and their sight is good enough in that their Teachers have eyes so one of their Authours a Laicos ad dogmata fidei quod attinet non proprijs sed praelatorum suorum oculis videre oportet In matters of faith the people ought not to see with their own eyes but the eyes of their Superiors They need not know what they pray for nor what they are to believe nor what they are to do 1. They need not know what they are to pray for or to whom or whether they pray or not all is muffled up in an unknown Language and they are to venture at they know not what nor how nor whither * Vid. Navar. de Orat. c. 10. n. 36. c. 18. n. 32. Spotsw Hist l. 2. p. 92. Molanus Theol. pract tr 3 c. 9. n. 6. No wonder if they direct the Lords prayer to Saints Male or Female and say our Father to the Virgin Mother and in like manner direct Ave-Marie's to Christ as if they took him to be a Woman or to be with Child and with himself too to be the fruit of his own Womh or to be his own Mother which the words so applyed signifie This ignorance is the dam of such Devotion such as is both horrid and blasphemous to the highest degree of horror And yet their great Clerks will countenance it The wisdom of their Church hath thought it fit that they should not be so wise as to understand what they do when they are serving God The Counsel of Trent â—ulminates a Curse against those who hold that the Masse ought to be celebrated in a known Tongue that is they curse those who approve not that mode of service which the Apostle condemns as (b) Omnis Sermo qui non intelligitur barbarus judicatur Jerom. in 1 Cor. 14. In Navar de horis Canon cap. 13. n. 4. They are directed to address themselves to God or the Virgin Mary thâ—… Grant O Lord or Lady what I ask though I know not what Barbarous 1 Cor. 14. such as is not fit for God or man they curse those who will not offer a blind Sacrifice or blindfold As if one under the Law ought not to have seen whether that which he offered were a Hogg or a Sheep whether he Sacrificed a Lamb or cut of a Doggs neck whether he presented an Oblation or offered Swines blood They think not only the people but even the Clergy unconcerned to know what they say when they speak unto God (c) Clerici aut laici qui Divinis intersuet si non intelligunt quae dicunt non peccant l. 2. c. 51. n. 12. p. 291. The Clergy saith Jacobus de Graffiis or the Laity when they are at Divine service if they understand not what they say they sin not It is so far from being their duty to serve God as Christians that they need not act as Men in his service If the words be but said though with no (d) Quid hoc sit intelligere debemus uti humana ratione non quasi avium voce cantemus Nam mâ—rulâ— psiâ—aci corvi picae hujusmodi voluâ—res saepe ab hominibus docentur sâ—narâ— quod nesciunt scienter auterâ— cantare non avi sed homini divina voluntate concessum est Augustin in ps 18. exposit secunda p. 103. t. 8. more understanding than Mag-pyes are taught to sound them it 's as reasonable service as their Church requires what God requires with them is no matter They expect not that any should understand their service but expert Divines as (a) Supra l. 10 q 5. art 5. Soto tells us Now it is a very small part of their Clergy that pretends to be Divines and a small part of those few that are expert therein it is an attainment which most of their Bishops fall short of their common Priests are sufficiently qualified with the art of reading nor need they be masters of that neither the Masse-book is almost taught to read it self For in the Missals established by Pius the 5th and recognized by Clement the Eighth every syllable is diversely marked whether it is to be sounded long or short What do we speak of Clergy or Priests it is not necessary for their Popes to be able to understand or to read their common prayers themselves spare not to divulge this It is manifest saith Alphonsus a Castro (*) Cum constet plures Papas adeo illiteratos esse ut Grammaticam penitus ignorent l. 1. adevrs Haeres cap. 4. Edit Paris 1534. That many Popes are so illiterate that they are utterly ignorant of the Grammar It seems he may be universal Pastour and the Teacher of the whole World who hath not learned his Grammar and the infallible Guide of all mortals who understands not his own language wherein the Articles of faith their Lawes Ceremonies and Church-service is delivered And is it not very much that two things so different as ignorance and infallibility should have the good hap to meet together in the same person Sect. 2. Secondly They need not know what they are to believe they tell us they are obliged under pain of Damnation to believe whatâ—oever the visible Church of Christ proposeth as revealed by Almighty God