Of Judge of Scripture In her Councils she places in the middle of the Assembly a high Throne as for Christ and in it sets the holy Ghospels as his word according to which she judges of the Doctrin tontroverted Conc. Calced Act. 1. So she judges by Scriptures of the Doctrin of men but doth not judg 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 written by a Man Divinely assisted of S. Paul for example to the Romans by Phebe or to Philemon by a fugitive Servant Onesimus neither as a Witness give any great credit to the Writing they brought The Pastors of the flock of Christ consider the Writings examin the Messengers recurr to God by Prayer to demand the Assistance of his Holy Spirit to know whether he were truly the Author of the Writing exhibited If after all these means used to discover the Truth they remain convinced the thing was written by the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost they obey it themselves command Obedience to it as to the Word of God and use it as a Rule of Faith and Manners So when an unknown Person brings into a Corporation a new Patent as of the King's Majesty and presents it to the Mayor He before he allows the Patentee to act in vertue of it with his Brethren considers the Writing the Signet the Seal the Stile c. to know whether it be counterfeit or sincere with a Resolution to obey it himself and make others do the same in case it appear to be truly the King 's The Mayor cannot be said to judge of the Kings Patents to which as a Subject he owes Obedience but only to discern whether an unknown Writing be the King's Patent or no. You say this makes the Authority of the Scriptures depend on the Church Which is as rational as if you should say the Authority of the King's Patent depends on the Mayor of a petty Corporation because the Patent is exhibited to him before it be executed If any Man hath so little common Sense as not to discern the difference betwixt these two Propositions To judge of the Kings Patent and to judge whether an unknown Writing be the Kings Patent I am to seek how to help him This Authority of the Church to recommend the Scriptures as an undeniable Witness occasioned that Saying of S. Augustin l. contra Epist Fundam c. 5. Ego Evangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae Catholicae commoveret authoritas I would not believe the Gospel did not the Authority of the Catholie Church move me to it Which words are cited by all Catholic Controvertists as containing an implicit Decision of all our Controversies they shewing evidently S. Augustins Discourse against the Manichees to be just the same which we use against the modern Protestants that as we are heirs of that Faith which S. Augustin and the Church of his time defended against its Opposers the ancient Heretics so are we of the Titles by which they enjoyed it and the Arms with which they defended it I will put down the whole Discourse of S. Augustin at large that so we may the better understand his meaning and more convincingly shew how much the most understanding of our Adversaries are out of the way in explicating it The thing sought for in that Discourse was whether Manichaeus was an Apostle of Jesus Christ or no The Manichaeans said he was the Catholics denied it for whose cause S. Austin disputes thus in that place Quaero quis sit iste Manichaeus says he Respondebitis Apostolus Christi Non Credo Evangelium sortè mihi lecturus es indè Manichai personam tentabis asserere Si ergò invenires aliquem qui Evangelio nondum credit quid faceres dicenti tibi non credo Ego verò Evangelio non crederem nisi me Catholicae Ecclesiae commoveret authoritas Quibus ergo obtemperavi dicentibus credite Evangelio cur eis non obtemperem dicentibus mihi Noli credere Manichaeo Elige quid velis Si dixeris crede Catholicis ipsi me monent ut nullam fidem accommodem vobis quapropter non possim illis credens nisi tibi non credere Si dixeris noli Catholicis credere non rectè facis per Evangelium me cogere ad Manichaei fidem quia ipsi Evangelio Catholicis praedicantibus credidi Si autem dixeris benè credidisti Catholicis laudantibus Evangelium sed non rectè credidisti illis vituper antibus Manichaeum usque adeò me stultum putas ut nullâ redditâ ratione quod vis credam quod non vis non credam quippè multò justius cautius facio si Catholicis quoniam semel credidi ad te non transeo nisi me non credere jusseris sed manifestissime apertissimè scire aliquid feceris Quocirca si mihi rationem redditurus es dimitte Evangelium Si ad Evangelium te tenes ego ad eos me teneam quibus praecipientibus Evangelio credidi his jubentibus tibi omninò non credam Quod si fortè in Evangelio aliquid manifestissimum de Manichaei Apostolatu invenire potueris infirmabis mihi Catholicorum auctoritatem qui jubent ut tibi non credam Quâ infirmat â nec Evangelio credere potero quia per eos illi credideram ita nihil apud me valebit quicquid inde protuleris Quapropter si nihil manifestum de Manichaei Apostolatu in Evangelio reperitur Catholicis potiùs credam quà m tibi Si autem inde aliquid manifestum pro Manichaeo legeris nec illis nec tibi illis quia de te mihi mentiti sunt tibi quia eam scripturam mihi profers cui per illos credideram qui mihi mentiti sunt Sed absit ut ego Evangelio non credam Illi autem credens non invenio quomodò possim etiam tihi credere Haec Aug. ibid. I demand says this Saint Who is this Manichaeus You answer He is the Apostle of Christ I will not