can heare him The Divine Scriptures are hygh majesticall in the sense simple without affectation in word they are plaine yet in them are hygh Hills which no naturall wit can surmount They are perspicuous yet full of mysterious clouds which baffle the most peircing eye They are all Tru yet S. Austin (c) l. 3. cont Faust c. 2. Piè cogitantes tantae auctoritatis eminentiam latère ibi aliquid crediderunt quod petentibus daretur oblatrantibus negaretur takes notice of some seeming contradictions which cannot be reconciled with our recourse to God the Authour of scriptures Lesse is learnt by study then by Prayer if Prayer be accompanyed with humility The (d) Psal 18. or 19. 7. testimony of God is faithfull giving wisdome to the little ones or making wise the simple as the Inglish hath it And the Author of our faith glorifyes his Father (a) Mat. 11.25 for concealing his mysteryes from the learned wise revealing them to little ones S. Gregory furnishes us with a fit comparison (b) Greg. ep ad Leandrum c. 4. Instar fluminis alti plani in quo Agnus ambulet Elephas natet of a shallow deape river in which a lambe may wade an Elephant swimme That is in it the simple humble find ground to stand uppon which the Proud loose by it are lost The words are plaine easy but the sense sublime hard not to be reacht by humane industry but by Divine inspiration which is denyed to those who rely on their owne abilityes given to such as recurre to God No bookes of the Sybills nor oracles of the Divills or other humane writing can equall Divine Scripture in this point Another character of Divine Scriptures is the force which accompanyes them workes uppon the hart of those who are well disposed which insinuates its selfe into the will enflames it with the love of God breakeing in pieces the stony hart of sinners Art (c) Ierem. 23.29 not my words like fire like a hammer that breakes a Rocke No precepts of Pagan Phylosophers had this energy I will not assure you ever perceived ether of these two qualityes in reading of Scripture in your workes there appeares little signes of ether or of the disposition which they suppose CHAPTER VI. Scriptures Supprest G. B. Pag. 13. Scriptures being the Revelation of the whole counsell of God written by plaine simple men as first directed to the use of the rude illitterate vulgar for teaching them the mysterye of Godlinesse the path of life it is a shrewd indication that if any study to kide this lyght under a candlestick to keepe it in an unknowne tongue or forbid the body of Christians the use of it that those must be conscious to themselves of greate deformity to that rule ANSWER Here you begin your charge of AntiChristianisme against your mother-Church as the charge is false soe in your managing it you mingle many Errours with some few truths A bad cause is not capable of a better defence I will take notice of some of your most considerable slips leave the reader to Judge of the rest That Scriptures were written by plaine simple men is not tru Was Moses such who was learned in all the learning of the Aegyptians Was David the swette singer of Israel a plaine simple man What shall we say of Salomon to whose wonderfull knowledge the Scripture it selfe beares witnesse Amos it is true was but Esayas was not nor Daniel nor Samuel And who ever was Author of the Booke of Job he was certainly far from being plaine simple for in him are found in perfection Phylosophy Astrology Divinity as a queene gouverning them if Caussinus the Jesuit may be beleived as compleate Rhetorick as in any whosoever And as to the Authors of the new Testament as long as S. Paul S. Luke S. John are amongst them you will never perswade the learned part of the world that your speech is not rash inconsiderate But suppose it tru that they were all plaine simple men what then Doth it follow that what they writ is easy to the meanest capacity for that you intend if you intend any thing Doe you not know that these men were only the Scribes of the Holy Ghost that in a scribe capacity of understanding is not necessary but only fidelity in writing No greate science is necessary in a Printer who only Prints what is given him by an Author the Same of a Scribe who writes what is dictated unto him Now all Authors of Canonicall bookes are the Scribes of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 soe their doctrine is to be calculated according to the Meridian of that Divine Spirit not of their qualitys Take the most plaine simple of them all (a) Amos 1.1 the herd man of Thecue reade him over if you say you understand him quite thorough I will say you have confidence to say any thing G. B. pag. 14. The hardests part of Scripture are the writings of the old Testament yet those were communicated to all ANSWER Some parts of the new are as hard at any of the old viz. the Apocalypse some parts of S. Paul's Epistle are hard to be understood (b) 2. Pet 3.16 Likewise Is it not tru that all the writings of the old Testament were made common to all the Israelits The King (c) Deut. 17.18 was indeed commanded to write to himself a copy of the law out of that which was before the Preists the Levits By which it appeares that even Copyes of the law were not soe ordinary Which may be gatheted also out of the 4. of Kings c. 22. there was such astonishment at the finding reading of the booke of the law newly found in the Temple The tencommandments were common the Pharisys Phylacteryes prove it As for the rest it was divided into Parashots sections read unto the People when they met on the Sabboth as you may see Acts 15.21 And in the second of Esdras cap. 8. And the Same custome is still in the Cat. Church which in her service doth dayly reade some of the new old Testament G. B. pag. 14. What paynes are taken by Papists to detract from the Authority of Scriptures how they quarrel its darknesse its ambiguousnesse the genuinesse of its Originalls ANSWER This is a calumny We all unanimously owne Scripture to be the word of God that no untruth can be found in it Out of its darknesse Ambiguity we shew the necessity of receiving its sense from Tradition not sticking to the bare letter of the Scripture without the sense which is to the letter what a soul is to the body G. B. pag. 15. We complaine of Scripture being too much perused ANSWER Another calumny In all our universitys we have masters of Scriptures who in those I know take place of
