therefore though we have used other words in our controversial Discourses against Hereticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. e. yet now that a Confession of the sound Faith and simple manifestation of it lies before us we will temper our stile accordingly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 387. c. explaining it more simply and properly and doing only that which may instruct you according to that saying of the Apostle To give a reason of your Faith. Now Pag 389. b. c. saith he in doing this we neither have ability nor leasure to collect all that is said in Scripture of the Father Son and Holy Ghost but we hope saith he to satisfie your Consciences as to the manifestation of our knowledge in the holy Scriptures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and your full assurance of Faith by those few things we shall select out of the Holy Scriptures And after this long Protestant Preface comes a Creed owned by all Protestants in these words P. 389. d. e. We believe therefore and confess one only true and Good God and Father Almighty of whom are all things the God and Father of our Lord and God Jesus Christ And we believe one only begotten Son of God our Lord and God Jesus Christ the only true God by whom all things both visible and invisible were made and by whom all things consist who in the beginning was with God and was God and after was according to the Scriptures seen on Earth and conversed with Men who being in the Form of God coveted not to be in the World like to God but emptied himself and taking upon him the Form of a Servant by his Nativity of a Virgin and being found in fashion as a Man he fulfilled all things which were written of and concerning him according to the command of the Father being Obedient even to Death the Death of the Cross and being raised again the Third Day from the Dead according to the Scriptures P. 390. a. he was seen by his holy Disciples and the rest as it is written and he ascended into the Heavens and sitteth at the Right-hand of the Father from whence he comes at the end of the World to raise up all and to give to every one according to his Work when the Righteous shall be taken up into Life Eternal and the Kingdom of Heaven but the wicked shall be condemned to everlasting Punishment where their Worm dieth not and the Fire is not quenched and we believe one Holy Ghost and Comforter by whom we are sealed unto the Day of Redemption the Spirit of Truth and of Adoption in whom we cry Abba Father who distributeth and worketh in us the Gifts given of God to every one to profit withal as he willeth who teacheth and brings to our Remembrance all things which he hath heard from the Son. The Good Spirit who Guides us into all Truth and confirmeth all Believers in true and exact Knowledge in pious Worship and spiritual Adoration and in the true Confession of God the Father his only Son our Lord and God Jesus Christ and of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This we think this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rule of Holy Men. P. 392. And I beseech you laying aside all curious Questions P. 391. and indecent strifes about words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to rest contented with the things spoken by Holy Men and by the Lord himself and to withdraw your selves from them that are alien from the Evangelical and Apostolical Faith the Apostle having said That if an Angel from Heaven preach to you any other Doctrine besides that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed and having warned you to withdraw from every one who walks disorderly and not according to the Tradition which you have received from us So that according to St. Basil this Creed is the Tradition received from the Apostles the Evangelical and Apostolical Faith the Rule of Faith to which nothing is to be superadded besides which nothing to be preached as any portion of the Rule of Faith and this whole Faith expresly is contained in Scripture and is delivered in the words of Scripture Laurentius sends an Epistle to St. Austin to know of him Quid sequendum maximè Enchir. c. 4. quid propter diversas principaliter Haereses sit fugiendum What was chiefly to be followed and what by reason of the diversity of Heresies was principally to be avoided quod certum propriumque fidei Catholicae fundamentum what was the sure and proper Foundation of the Christian Faith In Answer to this Enquiry he receives a Treatise from St. Cap. 3. Austin containing 122. Chapters in which he undertakes to teach him what he was to believe to love and hope for and in the general he tells him Cap. 6. that it is easie to instruct him in these three particulars nam ecce tibi Symbolum dominica oratio in his duobus tria illa intuere Cap. 7. for behold the Symbol and the Lord's Prayer in these two see these three things Faith believes Hope and Charity prays and then he goes on to a particular Discourse on all these Heads not speaking throughout all those numerous Chapters of one Article of the Romish Faith excepting only when Chapter the 69. he speaks of Purgatory Fire as of a doubtful and uncertain thing and Chapter 109. he utterly confounds it by laying down for certain That during the time betwixt the Death of Christians and the last Resurrection of their Bodies their Souls are kept in hidden Receptacles as they by reason of the Actions done in their Life time became worthy of Rest or Misery One thing there is still more considerable that when the Arian Heresie sprung up and even in the time and at the Session of the Nicene Council this was still