take your word for it What will you say what means will you use to persuade me Perchance you will take the Gospel and thence endeavor to prove unto me the Mission of Manichaus But what if you meet with one who doth not believe the Gospel how would you deal with him For my part I would not believe the Gospel did not the Authority of the Catholic Church move me Whom therefore I obey in saying Believe the Gospel should I not obey in saying Believe not Manichaeus Take your choice whether you will have me rely on the Catholics or no If you say Believe the Catholics they marn me not to believe you wherefore believing them I must reject you If you say Do not believe Catholics you do not well endeavoring to bring me to the Belief in Manichaeus by the Gospel which I received only upon the word of Catholics If you say you do well to believe the
Organs by which God spake and their Words were his Words When you received the word of God says S. Paul 1 Thes 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 farther a Theological Vertue than it relies solely and only on the Truth Veracity of God as on its Formal Object as with our Divines and out of them Dr. Pearson in his Learned Explication on the Creed teaches And in this even those Men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divinely Inspired proceeded as we do resolving their Faith into the Veracity of God as well as we for their Faith was univoca of the same nature with ours with this only difference that the Formal Object was applied to them clearly and to us only obscurely The assent to such a Mystery in Christ was Science or Vision not so in any others He might say Quod scimus loquimur quod vidimus testamur Jo. 3.11 We know what we speak and we testifie what we have seen The rest must say Credimus propter quod loquimur 2 Cor. 4.13 We believe and therefore we speak In this manner Faith was first spread in the World. I say the Catholic Faith not your Protestant Faith which as it contains your positive and 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 said Chap. 22. Sect. 1. taking the whole Sum of Faith revealed topt and lopt off it as much as they pleased and from them you have not the Christian but the Protestant Faith Fides temporum non Evangeliorum A Faith of the Times not of the Gospels says Tertul. Were these the Men of God Divinely Inspired and assisted by Miracles G. B. ibid. The Doctrins about which we differ can pretend to no such Divine Original Answ You know we hold this not to be true we received all by the same Authority from the same Hand G. B. pag. 117. What Man sent of God was the first Author of the Belief of the Corporeal Presence of the Sacrifice of the Mass of the Pope's Supremacy of Purgatory of Indulgences and of all those innumerable Superstitions of which Scripture is absolutely silent Answ Christ was a Man sent of God and he was the first Author of them G. B. ibid. If these Doctrins were not the Off-spring of Revelations we cannot be obliged to believe them as such Answ Your former Legerdemain comes again another conviction of your disingenuous Proceeding This appears by these Propositions If the Bible were not the Offspring of Revelation we should not be bound to believe it If Christ were not true God we should not be bound to adore him as such Could you with patience hear a Pagan with such a Sleight undermine the Authority of the Bible or the Honor due to Christ Prove what you odiously suggest that the things you wrongfully call Superstitions are not revealed and you will do something to the purpose But you are too cunning to attempt any such Proof which you know surpasses your Strength And therefore you had rather suppose than prove it that being more proportioned to your Capacity and Religion G. B. ibid. They vouch Scriptures for Proof to some of these but these are so far stretched that their sure Retreat is in the Sanctuary of Traditions Answ You speak as Dogmatically as if it were ex Tripode Here is an Assertion without any Proof and so is a convincing Proof that you have none Tradition is indeed our Sanctuary to which you have no Claim By it we received 1. Scriptures 2. The Sense of Scriptures which is their Soul. Now when Scriptures are doubtful in any Point or as you phrase it seem not to reach home without Stretching can we have better assurance of their true meaning than by the Authority of the Church which is clearly commended to us in Scriptures themselves And in following her Sense we are certain we follow Scriptures which is the Discourse of S. Aug. lib. 1. contra Crescon cap. penult Quamvis hujus rei de Scripturis Canonicis non proferatur exemplum Scripturarum etiam in hac re à nobis tenetur veritas cum hoc facimus quod universa jam placuit Ecclesiae quam ipsarum Scripturarum commendat auctoritas ut quoniam Sacra Scriptura fallere non potest quisquis falli metuit hujus obscuritate quaestionis Ecclesiam de illâ consulat quam sine ullâ ambiguitate Sancta Scriptura demonstrat G. B. ibid. Till it be proved that an Error could not creep into the World that way we must be excused from Believing Answ Unless you prove that Errors have crept in that way you are inexcusable You actually rejected those things as Errors which were in possession all over the World unless you prove them to be such your Fact is criminal G. B. ibid. It is not possible to know what Traditions came from the Apostles Answ Habemus hic confitentem reum For if it be impossible