his humble applications to God bowing to him lifting up his hands to the throne of Grace Heb. 4.16 ro receive thence Mercy then turne to the People to powre it uppon them Thus on Jacobs Ladder the Angells appeared going up downe up to God downe to Jacob a type of what Preists doe when they officiate But he gives them a short Barbariais Benedidiction That Benediction which you a very civilized person disdaine as Barbarous is taken out of Scripture the words of an Angel to Gedeon Judges 6.12 Our Lord be with you Dominus vobiscum Scripture it selfe cannot escape your censure if a Papist use it Your contempt of the language of Angels in this world will scarce make you worthy of their company in the next G. B. page 35. After Adoration the God is to be devoured by the Preist which made the Arabian say Christians were fooles who devoured what they adored ANS Aworthy authority for a King's chaplain in ordinary to build uppon Sir Christ sayd Take eate this is my body Because he says it is his body we adore it because he commands us to take eate it we obey do so But a Turk says it is foolish Let it be soe no Turk's opinion is the rule of my faith Is it of yours Is not this Prodigious that against the expresse words of Christ the practice of the whole Church the authority of a Turk should be brought nay preferred before it this by a minister G. B. pag. 38. Rome enioines severer censures on the violation of these ceremonyes then on the greatest transgressions against either the morall or positive Laws of God ANSWER I know no motive you can have for advancing such notorious untruths but that of Cicero Cum semel limites verecundiae transieris oportet gnaviter esse impudentem You have past those bounds there I leave you CHAPTER XIII Scripture the Church where Of the Resolution of Faith G.B. pag. 41. Papists call the Scriptures a nose of wax the sourse of all Heresyes c. ANS If any Roman Catholick compared Scripture to a nose of wax it is only because the letter may be wrested to different senses made to lookenot that way which the Holy Ghost designed but that which men's Passions leade them to The world affords not amore convincing instance of this flexibility of Scriptures then that of your owne Brethren in the late troubles who brought it to countenance Sedition Rebellion Heresy Murther the horriblest of all Murthers Parricide the killing of the father of the Country Did Scripture of it selfe Looke towards or abet all those crying sins nosure it condemnes them formally It can then be wrested from its owne naturall sense to another meaning contrary to it which is all that is meant by that phrase As for its being a sourse of Heresyes it is not tru that Scriptures doe found heresyes or that heresyesspring out of them but that men draw heresyes out of the words of Scriptures taken in a sense quite contrary to that of the holy Ghost G. B. pag. 41. Papists will have all the authority of the Scriptures to depend on the Church A greate difference is to be made betwixt the testimony of a witnesse the authority of a Iudge The former is not denyed to the Church ANS Here you grant to the Church as much as we desire provided you owne in this witnesse such a veracity as the nature of its Testimony requires to bring us to a certaine undoubted beleife of the Scriptures The Church never tooke uppon her the title of Iudge of Scripture In her Councils she places in the middle of the assembly a hygh Throne as for Christ in it sets the holy Ghospels as his word according to which she Judges of the Doctrine controverted Conc. Calced Act. 1. Soe she judges by Scriptures of the Doctrine of men but doth not Iudge of the Scriptures themselves At the first admission of a writing into the Canon of Scriptures the Church proceding is of another nature A writing is brought to her as writen by a man Divinely assisted of S. Paul for example to the Romans by Phebe or to Philemon by a fugitive servant Onesimus nether as a witnesse give any greate credit to the writing they brought The Pastors of the flocke of Christ consider the writings examin the messengers recurre to God by Prayer to demand the assistance of his Holy Spirit to know whither he were truly the Authour of the writing exhibited If after all these meanes used to discover the Truth they remaine convinced the thing was writen by inspiration of the Holy Ghost they obey it themselve command obedience to it as to the word of God use it as a Rule of Faith manners Soe when an unknowne person brings into a corporation a new Patent as of the King's Majesty presents it to the Major He before he allows the Patentee to act in vertu of it with his Brethen considers the writing the signet the seale the stile c. to know whither it be counterfitte or sincere with a Resolution to obey it himselfe make others doe the same in case it appeare to be truly the Kings The Major cannot be sayd to Judge of the Kings Patents to which as a subject he owes obedience but only to discerne whither an unknowne writing be the Kings