practise wherein they differed from and apparently came short of the English Church were indeed of so high a nature as to dishearten me from embracing their communion any other way then by allowing them my Charity in not condemning them which I also afforded even to the Roman Church it selfe 2. Now among the differences where in all other Sects pretending to a Reformation were distinguishable from the English as wanting certaine priviledges and commendable qualities which she enjoyed some I found to be commune to all those Sects especially the Lutherans and Calvinists Others to be proper and peculiar to each Concerning these latter I found it to little purpose to spend much time in examining them because the former commune ones did more then sufficiently dishearten me from adjoyning my selfe to their Communion And those were especially these five viz. 1. Their grounding their beliefe both of the bookes of Scripture and the true sence of them not upon the universall Tradition of the Church but their owne private Spirit which as they pretended assured them that the Apostles and Evangelists were the Authors of them and that the sences which they collected from them were the true undoubted sences of them 2. Their apparent want of a lawfull succession of Ecclesiasticall Governours and Teachers joyn'd with an unsufferable presumption in condemning of Tyranny that Government of Bishops which had been apparently setled in the universall Church without contradiction since the Apostles Times 3. Their Doctrines and practises of Sedition and Rebellion 4. Their professed hatred of peace and Reunion with the Catholique Church 5. The prodigious personall qualities of Luther and Calvin which shewed them to be persons extreamly unfit to be relyed upon or acknowledged for Apostles and Reformers 3. Concerning the first commune difference namely The Calvinist's and Lutheran's grounding their beliefe of Christian Doctrines and their sence of them and generally of the bookes of Scripture not upon the authority and Tradition of the Church so much as upon a private Spirit testimony or suggestion pretended to bee infused from the Spirit of God by which they took upon themselves to be assured of the truth of Christianity of their expressions of severall Articles of Faith and of their perswasion that the Apostles and Evangelists were the Authours of those Divine writings what little satisfaction I found in this maine Foundation of their Religion I shall reserve to demonstrate hereafter For the present I desire that to bee mistaken when I call this one of the differences and disadvantages which the Lutherans and Calvinists c. have in comparing them with the English Church For though it bee true that by rationall consequence from the grounds declared of the English Church the former position will evidently follow notwithstanding shee ha's beene more moderate and wary then publiquely to pretend to such a Private Spirit and by consequence has left a latitude and liberty for them in her Communion to renounce it as many of the most learned among them have done CHAP. X. Apparent want yea renouncing of a lawfull succession of Ecclesiasticall Governours and Teachers among Lutherans and Calvinists I. A Second thing wherein the Lutherans and Calvinists agreed to disagree with the Church of England was their want of Bishops and by consequence of a lawfully ordained Clergy This was an inconvenience so much the more hard to be digested by mee and which deserved neither excuse nor commiseration because by reason of their want of Bishops at their first pretended Reformations they came to that shamelesnesse as to seeke to palliate this defect by a desperate condemning of the Order it selfe as a tyranny and usurpation crept into the Church against the expresse Order of Christ and his Apostles And though they especially the French Calvinists might afterward have in some sort remedied this defect by receiving a Cleargy by the Ordination of the English Bishops whereto they have beene earnestly follicited as namely by Bishop Morton notwithstanding they utterly persisted in the utter refusall of suffering this important disadvantage to be cured which perverse Spirit of theirs Arnobius cont Gen. lib. 6. elegantly describes in these words Quod semel fine ratione fecistis ne videamini aliquando nesciisse defenditis that is That thing which yee once unreasonably did to avoid the imputation of having beene ignorant yee still maintaine Yea to that ridiculous impudence have they arrived in Scotland not many yeares since as to admit one to publique Penance in the Church onely for having beene a Protestant Bishop 2. I cannot forbeare to give a taste of Luthers Spirit with reference to this subject lively represented in a Bull by him published to this Tenour Anno Domini M. D. XXIII Nunc attendite vos Episcopi imò larvae Diaboli Doctor Lutherus vult vobis Bullam Reformationem legere quae vobis non bene sonabit Doctoris Lutheri Bulla Reformatio Quicumque opem ferunt c. That is Now bee attentive O yee Bishops or rather disguises of the Devill Doctour Luther will reade to you a Bull which will not sound pleasingly unto you The Bull and Reformation of Doctour Luther Whosoever brings assistance spends Body Life and Honour to the end that Bishopricks may be wasted and the Government of Bishops extinguished such are the beloved children of God and true Christians observing the Commandements of God and resisting the Ordinances of the Devill Or if they be not able to doe thus much let them at least condemne and avoid that Government But on the contrary whosoever maintaine the Government of Bishops and obey them voluntarily such are tho very Ministers of the Devill and resist the Ordinance and Law of God Hitherto is Luthers Bull. And I desire that any reasonable Christian would confesse whether he can chuse but believe that the very same whom Luther himselfe confesseth to have beene his Counsellour and perswader to leave Masse was his Secretary likewise to write this Bull And that a man should not think that this was onely one of Luthers frantick extravagancies the horrible effect will demonstrate the contrary which was a fearfull insurrection and Rebellion of a World of Countrey people combined by Oath to the ruine of severall Ecclesiasticall Princes in Germany who were content in that cause to stand to Luthers judgement Who when he perceived they were unfurnished of armes and unlâ—kâ—ly to prosper in their designe lest their Rebeâ—lion and the effects of it should be imputed to him was content to exhort them to obedience 3. Calvin and Beza c. though more subtile yet were not lesse malicious against Episcopacy as appeares in severall of their Treatises and Epistles Yea Calvin ascended to that height of arrogance as to professe that that Order and Discipline which hee had forged in Geneva and whereof not one single patterne can be given since Christs Time was not onely justifiable but necessarily obliging all Christians to conforme unto 4. Whether it may in some
of a world of wandering perverted souls From his ground it is especially that I in this book both take this fashion and Latitude of stating doctrines of faith recommend it to others when they treat with Protestants And particularly from him did I receive Information that the very expresse terme of Infallibility was not of obligation to be made use of in Disputation concerning the Churches Authority As likewise that the Doctrines of Faith promulgated by the said Authority in the Decrees of generall Councells did admit of many more qualifications and restrictions then popular Controvertists do think good to make use of So that if in this or any other point any expressions found in this book shall seem new or not so relishing to any I must refer them to the said Author and his Approvers who no doubt will ease me of the trouble of making Apologies 5. But leaving this digression I will at last relate the successe I found in reading the Canons of the Church the forementioned books and treatises of the Fathers c. Which was that I thereby gained a distinct knowledge both of the faith of the present Church and what those Ancients believed concerning the Churches Authority and this not by relying upon a few select passages and Texts pick'd out by late Controvertists but by observing the maine designe and intention of those Fathers when the very like Controversies in their times constreined them to consider and unanimously declare what they themselves thought and what they had received from their predecessours concerning the Church Haeresie and Schisme 6. That therefore which I learned from them pertinent to my present purpose I will set downe in foure Conclusions relating to foure principall heads of controversie namely 1. Of the Rule of Faith that is Scripture and Traditions unwritten 2. Of the Judge of Controversies that is the Catholique Church 3. Of the unity of the Church and the danger of Heresy Schisme 4. Of the perpetuall Visibility of the Church To all which Propositions respectively I will adjoyne the doctrine of the present Roman Church conteined especially in the Councell of Trent And likewise the beliefe of Protestants Concluding with an examination whether the Roman or Protestant Churches do best conform themselves to the universal Ancient Traditiō cōcerning the Church her authority c. 7. When all this is done at their perill be it if any imputing to me sinister intentions of which they cannot be judges shall say it was either worldly discontent or ambition and not an evident conviction of truth and resolution to save my soule that moved me finally to declare my selfe rather a follower of that part which to my understanding followes an universall and uninterrupted agreement of such Teachers as both sides agree not only to have approached neerest to the fountaine of truth Christ and his Apostles therefore to have had meanes of informing themselves in Apostolicall Tradition incomparably beyond us But also to have been extreamly cautelous and learned and so not easily obnoxious to be mistaken or deceived And likewise unquestionably pious and vertuous and therefore abhorring any intention of seducing others for temporall respects Rather then three or foure new teachers in whom there is not only a visible want of all these good qualities but on the contrary such as have not been able to forbeare to declare themselves to be worse men more polluted with Lust Gluttony Sacriledge Pride Malice Envie c. then without their own confession their adversaries could with a good conscience have accused or but suspected them And the effect of whose innovations ha's manifestly been nothing but Atheisme profanenesse bloodshed confusion and ruine The second Section Conteining a stating of foure fundamentall points of Controversie in foure Conclusions CHAP. I. The first Conclusion concerning the Rule of Faith Testimonies of Fathers acknowledging Doctrines Traditionary as well as Scripture to be a Rule of Faith 1. ACcording to my promise in the last Chapter of the former Section I will consequently set downe the fundamentall truths of Catholique Religion in foure Conclusions respecting foure generall points of Controversie The sense of which Conclusions I found evidently and uniformly delivered by the ancient Fathers and by the light of the said truths through Gods grace and goodnesse I became entirely undeceived and by their direction I was led as it were by the hand into the Gates of that City which is set on a hill the holy Catholique Church of Christ. Now of those this is the I. CONCLUSION The entire Rule of Faith comprised in the Doctrines delivered by Christ and his Apostles immediately to the Church is conteyned not only in Scripture but likewise in unwritten Traditions 2. FOr the former part of this Conclusion viz. That the Rule of Christian Faith obedience is no other then the Doctrines and Praecepts delivered immediately by Christ and his Apostles to the Church And by consequence that the present Church pretends not to any new Revelations or Power to make any new Articles of Christian Faith or to propose any Doctrines under that title other then such as Shee has received by Catholique Tradition it will be unnecessary paines to prove out of the Fathers since I doe not know any Christians who deserve that title that doubt of it Indeed the Calvinists earnest to find all occasions to heighten their Schisme charge the Catholique Church as if she admitted within this compasse other Doctrines Decrees and Decretalls c. But most unjustly since there is no warrant or ground given them to lay this aspersion upon the Church and all Catholiques generally renounce it 3. But as for that which followes in the Conclusion viz. That this Rule of Faith is not conteined entirely and expresly in Scripture alone but likewise in unwritten Traditions In this lyes the maine difference betweeen the Catholique Church and all other Sects both ancient and moderne They all and alwaies conspiring in this that the Scripture is to be the only Rule and themselves judges and interpreters of the sence of it at least for themselves or if not they no body however not the present Church and on the contrary Catholiques in all ages unanimously joyning in the contradiction of that ground and affirming that all Doctrines of Faith were not indeed no◠ever were intended to be entirely express'd in Scripture And that Scriptures ought not to be interpreted by any private spirit or reason any other way then according to the line of Ecclesiasticall Tradition 4. Concerning the Rule of Faith therefore let us aske our Fathers that were before us how they were instructed in this point and among them the first testimony will be afforded us by S. Ignatius to this effect quoted by Eusebiu◠Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Ignatius saith he exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the Apostles which Tradition for surenesse sake he thought good to reduce into writing Againe S. Polycarpus saith the
same Author l. 5. c. 19. taught his Disciples many Traditions not written Again S. Dyony Arcop Hier. Eccl. c. 1. at least even by acknowledgment of the most learned Protestants an Author of the second or third age Those prime Captains and heads of our Hierarchy thought it necessary to deliver unto us those sublime and supersubstantiall Mysteries both in written unwritten instructions Again S. Fab. Pope â—â— Martyr Ep. 1. ad Episc. Orientis speaking of holy Chrisme to be renewed every yeare of which no mention is in Scripture addes These things we received from the Holy Apostles and their successors which we require you to observe Againe Tertullian de Cor. Mil. cap. 4. discoursing as he often does of severall rites and practises not mentioned in Scripture concludes in one place thus Of all these and other disciplines of the like nature if thou shalt require a law out of Scripture thou shalt finde none Tradition shall be alledged to thee for the Author Custome the confirmer and Faith the observer Againe S. Irenaeus Cont. Haer. lib. 3. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left us Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches to which ordination give proofe many nations of those Barbarous people who beleeve in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit without characters or inke and diligently observing the ancient Tradition Againe the Fathers assembled in that ancient Councell of Gangres Can. 21. We desire that all those things which have been delivered in divine Scriptures and by Tradition of the Apostles should be observed in the Church Againe S. Basil de Spir. Sanc. to cap. 27. 29. of the dogmes and instructions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preserved in the Church some we have by written institutions others we have delivered by the secret Tradition of the Apostles Both which sorts have the same authority for as much as concernes piety and there is no man will contradict this that is never so little experienc'd in the law of the Church The same Father in the same Chapter The day would faile me if I should produce all the Mysteries which the Church observes without writing And a little after I account in an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in observing Traditions not written Againe Eusebius Caesariensis de dem Evang. lib. 1. who having said that Christ did not as Moses leave his Law written in Tables or Paper but in the hearts of his Apostles who likewise following the example and intention of their Master Have consign'd their doctrines some indeed in writing and others they have delivered to be observed by lawes unwritten Againe S. Chrysostome 2 Thes. cap. 2. From hence it appeares that the Apostles have not delivered all things by Epistles but likewise many things without writing now both those and these deserve to be equally believed Againe S. Epiphanius haer 61. We must likewise make use of Tradition for all things cannot be taken out of Scripture And therefore the Holy Apostles have given us some things in writing and others by Tradition Againe S. Augustin de Bap. cont Don. lib. 5. cap. 23. speaking against those that maintained that Haeretiques ought to be rebaptised The Apostles sayth he have prescribed nothing concerning this thing But this custome which was opposite to S. Cyprian ought to be believed to have taken its originall from their Tradition as there are many things which the uniuersall Church observe â—â—h and for that reason are rightly beleeved â—â— have been commanded by the Apostles although they are not found in their writings These quotations seemed sufficient to me to shew the generall Opinion of the Fathers to be consonant to the Conclusion before mentioned CHAP. II. The Roman Church agreeing with Fathers in the same Rule of Faith All Sects of Protestants disagree with the Fathers 1. NOw to the end to confront with Antiquity the present Roman and Protestant Churches that it may appeare which of them are the true legitimate children of those Fathers Wee will begin with the Roman Church whose mind we finde clearly expressed in the Decree of the Councell of Trent Sess. 4. concerning Canonicall Scriptures in these words Sacrosanâ—â—a c. Tridentina Synodus c. Perspiciens hanc veritatem c. that is The most holy c. Synod of Trent c. Clearly perceiving that this truth and discipline namely the Doctrine of Christ and his Apostles is contained in bookes written and unwritten Traditions which were received from Christs Mouth or delivered as it were from hand to hand from the Apostles to whom the Holy Ghost dictated it hath arrived even to us Following the Oxthodox examples of the Fathers receives and venerates with an equall affection of duty and reverence all bookes as well of the Old as New Testament since one God is the authour of both as likewise the Traditions themselves whether perteining to Faith or Manners as dictated either by Christs own Mouth or by the Holy Ghost and by a continued succession preserved in the Catholique Church Thus far the Councell of Trent 2. Whether the Roman Church has indeed made good this her profession viz. That in this decree shee followes the Orthodox examples of the Fathers besides so many formall proofes before alledged the confession of many learned Protestants will justifie her As Cartwright Cartw. Witgift Def p. 103. speaking of the forementioned or like quotations out of S. Augustin saith To approve this speech of Augustin is to bring in Popery c. So likewise Whittaker Fulk Kemnitius c. Whit. de Laec. Ser. p. 678. 681. 690 c. Fulkâ— con Purg. p. 362. 397. Kemnit Exam. part 1. p. 87 c. for such like assertions of the Fathers condemne then generally and by name Clemens Alexandrinus Origen Epiphanius Tertullian Augustin Ambrose Hierome Chrysostome Eusebius Baesile Leo Maximus Theophilus Damascene c. 3. In opposition to this decreed Doctrine of the Roman Church and by consequence to the Orthodox examples of the Fathers aâ—â— manner of Sects that have separated from the Church or from one another since Luthers â—â—me agree almost in no other point unanimously except in this That the Scripture conteins in it expresly all things both concerning beliefe and practise which are necessary or but requisite to salvation And by consequence that no man is or ought to be obliged to submit to any Doctrine or precept any further then as it can be proved manifestly to him to be conteined in the written word of God 4. The Church of England Art 6. of English Church in particular makes this one of her peculiar Articles That the Holy Scripture conteineth all things necessary for salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or to be thought requisite necessary to salvation
of me in Faith and Jesus Christ Conserve that good thing committed to thy charge by the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us And againe 1 Tim. cap. 2. ver 2. The things which thou hast heard of me in the presence of many witnesses consigne them to faithfull men which may be capable to teach othâ—â— also And lastly 1 Tim. cap. 3. ver 15. The Church is the pillar and ground of truth 4. To elude such Texts as these so expresse in themselves so stringent and convincing without any leave given to any rationall contradiction so unanimously acknowledged by the ancient Fatherâ— in the plaine importance of them for there was no need to call their commentaries interpretations there being not the least difficulty or obscurity in them to be cleared Protestants especially the Calvinists for the Church of England hath been more ingenuous have been forced to make use of the poorest guiltiest shift imaginable which is to translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enseignements instructions or by any other word but what reason and rules of Grammar would require namely Traditions That which moved them hereto was apparently a resolution to seduce the people for nourishing them up in the hatred of the Church in contempt of her authority in rejecting all her Traditions so far that whatsoever is proposed under that title of Tradition is not only not accepted but scornfully rejected by them as supposed most certainly false and superstitious if it should appeare that the Scripture it selfe should referre us to Christian doctrines under the notion of Traditions the very sound of that word in Scripture would perhaps make them suspect that their Ministers had abused them 5. But moreover for a helpe if this poore subtility should come to be discovered by their Proselites it is further answered by them that S. Paul might very well referre Timothy or the Thessalonians to the summe of Christian doctrine by him before preached and not yet reduced to writing because the entire Canon of Scripture was not yet compleated and sealed up but when that was finished afterward Christians were not to trust to their memories but to have recourse to expresse Scripture as is implyed by severall Texts of Scripture denoting its abundant sufficiency for all uses and necessities 6. For answer to this way of arguing it will be sufficient to say that whatsoever is here alledged by Protestants is meerly gratis dictum there being not the least intimation given by S. Paul or any other Evangelicall Author that the Apostles had any intention to write among them a body of the Christian law searce any booke of the New Testament having been written but only upon some particular occasion and for the use of some particular person and Church and on the contrary it appearing expresly both by Scripture and Tradition that the Apostles in all the Churches founded by them left a depositum both of the doctrines and discipline of Christianity uniforme and compleate not relating at all to any thing already or afterward to be written CHAP. VI. Two principall Texts of Scripture alledged by Protestants to prove it's sufficiency and against Traditions answered 1. COme we now to consider a while those Texts of Scripture pretended by Protestants to be so expresse uncontroulable and pressing as to justifie them from blame in not only opposing the former evident quotations for Traditions but in dividing from and condemning all Antiquity that taught the contrary and not onely so but relyed upon Tradition alone in severall points confessed by them not to be visible in Scripture and yet condemn'd anathematized and utterly vanquished severall Heretiques who thought it a sufficient warrant to be dispensed from severall doctrines taught and practises continued in the Church because the Scripture was silent in them 2. Of all others the most considerable Text of Scripture alledged by Protestants and most prized by them as efficacious to prove its perfection sufficiency to be an intire Rule of Faith is this speech of S. Paul to Timothy 1 Tim. c. 3. v. 16. 17 Omnis Scriptura divinitius inspirata utilis est c. All Scripture divinely inspired is profitable for teaching for arguing for reproving and for instructing in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfect instructed to every good worke Here say they it is apparent that S. Paul acknowledges Scripture to be profitable for all kindes of spirituall uses teaching arguing c. and moreover in such a perfection that by it not onely ignorant persons but even the man of God that is he who is a Teacher of Gods people who by his office is obliged to a higher perfection of knowledge may be made perfect and that to every good worke 3. To this it is answered 1. That by reading the verse immediately going before we shall be informed both of what Scriptures S. Paul there speakes and in what sence and with what conditions they are profitable for the forementioned uses and ends the words are Tu verò permane c. Doe thou â—â— Timothy persevere in those things which thon hast learned knowing of whom thou hast learned them and because from thy childhood thou hast knowne the Holy Scriptures which may instruct thee to Salvation by faith which is in Christ Jesus For all Scripture divinely inspired is profitable c. By the connexion of these words it appeares that those Scriptures to which Saint Paul gives this testimony and glorious character were the same in which Timothy now a Bishop had been instructed from his childhood that is the Scriptures of the Old Testament For how few of the Evangelicall writings were published even now that he was a Bishop and certainly scarce any at all when he was a child Sâ— Pauls designe therefore in this passage is evidently this viz. to exhort Timothy to remaine constant in iis quae ei tradita fuerant in those Christian verities and precepts by the Apostle delivered in trust to him not in writing but orall Tradition For which purpose he uses these motives namely 1. the consideration of the sublime Apostolicall Office of himselfe his instructour immediately and miraculously called and enabled to that imployment by Christ from heaven therefore he sayes knowing of whom thou hast learned these Evangelicall truths 2â— The conformity of these new revelations to those ancient ones of the Old Testament in which Timothy had been instructed from his childhood in which he might perceive though obscurely traced certaine markes and Prophecyes of the Gospell and so be easilier enclin'd to beleive what S. Paul had plainly delivered to him 3. Upon this occasion he declares the great profit which a Christian may find by having recourse to the old Testament as having great efficacy to make a man wise unto salvation but this not of themselves alone but joyned with the Faith which is in Christ Jesus and perseverance in believing the Christian verities delivered by orall Tradition So that the Apostles might very well conclude All Scriptures
XIX Passages out of Fathers concerning the Churches Authority 1. BUt I will no longer defer the testimonies which Antiquity affords to the third Proposition conteined in the second Conclusion forementioned viz. of the Churches authority to intepret Scriptures and define Controversies I confesse I might have contented my selfe considering the superabundance to omit single passages when so many Fathers have written whole books to witnesse it as Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Vercentius Lirinensis c. mentioned before and whereas all Councells in whatsoever they have determined have virtually determined this otherwise their determinations were to be esteemed any thing else but determinations Notwithstanding I will not refuse the trouble of selecting a few passages more expresly declaring what at large most of the bookes wherein they are found endeavour generally to prove whether Logically and rationally or no let the world judge I am sure they proved it so effectually that they have thereby utterly destroyed the Heresies that opposed them Let the first witnesse therefore be S. Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. Where the Church is there is the Spirit of God and where the Spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace The same Father againe lib. 4. c. 43. We must obey those Priests that are in the Church those that have succession from the Apostles who together with Episcopall power have according to the good pleasure of the Father received the certain gift of Truth And all the rest who depart from the originall succession wheresoever they be assembled to have suspected either as Haeretiques or Schismatiques or Hypocrites and all these do fall from the truth Againe lib 4. c. 62. The spirituall man shall judge them that be out of the Church Which Church shall be under no mans judgement For to the Church all things are known in which is perfect faith of the Father and of the dispensation of Christ and firme knowledge of the Holy Ghost teacheth al truth Again l. 5. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches To which order many yeild assent who believe in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit of God without letters or ink and diligently keeping ancient Tradition It is easy to receive the truth from God's Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich Store-house all thinges belonging to truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches and from them to receive what is certaine and cleare concerning the present question 3. Witness Tert. de Preser Therefore we must not appeale to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be settled upon them in the which there will be either no victory at all or very uncertaine c. Againe Order did require that that should be proposed in the first place which ought now to be onely debated viz. Which of the parties is possessed of that faith to which the Scriptures agree from whom and by whom and when and to whom that discipline was delivered by which men are named Christians For wheresoever it shall appeare that the truth of the Christian discipline or Faith is there will also be found the truth of Scriptures and expositions and all Christian Traditions Witnesse Origen Since there be many who thinke they believe the things which are of Christ and some are of different opinion from those who went before them let the doctrine of the Church be kept which is delivered from the Apostles by order of succession and remaines in the Church to this very day That onely is to be believed for truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church And again in our understanding of Scriptures we must not depart from the first Ecclesiasticall Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us 4. Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccl. There is one head one Source one Mother by the Issue of her fruitfulnesse copious by her encrease we are born we are nourished with her milk with her Spirit we are quickned The Spouse of Christ cannot be defiled with adultery Shee is pure and chast Shee knoweth one house and with chast bashfulness keepeth the sanctity of one bed This preserveth us in God This advanceth to the Kingdome the Children that shee hath brought forth Whosoever divideth from the Church and cleaveth to the adultresse hee is separated from the promises of the Church He cannot have God to his Father that hath not the Church to his Mother Witnesse Lactantius l. 4. c. ult It is onely the Catholique Church that hath the true worship and service of God this is the wel-spring of truth the dwelling-place of Faith the temple of God into which whosever entreth not and from which whosoever departeth is without all hope of life and eternall salvation Witnesse S. Basile and S. Gregory Naz. who as Ruffinus Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 29. relateth took the interpretation of Scripture not of their own sense but from the Tradition of the Fathers Witness S. Cyril of Jerusalem lat 18. The Church is called Catholique because it is spread over the universall world from one end to the other and because it teacheth Catholiquely and entirely all doctrine which are to be known Witnesse S. Ambrose Faith is the foundation of the Church for it was not spoken of the flesh of Peter but of his faith That the gates of Hell should not prevaile His Confession overcame Hell and this Confession excludes many Haeresies for seeing the Church like a good Ship is beat upon by many waves the Foundation of the Church must prevail against all Haeresies L. de incarn dâ—â— 5. Witnesse Dom. in Psalm 37. In the Church the truth resids Whosoever is seperated from it it is necessary that he speak false things Againe Ep. 54. The heighth of all authority all the light of reason for the reparation and reformation of mankinde consists only in the saving name of Christ and in his only Church Again Ep. 56 The supream Emperour of our Faith hath fortified his Church with the cittadell of authority and by meanes of a few persons piously learned hath armed it with copious provisions of unconquerable reason That therefore to him is the most right discipline that especially the weak should retire into this cittadell of Faith to the end that for their defence being placed most securely others should combat with most strong reasons Again de util Cred. c. 16 if the Providence of God doth not precide over humane affairs no care is to be had concerning Religion But if the severall variety of creatures which ought be believed to have flowed from some fountain of most perfect beauty and by certain inward instinct doth exhort both publiquely and privately those
teach mankind to love and glorifie God so hated by them to encourage them in the learning and practise of vertue and holynesse and in a word to induce them to hate renounce and destroy the Kingdome of Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 2. That such a Religion which most assuredly ha's been attested by such miracles is most true 3. That by consequence since this Religion expressely sayes so it is most necessarily to be embraced being proposed by such a witnesse and proponent as God in that Religion ha's declared to have received commission from him and authority for that purpose And this Proponent is as after the spending of many thoughts and much time before I could free my selfe from many prejudices and misinformations caused by education c. by the goodnesse and mercy of God I came at last evidently to perceive to be the present Catholike Church CHAP. XXVII Proofes â—ut of Scriptâ—ure c. for the Churches auâ—hority 1. THe speciall grounds from whence to mine own full satisfaction J collected this assuâ—ance That the Church alone was that divinely authorised proponent from whom I was to receive divine Revelations and these in the sense that she received and proposeth them as likewise the method and manner according to which as distinctly as I could I first gave an account to mine own understanding and now to others were as follows 2. It having been before declared and conformably testified by all kinds of antient Ecclesiasticall writers 1. That the doctrines and formes of practise of Christian Religion were by the Apostles with great care and assiduous inculeations firmly setled in all Churches by them founded and established To which form other Churches by their successors converted generally conformed themselves as Tertullian de Prescrip saith The Apostles founded Churches in every City from which Churches other Churches afterward did borrow the Faith delivered and the seeds of doctrine 2. That Religion was thus setled chiefly and indeed only by Tradition the books of Scripture having been written only occasionally and though they comprehend in generall the principall points of Christianity yet it is very briefly obscurely with seeming contradictions and dispersedly whereupon it is that they do often refer us to the profession and practise of the church Hence in evidence of reason it will follow that he that would inform himself of Christian Religion must have recourse thither where it â—a's been dâ—posited and that not simply in words but withall the sense of those words and the very life of them in practise and this depositary is by all acknowledged more or less to be the Catholike church For even those who make it a part of their Religion to oppose the authority of the Catholike church yet acknowledge that they have received the Scripture that is all the Religion which they have from her and her authority 3. Hence it will follow that that man that should either look for Christian religion where it is not or expect to find it entire where there was no intention to include it in its whole latitude or hope to â—ssure himself of the clear sense of it where it is set down often obscurely almost every where obnoxious to variety of interpretations would certainly not follow the conduct of his reason 4. Notwithstanding if the imputation of unreasonableness were the only effect of such an indiscreet way of information there is no proud man and pride or impatience to submit to authority is the root of all heresie and Schism but would easily perswade himself to despise such an imputation yea he would take a pleasure in opposing himself and his own reason single not only to one but many ages of men that should it more reasonable to relye upon authority for that which cannot be believed but upon the only motive of authority There is therefore another effect far more considerable then point of reputation which is the utmost danger of eternall perdition in renouncing one main doctrinall foundation of Christian Faith which is the authority of the one holy Catholique Church of Christ which authority consists not only in delivering books of Scripture or Traditionary doctrines but in obliging all men to unity both in fâ—ith and love which is impossible to be had except all men be obliged to the sense and interpretation which she proposeth as received from her by the same authority from which she received the books or doctrines themselves 5. A doctrine this is the most expresse in Scriptures the most constantly asserted by Fathers the only businesse of all Councells the most freely without any contradiction embraced by all Christians before these times excepting only those whom even the Sectaries of these times will call Heretiques or Schismatikes and in these times by all that enjoy the name of Catholikes In a word a doctrine this is beyond all other traditionary doctrines propagated from the Apostles to these times with the fullest universall consent of all Catholikes in all places and of all times of any one point in Christian Religion or any one book of Scripture 6. Among proofs out of Scripture we will begin with the Old Testament concerning which S. Augustine in Psal. 3. ch 2. professeth that the Prophets foretold more often more plainly of the Catholike Church then of Christ himself and the reason he sayes was because many Heretiques would arise that would perhaps spare the person of Christ but none could be a heretike without withdrawing himselfe from the authority and unity of the Church Now the particular Texts which especially S. Augustine makes use of to assert the churches Authority are these In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be on the top of all mountains and all hills shall flow unto her And she shall judge every tongue that resists her in judgement And Kings shall walk in the light of the Church and people in the splendour of her East Again That every Kingdome and Nation which doth not serve her shall perish Isa. c. 2. 54. and 60. That of the Kingly Prophet David Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God That of the Canticles Thou art faire and there is no spot in thee And that of the Prophet Ezechiel Thou shalt no more be called forsaken Psa. 86. Cant. 4. Ezech. 37. 7. Proofs out of the New Testament are Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world Mat. 8. upon which S. Augustine in Psa. 70. 10. thus infers The Church shall be here unto the end of the world For if it shall not be here unto the end of the world to whom was it that our Lord said Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And what was the reason that it was necessary that there should be such speeches in the Scripture Because there would in times to come arise enemies of the Christian Faith which would say Christians will continue for a certain space after that they will vanish and Idollâ— shall
the true way to eternall happinesse These are the directions which he professeth that he would give to any man desirous to save his soule and requiring whose instructions to rely upon for that purpose and this in opposition to a Catholique that would advise such a man to have recourse to the Catholique Church c. 3. Now for a more orderly examining of Mr. Chillingworth's direction for finding out the true sense of Scripture and judging controversies I will yet more distinctly set down his grounds in severall propositions collected out of his book in such a method as may shew the respect and dependence of the one on the other together with the chief reasons which he alledges for the proof of them and afterward I will subjoyn thereto the reasons which moved me to judge such grounds of his insufficient and his reasons unconcluding and in conclusion I will declare how I satisfied mine own reason that all the severall objections which he makes against the Churches authority under the notion of infallibility have not that force that both he and I my self once imagined 4. The abridgement of Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse I conceived might be reduced to these Propositions following viz 1. That Christian Religion having been planted so many ages since the only ordinary way that we can arrive to the knowledge of it is Tradition and the only assured way universall Tradition of all ages and Churches which is of it selfe credible and admits not of any proof 2. That for himself he could find nothing delivered by such an universall Tradition as of divine authority but only books of Scripture for if he had he would have imbraced it with equal submission since the being written makes not any thing more credible 3. That the Scripture is a most sufficient and the only rule of Faith most sufficient because it self sayes so the only rule because nothing else can be proved to be of universall Tradition 4. That by consequence the Scripture contains in it all things necessary to be believed and practised by all sorts of persons and this so plainly and expressely that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense thereof much â—esse be mistaken for otherwise God would not have provided sufficiently for the salvation of mankind 5. That concerning those passages of Scripture wherein are contained doctrines of Christianity but not so plainly men are not obliged necessarily to understand or believe them since it cannot consist with the goodnesse of God that men should be bound to have an expresse knowledge or belief of that which God himself ha's purposely delivered obscurely 6. That since no proof can be made either out of Scripture or universall Tradition that there is any authoritative visible Judge of the sense of the Scripture and since each mans understanding or reason is the only faculty capable of judging that therefore it only is to judge of the sense of the Scripture as far as concerns each mans particular 7. That fince every mans reason may possibly be deceived especially proceeding upon objects not immediately offered to sense therefore an infallible faith is not required such a probability will serve tqe turn as is sufficient to produce in a man obedience to the precepts of holinesse commanded in the Gospell 8. That since all Christians cannot but agree in necessary doctrines which are expresse they ought not to deny communion to one another for other doctrines not expressely contained in Scripture And that this is the only affectuall means of reducingâ— and preserving unity among Christians 5. These are in brief the grounds of Christian Faith and of the means afforded us to attain to the true sense of as much of it as is necessary and likewise to beget charity and unity among Christians as they lye dispersed up and down in Mr. Chillingworths book and which I have set down faithfully and ingenuously in the most rationall method that I could devise I will now with as convenient dispatch as I can adjoyn likewise in the same order respectively the reasons why I could not content my self with them but was forced to relinquish them to abase mine owne reason and to have recourse to a foundation as I thought more firme and rationall and I am confident farre more safe viz. the Catholique Church CHAP. XXXVI An answer to the three first grounds of Mr. Chillingworth 1. TO the first ground therefore viz. That there is no other way to be assured of a Religion established many ages since but universall Tradition I grant it But whereas it is added A Tradition of all ages If the meaning be that it is required to such an assurance that a man should have precisely from every age a sufficient testimony of this universal Tradition this is uâ—terly impossible any other way then as including the testimony of former ages in that of the present for though there may be preserved a few writings in every age all which may contur in this testimony and so make it indeed very probable yet the testimony of three or four Writers is not equivalent to the testimony of the age Add to this that such a way of proof though it may give good satisfaction to learned persons and is practised more by Catholiques then any other who yet rest upon the present Church for the certainty of Tradition yet it is very laborious and uncertain and whereof very few persons are capable and therfore not to be made a ground for all men to build all Religion upon The testimony therefore of all former ages is alwaies most safely included as to particular men in the testimony of the present age if that be universall for place and grounded upon Tradition as I shewed before and made the proofe of the assurance of it to be because it was impossible it should be false unless some one whole age should conspire to deliver a thing as of Tradition which was not so and not only conspire but should actually deceive their children no man discovering the imposture a thing beyond all imagination of possibility I will therefore add no more here but only the confession of a learned Protestant in his own words viz. When a Doctrine is in any age constantly delivered as a matter of Faith and as received from â—â— ancestors in such sort as the contradictors thereof were in the beginning noted for novelty and if they persisted in contradiction in the end charged with heresie it is impossible but such a doctrine should come by succession from the Apostles 2. To the second where he sayes That he could find nothing as of divine authority delivered by universall Tradition of all ages but only books of Scripture I answer that any one that will search with a willingnesse to find shall doubtlesse have better fortune then Mr. Chillingworth For I desire any one to consider with himself â—â— Whether the Apostles did not in all churches established by them settle the whole doctrine and form of Christian Discipline