Now their Church proposeth for points of faith so revealed not only what they have in Scripture but what they have by Tradition or by the custome of the Church in former ages or by the consent of the Fathers or by the decrees of Councils or by the determination of Popes è Cathedra whereby points of faith become infinitely numerous beyond all account which the learned amongst them can give either to satisfie themselves or others Yet all must be believed and that under pain of damnation when as it is but a very small part of them that can be commonly known The Articles of the Creed called the Apostles are not the hundred part of those points that must be believed by all that will not be damned and yet they generally conclude that it is not necessary for the people to know all of those few Articles How to believe the rest and it may be five hundred times more which they know nothing of nor ever once came into their thoughts they must make what shift they can However they need not know all the Articles of the small Creed as the chief of them teach Not all saith Aquinas (a) Nec tamen necesse est cuilibet explicite credere omnes articulos fidei sed quantum sufficit ad dirigendum in ultimum finem dist 25. q. 2. art 1. vid. Sylvest v. fides but what is sufficient to direct to the last end Not all saith (b) Maxime ad illa quae sunt grossa ad capiendum sicut quod Christus natus est passus alia quae pertinent ad redemptionem vid. Sta. Clara probl 15. p. 94. Scotus but the grosse things as that Christ was born and suffered and
impijs tunc enim credere esset actus imprudentiae secundum D. Tho m. 22. q. 1. art 4. ad secundum idem ibid. vid plures in Jo. Sanc. d. 19. n. 3. 4. if the object of faith be not duely proposed if by slight reasons or by impious persons then it would he imprudence to believe or (u) Id. ibid. p. 95. if they do not doubt of their faith or if their Teachers be fallacious or erroneous or if the proposal (x) Aragon in 2. 2. q. 11. art 2. dub ult ibid. p. 01. be not enforced with reasons with holiness of life with the confutation of the contrary and with some wonders In short if they have not had sufficient instruction in this all agree And this alone will excuse a great part of their Church who for want of such instruction are acknowledged by themselves to be Infidells Thus Navarre delivers it (y) In universa Christiana republica circa haec tanta est socordia ut multos passim invenias nihil magis in particulari explicite de hisce rebus credere quam Ethnicum quendam Philosophum sola unius veri Dei naturali cognitione praeditum Cap. 11. n. 22. p. 142. In the whole Christian Commonwealth he means the Roman Church there is so great neglect as to this that ye may find many every where who believe no more of these things i. e. of Christ and the most necessary Articles of the Christian faith in particular and explicitely than some Heathen Philosophers who have only the natural knowledge of the one true God But if the precept could reach any through all these securities which we cannot easily imagine yet there is one way to clear them all of it so that they may live and dye Infidells without danger from any command requiring faith in Christ For he that hath not that express faith which is commanded in the Gospel but only what is requisite necessitate medij is living or dying if he be sorry for his negligence and purpose to amend which may be in their sense without true Repentance capable of absolution without any instruction from his Confessor (a) Imo in rigore non tenetur confessarius etiamsi sanus sit paenitens eum instruere ante absolutionem aummodo enim doleat de preterita negligentia proponat emendationem in futuâ—um capax est absolutionis sola fide explicita circa mysteria necessario credenda ex medio Fill. tr 28. n. 58. vid. Jo. Sanc. d. 9. n. 18. And by vertue of that he may live in a justified state or if he dye he passeth out of the World as a very good Christian though he believe in Christ no more than a Heathen Sect. 2. Pass we to their other sort of faith which they call explicite it is as they define it An actual assent to the particulars which the Church propounds as revealed by God This with them is justifying faith requisite in the learned and more intelligent amongst them As to the object of it if we view it well it looks untowardly for a thing by which a sinner is to be justified For it is prodigiously extended and takes in things uncertain false impossible impertinent and ridiculous as points that must certainly be believed unto justification For their Church propounds as things revealed by God and so objects of justifying faith not only what is delivered in Scripture but â—nwritten Traditions concerning matters of faith