took all imaginable care that the Roman Religion should not make any progress in Ireland yet it stole in by the negligence of other Bishops insomuch that that Party which maintain'd it did sensibly increase and grow strong It was this that oblig'd King Charles the first to write a Letter to the Primate of Ireland which is to be found in page 38. wherein he authorizes him to write Letters of Exhortation to all the Bishops of Ireland that they shou'd discharge their duty better than they had done About the latter end of the year 1631. Vsher makes a Voyage into England where he publish'd a small English Treatise concerning the Antient Religion of Ireland and of the People which inhabited the North of Scotland and of England he shews in this Treatise how it was in respect to the Essential parts of the same Religion which at present is establish'd in England and which is very forreign to that of the Roman Catholicks The year following our Arch-Bishop return'd into Ireland and publish'd a Collection intituled Veterum Epistolarum Hibernicarum Sylloge whereof the first Pieces were written about the year 1590. and the last about 1180. there one may learn the Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Ireland In 1639. which was seven years after he publish'd his Book intituled Britannicarum Ecclesiarum Antiquitates wherein he inserted the History of Pelagius and his Sentiments There are to be found the Antiquities of the most distant Churches of Great Britain since Christianity was Preached there that is to say since about 20 years after the death of Jesus Christ. In 1640. Vsher makes a Voyage into England with his Family with design to return very soon into Ireland but the Civil Wars hinder'd him insomuch that he cou'd never return to his Country again T is said that in the year following he brought the King to sign the death of the Earl of Strafford but as to this Dr. Parr speaks very much in his Justification he afterwards shews us after what manner he lost all that he had in Ireland except his Library which he brought into England Strangers very much envyed this great man that his Compatriots shou'd offer him divers Places of Retreat The Heads of the University of Leiden soon gave him a considerable Pension and offered him the Title of Honourable Professor if he wou'd come into Holland The Cardinal Richelieu sent him his Medal and also proffer'd to him a great Pension with the liberty of professing his Religion in France if he wou'd come thither Our Arch-Bishop thank'd him and sent him a Present of Irish Grey-Hounds and other Rarities of that Country Three years after he publish'd a small Treatise intituled A Geographical and Historical Research touching Asia Minor properly so call'd to wit Lydia whereof frequent mention is made in the New Testament and which the Ecclesiastical Writers and other Authors call'd Proconsulary Asia or the Diocess of Asia In this Treatise there is a Geographical Description of Asia Minor and of its different Provinces as that of Caria and Lydia under which the Romans comprehend Ionia and Aeolia Vsher shews there 1. That Asia whereof mention is made in the New Testament and the Seven Churches which St. Iohn spoke of in the Apocalypse were included in Lydia that every one of these Cities were the Chief of a small Province and because of this Division they were chosen to be the principal Seats of the Bishops of Asia 2. That the Roman Provinces had not always the same extension but were often contracted or enlarg'd for reasons of State thus the Empire was otherwise divided under Augustus than it was under Constantine under whom Proconsulary Asia had more narrow bounds than formerly 't is remarkable that under this last Emperor Proconsulary Asia which was govern'd by a Proconsul of the Diocess of Asia from whence the Governor was call'd Vicarius or Comes Asiae or Dioceseos Asianae but this division was afterwards chang'd under his Successors and whereas every Province had but one Metropolis to satisfie the ambition of some Bishops 't was permitted to two of 'em at the same time to take the Title of Metropolitan 3. That under Constantine Ephesus was the place where the Governors of Asia met to form a kind of Council which decided affairs of importance and 't was for this that Ephesus was then the only Metropolis of Proconsulary Asia that the Proconsul which was Governor never submitted to the Authority of the Praetorian Prefect and that there was something so like this in the Ecclesiastical Government that the Bishop of Ephesus was not only Metropolitan of Consulary Asia but also the Primate and Head of the Diocess of Asia 4. That there was a great conformity between the Civil and Ecclesiastical Government in this that the Bishops of every Province were subject to their Metropolitans as the Magistrates of every City were to the Governors of the whole Provinces This was the time wherein Vsher published in Greek and Latin the Epistles of St. Ignatius with those of St. Barnabas and St. Polycarp seven years after he added his Appendix Ignatiana where he proves that all the Epistles of Ignatius are not suppositious and explains many ecclesiastick antiquities he published the same year his Syntagma de editione 70 Interpretum where he proposes a particular Sentiment which he had upon this version 't is this that It contained but the five Books of Moses and that it was lost in the burning of the Library of Ptolomaeus Philadelphus and that Doritheus a Heretick Jew made another version of the Pentateuch and also translated the rest of the Old Testament about 177 years before the birth of Jesus Christ under the Reign of Ptolomaeus Philometor and that the Greek Church preserves this last version instead of that which was made under the Reign of Ptolomeus Philadelphus he also treats in this same work of the different editions of this version which according to him are falsly styled the version of the 70 this Book was published a year after the death of our Prelate with another De Cainane altero or the second Canaan which is found in the version of the 70. and in St. Luke between Sala and Arphaxad This last work of Vsher was the Letter which he wrote to Mr. 〈…〉 the difference he had with Mr. a friend of the Archbishops we shaâ—â— speak of it hereafter Dr. Parr informs us that in the Civil Wars of England Vsher going from Cardisse to the Castle of St. Donates which belonged to Madam Stradling he was extreamly Ill treated by the Inhabitants of Glamorganshire in Wales they took his Books and Papers from him which he had much ado to regain and whereof he lost some which contained remarks upon the Vaudois and which shou'd have serv'd to carry on his Book de Ecclesiarum Christianarum Successione where there is wanting the History of more than 200. years viz from Gregory the 11th to Leo the 10th from the year 1371 to 1513 and
cares were very useful in the time of a great Persecution which arose against them in 1664 which Father Couplet gives here the particulars of They were accused of Inspiring into the People a Spirit of Rebellion and of persuading them to change their Religion a Capital Crime in this Kingdom and they would infallibly have suffered the rage of their Enemies had it not been for divers Prodigies that appeared in their favour and which the Reiterated Prayers of Madam Hiu obtained from Heaven We must not wonder at it since her Devotion was so great and so universal she observed all Duties of Piety from the least unto the greatest which she acquitted admirably well Never was there a Life better employ'd Women Children Old Men the Poor and chiefly the Jesuites were the continual Objects of her Care and Charity without interrupting thereby her particular Exercises of Meditation and Prayer which she Addressed to the Blessed Virgin to whom she Devoted her self From whence the Author takes occasion to give us an account of the Devotion of the Christians of China which hath scarcely any other object but the Virgin the Angels St. Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier and consists entirely in the frequent Rehearsal of Litanies and upon the number and measure of sundry Adorations and Reiterated Genuflections which is as much as to say a kind of Idolatry disguised under the Name of Christianity This Remnant of Pagan Superstition disperses it self through all their Acts of Religion but particularly their Funeral Pomps in which they express an ardent zeal to make them very Magnificent for their Parents and Friends whose Mourning and Ceremonies last many years after their death This is it wherein the Missioners have not had any great need of their Complaisance Father Couplet therefore confesseth that these Funeral days of Christians are days of Triumph for Religion and that the Magnificence of the Images wherewith they adorn them the Wax-Candles the Perfumes and Incenses they imploy therein make the Chinois look on them with admiration and as People of a singular Piety They have found by the Advice of Madam Hiu the Secret of entring into several Provinces where they never had any establishment in burying there the Bodies of some of the Fathers of their Mission having first asked leave to perform their last duties to them which lasteth as long as the Devotion of Parents finds it convenient and often as long as they live Upon this Subject the Author gives us an Account of a Stone Table adorned with the Figure of the Cross and several Chinois and Syriack Inscriptions which were taken out of the Earth in 1625 in the Province of Kin-si He pretends that the Names of Seventy Preachers of the Gospel which went from Palestine into China in the year 636 are Engraven thereupon and amongst others those of some Bishops which he pretends are an Authentick Testimony of their Mission Howbeit its Antiquity is considerable and if the Truth on 't was called into Question that joyned to what I have said before would suffice to shew how Ingenuous the Devotion is when the Propagation of Faith is questionable He passeth from this to shew the difficulties which the Missioners find in that Country for the Instruction of the Neophytes and chiefly the Women with whom there is no Commerce in China no more than in other parts of the East Which sheweth that they must needs have extraordinary regards and managements to succeed to which the Charge of President of the Tribunal of Mathematicks and the Title of Mandarin that the Emperor of China hath given to Father Adam Schall and to Father Ferdinand Verbiest successively and which they accepted of with the consent of the Pope hath not a little contributed We must notwithstanding confess if Father Couplet is to be believed that nothing has so much contributed to the advancement of Christianity in this Empire as the assiduous and charitable Cares of this Lady He imployeth the rest of his History to Relate some Surprising Particulars of her Zeal and Piety He saith that she hath Founded near Thirty Churches in her Country that she also built Nine more with Fine Houses