produced as the Faith of the Apostolick Church the Rule of Faith the Faith which they had learned from the Scriptures and had received at Baptism and on account of which they challenged to be owned as Orthodox by all their Christian Brethren Alexander Bishop of Alexandria in his Epistle to his Namesake of Constantinople recites his Creed with this Preface Apud Theodor Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so we believe as it seemed good to the Apostolick Church viz. We believe in one only unbegotten Father and in one Lord Jesus Christ his only begotten Son. Besides this pious Faith of the Father and the Son We confess as the Holy Scriptures teach us one Holy Ghost the Sanctifier of Holy Men under the Old Testament and of the divine Teachers of the New and one only Catholick and Apostolick Church inexpugnable by the World and triumphing over all the wicked Insurrections of the Heterodox after this we confess the Resurrection of the Dead of which our Lord Jesus Christ was the first fruits who indeed and not in appearance only took his Body from the God-bearing Virgin
Paul 's Expression by commending themselves and their Doctrine to the Consciences of all Men. To shew the Prevalence of Men of Reputation in Matters of this Nature If as the Romanists do generally confess the Doctrine of the Millennium obtained almost generally in the Church from the Relation of one Papias a Man of very slender Intellectuals If as Eusebius informs us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 39. most of the Churchmen embraced that Sentiment by his Authority pleading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antiquity of the Man If one Agrippinus as they also tell us could prevail over all Africa to receive Hereticks by Baptism If Origen could deserve to be condemned in the Fifth and the Sixth Synods as an Heretick and yet whilst he lived Hieron in Verbo Origenes Socrat Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 26. Hieron Prolog in l. 2. com in Micham Pamphil. Apol. Orig. praefat in libr. nom Hebr. T. 3. f. 12. could by his Learning and his Piety prevail to be had summo in honore in the highest Reputation to obtain after his Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great Glory throughout all the Christian World insomuch that he was very grateful cunctis prudentibus to all wise Men and did for many Years obtain the Title of Magister Ecclesiae The Master or Teacher of the Church If the Authority of Jerom could prevail to have his Translation of the Old Testament received against the Judgment of the Universal Church If one St. Austin could introduce into the Church the Belief of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin though none of the Fathers who had as good Opportunity to know and as much Reason to believe it spake one Tittle of it I say if all these things are so how can it be conceived a thing incredible That Popes Patriarchs and Councils and other Persons of great Authority and Vogue in their respective Ages should have had like Influence to introduce new Doctrines and Practices into the Church under pretence of Piety or the Authority of Scriptures or the Holy Fathers or some like plausible Account Theodor. Lector l. 2. p 566. Niceph. Hist Eccl. l. 15. c. 18. Why might not Petrus Gnaphaeus Patriarch of Antioch bring Invocation of Saints into the Prayers of the Church in the Fifth Century Pope Gregory introduce Purgatory in the Sixth Boniface the Third Paulus Diac. de Gest Longobard l. 4. c. 11. obtain from Phocas the Title of Caput omnium Ecclesiarum The Head of the Universal Church in the Seventh The Second Nicene Council introduce Image-Worship in the Eighth Paschasius give Rise to Transubstantiation in the Ninth Lombard and Hugo de S to Victore fix the Number of Seven Sacraments in the Twelfth And Pope Hadrian the Third introduce the Adoration of the Host in the Thirteenth Century Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socr. Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 12. Soz. H. Eccl. l. 1. c. 23. If one Paphnutius could by his Reason and Authority prevail with the First Nicene Council to rescind their intended Decree touching the Celibacy of Priests If Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople could abolish the Custom of repairing to an established Penitentiary for the disclosing secret Sins and that with the ensuing Approbation of almost all the Catholick Bishops of the Church In a Word if so many Practices and Customs relating to the Discipline and to the Sacraments of the Church could be entirely altered and rejected in the following Ages as is here partly proved and by the Learned on both sides confessed why might not other Practices and Doctrines which obtained in the more pure and early Ages of the Church run the same Fate and by the same Authority and Methods be discarded For as it is judiciously observed by the Lord Faulkland when the Reasons offered for or against a Practice have in them some Appearance of Truth or Probability as they may have to many Persons though they be not valid when the Persons Authorizing or Approving them are of great Authority or Credit in the Church as they may be especially in darker Ages and yet be subject to great Errors and when the People upon whom these Doctrines or Practices are pressed have either a great Veneration and Esteem for those that press them or a great Dread of them then meet together most of those things which tend to work Perswasion or prevail for an Assent unto the Doctrine and a Compliance with the Practice recommended Seeing then Not. in Concil Clar. Can. 28. conc