expiring and giving place to the Christian Church as a Handmaid to her Mistress or glimmering twi-light to the Sun arising in beams of Glory The most remarkable Miracles of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are left unto his Church by the Evangelists in the History of his Life and Death That we might believe and believing have Life Eternal by him After the Holy Apostles had received Power from above by descent of the Holy Ghost upon them to fit them for the great work of converting all Nations to Christianity what wonders and signs were frequently wrought by them in the first planting of the Gospel are made famous and wellknown to us Acts. in their Acts related by St. Luke
these shall he do And therefore Miracles by St. Thomas are marshall'd into three Heads or Classes First those which wholly exceed the power of created Causes in the very substance of the effect As the Sun standing still at the Prayer of Joshua going back at the request of Hezekiah A mortal body to be glorified as in the transfiguration of our Blessed Saviour Transubstantiation in the most holy and dreadful Sacrifice of the Mass Which are the greatest of Miracles and in no sort produceable by the utmost Powers of created nature Secondly such which transcend the faculty of nature yet not if we have an eye to the thing it self that 's done but the qualification of the subject in whom 't is done or effected That is natural causes can produce the substance of the Miracle but never in the present circumstances As to give sight to the blind or raise the dead to life And does in daily vital productions but not to one dead As Lazarus and Tabitha were And can give sight but not to one blind As he who was born so cured Joh. 9. by our Lord and Saviour However these being Miraculous only in respect of the subject wherein such effects are brought to pass yet are altogether above the vertue of secondary causes and so as true Miracles as those of the first Classis The third and lowest sort are those which exceed the faculty of Nature neither according to the substance of the effect or subject wherein they are produced but only according to the manner and order of their production As when persons not incurably sick or lame in the hands of Artists with an ordinary concurrence of the supremest cause are suddenly restor'd to health and soundness without the help of Physick Chyrurgery or the usual proceedings in such cases And so the Apostles speaking with divers tongues which are attainable by time and industry in subjects capable of such perfections yet in them was miraculous in that they being ignorant were suddenly endowed with such extraordinary knowledge and eloquence to the amazement and confusion of their enemies Of which sort are also sudden Thunders and Lightnings Winds and Storms when second and immediate causes are not so big with such effects as to be deliver'd of them but rather in all probability promising the contrary to the best sighted understandings in such matters Now such miracles as these though always produced by a divine power when Holy persons are the Instruments yet may and sometimes are when God permits wrought by Magick and compact with the Devil who can so improve natural causes as on a suddain to bring forth such effects Which being possible to Omnipoteny and consequently not true Miracles in a strict and proper acceptation but in a large sense so call'd from the wonderful manner of their production if the Catholick Church had no other but such to attest her Doctrine to come from Heaven they could not simply of themselves be sufficient evidences of the Truth of Christian Religion and that the Workers of them are sent by God However such wonderful effects when they Manifestly tend to destroy the kingdom of Satan invincibly prove their origen to be from the Author of Holiness And therefore 't is not difficult to discover when these wonders are effected by a Divine Power and assistance and when by the help of the Devil Namely when either the Sanctity of the person is such as is no way lyable to be suspected to have any dealing with the Powers of Darkness Or if this be wanting when the Purity of the Doctrine as a glorious ray beaming from the Sun of righteousness is such that a confirmation thereof in such a manner cannot rationally be thought but to come from Heaven Or when God is pleas'd besides these inferior wonders to work also such Miracles by the same person or others professing the same Faith which cannot really be produced by any but himself Of which his true Church was never destitute and no other Communion could ever boast or justly challenge SECT IV. Some reasons of Gods proceeding in this manner WHen the infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness of God is pleas'd to work Miracles in his Church ordinarily the Instruments he makes use of to produce such effects are persons eminent for Sanctity Yet not so as that we ought to make the number or greatness of their Miracles the rule to judge of the degrees of their Holiness Yea 't is not an Infallible argument to conclude such an one to be a Saint for the grace of working Miracles being conferr'd upon the true Church principally for the edification of others a person not justified and so not righteous in the sight of God may be a wonder-working Instrument to save his Brethren and yet himself become a Reprobate Of which we need no more evident testimony then from the mouth of those Pleaders in St. Matthew Lord have not we Prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name Ch 7 22 c. cast out Devils and in thy Name wrought many Miracles And yet they receive this dreadful Answer I know ye not depart from me ye workers of Iniquity The cause whereof St. Austin gives us Admonet nos Lib. 83. Quaesti 79. qu. Dominos c. Our Lord puts us in mind that we may understand wicked men also to do some Miracles which Saints cannot do Therefore they are not granted to all Saints least the weak should be deceived with a most pernicious errour supposing greater gifts to be in such deeds than in works of righteousness by which we purchase eternal life Now God confers this grace and wonderful power on his Church First for the confirmation of the Christian Faith as his visible Seal set to it that 't is true and came from Heaven as the only means to bring us thither and ought to be entertain'd as such by all who desire to save their precious Souls This is manifest from the Promise of our Blessed Saviour to his Church Mark 16. 17. These sings shall follow those that believe in my Name they shall cast out Devils they shall speak with new Tongues they shall take up Serpents and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands upon the Sick and they shall Recover This is the Promise See the performance in the 20 ver And they went and Preached every where our Lord co-operating and confirming the Word with signs following For so the Eyes of their Auditors might tell them the Doctrine they heard was from God and no humane invention and therefore inexcusable incredulous As in the 16 verse Whosoever Believes and is Baptiz'd shall be saved but who believes not shall be damned Hence it is that Signs are said to be for Unbelievers that by such evidences of Truth they may be Converted and all the ends of the Earth see the Salvation of our God And this way of Divine attestation the wisdom of God hath thought good to
