Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	apostle_n	church_n	tradition_n	9,173	5	9.2350	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29396	The school of the Eucharist established upon the miraculous respects and acknowledgments, which beasts, birds, and insects, upon several occasions, have rendred to the Holy Sacrament of the altar : whence Catholicks may increase in devotion towards this divine mystery, and hereticks find there their confusion / by F. Toussain Bridoul ... ; printed in French at Lille, 1672, and now made English, and published ; with a preface concerning the testimony of miracles.; Escole de l'Eucharistie. English	Bridoul, Toussaint, 1595-1672.; Clagett, William, 1646-1688.	1687 (1687)	Wing B4495; ESTC R9439	58,294	76

THE SCHOOL OF THE EUCHARIST ESTABLISHED Upon the Miraculous Respects and Acknowledgments which BEASTS BIRDS and INSECTS upon several Occasions have rendred to the HOLY SACRAMENT of the ALTAR Whence Catholicks may increase in Devotion towards this Divine Mystery and Hereticks find there their Confusion By F. Toussain Bridoul of the Society of Jesus Printed in French at Lille 1672. And now made English and published With a Preface concerning the Testimony of Miracles Let us view more particulary what Rational Grounds Catholicks exhibit of their belief of a Corporal presence in the Eucharist and so of Adoration Def. of Ador. of the Euch. p. 27. Printed at Oxford 1687. LONDON Printed for Randall Taylor near Stationers-Hall 1687. THE PREFACE TO THE TRANSLATION Concerning the Testimony of MIRACLES IF the Doctrine of Transubstantiation wants the Authority of the Holy Scriptures it cannot be proved to come from Christ and his Apostles by Tradition unless the Fathers of the Primitive Church have conveyed it in their Writings If it has had no such Tradition then the best Church-Authority it has to rest upon will be that of the Lateran and Tridentine Synods And if they had no power to make new Articles of Faith this Doctrine is in no good case to recommend it self There are but two ways remaining I think to put it off one is to perswade us that our Learned Protestant Divines have several of them affirmed such things concerning the Real Presence as do amount to what the Papists mean by Transubstantiation and that they have laid down Principles which will save the Adoration of the Host from being an Idolatrous Worship And this is lately attempted with great appearance of Gravity by a certain Oxford Author But if this will not do there is yet another way left and that is to prove Transubstantiation and the Adoration of the Host by Miracles which has been undertaken as by several others so in particular by that Reverend Jesuit whose Collection is here Translated Our hands I perceive are now in about Transubstantiation and the Worship of the Host and the Divines have gone so far in considering all that can be said for these things that 't is pity the Controversy should not be ended all at once to which I think nothing is wanting but to represent our Adversaries Appeal to Miracles and that I suppose cannot be more fairly done than by exposing to our Countrymen what themselves have thought fit to publish in another Language concerning this Argument That nothing else remains is evident by what has been already done on † Discourse against Transubstant Doctrine of the Trin. and Transubstantiation compared in a New Dialogue 2 parts Transubst no Doctrine of the Primitive Fathers our side upon all the other Arguments and that as time will shew more fully beyond all possibility of Fair Reply I had almost forgot the desperate Defence of Transubstantiation which our Adversaries have lately made by fastning it to the Doctrine of the Trinity being for their parts content that both should sink if they could not swim together They are I hope convinced by this time that neither is their Point to be gained so and that we are able to maintain the Catholick Doctrine of the Trinity and at the same time to overthrow the Roman Doctrine of Transubstantiation That they cannot retreat for shelter to the Judgment of any Divines of this Church is now shewn in the Answer to the Oxford Author In short It has been * See Bellarm. de Sacr. Euch. l. 3. c. 23 and Discourse of Eucharist in Answer to the Book printed at Oxford p. 4. confessed by eminent men in the Roman Communion that the Scriptures do not oblige us to believe Transubstantiation and that the Fathers knew nothing of it has been confessed too by a ‡ Historical Treatise of Transubstant Learned Person of that Church now living and which is something more proved also through the First Ten Centuries Now whether Councils can make an Article of Faith of that Doctrine which is neither to be found in the Holy Scriptures nor can be defended by Testimonies of the Ancient Fathers but is in truth contrary to both I am very willing the Representer should determine * A Papist Misrepres and Repr p. 33. who tells us That he is obliged to believe nothing besides that which Christ taught and his Apostles and if any thing contrary to this should be defined and commanded to be believed even by ten