To. 10. p. 582. as Petrus de Marca doth inform us the Approbation of the half Communion by Thomas Aquinas made others certatim amplecti hanc sententiam to embrace greedily the same Opinion why might not others of as good Authority and Credit be instrumental to produce like Changes in other Constitutions of the Church Fourthly § 10 Old Doctrines and Practices might easily be changed and new obtain by reason of the corrupt Manners of the Clergy and by their Example of the People And that 1. Because such evil Practices deprive the Clergy of that Spiritual Wisdom and Divine Assistance which is their best Conducter into the Way of Truth and is their chief Preservative from dangerous Delusions and pernicious Errors Wisd 1.4 For as the Book of Wisdom saith Into a malicious Soul Wisdom will not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto Sin. St. De Judicio dei To. 2. p. 393. Basil grievously laments the Discords and Contentions the perverse Doctrines and Opinions which had prevailed in his time amongst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rulers of the Church of God by which they verified the Prediction of St. Paul Acts 20.30 That from Christians themselves should proceed Men speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And this he doth resolve into their Rejection of God their true and only King their Departure from the Laws of Christ and chusing rather to rule others in contradiction to the Commands of Christ than to be ruled by him By which things saith he they have render'd themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 394. unworthy of the Government of the Lord. Clemangis is still more express and Argumentative in this Particular Super Materia Conc. Gen. p. 71. For with them saith he is the Spirit those he directs and brings to a salutary End who have prepared for him within themselves an Habitation worthy of him and by good Works have render'd themselves worthy of his Inspiration and Visitation but how can he hear visit and enlighten them who are Adversaries to him and when they cannot do it in themselves endeavour to extinguish him in others and are inflamed not with the Fire of Love but with the Ardor of Ambition For with Hypocrites and self-Seekers the Holy Spirit is not wont to be present but to fly from them as his Enemies according to that saying of the Book of Wisdom the Holy Spirit of Discipline
all Creatures who suffered truly in the Flesh died a true bodily death rose again with a true Resurrection of his Plesh and a true resuming of his Soul in which he shall come to judge the quick and the dead It also is to be enquired of him Whether he believes one and the same God to be the Author of the Old and New Testament that is of the Law Prophets and Apostles and that the Devil was not made wicked by Nature but by his own Will whether he believes the Resurrection of that Flesh which dies and not another whether he believes a future judgment and that every one shall receive according to the things which they have done in the Flesh Punishments or Glory whether he doth not disapprove of Marriage nor condemn Second Marriages nor condemn eating of Flesh whether he Communicates with reconciled Penitents and believes that all Sins both Original and Actual are remitted in Baptism and that no Man can be saved out of the Catholick Church Cum in his omnibus examinatus inventus fuer it plene instructus When by Examination he is found fully instructed in all these things let him be ordained Bishop c. These were all the Doctrines of Faith required to be known or held by the Bishop in the 4th Century And this continued to be the Rule of his Examination and the whole Faith required to be professed by him at his Ordination till the Thirteenth Century as you may learn from the Pag. 97 98. interrogatio de credulitate Episcopi question touching the Faith of a Bishop in the Ordo Romanus which form of Examination they profess to have received from the ancient Institution of the Holy Fathers and especially from the Council of Carthage From the Council of Nantes Can. 11. and from Regino in the Ninth Century De Disc Eccl. lib. 1. cap. 443. who transcribe this Canon of the Council of Carthage as containing the form qualiter Episcopus ordinandus examinabitur How a Bishop that is to be ordained shall be examined Decret part 5. c. 62 l. 1. c. 8. Dist 23. c. 2. As also doth Ivo in the Eleventh Barchardus in the Twelfth and Gratian in the Thirteenth Century These therefore from the Fourth to the Thirteenth Century were reputed all the Articles of Christian Faith in which it was thought necessary that a Bishop should be instructed and if he did assert these things he was thought fully instructed in the Documents of Christian Faith. And to shew the Concord of the Eastern with the Western Churches in these matters § 3 let it be considered that Theodoret having given an account of Heretical Fables in Four Books he proceeds Cap. 4. p. 262. Book the Fifth to Discourse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Doctrines of the Church and to lay before us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Evangelical Doctrine that by comparing it with that of the Hereticks we may discern the difference betwixt Light and Darkness perfect Health and mortal Sickness and then he proceeds to give us all the Doctrines contained in this Form of Examination but not one of the Articles which they of Rome have added to the Nicene Creed In his First Chapter he speaks of God the Father the Creator of all things and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ In the Second Of his only