in other Provinces and that there is neither Chapel nor Oratory nor Mission nor Congregation that hath not had share of her Liberalities that she would even Correspond as far as the West after divers Manners to oblige by her Example the Christian Ladies to imitate her industrious Piety That which is very surprising in this is That in all these Foundations and these particular Charities which she gave several Thousands of Persons she only imployed the fruit of her Labour and Parsimony without prejudicing the Fortunes of her Children He ends with a Remark which the Death of Madam Hiu causes him to make upon the particular care that the Chinois shew in all the Funeral Apparel of their Burials They cause Rich Coffins to be made a long time before their Death and even the Children often do make a Present thereof to their Fathers and Mothers as did the Lord Basil Son to Madam Hiu who gave her a Coffin worth Eight hundred Crowns They buy Gardens they build therein Houses and Chappels to be joyned to their Tombs and the Great Mourning of the Parents who survive answers well enough to the Care which the Dead have taken of 'em to preserve their Bones and to perpetuate their Memory 'T was in one of these places that the Body of Madam Hiu was Interr'd after she dyed as she lived to wit as a Saint whose Memory is blessed to all the Christians of China If her Death hath not obstructed the Progress of the Gospel their Number at present ought to be very great seeing the Author saith that at that time there were Ninety Great Churches in one only Province and that Fifteen Thousand Children were Baptized a year in all CHINA But this we have only the Author's word for be the whole true or false it shews what the Spirit of JESUITISM is and 't is of Use to Expose their Ridiculous Principles The History of the East-Indies by Mr. Souchu de Reunefort At Leyden by Frederick Harring 1668. in Twelves P. 571. THe Great Advantages that Holland hath drawn from the East-India Companies which are become so famous throughout all the World have caus'd other States to form a Design of Erecting the like France especially by reason of its Power and Advantageous Scituation conceiving great hopes from this Enterprise form'd a Company in 1664. for the Commerce of the East-Indies They made a Fund of Fifteen Millions whereof the King was pleas'd to advance Three and his First Exploits were in the Isle of Madagascar This Isle the greatest of the known Seas was occupied by the Marshal de la Meilleraye for his particular profit and the Company then by Orders from the King took Possession of it The Portuguese call it the Isle of St. Laurence because they discover'd it on the Feast of this Saint and the French
so that they were half naked Besides which they suffered both their Beard and Hair to grow This Dress with their particular manner of Carriage drew many Children after them and exposed them to their Ridicule Yet for all the apparent Severity they were very debauched as they walked the Streets this Aspersion was often cast upon them especially when out of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grec imposteur Their Garments were generally black and dirty and if any one was seen to affect the same Slovenliness he was certain to have the same Reproaches rendred him as St. Ierome makes appear in his Epistle to Marcellus upon the Infirmity of Blasill The Christian Monks with their habits inheriting the Vanity of the Philosophers also it is believed by some Authors that the Heathens called them through Contempt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Black Casacks and said they were no mark of Virtue so that it was but wearing a Mourning Dress and that it imported not what they appeared outwardly since there was nothing but excessive Vanity within Now to return to Iustin Antiquity assures us he lived very conformably to the habit he wore He went to Rome in the beginning of the Reign of Antonine the Pious and fixt his Abode there applying himself to the defence of the Christian Religion against the Heathens Marcionites and other Hereticks in pursuit of which he writ several Books that have been lost About the hundred and fortieth Year of the Blessed Jesus he Presented to Antonine his Apology for the Christian Religion Which seemed to be the Cause that the Emperor publish'd an Edict and sent into all Asia commanding that the Christians should be proceeded against according to the ordinary Forms of Justice whereas before they took away their Goods banished them and sometimes put them to death without any Formalities at all In Dr. Cave there are some critical Observations on the date of this Edict by which he plainly proves that it was Antonine's and not Marcus Aurelius's as some Learned Men have supposed After having Publish'd this Apology Iustin makes a Voyage into Asia where he came acquainted with Trypho the Iew which Dr. Cave believes to be R. Tarpho who was Friend to R. Akiba that is so often spoke of in the Thalmud Trypho had retired from Iudea after the War of Barchocheas and Iustin finding him at Ephesus disputed with him for two days of which he gives an account to the Publick in a Book Entituled A Dialogue with Trypho From thence returning to Rome he composed that Apology which is called the First tho it was really the Second and Presented it to Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus for a certainty not being at that time at Rome Iustin had great Contests also with one Crescens a Cynic Philosopher who under the pretended Austerities of a Philosophical Life concealed many shameful Disorders Wherefore Iustin calls him a Philosopher and no Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Man enraged against Iustin resolved to do his utmost to ruin him he found it not difficult to make use of the excessive Superstition of Marcus Aurelius to that end who had also a very ill Opinion of the Christians as is evident by these words of his Book 11. § 3. Such is the Disposition of the Soul that it must be separated from the Body whether it be extinguish'd and dissipated like a Vapour or whether it Subsists This Disposition must proceed from its own Iudgment not from a Passion purely which troubles it as is often seen in the Christians but from a calm and solid Reasoning such as may be inspired to another without making use of Discourses full of Figures and Exaggerations The Circumstances of Iustin's Death may be seen in the Account of his Martyrdom which Dr. Cave believes to be true Their shortness he says being no little sign that they have been taken from ancient Memoirs without being corrected and added to in latter Ages as many things of the like nature have been It is true that some have doubted whether those Acts contained the Martyrdom of Iustin according to matter of Fact but their Suspicion seems not to be well grounded because there is nothing but what agrees very well with it especially the Time and Death of this Martyr which was when Rusticus was Praefect of Rome as St. Epiphanius confirms Rusticus was a great Man both in the Wars and State very much enclined to Philosophy and particularly that of the Stoicks He had been Governor to Marcus Aurelius as may be seen in the First Book of this Emperor where are the chief Lessons that he learnt of him Before this Rusticus Iustin and Six other Christians were brought after they had been first put in Prison He asked them if they were Christians they all freely confessing it publickly and refusing to Sacrifice to the Roman Deities were Beheaded Baronius concludes it to be in the 165th Year after Christ as agrees very well with the Alexandrian Chronology that saith a little after Iustin had presented his second Apology to the Emperor he received the Crown of Martyrdom Dr. Cave after the Relation of Iustin's Death gives a Character of his Virtues and Learning in the manner of a Panegyric as he does to all the Lives he has Written where all along he mingles Eloquence with the Critical part of his History He tells us that although Ancients have extremely praised the Learning of Iustin this Holy Man had no knowledge of the Hebrew as appears by the Etymology he gives of the word Satanas which he saith comes from Sata and from Nas that in Hebrew and Syriac signifie an Apostat Whereas 't is known that the Termination in AS is from the Greek and is added to the word Satan which signifies in Hebrew an Enemy The Etymology that Iustin gave to this word without doubt made Trypho Laugh this shews that some Moderns have not been very well acquainted with the Writings of our Martyr because that a false Etymology of the word Osanna being found in his Book entituled Questions and Answers to the Orthodox They have concluded it to be none of Iustin's who according to them understood Hebrew very well because he was born in Palestine Mr. Rivet also gives this Reason in his Book Entituled Criticus Sacer from whence Sundius hath taken it and added to this Treatise de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis which consists almost of nothing else but what others that have treated of the same matter have said before him Dr. Cave informs us that this Author who pretended to have read the Writings of the Ancients his Citations of which savour infinitely more of Ostentation than Judgment or Fidelity hath sufficiently declared his Ignorance in what relates to the Fathers with whom he has pretended to be so well acquainted when he made that Remark on Iustin. Though Dr. Cave does not look upon this Work as his but rejects it for other Reasons as well as many other that have been