But withall professeth that The three Creeds Nicene Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought throughly to be received and believed Moreover that she receiveth the foure first Generall Councells yet not saying that she thinkes her selfe obliged to the one or other for the authority of Tradition or the Councells for if so she would be obliged likewise to accept of and submit to many other Traditions and Councells as likewise many points and practises confirmed in those Councells besides the Mysteries of the Blessed Trinity many of which notwithstanding shee relinquishes if not condemnes Yea on the contrary for those three Creeds she gives this reason for her admitting of them because they may be proved by most certaine warrants of holy Scripture And how little or no authority she allowes to the Church or Generall Councells shall be shewn in the next Conclusion For the present therefore taking those words of accepting the three Creeds and foure Councells rather for a complement of Civility to Antiquity then as importing any reall intention to admit any judge or Rule of Faith but only Scripture and that interpreted by her selfe for her selfe at least Come we to consider how rationall and safe a ground this is That nothing is to be beleeved but only Scripture CHAP. III. English Protestants unwilling to Justifie this Position and Why. Mr. Chillingworths late booke against the Catholique Church and the Character given of it 1. THis Position of Scripture being the only Rule of Faith though it be the main foundation upon which all Heretiques and Schismatiques◠almost that are and ever were doe rely and therefore in all likelyhood since so many millions of people of all Sects and in all ages have been concern'd to study and make it good should in reason be best upheld Yet to my apprehension of all other controversies this is the most weakly grounded and guiltily maintained 2. The experience I have of the particular disposition of English Protestanats properly so called and the happinesse I have enjoyed in the acquaintance and friendship with very many the most considerable persons for Learning Prudence and Piety in that Church gives mee warrant to say this of them that there is no point of Controversy that they are more unwilling to touch upon then this of Scriptures being the onely Rule and no visible Judge to interpret it I meane as to the positive maintaining thereof for as concerning the disputing against the infallibility of the Church there is none more ready to make Objections then they One reason hereof may be because the English Church out of gratitude to the Ancient Church and Fathers which have hitherto maintained their Ecclesiasticall Government against the Calvinists till they came to dispute with fire and sword professeth therfore greater reverence to antiquity and Tradition then any other Sect whatsoever And therefore her children are unwilling to renounce or oppose that great army of Saints Martyrs of the Primitive times who unanimously acknowledge that besides Scriptures they had received from their Ancestors Traditionary Doctrines and Ritts and these so universally spread through all Churches Easterne and Westerne no man being able to name any particular fallible Authour of them that they were as firmely assured that they proceeded from the Apostles as that the books of Scripture proceeded from the same Authours Yea for many of these Traditions greater proofe might be made of their authentique and Divine Originall then of most books of Scripture in as much as they were from the beginning universally apparent in the Practise of the Church visibly shining in their Publique liturgies for example Prayer for the Dead and by consequence Purgatory that is a State of deceased Christians capable of being bettered and eased by the Charity and Devotions of the living Sacrifice of the Masse and Offering it for the Quick and Dead Adoration of Christ really present there Baptisme of Infants Non-rebaptization of Heretiques Observation of Ecclesiasticall Feastes Lent-fasts c. Invocation of Saints Veneration of Reliques Images c. Practise of Crossing themselves Rites in administring Sacraments c. Whereas the bookes of the New Testament especially the Epistles and Apocalypse being written upon emergent occasions and for the present neede of particular Persons and Churches were a great while before they could be generally dispersed and great caution and circumspection used before they would be admitted into the Cannon and being all except some few that have perished received there it was impossible to prevent infinite corruptions in the writing since every one had leave to transcribe thē 3. A second reason why English Protestants I speake knowingly at least of my selfe and not a few others dispence the more easily with themselves for examining the sufficiency of this Rule of Faith is because there being but two ways imaginable of assigning such a Rule that is either expresse Scripture alone or that joyn'd with Ecclesiasticall Tradition which is to be received upon the authority or as the Schooles call it the infallibility of the Church and Protestants being perswaded that they can unanswerably confute this fallibility they take it for granted that the former is the only Rule and therefore surcease from undergoing the paines of diligent enquiry how firmely their foundation is layd and what course to take for the answering of those inextricable inconveniences which follow upon that ground for feare lest if both these foundations should come to shrinke Christianity it selfe would become questionable and a way made for direct Atheisme Hereupon it is that generally their writers have proceeded the destructive way willingly undertaking to contradict the Churches infallibility and it is not without extreame violence that they can be brought to maintaine their owne grounds Which when the earnestnesse of Catholiques extorts from them though they must conclude for only Scripture and No-judge yet either shame or remorse makes them deferre somewhat to the ancient Churches authority as it were excusing themselves that they dare not suffer themselves to be directed by her For if by her as a visible Church then by all Churches succeeding her to these our times 4. In these latter times since that great unfortunate Champion against the Churches infallibility Mr. Chillingworth published his booke in defence of Doctour Potter this guilt of English Protestants ha's beene farre more conspicuous His objections against the Church that is his destructive grounds are avowed and boasted of as unanswerable in a manner by all but his positive grounds that is the making onely Scripture and that to be interpreted by every single mans reason to be the Rule of Faith this is at least waved if not renounced by many But most unjustly since there is no conceivable meanes how to finde out a third intelligible way of grounding beliefe and determining controversies besides divine revelation proposed and interpreted authoritatively by the Church or meere Scripture without any obligatory interpretation as shall be demonstrated hereafter Hence
the generall Character given of himselfe and his booke is That he has had better luck in pulling down buildings than raising new ones and that he has managed his sword much more dexterously than his buckler And yet as if there were no need either of house or buckler or as if Protestants did thinke themselves secure from weather and danger if Catholiques were expulsed and wounded No man appeares with any designe to provide himselfe of any safer way of defence then that which Mr. Chillingworth hath afforded Yea Mr. Chillingworth himselfe his friends know the reason of it â—utterly refused to answer those unconquerable confutations of his positive grounds and those fearefull consequences charged upon them being satisfied or at least making a countenance before those that knew him not inwardly that he was satisfied of the firmenesse of his Rule of Faith as long as an exact particular answer to all his objections against the Churches infallibility was not published Those who have had a particular acquaintance with that extraordinary sublime wit and judgement will or at least can witnesse with me that thus much as I have said in a seeming censure of him is true Considering the long and inward friendship and the many obligations I had to him I had absteined from this but that the cause in hand obliged me thereto and but that his book alone had the principall influence upon me to shut up my entrance into Catholique unity I shall therefore have frequent occasion hereafter in this Narration to weigh both his proofes and objections at least such of them as were most powerfull with me yet resolving to be extreamely tender of his reputation But to returne to the Story of my selfe CHAP. IIII. Inconveniences following Protestants Position of Only-Scripture Fathers refuse to dispute with Haeretiques from only Scripture 1. VVHen I was forced to weigh with circumspection and fidelity this maine fundamentall Position of Protestantisme viz. That the Scripture is the only Rule of Faith or That all things necessary to be believed are conteined expresly in Scripture what a world of unavoidable inconveences did presently throng into my understandiog and upon how meere sand did it appeare to be laid For the inconveniences 1. It is impossible upon this ground that ever there should be found a way to end any controversies as shall be demonstrated in the next Conclusion 2. There can scarce be named one Haeretique but tooke the same for a ground of his Haeresy and generally the Fathers protest against this ground reducing them to Ecclesiasticall Tradition and the authority of the present Church 2. For a proofe whereof we may consider the particular Treatises and bookes of the ancient Fathers which they wrought directly for this purpose namely to shew what method and grounds their Ancestors and reason it selfe dictated to be used and proceeded upon in disputing with any Haeretique whatsoever and we shall finde that the Catholiques of these dayes doe shew themselves indeed sons of those Catholique Fathers exactly treading their steps in appealing to Scripture and generall Tradition from which there lyes no prescription or appeale And on the contrary that the Haeretiques and Schismatiques of our times have been as exact in pursuing the traces of their Ancestors pretending only Scripture but relying upon the Pride of their owne hearts and thinking that their interpretations and wrestings of Scripture ought to prevaile against all present and past authority how universall soever for place and how uninterrupted soever for succession The treatises anciently written for this purpose are S. Irenaeus against Haeresies Tertullian de Praescriptionibus S. Cyprian de unitate Ecclesiae S. Augustin de unitate Ecclesiae contra Epistolam Fundamenti de utilitate credendi c. S. Vincentius Lerinensis his Commonitorium c. 3. In particular may be witnesse of this Tertullian Tert. de Praescrip cap. 19. There is no good got by disputing out of Texts the Scripture but either to make a man sick or mad And againe There ought therefore to be no appealing to Scripture nor disputing out of them since by that meanes either neither side will be victorious or it is a hazard whether And againe But hitherto we have in generall proceeded against all Heresies proving by assured reasonable and necessary prescriptions against all Heresies that they are to be excluded from all disputation out of Scripture Witnesse likewise S. Augustine Haeresies and doctrines of perversenesse ensnaring soules and sinking them into Hell have risen from no other fountaine but this that Scriptures which are good are understood not well and that which is not well understood in them is rashly and impudently maintained Againe the same Father brings in the Arian Bishop Maximinus thus challenging a Catholique id con Maximin Ar. Episcopum lib. 1. If thou wilt produce any thing out of divine Scriptures which are common to all it is necessary we should hearken to thee But these speeches which are not in Scripture are in no case receivable by us The same Father in the conclusion of the same books brings in another Heretique using these words I desire and wish to be a Disciple of the Holy Scriptures c. If thou shalt affirme any thing out of the Scriptures if thon shalt produce a quotation of any thing written there in any place We desire to be found disciples of the Holy Scriptures Againe severall other passages to the same purpose may be seen in severall other parts of his workes as in Epist 222. and in lib. de Gen. ad lit lib. 7. cap. 9. and de fide Symb. cap. 9. and in Joan. Tract 18. Lastly the same Father disputing against Cresconius the Grammarian saith id lib. 1. con Cresc Gram. cap. 33. Yet notwithstanding although there is produced no example of this out of Scriptures Canonicall we doe neverthelesse observe the truth of the same Scriptures when we doe that which is approved by the Church whose authority the Scriptures recommend See suitable passages in l. 5. de Bap. cont Donat. cap. 23. and de Unit. Eccl. cap. 19. Witnesse againe S. Hierom S. Hieron dialog cont Lucifer Neither let them please themselves if sometimes they seem to make good their assertions out of some Texts of Scripture for the Devill likewise sometimes quoted Scripture for Scriptures consist not in the bare words but in sence It is true indeed the Fathers sometimes commend the fulnesse of Scripture as S. Basil saying whatsoever is without the Scripture is sinne but withall he gives us a Rule to know his meaning shewing that according to the last quotation out of S. Augustin against Crescoâ—â—us the Grammarian that may be said to be virtually conteined in Scripture which is delivered by the Church whose authority is recommended to us in Scripture so sayes S. Basil likewise id lib. de Spiritu sancto It is an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in Traditions not written for saith the Apostle I praise you in that you are mindfull of
whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you Besides in some cases there may be controversies about points which are not grounded upon Orall Tradition but only Scripture 4. A third inconvenience following the Protestants position is this That since undoubtedly there were in the Primitive Church Traditions in great number besides what is expressed in Scripture I could not imagine what was become of them or how it should be possible they should come to be lost having been received generally through the whole Church and most of them shining in the practise of it To salve this inconvenience Protestants either impudently give the lye to all the Fathers and say without the least proofe that there were none at all Or in England there being under-Sects which by Scripture alone could not be confuted as Puritans Anabaptists Sabbatarians c. they are forced to acknowledge some few Traditions of such a nature although thereby they destroy their maine foundation of only-Only-Scripture For by the Traditionary doctrine of Non-rebaptization they conclude the Anabaptists to be Heretiques that is erring in a necessary point of doctrine Yet themselves renounce doctrines and practises delivered by a far more full Tradition So great effect hath interest in that Church But what will become of S. Basils saying before quoted That the day would faile him if he should undertake to enumerate all the Traditions left by the Apostles in the Church not mentioned in Scripture For all that even the most condescending Protestants will allow for such may be reckoned five times over in a minute of an hower Considering therefore that such Traditions being visibly manifest for the most part in the practise of the Church are far more easily preserved then any writing can be it will necessarily follow that the rest of that great number are extant in the Roman Church as may be proved of most of them before reckoned by testimonies of Ancient Fathers Vid. sup c. 3. 5. A fourth inconvenience to my understanding unavoidable by Protestants and a great proofe of the truth of the Doctrine of the Roman Church is this Though Protestants generally deny that the points of Controversie debated between them and the Roman Church were universally received by the Ancient Church as Invocation of Saints adoration of Christ as present in the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the dead c. Yet they cannot deny but that in many of the Fathers proofes of these doctrines may be found to shew that such was at least their particular opinions Now if generally the Ancient Church had agreed with Protestants both in denying such doctrines and practise received now in the Roman Church and likewise in making only-expresse-Scripture the Rule to judge by it could not be avoided but that some Synods or Fathers would have taken notice of such pretended errours in the writings of other Fathers and likewise would have produced some of those Texts of Scriptures now made use of by Protestants for that purpose a thing they are so far from that on the contrary we find that many of the Fathers infer the same doctrines from the same Texts that Catholiques now do And Protestants though they alledge some passages of Fathers by which they may seem consequently to destroy such doctrines and to contradict their owne formall assertions in other places yet are not able to produce so much as one Text of Scripture interpreted by any Father to confute any one such pretended errour Which is a thing very remarkable and will argue either that no man in the Ancient Church took notice of such pretended dangerous speeches of so many Fathers or that they understood not the plaine Texts of Scripture if Protestants grounds be true or upon Catholiques grounds since it was impossible but they must have taken notice of such opinions and since they certainly did understand plaine Texts of Scripture that therefore not disputing out of Scripture as Protestants doe they were so far from believing such opinions to be errours deserving a Schisme that they all of them agreed in receiving them as Catholique Truths Other inconveniences which without hope or possibility of remedy do arise from making Scripture alone secluding not only Traditions but likewise any visible obliging interpreter to be the only Rule and Judge of Controversies shall be reserved to be examined in the next Conclusion concerning the Authority of the Church in this businesse CHAP. V. Weaknesse of Protestants proofs for only-Scripture Texts of Scripture alleadged by Catholiques vainly eluded by Protestants 1. AS I said before since Protestants and all other Sects doe against their nature and custome so unanimously conspire to forsake the oldâ— and good wayes by travelling wherein even themselves being judges so many glorious Saints Confessors Martyrs Bishops c. were renowned not onely in their owne but all succeeding times dissipated armies of Haeretiques propagated the Kingdome of Christ over the world subdued Idolatry and made it utterly to vanish though supported with the force of the whole Roman world and in fine arrived to a supereminent degree of glory in Paradice And since in stead of this so successefull a way they have chosen to walke every man in a severall path through those narrow crooked and at least very dangerous because new wayes of a proud selfe-assuming presumption in interpreting only-Scripture each man according to his own fancy interest following the example of no antiquity but only ancient Heretiques in all reason they should have taken order to have justified themselves herein after a more then ordinary manner they ought to have contributed all the invention and skill of all the best wits in each Sect to fortifie this common foundation of only Scripture and no visible judge beyond all other points of difference 2. And so no doubt they have to the utmost capacity of the subject But no skill can serve to build a firme secure edifice upon sand and private reason or fancies of inspiration are more weake and sandy then even sand it selfe For proofe hereof let us consider the pretended proofes and reasons which they alleadge to assert this their fundamentall position viz. that the entire Rule of Faith is the written word of God of which there is not extant any visible authoritative interpreter Proofes hereof produced by them are 1. Negative invalidating such Texts of Scripture as are alledged by Catholiques and expounded by Fathers to prove Traditions unwritten and 2. Positive drawne from other Texts expressing the sufficiency and perfection of Scripture 3. Some Texts by Catholiques produced to prove Traditions and those concerning points of Doctrine as well as practise or ceremonies besides what is written in the Evangelicall books are among others these following out of S. Paul 2 Thes. cap. 1. ver 15. Observe the Tradititions which you have received from us whether by word or by Epistle And againe 2 Tim. c. 2. ver 13. Have before thine eyes the patterne of sound words which thou hast heard
of the Old Testament giving testimony to the Gospell being inspired by God are very profitable not entirely of themselves sufficient for teaching arguing reproving instructing in righteousnesse And that by them the man of God even a Christian Bishop may be made perfect or enabled to every good worke that is as he expresseth the same sence in the former verse wise unto Salvation but upon condition that they be joyned with the Faith or Gospell of Christ Iesus and perseverance therein This to my understanding seems to be the proper naturall importance of this Text of S. Paul so far from evincing what the Protestants would collect from it that it confirmes the quite contrary 4. But let it be supposed which is impossible to be evinced that the Apostle speakes here by way of Prophecy of Evangelicall Scriptures not yet written but with respect to the time when they should be perfectly compleated he sayes onely they are profitable not sufficient to produce the mentioned effects and end He excludes not the Church interpreting them in a word He referres expresly to orall Tradition And by consequence he is far from saying any thing that may warrant the Protestants upon pretence from these words to relinquish the way which all ancient Christians and Fathers of the Church walked in and to walke in that which as hath been shewed by irrefragable testimonies has beene traced by all and onely Heretiques So far is he from saying or giving warrant to any to say Reject all things that you finde not expresly conteined in Scriptures though the whole world upon whose only testimony you receive Scriptures affirme that they received other things from the same authority Keep your selves close to that sence of Scriptures which your own fancies or interests shall suggest unto you and admit neither fathers nor Church to interpret them to you believe your own understandings onely which you may call the inspirations of the Holy Ghost if you please And content not your selves with deceiving your selves alone with such fancies take authority upon your selves to destroy all publique authority and toâ— obtrude per sas nefas your interpretations and glosses upon the consciences of others This S. Paul ought to have said if he had purposed to justifie the grounds of Protestantisme But this I could not conceive to be his meaning and therefore I tooke it to be my best course to be misled by Fathers Councells and the whole Catholique Church 5. A second proofe for the sufficiency of Scripture alone to be an entire Rule of Faith and of great moment among many Protestants is that speech in the end of the Revelation Rev. c. 22. v. 18. 19. Contestor enim omni audienti c. I doe protest to every one that hears the words of the Prophecy of this book If any one shall adde unto these God shall adde unto him the plagues written in this booke And if any one shall diminish from the words of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the Holy City and out of those things which are written in this book The weight of this Text is much more pressing in their opinion by reason of the situation of it in the close of the whole body of Evangelicall writings and likewise by the advantage of a Parallel place in the end of Moyses his law 6. Hereto it is answered that this Text is so far from obliging us to understand it in generall of Evangelicall doctrines that expresly and in terminis terminantibus it restreines it selfe onely to the Prophecies conteined in this particular booke for bidding any one to presume to make any change in it either by addition and interpolation of other Prophecies pretended to be written by the same Divine Author a thing practised by Heretiques in other Evangelicall writings when this booke was published or by razing out any Prophecies herein conteined as some Heretiques likewise had done in other Apostolicall bookes So that this author is so farre from forbidding any other revelations of divine doctrines besides those already published that notwithstanding any thing here said Agabus and Saint Philips daughters might if they had pleased have set forth their Prophecies so they had done it without injury or disparagement to the Apocalypse Even as Moyses by such like words signified that in his writings were conteined the summe of that law delivered by God on Mount Sinai at least as much of it as was fit to communicate for the present to the people and therefore forbad any man to change his writings any way Yet notwithstanding it is apparent that not onely the Jewes but likewise the Ancient Fathers believed that besides this written law Moyses himselfe delivered to the Preists and Sanedrim many unwritten Traditions relating to the law it selfe some of which are mentioned in Evangelicall Scripture as the institution of the order of Exorcists the mingling of water with the blood of the Testament wherewith Moyses sprinckled the people Skarlet wooll and hyssope to be used in all aspertions the sprinkling the booke of the Covenant with blood The names of Jannes and Mambres the antagonists of Moyses and the combat betweene an Angell and the Devill about Moyses his body c. Besides many Holy men published bookes among the Jewes acknowledged of divine authority wherein were many Mysteries of Faith not onely more expresly but de novo conteined and not at all declared by Moyses many writings of devotion Precepts of Piety and manners c. Onely Moyses his bookes have beene received to this day under the notion of the fundamentall law of the Jewish Common-wealth a title that other writings never challenged 7. As concerning the advantage taken from the position of the forementioned Text in the close of the Evangelicall writings it will be of no force at all to any man that shall consider how it came to passe that the severall bookes were placed in the order as wee at this day finde them viz. That certaine men unknown to us now but followed by a tacit agreement of the Church when after the decease of the Apostles they had sought out all the writings that remained and had beene occasionally published by them compiled them in one volumne in this order They begun with the Gospels or history of our Saviours life and death as reason was placing them it may be in the order as they were written however assigning the first place to S. Mathew because he having written his Gospel in Hebrew for the use of the Jewes and Jewish Christians to whom Christ commanded his Gospel should first be preached and upon their refusall to the Gentiles even for that reason alone his Gospel might be thought to have deserved the first place the rest following in the order as they were written Then followes the Story of the Apostles especially S. Paul written by his companion S. Luke and continued till their separation by S. Pauls voyage to Rome After bookes of
Story follow doctrinall writings namely Epistles conteining particular doctrinall controversies and precepts of manners written upon occasion when false Teachers had sowne tares of particular Heresies in the Churches founded by the Apostles Among these Epistles those of S. Paul both for the number importance and length of them obtained the first place but disposed not according to the order and dates of time that they were written but according to the priviledges and advantages of the Churches and Citties to which they were sent the Romans having obteined as reason was the first place then the Corinthians c. and after all such followed his particular Epistles to particular persons as Timothy Titus c. In the last place the whole volume was concluded with this single booke of Prophecies as being last written most difficult and lesse necessary These things being apparent let all reasonable men judge what just advantage can be taken by Protestants thus to build their maine foundation of difference from the Catholique Church upon so inconsiderable so casuall a thing as the order wherein the bookos of the New Testament have been ranged no man knowes by whom CHAP. VII Rnasons and Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth to prove onely Scripture to be the Rule of Faith 1. BEsides these two so much by many Protestants magnifyed proofes of the Scriptures pretended sufficiency to determine all controversies of Religion with exclusion of unwritten Traditions There are other arguments which had greater force with me produced by Mr. Chillingworth and which that he might more advantagiously enforce he laies this first for a ground viz That no man ought to be obliged upon paine of Excommunication to believe any thing but what God hath revealed to be necessary to eternall salvation which is the substance of the New Covenant made by God in Christ conteining points of necessary beleife and precepts of necessary Evangelicall Obedience For saies he why should any errour or ignorance exclude him from the Churches Communion which will not deprive him of eternall salvation Why should men be more rigid then God 2. These grounds thus laid and supposed unquestionable In the next place to prove that this Covenant is entirely conteined not only in the whole Scripture but also in the lower Gospels yea sufficiently in any one of the former he first alledges these reasons Because the Evangelists having as they professe a purpose to write the Gospell of Christ or New Covenant no reason can be imagined why they who have set downe many passages unnecessary should neglect any necessary For what supine negligence and indiscretion must that needs bee such verily as no man in these dayes undertaking the same designe would commit Againe with what truth could they stile their bookes the Gospell of Christ being but a part of it 3. After such discourses he brings in his opinion two evident and unanswerable Texts out of the Gospells to prove that whatsoever is necessary for a Christian to beleive or practise is conteined in every one of them severally The first Text is the conclusion of S. Johns Gospell cap. 21 Many other signes also did Iesus in the sight of his Disciples which are not written in this booke But these are written that ye may believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name For the enforcing of which quotation he addes By these words these are written may be understood either These things are written or These signes are written Take it which way you will this conclusion will certainly follow That either all that which S. Iohn wrote in his Gospell or lesse then all and therefore all much more was sufficient to make them believe that which being believed with lively faith would certainly bring them to eternall life 4. The second proofe is from those words in the Preface of S. Lukes Gospell cap. 1. Forasmuch us many have taken in hand to set forth in order a Declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us even as they delivered unto us which from the beginning were eye witnesses and Ministers of the word It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of things from the first to write to thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed To this quotation he addes a parallell passage of the same S. Luke in his entrance to his History of the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 1. viz The former treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Iesus began both to doe and teach untill the day that he was taken up c. Lastly he adjoynes twelve questions serving to enforce to the uttermost the strength and energy of these Texâ—s Which Questions after I have first prepared a way by consideration of a few principall termes in this controversie to a satisfaction what is here concluded from these Texts quoted by Mr. Chillingworth I will likewise set downe adjoyning to each of them its answer CHAP. VIII Preparatory grounds for the answering of these reasons and Quotations That Christian Religion was setled in the Church by Tradition especially The advantage of that way beyond writing 1. THe whole weight of this Controversie concerning the Rule of Faith viz. Whether all truths and precepts c. of Christianity necessary to Salvation be to be sought for in Scripture alone or any one or more of the Gospels as expresly conteined in them as Protestants affirme or likewise in the Tradition of the Catholique Church as Catholiques maintaine relying upon the true understanding of these three things especially viz. 1. The way whereby Christianity was setled in the Church which will appeare to have beene by Orall Tradition and externall uniforme practise as being more secure from errour and mistakes than writing 2. The occasion of the writing of the Gospels and other bookes of the New Testament and the benefit which the Church reapes by them 3. The meaning of this Phrase things necessary to salvation and the freeing of it from ambiguities and misapplications I conceived it therefore necessary to meditate seriously and as exactly as I was capable to informe my selfe distinctly of these particulars to the end that I might be able to judge whether these difficulties and objections alledged by Mr. Chillingworth would approve themselves as unanswerable as at my leaving of England I supposed them Here therefore I will set down in order the effect of my enquiry 2. To begin therefore with the first particular to be premised namely the way whereby Christian Religion was setled and continued in the Church By diligent reading of the writings of severall Fathers especially and ancient Ecclesiasticall Historians it manifestly appeared at least to mine own full satisfaction that it was not the purpose of Christ to deliver his new law as Moyses had done his in Tables or written characters but in Orall Tradition or to write it indeede but as Eusebius
Mysteries Or among the Romans did not the Palilia Suo vetâ—urilia Ambarvalia Lupercalia c. keepe fresh in their mindes the Deities in whose honour and ingratitude for whose favour those solemnities had beene instituted How infinitely more securely and unfailably has almighty God provided for the continuance of Truth and Piety in his Church since those Heathen-Solemnities were repeated but once a yeare in one City or Countrey but Ours every day by numbers of people in all Countries Cities and Villages CHAP. IX A further demonstration of the firmnesse of Tradition Certain objections answered 1. BUt it will objected who knowes but there may yea who can deny but there have crept in alterations even in these Liturgies and formes of Publique Devotions For answer It is confess'd there have for the first Liturgies as S. James and others ascribed to Apostolique Persons were briefe simple lesse ceremonious and as the Church grew more large and splendid so Gods service became more extended solemne and majesticall But that any substantiall part of Devotion any expressions implying or instilling new bred errours have been introduced into the publique formes of God's service that is utterly denyed And they that lay this imputation upon Gods Church are obliiged to produce examples and visible proofes thereof which it is impossible for them to doe with the hundreth part of that assurance that Catholiques by shewing those which are now extant of the Ancient Liturgies by alledging irrefragable testimonies of the extreame punctuall curiosity of the ancient Fathers in exactly and unalterably preserving Tradition according to the Apostles direction Formam habe c. Keepe the forme of sound words will demonstrate the contrary I cannot forbeare on this occasion among many other examples which may be produced to specifie that extreame nicenesse of S. Augustine shewing not only his care to deliver Traditionall truths themselves but the termes also in which those truthes were conveyed to his times Ne me ineptum putes Do not thinke me foolish saith be to Honoratus lib. de util cred cap. 3. for using Greek termes my chiefe reason is because I have so learned these things by Tradition neither dare I deliver them to thee any other way then as I have received them So the same Father dequant anima cap. 34 Divinè ac singulariter in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ traditus c. It is a Doctrine divinely and singularly delivered by Tradition in the Catholique Church that no Creature is to be worshipped with an internall worship of the Soule For I doe the more willingly expresse my selfe in these termes because the Doctrine was taught mee in the same This hee sayes because the word Creaturâ— did not seeme so pure and proper a Latin word From the like grounds proceeded those frequent speeches in Synods which silenced all Haereticall innovation Servetur quod traditum est and Vetus Traditio obtineat and Desinâ—t incessere novitas vetustatem c. Let that which is delivered by Tradition be observed And Let Tradition prevayle And Let novelty forbeare to oppose antiquity c. This care certainly was more curiously observed in the publique Devotions of the Church 2. For proofe whereof besides the confronting the Ancient Liturgies of the Easterne and Southerne Churches let Protestants if they please examine the Ages against which they believe they have the justest arguments of suspition of any other viz. since the time of S. Gregory the Great There are to this day extant his own Missalls in Print and Breviaries in Manuscript in severall Libraries let them examine what changes such ignorant superstitious Times as they thinke and so many wicked Popes as they say and not alwayes untruly have made in these publique Devotions of the Church They will blush certainly to have had the least suspition in this nature of the Primitive Times when they shall see evidently that in the Canon of the Masse there ha's scarce been one word altered for above these last thousand years And in the Breviary not any that will afford them contentment answerable to their paines of comparing them 3 Now whereas some Protestants demand and particularly Mr. Chillingworth in severall places where are we to seek for these Traditions of which the Roman Church talkes so much where is the Cabinet and Magazine wherein they are stored And when will shee empty it that we may see all the treasure that Christ lest unto his Church Hereto it is answered that M. Chillingworth said well that To say a secret Tradition is as absurd as to say a silent Thunder since Traditions are obvious to all Mens Eyes and sound aloud in all Mens Eares shining in the publique visible practice and profession of the Church The Church is so far from pretending as Protestants would faine seem to fancy that she has certaine secret conservatories of these Traditions out of which upon occasion she can draw some speciall ones to determine emergent Controversies and much lesse that the Holy Ghost suggests unto her in time of neede any formerly vanished Apostolique Revelation that whatsoever is not expresly in Scripture or satisfactorily apparenâ— in the publiquely received professions and practises of the Church are not perhaps determinable as points of Faith that is as Traditionary Divine Revelations In so much as some learned Catholiques are of opinion how justly or no I examin not that certaine Questions now ventilated in the Church as concerning the Conception of our Blessed Lady and some of the more subtill and scholasticall Controversies between the Jesuites and Dominicans concerning Grace and Freewill Predetermination and Contingency c. have not light enough either from Scripture Tradition or the publique Profession and Practise of the Church so as to be capable of a precise decision at least so farre as to make such a decision to become properly an article of Faith unlesse perhaps such a one as was that of the Councell of Vienna touching Grace infused into Infants in Baptisme which is set downe in this forme Nos attendentes that is Wee heedfully considering the generall efficacy of the death of Christ the which by Baptisme is applyed equally and indifferently to all that are baptized by the approbation of this Holy Councell have judged that the second opinion is to be chosen as the more probable and more consonant and agreeeing to the sayings of the Holy Fathers and of the moderne Doctors which opinion asserteth That informing Grace and vertues are as well conferred upon Infants in Baptisme as on persons of ripe age See Clementin de sum Trin. fide Cath. And thus the Councell of Basil Sess. 36. determined the point of the imaculate conception of our Blessed Lady not as an article of faith in the present strict and proper sense but tanquam doctrinam piam consonam fidei that is as a pious doctrine and consonant to faith See more in the learned treatise of Franc. as Clara called Systema fidei Cap. 35. 4. Indeed it cannot be denyed but that in
those that wrote this Confession to say this both for themselves and in the name of all their faction to the worlds end and this without consulting any of them to know whether they had received such an immediate revelation or testimony and without pretending to such an eminent gift of Prophecy as never was example of the like since the world began this exceedes all wonder Good Lord to what strange times are we reserved to see a Sect so numerous so powerfull as they have shewed themselves upon many sad occasions and not one of them but is a Prophet What a stupendious thing is this that there should not be found one Calvinist destitute of this so certeine so divine a testimony beyond the assurance of all Churches since Christ and yet not one Englishman or Frenchman unlesse of that faction nor any Christian that I know of besides that knowes any such thing of himselfe or dares pretend to it For surely if any one had it some would professe it since a man cannot have a Testimony but he knowes he has it This is a miracle beyond all that Christ and all his Apostles ever wrought in the Church But is it not more probable nay is it not beyond all probability most certaine most palpable that all these men knowingly and wilfully deceive themselves and would fain but cannot deceive others Is not this apparently a lying against the Holy Ghost Why may it not as well be expected that in their next Confession or rather their Presumption they should pretend as at least most particular writers among them doe for themselves and their heires a discerning infallible Spirit to judge of the sense of Scripture as well as the books Indeed what may not be expected from such as having had a hatred to charity and therefore no true love to the truth God has justly given over to strong delusions to believe such palpable lyes 4. But leaving these men miserably pleasing themselves in pretended inspirations and by that meanes attributing to the Holy Ghost not only all their errours but likewise their renouncing of Christian Charity Unity which is impossible as long as they take upon them to believe that it is from the Spirit that they have divided themselves from Gods Church both in opinion and practise I will returne to my enquiry concerning the authority of the Church CHAP. XVIII Importance of the Controversie concerning the Churches authority Meanes for satisfaction in it abundantly sufficient in Antiquity This Controversie before all others ought to be most diligently studyed by Protestants 1. PRoceeding therefore for mine owne satisfaction to read the Fathers upon this argument and resolving to read them as unpartially as possibly I could that is silencing mine owne understanding when it would interpose that no discourse or Rhetorique ought to have force against those demonstrations which I thought I had against the Churches infallibility or when it would invent forced senses to that world of passages which I found in the Fathers inconsistent with my pre-assumed assurance Proceeding I say in the best manner I could to the reading of the Fathers upon this point I found that as this controversie was of so infinite importance that upon the decision thereof eternall peace or warre in Religion among Christians depended the most wise and mercifull Providence had suitably furnished us with meanes of satisfaction in so important a point infinitely more copious evident and powerfull then in any other besides For in other speciall points of Controversie we must be content to informe our selves of the minde of Antiquity therein onely by particular dispersed passages of the Fathers commonly spoken en passant they having no occasion ordinarily to combate with Heretiques about them But in this businesse of the Churches authority I found Epistles Treatises Bookes yea volumnes full of almost no other subject I found that I may here before the proper season declare the successe of so many moneths labour that the maintaining of the authority of the Church against Heretiques alledging onely Scripture as a Rule and disclaiming all Judges of that Rule but themselves as to themselves had beene the businesse of many Ages the principall employment of many the learnedst holiest Fathers of the Church I found that such an authority of the Church had been a Tradition of all others most Universall not any one booke of Scripture being so often testified of in Antiquity as this I found that if this authority of the Church were not to be preserved inviolable all Synods and Councels that ever were in the Church fell to the ground yea more became not only of no validity but were to be esteemed the most unjust Tyrannicall conspiracies that ever were as presuming without sufficient warrant to accuse and anathematize whosoever opposed or accepted not their determinations even in such points as were not in Scripture at all or at most onely there in consequence to their interpretation Lastly I found to my infinite satisfaction and for which I thinke my selfe obliged to spend the greatest part of my life in glorifying Almighty God for it a full effectuall and experimentall satisfaction by acknowledging this authority and suffering my selfe to be taken out of my owne hands to be conducted by her that Christ had appointed for that office in a word I found that that saying of S. Hierome was most true viz. That the Sun of the Church presently dryes up all the streames of errour and Schisme 2. For these reasons I cannot chuse but adjure all Protestants especially English who think satisfaction and repose of mind upon earth and glory to be revealed in heaven to be things desirable that omitting or at least deferring all particular disputes with Catholiques they would in the first place without prejudice and partiallity examine what the present Catholique Church sayes and in what words Shee sayes it when Shee comes to declare her necessary doctrine concerning this her authority and that having found what it is that Shee requires to be believed they would without altering her expression and without applying thereto any particular Schoole-man's or Doctours interpretations as by an obliging necessity to be subscribed to or received compare what the Church defines with what the Fathers Councels do generally and purposely agree in And if this method produce not in them the same effect which by the blessing of God it did in mee yet at least they will have this contentment after an ingenuous and to my knowledge not-much by them-practised way of examination to conclude that they finde that their owne single judgement and interpretation of Scripture deserves rather to be relyed upon and to be preferr'd above all manner of visible authority of all persons and ages how sacred soever esteemed by others they will either become Catholiques or remaine in their own then not very unreasonable opinion Protestants still but persons meriting from themselves the highest esteem for infallibility that the Church ever enjoyed since the Apostles times CHAP.