begotten Son co-essential and co-eternal with the Father In the Third Of the Holy Spirit of the same Nature and Substance with them both In the Fourth Of the Creation of all things by the Father with the Son and Holy Ghost In the Eighth Of the Devil asserting that he had not his wickedness from his Creator but his own perverse will. In the Eleventh Of the Incarnation of our Lord that he took flesh of the Virgin Mary had a reasonable Soul united to it and so became God and Man in one Person That he took a true Body chap. 12. A true Soul ch 13. A perfect humane Nature ch 14. That he raised up the same Flesh in which he suffer'd ch 15. That the same God was Author of the Old and New Testament ch 17. That Baptism procures the Remission of all our old Sins ch 18. That there would be a Resurrection of that very Body which was corrupted and dissolved ch 19. And a future Judgment where every one shall receive according to what he hath done in the Body ch 20. That this shall be at our Lord's Second coming to judge the quick and the dead ch 22. That Matrimony was to be allowed ch 25. yea Second Marriages ch 26. That the wounds received after Baptism might be healed ch 28. That the Church forbids not the use of Flesh ch 29. And here concluding his Discourse concerning Ecclesiastical Doctrines respecting Faith and Manners he saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are the Doctrines of the Holy Spirit which we must always follow preserving this Rule of them immovable And that you may be sure that Scripture was the Church's Rule that taught her all these things he doth not only call these Doctrines 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Doctrines of the Gospel and often say in his Discourse upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 249 250 259 262 275 304. These things we have been taught by the Holy Scriptures the Holy Scripture is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Teacher of these things but concludes his Discourse of the Doctrinals of the Church thus P. 304. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These Doctrines the Church hath received from divine Men the Prophets and Apostles and their Successors these then were in his Age reputed all the Doctrines of Christian Faith and they were all conceived clearly to be contained in and proved from the Holy Scriptures their Faith then did not differ in one Article from that of Protestants nor did they differ from them in assigning Scripture as the Rule of Faith. And 4ly § 4 This will be farther evident from the consideration of the most Eminent Fathers of the Church who have employed their Time and Labour in refuting Hereticks For they still lay down the Apostles or the Nicene Creed as the Foundation of their Faith and the entire belief of Christians and speak of other Doctrines as such in which they were at liberty to exercise their parts and curiosity but were by no means to obtrude them as Articles of Christian Faith. Thus Irenaeus having given us the Faith which the Apostles delivered to the Church Lib. 1. cap. 4. and which she did through the whole World profess without Addition or Diminution he proceeds to shew That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church retaining one and the same Faith throughout the World they exercised their knowledge about other matters to explain the dispensation of God towards Men his long suffering both towards Men and fallen Angels to enquire why one and the same God made some things Temporal others Eternal some Heavenly and some Earthly things why being invisible he
those Guides of Souls he had set over them Did all our Pastors fall asleep at once or could they all conspire to deceive Posterity Thirdly R. H. The Guide of Controversies cannot be ignorant That as he says God then permitted the Sanhedrim to be the greatest Enemies of Truth for the Accomplishment of the Prophecies of the Old Testament so do we also say That God permitted these pernicious Doctrines to obtain in the Church of Rome for the Accomplishment of those Prophecies of the New Testament touching a great and almost general Apostacy which was to happen in the Days of the great Antichrist and in the time when all Tongues and Nations were to worship the Beast Now hence ariseth a Second Demonstration of the Falshood of this vain Presumption § 3 That no such Change can happen in the Doctrine and Practice of the Church of Christ as we pretend to for the Testimony of the Holy Scriptures the Doctrine of the Fathers and the Confessions of many learned Catholicks assure us that this shall actually happen in the times of Antichrist and what will then become of all the pretended Demonstrations That this cannot happen or can never happen And First Rev. xj 7-xij 6. The Scripture speaks expresly of the Slaughter of the Two Witnesses the Flight of the Women into the Desart and of the Worship which the whole World shall pay unto the Beast Where note That the Witnesses which represent the Church or her true Pastors are but Two and they at last are slain and that the Dominion of Antichrist is represented as over all Kingdoms Tongues and Nations and he is said to cause the Earth Chap. xiij 7 v. 16. and him that dwells therein to worship him and both small and great rich and poor bond and free to receive his Mark. The Fathers also assert that the Apostacy will then be so great Basil Ep. 71. p. 115. That the Lord will seem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wholly to have left his Churches That there shall be then Totius mundi seductio Hippol. de Consum mundi p. 4. a Seduction of the whole World