other Iames Hamilton They went into Ireland by order of the King of Scotland to form some agreement with the Protestant Nobility of that Country intending thereby to assure himself of that Kingdom in case Q. Elizabeth died suddenly The better to cover their enterprise and to give no Umbrage to a Queen extreamly suspitious they set themselves to teach Latin at Dublin where at that time 't was very rare to find persons learn'd in Humanity Vsher having profited very much by them in a little time seem'd to have a particular inclination to Poetry which he afterwards chang'd into as great a desire of understanding History that which created this inclination in him was reading these words of Cicero Nescire quid antra quam natus sis acciderit id est semper esse puerum his Annals and his other writings sufficiently shew what progress he had made in this study whereof he has given sensible proofs in his Infancy Being in the University of Dublin establish'd principally by the care of Henry Vsher his Uncle Archbishop of Ardmagh He set himself to read the Fortalitium fidei of Stapleton which made him resolve to apply himself to the reading of the Fathers to see if this Author had cited them faithfully he began to put this design in execution at 20 years old and continued this Study without intermission for 18 years obliging himself to read every day a certain task His Father had a mind to divert him from it and engage him to Study the Law to which our Prelate had no inclination but in 1598. he dying soon after left his Son at Liberty to chuse what manner of life was most pleasing to him he was the eldest son of the family and the estate his Father left was considerable enough to make him apply all his time in Domestick affairs This made him resolve to put off this trouble and to remit the Estate to his Brother with orders to give to his Sisters what their Father had left them reserving only to himself what would maintain him in the University with a sufficiency to buy himself some Books Whilst he was at the University and but yet 18 years old he disputed against a Jesuit call'd Fitz-Symmons and overcame him in two conferences which made this Jesuit afterwards in a Book Intituled Britannomachia call him the most learn'd of those who are not Catholicks A-Catholicorum Doctissimum he made so great a progress in the first years that he apply'd himself to Divinity that his Uncle Archbishop of Ardmagh ordain'd him Priest at the 21 year of his Age. This ordination was not conformable to the Canons but the extraordinary merit of young Vsher and the necessities of the Church made him believe it was not necessary to stay till the age mark'd out by the Ecclesiastical Laws of Ireland He preach'd then at Dublin with very great applause he particularly devoted himself to the controversies which were between the Protestants and Roman Catholicks he treated on them so clearly and with so much solidity that he confirm'd many wavering Protestants and prevailed with many Roman Catholicks to embrace the Protestant Faith But amongst those who rank'd themselves in the Protestant Churches there was a great number that were not so sincere as he could have wished them they did all they could to obtain the publick exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion at Dublin that they might insensibly have had the Liberty to make a profession of their true Sentiments Vsher who believ'd that this toleration wou'd be of a very dangerous consequence oppos'd it with all his might and one day as he Preacht upon this matter with great zeal he spoke something which then no notice was taken of but 40 years after it was found to be a true Prophecy he took his Text upon these words of Ezek. ch 4. v. 5. And thou shalt bear the Iniquity of the house of Judah 40 days I have appointed thee a day for a year He applied these days to Ireland and said that he who reckon'd from this year to 40. should find that the Protestants of Ireland should bear the Iniquity of those who were for a toleration in these times this was in 1601. and 40 years were no sooner expired 1641. but the Irish Catholicks made a bloody Massacre upon the Protestants He never wholly discontinued to Preach whilst he was in Ireland altho he was Professor of Divinity in that University but he accustom'd himself to make a Voyage every three years into England where he found a greater variety of Books than in Ireland there he past one part of his time at Oxford another at Cambridge and another at London and carefully visited all their publick and particular Libraries he made collections of what Books he there read and made remarks upon them with a design to make a work that he had resolved to Intitule A Theological Bibliotheque wherein he had treated very accurately of all the Ecclesiastical Antiquities but the misfortunes of Ireland and the Civil Wars of England hinder'd him from finishing it he ordered when he died that it should be put into the hands of Mr. Laugbaine Dr. of Divinity to supply what was wanting and publish them to the World This learn'd man engag'd himself forthwith in this useful work but he died before he finished it 1657. There is yet to be seen in the Bodleyane Bibliotheque his Manuscripts which no man dares undertake to finish In 1615. there was a Parliament in Ireland and an assembly of the Clergy where certain Articles were compos'd touching Religion and Ecclesiastical Discipline Vsher who was the chief in it caus'd it to be sign'd by the Chancellor of Ireland and by the Orators of the Assembly of the Bishops and of the Clergy King Iames approved of 'em also altho' there was some difference between these and the Articles of the Church of England some ill dispos'd persons and it may be Roman Catholicks took occasion from that to spread evil reports of Vsher. They accused him of Puritanism which was no little Heresie in the opinion of the King they also made use of this artifice to render those odious who appear'd the most capable of opposing the progress that the Missionaries of Rome endeavoured to make in Ireland Indeed the people knew not what this word signified and wherein Heresie consisted but it was known the King mortally hated Puritans and that was sufficient to make 'em look upon these Puritans as most dangerous Hereticks 't was this that obliged an Irish Divine to write to Vsher who was that time in England that it would not be amiss to desire the King to define Puritanism that all the World might know those who were tainted with this strange Heresie but Vsher had no need to make use of this way to justifie himself some conversations that he had with the King setled so good an opinion of him that the Bishopprick of Meath in Ireland being vacant the King gave it him immediately and
perfect and we know not what those meant who had the care of this Edition in putting in the Latin Title Opus integrum unless these words signifie only that there have been inserted in divers places additions which the Author had made 1. For to conceive well the change which happened by little and little in the Christian Church we must begin at the Original and consider the State in which it was for the first six Ages Hegesippus assures us that during the Life of the Apostles Hereticks scarcely durst appear but that as soon as these Holy men were dead a great number of them were seen openly to oppose the truth In that time divers Philosophers attacked the Christian Religion with so much the more boldness that the Christians were destitute of Persons who could refute the Pagan Religion and defend Christianity with sufficient eloquence This is what Lactantius testifies in these words Si qui sorte literatorum ad eam contulerunt defensioni ejus veritatis non suffecerunt And a little lower after having named Minucius Faelix Tertullian and Cyprian quia defuerunt apud nostros idonei peritique Doctores qui vehementer qui acriter errores publicos redarguerent qui causam omnem veritatis ornate copioseque desenderent provocavit quosdam hac ipsa penuria ut auderent scribere contra ignotam sibi veritatem This scarcity of able men made many Hereticks to slip in amongst the Christians and easily seduced the weak and ignorant who were in a very great number But as soon as there were Christian Emperours the corruption was much greater pleasures began to be introduced into the Christian Church and amongst Ecclesiasticks there appear'd Enmities and Divisions And because Bishops were rich and considerable they made use of all manner of means to attain Bishopricks and when they came to it they assumâ—d a Tyrannical Authority These disorders always encreased until they came to a great head as Vsher shews is too evident by many passages of famous Authors who have left us frightful Characters of the corruption of their Ages It encreased particularly in the time of Boniface III. who came to the Chair in Dcvi and who obtained of the Emperor Phocas the title of Ecumenick Bishop and Chief of the Church The Historians of that time describe this Phocas as the wickedest man in his Age and Cedrenus saith that a holy Monk having asked of God several times why he had made Phocas Emperour a voice from Heaven at last answered him Because I have found none worse This History true or false marks the horrour People had for the memory of Phocas Vsher believes that it was then that Antichrist came into the World and that he was during some Ages but in his Childhood Boniface according to him contributed not a little to the establishing and extending his Empire Yet there were Assemblies held and couragious Persons found that opposed the progresses of certain Tenets who have much contributed to the Grandeur of the Ecclesiasticks in general and Popes in particular amongst which our Author seeks for Antichrist as most part of the Protestants do A Council composed of cccxxxviii Bishops condemned in the year Dccliv at Constantinople the worship of Images and gave this reason for their proceeding that there is but one Image instituted by Jesus Christ to wit the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist which represent his Body and Blood Although the second Council of Nice opposed it and re-established the worship of Images in Dcclxxxvii These Canons were rejected in the West by the Churches of great Britain as our Archbishop shews by divers English Authors The Churches of Germany and France did the like in Dccxciv in the Council of Francfort the History of which may be seen as well as that oâ— Nice in a Dissertation of Mr. Alix's intituled Dissertatio de Conciliorum quorumvis definitionibus expendendis at Paris 1680 in 8 vo Charlemagne writ himself against Images and sent what he writ to Pope Adrian who had had his Legates at the Council of Nice and who had approved thereof But it is not the custom of Popes to learn Religion from any one Adrian had no respect to the remonstrances of Charlemagne whom he endeavoured even to refute the Images were adored at Rome as much then as before and his Successors did as much as he 'T was this that obliged Lewis the meek to convocate in DCCCXXV an Assembly of learned men at Paris who examined the question of Images and condemned their worship They even collected a great many passages out of the Ancients who disapproved them and sent them to Pope Eugenius II. by Ieremy Bishop oâ— Sens and Ionas Bishop of Orleance with order to treat mildly of this Affair fearing that in resisting too much they should engage him to an obstinacy whence he would not recede In DCCCXXXIII The Sons of Lewis the meek having conspired against him the rumour run in France that Gregory the fourth was onward in his way to come thither to excommunicate Lewis and those of his party but the Bishops who were engaged in the Interests of this Prince declared that they would submit in no wise to his will and that if he came to excommunicate them he would return himself excommunicated Vsher besides relates divers other examples by which it appears that the Liberty of the Churches of France and Germany was not yet quite extinguished even at the end of the tenth Age seeing it was thought strange that a Cardinal sent from Rome blessed a Chappel in the Diocess of Tours without the permission of the Bishop of that City There are also remarkable words of Arnulph Bishop of Orleance in a Council of Rheims held in DCCCCXCII where he saith speaking of the Pope If he is destitute of Charity and pufft up only with his Knowledge he is the Antichrist who is seated in the Temple of God and who shews himself as if he was a God But if he has neither Charity nor Wisdom he is in the Temple of God as a Statue or as an Idol from whom an answer can be no more expected than from a Marble Si caritate destituitur solaque scientiâ inslatur extollitur Antichristus est in Templo Dei sedens se ostendens tanquam sit Deus Si autem caritate fundatur nec scientia erigitur in Templo Dei tanquam Statua tanquam Idolum est à quo responsa petere marmora consulere est If this principle of Arnulph is true it 's requisite the Defendors of Popes discover by what wonder they are all full of Charity and Learning altho' they appear in our eyes either Ignorant or Proud and oftentimes both together Vsher then sheweth how that the Tenet of Transubstantiation was much resisted which began to be introduced in the ninth Age. He rangeth among the Defenders of the spiritual presence Rabanus Maurus Bertram Iohn Scot Erigene and several others upon which we may consult Mr. Arnauld and Claude in their dispute