who are naturally better disposed attesting that God is to be sought and worshipped we ought not to despaire but that there is some authority placed by the same God upon which we raising and settling our selves as upon a most firm basis may be exalted up unto God Againe This is the providence of true Religion this is commanded us from heaven this is delivered unto us by our Blessed ancestors this is preserved even to these our times to be willing to disturb and pervert this is nothing else but to seek a sacrilegious way to true Religion Again de unit Eccl c. 19. Neither thou nor I do read this evidently and expresly viz in the Scriptures But if there were to be found in the world any one endow'd with wisdome and recommended by the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ and if such an one were consulted with by us touching this controversie we should in no wise doubt to observe whatsoever such an one should say unto us and this for fear of being judged to have opposed not so much such a person as our Lord Jesus Christ himself by whose testimony such an one is recommended Now Christ gives testimony to his Church Again de Bap. l. 5. c. 23. To speak the truth the Apostles have prescribed nothing concerning this but this custome ought to be believed to have taken it's originall from their Tradition As there are many things which the universall Church observes the which in good right ought to be believed to have been delivered by the Apostles although they be not found in Scripture Againe lib. 4. That which the universall Church holds and it is not ordeined by Councels but hath been alwayes reteined and observed is most justly believed to have been delivered no other way than by Apostolique Tradition c. We must observe in these things that which the Church of God observes the Question therefore between you and us is Whether of the two Yours or Ours is the Church of God Againe To omit therefore this sincere wisdom which you will not allow to be in the Catholique Church There are many other things which most justly keep me in her bosome The consent of Peoples and Nations keep me there The authority begun by Miracles nourished by hope augmented by charity confirmed by Antiquity keep me there The succession of Prelates ever since the Seat of Peter to whom our Lord after his Resurrection committed the feeding of his sheep to this present Episcopate keep me there And finally the very name of Catholique keeps me there the which name this Church alone not without cause hath reteined among so many and great Haeresies insomuch as when any stranger demands where the assembly is wherein a man may communicate with the Catholique Church there is not any one Heretique ha's the boldnesse to shew him his Temple or house c. These so many and so strong and most deare tyes of the Christian name with good right retein a believer in the Catholike Church although that by reason of the slowness of our understanding or want of merit in our lives the truth doth not as yet shew it self unto us with perfect evidence Againe the same Father in the same book ca. 5. I doe not believe saith he that Manichaeus is the Apostle of Christ I pray you be not angry neither begin to give ill language For you know that I have resolved not to believe rashly any thing produced by you I ask therefore Who is this Manichaeus You will answer the Apostle of Christ. I do not believe it Now thou wilt find nothing what thou shouldst say or do for thou didst promise me a science of truth and now thou forcest me to believe a thing that I know not It may be thou wilt read the Gospel unto mee and from thence wilt endeavour to assert the person of Manichaeus But what if thou shouldest light upon one that doth not yet believe the Gospel what wouldst thou doe to him when he tells thee I do not believe And truly I my self would not believe the Gospel were it not that the authority of the Catholique Church moves me Now why should I not believe the same persons saying to me Believe not Manichaeus to whom I gave credence saying Believe the Gospel Chuse what thou wilt If thou shalt say Believe the Catholiques they move me to give no credence to you therefore if I believe them I must of necessity not believe thee If thou shalt say Doe not believe Catholiques Thou shalt doe unjustly compelling me by the Gospel to believe Manicheus because the same Gospel I believed upon the â—reaching of Catholiques But if thou 〈◊〉 say Thou didst well to believe the Gospell upon the commendation of Catholiques but ill in believing them discommending Manichaeus Doest thou think me so very a fool as that without any reason rendred I should believe what thou pleasest and dis-believe what thou likest not So that surely I doe much more justly and warily if because I am already a believer I doe not forsake the Catholiques to come over to thy partie unlesse thou commandest me not to believe but undertakest to shew me something that may be known most manifestly and apparently Therefore if thou wilt afford me reason quit the Gospel if thou holdest thy self to the Gospel I must hold my selfe to those upon whose command I believed the Gospel and upon the same persons commandement I must by no meanes believe thee But if by chance thou shouldst be able to find in the Gospell some passage most evident concerning the Apostleship of Manichaâ—â— thou wilt thereby weaken indeed unto mee the authority of Catholiques who command mee not to believe thee which authority being invalidated I would no longer believe the Gospell it selfe because it was for their sakes that I believed it So that whatsoever thou shalt alledge will have no force with me To the same purpole the same Father lib. de util cred c. 14. Why should I not most diligently enquire what Christ commanded of them before all â—â—hers by whose authority I was moved to 〈◊〉 that Christ commanded any good thing Canst thou better declare to me what hee said whom I would not have thought to have beene or to be if the belief thereof had beene recommended by thee to me This therefore I believed by fame strengthened with celebrity consent Antiquity But every one may see that you so few so turbulent so new can produce nothing deserving authority VVhat madnesse is this Believe them Catholiques that we ought to believe Christ but learne of us what Christ said VVhy I beseech thee surely if they Catholiques were not at all and could not teach me any thing I would more easily perswade my selfe that I were not to believe Christ then that I should learn any thing concerning him from any other then them by whom I believed in him Lastly the same Father con Cres. I. 1. c. 33. Although saith he there cannot be produced out of the
of which together with others pertinent thereto I will here as in their proper and naturall place orderly set down 2. In the first place therefore since all information of things past before our age can no other way be had excepting only extraordinary or divine inspiration not to be expected or relyed upon if pretended unlesse it be attested by miracles but by Tradition from the times when such things hapned yet arriving at us by the testimony of the present times and persons living with us By consequence I had no difficulty but that in the present hypothesis of Christian revelations the only immediate witnesse of them was the present church and this either by orall profession that thus she had received by information and practise of the precedent age Or by writings of antiene times continued and daily transcribed but all preserved and conveyed to us by the present church 3. In the second place I considered that these divine Revelations and doctrines of Christian Religion being of such a particular nature as that besides the believing them to have been we are obliged to assent unto and embrace them as the only necessary means of avoiding eternall misery and attaining to eternall happinesse Hereupon it is that the present church our only witnesse of them represents them to us not only as the present age does the actions of Caesar or books of Cicero that is with so much assurance that we cannot be reasonable men and doubt of them yet by doubting or disbelieving them there is no losse to be feared but only of our reputation But she proposeth them to us as necessarily to be submitted to and her self as an authorised witnesse having received commission from the divine Author to oblige all men to believe her as a proponent Which double capacity of the church viz. 1. Simply a proponent 2. As an authorised proponent I conceived it very requisite for me to distinguish and at least in my understanding to separate the one from the other For though Catholiques who from their infancy have been brought up in acknowledging the grounded authority of the church have no need to distinguish this double capacity for themselves yet in disputation with those Sects which accept of Tradition simply at least for books of Scripture but deny such an obliging authority and especially in explaining the manner of Resolution of Faith I conceived and found as to my self great profit in this distinction 4. In the third place for simple Tradition I enquired whether and upon what grounds it could be made to appear to be certain and absolutely convincing And upon mature consideration I was satisfied that they were extremely mistaken who thought that there was no absolute certainty in any knowledge excepting only such as we receive either immediately by our senses or by evident discourse and demonstration of reason For on the contrary I found that knowledge from report of Tradition might in some cases be as truly certain as that from sense or demonstration So for example before I saw the City of Rome I was most assured that there was such a place and the reason was because it was impossible that such a world of writings and persons all which could not be led by interest to frame a lye should conspire to witnesse such a thing and not one person be found that contradicted them The like may be said of Tradition or report of things past when a whole age agrees universally to acknowledge a Tradition under that notion neither friends nor enemies contradicting it is impossible that such a report should be false Yea I may add further when there are in the same age two Traditions of two considerable parties directly contradicting the one the other it may fall out yea sometimes it may be most assured that both of them must in some respect be true As for example the whole Nation of the Jewes dispersed all the world over do agree that they have received as a most sure Tradition that our Saviour was an Impostor and wrought all his pretended miracles by Magick and help of the Divell on the contrary all Christians through the whole world agree that they have received a Tradition that our Saviour was the true Messiah promised and that he wrought all those true miracles by the power of God and for confirmation of his divine doctrine In this case these two Traditions being in respect of the partyes respectively universall must necessarily be true though in some sort contradicting yet not in that wherein they contradict For it is as certain that the Jewes received and have continually propagated such a Tradition though false in the root as that the Christians have received the contrary Notwithstanding reason may judge infallibly between them concerning the root of these Traditions namely by demonstrating that such miracles acknowledged by both sides to have been wrought were many of them of such a nature as that they did exceed all created power and that the doctrine was so divine so destructive to the divell as that he was obliged in interest to endeavour the annibilation of it and lastly that nothing was either done or taught by our Saviour but what was agreeable to the antient Prophecies received by the Jews concerning the Messiah c. upon which grounds it will evidenly appear that the Jews who first received such a Tradition were abused by the malice and perfidiousnesse of their ancestours c. And this is the only proper way of determining and deciding the controversie between these two Traditions But of this more hereafter 5. In generall therefore I found that a full unquestionable certitude might be had of some Traditious as to give one example more that there was such a man as William Duke of Normandy who conquered England is most certain not any Englishman or other that ever heard of it but believes it and would impute frenzy to any man that should call it in question Now the reason why this is so certain to every one is this because all men living at this time who either are inquisitive into times past or câ—pable of information do agree that this particular was told them by their Predecessors as a thing come to them by Tradition and so the men of the former age of that before them thus ascending till we come to the age wherein he lived and was personally known and seen by his Subjects Now it is impossible that all men of any age should both agree together and actually effect that complot to deceive their children with a lye under the notion of Tradition Add to this that the present age affords us books and Records descending from hand to hand and written in severall ages between that time and us which testifie the same thing As likewise there are in the generall practise of England Lawes Customes Priviledges c. all which are acknowledged to have had their Originall from the same Author This is an example of one of the highest degrees
3. As concerning books of Scripture the Tradition of them may appear certaine in a high degree at least for the substance of the books For though at first they were written for the use and necessity of particular Churches and persons and no Obligation appears expressely to have been imposed to disperse them through the whole Church Notwithstanding the infinite reverence which all Christians bore to the Apostles made every church desirous to possesse themselves of whatsoever writings proceeded from them Yet this not out of any extreme necessity for from their first foundation all churches were instructed in all points and doctrines of Christianity as likewise the same orders of government publique worship c. and this after an uniform manner as appeared to me evident not only from the antient Liturgies but severall testimonies out of Tertullian S. Epiphanius S. Augustine c. But there was required a long time e're such writings could be universally spread yea several ages were passed before they were all of them received even at Rome it self as appears out of S. Hierome For before they were admitted into the Canon we may be sure that great caution and exact information was used So that after all this they having been now many ages acknowledged by the whole church for divine writings we may have a greater assurance of them then of the books of Aristotle Cicero c. which by reason men were not much concerned whether they were legitimate or supposititious have not been examined with so much advice and caution and yet that man that should pretend to a doubt of them would be suspected of all men to be tainted in his understanding But this high degree of certitude we have only of the divine books considered in gross not of the true reading of particular Texts as appears by the infinite variety of readings in Manuscripts yet even in this respect also we may assure our selves that there is no corruption very considerable or of very dangerous consequence by considering not only Gods providence and promises to his church but likewise by comparing the originall Texts with such a world of Translations Syriake Arabick AEthiopian Latin c. many of which were made in the very infancy of the church long before the Archetype or Original copies were lost some of which Tertullian sayes remained in his dayes 4. In the third place reason told me that such ceremonies as were universally practised through the whole church from the first times though not mentioned in Scripture might justifie themselves to be derived from the Apostles with a greater certainty then even the books of Scripture themselves according to that saying of S. Augustine Ep. 118. Those things which we observe and are not written but delivered and are practised all the world over are to be understood to have been commanded and appointed either by the Apostles themselves or by Generall Councells the authority whereof is most healthfull in the Church Which Tertullian before him thus expressed de Praesor This custome certainly proceeded from Apostolique Tradition for how could that come into generall practise which was not delivered by Tradition Now of such kind of rites many examples are extant in antient Liturgies and many more mentioned as universally received by Tertullian S. Cyprian c. who wrote before there had been in the church any plenary Councell and therefore by S. Augustines rule argue such rites to have come from the Apostles The reason is because it is not imagineable how it could be possible that such rites should be received by all churches through the world and that so immediately after the Apostles times and in such a season when there had never been any generall meeting of Bishops yea when by reason of the horriblenesse of the persecutions it was extremely difficult for the Bishops of one Province to meet together to settle particular necessary affairs in none of which Synods notwithstanding is the least mention made of ordaining such ceremonies if together with Christian Religion they had not been introduced by the Apostles Let now any reasonable man judge if the books of Scripture which he acknowledges only upon the ground of generall Tradition however certainly and unquestionably divine yet do not want some of these arguments of demonstration and enjoy some of the rest in an inferiour degree 5. But fourthly Doctrines or customes shining in the generall practise of the Church and withall more or Lesse clearly expressed in Scripture that is indeed the whole substance and and frame of Christian Religion as was shewed before and therein many points now in controversie between Catholiques and Protestants c. and above all other this point of the Churches authority may prove themselves certain in a degree beyond all these and with as much assurance as Tradition is capable of I am confidently perswaded beyond the highest degree that I mentioned for secular Tradition in the example of King William the Conqueror of England For first all the persons living in the time of Luthers Apostacy in all Provinces not of one Kingdome but of the whole Catholique Church agreed in testifying that their ancestours had delivered such things to them as of Tradition Apostolicall and by consequence since the contrary cannot be made apparent we are to judge the same of all precedent ages ascending upwards till the first times not one Catholique expressely dissenting and much lesse any one age So that unlesse in some one age of the church all Catholiques should should have conspired to tell a lye to their children and not only so but should have been able to have seduced them not one appearing that would have the honesty to discover the deceit I could not conceive it possible that a Tradition of such a nature could be false Add to the confirmation of the same doctrines the testimonies of Histories and Records yea even of enemies for many doctrines and practises Moreover the laws continually in force through the Catholike Church lastly the publike forms of Devotions Feasts times of mortifications c. All these arguments of certainty conspire in a far more eminent manner to prove these kind of doctrines and rites then in the example of William the Conquerour 5. But beyond all these something may be added to which that secular example doth in no visible distance approach For did William the Conqueror ever appoint any persons about him to write all the considerable particulars of his story supplying them with all things for the enabling them to that purpose Did he work miracles himself for the confirming his authority and give power to his servants and their successors for severall ages to do the like Did he appoint a succession of Teachers to the worlds end sufficiently instructed commanding them to keep warily the depositum of that Religion both from mixture and perishing and so to deliver it to their successors and this upon great penalties of disobeying Did he besides solemn dayes for severall uses institute outward rites
upon pretence that they were condemnable 7. I know the severall Sectaries of this present age are in this occasion alwaies ready to object the only one blameable action of that glorious Father and Martyr S. Cyprian I mean his contestation with the Pope and opposition to the generall Apostolique Tradition and practise of the Church in non-rebaptization of Heretiques They neglect forget and by their practises condemn that most Christian Spirit of Unity and Charity which shined in him toward those that differed from him in this point and as if his errour had been his only vertue acknowledge him only an example to be imitated in his fault not considering what probable excuses there are to qualifie that single fault of his to which qualifications they in none of their so many rebellions can pretend to as 1. That the generall practise of the Church against him did not appear to him so evident but that he could alledge examples not only of the African Churches but severall in the East likewise as Cappadocia Phrygia c. as he was informed by Firmilianus in his Epistle to him 2. That he himself begun not this novelty but conld justifie the Tradition of it for severall successions at least as high as the times of Agrippinus one of his Predecessours 3. That no generall Councell had determined any thing against him Yea S. Augustine before quoted confidently professeth that if S. Cyprian had survived to the time of the Councell of Nice he would no doubt have relinquished his opinion and submitted to the Councell 8. By this objection borrowed from antient Heretiques it appears that as in the Catholique Church there is a Tradition and Succession of truth so in heresies likewise of errour the latter Heretiques borrowing from their Predecessors though not Predecessors in their particular opinions the same arguments and pretences that formerly have been without successe made use of against the Catholique Church so zealous do such men shew themselves to use all endeavours to renounce that precious legacy of unity and peace which our Saviour ready to relinquish the world so tenderly bequeathed to his Church 9. Then for the second act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz a power coercive and judiciary residing in the Church-governours respectively and supremely in generall Councells lawfully conven'd approved and accepted this authority the primitive times and all ages ever since have acknowledged to be grounded upon the institution and promises of Christ and practice of the Apostles mentioned expresly in Scripture Act. 15. delivered likewise by universall Tradition both orall and practicall v. g. Tell the Church and if he will not c. And wheresoever two or three are gathered together in my name I am in the midst of them And The Apostles and Elders were gathered together to consider about the matter viz. in the first generall Councell concerning the controversie about Moyses his law c 10. And here likewise may be verified a like observation to the former viz. That never any one of the Fathers of the Church did ever censure much lesse contradict or disobey the decisions orders or decrees of any legitimate Councell in their own or former times Yea I think I may hereto add something to the utter shame and confusion of the contrivers and propugnators of the late Heresies and Schismes viz. That though most of the antient Heretiques after a Councell had condemned their opinions did indeed refuse to submit to their own condemnation Yetâ— I think there cannot be found in Antiquity the example of one Heretique that ever began to publish a Heresie against any doctrine that had formerly been declared by a generall Councell Such a supereminent degree of Rebellion we must acknowledge to be due and to be appropriated to Luther Calvin c. viz. to tread under foot all kind of Ecclesiasticall authority not only of the present but all former times likewise 11. I shall defer the consideration how admirable and only effectuall a means of unity among Christians is the authority of the present Church and reverence of generall Councells so unanimously acknowledged by all the antient Worthies Fathers Doctors and Martyrs insomuch as the more eminent in learning and sanctity that any of them have been the more earnest Champions have they been of the Churches authority But the proper season to enlarge my self upon this subject will be when I have taken into consideration the contradictory doctâ—ine of Protestants concerning power of interpreting Scriptures and judging controversies CHAP. XXXI Authority of the Christian Church compared with that of the Jewish 1. BEfore I leave this argument of the grounds of the Churches authority and the foundation thereof viz. Christ's promises of indefectibility c. because objections against it are frequently taken out of the Old-Testament namely from a comparison with the Jewish Church which though it enjoyed great promises did notwithstanding fall into a generall corruption both in faith and manners It will not be amisse to set down for what reasons I rested satisfied that none of those arguments ought to have any effect upon me to shake my acknowledgement of the authority of the Christian Church so unalterably grounded and so universally submitted to 2. The first reason was because the Jewish Church had not such promises of indefectibility and security from Heresies as the Christian Church apparently has It is true the Patriarch Jacob prophesied that the Scepter should not depart from Judah nor a Lawgiver from between his knees till Shiloh came But this promise I assured my self respected only the outward policy of the Jewish Nation which was to remain in a distinct government not swallowed up by other governments but openly governed by its own laws as a Common-wealth plainly distinguishable from others till the coming of the Messiah 2. They were not furnished with those means of preventing and condemning of Heresies that the Christian Church enjoyeth For the understanding whereof I conceived that the Civill and Ecclesiasticall Law of Moyses was to be considered in two respects first in the plain litterall sense and so it differed not much from the lawes of other Kingdomes the end thereof being worldly happinesse which is only in expresse words proposed in that law Secondly in a spirituall allegoricall and typicall sense and so it had Immediate influence upon the conscience and inward acts of the soul which later sense was taken notice of only by extraordinary persons as Prophets c. Now for the execution of this law in the literall outward sense and notion of it God left sufficient authority in the Priests and other Magistrates threatning every one with death that opposed their sentences and decrees And for the explication of any emergent difficulties God left the Sanedrim together with a succession of Scribes from whose lips the people were ordinarily to seek knowledge Insomuch as our Saviour speaking of such Scribes sayes They sit in Moyses his Chair whatsoever they command you to observe observe and do it Mat.