Patent or no. You say this makes the authority of Scriptures depend on the Church Which is as rationall as if you should say the authority of the King's Patent depends on the Major of a petty corporation because the Patent is exhibited to him before it be executed If any man hath soe little common sense as not to discerne the difference betwixt these two Propositions to Iudge of the Kings Patent to Iudge whither an unknowne writing be the Kings Patent I am to seeke how to helpe him This authority of the Church to recommend the Scriptures as an undeniable witnesse occasioned that saying of S. Augustin 1. contu Epist Fundam c. 5. Ego Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae commoveret authoritas I would not beleive the Ghospel did not the authority of the Catholick Church move me to it Which words are cited by all Catholick controvertists as containing an implicit decision of all one controversys they shewing evidently S. Autstin's discourse against the Manichees to be just the same which we use against the moderne Protestants that as we are heyres of that Faith which S. Austin the Church of his time defended against its Opposers the Ancient Hereticks soe are we of the titles by which they enjoyed it the armes with which they defended it I will put downe the whole discourse of S. Austin atlarge that soe we may the better understand his meaning more convincingly shew how much the most understanding of our Adversarys are out of the way in explicating it The thing sought for in that
never mentioned Manichaeus ergo the Church on whose word he received the Ghospel was that of his time not that of the Apostles When therefore E. S. pag. 220. says It is plain S. Austin meanes not the Iudgment of the present Church but of the Catholick Church as taking in all ages places he evidently contradicts the very text of S. Ausstin whence I conclude that ether he speakes against his conscience which I am unwilling to beleive or else which is more excusable that he had not reade the text which he understakes to explicate A third yet more improbable explication is delivered by W.L. pag. 82. He speakes it ether of Novices or doubters in the Faith or else of such as were in part Infidels Mr. Fisher the Iesuit at the conference would needs have it that S. Austinspake it even of the faithfull which I cannot yet thinke For he speakes to the Manichees they had a greate part of the Infidell in them And the words immediatly before these are If thou shouldst find one qui Evangelio non credit which did not beleive the Ghospel what wouldest thou doe to make him beleive Thus W. L. This is like wise plainly fals for S. Austin was nether a Novice nor a doubter in the faith nor in part an infidel when he writ that Booke for he writ it after he was made Bishop as you may see l. 2. retract c. 2. But he speakes of himselfe describes the ground of his owne faith ergo he doth not speake of Novices Doubters or halfe Infidels nor describes the ground of their fath but of those who are firme beleivers I prove that S. Austin speakes of his owne Faith shews the ground on which it relyed For first he says I would not beleive the Ghospel without the authority of Catholicks commending them Secondly he says If you weaken the authority of Catholicks I will reject the Ghospel This I beleive Mr. Stillingf saw therefore sayd pag. 220. If you extend this beyond Novices weaklings I shall not oppose you in it And I cannot think that W.L. had reade that place at least with attention when he writ he could not think S. Austin spake of the faithfull Stillingf pag. 220. Nether you nor any Catholick Author is able to prove that S. Austin by these words ever dreamt of any infallible authority in the present Church Answer seing S. Austin expressely says he would renounce the Ghospel if the authority of Catholicks were weakened in him by discovering they had delivered any one lye he must ether think them exempt from all possibility of lying or else he adhered very loosely to the Ghospel I hope E.S. will not assert the later part wherefore he must grant that S. Austin thought the Church free from all possibility of errour Let us returne to Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 43. Christ's prophetick office is invaded by the pretence of the Churches Infallibility in expounding Scriptures And why Good Sir should the infallibility in expounding Scriptures be an invasion of the prophetick office of Christ seing infallibility in writing them was no such thing Certainly it is more to compose a writing them to understand it as many can understand Cicero's speech pro Milone who cannot compose such an one And your old women pretend to understand severall parts of Scripture which yet I think will scarce undertake to pen the like By this Say you the whole anthority is devolved on the Church No more then it was on S. John when he writ his Ghospel or S. Paul composing his Epistles Nor soe much nether seing these were so assisted as to compose Holy Scripture when the Church only pretends to expound the word of God How doth such an assistance of the divine Spirit derogate from the infallibility of God from which it is derived But her exposition must be admitted say you though contrary to the sense As if Infallibility did not exclude all possibility of such a wrested exposition The infallibility of the Church may slyght your attempts whilest you are armed only with such straws We have seene you arguments Let us see your Answers to ours G. B. pag. 44. The Gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church Mat. 16.18 Proves not the pretence of infallibility Why not learned Sir Not a word for that but as if you had forgotten what you were