was Ambassador to the Court of Swedland he notwithstanding doth advance divers things which are contrary to what Grotius saith himself in his Letters He saith for example that Grotius being vext because Cardinal Richelieu had cut off his Pension the first time he was in France and had caused him thus to leave it See not the Cardinal under this fine pretence that he helped not the Ambassadors It 's what Mr. Aubery calls an unconceivable stand or for a better expression a Dutch obstinacy which hindered his reconciliation with this potent Minister tho' he had a very great need of him for his service in his particular affairs so that he treated but with the subaltern Ministers Grotius saith on the contrary that he saw him pretty often and relates some discourses he had with him as may be seen in 1. p. letter 491 505 535. and elsewhere There is no great likelihood that Grotius gave the Chancellor of Swedeland long relations of any affairs which he had negotiated as he saith with the Cardinal himself if he had never seen him during his Residence in France as Mr. du Maurier assures But it seems this Author hath confounded the Cardinal of Richelieu with Cardinal Mazarin of whom Grotius thus speaketh in a Letter dated the 26th of September 1643. I have caused your Letters to be given to Cardinal Mazarin I shall not see him without an Order from our Queen because at his own house he gives not the hand to the Ambassadors of Crowned heads and being treated with the Title of Eminence he treats not again with that of Excellence pretending to be equal to Kings according to the Opinions of the Court of Rome and very difficultly yields precedency to Princes of the Blood Mr. du Maurier also says another thing which is not conformable to the Letters of Grotius viz. that the Ministers of Charenton who despised Grotius during the time he was but a private man in France used him quite another way when he was Ambassador of Swedland Having considered saith this Author that it would be a very great honour to them that an Ambassador of so considerable a Crown should be present at their Assemblies they sent unto him one of their Ministers with the Elders of the Consistory to pray him to honour their Sermons with his presence telling him that the very Lutherans were of late admitted to their Communion by an Act of the last Synod of Charenton hut he answered them haughtily that they having neglected him whilst he was a private man and a Refugee he would neglect them in his turn being Ambassador It 's very well known that the Ministers of Charenton endeavoured to draw Grotius to their Assemblies from the first time that he was in France but as we see nothing of it in these Letters we do not at all rely upon it It 's true some were deputed to Grotius as he says himself in the Letters 378. p. 1. 340 and 350. p. 2. but he refused not to go to the Sermons of Charenton after the manner which Mr. du Maurier saith he thus tells us himself he received the Deputies of Charenton Letter 350. p. 2. I have had this day at my House three Learned Reformed Ministers le Faucheur Minister of Montpellier and Mertrezat and Daille Ministers of this Church They desired me to join my self to their Communion and told me that what was in times past established at Alez and Charenton being changed by new rules wherein Lutherans are admitted to the Communion they hoped we should hold their Confession for a Christian Confession as they had the same opinion in respect to the Remonstrants that they remembred what I formerly writ against Sibrandus to wit that I should be very much surprized if the Reformed refused the Communion to Chrysostome and Melanchton if they came again into the World That they had read and approved my whole Book of the Truth of the Christian Religion and the admonition I gave at the end to Christians to bring them to an agreement I told'em I was satisfied with what they said being conformable to my maxims that the opinion of Melanchton had always extreamly pleased me and that I had sufficiently shewn it that as to what concerns Ecclesiastical Peace I knew well that it ought not to be troubled by a turbulent manner of acting That there should be free conferences amongst the learned They also said that they endeavoured to bring the Remonstrants of Holland into their Communion and that they had written about it to M. Rivet that they were become more prudent with time and that they hoped that the Dutch after having well examined their reasons would do somewhat in their favour After having said these things on each side I added that I was ready to testifie by the external signs the Communion of the Spirit in which I had always joined with them and that it was never my fault that it was not so that if I went into a Country where Lutherans knowing my opinions of the Eucharist would receive me into their Communion I would make no difficulty to communicate with them They approved this conduct Grotius seemed after this to be inclined to go to communicate at Charenton but there was an obstacle which never could be taken away that hindered him 't was that Grotius would have had a distinct place in the Temple and to be received there in the quality of Ambassador of Swedland which the Consistory of Charenton would not grant him Grotius complains thereof in these terms in Letter 358. I am surprized at the inconstancy of these people who having invited to their Communion the Lutherans say that they cannot receive an Ambassador of Swedland in the Quality of Ambassador because of the difference which is between the sentiments of that Kingdom and theirs Grotius notwithstanding in the Letters which we have cited praiseth the moderation of the Ministers of Charenton But here is a good character of Mr. Daille in Letter 232. p. 2. A Roman Catholick having put several questions to M. Daille in a Letter and amongst other things why the Reformed had condemned the Arminians he answered that seeing peace was oftentimes offered to the Lutherans who are of the same opinions it was not so much the Arminians who had been condemned as Arminianism I fear saith Grotius that those who are here stronger than they shall say one day that they drive not away the Calvinists but Calvinism which I pray God may not befal them M. du Maurier relates a pleasant History of a Lutheran Minister that Grotius had at his House whom he names Doctor Ambreus whereas Grotius complains of Brandanus Letter 840. p. 1.410 p. 2. He saith that this Ambreus instead of expounding purely and simply the Word of God flung himself into controversie with so much violence that his Sermons were full of invectives which Grotius being at last weary of exhorted him to expound the Gospel without wounding Christian Charity Upon which Doctor
are very curious Particulars There is the Life of famous M rc Antony de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalatro included in a Letter written from Rome The Author had already published it in the Third Part of his Brittanica Politica It is a very curious Piece wherein is seen how this Prelate imbraced the Protestant Religion and how being deluded by the Promises of Dom Diego Sarmianto de Acuna Ambassador of France in England and by that of the Court of Rome he returned into Italy where he unhappily ended his Days without obtaining any thing of what he hoped There also is a Letter of Pope Gregory XV. to the Prince of Wales who was since Charles I. Upon his Marriage with the Infanta of Spain and an Answer of this Prince to the Pope The Fifth Book contains the Reign of the same Prince where his Innocence may be seen and the unheard of Violence of his Subjects described without partiality and all the Proceedings which were made against him The last Volume is composed of Six Books The first contains the History of Cromwell's Usurpation more exact and sincere that it had been heretofore Hitherto have been but Satyrs or Panegyricks thereupon The Creatures of Cromwell have raised him up to the Clouds and his Enemies have omitted nothing that might defame him The Author pretends that he hath been the greatest Politician and the greatest Captain of his time and that he was much more able to Reign than several of those whom Providence hath plac'd upon the Throne by Inheritance But he sheweth on the other side That he was a Cheat and a Tyrant who after having dipped his hand in the Innocent Blood of his Master all his Life cheated the People by a specious Zeal for Religion The Second Book contains the History of Charles the II. until his Restauration In this Book are seen the Honours which were rendred to him in Holland his Magnificent Entry into London his Clemency to those who had bore Arms against him and his Justice towards the Murderers of his Father The same History is continued in the Third Book from the Year M. DC LXI unto the Year M. DC LXXX There is also the Life of the Duke of York until his Marriage with Chancellour Clarendon's Daughter the Quarrel which happened between the Ambassadours of France and Spain about Precedency The subtilty wherewith the Spanish Ambassador carried it the Marriage of the Princess Henrietta and that of the King the War of England with Holland and with France the Peace that was made afterwards with both the others which was followed with a secret Treaty betwixt England France appeared in M. DC Lxxii the Marriage of the Duke of York with the Princess of Modena the Calling Prorogation and dissolving different Parliaments In fine the Discovery which Oates and Bedlow made of a Conspiracy which made so great noise and whereof this Author appears not very much persuaded We find in the fourth Book the sequel of the same Troubles and the History of what passed in the Parliaments convocated in M. DC.LXXX at London and Oxford There is particularly in this Book one thing of very great importance which the Author relates with as much sincerity as if none was interessed therein Which are 1. The Endeavours the Parliament