to know what Traditions were Apostolical your Reformers Act in rejecting so many was rash and inconsiderate They had been better advised to retain all as they found them in the Church than to cut them off But your Procedure is as different in this as in the rest from S. Austin For was any thing doubted of this Saint's Method was to consult the Church and adhere to what she believed or practised as you see in his Discourse above you consult the Church too but it is only to reject her Practice and condemn her Sentiments The weight of the Authority of the Church may be sufficient to convince which are Apostolical Traditions as it convinces which are Apostolical Writings Yet we have other Signs I will instance in two one taken from S. Aug. l. 4. de Bapt. cont Donat. c. 24. Quod universa tenet Ecclesia neec à Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi Apostolicâ traditum auctoritate rectissimè creditur We ought to believe those things to have come from the Apostles which the whole Church holds and were not introduced by Councils but were always in use To prove this it is enough that the first Persons who mention them speak 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
Gospel who withheld nothing of the Counsel of God from the People Answ Those words are taken out of that Speech of S. Paul to the Elders of the Church of lesser Asia Act. 20.27 which you by a gross Mistake say were the People as if the Holy Ghost had made the People Bishops to Govern the Church of God. Now if the People Govern who are Governed You are hard put to it to find Reasons against us when you are forced to such wretched Shifts Know then which I wonder any one who reads with attention that place can be ignorant of that those to whom S. Paul spake there were Bishops to whom by reason of their Office a larger measure of Faith was due to them the whole counsel of God was made known to be communicated to others not promiscuously to all but to faithful men who might be able to teach others 2 Tim. 2.2 Now thô according to the Practice of the Apostles the People amongst us are not made Teachers Pastors Prophets and Apostles yet all even to the meanest Artisan have Instructions necessary to Salvation What they are bound to believe what they are to hope for and what to doe And what need of more If any amongst us will undergo the labor of Studies the greatest Mysteries of our Faith are obvious to him Our Scriptures our Councils our Decretals our Fathers our Ecclesiastical and Prophane Histories our Divines and our Philosophers are extant in our Stationers Shops as well for the use of the meanest Christian as of the Pope Cardinals or Bishops What is then concealed from them which may ground your Accusation Our Procedure in this is so connatural that I am persuaded it cannot but be your own Practice The English Church hath drawn to some few Heads those Points of Faith which she thinks necessary to Salvation and delivers them to all in her Catechism As for the others contained either in the Bible or in the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds or in the four first General Councils she leaves it to her Children to seek them out themselves if they have will and convenience or to receive them from their Ministers and I do not see how any Governors of a Church can proceed otherwise Dare you blame this in your Mother Church Why then should you condemn us for it G. B. pag. 133. Matters of Interest are the constant Subject of their Studies and Sermons whereas others of the greatest Laws of God are seldom minded Answ If you could write this Untruth without blushing you have no Blood in your Body To confute you it will be enough to open any one Book of Devotion and hear or read a Sermon In malâ causâ non possunt aliter August Your Cause must be very bad which requires such Untruths to uphold it and ours very good seeing you have no Truth to alledge against it CHAP. XXXIII Faith not dependant on Senses G. B. p. 133. GOD hath fitted Faith and framed our Souls so harmoniously that they are congenial one to another Answ I find you in this Point very much to seek how to own a great Truth and yet to establish a contrary Falshood which is very dear to your whole Party That Faith is above Natural Reason and much more above Sense is unquestionable This you own and so place Faith on a Throne Yet something must be had against Transubstantiation and nothing occurs but from Sense Then you pull down Faith and set up Sense in her place Tantae molis erat sanctum subvertere dogma The Mysteries about God and Christ say you are exalted above the reach of our Faculties But Reason it self teacheth that it must be so Here Faith is above Reason But afterwards pag. 134. Our Faith rests on the Evidences our Senses give Here Faith does Homage to Sense Faith is an argument of things which appear not Heb. 11.1 So that it relies not on Senses for its Object doth not appear nor on Reason otherwise it would be Science if the Reason be evident or Opinion if it be uncertain So it relies only on God's Veracity which consists of two Qualities One that He cannot be deceived being Omniscient The other that he cannot deceive being Good. Neither is possible to God for to be deceived is an Error in the Understanding and to deceive argues Malice in the Will. So the Assurance we have by Faith is greater than that of our Senses which may be baffled greater than that of Reason which sometimes is mistaken in its Principles oftner deceived in its Deductions from them Thus God is true Rom. 3.4 and every man a lyar which later part imports a possibility of Error in our clearest Operations whether of Sense or of Reason To say that Faith rests on the Evidence of Senses as you do p. 134. is so contrary to the nature of Faith that both Divines and Philosophers doubt whether the same Object can * S. Thom. 2.2 q. 1. art 4. 