That Cuncti accedent P. 41. atque adorabunt eum all shall come and worship the Beast That the Saints shall hide themselves P. 43 49 59. in montibus speluncis cavernis Terrae in the mountains dens and caverns of the Earth That all shall fall off from God and believe that Impostor That there shall be nec oblatio P. 48. nec suffitus nec cultus Deo gratus neither Oblation nor Incense nor any Worship acceptable to God no Eucharist no Liturgy no singing of Psalms or reading of the Scripture That there shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodor. Tom 3. Ep. 63. p. 937. Hieron in Sophon c. 2. f. 97. F. a general Apostacy That Regnante Antichristo redigenda sit Ecclesia in solitudinem in the Reign of Antichrist the Church will be brought to Solitude so that Christ coming shall scarce find Faith upon the Earth That in the time of Antichrist ecclesia non apparebit Aust Ep. 80. ad Hesyc p. 364. the Church shall not appear being eclipsed by the Persecutions of ungodly Men That Men shall ask whether the Gospel doth any where continue upon Earth Ephr. Syr. de consum Sâ—eculi Antichristo Col. An. 1603. p. 219. responsumque iri nusquam and it shall be answered no where And in this Assertion the Fathers are generally followed by the Romish Doctors De Pontif. Rom. l. 3. c. 7. §. denique let one Bellarmine speak for them all saying that Daniel plainly saith That in the times of Antichrist by reason of the Severity of Persecutions the publick and daily Sacrifice of the Church shall cease ubi omnium consensu loquitur de tempore Antichristi where by the consent of all he speaketh of the time of Antichrist This being then so clear a Revelation or Prediction of the Holy Ghost and our great Prophet must some time or other happen or both our Saviour and the Holy Spirit must be charged with lying Prophecies And being so unanimously and without controll delivered by the Holy Fathers the constant Tradition and the received Doctrine of the Church of Christ throughout all those Ages must be a constant Refutation of this idle Dream and their Pretences to Tradition must evidently be confuted by Tradition Thirdly § 4 This Method and Proceeding of the Romanists for finding out and judging of primitive Doctrines and Traditions were it admitted would force us to condemn the Writers of the Church from the beginning to the Tenth Twelfth or Fourteenth Centuries as the worst of Fools or Knaves for seeing it is manifest from their plain Words produced in great Plenty throughout those Ages that they speak as plainly in Condemnation of the Latin Service Communion in one Kind the Veneration of Images the Seven Sacraments the Trent Canon of the Books of the Old Testament and of many other Articles of Romish Faith which they pretend to have received from Tradition as any Protestant can do either they must have spoken all these things unwittingly for want of knowledge of what the Church maintained to the contrary throughout those Ages and then it cannot be avoided but they must pass for the most ignorant of Men and such as did not know the necessary Articles of Christian Faith received in their Times or else they must have taught and conveyed to Posterity those things against their Knowledge and the conviction of their Consciences and then it cannot be denied but that they were the worst of Knaves and whichsoever of these things be said it cannot be denied but they of all Men were the most unfit to convey down Tradition to Posterity For to render any Person a credible Testator or Witness of the Churches Faith and Practice Two things seem absolutely necessary 1. That he should have sufficient Knowledge of the Truth of what he testifies And 2ly That he should have Honesty sufficient to assure us that he would not wittingly deceive us in his Testimony for if we have just Reason to suspect either his want of Knowledge or Sincerity we must have reason to suspect his Testimony So that if either such Simplicity and Folly or such apparent Knavery as hath been mentioned can justly be imputed to the Authors of the Testimonies cited against the Doctrines fornamed of the Church of Rome it is extreamly manifest we have just Reason to suspect the Truth of all they might deliver to future Ages either as Doctrines or Practices received from their Predecessors Fourthly § 5 This Method of proceeding must render it a vain and fruitless thing to search into Antiquity to find what was the Doctrine of preceeding Ages Sexta nota est conspiratio in doctrina cum ecclesia antiqua De notis Eccles cap. 9. Bellarm. de eccl milit l. 4 c. 9. and consequently it must assure us that the Church of Rome doth
Matth. p. 58. in luc 7. p. 351. Nazianzen in Orat. Funebr Basil in hanc sententiam Meliori non inventa maxima pars Veterum Auctorum concesserunt Maldonate in Matth. xi 2. viz. Ambrosius Eusebius Emissenus Julianus Pomerius Venantius Gregorius Question to our Lord Matth. 11.3 Art thou he that shall come or look we for another they should thus interpret it That St. John being to go down to Hell or Hades should send to ask whether he should go before him thither and preach him there as he had done on Earth Matth. 16.23 That when Christ said to Peter Get thee behind me Satan thou art an Offence to me they out of a Reverence to St. Peter should make him say to (f) Multi putant quod non Petrus correptus est sed adversarius Spiritus qui haec dicere Apostolum suggerebat Hieron in Matth. xvj 23. Hilarius in locum Theophylact. in Marc. 8. p. 232. Peter only come thou after me and to the Devil Satan thou art an Offence unto me That when the same St. Peter denied his Master Matth. 