of England made to exclude the Duke of York from the Crown 2. The Reasons which were alledged for this 3. The manner wherewith the Creatures of this Prince defended his Rights The Author endeth this Book by the Description of Pensilvania without omitting either the Offers which are made to those who will go to inhabit it or the manner they may be established in it The fifth Book begins with the Encomium of the House of Savoy and tells us afterwards with a very great exactness the means which Madam c. made use of in M. DC LXXX and M.DC.LXXXII to obtain of his British Majesty that the Ambassadours of Savoy shou'd be received in London like those of Crowned Heads It is one of the finest places of the whole Work and they who love to read the particulars of a Negotiation cannot read a more curious one nor one better related than this The last contains the Affair of Count Koningsmarc with all its Circumstances which is a very good History and whence the manner may be Learned after what Strangers are judged in England Here it is that the Work endeth The Author promiseth us in his Preface another Volume where all will appear which hath happen'd in England till these latter Years The Style of this History as well as the other Works of Mr. Leti is easy and without Affectation contrary to the custom of most Italian Writers But what is most considerable is that he relateâ— Matters so nakedly and speaks so freely of the Interests of the greatest Princes of Europe that perhaps one day persons will not be easily persuaded that the Author had caused this Work to be printed during his Life and the life of those of whom he speaks if at the beginning the Year had not been marked wherein it was printed Mr. Leti hath since written a Book which treats of all that concerneth Embassies There may not only be seen the modern use of all Courts in this respect but the ancient also so that it will be a History of great concern The Author is not contented to speak of the Duties and Priviledges of all the Ministers which one Soveraign sends to another but of each according to the Degree of his Character he speaks largely also on the Origine of this Function and upon all the Principalities which are formed in the World He relates several Examples of Ambassadours who have committed gross Mistakes and gives Instructions how to manage worthily this Post according to the different Courts wherein they are oblig'd to reside Men will easily believe that a Work which treats of things of this nature and of so great a number of others is worthy of Publication An Examination of the Infallibility and Right which the Roman Church pretends to have in Judging Absolutely in Matters of Controversie 8 vo 1687. 255. WHilst the Romish Church makes use of all the Power of Soveraigns to re-unite to its Communion those who have quitted it Protestants oppose these progresses by coâ—ntaining their Cause with the soundest Reasons which they can think upon Though they differ amongst themselves about several Speculative Doctrines they perfectly agree upon Morality and the Worship which we owe to the Divinity they also in general are of one Mind in those Principles of Religion which they admit in respect to Holy Writ and have all an extream aversion for that Church which pretends to be a Judge in its own Cause and which without delay forceth those it calls Hereticks to a Worship which is against their Consciences Amongst the Protestant Societies there is none who hath declared it self more openly against Human Authority in matter of Religion and against the Constraining and Spirit of
the most displeasing Tenets of his Sect to put their grosser abuses in Oblivion and finally to bury the most part of School Disputes It was hard to think that a Man supported by all that is great in his Communion whereof he seemed the Oracle should Write to deceive his Fellow-Citizens or that he should think that a bare Exposition of the Doctrin of his Church should be capable to bring back into its Bosom them that had quitted it with so much reluctancy and remained in it in spight of what could be inflicted upon them The Tenets of Rome are not taught in the Indies nor in America nor are we to learn from the uncertain relations of some ignorant Travellers We see its Practices and Devotions before our Eyes The Books of their Doctors are told in every place and most part of our Reformers were either Bishops Priests or Fryars so that neither they nor their Disciples can be ignorant neither of what the Romish Church Believes nor of what it Practises besides the Ministers have no reason to dissemble in their Opinions because the Clergy of it gain far more than those of any other Communion This Reflexion might make M. de Meaux's sincerity very doubtful who declares at the very beginning That he Designs to render the Tenets of the Catholick Church more clear than they are and to distinguish them from such as are falsly imputed to it Nevetheless the Reformed being brought up in a Religion which inspires true Faith and being otherwise moved to desire a Re-union in hopes to see the end of their Miseries fancy'd that the Accusation of this Bishop was but a pretext he used to cast out of his Creed what is troublesom and hard to believe Besides the noise of an Agreement between the Two Religions which was a long time sown among the People and whereof divers ' Ministers were made to draw the Project M. de Meaux and his followers slipt many words which were general Promises of a Reformation upon condition of Re-union If it appears now that there was not the least shadow of sincerity in all the Promises that the Roman Catholicks made and that at that very time the clear-sighted could soon discover that it was but a pure cheat the Reformed cannot be praised enough for not trusting to them nor can the others be blamed enough that make nothing of playing with what is most sacred when they have a design to cheat the simple To know whether M. de Meaux be of this Number as several Protestants pretend and endeavour to prove in shewing the opposition of his Sentiments with those of the other Doctors of his Communion it will not be unprofitable to know the History of his Book because it may be commonly perceived by the way that a design is managed which is the end proposed M. Turenne who saw a long time that his Religion was a hinderance to his Fortune would have been very glad if he could accommodate himself to the Romish Religion But the vile Practices of this Church seem so strange to those who are brought up in other Principles that he could not persuade himself to join with a Society that imposed such ridiculous Superstitions upon its Votaries to cure him of this Scruple M. de Meaux published a small Writing wherein he strained himself to shew That these small Devotions were not of the Essence of the Catholick Doctrine and that one might live and die in its Communion without practicing them This Work or rather the King's Caresses and Liberalities having had Success which all People know our Prelate was of Opinion That he could work the same effect upon others and resolved to print this Manuscript that remained written four years before and to add to it divers Sections as that of the Lord's Supper of Tradition of the Authority of the Church and Pope and obtained the approbation of the Bishop of Rheims and of some other Bishops Sorbonne these several Ages has been looked upon as the source of the French Divinity it 's therefore that not only the Doctors of this University but also Bishops and other Clergy are glad to have the approbation of that famous House at the beginning of what Books they write of Religion M. of Condom had that design but he did not speed for having sent his Exposition as soon as it came from the Press to some of the Doctors of Sorbonne instead of approving the Work they marked several Places either contrary to or favouring but in a very little the Doctrine of their Church So that Edition was presently suppressed and another was composed wherein the Passages were changed that were marked by the Censurers This could not be managed so secretly but the Reformed came to know it Mr. Noguier and M. de la Bastide who knew the Edition that was published and this last did not fail to remark the Alteration that the Author made in the Manuscript and in the suppressed Edition They also reproached him that the true Roman Catholicks were but little pleased at his Moderation and one of them finish'd the Refutation of his Book before any Protestant had Printed his but he was not forbidden to publish it M. de Meaux's Credit was great enough to stifle the direct Answer that those of his own Party made to him But he could not hinder them that were dissatisfy'd from taking an indirect course and to say what they thought and even to refute him The Iesuites and the Friars sharp maintainers of the Superstitions that enrich them could not forgive him at all Father Maimbourg in his History of Lutheranism drew this Prelates Character and criticiz'd on his Book under the Name of Cardinal Contarini and of one of his Works and says well That these Agreements and Managements of Religion in these pretended Expositions of Faith which either suppress or do express in doubtful terms a part of the Doctrine of the Church neither satisfie one side nor the other who equally complain of swerving in a matter so momentous as that of Faith Father Cresset gave this Bishop a more sensible stroke in his Book of the true Devotion to the Blessed Virgin printed at Paris in 4to in the Year 79. with priviledge from the King and the Arch-bishops leave and the consent of his own Provincial and of three Iesuites that are the Censurers of all the Works of that Society The Dauphins Tutor was too powerful an Adversary to be opposed directly But a Writer of lesser Authority that adopted the Opinion of this Prelate touching the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images felt the weight of Father Cresset's Anger This Author was a German Gentleman called M Widenfelt intendant of the Prince of Suarzemberg and his Book was Entituled Monita Salutaria B. Virginis wholsom Advices of the Blessed Virgin to her indiscreet Votaries This Book made much noise in the World especially after the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Tournay wherein he recommends this Book to his People as full