about your fall uppon the Inglish Translation of that text which you say deserres amendment And I will leave you to be taught better manners by your fellow Ministers or your mother the kirk of Scotland G. B. pag. 45 The spirit leading into all truth Joan. 16.13 advances not the cause a whit since that promise relates to all beleivers Here is another assertion without proofe as if we were bound to take your word Those words are part of the sermon after the last supper at which only the Apostles were present which was directed immediatly to them You should then give some reason why they relate to all beleivers althô spoken to only the Apostles G. B. The Church's being built on the Rocke Peter proves nothing for a series of Bishops of Rome seing the other Apostles were also foundations ANS If it proves all Bishops together Infallible firme in faith as a Rock it confounds your Reformation which is condemned by them all G. B. The keys of the Kingdome of Heaven Mat. 16.19 import no more then that Peter was to open the Ghospel When you shall give in a proofe we will consider it Till then I will beleive not you but Christ who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 addes the office of the Keys to open shut not the Ghospel but Heaven by loosing binding sins G. B. pag. 46. It is certaine that vice as well as errpr os destrictove of Religion If then there be no authority for repressing of vice but that same of the discipline of the Church it is not incongruous there be no other authority for suppressing of error but that same of the discipline of the Church ANS It is certaine that both in the old new law severall persons have beene secured against Error who were subject to sin S. Peter was truly reprehensible (a) Gal. 2.11 for a thing he did not for any thing he writ or preacht The same of David of Salomon c. For this reason our Blessed Saviour commanded (b) Mat. 23.23 all to follow the Doctrine of the Scribes Pharisys because they sate on the chaire of Moyses but not their example Soe your question why God should provide more against error in faith then against vice in manners can find no place amongst Catholicks who are taught to adore God's holy will even when they understand it not to Bring (c) 2. Cor. 10.5 into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ To you who think it absurd to deny a man the use of his Reason in judging discerning all things submit even Divinely
or other considerable Boone when freely given the hard usage which some of your tenants complaine of from their Ecclesiasticall landlords proves sufficiently that you are not insensible to the allurements of the attractive metall Were Church men such as they ought to be the layty would have little reason to repine at their riches althô much greater then they are If they were Treasurers of the Poore Fathers to the Orphans Helps to widdows Hosts to strangers Protectors to the Oppressed common Sanctuaryes to all necessitous persons such as some are in Catholick Church s whome I know many of whome we reade To such as these Riches are no hindrance to their function they give them only occasion of doing much good practicing their Charity If you think this to be blame worthy althô Riches be soe imployed prove what you say out of Scripture excuse your owne Bishops from that crime eris mihi magnus Apollo Voluntary reall Poverty is much commended in the (a) Mat. 19.21 Ghospel we have thousands in our Church who professe it live in it you could never get ten of your communion to embrace it There is another Poverty called of Spirit commended (b) Mat. 5.3 nay (c) Mat. 19.24 commanded in the Scripture how greate soever a stranger you are to spirituall things yet you will not say that this Poverty of hart is inconsistant with effectuall riches otherwise it would be impossible for arich man to be saved A man may be a begger yet be far from that Poverty of Spirit which gives him a ryght to the kingdome of Heaven because his hart is fixt uppon things he hath not And on the contrary another man may be master of agreate part of the world yet have his hart as free from it as if he was not in the world to use the Apostles phrayse (d) 1. Cor. 7.31 use the world as if he used it not Of this sort of poore of spirit there are many in the Church always have beene Heare S. Austin l. de moribus Ecclesiae c. 35. Sunt in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ innumer abiles fideles qui hoc mundo non utuntur sunt qui utuntur tanquam non utentes there are innumerable faithfull in the Church who make no use of the world there are others who use it of if they used it not What hath the Protestant Church to say here Pride Ambition are personall vices soe belong not to this treatise Yet I will say that there have beene both Ancient Moderne Popes who have given greater examples of humility then any your Church can shew who have made appeare that their title servant of the servants of God is no compliment Sixtus V. would not owne his mother when she was brought to him in rich clothes sayng his mothers was a poore woman who never wore silkes in her life shee was ashepe heards wife The next day she being brought to him in Rags he presently acknowledged her Some of them have asserted the Priviledges of their chaire against such as in trenched on their Ryghts which may be done without any Pride at all seing they require it as due not to their owne persons but to their chair to its founders S. Peter to his superiour Christ Iesus I never heard S. Ambrose suspected of Pride for refusing to admit Theodosius the greate into the Church before his Pennance for the slaughter at Thessalonica or for excluding him the cancells after it It was a Zeale of the