use as most proportionably to our present capacity and consequently most likely to produce the effect for which 't is intended For Truth entring into the the closet of our Soul through he port of our Senses as by the innate light of the understanding with an ordinary concurrence of the prime cause man can attain to some degree of the knowledge of God by natural effects and is utterly inexcusable if he does not So to induce us to the belief of things wholly supernatural and unattainable but by Divine Revelation he 's pleas'd sometimes by extraordinary and supernatural effects namely Miracles to work upon our Senses that we might believe and be saved or we rendred inexcusable when unbelief shall be laid to our charge And therefore 't is said 〈◊〉 believes not Mar. 16. 16. are condemned already As having nothing to say for themselves in that they so wilfully shut their eyes in Sun-shine that they might not see and be converted And our Blessed Joh. 15. 22 c. Saviour says elsewhere If I had not done those works among them which none other hath done they had not sinn'd but now they have no excuse for their sin But as Miracles are to beget Faith where 't is not so the next use of them is to give strength and growth to it where 't is already planted least at any time we should have a heart of Infidelity to depart from the Truth received either by flat Apostacy which more rarely happens or by Schism and Heresie which are Satan's commonest snares wherein he catches unwary Souls to their destruction What can they say for themselves to whom in so much Heavenly Light the Cross becomes a stumbling-block so as to fall away from their stability or once fallen if they will not rise again and be recall'd into the bosom of the Catholick Church by the voice of such wonderful works crying aloud after them even sufficient to engrave Faith in a rocky-hearted Jew and introduce belief into very Infidels From whence appears the absurdness of that Protestant Thesis That all Miracles are now ceased in the Church For besides indubitable testimonies from clouds of Witnesses enough to satisfy any rational man these causes yet continuing viz. Infidelity Heresie and Schism God will also still continue the same supernatural effects to beget or confirm supernatural Faith in the Souls of men But why they are not so frequent as in the first planting of the Gospel this may be one reason in that the true Church being manifested to the World by those Miracles which more or less in every Age are wrought in her Communion and her 's only entitle her justly to all the rest confirming the same Faith which others cannot claim by the like evidence For the principal end of Miracles being for the confirmation of true Faith taught by Christ and his Apostles to the World either to give it birth or growth if God did vouchsafe to work in the same manner such wonderful Signs and Prodigies by any persons in other Communions than his Catholick Church they could not be sufficient Testimonies from Heaven of Divine Truth but be instrumental likewise to set a lustre on deeds of Darkness and harden poor seduced Souls in erroneous Worship Neither had the Ancient Apologists for the Christian Faith rationally made use of Miracles as a convincing argument of the Truth thereof if Infidels or others could have produced justly the like evidences to give Testimony to their false Religion See Heb. 2. ver 3 4. St. Joh. 5. 36. ch 7. 31. ch 9. 30. ch 10. 28. ch 15. 22 24. Hence St. Gregory Quia carnales adhuc c. Hom. 2. in Evan. Because the Disciples being yet carnal could not understand his mysterious words he proceeds to a Miracle a blind man receives his sight before their eyes that who understood not the words of Divine Mystery Heavenly deeds might work Faith in them Thirdly God works Miracles in his Church to manifest the extraordinary Sanctity of some persons to whom he 's pleas'd to vouchsafe a special Honour and thereby proposes as singular examples for others to imitate in their glorious walkings And this is done either while they are living or after death by their Sacred Relicks and Intercession and sometimes in both they are alike glorified by him who only works Miracles whomsoever he makes choice of for the Instruments Which no false Worshipers in the World can challenge to their Profession Yet that such have been and are still wrought by Saints in the Communion of the Roman Catholick Church there are as good proofs to evidence it to the World as that there was such a man as Henry the 8th once King of England Which certainty none pretend to deny And though Protestants cannot lay claim to any true Miracles for the confirmation of their Faith and practice yet how fain they would have their new Religion so attested is manifest in that they greedily catch at shaddows and interpret any thing that 's somewhat strange and not ordinary as the singular actings of God in their behalf Or if any among them observe some austerities in the contempt of worldly Pleasures and Contentments which is so frequent among Catholicks presently this is a Sanctity without parallel and by the wind of vain-glory is puffed up to the Prodigious greatness of a wonder And I confess if all rare things are Miraculous this among them may justly be so accounted To these I might add the manifestation of the power of his Godhead and the riches of his Goodness towards his Church by such extraordinary workings beside the course of universal nature to make up the number of his Elect and consummate them in Glory But these last are not proper to my present purpose and the former related reasons are those for which God is pleased principally to work Miracles in the true Church and ought to be operative upon rational Souls to bring them to the knowledge and the embracing of the Truth SECT V. Some undoubted and most famous Miracles relating to the present Controversies between Us and Protestants ST Austin having related some De Civi Dei l. 22. c. 8. Miracles wrought upon Devotes at St. Stephens Shrine by his special intercession whereof himself was an eye-witness affirms That if he should record all that he knew to have been done in those Territories he must fill Books And so might I too with much more reason if I should set down but the tenth of those which concern the present Controversies between Protestants and Us having confin'd my self to no less limits then the Christian World affording innumerable Miracles the truth of which cannot justly be question'd because deliver'd to our knowledge with as much certainty as matters of fact are capable of However I shall be brief and only select out some few which I conceiv'd most convincing to Souls yet hardned with unbelief And had wholly spar'd this labour but that I know particulars are prâ—ssing