26.72 saying I know not the Man they should excuse and bring him off with this quaint Equivocation (g) Scio quosdam pij affectus erga Petrum locum hunc ita interpretatos ut dicerent Petrum non Deum negasse sed hominem esse-sensum nescio hominem quia scio Deum Hieron in locum Vide Maldonatum ibid. Nescio hominem quia scio Deum I know not the Man for I know him to be God not considering with St. Jerom That by thus attempting to excuse the Disciple they gave the lye to his Master who had foretold his Denial That from those Words of Christ Joh. 8.44 (h) Vide Origen in Joh. Tom. 23. ed. Huet T. 2. p. 308. Huetii notas p. 34. Epiph. Haer. 40. n. 5 6. Haer. 38. §. 4 5. Ammon caten in c. 8. Joh. p. 238. Cyril Alex. in locum p 559. Author quaest V. N. Test apud August c. 90 98. Hieron in Isa c. 14 F. 36 e. The Devil is a Lyar and the Father of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should conclude that the Devil had a Father and that he was either Cain or Judas That to avoid the vain Cavils of the Marcionites and Manichees they should say That (i) Iren. l. 3. c. 7. Tertul. l. 5. adv Marcion c. xj Chrysost Theod. Photius apud Oecum Theophylact in locum August contr Faust Manichaeum l. 22. c. 2. 9. the God of this World mentioned 2 Cor. iv 4. was not the Devil but the true God And from these Words of the Apostle (k) Illud dici potest quod Paulus non tam maledixerit eis quam oraverit pro illis ut eas partes corporis perderent per quas delinquere cogebantur Hieron in locum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret Oecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. in locum Gal. 5.12 I wish they were cut off that trouble you they should gather that the Apostle desired that the Abettors of the legal Ceremonies and Circumcision might be gelt To omit infinite Passages of the like Nature Nor can it reasonably be doubted that the Doctrine of the Millennium of the necessity of communicating Infants of the Appearance of Enoch and the Tisbite at our Lord's Second coming of the nearness of the End of the World of our Lord 's Preaching but one Year after his Baptism of the Angels conversing with Women had all their Rise from the mistaken Interpretations of the Holy Scripture why therefore might not the Mistake of that Passage of St. 1 Cor. 3.15 Paul They shall be saved but so as by Fire give the rise to Purgatory That of the same Apostle Magnum Sacramentum Eph. 5.32 This is a great Mystery but I speak of Christ and the Church advance Marriage into a Sacrament the mistake of that Promise of an happy Resurrection to the true Members of Christ's Church Matth. 16.18 The Gates of Hades shall not prevail against it be made to countenance her Infallibility and so in other Cases of like Nature Sure I am that Communion in one Kind the Latin Service the Veneration of Images could never have obtained in the Church had not those Scriptures which so plainly do condemn them been miserably wrested by late Ages from their proper Sence and the received Interpretation which the whole Christian World had put upon them for Six hundred or a Thousand Years and why they might not as well wrest the Scriptures to establish some of their Doctrines as they have done it for the avoiding that Condemnation of them which is so clear in other Scriptures that he who runs may read it I am not able to discern Secondly § 7 Corruptions in Doctrine and Practice might easily prevail by altering or leaving of that Rule of Faith and Manners God had given them and acting by other Rules or Principles which in themselves are insufficient to establish any Article of Christian Faith for a false Rule must of necessity give false Directions both in Faith and Manners where the Principle is false the Conclusion from it must be so and where the Foundation is corrupted the Building cannot be firm now this we find done 1. By setting up the Fathers as the Rules of Faith the * Basil Ep. 62.67.70.349 Nazianz. Orat. 19 21 23 29. Pillars and the Grounds of Faith as some of them are often stiled This Method of proceeding as it is expresly contrary to our Lord 's Injunction to call no Man Father upon Earth in that presumptuous Sence in which the Jewish Rabbi's did affect that Title Matth. xxiij 6 10. John vj. 45. because one is our Father in Heaven and all that come to Christ are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of God the Father and one is our Guide and Master Christ 1 Joh. ij 27. from whom we Christians have received an Unction and need not that any one should teach us but as that Spirit in the Word doth teach us all things So is it as repugnant to the Mind and the Prescriptions of those Holy Men who frequently declare That both they and their Brethren were subject to Error That Errarunt in fide tam Graeci quam Latini (a) Hieron Ep. ad Pam. Ocean To. 2 F. 69. Both the Greek and the Latin Fathers erred in the Faith That therefore others were (b) Aug. l. 11. Contr. Faust c. 5. at liberty when they read or heard them to approve what they liked and to reject what they conceived not to be right in them and warn us (c) Cyril Hieros Catech. 4. p. 30. not to believe what they say unless we find it demonstrated out of the Holy Scriptures To (d) Orig. Hom. 2. in Ezek. F. 135. B. observe diligently when the Pastor deceived them and when he spake things true and pious there being