glory of God the good of the Church which moved him the Emperour him selfe understood it so As for precious ornaments of the Church I will owne ours to be too costly when you shall have proved that any thing is too good for God's service not till then The infinite Majesty of God is ground sufficient to oblidge us to beare him the greatest respect interiourly expresse our duty to our Creator our gratitude to soe greate a benefactour by returning to him in the best manner we can an acknowledgement of his most bountifull gifts This serves also to stirre up in the auditory submission respect adoration which otherwise would fayle CHAPTER XXVII Vnity of the Church in Faith Sacraments G.B. ownes that Protestants are Schismaticks of severity against dissenters of Hugo Grotius G.B. pag. 100. A fourth designe of Christian Religion was to unite man kind under one head into one body not by love pardoning injurys only but also by associating the faithfull into one body the Church which was to be united by bonds of love Governed by Pastors Teachers cemented with the ligaments of the Sacraments ANSWER You say something though discorderly but not all for 1. you omit Faith by which we are inserted into the body of Christ 2. You put Charity which doth not make us parts but living parts of that body whose parts we are by Faith 3. You adde Sacraments which are only exteriour signes of interiour communication 4. You confound Charity Sacraments as equally concurring to the Vnity of the Church yet there is a vast difference betwixt them the one formally quickning the members of the Church interiourly the other only effecting it interiourly testifying it exteriourly 5. Betwixt the Sacraments there is a vast difference as to this you confound them for Baptisme being our Regeneration in Christ is an efficient cause of our union with him makes us his members the others are designed only to nourish those who are already united to in him When you speake of being governed by Pastors I hope the Pope may find place amongst them he being the prime Pastor G. B. pag. 101. The Ghospel pronounceth us free no more servants of men but of God ANSW Free from the ceremoniall law of Moyses not from that of the Ghospel obedience to the Governours of the Church How changeable are your sentiments In the forgoing page 100. the Church was to be governed by Pastors Teachers now she is to obey none but God if any man pretend to command he changeth the authority of the Church into a tyrancall yoke Soe we must have Governours without authority to command subjects without any duty to obey A new model of Government G. B. pag. 101. Those things for which we withdrew from the Church are additions to our Faith Shee added to Scriptures Traditions to God Images to Christ Saints to Heaven Hell Purgatory to two Sacrament five more to the spirituall presence of Christ his corporall presence ANS Never man spake more proved lesse then you who offer not one word in proofe of these disputed points which we declare to be evident untruths Is not this a poore begging of the thing in question But they are say you additions to your Faith Did we adde to your Faith or you cut off from ours that of the whole Christian world before your deformation How
of Traditions ANS You speake as dogmatically as if it were ex Tripode Here is an Assertion without any proofe soe is a convincing proofe that you have none Tradition is indeede our Sanctuary to which you have no claime By it we received 1. Scriptures 2. the sense of Scriptures which is their soul Now when Scriptures are doubtfull in any point or as you phrase it seeme not to reach home without Stretching can we have better assurance of their tru meaning then by the authority of the Church which is cleerely commended us in Scriptures themselves And in following her sense we are certain we follow Scriptures which is the discourse of S. Aug. l. 1. contra Crescon cap. penult Quamvis hujus rel de Scripturis Canonicis non proferatur exemplum Scripturarum etiam in hac re à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod universae jam placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum Scripturarum commendat auctoritas ut quoniam Sacra Scriptura fallere nonpotest quisquis falli metuit hujus obscuritate quostionis Ecclesiam de illâ consulat quam sin◠allâ ambiguitate sancta Scriptura demonstrat G. B. Ibidem Till it be proved that an errour could not creepe into the world that way we must be excused from beleiving ANS Unlesse you prove that errours have crept in that way you are inexcusable You actually rejected those things as errours which were in possession all over the world unlesse you prove them to be such your fact is criminall G. B. Ibidem It is not possible to know what Traditions came from the Apostles ANS Habemus hic confitentem reum For if it be impossible to know what Traditions were Apostolicall your Reformers act in rejecting soe many was rash inconsiderate They had beene better advised to retaine all as they found them in the Church them to cut them off But your proceedure is as different in this as in the rest from S. Austin For was any thing doubted of this Saint's methode was to consult the Church adhere to what shee beleived or practised as you see in his discourse above you consult the Church too but it is only to reject her practice condemne her sentiments The weyght of the authority of the Church may be sufficient to convince which are Apostolicall Traditions as it convinces which are Apostolicall writings Yet we have other signes I will instance in two one taken from S. Austin l. 4. de Bapt. contra Donat. cap. 24. Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec à Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi Apostolicâ traditum auctoritate rectissimè creditur We ought to beleive those things to have come from the Apostles which the whole Church holds were not introduced by Councills but were always in use To prove this it is enough that the first persons who mention them speake of them not as of things newly begun but which were of ancient practice The second rule is taken out of Tertullian l. de praescript c. 28. Age nunc omnes erraverint deceptus sit Apostolus de testimonio reddendo quibusdam nullam respexerit Spiritus sanctus uti eam in veritatem induceret ad hoc missus est à Christo ad hoc postulatus de Patre ut esset Doctor veritatis neglexerit officium Dei villicus Christi vicarius sinens Ecclesias aliter in terris intelligere aliter credere quà m ipse per Apostolos praedicabat Ecquid verisimile est ut tot ac tantae Ecclesiae in unā fidem erraverint Nullus inter multos eventus est unus exitus variasse debuerat error doctrinae Ecclesiarum Coeterùm quod apud multos unum invenitur non est erratum sed traditum Suppose says he that all churchs have erred that the Apostle was deceived in the testimony he gave to some the holy Ghost looked to none to leade it into truth to which intent he was sent by the son demanded of the father to be the Doctor of truth let the steward of God the Vicar of Christ neglect his duty permit the Churchs to understand beleive otherwise then he had taught by his Apostles Is it probable that all Churchs should by error fall into one the same opinion when there are soe many by ways those who loose the hygh way wonld scarce wander into the same error Soe that certainly what is sound one the same in many Churchs is no ertor newly invented but it is faith of old delivered Thus Tertullian Answer you to his discourse if you can G. B. pag. 108. A late ingenious writer whose sincere zeale had drawne censures on himself his booke tooke away to repayre his reputation by a new method of proving Popish doctrines that they had them from their Ancestors they from theirs But this pretence hath beene baffled by Mr. Claud as all know who have beene soe happy as to reade his workes ANSWER I am perswaded that your Prelates will scarce think it sincere zeale in Monsr Arnaud of him you speake that the stood out solong against his spirituall temporall Superiors But let that passe You discover your ignorance in saying that Method was new or that Arnaud invented it Mr. Tho. White had it before Arnaud Mr. Fisher a Jesuit before T. W. Bellarmin before him S. Austin S. Stephen Pope Tertullian before them all I have reade Mr. Claude's workes was far from finding soe much satisfaction as you promise your Reader I beleive rather uppon heare say then on your owne experience Nay I have from one of the eminentest wits of the french Hugenots that Claud was not much esteemed a mongst his owne for those workes which would have beene neglected had not Arnaud's enemys commended them You say Claud Bussled him others are of a different opinion I confesse Mr. Arnaud though very learned yet seemed not qualifyed to manage a controversy in defence of Church-Authority Tradition having as much as lay in him weakened both by his writings practice during the time he stood out against the Censure the Formula Which gave such advantage to Mr. Claude who industriously gathered together cunningly returned uppon him his owne arguments that some thought he foyled his adversary Yet without any prejudice to the Catholick cause which is not concerned in Mr. Arnaud's personall faylings Let us now heare what you can alleadge against the authority of Tradition to prove a change unobserved in our Faith G. B. p. 121. Weknow the chalice was taken from the people 250. yeares agoe ANS 1 ò You are mistaken in your epocha S. Th. 3. p. q. 8o a. 12. assures it was in his time taken away in many places he lived 400 yaeres ago from the beginning some persons on some occasions received but one species 2. This is an argument that changes cannot happen without some notice taken of them As in this we know when it begun with
we forgive And as betwixt the two brothers in Rebecca's Wombe soe betwixt these two loves there is a combate within our breast For (a) Gal. 5.17 the spirit covets against the flesh the flesh against the spirit these are contrary to one another And this is that perpetuall combate which we undergoe by reason of which this life is termed (b) Job 7.1 Militia est vita hominis super terram a warfare And (c) Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Bonum est homini ut illo prosiciente quo benè vivimus elle desiciat quo malè viv imus donec ad persectum sanetur in bonum commutetur omne quod vivimus we are conquered when selfe love prevailes over the love of God but we conquer when the love of God gets the better Wherein then doth consist the perfection of a Christian In a hart pure from bad love not yeilding consent to the motions of selfe love but resisting them a hart filled with the love of God following in all things the motions of Divine Grace the guidance of the Holy Spirit And (d) Aug. in Psal 64. Interroget se quisque quid amet inveniet undè sit civis could we certainly discover which of the two loves rules in our hart we should certainly know the state of our soul Supposing these principles let us attend Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 76. Religion elevates the souls of mn to a participation of Divine nature where by they being inwardly purifyed the outward cōversation reguluted the world may be restored to its primitive Innocence men admitted to an inward intimate fellowship with their maker ANS What you say of participation (a) 2. Pet. 1.4 of Divine nature is out of