Domestick shewing his Friend in his Masters Library the suppressed Edition of M. de Meaux's Exposition with Marginal Notes which he assured him were Written by the hands of some of the Doctors of Sorbonne the Friend desired to borrow the Book which the Servant consented to So strange an accident made the borrower use his utmost care to get a Copy of the First Edition but there was such care taken to suppress it that all he could do was but to gather up some loose Leaves whereof he almost made an entire Book and copyed what he wanted out of M. Turenne's Original which he then restored to the Servant it is this same Copy which Mr. Wake has with his Certificate that gather'd it and compared it with the Mareschal's Copy It is not at all likely that Mr. Cramoisi Director of the Printing-House at the Louvre should Print a Book of Importance without the knowledge and good-will of the Author that was a Bishop and Tutor to the Dauphin and a great Favorite at Court and it is more unlikely that Mr. Crà moisi should obtain the King's leave and the Approbation of the French Prelates for a subreptitious Copy And why did not M. de Meaux shew his resentment for a boldness of this nature And how came he to give this Printer not only the Corrected Copy but also all the other Books that he made since We must examin but Fourteen places of the First Edition taken notice of by Dr. Wake to see whether the alteration that M. de Meaux made in it did only concern the exactness and neatness of the style First Edit p. 1. Thus it seems very proper to propose the Doctrine of the Catholick Church to the Reformers in separating the Questions which the Church hath decided from those which belong not to her Faith Second Edit p. 1. It seems that there can no better way be taken than simply to propose the Doctrine of the Catholick Church and to distinguish them well from those that are falsly imputed to her First Edit p. 7 8. The same Church Teaches That all Religious Worship ought to terminate in God as its necessary end So that the honour which the Church gives to the blessed Virgin and to the Saints is only Religious because this honour is given to them only in respect to God and for the love of him And therefore the honour we render our Saints is so far from being blamable as our Adversaries would have it because it is Religious that it would deserve blame if it were not so M. de Meaux has thought it expedient to blot out the last period and to express himself thus in his common Editions p. 7. And if the honour that is rendred to Saints can be called Religious it is because it regards God In the same place speaking of M. Daille the Author expressed it after a very ingenious manner but little favourable to his cause As for Mr. Daille said he he thought that he ought to keep to the Three first Ages wherein it is certain that the Church then was exercised more in Suffering than Writing and has left many things both in its Doctrine and Practice which wants to be made clearer This Acknowledgment was of importance and the Censurers had reason to note it and has not been seen since All the other Alterations are as considerable as these and Dr. Wake protests he could mention more if he were minded to shew all the places wherein the Manuscripts differed from the common Editions The Author may judge whether these be words or things that M. de Meaux has corrected but as to Father Cresset it may be said that this Bishop has strained his boldness to such a degree that none dares give him the Epithet it deserves Is it possible that this Author should not have heard of a great Volume in Quarto Writ against the profitable advice of the Blessed Virgin since the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Tournay who approved this last Book has caused such long Disputes in France Can it be supposed that M. de Meaux was ignorant that the Opinion of this Jesuit was contrary to his Exposition After M. de la Bastide reproached him with it in his Answer to the Advertisement And that the Author of the General Reflexions on his Exposition and M. Iurieu in his Preservative have made great Extracts out of the Book of The True Devotion Since Mr. Arnaud laughed at Father Cresset in his Answer to the Preservative and Mr. Iurieu refuted his Adversary in the Iansenist convicted of vain Sophistry That Mr. Imbert in his Letter to this Bishop offered to refute the Preservative provided he might be secured that no violence should be done him and that he might have the liberty of saying what he thought In fine after that he himself Answered divers passages of the Preservative in his Treatise of the Communion under both kinds Let us add to all this what M. de Meaux had the confidence to advance in his Pastoral Letter upon the Persecution of France I do not wonder says he my dear brethren that you are come in such great numbers and so easily into the Church none of you have suffered violence either in his Body or Goods And so far from suffering Torments that you have not heard talk of any I hear that other Bishops say the same Let this notorious falshood be compared with the Apology for the Persecution which this Prelate made in a Letter to one of his Friends that I read my self Writ and Signed by his own hand The Original whereof a certain Author proffered to shew him And it will be acknowledged that one may be very hard upon the Catholick Religion without committing so gross a contradiction But why should we stay so long upon the discovering the mystery of the Composition the Gentleman had done it himself without thinking of it Confessing that he weighed all his words and racked his Invention to cheat the simple At least this is what they that understand French will soon perceive in reading this period of his Advertisement In the mean time the Italian Version was mended very exactly and with as much care as a Subject of that importance deserved wherein one word turned ill might spoil all the Work Though one must be very dull to look upon these pious Cheats as a sincere dealing M. de Meaux was so fearful lest he might be thought to abolish some abuses and to labour to reform his own Church that he has lately given evident proofs of the hatred that he always bore the Protestants and which he thought fit to hide under an affected mildness until the Dragoon Mission It was in the History of Variations that he unmasked himself and shewed him what he was by the Injuries and Calumnies which he cast upon the Protestants and has given a Model of the manner how he deserves to be treated There were Three Months past when Dr. Burnet whom this Bishop attacked without any cause made
little the better for the very places of Scripture we most frequently alledge because they most commonly respect the Masoretick Bible which we have not room to explain to those who know nothing of these things If therefore such Subjects are fit for Divines to understand then must the Knowledge of the Rabbinical Writings be so likewise 'T is peculiarly incumbent on the Ministry by their Office to defend the Doctrines they teach by the Scriptures But if they are unable to defend the Scriptures the only Evidence and Proof of their Doctrines the Christian Religion with the Doctrines thereof must fall to the ground And yet this Position That the present Hebrew Bible and Greek Testament in the Words Letters Points Vowels and Accents we now enjoy is the same uncorrupted Word of God which was delivered of old by the holy Pen-men of it to the Church This we say cannot well be defended against all Opposers without the Rabbinical Knowledge we speak of And so much for the need of this Knowledge We shall only give some Directions about this Study First He must well understand the Hebrew Bible in the first place who would know the Rabbins before he look after them And for this if he hath no Latin he must get William Robertson's First and Second Gate to the Holy Tongue His Key to the Bible Iessey's English Greek Lexicon c. But we suppose most have the Latine Tongue and such have Grammars and Lexicons enough as Buxtorf's Epitome his Thesaurus His Lexicon And many other Authors especially Bythner's Lyra Prophetica in Psalmos Leusden's Compendium Biblicum Arius Montanus his Interlineary Bible c. Let him read the Hebrew Bible much And then for the Rabbins take this brief Account and Direction The ancient Chaldee Paraphrasts are most of them translated and thereby easie to learn The ancient Cabalistical Writings as the Zohar Bahir c. are both most difficult and least useful Their Oral Law or Traditions were collected after the Destruction of the Temple A.D. 150. by Rabbi Iudah the Holy as they call him This they preferr before the Scripture and suppose it was Orally delivered by Moses to Israel and unlawful to be written but when Ierusalem was destroyed they were constrained to write it lest it should be lost but yet 't was so written as that none but themselves might understand it This Book is called Mishnaioth comprizing all their Religion with the Bible 'T is divided into Two Parts each Part into Three Seders or Books each Seder into many Masecats or Tracts each Masecat into Chapters and Verses A brief Account of the Contents of the Mishna and all the Parts of it is given by Martinus Raimundus in his Prooemium to his Pugio Fidei a very Learned and Useful Book which also gives an Account of the Tosaphot the Gemara and the Commenâ—â—ries thereon which compleat the Talmuds both that of Ierusalem A.D. 230. and that of Babylon Five hundred Years after Christ which Gemara is but a Comment and Dispute on the Mishna which is the Text of the Talmud There are several Masecats or Tracts of the Mishna translated as the Nine first Masecats viz. Beracoth c. So also Masecat Middoth by Le Empereur Sanhedrin and Maccoth by Cock Megillath by Otho Codex Ioma and others But as the very Learned Ludivicus de Campeigne du Veil observes He that would know the Mishna must learn Maimonides This Moses Maimonides Physician to the King of Egypt about Five hundred Years ago wrote his Iad Chaseka or Mishna Torah wherein he hath comprized the Substance of the Mishna and Talmud in a pure pleasant plain and easie style if compared with the Mishna and Talmud and yet he that has read him may with ease and pleasure understand all the Mishna And then for the Talmud There is Clavis Talmudica Cock's Excerpta c. This Maimonides of whom the Jews say from Moses the Law-giver to Moses Maimonides there was never another Moses like this Moses Several of his Tracts are translated also as Iesudee Hatorah the First Masecat of all and Deoth Aboda Zara the 1 st entituled De Fundamentis Legis 2. Canones Ethicae 3. Idololatria 4. De Iure Pauperis 5. De Poenitentia c. But most are translated by the excellent Ludivicus de Campeigne du Veil as De Sacrificiis one of the fourteen Books which he hath divided this Work into and De Cultu Divino another of the fourteen Books comprizing several Tracts Also his Tracts about Vnleavened Bread about the Passover about a Fast c. As to other Rabbins several are translated as Cosri c. and that on various Subjects as Logick by R. Simeon Physick by Aben Tibbon with Maimonides's Epistle against Iudiciary Astrology So of Arithmetick and Intercalating the Month by Munster and that of Maimonides by Duveil with many other Books as Ietsirah Bachinath Olam c. And of History as Seder Olam Zutha and Seder Olam Rabba Tsemach David c. And as to Rabbinical Commentaries the best and chief are R. Sal. Iarchi or Isaac R. Aben Ezra R. David Kimchi all these upon the Proverbs are translated by Antony Giggeius upon several minor Prophets by Mercer viz. on Hosea Ioel Amos c. on Ioel and Iona