5. be seen and believed and generally speaking deny the possibility of it And to what our Blessed Saviour said Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed Joh. 20.29 They answer with S. Gregory Aliud vidit aliud credidit He saw a Man and believed him to be God. To what purpose then are Miracles if Faith doth not rely on them Ans To dispose our Understanding to receive with attention and submission the Word of God by shewing it was God who spoke And when Christ appeals to his Works If I do not the Works of my Father do not believe me but if I do them if you will not believe me believe the Works Joh. 10.38 he assigns only the outward Motive of Belief by which his Hearers were either drawn to Believe or made inexcusable if they persisted in their Incredulity Now it is the grossest Error imaginable to think that Faith rests on all those things which dispose to it otherwise it would rest on the skill in Tongues which is necessary to understand the original Scriptures Item on the Masters who Teach them on the Stationer who Prints them c. But what if the Man who confirms his Mission by evident Miracles teach things contrary to Sense or Reason Ans Our Duty is to silence both these and hearken to him The Arms of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought 2 Cor. 10. Who says every thought comprehended both those grounded on Sense and others more Speculative But to say as you do that Reason must be subject to Faith but not Senses is very preposterously to put Reason the Mistress under Faith and Sense the Servant above it You declaim against Catholics for acknowledging in the whole Church an Authority in order to the Word of God much less than that which you give to the Senses of every particular Man. What an occasion
indeed commanded to write to himself a copy of the Law out of that which was before the Priests the Levits By which it appears that even Copies of the Law were not so ordinary Which may be gathered also out of 4 Kings c. 22. there was such Astonishment at the finding and reading of the Book of the Law newly found in the Temple The Ten Commandments were common the Pharisees Phylacteries prove it As for the rest it was divided into Parashots Sections and read unto the People when they met on the Sabbath as you may see Acts 15.21 And in the Second of Esdras cap. 8. And the same Custome is still in the Catholic Church which in her Service doth dayly read some of the New and Old Testament G. B. Pag. 14. What pains are taken by Papists to detract from the Authority of Scriptures how they quarrel its Darkness its Ambiguousness the Genuineness of its Originals Answer This is a Calumny We all unanimously own Scripture to be the Word of God that no Untruth can be found in it Out of its Darkness and Ambiguity we shew the necessity of receiving its Sense from Tradition and 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 complain of Scripture being two much perused Answer Another Calumny In all our Universities we have Masters of Scriptures who in those I know take place of those even of Divinity Which shews the esteem we make of that study G. B. Pag. 15. Let as little of it be in Vulgar Tongues as can be Answer A Third Calumny It is all in English translated by the Rhemish and Doway Colleges and in French by the Doctors of Lovain And as for the New Testament it is publish'd in French by Rene Benoit Brulot Villeloin and Amelot Besides other Editions less noted And if there hath been no new Translation in English it is not for any Decrees forbidding it but because that first Translation is liked in gross and if any thing be defective as is unavoidable in all Works of Men it is not considerable and the like or worse may be fear'd in another G. B. Pag. 19. We read it publickly in an unknown Tongue in Latin. Answer If this proves our Dislike of the Scriptures it will likewise prove our Dislike of Councils and Popes Bulls which you say we prefer before Scriptures seeing these were never extant in any Vulgar Language Latin cannot truly absolutely be call'd An unknown Tongue in the Latin Church seeing it is the Language of her Schools of her Public Service of her Laws of her Tribunals of her Councils and in many places as in Polony and higher and lower Germany of almost every particular person where very ordinarily even Carters and Watermen speak it And as for Spaniards and Italians with little application they understand it by reason of the Affinity betwixt their own and the Latin Tongue So English cannot absolutely be said to be an unknown Tongue in Wales and Ireland tho' in both there are several who understand it not If this be not a sufficient Vindication of our Church how will you excuse your own from the same Fault which never translated the Scripture into Irish but uses English in Ireland even where there are many thousands who understand it as little as Latin is understood by any Catholic G. B. Pag. 15. We permit no private person the use of it without Allowance from his Confessor Answer A Fourth Calumny In Latin