be doubtful that he is wrong A Guide that the Scripture never mentioned and the Church never heard of but supposed by being called a Chruch that it never should be hearkned to so that whether Scripture or Tradition or Church or all of them be followed such a Guide ought to be deserted and renounced A Guide that two persons cannot possibly follow together because no two persons that ever followed any other Guide beside Authority did or could think all things to be reasonable that any other thought so And lastly by consequence such a Guide that as long as he continues in the office there cannot possibly be any Church any where And is not this an infallible Eviction that this is an imaginary seducing Guide since it is impossible that that should be a Guide appointed for any Christian which neither Christ nor his Apostles nor any of their followers ever mentioned yea which does formally destroy one of our twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam 12. And yet when all this is said even this is a less unreasonable and less unsafe Guide then any divided particular Church can be For this hood-wink'd Guide inquiring into Scripture and searching after Tradition may possibly stumble upon the way to Unity and Truth that is the true Catholick Church for private Reason professes the exclusion of partiallity and will not refuse to take into consideration whether it self ought not to be renounced and Authority submitted to and if it chance to finde Reason for Authority it will resign its Office and cease to be a Guide any longer or private Reason any longer whereas particular Churches being founded upon the renouncing of Universal Authority in practise and yet usurping that Authority which they renounce doe not onely mis-lead their followers but having seised on them do chain and fasten them in that Dunge on CHAP. VII A concluding Exhortation wherein all are invited to Catholique UNITY 1. FOR a farewell to I. P. and all his Brethren and to all my dear mislead Countrymen of what Religion Sect or Faction soever but principally the Protestants Presbyterians and Independents I beseech them all to suffer a word of Exhortation made by St Paul to the Philippians Phil. 2. Si quae ergo consolatio in Christo si quod solatium c. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Charity if any society of the spirit if any bâ—â—els of Compassion fulfill the joy of St Paul and all Saints that you be of the same Judgement having the same charity being of one mind thinking the same thing That is Think Catholique Unity a desirable thing and pursue the ways to attain it 2. Now the Sun shines not clearer at Noon then this Truth That there is no possible Unity without Authority nor no Christian Unity without an Infallible Authority all other Authority is meer Faction and Rebellion an Authority that reaches to the outward appearance or that bindes onely the purse If there were any true Spiritual Authority lately in England or now at Geneva c. it would engage the consciences of those that are under it and that not as English men or French but as Christians And by consequence all Christians should be obliged to submit to it a thing that themselves do not so much as pretend to Therefore by all those passionate exhortations of St. Paul I conjure you be no longer averse from Catholick Unity and Catholick Authority for be assured without such Unity and Authority submitted to you will finde no consolation no not in Christ himself no comfort in the charity of the Father nor society with the â—â— Spirit c. 3. Do not according to your mistaken custom account us uncharitable in professing that salvation cannot belong to any that are estranged from our Catholick Communion we could not be Catholicks if we said not so Thereby we approve our selves to be the lawful children of the Ancient Saints Martyrs Confessors c. all which out of their burning charity not pride or malice protested damnation to all out of their Communion For how could they or we be the true Church unless we excluded false Churches St. Augustin was the benignest humblest charitablest soul in his Age yet who thunders so loudly and so terribly against Schismaticks as he And his enemies the Donatists pretending to be the Catholick Church to the end to justifie seemingly their false plea were forced to denounce damnation to all from whom they were divided otherwise they would not have had so much as the shew of Catholicks 4. More particularly addressing my self to my most dear friends the English Protestants of whose communion I once was a seduced Member consider I beseech you that that which at the first composing of this Book I onely suspected might possibly happen is now abundantly effected God has in part visited on you the persecution and injustice you laid upon us Now do you not see that your Church was the meer creature of State-Policy If it had had the power of Religion the decay of your Ecclestical estates or imprisonment of your Bishops would not have destroyed Authority among you The censures of a captive Pope or Excommunication of a Synod meeting in a Grot were as terrible to irregular disobedient Catholicks as if they had thundred from the Capitol or the Emperial Pallace in Constantinople Where are the proofs now of your Spiritual Power Why do not you thunder out your Excommunications against the Subverters of your Religion or against your own daily revolting subjects Alas who would be frighted with such Anathema's Or what subjects have you now after the loss of your temporal Lordships And which way shall those Lordships be regained that you may become a Church again Those that were once content you should enjoy them will not adventure their own estates to recover them for you the Lutherans are too far off and the Calvinists too neer you may comfort your selves with your Liturgy and perhaps your Surplices worne in private Conventicles But as for a succession of Priests or Bishops that is not to be hoped much less a restauration of your Religion which is now quite out of date 5. To what Church will you now apply your selves To the Scotish Kirk or your own Presbyterians the first incendiaries of all these troubles the Idumaeans that cried Exinanite Exinanite usque ad fundamentum in ea Or to their successors of a thousand names and shapes and all of them frighrful What is it that holds you from returning to Catholick Communion What other injuries have we done you except that we have forced you to blush to see how patiently we suffred your injustices oppressions and persecutions But the Truth is you were not so much our Persecutors as that poysonous generation of Calvinists among you they were those who instill'd fury into our Kings and Parliaments and poison into the laws against us Which very lawes are still kept in force against Catholicks
aequivocatio nam etiam indigni possunt esse fideles verùm hoc dico ad majorem cautelam De reliquo nemo tenetúr jurare in verba Scholasticorum sufficit te contra communem Patrum Ecclesiae consensum nunquà m modum istum velle interpretari nec determinate Cavendum tamen est ne sub terminis tuis oppositum aliquid transubstantiationi inhaereat animo Qu. 4. Utrùm ille dici possit admittere Canonem 2. siss 21. Concil Trident. de communione sub una specie qui quamvis ipse nullas videat sufficientes rationes negandi communioneâ— utriusque speciei tamen profitetur se piè credere fuisse aliquas quae proculdubio Concilio videbantur justae sufficientes canonicè submittit se iste alterationi Resp. Affirmativè Inquirat tamen hic Christianus si doctus sir corde recto motiva Concilii in hâ—c parte justiâ—sima statim inveniet Qu. 5. An fit de fide licitum esse coërcere punire vel tradeâ—e puniendos morte exilio vel aliis civilibus poenis haereticos convictos Resp. Subjectum quaestionis non esse materiam fidei ac proinde nihil esse de fide in illâ materia Veruntamen ceâ—â—â—ssimum esse rebelles à side ab Ecclesia coërceri punâ—â—i posse poenis nimirùm spiritualibus id est censuris Ecclesiasticis à superioribus suis Ecclesiasticis Et poenis temporalibus id est incarceratione exilio similibus à superioribus suis temporalibus Morte verò puniri posse haereticos etiam convictos immò relapsoâ— vel obstinatissimos modò à seditionis rebellionis in Remp. defuerit omne periculum nunquam fuir totius Ecclesiae dogma Catholicum Quicquid autem sit de praxi Inquisitionis jam receptaÌ„ Catholici plurimi immò doctissimi praecipuè in Gallia nostra hoc semper improbarunt sed haec quaestio facti est seu prudentiae non doctrinae Qu. 6. Utrùm quatenùs liceat Catholico optare suadere concessionem utriusque speciei Reformationem abusuum in Reliquiis Imaginibus Indulgentiis c. Liturgiam Preces in linguâ notâ intellectâ c. Sciticet tanquam media admodùm efficacia ad reünionem Eoâ—lesiarum Resp. Cùm subditorum non sit superiorum suorâ—m leges ad libitum interpretari immò nec sub reformationis specie quamcunque praxim authoritato stabilitam corrigere hâ—ec enim propria seditionis ratio est nemini Catholicorum licet publicè repraehendere nec verbo nec scripto Ecclesiae diseiplinam canonicè erectam Labefactatam verò restaurare dummodò prudenter fiat poterit unusquisque suo modo conari Cum autem Episcoporum ac pastorum sit quos posuit Spiritus sanctus regere Ecclesiam Dei imposturas omnes authoritate publicâ prohibere ac tollere his omnium est sobriè indicare quos manifestè perceperint Religionis abusus tùm in Clero tùm in populo Verùm nec licet nec convenit privato cuicunque suadere mutationem praxis cujuscunque quam vel ab Ecclesia sancitam vel in Ecclesia consuetudinâ— generali antiquâ usurpatam novimus De communione sub utraque specie ac liturgiâ seu precibus Ecclesiasticis in linguâ vulgari habendis si qua spes esset illud obtinendi apud haereticos parùm valeâ—et De reliquiis Indulgentiis Imaginibus c. multa forsà n modò caurè fieret monenda suadenda forent Quicquid sit Ecclesiarum ut vocas reünionem sperare nequaquà m fas est nisi priùs rebelles in sponsam Christi submissis cervicibus potestati à Deo ordinâtâ— cordatum jurent obsequium Vale. A Table of the Contents of the several Chapters Sect. 1. Cap. 1. THe occasion of the Authors departing out of England Bloody commotions of Calvinists there The horribleness and strangeness of them p. 1. Sect. 1. Cap. 2. Sacriledge and Perjury acknowledged even by Heathens to be principal causes of publick calamities p. 4. Sect. 1. Cap. 3. England prodigiously guilty of sacriledge since the schism Visible judgments have continually pursued this crime there p. 7. Sect. 1. Cap. 4. Perjury how frequently and how heinously committed in England since the Schism p. 12. Sect. 1. Cap. 5. The sanguinary Laws and cruel execution of them upon Catholick Priests in England p. 16. Sect. 1. Cap. 6. The Authors sadness for the sins and miseries of his Country What remedies and lenitives he found for this sorrow p. 18. Sect. 1. Cap. 7. A scruple suggested to my minde viz. To the Communion of what Church I should adhere upon supposition that the Church of England should fail p. 20. Sect. 1. Cap. 8. A Reflection upon several Sects And first upon the Socinians p. 22. Sect. 1. Cap. 9. A Reflection upon the Calvinists and Lutheran Churches Their first disadvantage in comparison with the English Church p. 27. Sect. 1. Cap. 10. Apparent want yea renouncing of a lawful succession of Ecclesiastical Governors among Lutherans and Calvinists p. 29. Sect. 1. Cap. 11. Consent of Fathers against Lutherans and Calvinists p. 34. Sect. 1. Cap. 12. Seditious doctrines universally taught by Calvinists c. p. 37. Sect. 1. Cap. 13. Protestants recriminating Catholicks for Rebellion answered p. 44. Sect. 1. Cap. 14. A fourth scandal among Calvinists viz. their aversion from unity p. 47. Sect. 1. Cap. 15. The scandalous personal qualities of Luther and Calvin p 51. Sect. 1. Cap. 16. The Authors unquietness not being able to communicate with Calvinists c. Reflection upon the several Eastern Churches p 57. Sect. 1. Cap. 17. Necessity of the Authors examining the grounds of the Roman Church Several advantages acknowledged to be in that Church p 59. Sect. 1. Cap. 18. Preparations to the examining of the grounds of the Roman Churches Authority p 66. Sect. 1. Cap. 19. What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches authority expressed in School language p 70. Sect. 2. Cap. 1. The first conclusion concerning the Rule of Faith Testimonies of Fathers acknowledging Doctrines Traditionary as well as Scripture to be a Rule of Faith p 77. Sect. 2. Cap. 2. The Roman Church agreeing with Fathers in the same rule of Faith All Sects of Protestants disagree with the Fathers p 82. Sect. 2. Cap. 3. English Protestants unwilling to justifie this Position and why Mr. Chillingworth's late book against the Catholick Church and the Character given of it.p. 85. Sect. 2. Cap. 4. Inconveniences following Protestants Position of onely Scripture Fathers refuse to dispute with Hereticks from onely Scriptures p 90. Sect. 2. Cap. 5. Weakness of Protestants proofs for onely Scripture Texts of Scripture alledged by Catholicks vainly eluded by Protestants p 97. Sect. 2. Cap. 6. Two principal Texts of Scripture alledged by Protestants to prove its sufficiency and against Traditions answered p 101 Sect. 2. Cap. 7. Reasons and Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth to prove onely Scripture to be the rule of Faith p
such a provisionary enquiry because I remembred that M. Hooker one of the most learned judicious writers that ever that Church had upon such grounds as are before mentioned especially having an eye unto the sacrilegious spirit of Calvinisme his great and almost Propheticall prudence for Prudentia est quaedam divinatio Corn. Nep. in vit Pompou Attice In those very bookes which he wrote to defend the Church said that the English Church was in probability a Church not to continue above fourescore yeares at most Hooker Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. Sect. 79. CHAP. VIII A Reflection upon severall Sects And first upon the Socinians 1. NOw in pursuing this inquiry it scarce entred into my thoughts to admit into debate the Roman Church because the maine foundation thereof namely infallibility I verily beleeved I could powerfully arm'd with Mr. Chillingworths reason evidently and demonstratively destroy 2. Of Sects in separation from the Catholique Church those which I thought most considerable and therefore represented them to my understanding to examine which of them would best approve it selfe to my choyce were 1. the Lutheran 2. the Calvinist 3. the Socinian For as for those fanaticall Sects of Auabaptists Famulists c. they being only confused troops of ignorant dreaming spirits which hitherto have never been able to convert one Parish or Village entirely to themselves and the very dregs of all other Sects where those that were discontented or craised in their understanding ordinarily setled I could not obtaine from my selfe the patience to examine seriously their grounds or to put it to the question whether I should adjoyne my selfe unto them or no. Adde hereto that I could not hitherto understand all their grounds distinctly by reason that I could never meet with any of their writings so obscure they are and afraid of the light 3. Concerning the other three Sects the temper and morallity of the Socinians was much more agreeable to mee then that of the other two But their inexcusable boldnesse of trampling under foot all authority of Fathers and Councells and their licentious introducing blasphemous and long-since-buried Heresies against the fundamentall Mysteries of Faith was to me intollerable Besides neither France nor Italy being able to afford me bookes of Socinian doctrines I was forced to content my selfe with that curiosity which I had had a few yeares before in England where such bookes were but too frequent notwithstanding the care of the late Archbishop of Cant. to hinder the importing them at which time I read over almost all the considerable treatises of that Sect both of controversy and exposition of Scripture The effect of which my curiosity was only an esteeme of the excellency of their naturall parts both for the subtilty and clearnesse of disputation and an acknowledgment that though their principles were of all others most fallacious and their peculiar distinctive doctrines most horrible and intollerable to Christian eares yet they were far more constant to such their principles and lesse incumbred with difficulties and contradictions then the other two In a word that the frame of their building was with all its deformity more uniforme then that of other Hâ—retiques of these times as strong as a building could be that had no better foundation then the moving sand of naturall reason Whereas the other two Sects of Calvinists and Lutherans to whom I had some jealousie that the English Protestants might be joyned relying principally indeed upon private interpretation of Scripture but challenging likewise the suffâ—ages of the Ancient Fathers especially in some doctrines of meere Tradition as Baptising of Infants c. by reason of the inequality in the foundation the building could not choose but have many rents and declinations in the walls some parts continuing stable and others sinking by reason of the yeilding of the Foundation which difformities and inequalities the Socinans avoyded This was all the change that the reading of those Haereticall blasphemies wrought in me none of their subtile wrestings and Chymicall extractions of new sences from fundamentall Texts of Scripture prevailing against the constant universall authority of Gods Church interpreting the same Texts 4. I conceive it unnecessary if not very inconvenient to set downe here the exceptions I had against the severall peculiar doctrines proper to the Socinians for feare lest by undertaking to confute I should endanger to distill the infectious poyson of them in a countrey where God be blessed they are utterly unknowne remembring how subtilly and maliciously the Schollars of Sibrandus Lubbertus in Holland are reported to have abnsed their unwary Master for they having an extreame itch of reading one of the most pernicious Treatises of Socinus which was forbidden to be dispersed knew no better a meanes to satisfy their unlawfull and dangerous curiosity then by perswading their credâ—lous Master that it was expected from his eminent abilities to confute so pernicious a booke which he having as he thought sufficiently performed they further told him that it would be injustice and a kind of confession of guilt to publish his confutation without the adversaries Text and by that meanes they made their Master a sower of Haeresy for every one almost bought up the booke for Socinus his sake only scarce any vouchsafing to cast their eyes upon the heavy unskillful confutation 5. Thus I make but a small stay upon the Socinians on whom I looked rather with pitty then resentment Considering withall that they were the almost only Sect which made profession against violence and active disobedience condemning warre absolutely and upon whatsoever pretences Notwithstanding observing that one essentiall marke of that Sect was resolutely to hold no opinion but in every Synod to give leave to the questioning or altering of whatsoever Articles of Faith had been before decided I found that seemingly calm and quiet spirit of theirs lesse alluring because from their owne peculiar complexion and grounds I thus Argued Who can tell whether if they encrease in numbers and power they may not thinke fit to begin with the alteration of that doctrine For I have known when even the Calvinists in Holland and the Puritans in England being in low estate have preached liberty of Prophesying pretended only to desire a freedome of injoying their Consciences in particular promising never to molest any others As by their first published writings and by severall Remonstrances and Petitions by Q. Eliz. to K. Iames in the beginning of hisreigne and to Parliaments in those times And yet the same men being afterwards become numerous powerfull enough to gaine the effect of their Petitions by force never yet allowed any moderate qualification or tolleration to any other CHAP. IX Reflection upon the Calvinists and Lutheran Churches Their first disadvantage in comparison with the English Church 1. HAving passed with so much speed the Socinian Churches I fixed my thoughts more seriously upon the Lutherans and Calvinists to the end to resolve my selfe whether those points of doctrine discipline or
Caesariensis before quoted expresseth it not with ink on paper but by his Spirit in the hearts of his people according to the ancient Prophecies concerning him in the Old Testament And hereupon the Fathers observe that our Saviour left nothing at all in writing neither did he lay any injunction upon his Apostles to write bookes And therefore the same Eusâ—bius Hist. Ecel l. 5. cap. 8. 24. expresly affirmes That the Apostles had the least regard to writing The like is noted by Saint Chrysostome in his frist Homily upon the Acts where he gives the reason why the booke of the Acts does onely or principally conteine the occurrences concerning S. Paul and not those neither to the end of his life But an assurance of this irrefragable is given by Saint Paul himselfe who in severall places of his Epistles referres to the doctrine setled by orall instruction as when he sayes Gal. c. 1. If any one shall preach otherwise then ye have received let him be Anathema And againe Phil. cap. 4. Those things which ye have been taught and received and heard and seen in me doe ye And againe to shew the uniformity of the doctrine every where he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme of wholesome words And againe We write no other things unto you then what you have known And againe 1 Cor. cap. 14. 15. As I teach in all Churches And againe So we have preached and so ye have believed Hence S. Augustine makes this rule The Scripture is wont for brevities sake to be silent of many things which are to be learned from the order of Tradition For this reason it was as antiquity observes that S. Paul kept his residence so long a time in many Cities after he had setled Churches there to the end to inculcate into their memories the substantiall doctrines preached over and over unto them and to establish an uniforme order and discipline among them which by that meanes continued in an exact conformity for severall centuries of yeares in the Catholique Church all the world over as Tertullian S. Basil S. Augustin c. observe 3. Now this way of setling Religion by Tradition and outward practise was much more secure and lasting and far lesse subject to corruptions then writings without unappealable interpreters especially could possibly be If it be objected that memory is not so safe a depositary as written records which are made use of to supply the defects of memory It may be answered that that is true of preserving doctrines meerely speculative but not so of such as may be made as it were visible by practise as almost all Evangelicall doctrines are For as for bookes we see by experience that those which of all other in the world ought to have been preserved with the most exact care and wherein the most scrupulous curiosity was commendable I meane the Sacred Evangelicall writings have not been able to escape the inevitable fate of all bookes especially such as every one almost will thinke himselfe concern'd to transcribe that is to have infinite variety of readings much more then any other bookes that I know of whatsoever and principally in in the originall tongues which were not read in Churches Insomuch as in my hearing Bishop Usher one of the most learned Protestant Prelats in England professed that whereas he had had of many yeares before a designe to publish the New Testament in Greeke with various lections and Annotations and for that purpose had used great diligence and spent much money to furnish himselfe with Manuscripts and Memoires from severall learned men abroad yet in conclusion he was forced to desist utterly from that undertaking lest if he should ingenuously have noted all the severall differences of readings which himselfe had collected the incredible multitude of them almost in every verse should rather have made men Atheistically to doubt of the truth of the whole booke then satisfie them in the true reading of any particular passage An evident signe this is that the ancient Governours of the Church did not suppose that Christian Religion did onely or principally rely upon what was in writing For if they had they would doubtlesse either have forbidden such a multitude of transcribers or have preserved the Originall copies or at least have imitated the exact diligence and curiosity of the Jewish Masorites in their preserving the Old Testament entire for the future namely by numbring all the letters and points and signifying where and how oft every one of them were found in Scripture None of which preventions and cautions notwithstanding have been used in the Christian Church Yea so farre is it from that that at least one whole Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans and that most ancient Gospel in Hebrew secundum Nazaraeos are at this day utterly lost not to speak of severall bookes mentioned in the Old Testament not now to be heard of 4. Well but how casuall soever bookes may prove to be yet it does not hitherto appeare how Orall Tradition and Practise can demonstrate it selfe a way more secure and free from hazard than they I will therefore endeavour to resolve this seeming difficulty by asking these Questions Can any one reasonably say that for example the doctrines of Christs death for mankinde commemorated in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist of his reall unfigurative presence there have beene or could possibly have beene more securely propagated and more clearely and intelligibly delivered to Posterity in bookes written which may be lost and will be corrupted by some transcribers and every transcribers copy is as authentique as any others or as they have been in the Tradition and universall Practise of the Church and in a continuall visible celabrating of those divine Mysteries where every action they did performe published the truth which they believed where their thanksgiving for Christs Passion dayly renewed the memory manner and end of it where their prostrations and adorations demonstrated their assurance of his reall Presence where every mans saying Amen at the Priests pronouncing Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi expressed their confession of that Presence with exclusion of all Tropes and Metaphors in the businesse Againe is not the true inward sence of these Christian Doctrines conveyed more intelligibly and represented more exactly lively and naturally by such practises and solemne spectacles than by bare words though they had beene never so eleare and of never so studied a perspicuity With relation to which expresse impossible to be mistaken way of propagating the Mysteries of Christian beliefe and reflecting in his minde thereupon S. Paul in all probability thus reproved the Galatians for their inconstancy in these words of wonder and indignation Gal. c. 3 v. 1. O insensatiGalatae O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been lively represented being Crucified among you As thinking that nothing of lesse power than a charme could
some cases it is within the power of the Church to invent de novo some word or phrase proper to signifie and express a Traditionary doctrine namely in contradiction to any Haeresie arising and opposing Apostolique Revelations shining in the publique profession and practise of the Church So to condemn the Arians denying the Divinity of our Saviour the Fathers of the Councell of Nice made choice of the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though new yet answerable to the sense and notion of that mystery which was received by Tradition in the Church a terme directly and specifically opposite to the Arian Position In like manner the Church of late devised a new or rather borrowed of some particular ancient Father the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transubstantiation as most proper to expresse the notion which in all ages has been received in the Church concerning the Reall Presence of the body of Christ in Blessed Sacrament a terme which like the flaming two-edged waving sword of the Cherub cuts assunder on all sides whatsoever new Heresies do or probably ever shall devise to oppose that Mystery 5. Notwithstanding some certaine Traditions there were which in the Primitive times were kept secret among the principall Ecclesiasticall Governours as certaine sublime Doctrines the ceremonious formes of conferring some Sacraments of making the holy Chrismes Oyle c. which seemes to have been done partly to gaine a reverence to the Clergy as more neerly approaching to the Divine Light But principally not to expose such Mysteries to the scornfull and profane interpretation of the Heathens or to the weak understandings of the ignorant and not yet sufficiently instructed Christians according to the practise of S. Paul himselfe 1 Cor c. 2. who saith Sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Wee spèake sublime wisedome among those that are perfect Hence those earnest adjurations in the writings of some very ancient Bishops whereby they conjured others of their own rank when they communicated to them certaine sublime mysteries to preserve in a deep secrecy what they so received a memorable instance we have of this caution in the Books of S. Denis Areopagite Hier. Eccl. c 1. Hence those disguisings of other Mysteries in Books which were to passe publiquely abroad Hence those sudden interruptions when they were ready to discover unawares somewhat above the capacity of their hearers Pagans or Catechumens Frequent examples I could alledge out of S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Augustine end others But Cuiâ— bono in this placed Since Paganisme has been utterly abolished and meanes of instruction more common and promiscuous especially since the invention of Printing whether happy or not it is doubtfull this cautelous reservednesse has beene out of use perhaps with no little prejudice to the Church in so much as nothing is reserved now in the brests of the Church-Governours even the anciently most secret Ceremonies are divuled to all Mens knowledge So that now Tradition is far more loud and visible then ever it was before and no ground for Protestants to pretend to any suspition that under a shew of Tradition the Church has a mind to exercise either Tyranny or cunning to gaine authority to her determinations 6. Now from this generall Traditionary way of conveying Christian Doctrines c. it came to passe that many Fathers being assured of the truth and authenticknesse of such Traditions and willing to assert them out of Scripture also have interpreted many Texts as conteining such Doctrines which either did not at all afford such a sence or at least not necessarily though perhaps the outward sound of the words might put a man in mind of such Doctrines Examples of this are not a few particularly in the points of Purgatory Prayer to Saints c. So that whereas Protestants cry Victory when they can prove or at least make probable that such Fathers have been mistaken in such interpretations as if the doctrines thence deduced were confuted in my opinion it is without any ground since on the contrary the lesse force that such Texts of Scripture have to evince such doctrines the greater and stronger proofe have such Traditions seeing the Fathers prepossessed with a beliefe of them from the publique practise of the Church accounted them so apparent that they thought they saw them even where they were not at all And therefore when the Church commands us not to oppose the interpretations which the greatest part of Fathers unanimously make of Scripture I conceive she does not a waies oblige Catholiques thereby to give the same sense to Texts which the greatest part of Fathers doe but rather not so to interpret any Text as to contradict the Traditionary doctrines believed generally by the Fathers upon this safe ground of Tradition though perhaps not Logically enough deduced from such speciall passages of Scripture so that though perhaps their commentaries there may be questioned the doctrine in the commentaries ought to be embraced CHAP. X. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospells c. 1. IT may now be demanded if this way of conveying Christian doctrines be so much clearer and safer than writing books or any other way of transmitting recordes to what purpose were the Evangelicall bookes written and why were the necessary points of faith reduced into such a prescribed form in the Apostles Creed 2. To say something for answer and first concerning the Creed The end why that was compiled seemes to have been to bring into a short and cleare abridgement the principall points of Christian Religion to be repeated at any ones initiation into Christianity by Baptisme being as it were an enlargement of that forme of Baptising prescribed by our Saviour viz. Baptizo te in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus sancti Now in what senseâ— and in respect of what Persons in what State or Order the Creed may be said to contein all points of faith necessary to Salvation shall be shewd hereafter As to our present purpose we may observe 1. That the Creed seemes to be of a middle nature betweene written bookes and Orall Tradition as a prescribed forme of words so it approaches to the former but as committed by all to memory and actually repeated at Baptisme and other publique Devotions so it partakes much of the latter 2. What extreame advantage Tradition has for its preservation beyond any writing seeing the Creed after it was enlarged by partaking thereof has preserved it selfe from any variety or corruption all the Church over to this day It is true indeed that insome Churches viz in Afâ—ica in the first beginning of Christianity there was a small difference their Creed wanting these words Communion of Saints the sense whereof notwithstanding may probably be supposed to have been included in the Article concerning the holy Catholique Church as may be observed in the Creeds extant in the African Fathers Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Optatus and S. Augustin Which difference it is not imaginable should have come by
considered in a desperate estate for want of means or space to inform himselfe further then not only the Scripture or the Creed or one Gospell but perhaps this one verse in a Gospell This is eternall life to know thee the only true God Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent may be instruction sufficient to salvation and so arising proportionably to other circumstances in respect of other single persons more truths and instructions are necessary and more yet to persons enjoying sufficient means to information to Clergy-men to Congregations to well-ordered Churches Besides if the same Conclusion be considered in another sense without altering the expression a sense obvious enough not improper in which among other ancient Fathers S. Aug. explaines it as he was before quoted cap. 38. viz. that the Scripture here as likewise the Creed is to be taken as joyned with the Churches authority to which saith hee we are expresly referr'd in Scripture then it not onely conteines whatsoever is necessary to salvation in some qualifyed degree of necessity and to some certaine persons considered in some certaine circumstances but likewise in the most exalted importance of the word necessary and to all persons considered either as single or in actuall Communion c. Lastly if the same Conclusion be so understood that the words of Scripture may be I doe not say supplyed but even interpreted by the Tradition of the ancient Church and authority of the present so many Catholiques will subscribe to it 3. This conclusion therefore being so variously applicable and by consequence capable of being orthodox or erroneous according to severall applications in the next place I was to reflect upon my present condition to try whether it befitted mee or no. Now for the present I was in quest of a Church that Church wherein I had been bred e're this time being almost ready to expire I lived in an age wherin there was no want of meanes of learning and instruction even to excesse for the overmuch light made many men too too wanton and curious I had been bred after such a manner that I was capable in some reasonable degree not only of information but likewise of an ability to judge what instructour could approve himselfe to be the fittest to be followed and beleived and for that purpose I endeavoured all I could to free my mimd from all prejudices and partiality in these circumstances two parties invited me to their communion and a Communion some where or other I knew was necessary The one sayd You may without inevitable danger perhaps take your choice of eiâ—her but certainly your best and safest way is to come to us for we will propose to your beleife nothing but the acknowledged written word of God and that wee have for this hundred yeares beleived to conteine all things necessary not only for your salvation but any mans else You shall have the satisfaction to bee freed from all visible authority interpreting that Word The Spirit will teach you to interpret it as truly as wee doe for otherwise we shall not suffer you in our Communion The other party on the contrary protested aloud that if I joyned not with them I was utterly lost that they would propose to me nothing but Divine Revelation conteined not onely in bookes written but Traditions unwritten both conveyed by the same hand and with the same authority and therefor if either both to be received that the former inviters were a new faction for worldly interests divided from the whole world and apparently from a Church which had continued ever since Christs time in an un-interrupted succession of instructers and Doctrine of Teachers appointed for Guides not onely by testimonie of all ages but likewise of the same Scriptures upon which their adversaries pretended to ground their Schismeâ— that these Guides had continually preserved the Church in a perfect unity of beliefe whereas the other party within one age that they have appeared have been torne into near an hundred Sects All of them with equally-noâ— Justice pretending to the same Rule and with the same Rule fighting with one another without the least effect of union not one controversy among them having been to this day cleared 4. In these circumstances coming to the examination of this fundamentall ground of Protestantisme That the Scriptures conteine all points of beliefe and practise necessary to salvation I found it necessary without any change made in the words to apply the termes necessary to salvation not to one or more persons ignorant destitute of meanes of knowledge and in some particular unavoydable exigence but to my self considered in the conditions before mentioned yea further to all Christians in generall and to the exigence of Churches well ordered and setled as on all sides they pretended to be And having done thus I found that no Antiquity ever delivered this Conclusion in so large a sense yea on the contrary that generally all Antiquity protested against it I found that no reason could require that writings evidently intended for sepciall uses and confuting three or foure Haeresies should be made use of or however should be accounted sufficiently and expressly convictive against Opinions not named in them and not them thought upon by the Authours as if they had been entire Systemes of Christianity In a word I found that after I had applyed this conclusion to the present use and Hypothesis the arguments and reasons produced by Mr. Chillingworth c. dâ—d not evince or conclude that which would give me in the case I was any satisfaction at all especially considering that if the Protestants had gained the better in this particular concerning a Rule yet I should be far from being at rest in their Churches unlesse they could further demonstrate that the Scripture conteined all these things so expresly and clearely to all eyes naming those particular necessary doctrines in contradistinction to others unnecessary or but profitable or perhaps requisite onely and applying them to the persons respectively to whom they are necessary and all this after such a manner that no honest reasonable man could remaine in doubt or be in danger of quarrelling with others a thing which mine owne eyes confuâ—ed since I apparently saw earnest contentions and separations about points not onely by my selfe but by the whole Christian world for above thirteene hundred years together esteemed necessary And since by my small reading I had found that there was not one Article of the Creed which had not been questioned and contradicted Or unlesse they could demonstrate that there was no particular point at all necessary Or lastly that there was some visible authority to decide unappealeably what was to be acknowledged for the true sense of Scripture and in it what was onely true what usefull what requisite and what necessary But these were conditions such as that the Protestants had not confidence enough to promise the former and they were too proud and confident of themselves to allow the
that is To be able to give a judgement whether any thing be defined by the Church we must as Cajetan well observes attend unto the errors which the Church proposeth to condemn and not to those things which shee speaks incidently for such things doe not remaine defined neither is it erroneous in Faith to opine against them Now the intention of the Councell of Lateran in that decree was only to exclude the errour of Origen who affirmed That this visible world was not per se directly intended by God but onely occasionally and by accident to be a prison in which the Devills should be punished and hereupon the Councell defined That it was Gods pleasure and will directly and out of his primary intention by his divine Omnipotence to create both the Angelicall and Humane Nature Whereas in that Decree it onely sayes incidently that he created at once from the beginning both these Natures And therefore this last assertion is not by vertue of the said definition become an Article of Faith Hitherto Salmanticencis De Angel p. 364. 4. Hence it will appeare what ill use Mr. Chillingworth makes of the terme infallibility either unwillingly forgetting or willingly concealing the great latitude that is allowed generally and by unsuspected Catholique Authors to the sense and notion of it which latitude I am assured his learned Adversary would have been very willing to have allowed him But it was not for his purpose to accept nor so much as take notice of such allowance it would have spoiled and abated the edge of many of his flourishing and seemingly subtile discourses So that it is apparent that Mr. Chillingworths arguments against the Churches just authority as he pretends which to most English men and I am sure to me once appeared unanswerable If that the word infallibility were but laid by for a while yea if the unquestionably allowable qualifications if its sense were but expressed would I am confident by mine owne experience lose the greatest part of their strength and however appeare not to endanger the Catholique Church at all 5. I doe not speak this being now as I am by Gods grace a Catholique to the end either to shew my selfe foolishly forward to take part with any one Catholique writer or opinion against another for the truth is my resolution was that if my mind disquieted with scruples of Religion should chance to finde rest in the Catholique Church to submit my selfe in all simplicity to her doctrine to avoid as much as might be the interessing my selfe in Disputes and Controversies and the entertaining all unusuall suspected devious and rash opinions and to spend the remainder of my life more to the benefit of my soule then by engaging my selfe in particular factions and partialities either about Doctrines or practices Nor secondly to censure at randome all those that make use of that terme in disputations For I know that before any of our late Schismes that word was used perhaps without any inconvenience by the Schoole men and if it were confined to that place where it was bred there would be still no inconvenience But since by manifest experience the Protestants I speak of England thinke themselves so secure when they have leave to stand or fall by that word and in very deed have so much to say for themselves when they are pressed unnecessarily abruptly and too too rudely with it the sence thereof not being mollified and sweetned by just and allowable qualifications Since likewise it is a word capable of so high a sence that we cannot devise one more full and proper to attribute to God himselfe insomuch as Mr. Chillingworth when he could prove that the Church was not in so high a degree infallible as the Apostles shall I say no not as God himselfe thought he had gained the victory Whereas besides Bellarmine before quoted S. Aug. lib. 2. de Bapt. com Don. cap. 3. expresly allowes to holy Scripture a place and preeminence before the decisions of Councells Lastly since the Church which Catholiques in this controversie doe pretend to maintaine only obliges no man to that word which is not found expresly in any of her received Counsells as Mounsieur Veron professeth yea since shee almost desivers the victory into their hands when they urge only her decisions and when they urge them in the latitude that she allows Can I be blamed if my duty to the Church my affection to mine own countrey and indeed to all that call themselves Christians and the remembrance how if I had not perceived that it might be permitted me in this Controversy concerning the Church to wave that word of infallibility I should perhaps never have had occasion to speak this of it in a writing of this nature Can I I say be blamed if such reasons move me to wish that the Protestants may either never be invited to combat the authority of the Church under that notion Or however that when the terme of Infallibility is used it may not be pressed in a sense more rigorous and comprehensive then the Church her selfe hath expressed 6. Now here by the way I think it fit to the end to prevent any mistake or misconstruction of what hath been sayd touching the words Infallible and Infallibility to expresse my meaning to be this viz. That I am so far from dislikeing the words themselves so generally made use of both by Schoole men and Controvertists that I professe I cannot devile any other single termes by which to expresse the Churches just and necessary Authority For if it be true as infallibly it is I am sure That God hath endowed his Church with an Authority to which all Christisns are obliged to submit their understandings and captivate their wills then it must necessarily follow from the infinite wisdome and goodnesse of God that his divine providence will preserve his church in all truth so as to secure all believers that they cannot be misled by following her nor walk safely when they follow any other direction And by consequence that she can neither deceive them nor be deceived her self all which is clearly imported in the distinct Grammaticall sense of those single termes Infallible and Infallibility Notwithstanding since the same termes may possibly be misconceived because they are capable of comprehending a more extended notion then is here expressed as evidently they do when they are attributed to God and to his immediately inspired word And since Protestants have especially of late entertained and drunk in a notion and conception from these termes far more rigorous and comprehensive then either the church her self or most of the most learned and approved Controvertists do conceive any one to be obliged unto which notion it is as yet very difficult to efface out of their imaginations Upon these grounds it is that both from mine own experience in my self and knowledge that I think I have of the peculiar temper of English Protestants I judged it convenient and even requisite
of Traditionary certitude that may be of a thing passed so many ages since being confirmed by Orall Tradition Universality Records language and practises or customes 6. An inferiour degree of certainty in Tradition yet certainty however is for example that there was such a man as Alexander the Great This is a thing most certain and yet it wants many of those arguments of assurance in the former example There is indeed a kind of Orall Tradition of this likewise yet not arriving unto this age and climate of the world by such a generall succession as the former by reason that Alexander having lived in a quarter of the world remote from us we are not descended from the men of his age who knew him yet it may be some of them or their children coming to Rome delivered this and so some Romanes conveighed it among these Western parts of the world There are no customes or practises among us relating to Alexander so that the main arguments of certainty are 1. Positive that is writings dispersed abroad made by antient Grecians and Romans all testifying the same thing 2. Negative not one man appearing in this age nor to be heard of in the former that denied it or so much as called it in question 7. A yet inferior degree of certainty in Tradition may be exemplified in some writings as in S. Clements first Epistle to the Corinthians lately published and printed in England For that there was such an Epistle written is testified by all Antiquity and was assuredly believed by all learned men in this age before the publishing of it But it is now near eight hundred years that it ha's been missing in the world for Photius I think is the last writer that takes notice to have read it Of late this Epistle was found in an ancient Manuscript in the King of England's Library sent him for a present out of the Eastern countries Now the certitude that this is the same Epistle anciently acknowledged and read in the Church appears in this 1. That the characters of the Manuscript are very ancient yet I do not believe it to have been written by that glorious Virgin Martyr S. Tecla as the credulous Grecians would pretend so that if it had been counterfeited it was done in times when the falsity might have been discovered by unquestioned copies 2. That the stile is agreeing with the ancient simplicity and gravity of Apostolique writings 3. That the subject is the very same that those ancient Fathers who speak of it do mention 4. That all the extraits and passages which the Fathers of the Church do quote out of S. Clements true Epistle are found in this Upon which grounds it may be truly said and I believe no man will contradict it that this is certainly S. Clements Epistle 8. It is likely that besides these degrees of certainty more upon consideration might be found out but these I esteemed enough for my present purpose Now by certainty I intend not certitudinem rei for so nothing that is or hath been is in it self more certain then another for even a thing that ha's its existence from free or casuall causes when it is is as certain as any other thing produced by causes never so determinate efficacious or necessary But certitudinem quoad nos that is our assurance that it hath been And a thing I call more certain in this notion not which ha's less doubt or suspition of not being for if there be any rationall suspition there is no certainty no not in the lowest degree but that which ha's more wayes to prove it self to be certain then another CHAP. XXIV Divine revelations proved to be certain beyond humane story 1. I Will now proceed by way of comparison to demonstrate the high degree of certitude which we may have of divine Revelations testified by the present Church considered as a simple proponent setting aside the authority which she challenges to oblige all men to submit to In which discourse we are to consider four things especially in Christian Religion coming to us by Tradition but in subordinate degrees of certitude viz. 1. Doctrines meerly speculative and which hardly could be testified in the practise of the church 2. Books of Scripture 3. Ceremonies and externall practises not mentioned expresly in Scripture 4. Doctrines and customes shining in the practise of the Church and likewise more or losse clearly express'd in Scripture 2. First for speculative doctrines which could hardly be express'd in the practise of the Church the Tradition of them seems to be very difficult and the certainty not so demonstrable As for example there are in the Catalogue of Heresies made by S. Epiphanius S Augustine and Philastrius certain opinions called Heresies in a large notion which seem not to have been in themselves of any dangerous consequence but yet have been condemned by Popes c. and ever since by a tacit consent of the Universall Church avoided as the opininions of the Millenaries Melchisedechians c. Now whether these Heresies were condemned as contrary to a Tradition or only by a judgement of discretion by shewing that the grounds pretended for such opinions out of Scripture are not concluding but rather the contrary as the second Councell of Orange seems to condemn some doctrines of the Semipelagians is not very certain However they rest condemned and more probably the former way as contrary to Tradition which may rather be believed of the Millenaries because they pretended for their doctrine a Tradition derived from Papias a scholler of the Apostles and it was very far spread in the church and maintained by great Saints and Doctors as S Irenaus S. Justin Martyr c. It might very possible be that the Traditionary doctrines contrary to these Heresies however speculative and which could not be conveighed by any outward practise of the church might have continued in mens memories to the times when these opinions were confuted For no doubt can be made but that the Apostolique churches together with the books of Scripture received the true sense and interpretation of the most difficult passages which might continue by a successive instruction but of which by reason they were no necessary doctrines of Christian Religion many are lost as I exemplified in the former conclusion So that the certainty of such Traditionary speculative doctrines is very hardly demonstrable and thereupon many learned Catholiques conceive that severall lately controverted opinions in the church as concerning Grace and Freewill the immaculate Conception of our blessed Lady c. have been so much agitated without any decision of the church and it ever any of the said opinions come to be decided by a Councell that the decision will at least oblige to obedience and non-contradiction but not perhaps as an article de fide that is as a divine revelation delivered by universall Tradition Since it is generally confess'd that they want such a Tradition See above in this Section 1 Cha. 9.