thousand Councils he believes it damnable in any one to receive it and by such Decrees to make Additions to his Creed A great deal less than this if it had been said with more sincerity would have served our turn as well If Ten thousand Councils will not stir him in such a case methinks the Fourth Lateran and the Trent Councils the one a Western the other little more than an Italian Synod should not be able to do what Ten thousand Councils cannot do as for the Lateran it is yet a disputable point as * See Peter Walsh's Letter to the Bp. of Lincoln Sect. 22. some of themselves will have us believe whether the Council or rather the Pope only made the Decrees that bear its name and for the Tridentine Synod the World knows how it was from time to time influenced by the Court of Rome so that when the matter comes to be look'd into 't is indeed the Papal Authority that gives to the world this pretended Point of Faith but because certain Popes have miscarried in the Faith to the great discredit of St. Peter's Chair it was necessary that the Popes pleasure should upon all occasions of defining matters of Faith be a little disguised by being conveyed to the Church under the venerable name and Formality of a Council Transubstantiation then has nothing left to stand upon but Miracles which is as much as to say that it stands upon its last legs Bellarmine I find De Sacr. Euch. l. 3 c. 8. reserved this Argument for the last to prove the substantial Presence of Christs Body in the Eucharist I know not whether he thought it the best or no if he did I dare undertake to answer what he thought his best Argument and that by shewing that 't is none at all for if we are to trust the Old Miracles of Christ and his Apostles as without all question we ought to do then we are not to try Doctrines by new Miracles but rather to try the Miracles by the Old Doctrine Which one would think should have been a Rule to all Christians since our Blessed Saviour has warned us not to trust to Signs and Wonders Matth. xxiv 24 25 26. no tho they be Great ones Behold says he I have told you before Which Caution I must confess hath sometimes surprized me with astonishment when I consider what the Conclusion is for which according to our Blessed Lords Prediction Miracles should be pretended viz. to make us believe a

Religion which Christ and his Apostles left Was any body to come after the Apostles and to supply what was wanting in the Faith which they delivered to the Saints Was it foretold that he or they who should arise to make this Addition to the Doctrine of Christ should amongst other marks be known by the power of Miracles If nothing of this can be shewn as I am sure nothing of it can then we are under greater obligations than the Jews were to beware lest we be deceived by a noise of Miracles nay though they be really Great Signs and Wonders And though we have very great reason to rely upon the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles yet we have no reason at all to regard the Miracles of the Church of Rome For Christ was to come and make an alteration in the Law of Moses But neither was the Pope nor any body else to come and make an alteration in the Law of Christ I know indeed that the Scriptures fore-tell great changes would be made in the Christian World but they are not for the credit of those that pretend to Miracles St. Paul saith that the spirit speaketh expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith 1 Tim. iv 1. giving heed to seducing spirits c. And he assureth us that before the day of Judgment there shall come a falling away accompanied with power and signs and lying wonders 2 Thess ii from v. 3. to v. 12. These predictions I suppose will not be produced to encourage us to trust new Miracles but they give us some reason to stick to the old Religion and then the old Miracles will serve our turn and I think they make it very necessary to examine their Doctrine with a little more care who pretend to Miracles than if they pretended to no such thing It pleased God to continue the power of Miracles in the Ancient Church for some time after the Apostles and it may please him for ought we know to awaken the world again by Miracles but whenever this happens it will not be for the bringing in of new but for the confirmation of old Doctrines But as for those that would recommend Doctrines to us which have neither Scripture nor Ancient Tradition for them their Miracles are so far from proving them to be true that they do but help to prove them false because it is foretold that Deceivers should use this Argument St. Paul said That if an Angel from Heaven preached any other Gospel than that which was preached at first Gal. i. 8 9. he should be Accursed Methinks Miracles should not be able to recommend new Doctrine any more than Angels from Heaven especially since we are not only forewarned against regarding Angels from Heaven if they should preach a new Faith but likewise against regarding Miracles if they should be done in confirmation of it for as the believing Jews could say upon the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles Now are those Scriptures fulfilled which foretold the Coming of the great Prophet with Miracles so when we see if we could see them the Miracles that are said to be wrought for a Doctrine that has neither Scripture nor Fathers for it but both against it we must needs say that the Scriptures are thereby fulfilled too which foretold the coming of Deceivers with Great Signs and Wonders and all deceivableness of unrighteousness And therefore now is the time to remember that necessary caution of our Lord Behold I have told you before To conclude therefore If we have good reason as most undoubtedly we have to believe a Doctrine that was confirmed by the most publick and unquestionable Miracles that ever were wrought and which had all other concurrent Characters of a Divine Revelation for such is the Doctrine of the Scriptures then we have the same reason to reject those latter Miracles that come to prove new Doctrines because God hath in the Holy Scriptures warned us against them but there was no reason why the Jews should have rejected the Miracles of Christ too for they were told that he should come working Miracles and he had all other Divine Testimonies and in all other respects he fulfilled the Scriptures and answered the Characters of that Prophet to whom they were to hearken in all things I must now confess that I have pursued this Argument with great seriousness but without any great need for it in this place One would now imagine that here follows a Collection of Stories most Wonderful and Convincing and such as might even shake the Faith of a simple man and almost constrain him to believe Transubstantiation and to Adore the Host But I am of opinion that we might have ventur'd the Miracles and the Man together without a Preface only I was willing to say something not altogether impertinent to the Subject of the Book that the entertainment here offered might be as profitable to some as I guess it will be pleasant to most Readers The Reverend Father the Collector being resolved to send the Hereticks to School to the Beasts that as he tells us in his Preface they may become more wise and return to their Reason being taught by the Animals that have none has also assured us That this is the last Remedy I suppose he means the last in the way of Reason which happens to be true with us for all other Remedies of this kind such as they are have been tried upon us and found ineffectual And therefore 't is now requisite to to try the last of going to School to the Beasts that we may return to our Reason being taught by the Animals that have none To which School we should not be ashamed to go since we are sent thither in very good Company as well of grown and aged Catholicks who are sent to enkindle their zeal as of Catholick Childron upon whose minds the first Belief is to be imprinted by putting these devout Histories into their hands which last is a good reason why we should go to this School and be put into the same Form with the Children because the First Belief is yet to be Imprinted upon our minds too By all means therefore let every one go to this School and that no man who is come thus far may be altogether Ignorant of the Lessons that he is to learn I do not care if I give him a sample or two out of the Liber Festivalis There was an Erle of Venys was called Synt Ambrighte Lib. Festi de Corpore Christi that loved the Sacrament in the Auter passing wele and did hit all the worshippe and reverence that he cowde and mighte so whan that he lay syke and shulde be dede he might not receyve the Sacrament for casting than was he sorry and made Dole and than he lette make clean his right syde and to cover it with a fayre clothe of Sendell and ley Goddis body thereon And said thus to the Oste Lord

of deceitful Spirits as St. Austin speaks And to find enough of these I need not send the Reader any farther than to the Church History of the R. F. Mr. Cressy 2. The Miracles wrought for the establishment of the Law in the Old Testament and of the Christian Faith in the New were not done in a corner but openly and publickly and very often in the face of Enemies Now the Church of Rome still pretends to the Power of Miracles and indeed we hear of strange things done amongst them but we see none Sometimes indeed our Saviour wrought Miracles in a more private way but then he * Matth. xvii 9. Mark viii 26. charged those that were concerned to make no words of what had been done and that I think lest the want of publick Evidence should be objected against the sincerity of the Relation But things are very much altered since our Saviours time The Miracles said to be done in the Roman Communion are indeed publickly talked of but they are privately done if they be done at all for they are all done amongst themselves Now what St. Paul said of Tongues will hold true of other Miracles 1 Cor. xvi 22. Greg. in Evang Hom 29. That they are a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not St. Gregory and so do many more before him applies this to every outward work as miraculous as that And this at least must be meant by it That the principal use of Miracles is to bring over unbelievers