by Leusden as also a Masecat on the Misbna called Pirke Abbot Kimchi on the Psalms is likewise translated These Rabbins lived about Five hundred Years ago and do excellently explain the Text where Grammar and Jewish History are necessary But several of the above-mentioned Books being scarce we shall be ready to Translate and Print in two Colums the one Hebrew the other English either any Masecat of the Mishna or any Hilcoth or Tract of Maimonides or the Commentaries of the Rabbins on any part of the Bible if our Bookseller receive Encouragement which with Buxtorf's Great Lexicon Talmudicum and his Book de Abbreviaturis would no doubt enable one that hath read the Hebrew Bible to understand the Rabbins Which is all the Direction we have room to give here and therefore conclude with our hearty Wishes That our Young Students may be mighty in the Scriptures Acts 18.24 2 Tim. 3.15 16. and thereby they will by the Grace of God become Able Divines according to the Old Proverb Bonus Textuarius Bonus Theologus The PROEM Containing the Cause Occasion and Method of the ensuing Debate IN this Introduction we shall take notice of Three things wherein are contained the Cause and Occasion of the following Discourse with the Method of proceeding therein 1. The Weight and Moment of the Subject in Controversie 2. The many Circumstances that render its Consideration at this time necessary and seasonable 3. The Method and Order of manageing the same First As to the Weight and Moment of the Matter in Controversie it is small in quantity about no more than a Point or Tittle but great in quality about no less a Cause than the Keeping or Rejecting of the Bible For 1 st The Old
Latin we might justly apply to him the words of Cato Utican on the Subject of Posthumius Albinus who being a Roman would nevertheless write in Greek and yet excused the badness of his Stile saying He did not well understand the Greek Tongue He had rather says this grave Senator beg Pardon for his Fault than not to commit it He has also Expressions so proper to the Greek Tongue that they could not have slipt from an Author that had writ in Latin had he been never so little versed in the Tongue for Example this Author translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qui sunt ciro◠Ptolomaeum instead of saying barely Ptolomaeus or Ptolomaei Discipuli he also makes an Adjective of the proper Name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he translates Clarus Mr. Dodwell goes much further and maintains that this Latin Version is so far from being the Original or made by St. Irenaeus as some have believed that it appeared not until a long time after the Death of this Father since Tertullian quotes this Work always in other terms though he writ thirty Years after The first that produced formal Testimonies was St. Augustin in his Books against Iulian. What is most strange is that it seems this Father did not know that St. Irenaeus writ in Greek this Version then must be made in the time that passed between St. Augustin and Tertullian and whereas St. Ierom makes no mention of it in his Catalogue composed the Year of our Saviour CCCLXXX and the Fourteenth of Theodosius it must needs be made between the Year CCCLXXXV and the time which St. Augustin speaks of Our Author thinks it is the Work of some French or Spaniard that was very ignorant in the Latin who undertook this Version upon the account of the Priscillianists who renew'd the Errors of the Gnosticks which St. Irenaeus had disputed against This Version was the occasion of a very singular Action which was that after the Heresies were smothered this Version was so rough and full of strange Matter that it was quite despised so that Gregory the Great could not find one simple Copy of it after an exact Search which he caused to be made and that none of the ancient Schoolmen speak of it But on the contrary the Greek Authors had several Copies of the Greek Original and there are Fragments of it in all Places And nevertheless now this excellent Greek is lost and the World is full of the bad Latin Translation the Fate of Books very often is like that of Fountains there are little Rivers that carry their Name into the very Sea and very considerable ones that lose themselves without any Name St. Irenaeus writ his Books both without Distinction or Arguments and his Translator or some other Authors have added what we see at this day IV. Our Author in his last Dissertation of the other Works of St. Irenaeus begins his Letter writ to Blastus and by the first to Florinus the first treated of Schism and the second of Monarchy Baronius thought that Florin's Errors oblig'd St. Irenaeus to write the Books against Heresies but Mr. Dodwell is not of his mind It is manifest that it is against the Valentinians that this Father intended these Works and Florinus taught a quite contrary Doctrin to that of these Hereticks for whereas these Hereticks establish'd two Principles the one good the other bad them Florinus made conformable to the Doctrin of the Church but he made that the Author of Good and Evil. As for Blastus he is acquitted of the Crime of Heresie whereof many Ancient and Modern accused him and it s believed he was but a Schismatick having done the Office of a Priest after he was deposed by his Bishop These two Letters were writ at the same time after his Work against the Hereticks according to our Author in the Year CLXXXII and the Third of Comodus and the Eighty fifth of Irenaeus Florinus did not stop at these Errors he soon fell into the Dreams of the Valentinians which obliged St. Irenaeus to write him a second Letter which he entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Eighth because it was writ against the Eighth des Eons de Valentinians Our Author believes that Irenaeus was above Eighty five years old when he writ it which was about the CLXXXII Year of Jesus Christ. Irenaeus writ also an Harangue against the Gentiles the Subject whereof was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Science It is known that Isocrates not having the necessary Talents for speaking publickly contented himself in writing several Orations with important Advise to them that ruled the People he was imitated by a great many others and the Christians themselves were assisted by this Custom to teach the Pagans the Truths of the Christian Religion and did not neglect to embellish their Orations with the vain Ornaments of the Sophists to move the Curiosity of the Readers whose Gust lay that way Such was then St. Irenaeus's Discourse of Science that it was addressed to the Greeks that is to say to all them that were not Christians for as the Christian Church succeeded that of the Iews and the Iews called all them Greeks that were not of their Religion so the Christians gave the same Name to all those that did not embrace their Opinions Mr. Dodwell believes that this Work was employ'd to refute the Opinion of some Philosophers who thought that by Study and Meditation one might raise himself beyond all that is sensible or material and to the perfect knowledge of God and of all Spiritual Beings and this by themselves that St. Irenaeus proved that Knowledge was reserved for the other Life and that we do not know in this but only by Faith St. Irenaeus writ another Work which he named the Demonstration of Preaching or of the Apostles Doctrin and dedicated it to one Mavejon to contradict several Writings that were father'd on the first Disciples of our Saviour and particularly the Sermons falsly attributed to St. Peter Mr. Dodwell says that the design of this Work was the same of that of the Prescriptions of Tertullian The Ancients speak yet of another Work of St. Irenaeus intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to St. Ierom's and Mr. Dodwell's Interpretations a Book containing divers Treatises our Author imploys a long Discourse to shew that St. Irenaeus had erected a School in his latter days and that he taught his Scholars what he himself had learned of the Apostles Disciples that is to say Apostolical Traditions and that this Work we speak of was a Collection of the Lessons that he made in that School It is pleasant to see the trouble Mr. Dodwell gives himself to establish this his Opinion and it is like he took it with pleasure because it tends to the general end he proposed to himself of reconciling the Traditions of the two first Ages of the Church with the Scripture What is very advantageous is that all these Enquiries include many
this Demand of the Court of Rome and particularly the just cause they had to distrust him for his Covetousness after having been deceived so often under the same pretext 3. After that there is the Life of Gregory the 7th by Cardinal Bennon the reasons for which Henry IV. Emperor chose Guibert instead of Gregory are drawn from d' Othon de Frisinge the manner how Silvester the Second was accus'd of giving himself to the Devil with an Account of his Death taken out of Iohn Stella a Venetian the Judgment that Peter Crinitus made of Boniface the 8th the Life of the Emperor Henry the 4th Written by Otbert Bishop of Liege in the year 1106 with some Letters of the same Emperor to the Pope and to divers Princes the cruel manner wherewith Henry was treated by Gregory is sufficiently known and may be seen in their Lives what Princes ought to expect from the Pope if they are so vain to promise an Establishment of those Opinions in their States which the Court of Rome hath endeavoured to spread every where about her Soveraign Authority in all matters Spiritual and Temporal 4. How Popes have to the utmost endeavour'd to render the Election of the Emperor dependent upon the Court of Rome The Princes of Germany have not fail'd to oppose it and one of the principal Ramparts against the Enterprizes of Italy is the Golden Bull given by Charles the 4th in the year 1365 and the 10th of Ianuary 'T was this that oblig'd Orthuinus Gratius to publish this Bull in a Collection wherein he design'd to advertise the Princes of dangerous Abuses that ought to be corrected which was daily put in practice by the Court of Rome 5. One of the Fictions which hath been the worse founded and which was forg'd to establish the temporal Greatness of the Pope is the pretended gift of Constantine where he says that he gave all the West to Pope Silvester and his Successors Now there is none who hath Learning or Sincerity amongst the Roman Catholicks that will not acknowledge this to be meerly Supposititious and that this is not the same that was 200 years since And he is wanting in the serious Refutation of a piece which he dares not now make mention of wherefore we ought not to regard as forreign to our purpose the Refutation of Laurentius Valla here brought against this Gift of Constantine which is throughly examin'd by the Collection of divers Learn'd men who either doubt it to be Authentick or wholly reject it If all these pieces were lost we shou'd not want to object to those Men who look upon this Gift