say they in our writings (e) Aug. de Orig an l. 4. c. 1. l. de bono persev c. 21. many things quae possent justo judicio culpari which justly may be blamed so that we would have no man so to embrace all our Sayings as to follow them save only in those things in which they do perceive they have not erred if then their sayings be of any credit and Authority 't is evident from their assertions that they ought not to be admitted as the Rule of faith as being men subject unto like ignorance and errors with us and if their sayings be of no credit much less can they be own'd as the pillars and the ground of truth and yet I find this doctrine laid down expresly by a concealed Heretick Sergius the Patriarch of Constantinople in his Epistle to Cyril where he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Sexto Ep. ad Cyrum episcop Concil To. 6. p. 918. the doctrines of the Fathers are a Law to the universal Church and that we are bound to follow them and to hold all that they have written to the least tittle and evident it is That even from the Fifth Century the sayings of the Fathers began to be had in great Reputation and about the Eighth to be as it were Authentick and Articles of Faith were canvassed and determined both in the Second Nicene Council and in that of Florence chiefly by the pretended Sayings of the Holy Fathers to whose Testimony you very rarely if at all shall find this just Exception made That they were Men of like Infirmities and subject to like Errors as we are One Athanasius or Basil one Nazianzen or Nyssen one Chrysostom and Theodoret in the Eastern Church one Hilary and Ambrose St. Austin Jerom and St. Gregory in the Western Churches have for these six last Centuries signified as much or more than a St. Peter or St. Paul an Apostle or Evangelist and a sed contra Augustinus or sed contra est quod Augustinus dicit through the whole Summs and the whole Body of the Schoolmen hath passed for the Decision of a Question touching Faith or Manners How easy was it then for Errors to come in under the Vmbrage of these venerable Names especially if we consider how many spurious Pieces had usurped their Names which the great Ignorance of latter Ages could not distinguish from their genuine Works how many of their genuine works were horribly corrupted and how fruitful many of those Fathers were in there inventions and how positive they sometimes are in delivering that as the doctrine of the whole Church which was nothing less For instance who that reads St. Austin disputing against the Pelagians could doubt if he believed him that the Doctrine of the Imputation of Original Sin was universally received by all Christians and that on this account the whole Church Baptized Infants and yet Petavius iuforms us Dogm Theol. To. 4. pt 2. l. 14. c. 2. Haeret. Fabul l. 5. c. 18. p. 292. Quid festinat innocens aetas ad remissionem peccatorum Tertul. de Bapt. c. 18. that the Greek Fathers scarcely spake any thing about it yea in that very Age Theodoret expresly denies it putting the Question thus If this be the only work of Baptism to cleanse from Sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why do we Baptize Children who are not guilty of it and in his Comment on Rom. 5.13 He adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That every one dies for his own Sin and not for that of his Fore fathers Chrysostom on the same place saith In v. 19. To. 3. Hom. 10. p. 73. That for us to be mortal on the occasion of the Sin of Adam is no absurdity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but how can it be that by his Transgression another should become a Sinner for if he did not personally sin Cap. 1. neither could he deserve Punishment Gennadius in his Book of Ecclesiastical Doctrines which passeth still among the Works of St. Austin placeth this as one That that Holy Spirit proceedeth from the Father and Son. Michael Psellus on the contrary saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cap. Theol. c. 10. p. 157. the Holy Catholick Church teacheth that the Spirit proceedeth only from the Father L. 2. c. 1. but not from the Son. To omit many other Instances collected by the learned Dally in that elaborate Treatise of the Use of the Fathers which makes it needless to discourse further on this Head For if the true Fathers were not only subject to many and great Errors in their private Sentiments but also unto manifold Mistakes touching the Doctrine of the Catholick Church if many of their Works have been unhappily corrupted and many spurious Pieces have been imposed upon them so that instead of their Authority Men often have relyed on an Impostor an ignorant Monk or perhaps an Heretick how easy was it in the dark Ages of the Church for Errors to come in at this Door when too much Veneration was by all given to them and their Dictates passed for Oracles Again § 8 New Doctrines and Practices might obtain by flying from the Scriptures to Miracles and Visions for the Establishment of Doctrines and Opinions in the Church That a prevailing Power doth attend these miraculous Operations even when they are performed only by Satan and his Ministers we shall be fully convinced if we consider that our Lord foretold of the false Prophets and false Christs that should come after him they should work Signs and Miracles so great as to deceive Matth. 24.23 if it were posible the very Elect. St. 2 Thes 2.9 Paul that the Apostacy of the Great Antichrist and his Followers should be effected by the coming of Satan with all power Signs Rev. 13.13 14. and lying Wonders St. John of the Apocalyptick beast that he should do great Signs and deceive the Inhabitants of the Earth by the Signs given him to do that at the first appearance of Christianity the Heathens did oppose it from this topick viz. The Signs and Wonders which had been performed by their Heathen Deities saying Frustra tantum arrogas Christo In vain you arrogate so much to Christ for we have often known that other Gods have given Medicines to and healed the Infirmities of many so the Heathen in (a) Arnob. l. 1. p. 28. Arnobius so (b) Apud Orig. l. 8. p. 407 416 417. Celsus so (c) Apud Minut p. 7. Caelius and comparing the Miracles of Apollonius Tyanaeus and of Apuleus with those of Christ (d) Lact. l. 5 c. 3. Aug. Ep. 4. Hieronim apud Euseb p. 512. Quorum majora contendunt esse opera And contending they were greater than any done by him That (e) Acts 8.9 10. Just in Apol 2. p. 69. Cyril Hier. cat 6. p. 53 54 c. Simon Magus mightily prevailed by them and obtained almost where-ever he came to be worshipped as a