to the true Faith For which Reason the person that is to be convinced this way should either see the Miracles wrought or be assured that they were done by such Testimonies as there lies no reasonable objection against But for the strange things that are said to be done in the Communion of the Roman Church we have only their own words for it and as far as I have observed the reports they make of them they seldom pretend that any body sees them but themselves upon which account they want that evidence which the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles had and deserve indeed but little credit If they do so many Miracles I cannot understand why they should still be done in Countries or before Persons that are all of one mind at least all of one side for thus they do not serve the main end of Divine Miracles which is to be a Testimony to those that want Conviction And if this were all I should have great reason to question whether they were Divine Miracles or not tho I might be disposed to believe some of the Reports If they say that the Reason why Miracles cannot be done before us is our unbelief in as much as St. Matthew reports of our Saviour when he was in his own Country That he did not many mighty works there Matt. iii. 58. because of their unbelief Nothing can be more frivolously alledged For some mighty works were done there at that time of which it is said that he did not many But they do none amongst us whither great or small Miracles And besides this our Saviour had also wrought some mighty works amongst his own Countrymen before this time as will appear to any one that considers where the Gospel of * See Joh. ii 11. iv 54. vii 3 4. St. John is a supplement to the other Evangelists so that altho our Lord did not think fit to multiply these means of conviction upon a people so obstinate that St. Mark saies He marvelled at their unbelief Mark vi 6. yet they had these means of conviction both Then and Formerly And what is this to us and to our Case who have heard and do hear still of Miracles which they do in the Church of Rome but neither we nor our Fathers could ever see any of ' em But as we must believe them because they work Miracles so we must believe they work Miracles because they say so Now altho these two differences of the Case will go a great way to justify us in receiving the Miracles recorded in the Scriptures while we reject the pretence of the Church of Rome to Miracles yet I confess it does not give compleat satisfaction as to the point we are upon For it may be sometimes a difficult business to distinguish Divine Miracles from others by the Nature of the work it self And it may also be asked what we are to do if God should permit some such things to be done before our eyes as they say are familiarly done where they may say so safely enough for any bodies contradicting them I add therefore 3. There is a great difference to be made between Miracles which we are not forewarned against but rather warned beforehand to regard and between Miracles that God hath not told us we ought to regard but on the other hand hath forewarned us against giving any heed to them That the Jews were obliged to examine all New Revelations by their correspondence with the Old and that they had been warned not to trust to Miracles at all adventures we have already observed But because it was foretold that the Messias should come with Miracles they could not have had just reason to believe that Jesus was the Christ if he had not come with the Testimony of Miracles so that they were necessary But to deal plainly they had not been sufficient means of Conviction if he had not also fulfilled the Law and the Prophets because the Law and the Prophets were to be fulfilled by him For by an unquestionable Divine Revelation God had warned the Israelites not to trust to mere Miracles But after it had been foretold Deut. xviii 1● that God would raise up a Prophet from the midst of that people like unto Moses to whom they should hearken After a Law had been given consisting of a vast number of Ordinances which was to be a shadow of good things to come and to be fulfilled in Christ After that from time to time there were predictions of those marks by which he should be known and amongst other things it was foretold that he should work Miracles when I say after all Jesus answered every one of these Characters and did every way fulfil the Law and the Prophets this all together was a demonstration that he was the Christ and as his Miracles and the Miracles of his Apostles gave testimony to him and corroborated all other Divine Testimonies which he had so they also received strength from other Divine Testimonies in conjunction with them and in particular from those very predictions that Christ should be known by Miracles amongst other things No wonder therefore that we do not find the whole stress of the Divine Demonstration of the Gospel laid upon the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles in the New Testament and that tho our Saviour did appeal to his own works yet not to them only but likewise to the Scriptures of the Old Testament and