as ridiculous the novelty of their Opinion which opposes the consent of many Ages Thus we must abolish all Writings which prove it with those that condemn it Or in keeping the first we must preserve the second 6. The Vaudois are in the number of those who have complained of the Abuses of the Roman Church and who have endeavour'd to Correct them as may be seen in the Confession of Faith which some of 'em sent formerly to Uladislaus King of Hungary with their Answer to one Augustine Dr. of Divinity addressd to the same Prince This Answer is Dated 6 days after Epiphany The Confession and Answer are much better Translated than most of the Pieces in the Ages past and contain Opinions very conformable to those of the Reformed on the Sacraments Invocation of Saints Purgatory Holy Scripture and some other Articles those who desire to know in what those who have written these Epistles differ'd from the Reform'd at this day may have recourse to the Original tho 't is not to be found only in this Book but also in the Collections of the Historians of Bohemia by Freber 7. After this of the Vaudois are some Pieces concerning the Doctrin of Wickliff and the manner how they were condemn'd viz. in a Book of one William Woodward who lived at the end of the 14th Age against the Opinions of Wickliff in 18′ Articles which are at the beginning of this Treatise and with a much greater number of Articles which were attributed to Wickliff whether true or false and condemn'd in the Council of Constance with the Censure and Refutation of 44 in particular Without doubt several of these Treatises are attributed to Wickliff as some Learn'd Protestants have made appear Some seem to be ill understood as the last Omnes Religiones indifferenter introductae sunt à Diabolo If Wickliff had said he understood by Religions the Order of the Monks against whom he was much Incensed as it appears by the Articles of Page 277. against the Religions Nevertheless the censure of this Proposition supposes that we must take the word Religions in the most common sense of the different manners of serving God as are the Iudaick and Christian Religions But when they will condemn any one or take all that he says in the worst sense it ought to render their Explications extreamly suspected who has given us his Opinion of the Ancient Hereticks as well as the Orthodox Fathers hurried away by their Zeal ordinarily render'd 'em as worthy to be condemn'd as possible There are Remarks also upon this ill Custom and the manner whereby Aeneas Silvius exposes the Opinions of Wickliff which he says pass'd from England to Bohemia and in the Sentence of the Council of Constance against him who declared him to be a Heretick after his Death commanded to take up his Bones if it was possible to distinguish 'em from those of the Faithful who were buried near him and cast them out of the Church-yard 8. Aeneas Silvius saith in his History of the Bohemians That the Opinions of Wickliff were transferr'd from England into Bohemia by a Bohemian Gentleman who Studied at Oxford and returning into his own Country carried some of Wickliff's Books with him However the Council of Constance after they had condemn'd him also condemn'd Iohn Hus and Ierom of Prague and their Disciples as may be seen at large by divers Pieces which are here inserted touching the affairs of the Bohemians It is shewn there also what pass'd in the Council of Basil the Demands that were made to 'em and their Answers thereon Orthuinus Gratius has not forgot on this occasion the celebrated Letter of Poggius to Leonard Arretin upon the Death of Ierom of Prague but he endeavours to be beforehand with the Reader against Poggius that he may not believe all he says to the honour of Ierom of Prague This is apparent that this History has too much effect upon the mind of the Reader and makes him suspect Ierom of Prague of Hypocrisie and the same Author hath put after the Letter of Poggius a Discourse of Leonard Arretin against Hypocrites where Gratius having easily apply'd the Truths that Leonard Arretin advances to the Fathers of the Councel which is not to be believed altho' the Application was but too just 9. This Piece that follows
zealous for the Roman Religion although he wish'd they had Corrected some Abuses which insensibly slip'd into their Manners He made the Elegy upon the Council of Basil and University of Paris and defends others who have opposed themselves to the utmost Authority of the Popes 'T is apparent that all his Zeal against the Hereticks cou'd not hinder him from ranking this Work at Rome amongst Prohibited Books There is more profit in reading the great Preface of Mr. Brown where he not only makes useful Remarks upon this Collection and upon those of its Supplement but also relates some curious Pieces that had not been seen until then which hath been already spoken of There are some nevertheless since this Collection is not for the People he that publish'd it might very well have sorborn many Invectives in his Preface and Notes against the Roman Church and there are a thousand Pieces more proper to declaim against than a Work of this nature this is a fault for which Orthuinus Gratius hath been oftentimes reprehended The Christian Wife of John Mayerus Professor of Divinity or three Dissertations about Wedlock Incest and Divorces Amsterdam at Jansonius Waesburgs 1688 in Quarto page 438. SInce Laws punish Poligamy with so much severity it seemeth there was no need of the assistance of Divines to stop the disorders which might have given life to a Book call'd Poligamus Triumphans written by one Mrs. Lyserus yet this Opinion wou'd nevertheless be as dangerous to the Heart as to the Mind For if it was true that there was a Legitimate priviledge of which the Laws have deprived Man so as he cou'd act no farther except he violate them without their taking notice that he was not exempt from their Penalties Yet Industrious Love would not want means to laugh at their unjustice and enjoy a liberty which should set no limits to his desires Thus Mr. Mayerus who is a learned Professor at Harderwick finding the Question important and worthy of his utmost endeavours undertaketh here to overthrow the imaginary Triumph of Poligamy His Work is divided into three dissertations The first regards Polygamy the second treats of Incest and the last of Divorce He observes that the first care of Legislators ought to make Laws for Marriage which is the Basis and Foundation of Common-wealths Therefore after God had imprinted in Man the Inclination which induceth him to Wedlock he ordered him besides to encrease and multiply The Author grants that these words include a Command which concerneth not only Men but Women also so that no body ought to bury their Talents Yet he adds that the Obligation was much more indispensable immediately after the Creation and deluge because the World was then a vast Desert But the rule ought no more to be taken in the Rigour Yet he maintains with the Fathers of the Church that Adam looked not on Eve as his Wife nor had for her the tenderness of a Husband until after his crime This is it which hath given place to the pleasant Imaginations of the Rabins upon the Apple gathered on the Tree of Life which the Serpent tempted the Woman to taste who having found it delicious corrupted the Innocence of the first Man and made him become the Father of Mankind Doth it not seem that Mr. Sarazin hath sweeten'd this Thought to make his Sonnet so much the more famous against Women Mr. Mugerius afterwards maintains that the Polygamists can draw no advantage from the Command of God Encrease and Multiply because it bears an unlimited Licence to mix himself indifferently For this is understood only in relation to a just Marriage such as God hath instituted from the beginning of the World to wit between two persons The proof drawn from the example of Beasts cannot be applyed to Man who governs himself according to the Laws of reason which abhors this confused mixture If he was governed by a blind instinct meerly it might be maintained that there is nothing criminal in the most unlawful Copulations After all Is not the Turtle-Dove with its tender Cooings and Sighs the Symbol of Conjugal Fidelity It s true that Men sometimes resemble wild Beasts which tear one another the most powerful destroy the weakest His Passions which tyrannise over him and keep him as a Slave in Chains often overwhelm Reason which distinguishes him from them Nevertheless they enjoy say they much more than he does this precious liberty which he prostitutes to whosoever will buy it and according to Montaigne We are but the Tenants of our life But these disorders suffice not to take from Man all his Prerogatives The Arts and Sciences which enlighten his reason and enrich his mind give him a Preheminence which suffers not these odious Comparisons It is not to lose his liberty when it is limited only by reason and the Laws of Society It is on the contrary a more noble liberty which cannot be put in competition with this natural brutality which makes the liberty of Animals It followeth then that he ought not as they say to trample under foot Modesty and Chastity and being endowed with an understanding he ought to distinguish himself from Beasts in the very things which he resembles them most in to shew that he doth not behave himself like unto them by a brutish impetuosity and that he can bridle his desires Having answered the vain Declamations of the Polygamists the Author strives to shew that Polygamy is repugnant to the Law of Nature and he calls the Law of Nature the Will of God who hath fixed Laws of Nature in the Creation of one only Man and one only Woman which he hath formed upon that account He pretends also that it overturneth natural Equity because it is not just that a Wife should be constrained under the Yoak of an exact Fidelity whilst the Husband is prodigal of his Conjugal Love elsewhere Both of 'em according to him are strictly tyed by this Precept of Law To give to every one what belongs unto him Men if we believe St. Gregory of Nazianzen do abstain only because they have made Laws which take away a tyrannical authority over a Sex which hath no other power to defend its Rights but that of Charms and Natural Graces The Wanderings of a Husband then are Frauds and Stealths and directly contrary to the Fundamental Contracts of Marriage by which he obligeth himself solemnly to his Wife Mr. Myerius adds That Poligamy is opposite to the tender Union which ought to be between Marry'd Persons Diversity of Women divorces and weakeneth the Desires and Transports of the Heart It is with them as with Brooks which being divided into several Branches leave dry those Meadows from whence they arose in abundance It was for this reason that the Hebrews called him who kept himself single a sad half of Man whence it 's easie to conclude that he hath need but of another half The Jealousie which would infallibly kindle amongst the Women seems yet another important