Greek or Hebrew it is universally permitted to all In France no Body scruples at the reading of it in French provided the Editions be approved Your Brethren there could have informed you better seeing they have had the Confusion to see their Ministers mouths stopt by Cutlers and Shoemakers out of their own Bible which could not be had they not read it If the Opinion of a Confessor be demanded it is to know the Disposition of the person who desires it whether it be such as good may be hoped from that reading All Food is designed by Almighty God for the use of Man yet without any Injury to the Patient a Physitian may forbid him the use of some which would nourish peccant Humors So Scriptures are designed for our Instruction unto Piety to God and Peace to our Neighbors If any mans mind be possest with Opinions contrary to both and these Opinions controul all Instruction given him so as all serve only to confirm him in his impiety and turbulent Humor would you not advise him a Diet from such strong Food as Scripture For Example lately a great part of the Commonalty of our Nation was so posest with a Spirit of Rebellion against Ecclesiastical and Civil Government that altho there be scarce any thing more recommended in holy Writ than Obedience to Prelate and Prince yet they thought the whole Drift of Scripture abetted their Treason not that any such thing was to be found in Scripture but that they fancied it there as Men fancy that the Bells speak articulate Words In that conjuncture what Advice would you give to an Ignorant Man to be satisfied with Books of Devotion and Instructions drawn from Scripture which might keep him humble and peaceable or to continue reading the Scriptures which he thought preached Sedition and from which through his bad Disposition he was confirmed in his Rebellions and Antichristan Courses Another motive why the Confessors Advice is demanded is that he might instruct Men how to Read and reap Benefit from the Reading To Read with the Humility of a Scholer not the Presumption of a Master to make rather a Prayer than a Study of it To resolve to practise what they understand and adore God for what they understand not So that whether they do or do not comprehend what they read they glorifie God in all and grow in Vertue After such Instructions apply'd to the Condition of every one the Benefit will be much greater and the danger of ill using it much diminished CHAP. VII A Digression touching the Idolatry of the Pagans ill represented by E. S. D. D. THis matter is as clear in it self as any antiquated Rights can be all Men are possest with an Opinion that as the word imports the deluded Nations did Adore Idols as their Gods. S. Austin l. 20. contra Faust c. 20. having said that Latria was the Worship given to God alone as he is distinguished from all his Creatures how holy soever he says Ad hunc cultum pertinet oblatio Sacrificii unde Idololatria dicitur eorum qui hoc Sacrificium etiam Idolis offerunt That to offer Sacrifice is an Act of Latria whence those are called Idolaters who offer it to Idols This seems clear yet our modern Protestants to make good the Charge of Idolatry against the present Cath. Church raise a great Mist before their Readers Eyes and misrepresent Idolatry in such colours as may afterwards
Catholics when they commend the Gospel but you do not well in believing them when they blame Manioheus do you think me such a Fool as without any reason I should believe what pleases you and not believe what you dislike Certainly it is much more reasonable seeing I must believe the Catholics that I abandon your Communion unless you can give me an evident Demonstration for the contrary Wherefore if you will alledge Reason lay by the Gospel If you retain the Gospel I will stick to those upon whose word I have admitted the Gospel and their Authority forces me to renounce you Now if perchance you can shew out of the Gospel any evident proof of Manichaeus his Apostleship you will indeed weaken in me the Authority of Catholics who forbid me to believe you But that Authority being weakned I shall no more be able to believe the Gospel which I received by it and so whatsoever you prove thence will fall to the ground Therefore if no clear proof of Manichaeus his Mission is extant in the Gospel I will rather believe the Catholics than you If a clear proof be found there I will neither believe the Catholics nor you Not them because they were false in the Opinion they delivered of you Not you because you rely on that Scripture which I received on the testimony of those who have deceived me Yet God forbid I should reject the Gospel and believing it I see no possibility of believing you Thus the great Saint which I have cited at large because the whole Discourse holds against all Heresies changing only the Name of Manichaeus or Manichean into that which signifies the Heresie as for Example into that of Protestant or Luther Morcover it contains a clear Confutation of what hath hitherto by the Learnedst of our Adversaries been said in Answer to it The first Interpretation of this Place is delivered by W. L. in his Relation of a Conference pag. 81. Some of your own says he will not endure it should be understood save of the Church in the time of the Apostles only and then cites Ockam Dial. p. 1. l. 1. c. 4. Where he hath not one word of that But says Mr. Still in his Rational Account p. 198. the words are in Durandus l. 3. Insent d. 24. q. 