and practises to be by all men in all times and places solemnly either seen or practised and these with prescribed formes postures and actions on purpose that the weightiest passages of his acts or sufferings should continually be celebrated in the world leaving an impossibility of their being forgotten without a deluge Nay lastly to secuâ—e all men from the least apprehension did he ingage an omnipotent power to perform a promise that those orders ceremonies and laws should continue to the worlds end in despight of the gates of hell it self Not any of these things have been done by Will. the Conquerour or any other but our Lord to propagate his memory and yet notwithstanding all these defects we are most assured of the Tradition that such a person there was that he conquered England brought in new lawes customes c. What shall we then say of the testimony of the present church for the substance of Christian Religion even while we consider the church only as a bare witnesse or proponent of such things to us Is any confirmation stronger then all this requisite to beget an assurance in us Yea is it possible that more secure order could have been taken then that which the Son of God ha's used to make that which was past now above sixteen ages to remain alwayes as it were visible before our eyes CHAP. XXV The reason of considering this double capacity in the Church Certainty of belief compared with certainty of knowledge 1. THe reason why I enquired into the proofs of the certainty of universall Tradition proposed by the Church considered antecedently to her authority was because I found it necessary as to my self for a distinct understanding the Resolution of Catholique Faith that grounds of certainty of Tradition should first be laid before the authority of the church interpose to oblige us to believe Christian doctrine for the prime authors sake finally which is God 2. Since then Tradition in generall is in it self credible and some Traditions certaine and above all others that ever were or I believe can possibly be the Tradition of the church especially in necessary doctrines of Faith universally believed and all rites universally practised and among them this particular Tradition of an obliging authority in the Church is the most certain we may conclude that the beliefe and assent thereto approaches the neerest to knowledge of sense that beliefe possibly can do But it is impossible ordinarily speaking that it should arrive to all the degrees of assurance that sense cum debitis circumstantiis may have by which means it becomes meritorious that is capable of a reward which I conceive experimentall immediate knowledge is not And hereupon it was that our Saviour told S. Thomas who would not give credit to any reports concerning his Resurrection till his eyes saw him and hands felt him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed John 20. 29. But it may be objected if manifest vision take away meritoriousnesse by reason of such an apparent certitude as inforces the understanding to assent why should Faith which is or may be built upon grounds demonstrably certain though indeed not in the utmost degree of experimentall knowledge have blessednesse annexed to it I answer the reason seems to be 1 Because before a man arrive to an assurance in Faith there is required a great exercise of his understanding to search all the arguments conducing to a firm grounding of his belief which cannot be done unlesse there be in those persons inquiring some degree of love to the things inquired after which travell proceeding from love is a thing proper to be rewarded 2. Add to this that such persons after such a love and inquiry proceeding from that love will be forced to submit and captivate their understanding to the belief of many mysteries infinitely beyond the naturall capacity of their comprehensions a thing extremely acceptable to God 3. And this is the state requisite in Christians endued with abilities and learning in the Church especially the teachers and governors And however it is most necessary in generall for the setling of a Church that there should be means of assurance of Tradition praerequired to supernaturall Faith because discoursing men especially if they be propossessed with prejudice or a contrary belief would hardly or never be brought without it to captivate their understandings in such a manner But as for silly ignorant Christians to whom God is pleased to give a certainty of adherence beyond a certainty of evidence as M. Chillingworth sayes and who seem rather to believe with their wills then their understandings an immediate and simple captivating of their minds to Christian Verities without searching arguments of assurance may be conceived acceptable to God supposing notwithstanding that they live in a Church where it may be made appear that what they believe is not a lye nor a doubtfull truth but on the contrary certain and infallible To which purpose S. Augustine cont Ep. Fund c. 4 saith As for the other râ—ut of common people it is not the sharpness of their understandings but the simplicity of believing that makes them secure And again If Christ be dead only for those who are inabled by a certain comprehension to discern these things we do labour in the Church almost to no purpose And therefore the Calvinist Ministers c. who profess an undervaluing of Tradition in comparison of pretended inward revelations and assurances from God's Spirit and who teach their followers to hate the very name of Tradition may do well to consider what will becom of them and their faith of Scriptures in generall when they shall begin to doubt that such pretentions are either apparently false or at least impossible to be proved or however no arguments at all to perswade a third person 4. Lastly it is observeableâ— that such Traditions as we now speak of are alwayes capable of being proved to be certain yet are evidently so the neerer they come to their founâ—aine or times whence they take their originall And therefore for example though at the beginning the whole Nation of the Jews were eye-witnesses of the stupendious manneâ— of delivering the law in the wildernesse yet their successors immediately after that generation was dead fell into Idolatry and infidelity the reason whereof was not because they wanted means assuring themselves of the divine authority of their law and the curses attending the breach of it but because of this there was requisite some meditation and exercise of their understanding and besides those curses were future and therefore present temptations of fleshly and secular lusts presently enjoyed by them had so much power over them as to keep them in negligence or busying their understandings and in a presumpâ—â—ion that those curses which were future might perhaps never happen or not upon themselves in person or however by a â—epentance some time or other might be
return that shall return which was before Again Mat. 6. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And again Joh. 14. The Spirit of truth shall remain with you for ever And again Let both grow together unto the harvest And againe Mat. 18. If any man will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican Upon which S. Augustine lib. 5. de Bapt. thus descants the which house likewise hath received the keyes and a power of loosing and binding Whosoever shall contemne this house reproving and correcting him let him saith he be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly The Church which is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 4. CHAP. XXVIII The validity of such Texts c. 1. UPon these and other such Texts of Scripture joyn'd with Tradition and uninterrupted practise the antient Church grounded upon her authority the antient Councells their power of anathematizing all gain-sayers and the antient Fathers all their arguments and discourses against all sorts of Heretiques arguing thus That if the promises of Christ were true that his Church should continue for ever and so continue as that she should alwaies be preserved in all truth so that the gates of hell should never prevail against her then whatsoever Heretiques opposed or Schismatiques separated themselves from the present Church either gave Christ the lye or acknowledged themselves to be a Congregation exempted from these promises concluding that no pretence could be sufficient to warrant any man at any time to separate from the Church to which such promises have been made Hence that great Alexander Bishop of Alexandria Theod. Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 4. We acknowledge one onely Church Catholique and Apostolique which as she can never be rooted out although the whole world should attempt to fight against her so she surmounts and dissipates all the impious assaults of Heretiques Hence likewise S. Athanasius The Church is invincible although hell it selfe should oppose her Hence lastly Theophilusâ— God at all times affords the same grace unto his Church namely that the body should be preserved entire and that the poysons of hereticall doctrines should have no power over her V. S. Hierom. Ep. 67. 2. Now if these promises of Christ be not both infallible and likewise absolute and unlesse the Church to which such promises belong be not only visible but by the weakest understandings discernable from all other factions and Congregations and lastly unlesse upon the same grounds that all the Fathers took advantage from such promises to condemn all Schismes and Heresies against the Catholique Church of their times all succeeding Catholiques might with as much reason and justice from the same promises conclude as efficatiously against all following Heresies and Schismes whatsoever hath been said by all these Fathers especially the writings of S. Augustine against the Donatists will prove to be the most foolish impertinent jugling discourses that ever were yea that were too mild a censure I should say the most blasphemous and pernicious to Christianity For by ascribing to the present Church respectively such sanctity authority and indefectibility if such titles could not be warranted from Scripture and Tradition all possible means of taking away scandalls and errours among Christians would be utterly lost it would be unlawfull for any men to preach truth and piety or reform vice in a word that fearfull comminatory curse in the Revelation would be converted into an Evangelicall precept Qui nocet noceat adhuc qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc Let him that doth mischiefe proceed to do more mischiefe still and let hiâ— that is filthy be filthy stil Apoc. 22. I might ad Et qui incredulus est incredulus maneat Let him that is a disbeliever take care that he continue a disbeliever still for whosoever reforms these things are Heretiques and Schismatiques 3. But such promises are too expresse in Scripture the Tradition of them too constant and universall the Fathers too good Christians to leave any suspition in mens minds that they should either lightly imprudently or wickedly make use of arguments to destroy heresies which in future times would be as proper yea far more efficacious to destroy truth Therefore if all antiquity conspired to argue thus Christ has expressely promised and foretold that his Church shall be as a City set upon the top of a hill and that he by his Spirit will be with this his Church to the end of the world in which Church notwithstanding there shall be a mixture of good and bad till the day of Judgement but however the Church it self is without spot or wrinckle Therefore it is a blasphemy in you Manicheans Donatists Pelagians c. to say the Church of Christ was perished or invisible or a harlot till you revived reformed and purified it I say if the Fathers had reason from such promises to argue thus in the second third and fourth Centuries their Successours had as good reason to make the same deductions from the same principles in the fifth and sixth ages and so downward till these very times For as Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so likewise are his promises and by consequence so likewise is his Church since he ha's engaged his omnipotence to make good such his promises to his Church untill the worlds end 4. If not Let those that forbid such a method of arguing name how long a time and how far those promises are to be extended Let them name the Climactericall year when the effect of them is to cease or what constellation ha's over-ruled the operation of Gods holy Spirit To conclude let them give some reason why the Donatists who though in all points of Christian Doctrine agreed with the Catholique Church yet because for I know not what pretended misdemeanour of one Bishop they separated from his Communion and afterward from all those that communicated with him that is the whole Church are therefore so highly condemned by the Fathers for this their Schisme that they professed the same heaven could not hold them both yea that Martyrdome it selfe could not blot out that crime What priviledge can all those Sects of this age alledge for themselves that the same arguments and judgements of the Fathers should not be applied to them who to their Schisme from charity have added a division from and contradiction to not only the Catholique Church but all manner of Congregations praeexistent in so many points of doctrine and faith of so high importance 5. I confesse I could not imagine what could be opposed to this and therefore I could not but conclude that the antient Fathers Logick was concluding yea that such unanswerable arguments of theirs were powerfull means preordained by Christ for the accomplishing of his good promises to his Church inasmuch as by them the gates of Hell that is as severall Fathers
not only to receive the Scriptures from her as a depositary of them but the true interpretation likewise of them preserved by her together with all other Traditions as much as concerns the substance of Christian Religion This authority seems to be grounded especially upon the promise of indefectibility an indefectibility I mean of the Church considered as one body composed of parts ruling and obeying teachers and persons instructed as S. Paul describes the Church as it is to continue to the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4. Not as Mr. Chillingworth who would make our Saviours meaning to be no more but that till his second coming his Gospell should not be so utterly rooted out of the world but that somewhere or other there should be some that should professe it 2. By vertue of this promise the Church is assured 1. not to be deprived neither of any necessary truths nor of lawfull Pastors to teach those necessary truths when I say necessary I mean not absolutely necessary to every single person considered in any circumstance exigence or extremity as Mr. Chillingworth and Doctor Potter c. through their whole books understand it whether mistaking their adversaries or no I thought it unnecessary to trouble my self to examine but I am sure without any prejudice to the established doctrine of the Church which remains untouched though all the inferences which they would make from such a notion of the word necessary were allowed them but I mean truths necessary to the constitution of a glorious visible Church which must be furnished with a world of Doctrines and Orders which to all single persons are far from being necessary to be believed or known much lesse to persons wanting abilities or means or time to be instructed 2. She is secured from Schisme or Heresie for remaining to the worlds end one holy Catholique Church as we professe in the Creed how can she be divided from her self either in Faith or Charity For unlesse all Bishops in Councells Oecumenicall and indeed all Christians should conspire to renounce that truth to day which they believed yesterday how can novelty or heresie enter universally into the Church under the notion of Tradition 3. Concerning the subject of this authority the principall subjects are indeed the Governours and Pastours of the Church with whom Christ hath promised that he will be to the end of the world But the adequate subject are all Catholique Christians as well instructers as instructed since Tradition is continued by them both shining in the doctrines taught and received in devotions exercised and in outward practises and ceremonies celebrated by all Christians 4 Now of this authority of the Church there are generally speaking two acts 1. An Obligation lying upon all Christians to acknowledge that doctrine to be true and necessarily to be believed and those practises necessarily to be conformed to which are taught and received by the whole Church and all this upon penalty of being accounted Heretiques that is no members of the Church and therefore by consequence divided from Christ the head of the Church which inspires life into it here and will glorifie it hereafter 2. A coërzion or infliction of spirituall penalties and censures as suspensions deprivations excommunications c. on those that persist stubbornly in opposing those truths and practises And this belongs to the Teachers and Governours of the Church more or lesse according to their severall qualities For every Parish Priest ha's some degree of this coercive power over his stock every Bishop over both Priests and severall congregations within his Diocesse ha's more every Metropolitan a yet larger power A Provinciall Synod above a single Bishop or Metropolitan c. And in conclusion the supreme Ecclesiasticall tribunall is a Synod Occumenicall lawfully called confirmed and some adde universally received by all Catholique Churches that is by their Prelates from which there is no appealing for if there were all authority would be vain enjoying the name but without any effect or use at all as shall be shewed hereafter 5. Concerning the former act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz. an Obligation lying upon all Christians under pain of Heresie to receive the doctrines and practises of the universall Church that it is in the Church antecedently to a generall Councell appears by this namely that there were in the Church very many Heresies taken notice of acknowledged for such by all Catholikes and dissipated before any generall Councell had been called as the Ecclesiasticall history S. Epiphanius will assure us And this is grounded ◠Upon evident reason for what is heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a relinquishing of a former received opinion or practise and the choice of a particular new one an act this is which implies an extreme contempt of the whole mysticall body of Christ and a preferring ones own single judgment or wilfullnesse before whatsoever els is prudent or sacred in the world 2 Upon expresse Scripture for S. Paul commands the Thessalonians and S. John all Christians to abstain from the conversation of and not so much as to bid God speed to all disordinate walkers swerving from the rule established and all introducers of novelties in the Church Yea S. Paul sayes that an Heretique even before the Bishops censure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by himself that is as severall Fathers expound it voluntarily and by himselfe separated from the body of the faithfull so that the solemn excommunication of the Bishop against him may seem to be onely a ratifying of that mans censure against himselfe For I conceive it can hardly be affirmed of all Heretiques in generall that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned that is professing and maintaining errors against their own conscience and knowledge 6. Now this authority residing in the whole body of the Catholique Church I must adde of the present Catholique Church has been in all times preserved so inviolable that besides the fore-cited testimonies of the Fathers this observation will sufficiently justifie it viz. That there was never in any age of the Church as far as I have been able to inform my selfe any one single person esteemed a Catholique that ever either spoke against or in the least degree censured or seemed to render suspitious any doctrine or practise universally believed or received by the Catholique Church during the time that he lived Many Fathers have been very bold and eager against abuses and errours particular some of them perhaps too largely dispersed but never any of them whether private person or Governour learned or unlearned taxed the Church either of errour in doctrine or of superstition prophanenesse or any other enormity in practise Many of them have earnestly called for a free Councell to reform particular disorders and errours in the lives and writings of both Clergy and Laity sometimes not sparing Popes themselves but never to have the Church it self to alter any of her doctrines or to change any of her practises
Babel since a Judge visible or invisible must needs be had some disagreement there is among among them what invisible judge to pitch upon 4. All that I can collect from the sense of the English Church in this point is that which results from these articles of hers compared together viz. Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite necessary to salvation Again The three Creeds c. ought throughly to be received c. For they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture Again The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull men in which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred c. As the Church of Hierusalem c. so also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their living and manner of ceremonies but also in matters of Faith Again The Church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies and authority in controversies of Faith and yet it is not lawful for the church to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another wherefore although the church be a witnesse and a keeper of Holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the fame so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation Again Generall Councells may not be gathered together without the commandement and will of Princes And when they be gathered together forasmâ—â—h as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God they may â—rre and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary unto salvation have neither strength nor authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scriptures From which Articles it is apparent that the Church of England though in words she seemes to ascribe some kind of power to the Church and Generall Councells yet in very deed since she makes her selfe at least if not each particular man a judge whether the Catholique Church proceeds according to Scriptures or no the thereby utterly deprives the Church of all manner of authority yea de facto the Supremest authority which is in the Church is actually censured as a Delinquent both in having made decisions beyond and against the Word of God But after these destructive determinations the English Church names no other visible or invisible authority not laying her selfe any claime thereto although in effect she takes upon her to do more then she claimes So that à primo ad ultimum all the judgement that I could make of the English Church was that since worldly interests constrained her to separate from the Catholike Church by the just judgement of God she had only a power given her to destroy the Temple of God but not so much as to lay one stone towards the raising up another in the place of it 5. As for the Calvinist party in England they follow the example of Calvin and most of his followers that I had read as likewise the Lutherans c. all which make the Holy Ghost testifying to every mans conscience the infallible interpreter of Scripture Now concerning this their pretence to such a Judge all I had to say upon it during that very small time that I had the patience to take it into debate was 1. That I could not believe that they believed themselves when they laid claim each man or each Sect to such an infallible Iudge 2. That if they did indeed believe it as I could not hinder them so till I had some good experience I durst not pretend to the like infallibility 3. Since all those Sects pretend to so more-then-miraculous an infallibility and yet not any of them work any other miracles it proves of no effect to end controversies which is the proper office of a Judge especially such a Judge as the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of unity 4. That if such a pretence was indeed false as it must be in all Sects differing betweene themselves but only one it is in all the rest a most horrible presumptuous lying against the Holy Ghost and most justly punished by him with implacable and eternall divisions both among themselves and from Catholique unity divisions I say impossible to be remedied till all but one Sect agree in the same confession or acknowledge since a Judge is requisite and the invisible one will not serve the turne that therefore they are to have recourse to the onely visible one viz. The present Catholique Church which in Spirits so envonomed against the Church as those Sects are how without a miracle it cannot be expected fearfull experience shewes 5. That since this pretending to the Spirit is effectuall onely so far as by a seeming divine warrant to make them hate one the other but not to oblige one the other to submit to their so eanonized interpretations it is of no use at all in this businesse of finding out a Judge to end controversies among dissenting Christians Lastly That that rule of Tertullian de Praser being unquestionable viz. That whatsoever is new is Religion praejudges it selfe to be false it will undoubtedly follow that this ground of so many Sects is of all others most apparently untrue since no example can be found for it in all Antiquity Here the Tradition from the antient Patriarchs of Merefies failes them for excepting some fanaticall Heretiques as the Montanists c. none ever pretended to the Spirit against the church CHAP. XXXV Mr. Chillingworth's newâ— found Judge of Controversies viz. Private reason His grounds for the asserting such a Judge 1. SInce the publishing of Mr. Chillingworth's book there ha's appeared in England a new Judge of controversies and much defer'd unto there which is every man's private reason interpreting of Scripture From what countrey this new Judge came is very well known and I willingly forbear to discover The truth is if Christ had made no promises to his church if it had not by God's own Spirit been called the Pillar and ground of truth if universall Tradition were a fable if all Councello conspiracies of Tyrants and lastly if unity in the church were unnecessary or unprofitable reason might have much to alledge for it self that it should be raised into this tribunall 2. But before I examine particularly the pretentions of reason to this Office I will set down the State of this controversie as Mr. Chillingworth c. 4. parag 93. ha's very perspicuously and yet very briefly expressed it in these words Believe the Scripture to be the word of God use your true endeavour to find the true sense of it and live according to it and then you may rest securely that you are in
divided themselves from the Communion of the Catholike and other particular churches because they would not joyn with them in the belief of Scripture explained in that sense which their severall Articles import and not because they refused to submit to Scripture which all professe to do And lastly whereas though they acknowledged Sâ—ripture to be the only Rule of Faith yet because it not having being written in form of Institutions or a Catechisme the necessary doctrines of Religion are dispersed uncertainly in the severall books difficulty to be found out of them and withall not so plainly delivered but that there is need of explication and conciliation with other passages of Scripture that seem to contradict for this reason each church compiled abridgements and confessions disposed orderly and methodically by which they signifie to the world how they understand Scripture Mr. Chillingworth on the contrary delivers their mind joyntly for them after a new way which is his second Novelty which I will set down in his own words cap. 6. parag 56. By the Religion of Protestants I do not saith he understand the doctrine of Luther or Calvin or Melanchion nor the confession of Augusta or Geneva 〈◊〉 the Catechism of Heâ—delberg nor the Arâ—â—â—â— the Church of England no nor the harmony of Protestant Confessions but that wherein they all agree and which they all subscribe with a greatâ—â— harmony as a perfect rule of their faith and actions that is the Bible the Bible I say the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants Whatsoever else they believe besides it and the plain irrefragable indubitable consequences of it well may they hold it as matter of Opinion but as a matter of Faith and Religion neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it themselves nor require the belief of it of others without most high and most Schismaticall presumption Thus far Mr. Chillingwrrth Now how far other Protestants out of England will approve of this new shift which he ha's found out for them and which I am sure he ha's published without any commission from them I know not But if they also justifie him in this all I can say is that they will make their party much the stronger by it and will likewise have reason to pretend to almost primitive antiquity for if all be of their body who whatsoever their particular tenents be build their faith upon only Scripture interpreted by each mans reason then not only all Heretiques of these times but likewise almost all Heretiques since the Apostles times will be united in the same corporation 9. But once more to return to Mr. Chillingworth's ' Position viz. That all necessary truths are contained in Scripture so expressely that no man can rationally doubt of the sense of them and by consequence there is no need of an authorised visible interpreter All that I shall say in answer hereto shall be the making a few requests to our English Protestants especially As 1. To consider this and the former speeches of Mr. Chillingworth not as an extraordinary invention of his excellent wit but that which extreme necessity forced him to for though before him few Protestant Writers have so freely discovered the arcana schismatis as being unwilling to tell their followers that they had no authority to oblige them to their opinions Yet Mr. Chillingworth deals more ingenuously discovering that this is indeed a foundation most necessary to be laid by all those who deny all visible Ecclesiasticall authority in expounding Scripture and judging definitively of controversies in Religion for otherwise they may say God ha's given us the Scripture to be our only rule this Rule is ambiguous and difficult even in necessary things there is no judge to interpret it mens understandings are weak and their wills strong they are easily led away with prejudices education and worldly interests so that it is a great chance if they light upon the true sense of those difficult yet most necessary mysteries considering besides that they are very contrary to flesh and blood and carnall reason This were to deal with mankind worse then the AEgyptian Taskmasters did with the Israelites to demand brick and give them no straw Since therefore no Protestant would willingly lay such an imputation upon the Father of mercies it will follow that he must of meer force acknowledge with Mr. Chillingworth that all truths necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture so expresly that no rationall man can doubt of the sense of them 10. My second request to English Protestants is that they would take into consideration how after that a Catholique would be so liberall as to allow them this ground they would be able and by what rules to distinguish points unnecessary from necessary for though it were true that all necessary points are plain yet all plain points are not necessary 3. That for a more particular tryall they would resolve with themselves whether the Mysteries of the eternall Godhead and Incarnation of our Saviour be not necessary to be believed if so as the English Articles import then they may do well to take a survey of all the Texts of Scripture which Volkelius and Crellius heap together to combat these mysteries and afterward conclude whether only Scripture being the Rule and only private reason the Judge these mysteries be so plainly and expresly contained in Scripture that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them and that there needs no interpreter to reconcile them 4. I would likewise desire them to consider the places of Scripture which Catholiques make use of to build the authority of the Church and the Reall Presence I name these because they are the principall grounds of their separation Now when they have considered the Texts for the former point let them take notice that they cannot produce one express Text of Scripture against the authority of the Church and for the other point whether the Texts which Catholiques produce for the Reall Presence do not in the literall grammaticall sense say all that Catholiques believe and whether all that Protestants labour to prove be not that though Hoc est corpus meum as the words lye be against them yet the sense hidden and figurative which they desire to force upon these words is against Catholiques And having considered these two instances let them upon Mr. Chillingworths present grounds judge how they can satisfie their own reason and conscience without expresse Scripture for themselves and against at least expresse words of Scripture for Catholikes to make a separation from the whole world 11. In the last place I desire them to speak freely whether if this be true that to be expressely unambiguously set down in Scripture be a condition necessary to all necessary points of Faith there be indeed any points of faith necessary since there is scarce any one article of the Creed which ha's not been and is not at this day questioned by many men yea by
whole churches in which are and have been found persons of great learning subtilty and as far as the eys of men could judge piety and vertue as S. Augustine witnesseth of Pelagius and S. Vincentius Lirinensis of other Heretiques Now if they say they will not believe such testimonies of their adversaries probity then the controversies between Sects will become not disputations but calumniations and impleadments 12. To Mr. Chillingworth's fifth ground viz. That it cannot consist with the goodness of God to oblige any man as of necessity to believe explicitly or to interpret clearly those places of Scripture which are obscure and ambiguous I acknowledge all this and from their own grounds desire Protestants to consider whether any knowledge or distinct belief can justly be required to be yeelded to any speciall points of Christiantty since there are scarce any that have not been controverted CHAP. XXXVIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 1. TO the sixth ground viz. That since no proof can be made out of Scripture nor out of universall Tradition that there is any visible Judge of the sense of Scripture and since a mans reason is the only faculty and principle capable of judging therefore Reason is the only judge of the sense of Scripture but this only for each mans own self c. I answer 1. That his supposition of no visible Judge is so far from being true that the contrary ha's all the proofs imagineable and in the highest degree of assurance imagineable if Tradition universall for time and place plain Texts of Scripture interpreted by all Fathers that have written upon them the continuall practise of the Church in Councells c. can give a certain proof as I have shewed before 2. For private reason being a judge I will shew the impossibility for it to attain the ends for which Christ appointed a government in his Church viz. unity of minds and wills among Christians together with the unavoidable absurdities attending such a Judge and this after I have considered briefly the rest of his grounds 3. In this place I will take into consideration the generall foundation of this his foundation viz. That no other judge as to a mans own self besides his own reason can be imagined chap. 2. 11. 2. This foundation Mr. Chillingworth esteems so firm that upon all occasion he objects it to his adversary and places his chiefe confidence in it both as a sword to wound his enemy and a buckler to defend himself for thus and in this order he argues 1. Whatsoever I do in matter of Religion I do it by mine own particular reason and resolve it finally into mine own reason And this is not only my method but the same is done likewise by all sorts of men even those that deny private reason to be judge deny this by their reason and because their reason tells them that it is more reasonable to rely upon authority then upon their private judgement or reason c. 2. The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is not that the one judges and the other does not judge but that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest 3. To speak properly saith he The Scripture is not a judge of controversies but a rule only and the only rule for Christians to judge them by every man is to judge for himself by the judgment of discretion and to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say Or as you his Church first and then his Religion but by the consent of both sides every man is to judge and chuse This appeared to me to be the substance of Mr. Chillingworth's discourses severally dispersed in his book upon this argument 3. I confesse this way of arguing of Mr. Chillingworth had a long time great effect with me and after considering it more attentively I found that of necessity there must be some Sophisme in it because it makes all parties most contradictory to one another yet to resolve their beliefs into the same point which notwithstanding they utterly deny it was long before to mine own satisfaction I could discover the secret and now after all I find not the least difficulty how to expresse my self distinctly and intelligibly in my answer to it notwithstanding I will endeavour to do it as perspicuously as I can 4. For preparation therefore hereto I will first shew what faith or belief is and the severall kinds and manners of it together with the order how it is begotten in the soul c. Now I only speak of a rationall and well grounded faith not such an one as with which many ignorant or interessed persons assent that is rather with their wills and passions then their reason or understanding 1. Beliefe therefore in generall is an assent of the understanding to any thing related to us and this for the authority of the relator So S. Augustin de util cred c. 2. That we believe any thing we owe it to authority that we understand any thing to reason 2. Belief is immediate or mediate immediate when the prime relatour reveals it immediately to the believer mediate when by the intervention of others 3. Beliefe certain or probable is either when we have a certainty or probability of the prime relators authority or fidelity or else though we be assured of the prime authors fidelity when we have a certainty or probability of the authority fidelity and information of the subordinate relator 4. Belief supernaturall is when the prime relator is supernaturall and also when the object is supernaturall I might add and which is begotten in the soul by a supernaturall vertue but that is not debated here 5. The order an manner whereby an assured firm supernaturall faith is begotten in the soul is first in immediate divine revelations the prime relator reveals any thing to the believers understanding by the intervention of his outward or inward senses in mediate divine revelations when this is done by means of some persons indued with authority and ability so that before firm faith in the thing revealed there must necessarily precede a certain knowledge that such a thing ha's been revealed 6. Discourse of reason may and ordinarily does precede belief but belief it self is not discourse but a simple assent of the understanding 7. In beliefe we are to distinguish between the causes and the motives of it and when men speak of the last resolution of faith they intend to consider the last motive or authority into which it is resolved not the primary efficient cause of it Therefore though faith be an act of reason yet it is not said to be resolved into reason though produced by it but into authority 8. It is a meer tantology to say the act of faith is terminated in reason because reason judges that it is reasonable to believe God For that seems all one as if a man should say