and manners and â—hese if they will be justified they must believe though they know â—ot what they are nor where to find them but in the Churches unerâ—ing fancy She propounds also the unanimous consent of the Fathers â—n several points and though this never was or is impossible to be â—nown yet it must be believed by those that mean to be justified She propounds the decrees of Councils to be believed as Divine truths b Omnia concilia post Chalcedonense potissimum instituta fuerunt non ut erueretur veritas sed ut roboraretur defenderetur atque augeretur semper ecclesiae Romanae potestas ecclesiasticorum libertas Aeneas Sylvius l. 2. de gest conc Basil when it is acknowledged that the design in Councils for many hundred years was not to discover truth but to promote the Roman greatness She propounds also the determinations of Popes these must be believed as infallible when ordinarily they were neither persons of common truth or honesty and we must be justified by believing the dictates of Atheists or (c) Canus loc Theol. l. 6. p. 243. 344. Hereticks of (d) Sylvest 2. Platin. Chron. Martini Poloni Hildeband Binno Cardin. Conjurers (e) Faex vitiorum Diabolus incarnatus Constan concil Sess 11. art 5. Benedict 9. vid. Baron an 1034. n 3. or incarnate Devils of vicious Beasts (f) Sunt qui scribunt hunc sceleratissimum hominem seu monstrum potius Platina viâ—a Joh. 13. and wicked Monsters For those who cry up â—is Holiness have adorned him also now and then with these other Sacred Titles I know not whether these things are more ridiculous or more horrid how ever letting them pass as they are let us take their faith at best and make it better than they will have it Suppose it rested in the Scriptures and had no thing for its object but Revelation such as is truly Divine yet even so they give such Report of it as will scarce suffer us to think that they can expect to be justified by it Considered in it self they (c) Dominic a Soto de natur grat lib. â—…◠7. d. 79. 81. count it not worthy the name of a vertue They (d) Concil Trident. Sess 6. c. 7 call it a dead idle thing and though they would have it to be an infused habit and the gift of God because the Scripture so calls that which is justifying faith indeed yet they say a (e) Scotus in 3. dist 23. air fide humana quam ipse appellat acquisitam hominem posse assentiri toti praedicationi Christianae Imo ita inquit credimus authoritate ecclesiae quam ipse putat humanam institutione parentum Cui sententiae adhuc explicatius subscribit Durandus q. 1. in 2. sent d. 28. Dicens fidem infusam non esse necessariam nisi uâ— facilius credamus Soto ibid. l. 2. c. 8. p. 81. mere humane quality acquired without any supernatural assistance may perform its proper act and office by actual assent to the whole Christian Doctrine They confess it is commonly found in the worst of men in perditissimis hominibus such as are neither acted nor possessed by the spirit of God such as live and dye in mortal wickedness (f) Bellarm. de Baptism l. 1. c. 14. and are damned for it Yea some of them confess that it is in the Devils This faith saith Cardinal (g) Fiâ—es haec non est ea tantum qua credimus Deum esse qua credimus vera esse
87. when there are Arguments pro and con all probable in his judgment that views them if he follows that which seems to him most probable he sins not though it lead him into sin They lay great weight upon Authority and think it safe to follow the herd in a common opinion yet one good reason (u) Navar. cap. 3. n. 8. they say is to be preferr'd before the common judgment of their Writers and one may venture against the stream being back'd with it Nor is there need to be very scrupulous about the probability of a reason 't is enough if it seems but probable to him that weighs it yea (x) Ignorantia excusat etiam cum quis in affectione ad suum Doctorem judicat probabiliter ut sibi videtur esse verum quod est falsum Sylvest sum v. opinio n. 1. though it seem but so out of affection to him that offers it And that may as well pass for more probable which is more favourable to the inclination of the Inquirer and he may be his own Judg in the case and act against the scruples of his Conscience when he has probable reason But when there are more reasons against it and but one probable for it must not the more sway us since that is safer and that which is safer is to be chosen according to the common Rule no we are not obliged for that rule even in matters of faith and practice is (y) Navar. c. 27. n. 281. only a Counsel not a precept we are only injoyned to do what is safe not to what is safer and a practice upon a probable reason is (z) Hoc potest facere viz. crebro contra scrupulos tuta conscientia ex