Scripture likewise our souls being inwardly purifyed our inward fellowship with God All which is tru althô you nether tell what they meane nor understand it your selfe But that by Christianity the outward conversation should be regulated or primitive Innocence restored is aliene or untru That by Christianity outward conversation is regulated is aliene Orderly conversation being a meere externe naturall quality many times as excellent in Infidels as Christians Certainly the perfection of Christianity may be found in Anchorets preserved in a desert Whence a good conversation appeares not to be a very materiall ingredient of perfection And that Christianity should aime at restoring the world to its primitive Innocence it absolutely false for that Innocence cannot be attained unto nether in this life nor the next not in this in which the greatest Saints have their (b) Rom. 7. combats from which man in state of primitive Innocence was free not in the next the state of glory being above that of Innocency Soe nether of these is the end of Christianity G. B. pag. 76. What devices are found out to enervate Repentance sins must be divided into mortall veniall ANS From the beginning there hath always beene observed an inequality of sins I will omit moderne Divines which you doe not understand Councils which you regard not Bede in c. 5. Jac. distinguishes them the māner to expiate them which in the Greeke Church is still in use That same is observed by S. Austin Enchir. c. 71. cited above Chapt. 18. sect ◠The Beloved Disciple (a) 1. Io. 5.16.17 speakes of sin unto death others not such S. Paul (b) 1. Cor. 6.9.10 should discove rthe Plot what Was Christ concerned in this device who distinguishes sins against the holy Ghost from others whither will these men Leade us or goe themselves or what can besecure from those tongues which spare no more the doctrine delivered by Christ by the Apostles or the primitive Fathers then that of moderne Divines I know all sins are offences of God yet I doe not with the Stoicks think all sins equall or him as greate a sinner who speakes an Idle word as him who kills his owne father The contrary Paradoxes may find place And be admired in Calvin by his deluded followers but certainly no sober man can approve them G. B. p. 77. Their asserting that simple attrition qualifies men for the Sacrament ANS You doe more for you think Attrition sufficient to justify without the Sacrament Pag. 76. having sayd that Repentance remission were always united you explicate Repentance to be a horrour of sin uppon the sense of its native deformity contrariety to the law of God which makes the soul apprehend the hazard it hath incurred by it so as to study by all meanes possible to avoyde it in all time coming This is all you say which any divine knows to be only Attrition as not expressing cleerely the only motive of tru Contrition love of God above all things for his only goodnesse Give Glory to God Is it not tru that yov had heard of a dispute beyond seas betwixt Iansenists their Enemyes about the sufficiency of Attrition to justify with the Sacrament And you never would take the paines to examin the sentiments of ether part or their motives but relyed suppon the first apprehension which occurred to you Your writings give a probable ground for this conjecture G. B. p. 76. All the severitys enjoyned by Papists for Pennances doe but tend to nourish the life of sin ANS You may as well say the severity of the laws against Robbers murtherers the Axe Halter tend only to nourish inclinations to rob kill Sure your common sense is far different from that of others else you would never advance these Paradoxes Nether will it serve your turne if you recurre to the pecuniary mulcts enjoyned to some for first you cannot blame those without blaming Scripture which recemends Almes giving as a (a) Dan. 4.24 meanes to redeeme sins Secondly because worldly men are not soe willing to part with their mony how generous soever you are were you to give a crowne for every untruth you print you would by that pecuniary mulct not be encouraged to write as you doe CHAPTER XXII Theologicall Vertues G. B. pag. 78. That which is next pressed in the Ghospel for uniting souls of mankind to God is that Noble ternary of Graces Faith Hope Love ANS You can never speake soe much in commendation of the Theologicall vertues as they deserve for their merits surpasse all we can say And if you compare the least of them with those called morall vertues it will out shine velut inter stellas Luna minores Yet Faith and Hope must doe Homage to Charity or Love at to their soveraigne as to the end to which they are designed to the fountaine of their life cause of their value This I have sayd above yet I againe repeate it for their sakes who soe set up the merits of Faith as to neglect Good workes (a) Iac. 2.17 without which Faith is dead to place is after Charity without which Faith (b)