an act of reason is an act of reason or a reasonable act and indeed otherwise it would be impossible to terminate faith ultimately in God but a man should believe God not for Gods authorities sake but his own 9. The use of reason antecedent to faith and act of the understanding in assenting to a thing revealed for the authority of God the revealer do not prejudice neither the supernaturalnesse nor certainty of Faith because the same things have place in any revelation though made immediately by God for it is with my senses that I receive the thing revealed and convey it to my understanding it is with my understanding that I assent to it and the reason why I assent to it is because it is most reasonable to believe God yet none of these things diminish either the supernaturality or absolute certainty of this belief 5. But to come to a more particular examination of Mr. Chillingworth's Positions 1. He argues that private reason ought to be acknowledged the Judge of controversies and interpreter of Scripture because whatsoever we do in Religion we do it by our particular reason yea even those that deny private reason to be a Judge do this because their reason tells them this is more reasonable c. It is confessed that Faith is an act of reason that is of the reasonable faculty of the soule and that it is the same faculty of reason which submits and captivates it self to divine or Ecclesiasticall authority for as to be Gods slave is the greatest liberty so to renounce carnall reason when God commands it is most reasonable It is moreover confessed that in such a case when reason with submission to God captivates it self and renounces all discourses of reason that would oppose such an a bnegation of it self that it does this from a rationall principle viz. that it is most reasonable to believe and submit to God who is veracity it self But what will follow from hence Will any one therefore either be so unreasonable as to conclude that divine faith is ultimately resolved into reason as into the motive of assenting it is indeed the efficient cause producing the act of assent but the last and principall motive is divine authority or that divine revelations are to be examined and exacted according to the rule and principles of naturall reason thereby either to stand or fall Or lastly that when reason judges it reasonable to receive the sense of divine Revelations from the Church endewed with authority for that purpose Reason in that case shall be called the interpreter or judge 6. In the second place where he sayes The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is this not that the one judges and the other judges not Thus far I grant But that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest To this I answer that here are two judges 1. a Catholique and his judgement is that his guide is infallible or rather speaking in his guides language that she ha's authority to direct him This is true but not all that is true for he judges of his way too namely that that way and rule by which and in which his guide sets and directs him is manifest And he judges of this more rationally then a Protestant can because the same that God appointed to be his guide is both entrusted with this rule and an explainer of it likewise to him having not only words but sense delivered to her 2. A Protestant Judge and his judgement is that his way is manifest it is true he judges so but how injudiciously hath been already shewn But does he not judge of his guide or ha's he no guide to judge of Yes that is himself or his own reason and that he judges to be all sufficient both for authority and prudence He that in interpreting an Heathen Orator or Poet would not trust his own judgment or adventure his reputation to the world without alledging authorities by which he might justifie his judgment and much more he that in a tenure of land would willingly submit his judgment to the authority of those judges whom the Law ha's deputed will notwithstanding trample upon all authority upon the traditionary interpretation of many ages he will despise Fathers and Councells and adventure eternall happinesse or misery upon his own single judgment and when all this is done will call it a judgment of reason and discretion 7. In the third place To speak properly saith he the Scripture is not a Judge of Controversies but only a rule c. This I grant to Mr. Chillingworth and withall that he is the first Protestant that I know of that ha's spoken properly in this point But he adds and the only rule to judge them by But the contrary I think I have already proved Yet before I leave this passage I desire to be informed what controversies are here spoken of namely whether concerning points necessary or unnecessary surely not of necessary for how can there be controversies about such points as according to his belief are set down in Scripture so plainly that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them and if of unnecessary why will they confesse that they quarrell unnecessarily It follows Every man is to judge for himself with the judgement of discretion This is true if the sense be that it is by the faculty of reason that he embraces and assents to divine revelations not that such revelations are to be admitted or refused according as they are consonant or repugnant to the principles of discourse of naturall reason It follows And to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say But what Church do Protestants chuse since though in effect there are infinite Churches among them separating from and damning one another Yet if the grounds of Protestantisme be true and reasonable viz. 1. That the belief of necessary fundamentall doctrines is sufficient to make a true Church 2. Since all such points are so plainly contained in Scripture that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them much lesse disbelieve them And 3. Since no Protestants will deny but that in all Churches even the Catholique also there are reasonable men it will follow that they must say that indeed there is but one Religion and one Church and so no choice at all It follows Or as you Catholiques his Church first and then his Religion For my part I know no Catholique sayes so nor any reason that should move Mr. Chillingworth to put such words in their mouths For if we speak of one that is yet to chuse Christianity and is in pain to find a Congregation to joyn himself to the difference between such a Director as Mr. Chillingworth and a Catholique would be this Mr. Chillingworth would tell him Search the Scriptures attested by universall Tradition as will appear if you peruse all the Records since Christs time there you will find
in it all things necessary to be believed and practised but which and how many such things there are we cannot tell you besides they are dispersed up and down in Gospells Acts Epistles and Revelation so that it will cost you much trouble to collect all that are of the substance of the new Covenant in yours and our opinions but to make short work be sure to believe all in grosse and then you shall be sure to believe all that is necessary and then chuse what Church you will for there can be no danger since all cannot but agree in necessaries only there is some danger in the Catholique Church for she will oblige you to believe other things as well as Scripture for universall Traditions sake and besides she will not permit you to think your own self wiser then the whole world Or if you have the curiosity to live in the purest Church of all then you must study all the obscure unnecessary passages of Scripture likewise for such only can be controverted among reasonable men and examine what every party ha's to say for himself and then descend from your tribunall of judging and associate your self with them that you think the wisest that is those that agree with you in all your opinions if there be any such and there stay till either they or you change opinions But as for Catholiques to such a man that was to chuse both Christianity and a Church they would first tell him that by his reason he might most certainly judge that this Religion was taught by Christ and his Apostles since besides Records the universall agreement of the present age was that they received it from an universall Tradition of former ages which is a testimony beyond all others most irrefragable 2. They would by the same way assure him that this Religion was by the first teachers confirm'd with miracles and his reason upon examination both of those miracles and the sanctity of this Religion in generall would most assuredly conclude that the miracles were divine and by consequence the Religion too and therefore necessary to be embraced since it self said so 3. They would upon the same undeniable grounds of universall Tradition assure him that among others one necessary duty of this Religion was to live in the Communion and under the authority of such a Church as Christ had promised should be Catholique for place and never to fail untill his coming to judgement which Church was one body consisting of a subordination of parts among which by consequence one must needs be supreme and from which to separate was to be divided from Christ himself in this Church therefore he was to fix himself inseparably And here is to be an end of his judging and chusing For 4. being in this Church his Reason had no more to do but to submit it self to the beliefe and practise of the speciall doctrines and precepts which this Church should teach him Liberty indeed he might have to search out interpretations of Scripture yet so as that he must not contradict any traditionary doctrines And he might draw consequences from doctrines so that he would give leave to the church to judge whether such consequences were rationall and fit to be received abstaining from others that would not assent to his consequences And this is the method according to which a Catholike would advise such a man to proceed thus much liberty of judging he would allow to his reason before he did make choice of a church and only so much afterward 8. To these discourses Mr. Chillingworth adds some proofs out of Scripture to justifie Private Reason's pretention to judge of the sense of Scripture as first those words of S. Paul 1 Thes. 1. 5. v. 20 21. Try all things hold fast that which is good But I answer here is no mention either of Scripture or church much lesse of interpreting Scripture against the church the truth is there were extant scarce any books of the New Testament when S. Paul wrote that Epistle But the words before speak of Prophecyings in the church which perhaps S. Paul would have to be tryed whether they were consonant to the doctrine which he had delivered to the church Now who was to be the Judge of Prophets he shews in another place 1 Cor. 14. 32. where he sayes The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets not to the ignorant people A second proof is Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Joh. 4. 1. To which the former answer will suffice A third Be ye ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3. 15â— I cannot imagine how from this Text this conclusion can be infer'd Ergo it belongs to all Christians to judge of the sense of Scripture even against the authority of the Church A fourth If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch All the inference that I could possibly draw from this Text would be therefore if men will not believe their teachers but either will rush forward themselves or follow others that neither have authority nor ability to teach they are likely to fall into the Ditch For surely by blind are not meant the lawfull Pastours of the Church which on the contrary are in the Old Testament called Videntes or Seers and by S. Paul eyes when speaking of such persons as Mr. Chillingworth here gives the office of judging to he saith If the ear shall say because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If all the body were the eye where were the hearing 1 Cor. 12. 16. Whereby S. Paul shews expressely that the hearers ought not to usurp the teachers office expressely contrary to Mr. Chillingworths Position 9. I will conclude this discourse of Protestants exalting private reason against Catholique authority with those memorable words of S. Augustine Ep. 56. Those saith he who not being in Catholique Unity and Communion yet notwithstanding do boastingly usurp the name of Christians are constrained to contradict the true Believers and have the boldnesse to seduce as it were by reasons the ignorant and unskilfull although that our Lord is come with this preservative to ordain faith unto the people But this they are constrained to do as I said because they perceive well that without this there is nothing more vile and base then they are if their authority be compared with Catholique authority They endeavour therefore as it were to surmount the most firmly setled and most stable authority of the most surely founded Church by the name and promising of Reason for this is as it were an uniform and universall temerity of all Heretiques But the most clement Commander and Generall of our Faith hath strengthened his Church with this bulwark of Authority by the most famous Assemblies of Peoples and Nations and by the proper Sees Episcopall of the Apostles aâ—d by a
whether that authority which is indeed supreme be not unappealable from and necessarily to be submitted to by all particular subordinate persons To say such persons have no authority to be Guides is to contradict expresse Scripture And to say that there can be a subordination of authority without one that is supreme Or that that which is indeed supreme may by particulars persons or churches be opposed or so much as appealed from is to contradict not onely what is assumed but evident reason and all order 3. Where it is said That no Church is fit to be a Guide in Fundamentalls but only a Church of one denomination as Greek Roman Abyssine c. For otherwise no man can possibly know which is the true Church but only by a pre-examination of the doctrines and that were not to be guided by the Church to the true doctrine but by the true doctrine to the Church I answer That a Catholique Church there is as we profess in the Creed and that this Catholique Church is visible and easily to be designed plainly distinquishable from new Sects and innovating congregations and that this body representatively united is the supreme authority on earth and that every particular Church or member of this Catholique Church as such is a sufficient guide to those that live in her Communion As concerning his phrase a Church of one denomination I grant that God ha's not apparently obliged himself to confine his Promises to any particular Dioecose Province or Nation no not perhaps even to Rome it self Only this may certainly be affirmed that the Catholique Church shall by vertue of Christs promises continue to the worlds end a visible Church teaching all substantiall doctrines of Christianity guided by a lawfull succession of Pastors under one visible Head which visible Head ha's hitherto for above sixteen Centuries been the Bishop of Rome and that is a fair presumption that it will be so to Christs second coming for I know nothing but a generall earthquake there and swallowing up of that place that is likely to hinder such a succession since it ha's already abidden all variety of oppositions and tempests when the whole power of the Roman and infernall Empire sought to extinguish it and when all sorts of Heretiques and Schismatiques sought to undermine it But I shall speak more of this when I come to the last conclusion concerning the perpetuall visibility of the Church 4. In the fourth place to his first proofe that no Church of one denomination can be an infallible guide in fundamentalls because if so then she should be infallible in non-fundamentalls also I answer that even by Mr. Chillingworth's own confession it does not follow that if Christ hath promised to preserve his church from all errour in fundamentalls that therefore by vertue of that promise she should be exempted from all errour whatsoever and the reason given by Mr. Chillingworth is worth the marking The Church sayes he may erre and yet the gates of hell not prevaile against her for seeing you Catholiques do and must grant that a particular Church may hold some errour and yet be still a true member of the Church Why may not the universall Church bold the same errour and yet remain the universall Church unlesse every the least errour be one of the gates of hell 5. And indeed many Catholique Writers there are who upon the same grounds with Mr. Chillingworth extend the promise of the holy Spirits assistance to the church not to all inconsiderable circumstantiall doctrines but substantiall and traditionary only And for a further proof we may add that there are some Fathers of great antiquity and authority who hold whether justly and truly or no I debate not but they hold that there are reall differences between the four Evangelists in some circumstances of no considerable moment related by them and by consequence there must of necessity in their opinion be an errour such as it is in some one of them at lâ—ast The which inconsiderable differences whether reall or imaginary there being an exact demonstrable agreement amongst them all in points of Doctrine do rather in S. Chrysostomes judgement in Mat. Hom. 1 establish then invalidate or any way prejudice the divine infallibility of their writings since thereby it is apparent sayes he that they did not compose them by consent and conspiracy for then they would have been scrupulously punctuall in all even the smallest circumstances but in the ingenuous simplicity and sincerity of their hearts In like manner S. Hierome tells us that in his time some learned Catholiques were of opinion that the Apostles and Evangelists in the New Testament quoted some passages of the old Testament and the Septuagint meerly out of their memory not looking into the books themselves and that by that means their memory failing their quotations were not exactly true yet notwithstanding those Fathers were far from questioning the authority or infallibility of any one of the Evangelists as concerning any substantiall doctrine contained in any of their Gospells c. So likewise in the Latin Translation of the Bible there are not only differences of senses from Originalls Hebrew or Greek now extant not only great and uncertain variety of reading in the antient Latin Copies but likewise as the Protestants brag very great diversity between the Impressions published by the Authority of Pope Sixtus Quintus and Clemens Octavus since the Councell of Trent wherein notwithstanding they are mistaken for though Sixtus Quintus had design'd an Impression and prepared a Bull for the authorizing of it yet God took him away before he effected his intent thereby as it were signifying that it was his pleasure to take away from Heretiques all seeming advantages against his Church But though this had been as the Protestants imagine surely a more corrected reimpression does not imply that the Church wanted the true Scripture since none of such differences are of such considerable moment as to cause any uncertainty in points of Doctrine For I conceive it was never heard that any errour was grounded meerly upon a various reading of any Text of Scripture But to proceed certain it is that there were much greater differences between the antient Italica and other Latin Translations of the antient Church and this of S. Hierome as likewise yet greater between the Septuagint and the Hebrew and yet neither do the Apostles refuse to quote some passages out of the Septuagint wherein the Translation is manifestly faulty however in a matter inconsiderable neither will any Catholique affirm that the promise of the holy Spirits assistance did fail the antient Church although it only made use of a Translation of the Scripture very imperfect if compared with S. Hieromes no not though upon such differences of reading it were possible to ground doctrines which might be circumstantially erroneous It is true such doctrines would be of no considerable moment but however they might be erroneous yet without any prejudice to Christs
promises to his Church So that the Church even when she does upon supposition erre yet she does not even then lead any man out of the way to heaven or within the danger of hell gates seeing the promises of Christ are infallible that his Spirit shall conduct or rather preserve his Church in the belief and profession of all truths at least necessary and as for points supernumerary or unnecessary neither unwilfull ignorance nor unavoidable mistake shall be imputed as sinfull to any man 6. To the second proof viz. That if the promise of infallibility had been made to any Church of one denomination certainly the Scripture would have named that Church and have directed all Christians to have recourse unto her it being a point of so main importance I answer 1. The inference is not at all concluding as I shewed before in the first conclusion 2. The Scripture ha's expressely mentioned such promises made to the Church and if we will follow either reason or Catholique Tradition interpreting Scripture we must at least apply those promises to the whole body and succession of the Catholique Church united under one Head since no particular man or Church considered only as a distinct member of the whole can pretend to these promises as peculiarly applicable to themselves Now this whole body was as apparent and distinguishable from particular sects in the times of S. Augustine and S. Gregory as if it had been a Church of one denomination since they framed all their arguments and discourses from the apparent visibility of it and surely to any one that would not shut his eyes would have appeared as clear and demonstrable in Luthers time also 7. To the third proof of Mr. Chillingworth viz. That Catholiques build their assurance of the infallibility of the Church only upon fallible and uncertain grounds and marks I answer that I have made the contrary appear in severall places before demonstrating that it is grounded upon the most firm unshaken foundation that reason can have viz. Universall Tradition by which it is more effectually proved then any particular book of Scripture hath been 8. To his last proof against the Churches infallibility from his two examples wherein the Church is said to have erred universally in points pretended to be of Tradition as namely about the giving the blessed Sacrament to Infants mentioned by S. Augustine and the doctrine of the Millenaries by S. Justin Martyr and S. Irenaeus For the first example I refer my self to the satisfactory answer given by Cardinall Perron to the same objection made by King James Perr repl l. 2. obs 3. c. 11. 2. Concerning the other example of the doctrine of the Millenaries c. I answer that S. Justin Martyr dial cum Trypho saith not that it was a Catholique Tradition nor received by the whole Church but only of himself and many other Christians but withall that there were many also who were of a pure and pious Christian beliefe which did not acknowledge it And when all that could be alledged to prove that doctrine to have been an Apostolique Tradition was said the proof ended upon the report of Papias a very credulous man one that loved to tell stories many of which could not find belief in the Church a man meanely learned and by consequence one that might very probably mistake what he sayes S. John told him concerning that point CHAP. XLII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of circles and absurdities to the resolution of Faith of Catholiques 1. A Third rank of arguments with which Mr. Chillingworth combats the infallibility of the Church is grounded upon the absurdities Meanders and circles which he sayes most unavoidably follow the resolution of the faith of Catholiques Let us hear the sum of his allegations in his own words cap. 2. 118. 119. For Gods sake Sir tell me plainly in those Texts of Scripture which you alledge for the infallibility of your Church do not you allow what sense you think true and disallow the contrary and do you not this by the direction of your private reason if you do why do you condemn it in others If you do not I pray what direction do you follow Or whether you follow none at all If none at all this is like drawing Lots or throwing dice for the choice of a Religion If any other I beseech you tell me what it is Perhaps you will say the churches authority and that will be to dance finely in a round thus To believe the Churches infallible authority because the Scriptures avouch it and to believe that Scriptures say and mean so because they are so expounded by the Church Is not this for a Father to beget his son and the son to beget his Father For a foundation c. The Church you say is infallible I am very doubtfull of it How shall I know it The Scripture you say affirmes it as in the 59. of Esay My Spirit that is in thee c. Well I confesse I find there these words but I am still doubtfull whether they be spoken of the Church of Christ and if they be whether they meane as you pretend You say the Church sayes so which is infallible Yea but that is the question and therefore not to be begged but proved neither is it so evident as to need no proof otherwise why brought you this Text to prove it Nor is it of such a strange quality above all other Propositions as to be able to prove it self What then remains c. But Universal Tradition you say and so do I too is of it self credible and that ha's in all ages taught the churches infallibility with full consent But that it ha's I hope you would not have me take upon your word for that were to build my self upon the Church and the Church upon you Let then the Tradition appear for a secret Tradition is somewhat like a silent Thunder You will perhaps produce c. 2. For answer hereto 1. If Mr. Chillingworth's adversary had grounded the doctrine of the Churches authority meerly and only upon Texts of Scripture capable of contrary senses there might have been just ground for Mr. Chillingworth to have pleased himself as he oft does in insulting thus on him and intangling him thus in his circles But Mr. Chillingworth himself absolves him toward the latter end of the former passage where he sayes But universall Tradition you say and so do I too is of it selfe credible and that ha's in all ages taught the Churches infallibility c. Whereby he shews clearly that his adversary though he serves himself as reasonably he may and ought of some Texts of Scripture to fortifie the Traditionary doctrine of the Churches authority yet makes not those Texts understood in his own sense his onely foundation but universall Tradition which is the proper foundation even of the credibility of Scripture it self and therefore all Mr. Chillingworth's inferences and retortions do not even in his own opinion
church as a doctrine Traditionary and moreover it is attested by all antient Records of the Fathers of the church nemine explicite contradicente and it ha's been practised by Councells in all ages not one Catholique renouncing his obedience In so much as to my understanding there is not one Christian doctrine delivered with so full an assurance nor in the sense and meaning whereof it is lesse possible for a man to be mistaken Now by vertue of this speciall truth of the churches authority Universall Tradition which of it self is most credible and certain being believed and attested by the present church becomes most necessary to be believed by us the Church supplying the place not only of a witnesse but of an Embassadour likewise instructed and employed by Christ himself as S. Augustine most effectually maintains so that in believing and obeying her we believe and obey Christ himself according to Christs own expression He that heareth you heareth me and If any one heareth not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And therefore they that believe Christian doctrines only because they think they find them in the Scripture and believe the Scripture only because their reason or fancy which they miscall the testimony of Gods Spirit tells them that it is the Word of God though the doctrines themselves believed by them be true yet it is a hazard as to them whether they be so or no or however whether that be the sense of them or no it being all one as if a man by some casualty had found a transcribed copy of some part of an Embassadors Pattent or instructions Whereas Catholiques receive the commands of their heavenly King and Master from his Embassadours own hands which not only will not conceale any thing necessary or requisite from them but likewise will be able upon occasion to cleare all manner of difficulties that may arise about the sense of the said instructions or Patent having received glorious promises of continuall residence among us and of divine assistance to preserve him from any at least dangerous error 8. These things thus supposed Mr. Chillingworth's pretended circles and absurdities in the Resolution of Catholique Faith doe clearly and evidently vanish For a Catholique does not only or chiefly believe the Churches authority because to his privaâ—e understanding and reason the Scripture seems to say so but because he knows that the present Catholique Church teacheth so both by profession and practise and that she teacheth this as a Catholike Tradition believed and practised in all ages then which it is impossible there should be any testimony more assured and infallible so that if a man can be sure of any thing done before his own times as all reasonable men do agree that one may he cannot avoid being most sure of this if his passion or interests do not hinder him from searching into the grounds of it I need not therefore particularly give an answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse before produced since it wholly proceeds upon a mistake of his adversaries and other Catholiques grounds and since himself in the close of it seemes to confesse by objecting to himselfe Universall Tradition that if this doctrine of the Churches authority could be made appear to be grounded upon Catholike Tradition it would be as much credible as if the Scripture had expresly testified it since in his opinion the Scripture it selfe and nothing besides enjoyes its authority because it is delivered by Universall Tradition and by consequence would not be lyable to any circles or absurdities So that truly I wonder why seeing Mr. Chillingworth could not be ignorant that Catholiques do generally pretend that this doctrine comes from Tradition besides the proofs of it out of Scripture he should notwithstanding dispute against it as if there were no other ground for it but two or three questionable passages of Scriptâ—re CHAP. XLIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 1. THere is in Mr. Chillingworth's book another rank of objections which though they do not directly combat the churches infallibility or authority yet they had great effect upon me because they seemed to infer that the faith and salvation likewise of Catholiques depended upon extreme uncertainties and casualties and by consequence that a Catholique could not give any assurance that his faith was safely grounded For thus he argues c. 2. parag 63. ad 68. The salvation of many millions of Papists as they suppose and teath depends upon their having the Sacrament of Penance duly administred to them This again upon the Ministers being a true Priest which is a thing that depends upon many uncertain and very contingent supposalls As 1. That he was baptized with due matter 2. With due forme 3. With due intention 4. That the Bishop which ordained him Priest ordained him likewise with due form intention c. 5. That that Bishop himselfe was a person fitly qualified to give orders that is was no Simoniake c. 6. That all that Bishops Progenitors were fitly qualified and so till he arrive to the fountain of Priesthood Now he that shall put together and maturely consider all the possible wayes of lapsing and nullifying a Priesthood in the Church of Rome I believe saith he will be very inclinable to believe that in an hundred seeming Priests there is not one true one But suppose this inconvenience assoyled yet still the difficulty will remain whether he will pronounce the absolving words with intent to absolve you for perhaps he may be a secret Jew Moor or Antitrinitarian which if he be then his intention which is necessary to the validity of a Sacrament will be wanting c. 2. Hereto I answer 1 That such kind of pretended uncertainties or nullities in particulars do not prejudice the authority and stability of the church in generall but that if it be true which ha's alwayes been believed in the church viz. That Christ ha's promised to continue till the worlds end a church governed by lawfull Pastors and preserved in all truth he will engage his omnipotency to make good his fidelity and by consequence he will take care to prevent or remedy all obstacles that can be imagined to be otherwise able to evacuate such his promises and I suppose two such Attributes of Christ are a foundation strong enough to build a faith not obnoxious to such a world of casualties as Mr. Chillingworth suspects 2. That Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse proceeds upon a mistake of the established doctrine of the Catholique Church which ha's not declared all those things to be nullities nor any of them in the sense that he alledges It is true in the Canon law and among Câ—suists there are mentioned many nullities of Orders and other Sacraments as Simony or Heresie or Schisme are said to nullifie the Ordination of a Bishop or Priest But how to nullifie it by taking away the
of Minori declared openly this sense of that Article against certain disputing Schoolmen and during the sitting of the Councell published a book to the same effect no man censuring or condemning him Although indeed his manner of expression was far more unwary and more approaching to the sense of the Lutherans and Calvinists then the forecited Authors Salmeron and Scribonius Marius the further fitnesse of which opinion I leave to the judgement of the Catholique Reader my intention being only to make a Narration of what I was told or did read in others 3. And these are the principall arguments produced by Mr. Chillingworth against the infallibility as he loves to call it of the Church at least such of them as had the greatest effect upon me during my time of Protestancy to hinder me from submitting my selfe to the authority of the Catholique Church or indeed to any authority at all as obliging in conscience which arguments when I came to examine them appeared to me in generall not to touch the established doctrine thereof at all Whether they were of greater force against his particular aduersary it concerned not me neither had I commission or authority to examine 4. It is not my purpose in this Narration to give particular answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all his objections Onely this I professe that I doe neither remember any one through his whole book which formerly had any strong influence upon me nor since my becoming a Catholique after not a perfunctory per-usuall of it have I met with any which to mine own understanding upon the grounds by me formerly laid doe not seeme to me easily answerable And I am confident that if any Protestant shall apply Mr. Chillingworth's discourses to the established doctrine and expressions of the Catholike Church he will acknowledge that notwithstanding any thing said by him this may remain true That the Catholique Church hath authority to propose points of Faith and to interpret Scriptures and that no particular Churches or Christians may or ought to contradict or refuse to submit to her determinations and interpretations Insomuch as if Mr. Chillingworth had been so fortunate as to have undertaken no more then to examine the doctrine of the church he would scarce have made use of and much lesse would he have relyed so confidently upon the strength of any of those arguments which he ha's produced against his adversaries Positions He must have been forced either to acknowledge the truth of the churches doctrine or have put himself to the trouble of inventing other kind of arguments then any I could yet meet with either in his or any other Protestants writings CHAP. XLIV Dangerous consequences of Protestants doctrine against the authority of the Church 1. I Will at length put an end to this tedious but that it is so necessary discourse upon this second conclusion concerning the Judge of Controversies and authoritative interpreter of Scripture by shewing among many some speciall enormous and unavoidable consequences of the doctrine of Protestants concerning this point who refuse yea oppose the consent of the present and antient Catholique Church propounding doctrines of Faith and interpreting Scripture and submit to their own particular reason or private Spirit 2. The first is an impossibility of Unity yea though reason were suffered to proceed simply without mixture of passion and interest as experience and reason it self shews and it hath been already proved 3. The second an evident contradiction to Universall Antiquity which will not afford one example of any Catholique Writer that either hath affirmed that in interpreting Scripture every man is to follow the guidance of his own reason or private Spirit against the authority of the present church or that hath himself refused or taught others to refuse upon any pretence to submit to the determinations of the present Catholique Church 4. The third is that if the universall testimony of the present church either by her publique profession and practise or in her decisions in a Generall Councel do not indispensably oblige all Christians to obedience upon this pretended exception that no expresse mention is made in Scripture of such an unlimited power given to any church of one denomination then it will follow that those churches and Councells which have assumed to themselves this authority to exact subscription to any decisions of any doctrines other then expresse quotations of Scripture to be understood by every one according to his own fancy and that hath accursed all gainsayers are guilty of insupportable uncharitablenesse injustice and tyranny Upon which grounds all Protestants are obliged to anathematize the four first Generall Councells as well as all the rest which follow yea above all other the Councell of Nice since therein were anathematized all those that did not subscribe to an expression of one Article of Faith which notwithstanding those Fathers acknowledged to be so far from being contained expressely in Scripture that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which occasioned so many Tragedies was not so much as of Tradition but only invented by them as proper to oppose the Heresie of the Arians and to expresse the sense of the Traditionary doctrine of Christs eternall Divinity and equality with the Father 5. The fourth is that upon Protestants grounds it is impossible they should rationally call any doctrine Heresie or any separation Schisme without condemning themselves For concerning Heresie if they following the antient Church define Heresie to be a relinquishing or opposing the belief of any doctrine generally professed in the Catholique Church or defined by a lawfull Couucell they will include themselves within the lists of Heretiques since if for severall ages before Luther there were either any Churches Catholique or any authority to make a lawfull assembly they have done apparently the same But defining as they do Heresie to be a contradiction of a Fundamentall Article of the Christian Faith expressely contained in Scripture and not naming but rather explicitly renouncing any visible Judge authorized to determine whether such or such an Article be to be accounted to be expressely contained therein against those who deny it it is impossible to come to an issue between parties contradicting one the other 6. I will give only two instances in two points acknowledged in England the first in that great point controverted between the English Protestants and the Socinians The English Protestants call the Socinians Heretiques because they deny the eternall Divinity of the second Person in the blessed Trinity because this is say they a fundamentall Article of Christian Faith and expressely contained in Scripture But this the Socinians confidently deny yea they professe that the contrary rather is expressely contained in Scripture for say they Neither the word Trinity nor Personality nor Consubstantiality c. are to be found in Scripture neither can any Texts be produced which witnesse in formal words that the Son is equall to the Father in respect of the Godhead yea many Texts expressely
that the pretended proofs out of Scripture alledged by Protestants proceed either because no mention is made of Scripture of such points a way of arguing generally renounced by the Fathers who condemn many Heretiques by Tradition alone without Scripture or because they by drawing consequences out of Texts of Scripture say they can confute such doctrines of the Roman Church which yet upon their own grounds will not suffice to call the contrary opinions so pretended to be confuted hereticall and much lesse will they be a sufficient warrant to make such mortall divisions in the church as are in these dayes 8. From all which considerations it seemed likewise to my weak understanding that this plea made use of by Protestants to excuse their Schisme upon pretence of so many dangerous errours and heresies crept into the Catholique Church necessary to be reformed was a plea of all others the most unreasonable the most unjust that ever was a plea so far from excusing them that above all other things it will make them most unpardonable before God and man a plea formally evacuating the promises of Christ inevitably ruining all Ecclesiasticall authority rendring uselesse and ridiculous all the marks that Antiquity gives us whereby to judge of Schisme and Heresie Lastly a plea which English Protestants by the just judgement of God have to their owne ruine put into the mouths of Calvinists and all other Sects for as they served the Catholiques so have the Calvinists used them upon pretence of reformation and Scripture and the antient Apostolique Church they see themselves rob'd of their church of their faith of their liberty of their livings and many thousands of their lives and yet they that were the destroyers of all lawfull authority and exercisers of too much unlawfull complain of injustice they that pluckâ—d downe the hedges of Gods vineyard wonder to see so many severall kinds of beasts rush in and eat their grapes in a word to use the expression of S. Augustine Et tamen nec serâ— saltem toties divisâ— atque conscissi sentiunâ— quod feccrunt i. e. and yet for all this seeing so many divisions among them seeing themselves so torn in pieces do they not yet perceive the fault that themselves have done Cont. Parm. lib. 1. CHAP. L. A continuation of the former arguments viz. that the guilt of Schisme lies only and wholly upon Protestants Catholiques not uncharitable for saying That Protestancy unrepented is damnable 1. THese Principles laid by the Fathers with unanimous consent of the execrable nature and extremest dangerousnesse of the crime of Schisme together with the severall descriptions and marks which they give to understand it by seemed to me so reasonable and these deductions which I made from the aforesaid principles together with the application of those marks to the present state of controversie between the Roman and Protestant churches seemed so unrefutable Lastly the conclusion and result of the whole matter viz. That the crime of heresie and Schism cannot with the least shew of reason be imputed to the Roman Catholike Church nor with the least shew of reason avoided by Protestant Churches since the Fathers being Judges there is not one mark of Schisme which can be found in the Romane nor one mark but is evidently found in Protestant churches All this seemed to me so unanswerable that unlesse I did resolve to put out mine owne eyes I could not but see that I had all my life hitherto continued in this fearful state of Schismâ— And unlesse I did resolve to proceed to that desperate contempt of Scripture of consent of Antiquity and of all Ecclesiasticall authority as to think Heresie and Schisme to be no other then counterfeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bugbeares invented to fright such foolish Christians as would submit to any authority Divine or Ecclesiasticall I could not but think it more then time to avoid the precipice into which I was ready to fall and and for that purpose to range my selfe to that Communion which both by testimony of Scripture and all Antiquity and by visible experience could demonstrate that a full effect of all Christs promises had been accomplished in her which priviledge not any other congregation in our Western parts at least did pretend to any other way then by calling themselves a part of her whom yet at the same time they called an Idolatresse and a Strumpet divorced from her coelestiall Bridegroom or at least communicated with them that were guilty of such blasphemies 2. I do professe in the presence of God and all his blessed Saints and Angells that I could could not my self imagine nor find in any Protestant writer any exception or objection that came home to the point this one essentiall mark of Schisme viz. forsaking the externall publike Communion of the Catholike Church being impossible to be avoided by them since both all the world sees it and they themselves confesse it though indeed under another and more plausible name 3. I may therefore spare my pains of examining particularly what Mr. Chillingworth and other Protestants alledge for their excuse all which are evidently answered with applying to them that one saying of S. Augustine in his first book to Petilian the Donatist I object to you the crime of Schism which you wil deny And I wil presently prove because you do not communicate with all Nations I may add speaking to Protestants Not with any one Nation or church pre-existent to Luther Calvin confesseth that he divided à toto orbe terrarum from the whole world and so do other Protestants And impudence it self cannot deny but that in respect of externall communion they have to this day relinquished the whole world attempts have indeed beene made to get an entrance into the Greek church but in vain for they have beene rejected and remitted to the obedience of their own Patriarch as appears by the letter of Hieremias Patriarcha c. And therefore for a proof unanswerable that the Schisme of Protestants is a separation not from a particular church as they call the Roman but from all Christian Churches all the world over let them suppose the same question proposed to them which the Emperor Basilius made to Photius the Pseudo-Patriarch of Constantinople With which of the four Patriarchs do you communicate So that as the same S. Augustine saith in the same book Hoc scelus maximum manifestum omnium vestrum est i. e. This crime of forsaking Universall communion is both of all other the greatest and a manifest one and belongs to all the sorts of you 4. If they say they preserve the bond of charity allowing a possibility of salvation to Catholiques onely they separate from Catholique errors which would be damnable to them being so perswaded What is this to Externall Communion Adde hereto that though English Protestants for their own interests to justifie the lawfulnesse of their Succession doe allow such a degree of charity to Catholiques yet it