consiâ—io proprio quando habet probabilem rationem Sylvest v. scrupul n. 3. Regul 5. safe enough Sect. 15. Secondly custome is another probable ground which with them will secure a person from sin in doing what is unlawful It is ordinary with their Casuists to conclude a practice innocent when there is custome for it though otherwise they condemn it as a sin So Navar (a) Cap. 13. n. 5. determines that if it were a custome to observe the Lord's day only till noon or till Mass were ended in the Morning it would be no sin to spend the rest of it in servile works And that of Cajetan is observable he takes notice that it is a practice in the Church of Rome to sing to the Organ prophane and filthy Songs when they are at Church for worship This the Cardinal reflects upon severely condemns it as a mortal sin and a crime of Sacrilegious Superstition yet in the conclusion thinks something of it (b) Excusandos tamen illos crediderim qui simplici corde credentes licere non turpia sed vana quasi pro recreatione pulsare pro eo quod vbique sic vident fieri erraverunt tales enim ex ignorantia probabili erraverunt Sum. v. Organ excusable upon the account of custome and probable ignorance (c) Qui habitu gestu cantu notabiliter lascivo in ludo chorearum utitur sicut faeminae inverecundae pectora lascive nudant viri partes inverecundas indecenter coopertas ostendunt peccant mortaliter Those who in dancing use Habit Gesture or Songs which are notoriously lascivious as immodest women who wantonly lay open their Breâ—sts and men who expose without due covering their shameful parts they sin mortally So de Graffijs had concluded as any person that is not past shame would do but then he presently corrects himself (d) Verum de hoc pro certo judicare non possumus sed standum est consuetudini patriae l. 2. cap. 120. n. 16. yet of this says he we can pass no certain judgment but must stand to the custom of the Countrey Though so much wantonness seem a mortal sin yet if it be the custome he cannot certainly judge it any In like manner (e) Sum. v. Ornar n. 7. Sylvester determines of a Habit that will not suffice to hide their shame if it be a custome though not laudable and without ill intention no general rule can be formed against it In (f) In his quae ideo sunt mala quia prohibita ut communiter positiva praecepta excusat consuetudo praescripta quia tollit legem est legum interpres Imo hac ratione dico quod excusat etiamsi non sit praescripta modo sit rationabilis scienter tolerata c. Idem ibid. v. scrupul n. 4. reg 5. positive precepts where things are evil because prohibited custom will excuse And so Fornication which in the judgment of (g) Supra Durandus and some others is of this nature needs nothing but custom to excuse it from being a sin So much they ascribe to custom that they will have the Scripture not to direct and regulate it but to follow it and be conformed to it even in its changes so that the sense and obligation of the Divine Rule shall be changed as the Romanists change fashions This Cardinal (b) Scripturasque esse ad tempus adopt atas varie intellectas ita ut uno tempore secundum currentem universalem ritum exponerentur mutato ritu iterum sententia mutaretur Epist 2. ad Bohem. de usu Com. Nec mirum si praxis ecclesiae uno tempore interpretatur scripturam uno modo alio tempore alio modo intellectus enim currit cum praxi Idem epist 7. Cusanus affirms the Scripture says he is fitted to the time and variably understood so that at one time it is expounded according to the currant fashion of the Church and when that fashion is changed the sense of Scripture is also changed and again no wonder if the practice of the Church do take the Scripture one time one way and another time another for the sense of it keeps pace with the practice This wa urged in the Council of (k) History of Council of Trent l. 2 â— 159. Trent and judged to be the meaning of the Lateran-Council when it decreed that the Scripture should be expounded according to the Doctors of the Church or as custome has approved Thus it must come to pass that what the word of God in its true meaning did once condemn as a sin if it become the Roman practice the Divine precept will change its sense and the act will be no sin It was a sin once by the word of God to deprive the people of the Cup in the Eucharist but since it was the custome of Rome the Scripture has changed its meaning and it is now no sin To worship Images was a crime condemned in Scripture as that which God most abhorred but being once the practice of the Romanists the Scripture renounced its former sense and it is now far from being criminal It has not only made a change in the word of God but in the nature of the thing and the same thing