Dei Charitatem qui Ecclesiae non diligit unitatem Aug. lib. 3. de Baptismo cont Donat. c. 16. And all your pretences of causes given of your separation are but frivolous this taring in peices the mysticall body of Christ is so greate a sacriledge that no pretext can excuse it Apparet sayth S. Austin l. 2. contra Epist Parmeniani c. 11. non esse quicquam gravius sacrilegio schismatis quia praecidendae unitatis nullae est justa necessitas When I saw you reflect on your runing so long round in a circle I hoped you would come out of it was in hopes that ether I mght have beene a spectator of your following course or else that you would have ledde me a more pleasing walke The designe of S. Austin (a) Aug. l. 1. Retract c. 7. came to my mind who represented the Piety of Catholicks the vicious lives of the Manichyes in his two bookes de moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae de moribus Manichaeorum I imagined you myght designe the like in the two parts of this booke I expected you would have given us a Panegyrick of your owne Church after you had spent your Satyricall veine on your invective against ours I thought we should have seene described the Beauty of the Protestant Church the advantages of Communion with it the perfection of its Faith the decency of its ceremonys the Majesty of its Hierarchy the reasonablesse of its canōs the fullnesse of its conducency to Piety in this life Blisse in the next And all these confirmed with examples of the vertuous lives of its devotes But how much have I been mistaken I for casting an eye a little further after some few words in commendation of your Faith I find you throwing dirt againe as fast as before or rather faster as if in the first part you had only essayed what in the second you act in ear nest Doth your Garden the Church Cant. 4.12 is compared to one afford only that one flower Is the soyle so barren or so ill cultivated as none else should be found in it or if there be any other doe they thrive so ill as not to be worth being pointed to Or doth it come from a morosity of nature which inclines you to blame reprehend or from a propensity to entertaine thoughts only of faults imperfections as flyes pitch uppon ulceres some other creatures wallow in mire or from another quality worse then that which turnes all to bad as a foul stomacke turnes all food into peccant humours a spider draws Poyson from that flower whence a Bee draws Hony something of this must be for I will nether say there is nothing reprehensible in the lives of Catholicks it is a propriety of the Triumphant Church to be free from any spot or wrinkle nor that all is bad in Protestant besides their Faith that being the condition of the damned spirits in Hell But I supercede these personal Reflections follow though with little comfort you in the new maze you leade me into CHAPTER XXX Catholick Faith delivered by men divinely inspired Rules to know tru Tradition Faith never changed G.B. pag. 116. The first Character of our Faith is that it was delivered to the world by men sent of God divinely inspired who proved their mission by miracles ANSWER All Divine Faith is built to the veracity of God the men who delivered it at first were but the organs by which God spake their Words were his words When you received the word of God says S. Paul 1. Thess 2.15 Which when you received of us you received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God Hence those men frequently use that phrase Haec dicit Dominus Thus says the Lord. And Faith is no further a Theologicall vertu then it relyes solely only on the truth Veracity of God as on its formall object as with our Divines out of them Dr. Pearson in his learned explication on the Creede teaches And in this even those men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinely inspired proceded as we doe resolving their Faith into the veracity of God as well as we for their faith was univoca of the some nature with ours with this only difference that the formall object was applyed to them cleerely to us only obscurely The assent to such a mystery in Christ was science or vision not soe in any others he myght say (a) Io. 3.11 We know what we speake quod scimus loquimur quod vidimus testamur we testify what we have seene The rest must say (b) 2. Cor. 4.13 credimus propter quod loquimur We beleive therefore we speake In this manner faith was first spreade in the world I say the Catholick faith not your Protestant faith which as it containes your positive negative articles otherwise it is not Protestant was never delivered by any man divinely inspired but invented by your first Reformers who as I have sayd chap. 22. s 1. taking the whole summe of faith revealed topt lopt off it as much as they pleased from them you have not the Christian but the Protestant faith Fides temporum non Evangeliorum a faith of the times not of the Ghospels says Tertul. Were these the men of God divinely inspired assisted by miracles G. B. pag. 116. The doctrines about which we differ can pretend to no such divine Originall ANS You know we hold this not to be tru we receved all by the some authority from the same hand G. B. pag. 117. What man sent of God was the first Authour of the beleife of the corporall presence of the Sacrisice of the Masse of the Popes supremacy of Purgatory of Indulgences of all those innumerable superstitions of which scripture is absolutely silent ANSWER Christ was a man sent of God he was the first Authour of them G. B. Ibidem If these doctrines were not the off spring of Revelations we cannot be oblidged to beleive them as such ANS Your former legerdemain comes again another conviction of your disingenous proceeding This appeares by these Propositions If the Bible were not the off spring of Revelation we should not be bound to beleive it If Christ were not tru God we should not be bound to adore him as such Could you with patience heare a Pagan with such a slyght undermine the authority of the Bible of the honour doe to Christ Prove what you odiously suggest that the things you wrongfully call superstitions are not revealed you will doe something to the purpose But you are too cunning to attempt any such proofe which you know surpasses your strength And there fore you had rather suppose then prove it that being more proportioned to your capacity Religion G. B. Ibidem They vouch Scriptures for proofe to some of these but these are soe far stretched that their sure retreate is in the Sanctuary