Let them chuse whether of these two they had rather believe They call themselves Christians we propose to them Jesus Christ and Donatus Let them consider what will become of them if they bestow only words upon Jesus Christ and their bearts upon Donatus So that this conclusion of his is unalterably tâ—ue not for his times only but til Christs second coming viz. That all separation which is made before the drawing the net on shore or before harvest i. e. the end of the world is a eamnable separation Being Sacrilegium Shismatis quod omnia scelera supergreditur i. e. being the sacriledge of Schisme which surpasses all other crimes Aug. con Ep. Parm l 2. 10. Therefore to shew the extreme in justice of English Protestants against the Catholique Church and the just judgement of God upon 〈◊〉 for it we may desire them to consider that in their owne congregations they are constrained to connive at both errours in doctrine and abuses in practise to support a Schismaticall Unity which they would not suffer for Catholique Unity So S. Augustine speakes to the Donatists lib. 2. Why do they saith he perniciously suffer such kind of men in the crime of a Sacrilegious Schisme which they might and ought to have tolerated profitably in the integrity of Catholique Unity Again let them consider with what justice they can condemne the other Sects Presbyterians and Separatists if they seek the same destructive way of reforming them which themselves practised upon the Catholiques For the Presbyterians will alledge Scripture as well as they they will pretend errours and superstitions as well as they And the Separatists beyond this will alledge for themselves that which it will be impossible for them to reply reasonably to for they will say Since you your selves have taken away all obliging humane authority in points of Religion give us leave to enjoy that liberty for our own consciences which you have purchased us we desire not to tyrannize over other men only we would not suffer that you should pretend by a shew of liberty to introduce tyranny If Protestants shall oppose secular power or multitude to such allegations that will be to confesse that their reformation was a meere worldly design If they shall say that it is not fit that a smal conventicle of Sectaries should prevail against a Nationall Synod of the English Clergy then they must not take it ill to have those efficacious words of S. Augustine applyed unto them Is the just weighing of matters come to this passe that a Councell of the Maximianenses who are an under-segment of your Sect shall have no force or consideration against you because in comparison of your numbers they are but a very few and shall a Councell of your own prevaile against Nations against the heritage of Christ and the ends of the earth his possession I wonder if that man have any bloud left in his body that should not blush at the mentioning of such a thing as this Aug. Ep. 154. ad Emer Don. 11. I will conclude this conclusion with a brief consideration of an accusation which Protestants lay against Catholiques whom they charge with extreme uncharitablenesse for affirming that Protestants dying in their Religion without repentance cannot be saved Hereto it is answered that Catholiques do not pretend to judge of the salvation or damnation of Protestants in particular yea they will not doubt to say that to many thousands of them neither their Heresie nor Schisme shall prove de facto damnable but that supposing they dye with an intention to renounce whatsoever their opinions should appear to them to have been erroneous their invincible ignorance caused by education misinformation of Catholique doctrines c. may probably find pardon from our mercifull Judge in case they be truly penitent for all other faults committed by them upon supposition that any such have been committed But surely it is no uncharitable judgement to say in generall That it is damnable to dye in a damnable or mortall sinne without repentance And therefore since even by Protestants confession Heresie and Schisme are in a high degree damnable sins and since Catholiques are verily perswaded that Protestants are guilty of these two crimes it may be called in them a mistake but it cannot be called uncharitablenesse in Catholiques upon such a supposition to make such a judgement Yea on the contrary I wonder how the English Protestants c. who pretend that Catholiques are guilty of these two crimes can notwithstanding contrary to the doctrine of all Antiquity affirm that such persons are not in a damable estate surely it is self-guilt and not charity that makes them so charitable CHAP. LI. The fourth Conclusion Proofes of it out of Fathers THE FOURTH CONCLUSION is That the Catholique Church ever after the times of the Apostles was is and shall be visible continuing in an uninterrupted succession of lawfull Pastors and true doctrine to the end of the world 1. FOr confirmation of this conclusion out of Scripture Texts sufficient both for number and perspicuity have already been produced both out of the Old and New Testament in the second conclusion 2. The same doctrine is no lesse conspicuous in the writings of the Fathers It is easier saith S. Chrysostome Hom. 4. in Esa. that the Sun should be extinguished then that the Church should be obscured And again The Sun is not more manifest nor the light proceeding from it theu the actions of the Church The Church saith S. Cyprian de Unit. Eccl. being cloathed with the light of our Lord spreads its beames through the whole world The Church saith S. Augustine hath this most certain mark that she cannot be hidden And again Do not these men grope at noone day as if it were midnight It is a quality common to all Heretiques not to see the thing of all things in the world most clear viz. the church which is placed in the light of all Nations out of the unity whereof whatsoever they do though it may seem to be done with great exactnesse and diligence yet can no more secure them from the wrath of God then the spiders webs from the rigour of the cold Hereupon the same Saint de unit Eccl. calls Christ the most true declarer of his body insomuch as be suffers us not to be mistaken neither in the Bridegroom nor in his Spouse Upon which grounds he makes severall exclamations to this purpose Id. cont cres l. 3. O the mad perversenesse of men Thou conceivest that thou deservest to be praised for believing Christ whom thou seest not and believest thou shalt not be damned for denying his Church which thou seest Since that Head is in heaven and this body is upon earth Thou acknowledgest Jesus Christ and that which is written of him O God be thou exalted above the heavens and doest not acknowledge the church in that which follows and let your glory be spread through all the earth The like expressions he
accuse her of Schisme for not separating from her selfe and and the whole world and for not being able to hinder them from committing that most sacrilegious crime and they impute Heresie to her for being constant in maintaining the decisions of all Councells and the profession of all churches and ages 4. But before I examine the vanity of these imputations by stating those six particular controversies I shall desire our English Protestants to meditate sadly upon two subjects especially The first is Which way they can imagine it to be possible that an errour should imperceptibly creep into the belief and practise of the whole church even setting aside the security we have against any such mischiefe by the meanes of Christs promises For was it not true which antiquity testifies yea and S. Paul himself expressely that the Apostles and Apostolicall men were instant in season and out of season to make known to the primitive Christians and to inculcate diligently and laboriously into their minds the whole sum of Christian doctrine not forbearing both publiquely and from house to house to reveal to them the whole will of God not suppressing any thing that was profitable Act 20. 20. 27. And this so fully and effectually as that if an Angell from heaven could be supposed to teach any thing not only contrary but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. besides that which they had taught he was to be accursed Galat. 1. 8. Then do not the Fathers tell us and what proof can Protestants produce to make them appear to be lyars when they tell us that at least for five hundred years all caution imagineable was used to prevent and exclude any novelties that any Heretiques yea or any Christians though as learned as Origen or as holy as S. Cyprian should attempt to introduce May we not adde hereto that whatsoever novelties of the least moment should be obtruded by any would discover themselves to be novelties by thwarting the publique profession and practised devotions of the church as S. Cyprians Rebaptization would oblige all men to practise that which they had alwayes forborne and the Arian and Pelagian c. impieties would constrain the church to alter the formes of prayers to the Sonne of God and for Gods Grace to cure the impotence and perversenesse of nature acknowledged in the daily publique confessions Upon which grounds S. Cyril against Nestorius and S. Leo against Eutyches disprove the errours and impieties of their Heresies by producing the profession and practise of the church in administring the holy Eucharist whereby she restified her beliefe of a reall presence of the very body and bloud of Christ there which could not consist with their Novelties So that upon the same ground if Invocation of Saints Prayer and offering the most holy Sacrifice for remission of sinnes to the dead Veneration of Images c. had been novelties would not such practises have more directly thwarted the publique devotions of the church then the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches How was it possible then that such doctrines should have been taught by any particular Father as confessedly they have been and not any one appeare that should discover and protest against such innovations what charme was there in these doctrines above all others to cast the church into a sleep that she should not perceive them or to silence the Fathers that against their custome in all other innovations they should not open their mouths against them And much more how was it possible that the publique Liturgies and devotions of the church should come to be changed by admitting such pretended novelties and superstitions and yet no signes or footsteps be left that such a wonderfull change ha's been made not one writer to be found that can tell us of any one that opposed it 5. The second thing that I desire them to consider is That since it is at this day and ha's been for many ages the universall belief of the church that all such pretended Novelties were indeed Catholique and Apostolique Traditions what arguments Protestants can reasonably esteeme sufficient to disprove this beliefe and to dispossesse the church of her renure Will the silence of one or two Fathers think they be of force enough to such a purpose If so I doubt whether the church would then be able to maintaine any one Article of Faith Would a few seeming difficulties and obscure seemingly opposite quotations out of some writings of a few Fathers serve their turn It did not so in the cause of the Arians of the Pelagians of the Novatians c. and why only in the present controversies Will quotations of Scripture decide the questions against the present church Indeed if it could be imagineable that the whole Catholique church could at the same time and with the same hand deliver us Scripture and doctrines contrary to expresse Scripture if she could be supposed either so foolish as not to see that which no body could be ignorant of or so wicked as clearly seeing what God said to command us not to believe him but rather the quite contrary then she might deserve to be stiled Schismaticall because she continues in such a wicked unity and Hereticall because she would not submit her judgement and aushority to the passions and lust of an Apostate Monke But even Protestants themselves will absolve her from such a high degree of guilt as to contradict expresse and formall Scripture And as for Texts of Scripture either obscure or ambiguous or â—ationally admitting severall interpretations though to some prejudicate ears they may seem to sound otherwise then the church teaches in all reason and honesty the churches interpretation of them ought to prevail against any private mans I am sure all sorts of Sects will either submit their judgements to the sense of their particular churches or at least will conceal their opinions when they cannot submit them this civility and duty teaches all men But as for the children of the Catholike church they have an obligation binding them in conscience to trust the same church for the sense of Scripture especially in points which she sayes are of Universall Tradition which they have trusted for the Scripture it selfe and therefore S. Augustine said well and like a perfectly good Christian and Catholique The words of Scripture are so to be understood as the world hath believed them which that it should believe the Scripture hath foretold And surely he that will duely consider of what weight the universal testimony of a whole age of the church is to prove a Tradition will never think that a few objections or obscure passages either in Scriptures or two or three Fathers who are apt to speak unwarily when the matter is not in controversie should decide the cause against it especially considering that it is almost impossible to receive absolute satisfaction of the doctrine of former ages any other way or at least any other way so well as by the universall agreement of the
present age that so the former ages delivered to her What shall we say then when to the evident testimony of the present age for Catholike verities may be added a world of testimonies both of Scripture and antient writers beyond all comparison far more then for her enemies contradictory assertions even those enemies themselves being judges as will appeare undeniably to any man that will consult that one book of Brercley's Apology of Protestants for the Catholique church CHAP. II. Of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation Of the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament and of Communion under one Species 1. THe six speciall controversies which I shall briefly consider shall be 1. Concerning the Eucharist and therein of the Reall Presence of Christs body by way of Transubstantiation as likewise Of the Adoration of our Lord present in the Sacrament and communion under one Species 2. Of Invocation of Saints 3. Of Veneration of Images 4. Of Prayer for the Dead and Purgatory 5. Of Indulgences 6. Of the Publike Service in Latin The reason why I make choice of these is both because these are the especiall controversies wherein there is a reall and manifest difference between Catholiques and Protestants who make these points the principall causes of their separation For as concerning the debates about Grace and Free-will Predestination and Justification as likewise the merits of good works though ignorant-popular-preaching Protestants make a great clamour about them yet I was most assured that there was indeed a reall agreement when they came to explaine themselves sensibly about them As for the controversie concerning the Pope I have spoken sufficiently in the 52. chapter at the latter end of the fourth conclusion 2. First therefore concerning the Reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist and that by way of Transubstantiation In discoursing upon which because my designe is not to write the controversie in generall but only in reference to the doctrine which following the church of England I was taught there it will be sufficient for me to signifie that by that church I was taught that in the blessed Sacrament the body and bloud of our Lord were really present exhibited and received by the Communicants really I say not onely as the objects of Faith or not onely as really exhibiting the effects of Christs suffering but as truly and properly as the Roman church professeth onely I was forbidden to say that there was any reall change made in the bread and Wine which remained after Consecration as they were before In a word I was taught to say what neither I nor any other was able to expresse save onely that the Romish doctrine was false which taught that that presence was made by a presence of Christs body under the Species which only remained of the visible elements 3. Now when I say that I was taught to expresse my belief thus by the church of England my intention is not that that church obligeth every one to believe thus For the truth is so a man will but renounce the two words of Transubstantion and Consubstantiation he may preserving the terme really interpret himself as if really signified only figuratively or as the object of the understanding as we see a world of writers allowed there to have expressed themselves Yea in the 28. and 29. Articles of that Church there are certain clauses which require only a figurative sense to be understood as when it is said The body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the supper only after an heavenly and spirituall manner and the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper is Faith And again The wicked c. are in no wise partakers of Christ but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the sign or Sacrament of so great a thing Which clauses being allowed those Articles do admit yea require not only the Calvinistical but even the Zuinglian sense concerning that point Yet notwithstanding this whether the Calvinisticall party there had with their usuall importunity extorted the inserting of those clauses into the Articles I know not yet those that followed the Prelaticall Governing Faction never considered those expressions but without any Calvinisticall hypscrisie professed that they believed the Reall Presence as truly and really and properly as the Catholiques did And so King James commanded Monsieur Casaubon to signifie his sense to Cardinall Perron in the words of Doctor Andrews then Bishop of Ely 4. Now what other reason can be imagined should move the most learned and prudent part of the English Clergy to expresse themselves so neer the Catholique sense but only a conviction that besides the formall words of Scripture the Ecclesiasticall Tradition and generall doctrine of the Fathers enforced such a sense But by what mystery it came to passe that they should dispense with themselves for following Tradition no further but that under a pretence that the Sacrament was a mystery inexplicable they should forsake the same Tradition and Fathers who generally professe that that presence is made by a reall transmutation of the visible elements into the very Body and Blood of Christ this I confesse I could never comprehend 5. Now that such was the Traditionary doctrine of the Catholique church besides the testimony of the present age which will be of infinite weight to any one that duly considers it and to omit a world of quotations out of Councells and Fathers wherein expressions to prove the same are as full yea perhaps more rigid then the Decision of the Councell of Trent it selfe I became convinced from these considerations viz. 1. Because in all the antient Liturgies that ever I saw there are expresse mention of the verity and reality of this change and not any the least intimation of a figurative sense there are expresse prayers that God would by his omnipotent power cause the Bread and Wine to become the Body and Bloud of our Lord and not the least intimation that the way of communicating of these mysteries should be only by Faith or by the operation of the understanding 2. Because in the form of communicating both in the Easterne and Westerne churches which form or Canon S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Basile c. attribute to the Apostles themselves as authors there was required from the communicants a confession of their beliefe of the reality of this change or to expresse it in S. Ambrose his language de Sacr. l. 4. c. 3. The Priest viz. presenting to thee that which before consecration was bread saith unto thee This is the body of Christ and thou answerest Amen that is to say it is true That which the tongue confesseth let the heart believe 3. Because generally the Fathers when they speak of this argument have recourse to the omnipotence of the Word of Christ and to wonderfull operations exalted above all humane credibility as the cause of this change thereby leaving no doubt that they understood a
not true because they find no satisfaction in the discourses and answers which the Schoole-writers endeavour to give to a thousand foolish objections which they conjute up out of Aristotles Philosophy against this Mystery to be adored and trembled at It is onely Scripture testimonies of Faâ—hers Ecclesiasticall Tradition Generall Councells and the Profession of the present Catholique Church which are the proper Judges of this controversie and whose authority when it is employed as it ought will assert this divine truth of the Reality of Christs presence by way of conversion in the blessed Sacrament to the confusion of all Novelties and all Blasphemies of Heretiques The antient both Latin and Grecian Fathers who certainly were of wits as subtill and pierceing as any that have succeeded them yet never thought upon such nice enquiries as now every young Philosopher can prattle of and therefore I professe since I am far from finding any obligation at all lying upon me to the contrary yea since the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. c. I. hath defined this point in the language of Antiquity and not of the Schools saying that Christ is present in the Sacrament Sacramentaliter i. e. mysteriously inexplicably I will never endeavour to answer any Philosophicall arguments any other way then with such words as these of S. John Damascene The Bread and Wine is changed into the Body and Blood of our Lord but this after an unsearchable manner For of this matter we know no further but only that the word of God is true and efficacious and omnipotent Damasc. de Orthod Fide lib. 4. cap. 14. Of the Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the holy Eucharist 9â— Let us now consider to what the church obliges all Catholiques in this point If any one saith the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. Can. 6. saith that Jesus Christ the only Son of God ought not to be adored with the exteriour worship of Latria it self in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and that for that end it ought not to be proposed publikely to the people to be adored and that those who adore him are Idolaters let him be Anaâ—hema Which worship of Latria is not given to the outward Symbolls of the Eucharist but only to Jesus Christ himself there present A certaine degree of respect even by the confession of the Calvinists is due to all outward instruments of Religion as to Chalices to the books of Scripture to the water of Baptisme and to the Species of Bread and Wine in the Holy Eucharist And Catholiques allow no more But the true object which a Catholique adores with this sublime act of adoration or Latria is in the case in hand Jesus Christ himself who is to be adored every where wheresoever he is present and therefore likewise in the holy Eucharist in the which the Catholique church knows and acknowledgeth no other substance as the Calvinists desire to impose on them but only Jesus Christ. And if they be Idolaters for this the Lutherans are so too who teach the same doctrine though they expresse themselves in the point of the Reall Presence after another new-invented manner yet notwithstanding the Calvinists when their worldly interests obliged them could be content to comunicate with the Lutherans and could swallow their pretended Idolatry but out of fear and hatred of Catholique union make even the church her self a prejudice against her doctrine 10. For mine own part whilest I was a Protestant I professe I could never answer to mine own reason why we should condemn the worshipping of Christ whom we professed to be present in very truth without figures or fancies If he had not been there after a peculiar Sacramentall manner I might lawfully notwithstanding have worshipped him there because I may and ought to worship him every where as being God omnipresent yea though his humane nature be locally present only at the right hand of the Father in glory yet I may worship the man Jesus Christ every where because that person which is God and Man is every where present viz. according to his divine not humane nature and yet it seems when a new accâ—ssion of another kind of Sacramentall truly reall presence is added to the former though I acknowledge this later presence to be as reall as the former I must be forbidden to expresse that I acknowledge and believe it any other way then by saying with my lips that I do so I must then deny unto him in that place at his owne table and altar and at that time whilest are celebrated those mysteries adorable even to Angells themselves that worship and respect which I would have given him at mine own table or whilest I was doing the ordinary works of my calling But it will be said perhaps you are not forbidden to worship him but you must not worship him as present there And why for Gods sake Bid me rather believe that he is not after an epseciall manner present But this is tyranny and injustice in the highest degree to command me to believe that he is as truly though after another manner present there as at the right hand of his Father and at the same time to command me by my works to belye my belief No no. Quà m magis ingenuè Peribonius How much more ingenuous are the Socinians then all other Sects for whereas the rest would gladly pretend Antiquity and take much unprofitable pains to make a Father now and then speak a word in their favour The Socinians instead of puzling themselves to untye cut asunder all such knots and difficulties they with an impudent resolutenesse break through all obstacles Let the antient church determine what it please and let the antient Fathers agree to speak as they have a mind if what is spoken and decreed either suit not with what they fancy that the Holy Ghost does mean or naturall reason being Judge ought to mean or if the Holy Ghost in their opinions hath been silent in it without more aâ—o they presently reject and condemn it upon which grounds they strein not to alter all the language almost of the church they know no such thing as a Sacrament they acknowledge no promises to nor no â—ffects of such ceremonious actions as the church and all Christians call Sacraments they scoffe at the Reall Presence and abominate the adoration of Christ in his Mysteries Let S. Ambrose de Sp. 5. l. 3. say By his footstool is meant the earth and by the earth the body of Christ which every day we adore in the mysteries and which the Apostles adored in our Lord Jesus Let S. Augustine in Psa. 48. say For he took earth from earth both because be conversed here in very flesh and gave us likewise very flesh to eat for our salvation Now no man eats that flesh but that he adores it first And thus a way is found how the Lords footstoole is adored And again Epist 120. expounding that of the Psalmist All
shall suffice And now dear Catholique Reader I once more addresse my selfe to thee and to give thee assurance that thou maist freely and without suspition read this Book the Authenticall Approbations annexed to it will secure thee and withall I protest unto thee that in my heart I do find a great aversenesse from admitting any noveltyes in opinion or any suspitious questionable dogmes and to shew my self a true son of the Catholique church I do here with an humble clear confidence pronounce that I do submit not only my self but all my writings and words yea my very thoughts as far as thoughts can be judged by a humane Tribunal to the judgement of the holy Catholique Roman church of his Holinesse the Head of the church and of all whatsoever my Superiours therein declaring that if there be any thing in this or any other of my writings which is contrary to piety good manners holy Scriptures or Ecclesiasticall Traditions or to any verity whatsoever I do heartily renounce and recall it NON FACTUM NON DICTUM NON COGITATUM ESTO CHAP. III. Misinterpretation of my book by Protestants particularly by I. P. the Author of the Preface to my Lord Falklands Discourse of Infallibility An answer to the Preface Pro captu Lectoris â—abent sua fata libelli 1. BOoks have their fates not from the reall qualityes which are in themselves but from the severall dispositions imaginations and present tempers of the Readers the eys of some Readers do see in Books that which is invisible to others yea what is directly contradictory to what others think they see And from the same passages some receive a conviction of preconceived opinions when as others become more hardened in such opinions So certain it is that all manner of effects and events are to be ascribed meerly to the Providence of God who if he leave us to our selves and do not so dispose of second causes after a supernaturall manner that his divine Truths be advantagiously represented to us even the Scripture it self and all the divine infallible mysteries of Faith will appear error and folly and a scandall unto us Light will darken us Truth will seduce us and happinesse it self will be an occasion of our ruine The experience that we see every day of this me thinks should make us even feel and acknowledge that Faith is the pure gift of God and by consequence that those who rely upon the conduct of their own uncertain Reason are almost certain to be mislead by it 2. When I wrote this Book I did expect no other but that it proceeding from a very weak and imperfect judgment should be obnoxious to contempt and censures of both Catholikes and others from whom it could not conceal many imperfections that were in it so that I was not much surprised to hear it severely judged But I had little suspition that Protestants could extract from it arguments to confirm them in their errors yet even this ha's happened And this I confesse pierces me to the heart charity and compassion to souls so in love with their errors that the confutation of them makes them more in love with and better perswaded of them swallows up all the anger and resentment that nature would fain raise in me to see my conceptions so unjustly peâ—verted and urges me for the good of their souls and not for mine own credit to let such Chymicall extractors of errors from truth see that their art ha's failed them 3. I heare there have appeared severall books written by Protestants in which the Authors have taken advantage from some misunderstood passages in my EXOMOLOGESIS Onely one such book is come to my sight or rather only a Preface to my L. Falklands discourse of Infallibility written by a person unknown to me but onely by these two letters J. P. and an extract out of another book which I have not seen By answering of which Preface as far as it touches me I conceive grounds will be laid upon which any other Objections made by Protestants may find and answer if the Objectors will please to make application 4. It will not be needfull to transcribe the whole Preface at large here but I shall set down very faithfully and candidly the substance of it in severall particulars in order and adjoyn unto them as distinct and satisfactory an Answer as I can at the present considering the great disorders of Paris where this is written and my unprovidednesse of Papers and Books And that being done if I be permitted I will take that boldnesse which my most deare Lord the Author of the following Discourse of Infallibility would if he were living I am sure have given me to shew the invalidity of it against Catholike Doctrine 5. As for the Preface of J. P. in which he reflects upon the most deserved praises of that noble Lord excellently represented in the precedent Dedication I acknowledge my self I cannot say his convert for many years before him I was a witnesse of the merits that might challenge them but one that does entirely agree with him in that point And if my most worthily lov'd and honoured Friend M. Triplet the Author of the Dedication will onely give me leave to except out of the severall heads of his praises this one of having as he thinks efficaciously and meritoriously written against the Catholike Church and woe is me for my dearest Lords sake that this must needs be excepted I would willingly subscribe my name under his he knows I have enjoyed an equall happinesse with him to be a witnesse of all those his admirable qualities He knowes that though with lesse deserts yet with perhaps equall good fortune I have had my share in that unparallel'd friendship of his the memory of which is the pleasing est image that the world ha's left in my mind since I made a resolution to quit the world Indeed it is an image too pleasant to be look'd upon considering my present condition and profession were it not that it can never offer it self but accompanied with a most piercing compassion that those stupendious excellencies and abilities were not crownd with Catholike Belief yea which is most miserable were employed against it In one thing I must needs yeeld to M. Triplet which is that I cannot pretend to the ability to erect so beautifull a monument to the memory of that honoured Lord nor with so delicate a touch draw his picture as he ha's done in his Dedication for which expression both of his gratitude and skill I think my self obliged to pay him my most humble thanks And I will take the permission with him to recommend to the imitation of my Lord his now onely Sonne all those admirable qualities of his deceased Father onely beseeching him that he would not and beseeching God that neither he nor any of his friends may account among such qualities the writing of such Discourses against Catholike truth which occasioned the publishing of an Elogy of him
by the Church though there is not any one point of controversie in debate between us and them for which we have not all this authority as being proved ex superabundanti in what I shall say hereafter 9. That therefore which I undertake to make evident to I. P. is That the Church speaking by a general Councel confirmed by the Pope is an infallible Guide and that with greater evidence then he can bring for any contradiction pretended betwixt any decision of such a Councel and the Scripture yea with more evidence then he can produce for the Scripture it self which he owns for his Guide which truly to an impartial hearer is no difficult matter even going upon his own grounds For if I should ask I. P. Why do you acknowledge the Scripture to be an infallible Rule as far as it is a Rule He would answer me Because it is delivered unto us as such by an infallible Catholick Tradition for if he talks of any other proof as a private spirit or natural reason it will be ridiculous He may as well say he can judge and demonstrate it to be such by smelling with his nose If I should further ask him how it appears evident to him that the Scriptures have been delivered by an infaâ—ible Catholick Tradition He could not deny but that many Hereticks have denied many books of Scripture yea that there is not any one book in the Old or New Testament but has been renounced by some Hereticks and their followers yet because some Councels have decided and Fathers witnessed and the Catholick Church in all ages since have received them as such therefore it is evident that they have been delivered by the Church by Catholick Tradition And this is most rational and convincing Upon these grounds therefore I proceed and ask any discreet indifferent man Whether an authority that shall after this manner propose any doctrine This we have received from Christ and his Apostles that such and such a doctrine proposed is a divine infallible truth and we command all Christians whatsoever under the pain of anathema and eternal damnation to beleeve it for such whether I say such an authority does not assume to it self the office of a Guide and of an infallible Guide Certainly he that should speak in this stile and yet have a guilt or be in a possibility of seducing were the most impious abhorred tyrant in the world What an attentat an usurpation upon Gods Scepter and Throne would this be if God had not derived this authority upon the Church represented in a Councel What a cruelty to souls What a blaspheming of the Holy-Ghost Now that this hath been the stile of all General Councels is evident and that Councels speaking in that stile have been submitted to by the Fathers and accepted by the Church with all veneration as the Oracles of God is equally apparent nay I do not know that ever any Heretick before these daies did expresly contradict this in the Thesis though in Hypothesi they have renounced such particular Councels as themselves were Anathematized by Therefore not onely all Councels but every Decision of every Councel to which an Anathema is annexed decides this question and proclaims to all the ends of the world this truth That the Church speaking in General approved Councels is an infallible Guide to all Christians Against this not a passage or word in any Father can be produced but infinite passages for it Hence it is that the Fathers unanimously profess That out of the Church there is no possible salvation because there is no Guide to Heaven but in the Church If therefore it be a proof evident enough to I. P. of an universal infallible tradition of Scripture that one or two not General Councels did with some variety set down the number and names of the books and that generally speaking the Fathers have amongst them given attestation to them some to some books and some to others few to all and that the Church in after ages hath universally accepted them as such How short comes that tradition of this concerning the infallible Guidance of the Church that is vertually decided in all Councels and every decision of all attested by all Fathers not one in one passage contradicting or condemning that stile but unanimously in all ages since Councels were accepted by the Church approved and submitted to how opposite is this truth to the main design of his following discourse which attempts to prove that there is in the Church no infallible Guide at all And how contradictory to that Article of his Church concerning not onely the fallibility but actual erring of Councels And again how conformable is this way of proceeding to the authority given upon Record in Scripture by our blessed Saviour to his Church I say to his Church for the Fathers assembled in Councel speak not thus in their own persons nor as so many learned men but in the person of the whole Church which they represent and do no more but subsume particulars under that General Anathema pronounced by our blessed Saviour when he said If he refuse to here the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican 11. I conjure therefore I. P. and all his and my friends that he and they would produce or at least set before their own eyes those Decisions of Councels which seem to them evidently false because clearly contradictory to Scripture and compare his evidence of a seeming contradiction with this evidence that it is impossible there should be such a contradiction and if they do this with a serious minde and desire to finde the truth that they may embrace it and with hearts lifted up to God to free them from all respects of the world and to enlighten their souls with the love of his truth then perhaps they may see that which as yet it seems is invisible to them it is most certain there is not one express formal text of Scripture contradictory to any Catholick Doctrine this they confess themselves And indeed even abstracting from the promises made by Christ to his Church it is morally impossible that so many wise and vertuous men should with the one hand give the Scripture as Gods word and with the other present Doctrines expresly and directly contradictory to it and none be able to observe the contradiction though their daily study was to meditate upon and interpret the Scripture Now whether any consequence from obscure texts can be more forcible then that which I have named from the stile of General Councels I leave not to their wits but consciences to judge 12. Matters therefore being impartially weighed that triumphing Epiphonema of his in the fourth and fifth Sections vanishes in which himself with admiration exposeth to the admiration of others those great conquering defenders of the doctrine of the late Church of England that with such excellent conduct and valour and such admirable success have combated and defeated this our Darling