1. n. 9. where he says Intelligitur solùm de Ecclesiâ quae fuit tempore Apostolorum It is understood only of the Church which was in the time of the Apostles The same Author borrows another Explication of Biel Lect. 2. in Can. Missae That the words are to be understood of the Church in general as it contains the first and later Ages A tempore Christi Apostolorum c. And to this he sticks for he adds And so doth S. Augustin take Eccles contra Fund And Dr. Still p. 198 199 approves the same and confirms it out of Gerson and Driedo Neither of these two Explications can stand with the Text as appears out of those words Quibus obtemperavi dicentibus Credite Evangelio cur eis non obtemperem dicentibus mihi noli credere Manichaeo Whom I obeyed in saying Believe the Gospel should I not obey in saying Do not believe Manichaeus Hence I frame this Argument St. Augustin professeth he received the Gospel upon the credit of that Church which condemned Manichaeus But that Church which condemned Manichaeus was that of his time and not that of the Apostles who never mentioned Manichaeus Ergo the Church on whose word he received the Gospel was that of his time and not that of the Apostles When therefore E. S. p. 220. says It is plain St. Austin means not the Judgment of the present Church but of the Catholic Church as taking in all Ages and Places he evidently contradicts the very Text of St. Austin whence I conclude that either he speaks against his Conscience which I am unwilling to believe or else which is more excusable that he had not read the Text which he undertakes to Explicate A Third and yet more improbable Explication is delivered by W. L. p. 82. He speaks it either of Novices or Doubters in the Faith or else of such as were in part Infidels Mr. Fisher the Jesuit at the Conference would needs have it that St. Austin spake it even of the Faithful which I cannot yet think for he speaks to the Manichees and they had a great part of the Infidel in them And the words immediately before these are If thou shouldst find one qui Evangelio non credit which did not believe the Gospel what wouldst thou do to make him believe Thus W. L. This is likewise plainly false for S. Austin was neither a Novice nor a Doubter in the Faith nor in part an Infidel when he writ that Book for he writ it after he was made Bishop as you may see Lib. 2. Retract c. 2. But he speaks of himself and describes the ground of his own Faith Ergo he doth not speak of Novices Doubters or half Infidels nor describes the ground of their Faith but of those who are firm Believers I prove that S. Austin speaks of his own Faith and shews the ground on which it relied For first he says I would not believe the Gospels without the Authority of Catholics commending them Secondly he says If you weaken the Authority of Catholics I will reject the Gospel This I believe Mr. Stillingst saw and therefore said pag. 20. If you extend this beyond Novices and Weaklings I shall not oppose you in it And I cannot think that W. L. had read that place at least with attention when he writ He could not think S. Austin spoke of the Faithful Stilling pag. 220. Neither you nor any Catholic Author is able to prove that S. Austin by these words ever dreamt of any infallible Authority in the present Church Ans Seeing S. Austin expresly says He would renounce the Gospel if the Authority of Catholics were weakned in him by discovering they had delivered any one Lye he must either think them exempt from all possibility of Lying or else he adhered very loosly to the Gospel 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 Error Let us return to Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 43. Christ's Prophetic 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 Prophetic Office of Christ seeing Infallibility in writing them was no such thing Certainly it is more to compose a Writing than 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 several parts of Scripture which yet I think will scarce undertake to Pen the like By this say you the whole Authority is devolved on the Church No more than it was on S. John when he writ his Gospel
or S. Paul composing his Epistles nor so much neither seeing 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 slight your Attempts whilst you are armed only with such Straws We have seen your 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 of that but as if you had forgotten what you were about you fall upon the English Translation of that Text which you say deserves 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 Believers Here is another Assertion without Proof 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 and which was directed immediately to them You should then give some Reason why they relate to all Believers althô spoken only to the Apostles G. B. The Church's being built on the Rock Peter proves nothing for a Series of Bishops of Rome seeing the other Apostles were also Foundations Answ If it prove all Bishops together Infallible firm in Faith as a Rock it confounds your Reformation which is condemned by them all G. B. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16.19 import no more than that Peter was to open the Gospel When you shall give in a Proof we will consider it till then I will believe not you but Christ who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adds the Office of the Keys to open and shut not the Gospel but Heaven by loosing and binding Sins G. B. pag. 46. It is certain that Vice as well as Error is destructive of Religion If then there be no Authority for suppressing 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 Answ It is certain that both in the old and new Law several Persons have been 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 preached The same of David of Salomon c. For this reason our Blessed Saviour commanded (b) Mat. 23.23 all to follow the Doctrin of the Scribes and Pharisees because they sat on the Chair of Moyses but not their Example So your Question why God should provide more against Error in Faith than against Vice in Manners can find no place amongst Catholics who are taught to adore God's holy Will even when they understand it not and to (c) 2 Cor. 10.5 Bring 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 and Diseerning all things and submit even Divinely revealed Truths to its Tribunal to you I say we leave the search of those Depths and discovery of those Mysteries G. B. pag. 48. I could prove from History that General Councils have erred that Popes have been Heretics Answ By what you have done we may guess what you can do Your Learning appears by your Writings as also your Judgment in using it We have seen many Proofs of it and shall see more in this small Tract I will add to them one Instance out of another Work of yours Observations on the First Canon of the Apostles pag. 66. You prove that anciently Priests could Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation out of the First Canon of the First Council of Orange When it is evident that That Canon doth not give Priests power to Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation but commands them to use Chrism in Baptism since when every Divine of the First Year knows that Vertical Chrismation hath been a Ceremony of that First and mysterious Sacrament Such Mistakes as these are incident to such as are bred in a Congregation where Ceremonies are abrogated G. B. pag. 49. We are not the Servants of Men nor bound to their Authority for none can be a Judge but where he hath Power to Try and to Coerce Now none but God can search our Hearts so none but he can be Judge Answ The Independent and Quaker and all who endure with regret Prince and Prelate Canon and Civil Law under pretence of Evangelical Liberty will thank you for this CHAP. XIV Of Merits G. B. p. 50. IF any have derogated from the value of the Satisfaction of that Lamb of God they have offered the utmost Indignity to the highest Love and committed the Crime of the greatest Ingratitude imaginable Answ Transeat totum what then G. B. Who would requite the most unconceivable Love with such a sacrilegious Attempt Answ None that I know of But say you how guilty are they of this who would set the Merits and Works of Men in an equality with the Blood of God Answ I know none such if you do point them out for Punishment no Catholic is concerned in them G. B. pag. 51. It is true this Doctrin of Merit is so explained by some of that Church that there remains no ground of quarrelling it except for the Terms sake which is indeed odious and improper thô early used by the Ancients in an innocent Sense But many of that Church acknowledge there can be no Obligation on God by our Works but that which his own Promise binds upon him Answ Here is one of the malicious Sleights of you and your Brethren when you cannot with any colour accuse the Doctrin of our Church to pretend it is only the Doctrin of some few Persons that you may persuade your Disciples the generality of Catholics hold the contrary The Council of Trent contains what all Catholics Subscribe to and this is the Doctrin of that Council in this Point Concil Trid. Sess 6. cap. 16. Benè operantibus usque in finem in Deo sperantibus proponenda est vita aeterna tanquam gratia filiis Dei per Christum Jesum misericorditer promissa tanquem merces ex ipsius Dei promissione bonis ipsorum operibus meritis fideliter reddenda To those who persevere in good Works even to the end of this Life and who hope in God Life everlasting is proposed both as Grace mercifully promised to the adopted Children of God through Jesus Christ our Lord as also as a Reward due in vertue
do you give us to return upon you all your Declamations G. B. pag. 134. We cannot really doubt but things are as they appear to us for we cannot believe it Midnight when we see clearly the Sun in our Meridian Answ We should not doubt of what God says who we are sure cannot tell a Lye. We perceive daily the Hallucinations of our Understanding I am sure sometimes my Senses are mistaken and my Reason corrects them All Man is a Lyar every knowing Faculty in him is subject to Deceit God cannot tell me it is Midnight when it is Noon-day because he cannot tell a Lye But if God should tell me it is Midnight and my Eyes should represent to me a luminous Body in the Meridian perfectly like the Sun I should suspect my Eyes or guess I saw a Meteor or that I Dreamed or Raved or were yet in a worse Condition The least and last of my thoughts would be that God told a Lye which is the first thought you suggest G. B. pag. 135. Senses unvitiated fixing on a proper Object through a due Mean are infallible Answ Are they more infallible than God Are we infallibly certain all those Conditions concur May there not be more ways to delude our Senses than are discovered May there not be some latent defect in the Organ unperceived by us Or some want in the Mean Answer to these Questions and withall tell me whether you have as great certainty of your Answer to these Queries as you have of the Veracity of God. With more colour another may say that Faith cannot be against Reason and with Socinus refuse to believe any thing contrary to Discourse and so turn Antitrinitarian I think my self as assuredly certain of that Metaphysical Principle Eadem uni tertio sunt idem inter se as of any thing I know by Senses yet knowing what Christ hath taught concerning the Blessed Trinity I believe that and explicate that Principle as I can Why should we not proceed in like manner with our Senses when they seem to contradict what Christ hath taught We are commanded to put out an Eye cut off a Hand or foot Mat. 18.8 9. if it draws us to sin What shall we do if they draw us to Infidelity Or do you think it unlawful to keep them yet lawful to follow their suggestions and deny our Faith in obedience to their Depositions Heap up then your Absurdities your Impossibilities your Incredibilities your Sophisms against Transubstantiation to as great a bulk as your little Studies and less Discretion will permit you will only multiply Proofs of the Insolency and Folly of the Reason of Man which dares enter the Lists against the Truth of God. G. B. pag. 136. It is little less unconceivable to imagin that a Man of no eximious Sanctity nor extraordinary skill in Divinity should have the Holy Ghost at his command that his Decrees must be the Dictates of the Spirit Answ I pass that disrespectful Expression Having the Holy Ghost at his command no Catholic ever spoke so Do you think the Assistance of the Holy Ghost whence flows all Jurisdiction both Spiritual and Temporal is restrained to only Saints and Learned Clerks Doth Prelate and Prince lose their Jurisdiction by every mortal Sin Was Amos the Shepherd a great Divine Were Salomon and Caiaphas great Saints Were the Scribes and Pharisees such whose words all Mat. 23.2 were commanded to obey at the same time that they were warned to avoid their Actions And that I may give you an Instance proportionable to your Objection of an irrational Creature to an unreasonable Doubt what say you to Balaam's Ass Was he either Saint or Divine He rebuked his Master for his iniquity speaking with man's voice and forbad the madness of the Prophet 2 Pet. 2.16 God grant he cure all amiss in you Know Sir that Jurisdiction Gift of Miracles Tongues Prophecy and all those Graces which are called Gratis datae and regard the sanctification of others not of the Person to whom they are given have no connection with any Personal Sanctity in their Subject S. Thom. 1.2 q. 111. a. 1. CHAP. XXXIV Mr. G. B. his Intention in his Books and his Meekness to Catholics G. B. p. 140. THVS far I have pursued my Design in the Tract whereof I have not been void of a great deal of Pain and Sorrow for what Pleasure can any find by discovering so much Wickedness God is my witness how these thoughts have entertained me with horror and regret all the while I have considered them And it is not without the greatest antipathy to my Nature imaginable that I have paid this Duty to Truth Answ Here you give a very artificial Confirmation of all you had said before That you undertook this Task with great Reluctance and carried it on with Grief and Sorrow Vouch God as Witness of the truth of this suspecting I suppose as you had reason your bare Word would scarce be received whilst so many pregnant Proofs stand for the contrary For First Your Religion doth not inspire such a Spirit of Mortification as to engage her Children in painful and sorrowful Actions for any time at all much less for so long a time as is necessary for composing a Book of so various Matter And for your Person I do not hear that you seek so much occasions of Grief Secondly Those who with sorrow and unwillingness think of others Faults avoid those usually and entertain others of their Vertues Content is the thing all Men commonly seek even in their Grief They decline contristating Objects and sometime seek a freedom from them by a cessation from all rational Operations preferring the sottish stupid sensless Condition of a Beast before the rational but irksom thoughts of displeasing Objects as is too common in England if I am not mistaken But that a Man who may divertise himself or find Employments pleasing should trouble himself with what passes in Jamaica or China or Rome which concerns him not is very unusual and almost incredible Thirdly Those who are truly sorry for their Neighbors Faults do not easily entertain false Reports of them Are unwilling without pregnant Proofs to harbor any bad Opinion of them or give credit to bad Reports concerning them In fine shew in their Actions the truth of that saying Charitas non cogitat malum 1 Cor. 13.5 Charty thinks no evil You on the contrary take all malicious Reports against us as true althô you either knew already or with a little labor might have known the wrong done us in them for as for the greatest part of your Difficulties they are such as have been Answered over and over Fourthly You feign things your self which no body ever dreamt of and are in themselves most untrue As what you say pag. 133. The Subject of our Sermons and Studies are Matters of Interest and not the Laws of God. Nay when the things themselves are not blame-worthy you calumniate our Intentions seeking into our Hearts