Infallibility he did ill and even enviously to their glory that he did not name those worthies for my part besides the noble Author of the following Discourse whom certainly he means for one and by consequence Mr. Chillingworth I cannot remember that ever I heard any great Elogium in this respect given to any English writer Yet it may be he might have an eye upon the last Arch-bishop of Canterbury and his late enlarged Dialogue which if he did then I conjure I. P. that he would once more peruse the said Arch-bishop's Discourse and single from it whatsoever is impertinent to the main essential controversie that is whatsoever touches particular debates of Catholicks about the Popes infallibility and the exceptions that may be found against certain Councels as likewise about the several qualities and conditions required to an acknowledged obliging Councel all which things are nothing to the purpose And lastly that laying aside all these unnecessary velitations he would apply the Arch-bishops most efficatious arguments to an Oecumenical confirmed Councel especially if he will add the condition too of being actually received by the Church and my life for his he will see reason to acknowledge that all that discourse is of no force at all against the Church yea that the Archbishop himself never intended it should However the Calvinists or fantastical private Spiritists or exalters of humane reason might deal against the universal authority of Gods Church the Prelates of England were too wise to judge that people would be so blinde as to think any obedience could be due out of conscience to a National Church begun and continued upon secular and indeed unlawful intrests if that Church should build its authority upon a profession of renouncing all authority And therfore though they were very earnest in the controversie about Ecclesiasticall Authority when they were to write or proceed juridically against Presbyterians or Separatists yet they loved not to talk of it against the Catholick Church yea it was from the Catholick Church onely that they borrowed their Arguments against their Schismaticks as may in a good measure appear in the printed Reasons of the University of Oxford against the Covenant Negative Oath and Ordinances concerning Discipline and Worship approved by generall consent in a full Convocation June 1. 1647 and it was under the shadow of their pretence to be still a member of the Catholick Church and to have received their Authority and Succession from it that they obliged good easie Protestants to continue their subjects But this is but a guesse that I. P. in this passage reflected upon the late Archbishop or any other English Prelaticall Writer 13. Certain it is he must intend my Lord Falkland as one of the great Defenders of the Doctrine of the Church of England since he speaks this in his Preface to his Discourse of Infallibility and with an evident design thereby to recommend both the Author and his work This being so I. P. will give me leave to use his own words O the strength of Reason rightly managed O the power of Truth clearly declared Yea O the force of a guilty conscience For what else but the irresistable power of truth and evidence of reason and acknowledgement of guilt could move him so publickly to condemn his own Church and to confess its â—surpation impossible to be justified Behold O Protestants how your Church is defended here is a discourse that undertakes to demonstrate and if you will believe your brother I. P. has admirably and unanswerably performed it that upon earth there neither is nor ever was any Guide that could oblige any other to follow his direction and that every mans conscience is to be guided by his own single naturall Reason chusing that Faith which is most agreeable to Nature and holding it onely so long as Nature likes it and then changing it for another In fine a Discourse that gives you leave yea almost invites you to return to the Religion of the old Philosophers those Epoptes and Priests of Nature If there be any force in this your Defenders discourse what becomes of your Articles and Canons your Synods and Convocations your Infallible Acts of Parliament and Proclamations It is evident he might as well yea more reasonably have said That the Councell of Trent is a great defender of the Church of England for that indeed justifies Ecclesiasticall Authority whereas this discourse directly and purposely and universally destroyes it But the meaning or that which should be the meaning of I. P. is this That the Authority of the Church of England is impossible to be maintained for if as the Catholick Church avows there be in the Church by Christ's appointment any Authority Ecclesiasticall obliging in conscience it is certain it is not inherent in the Church of England that began but yesterday and is not now at all and when it began it began by the renouncing of all visible authority Again if as this discourse pretends there be no obliging authority that is no infallible one for surely none can be obliged to an authority that confesses it self questionable then both the Catholick Church and the Church of England are meer names and verbal sounds that signifie nothing This is so evident that it is pitty to insist longer upon the persecuting of good I. P. that here publishes his conviction and confession and must either tear out this Preface before such a discourse or abjure his Church of England if ever it appear again 14. By what hath been said it is apparent that the doctrine of the Infallibility of the Church speaking by a lawful Oecumenical Councel is delivered by as full a Tradition as it is possible for a doctrine to be delivered And therefore Protestants are inexcusable and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 since receiving such special Books of Scripture upon no other grounds but Tradition they yet renounce the Churches authority which is more universally and authoritatively delivered and confirmed The same Truth is unanswerably grounded upon what hath formerly been proved in this Book viz. That it is impossible that that which any one à ge agrees in as Tradition should not be so because that would argue that some former whâ—le Age hath agreed to deceive their posterity Ob. 15. But perhaps I. P. or his friends will say That though what hath been asserted may be effectual to demonstrate the Infallible Authority of the universal Church yet not so to demonstrate that the Roman is that Infallible Catholick Church since the Greeks may put in their plea at least to be a very considerable part That they are not unwilling to submit to the Universal Church though she should condemn them For though the importunate restless malice of som Calvinistical spirits among them hath procured some uncivil and indeed unchristian Clauses to be put into the English Articles derogating from the Authority of General Councels yet the true English Protestant hath alwaies been ready to protest submission to the
because they can under the ambiguousness of it shelter themselves from truth obedience and salvation 15. Now whereas I. P. in his ninth Paragraph professes that having considered the inconsiderableness of Mr. Cressy's answers and indeed whole discourse he changed his resolution to answer it as judging it not to deserve an answer I have nothing to say but this that truly I neither did nor can commend the Book to him as a writing considerable or that might deserve his labour to consure it but yet if I thought there were no other imperfections to make it inconsiderable besides those that he hath taken notice of in his Preface I fear I should be tempted to think well of it However this I can say confidently that notwithstanding any objections as yet made by him against it he may if he please resume his resolution to answer it without apprehending any guilt but onely the choosing so weak an Adversary But yet insteed of that I would rather advise and beseech him to read such a Fundamental Controversie as this concerning the Churches Infallibility with other eyes and heart then he has done mine that is with a minde dis-interessed and willing to finde the truth by whomsoever proposed It is impossible but that education must needs have given a great Biâ—s one way therefore when he reads any thing upon the truth or falsehood whereof his souls depends he should rather strain himself to give a weight to objections made against any of his settled preconceived opinions then catch at circumstantial advantages to elude them if there be any reasons weakly urged by me he ought to exercise his own wit to press them more efficatiously against himself but above all things he ought to pray to God as God willing I shall not fail to do both for him and all his and my friends that he would increase in his heart a diffidence of his own judgement and an humble pliableness to submit to truth and authority 16. Lastly Where he concludes with his testimony of the invincibleness of my Lord Falkland's Discourses especially the Reply I have no more to say then what I said in the beginning excepting this that for the Reply he to whom is was made is concerned in it and as for the Discouse of Infallibility if the noble Authour were alive I would have presumed to have had his leave to have answered it CHAP. VI. The Fundamental ground of my Lord Falkland's Discourse Examined 1. HAving said thus much to the preface of I. P. if these additional papers had not been hastily called for to the Press I had perhaps finished a begun Discourse in opposition to my most dear lord Falkland's Theses concerning Infallibility to each of which I had determined to have adjoyned an Antithesis But so much leasure not being permitted me I will content my self at present to single out the eleaventh Paragraph according to a former Edition An. D. 1646. and to oppose a brief Answer and by so doing I shall give a vertual satisfaction to the whole Discourse Because in that one Paragraph and in scarce any one besides is clearly contained the state of the main Controversie viz. The ground upon which is demonstrated the necessity of an infallible authority in Gods Church and the onely seeming rational and possible way to avoid and defeat that authority 2. The words of the Paragraph are these The chiefest reason why Catholicks disallow of the Scripture for a Judge is because when differences arise about the interpretation there is no way to end them And that it will not stand with the goodness of God to damn men for not following his will if he had assigned no infallible way how to finde it This is the Allegation of Catholicks in which mention likewise might have been made of the writing of the Fathers and any thing but the testimony of the present Church because reason and experience shews that differences will arise about the interpretation of them likewise and no possible way to end them neither but by a present infallible Authority To this Allegation of Catholicks his lordships answer followes in these words I confess this to be wonderful true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. for I am not such a wretch as to speak otherwise then I think and let them â—â—cuse themselves that think otherwise Yet this will be no argument against him who beleeves that to all who follow their reason in the interpretation of the Scriptures and search for Tradition God will either give his Grace for assistance to finde the Truth or his pardon if they miss it and then this supposed necessity of an infallibly Guide with this supposed damnation for want of it fall together to the ground 3. The fundamental ground upon which Catholicks build the necessity of an infallible Authority is that Article of the Creed Credo unâ—m Sanctam Catholicam Apostolicam Ecclesiam 1. I beleeve one Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church I beleeve the Church to be one one Body consisting of many members subordinately joyned and united under one Head which Unity is especially in regard of one faith professed by all and one Charity chaining all hearts together Now one Church there cannot be without one Faith and one Faith cannot be where differences are impossible to be reconciled and no possible way to reconcile differences but by Authority and no Authority sufficiently efficacious to this end but an infallible one 4. I confess this to be wonderful true says his lordship for I am not such a wretch c. what is it that his lordship confesses That the Church is one Body professing one faith No alas That was no Article in his Creed What then did he so ingenionsly confess That it was necessary that differences and controversies should be decided No nor that neither The thing that he confesseth with an unexampled ingenuity is That if it be necessary that differences should be decided and ended and that errors should be abolished God is obliged by his infinite goodness to make his truth known some infallible way by some infallible Guide So that by his lordships acknowledgment and by the evidence of reason if the Church must have one faith it must have one infallible Guide It is therefore this Unity of the Church that his lordship denies to be necessary yet he would not have denied the necessity of such an Unity if he could have found an infallible Guide without which he knew there could be no unity but missing of that and despising to think of such a blinde and lame Guide as a Church of England or Geneva c. none of which could ever end one controversie He concludes that there is no necessity that controversies should be concluded Nor damnation for not following the will of God since he left no infallible Guide to lead us to the knowledge of it A doctrine so horrid that it is much more derogatory to the honour of Christ then Arianism it self which though it robs him
of his divinity yet places him above all other creatures But this denies him even that degree of common sens which men of mean capacity enjoy for it makes him establish a law with his own blood which is neither necessary to be kept nor indeed possible to be known then which what can be more absurd ridiculous The perspicacity of my honored lords judgment was so imployed in opposition of Infallibility that I am confident he never reflected upon these sad inevitable consequences 5. But surely no salvation is to be had without this unity in divine truth as I have shown at large in my Exomologesis and onely Christians have the Depositum of Divine Truth entrusted to them Where then shall they finde it In his lordships forementioned Answer it is implied That it is onely to be found in Scripture and Traditionary writings But all such writings are obnoxious to variety of senses and interpretations What must be done in that case to finde out the true Interpretation for that every body says his lordship must shift as well as he can he is to do his best following the dictamen of his own private Reason to finde out the true sense of Scripture And for his comfort he is to beleeve that if his private Reason should chance to mis-lead him as ten thousand to one it will yet there is no danger at all let but private Reason do its best and he may assure himself all wil be Well Gods infinite goodness would fail if a Soul proceeding so reasonably should miscarry But how is this confidence of security in following private Reason grounded That does not at all appear neither in Scripture nor Tradition neither did his lordship seem to imploy the admirable sharpness of his own private Reason to search grounds for that upon which the Eternal disposal of his soul depended 6. That which drove his lordship upon the rock of private Reason was meerly a mistake us may appear to any one that shall carefully read this small Treatise of his If he could have found an infallible Authority for one less then infallible was to his reason a ridiculons thing he would have abhord the though of relying on private Reason interpreting Scripture He sought after this infallible Authority but he sought onely there where either it was not or at least it would require very sharp eyes and a very unprepossessed minde to discover it Therefore he streins his Reason to prove that this infallibility is not to be found in the Pope nor in a Councel at least not so evident to him as to countervail the seeming evidence of the force of some objections that he had against some decisions of Councels and such an evidence he must needs have or none To demonstrate this he makes use of all the imaginable difficulties and mullities that could be found against the legitimation of a Pope and Councel and of any erronious opinions or unlawful or questionable practises in the Church though never decided nor warranted by the Church it self But there is not one word in all his Discourse against the Infallibility of the Universal Church it self or of a general Councel approved of and received by the Church It seems in his Disputes it had been his misfortune chiefly to treat with those that would urge the Dogme of the Popes Infallibility not onely as a Catholick Truth but also as a necessary fundamental established point of Catholick Faith and not being fully cleared in the evidence of their pretentions a thing not very strange since many learned Catholicks would furnish him with doubts and Objections to encrease the mist and obscurity he concluded that no Infallibility could any where be made appear 7. Being thus unfortunately perswaded that there was no evidence of an Infallible Universal Authority plain evident Reason taught him that there could nor possibly be any other Guide but private Reason following its own light for this private Reason would never lead him to submit his Reason to a Church of England or Geneva or Racovia c. For why to any one of these rather then to another And if to all of them indifferently then to contradictions because in many things they contradict each other 8. In this case and circumstances therefore his lordship argued as reasonably as it was possible for one to do that had mistaken the first principle and with the clear ingenuity of a truly noble spirit not imitated hitherto by any Protestant he acknowledged that upon any other grounds but his the Plea of Catholicks was unanswerable unavoidable that is unless private Reason following its own light in the Interpretation of Scriptures were to be every ones Guide and this being apparently a most fallible Guide unless it were certain that God would give his grace that is good fortune to assist private Reason in finding the Truth or his pardon in case it missed of finding it the pretentions of Catholicks are unanswerable 9. Now instead of searching reason to combat this usurpation of private Reason I shall beg of all reasonable ingenious Persons to consider with me what deplorable case this was that he who saw evidently that if the Catholick Churches Authority and Infallibility were opposed all other Churches must expire The Authority of the English Church would be an airy fantosm the Tyranny of Geneva an abomination Amsterdam a meer Bedlam Racovia an execration c. Should notwitstanding think that any one could be safe in no Church at all and thereupon renouncing all authority both name and thing should betake himself to the casual conduct of blinde humane natural Reason but Jâ—â—cia Domini abyssus multa 10. Well but this conduct of Reason and this indifferency as to the point of danger Whether Reason be a true ar false Guide must be disproved by some infallible way says his lordship in the beginning of the twelfth Paragraph otherwise none can be condemned if they follow it 11. For Gods sake what more infallble proof can be imagined against it then this That such a Guide such an arbitrary incertain incapable blinde Guide and interpreter was never heard of in Christs Church till this age that it appeared out of the mists of Polonia T is true it has been actually really followed by all sorts of Hereticks and Schismaticks though they were asham'd to cal it by his own name of private Reason for they pretended it was the Church the Primative Apostolick Church that they followed but never till this later Age private Reason as private Reason shew'd it self in the Chair of Judicature A Guide that will lead them that follow through Rivers and Fens through Woods and Deserts through Mountaines and Precipices to the right hand and to the left backwards and forwards and in a Circle A Guide that must never repose but be continually travelling which way it matters not being as secure in Falsehood as in Truth A Guide that can never be confident much less secure of the right way yea obliged to
The lusts of the flesh â—he lusts of the eye and the pride of life these were the great Masters that taught them their new Doctrine and made them renounce the old The weariness of an unmarried or of a chast life ambition after great estates and scorn to submit themselves to obedience these taught new lessons to the Arch-Heriticks and these lessons they preach to others and those that are of the world and love such censual conveniences hear them Thus is Heresie begun and continued in the world 10. On the contrary saith he We are of God who have conquered the world and by that means â—rample on these things we have a far more noble ambition For the reward that we pretend to is no less then God himself And all that know God and know how to set a value on him hear and obey us Hence he concludes Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error But it may be replyed That as there are many true Beleevers much immers'd in the lusts of the world so there may be some Hereticks that in appearance at least are in a good measure free from the same lusts 'T is true yet those Hereticks do not hear the Ministers of Christ They receive their writings they study them and dispute out of them but do not hear the true Pastors interpreting them Hereby indeed is known the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error For if they without mission would not pretend to be Apostles nor deliver their own doctrines out of the Apostles writings but have humility to hear the Apostles and their Successors and Faith to beleeve them they would never be obnoxious to this Spirit of Error 11. To conclude my dearly beloved Friends instead of examining those several marks of true and false Churches and Teachers extant in Books of controversies content your selves with this Catholick mark given by the Apostle in his Catholick Epistle to all Christians to the worlds end Would you know where the Spirit of Truth is It is not among them that accept and read and study the Scriptures for then what would be Heresie Do they not in all their wandrings and mazes carry the Bible with them And the Bible it self as they use it leads them to destruction For Lust Ambition Curiosity Covetousness or Pride either blinding them or staining their eyes makes them think they see in Scripture that which foments and encreases those Passions Whereas if having their eyes open to read the Bible they would keep their ears open likewise to hear the Church interpreting it it is not possible they should erre or be at variance about the mysteries of Faith God Almighty of his infinite goodness clear your eyes and open your ears that you may see and hear and live for ever Amen FINIS AD LECTOREM En tibi Candide Lector illas Eximii Doctoris ad Quaesita mea pridem missas Responsiones in priori quidem hujus Libri Impressione promissas sed ex oblivione omissas Quod ad speciales autem Doctrinas pertinet vel hìc vel superiùs in Libro contentas me tanquà m Historici solùm non Dogmatistae partes agentem respicias Et vale Quaesita Generalia QUaeritur primò Utrùm haec Thesis sit in Romana Ecclesia irrepraehensibilis videlicet Nihil est creditu necessarium in Religione Christiana tanquam de fide nisi quod revelatum fuit Ecclesiae per Christum Apostolos ejus Respondetur Quod haec thesis ut jacet est omninò irrepraehensibilis immò nihil est proprie de side cujus actus necessariò iâ—mediatè innititur divinae revelationi â—nisi quod revelatum fuerit á Deo Ecclesiae per Christum Apostolos Ab eorum enim tempore nihil de novo Ecclesiae revelatum agnoscimus Qu. â— Utrùm omnes articuli de Religione in Concilio Tridentino determinati propositi sinâ— veritates divinae tales quae ab Apostolis fuerint Ecclesiae revelatae Resp. Omnes articuli purè doctrinales nec aliam incluâ—entes materiam facti quà m quod divinitùs institutum agnov mus determinati a Concilio Tridentino tales sunt quoad substantiam Qui verò vel disciplinales vel ex toto vel ex parte ad materiam facti non divinitùs instituti spectant canonicam habent certitudinem ac proinde quicunque illorum aliquâ—m pertinacitur condemnaverit tanquam Ethnicus publicanus habendus est Qu. 3. Si non Uâ— v. gâ— articuli de libris canonicis de vulgata translatione de communione sub una speâ—ie de veneratione imaginum utrùm liceat Catholico inquirere probabiliter determinare quinam speciales articuli sint tales veritates revelatae quinam non Resp. Ad quaestionem principalem sepositis hypothesi perenthesi quod omninò licet Ad hypothesim supra responsum est Ad parenthesim autem respondetur Quod esse librum canonicum importat duo 1. Quod vel doctrinam revelatam contineat vel cerre nihil dissonum à veritate divina Catholica 2. Quod liber ipse semper habebatur à multis Ecclesiae Doctoribus divini fuisse alicujus authoris Cui scilicet istius libri doctrina ad Religionem spectans aut immediatè à Spiritu sancto revelata fuerit aut in illa tradenda divinum adfuerit speciale auxilium De prima parte potest Concilium verè oecumenicum certissimè decernere de secundâ cum majori vel minori cerâ—itundine juxta varias reâ—um circumstantias ita tamen ut canonicam semper habebit certitudinem hujusmodi Concilii etiam in hac parte decretum Quod idem dicendum est de vulgatae editionis decreto licèt purè materiam facti designet De communione sub una tantùm specie Concil â— Decretum est negativum videlicet Ecclesiam non teneri nec institutionâ— seu praeâ—epto divino nec quacunque aliâ◠de causa Sácramentum Eâ—charistiae fidelibus omnibus sub utrâque specie administraâ—â— Et hoc certistimum habet Ecclesia ex traditione praxi An verò justis de causis unam tantùm speciem communiter administrari decreverit prudentiae non doctrinae quaestio est De veneratione imaginum quamvis res facti sit hoc tamen ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus traditum habemus Qu. 4 An non haec sit pobabilis ratio distinguendi inter tales articulos scilicet ponendi istos articulos esse revelationes divinas in quibus Concilium explicitè significat Ecclesiam traditionaliter recipisse talem doctrinam à primis usque Christianismi temporibus Resp. Hanc rationem seu viam distenguendi inter tales articulos probabilem ac sanam esse non verò solam unicam Oportet enim ut articuli qui sint revelationis divinae sint doctrinales qui nunquam ab omnibus Ecclesiae Doctoribus habebantur incerti tunc etiamsi Concilium declararet hujusmodi articulos ad novatoris alicujus obtundendam audaciam absque
uniformly and whether this doctrine and discipline was not carefully preserved in the Primitive churches all the world over if these things be granted as plaine Texts of Scripture for the former and an agreement of most of the Fathers within the time of the four first Generall Councells will testifie for both Then I desire to know whether from the fourth Councell till S. Gregory the Great 's days any substantial part of either ha's perished If any one say it ha's he will find it a labour beyond Hercules his forces to prove it for to this hour I could never see one pressing testimony out of any Ecclesiasticall Writer Then from S. Gregories dayes to these it is visible that not any the least substantiall part of either is lost and this by the confession of severall learned Protestants by the agreement of all Catholique Writers by S. Gregories own writings and which is a proof irrefragable by comparing the Gregorian Liturgy and Missall with those of the present age In the next place let him consider that most of the books of the New Testament were written by the Apostles and Evangelists for the use of particular churches some to particular persons sent by single messengers Besides that severall ages were passed before all the books were communicated and dispersed and accepted as Canonicall by the whole Catholike Church Now after a comparing of these two Traditions together let any man judge whether of them is the more universall either for time or place 3. To the third viz. Of Scriptures being an entire Rule of Faith c. It is already answered cap. 31 32. c. Whereto I shall for the present only add this viz. That Mr. Chillingworth cap. 1. parag 5. 6. 7. takes great advantage from a speech as he sayes of his adversaries namely That the Scripture is a perfect rule forasmuch as a writing can be a rule I am confident his learned adversary never intended to allow him all this in the sense and extent that Mr. Chillingworth presseth it as if all points of Faith were as fully set down in Scripture as they could be in any writing But I have no commission to interpose between them two and therefore all I have to say is that there appeared to me no kind of necessity nor any probability that it was his Antagonists intention that such a large allowance should be made to Protestants for I would fain know since evidence is one necessary condition to make a rule perfect could Mr. Chillingworth believe that the meaning of his learned adversary should be that for example the doctrine of Faith concerning the blessed Trinity is as evidently and intelligibly stated in Scripture as in the first Councell of Nice or all points in controversie now adayes as in the Councell of Trent or that all Texts of Scripture are so unquestionably evident that no interpretations or Commentaries could make them plainer his meaning therefore surely was that Scripture in regard of evidence and with relation to fundamentall Doctrines chiefly intended to be published in it is as evident as can be expected from any one single writing standing alone Not but that one writing explained by a second and those explanations further cleared by a third may be plainer Or though it might have been possible that for example the Doctrine of the Trinity might have been declared so manifestly that Photinianisme or Arianisme might have been prevented notwithstanding no plainnesse of writing can prevent malitious spirits from extracting novelties of some kinds of senses or heresies either those or others as pernicious since as our blessed Lord sayes Necosse est ut veniant scandala that is It is necessary that scandalls must come Mat. 19. 9 And S. Paul Oportet haereses esse that is It is needfull that there should be heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. both for the tryall of those that love God and discovery of those that hate him For unlesse God should quite change the nature of mankind it is impossible that any one writing should be so plain but that either the curiosity or pride or interests or malice or at least the debility of mens wits may and doubtlesse will find or extract obscurities and difficulties out of it especially such a writing as the Scripture is which being composed by men of severall dispositions and spirits moreover belongs to all mankind of all conditions and dispositions so that if they be let alone every one will be forward yea even take a glory to dig and search into the treasures of it and challenge an equall right to maintain his own and disparage the discoveries of any other every Sect and Sectary will think they see and read therein all their owne distinctive opinions clearly shining and a confutation of all opposite tenents Yea perhaps the blind sensuall Passions worldly interests and proud fancies of vain man will have recourse thither and not want the impudence to seek for nor blush to pretend that they have found a covert and protection for the works of Satan in the divine Word of God In vain therefore doth Mr. Chillingworth triumphantly boast of his inferences to his seeming advantagious to himself since they are all extracted meerly from his own misunderstanding of that most reasonable and prudent saying of his worthy Antagonist 4. Yea this one consideration that the necessary mysteries of Faith are not nor could be so evidently set down in any one place of Scripture but that other places may be found which may afford ground even to an understanding man to raise objections will make any man conclude that either there are no mysteries necessary to be believed or that something besides Scripture must be made use of to clear all difficulties CHAP. XXXVII An answer to M. Chillingworth's fourth and fifth grounds Severall Novelties introduced by him 1. To the fourth where it is said That all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture so plainly that no reasonable man desirous to find the true sense can doubt or be mistaken in the sense of them so that for such matters there is no need of any interpreter An assertion this is which is one of the main foundations upon which all manner of Sects that withdraw themselves from the Churches authority do and must relye therefore I thought it necessary to spend more thoughts in examining the firmnesse of it and after all I professe I found it of all others most weak most contrary to reason and every daies experience 2. For demonstrating the justice of this censure of it and that I may expresse my self more clearly I will lay down certain positions to which I conceive all rationall men will assent As first touching the word necessary besides what hath already been spoken of the ambiguousnesse of that word which is relative and variable according to it's application to severall objects and subjects which I will not now repeat I suppose that all men will call that necessary for which being
109. Sect. 2. Cap. 8. Preparatory grounds for the answering of these reasons and Quotations That Christian Religion was settled in the Church by Tradition especially The advantage of that way beyound writing p 112. Sect. 2. Cap. 9. A further demonstration of the firmness of Tradition Certain objections answered p 123. Sect. 2. Cap. 10. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospels c.p. 130. Sect. 2. Cap. 11. The third preparatory ground viz. The clearing of the ambiguity of these words necessary to salvation p. 136. Sect. 2. Cap. 12. After what manner I judged it necessary for my purpose to examine Mr. Chillingworth's reasonings and arguments p 139. Sect. 2. Cap. 13. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse premised before his proofs out of Scripture p 146. Sect. 2. Cap. 14. An Answer to the Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth out of the Gospels of S. John and S. Luke c.p. 152. Sect. 2. Cap. 15. An answer to twelve Questions of Mr. Chillingworth in pursuance of the former Quotations p 154. Sect. 2. Cap. 16. The second Conclusion out of the Fathers concerning a Judge of Controversies The Authors confession of his willingness that his opinion against the Churches Infallibility might appear to have been groundless p 160. Sect. 2. Cap. 17. Calvinists presumptuous renouncing of the Churches Authority even in proposing of Scripture And pretentions to immediate Revelation p 163. Sect. 2. Cap. 18. Importance of the controversy concerning the Churches Authority Means for satisfaction in it abundantly sufficient in Antiquity This Controversie beyond all others ought to be diligently studied by Protestants 167 Sect. 2. Ca. 19. Passages out of the Fathers concerning the Churches authority,170 Sect. 2. Ca. 20. Quotations out of Antiquity for the authority of Councells A contrary Character of antient Heretiques c. 181 Sect. 2. Ca. 21. The doctrine of the Romane Church concerning the Churches authority The great and apparent reasonablenesse of it,185 Sect. 2. Ca. 22. The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 236 Sect. 2. Ca. 23. Grounds laid to prove the certainty of Iâ—radition Severall degrees of it 238 Sect. 2. Cha 24. Divine Revelations proved beyond any certaine humane story,246 Sect. 2. Ca. 25. The reason of considering a double capacity in the Church Certainty of Belief compared with certainty of knowledge,254 Sect. 2. Ca. 26. Grounds pre-required to the demonstrating of the Churches authority Sect. 2. Ca. 27. Proofs out of Scripture c. for the Churches authority Sect. 2. Ca. 28. The validity of such Texts c. 241 Sect. 2. Ca. 29. The objection from the overflowing of Arianisme in the Church answered,246 Sect. 2. Cha. 30. The generall ground of the Churches authority viz. Christs Promises The severall subjects and acts thereof,250 Sect. 2. Ca. 31. Authority of the Christian Church compared with that of the Jewish,258 Sect. 2. Ca. 32. Enquiry concerning the extent of the Churches authority How Stapleton states this point,261 Sect. 2. Ca 33. Upon what grounds Stapleton may be conceived to have stated this question with more then ordinary latitude,266 Sect. 2. Ca. 34. Unsatisfactory grounds of the English Church concerning Ecclesiasticall authority Calvinists doctrine concerning the Spirit being Judge of Controversies exploded,277 Sect. 2. Ca 35. Mr. Chillingworth's new-found Judge of Controversies viz. Private reason His grounds for asserting such a Judge,283 Sect. 2. Ca. 36. An answer to the three first grounds of Mr. Chillingworth,287 Sect. 2. Ca. 37. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's fourth and fifth grounds Severall Novelties introduced by him292 Sect. 2. Ca. 38. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 303 Sect. 2. Ca. 39. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's seventh and eighth grounds,316 Sect. 2. Ca. 40. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection concerning difference among Catholiques about the Judge of Controversies 320 Sect. 2. Ca. 41. His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered,323 Sect. 2. Ca. 42. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of Circles and absurdities to the Resolution of Faith of Catholiques 332 Sect. 2. Ca. 43. An answer to Mr. Chillingworths allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 342 Sect. 2. Ca. 44. Dangerous consequences of Protestants Doctrine against the authority of the Church 350 Sect. 2. Ca. 45. The third Conclusion concerning Schisme The point of Schisme sleightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly studied 357 Sect. 2. Ca. 46. Quotations out of Fathers to shew the sinfulness danger of Schism,36 Sect. 2. Ca. 47. The nature and marks of Schisme according to the antient Fathers 366 Sect. 2. Ca. 48. An application of the former marks of Schisme to the present Controversie And a demonstration that they doe not suit to the Roman but only Protestant Churches 375 Sect. 2. Ca. 49. A continuation of the same demonstration with proofs c. Sect. 2. Ca. 50. A further continuation of the same arguments,380 Catholikes not uncharitable for saying That Protestancy unrepented is damnable,387 Sect. 2. Ca. 51. The fourth Conclusion concerning the perpetuall visibility of the church Proofs of it out of Fathers,398 Sect. 2. Ca. 52. Application of these proofs to the advantage of the Roman Catholique Church and against Protestants c. 401 Sect. 3. Ca. 1. The Question of the Church being decided decides all other Controverversies How it is almost impossible that errours should crep'd into the publique doctrine of the Church Of what force objections out of Scripture or Fathers are against the Church,413 Sect. 3. Ca. 2. Of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation Of the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament And of Communion under one species 420 Sect. 3. Ca. 3. Of Iâ—vocation of Saints Of Veneration of Images Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory Of Indulgences And of publike service in the Latin tongue With what charity and modesty the doctrines of the Church are to be examined,431 Sect. 3. Ca. 4. The Holinesse taught and practised by the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the doctrines The Authors former exceptions against certain practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of mysticall Theology 453 Sect. 3. Ca. 5. The Conclusion wherein the imputation of inconstancy charged upon the Author is answered as likewise of forsaking a Religion because it was persecuted The Appendix Cha. 1. A Brief Recapitulation of the Designe and Contents of the whole Book pag 476 Cha. 2. Grounds upon which certain passages in this Book hâ—ve been misunderstood by some Catholiques and those mistakings cleared 483 Cha. 3. Misinterpretation of my book by Protestants particularly by J. P. the Author of the Preface to my Lord Falklands Discourse of Infallibility An answer to that Preface 490 Cha. 4. An answer to the four first Paragraphs of the Preface 496 Cha. 5. An answer to the