God or the great Power of God That even the Arians in the Fourth Century appealed to them for Confirmation of their Faith declaring that the Miracles of their (f) Philostorg l. 3. §. 4. p. 27. Theophilus were so great Confirmations of the Christian Faith as to constrain the Obstinacy of the Jews and silence all their Contradictions and that their (g) L. 2. §. 8. p. 14. Agapetus did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 raise the Dead heal many that were sick and convert many to the Christian Faith. To these convincing Demonstrations of the Fallaciousness of this Argument when new Miracles come after a true Doctrine sufficiently confirmed by them already and contradict that very Doctrine or teach things contrary to Piety it may be useful to observe these things out of the Holy Fathers First That some of them do expresly say That Miracles had ceased in their Days and others That they were not necessary Tom. 5. Hom. 88 p. 606. St. Chrysostom hath a set Discourse upon this Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why Miracles were ceased which had they then been common in the Christian World had been an idle Question To this Discourse he seemeth to have been necessitated by the Importunity of his Auditors who were still crying out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are not Signs wrought now To this Enquiry he answers 1. That Signs were intended only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Confirmation of Unbelievers and that they were not needful for the Faithful and then concluding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this therefore is the Cause why Miracles are now ceased In his Thirty second Homily on Matthew he repeats the same things To. 2. p. 223. saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you seek for Signs such as the Apostles did you would see the Lepers cleansed the Devils cast out the Dead raised but this is the greatest Demonstration of our Generosity and Love to believe God without those Pledges and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this and other Reasons God hath caused Miracles to cease Ibid. p. 650. In his Twenty forth Homily on St. John he saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a tempting of God now to ask for Signs and this saith he I speak because there are now Men seeking them and saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why are not Miracles now done Whereas if thou art a faithful Man as thou oughtest to be and lovest Christ as thou oughtest to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast no need of Signs for these things are given for Unbelievers Secondly To. 5. Hom. 88. p. 606. To this Enquiry he answers by way of Distinction That though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or such Miracles as were the Objects of our Senses were then ceased yet God did still vouchsafe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his efficacious Workings on the Souls of Christians in their Baptismal Regeneration and in the Mystical Sacrifice This he explains more fully in his Sixth Tome and Sixty ninth Homily P. 713. for if any Man saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but we see not now these Signs done nor have we such Power of working them To this saith he I answer That the Church is not wholly destitute of Miracles 1. Because a miraculous Change was wrought in Baptism by giving spiritual Life to a dead Soul. 2ly Because we enjoy the Mysteries and in them the Grace of the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Elements could not be made the mystical Body and Blood of Christ without the Grace of the Spirit Where by the way we learn that Chrysostom did not believe that the Sacrament contained Christ's natural Body but only his mystical Body which Phrase is often used by the Fathers with Relation to Christ's Word his Church his Sacrament but never is applied to his natural Body We also learn that Chrysostom knew nothing of the miraculous Conversion of the Bread into Christ's Body natural for should a Romanist go about to prove that Miracles were not ceased from the Consideration of what was done in the Sacrament would he not urge That the Bread was miraculously converted into Christ's Body that the Figure and Colour of the Elements did subsist without a Subject that Christ's whole natural Body was in less Space than the smallest Crumb of Bread yea that being only one it was entirely in many Thousand Places at one and the same time Seeing then Chrysostom upon the like Occasion gives not the least hint of any thing of this kind but only saith that the Bread and Wine are not made Christ's mystical Body and Blood without the Grace of the Spirit adding immediately for his last Instance of this Kind That Priests are not made Priests by Ordination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the same Advent of the Holy Spirit upon them is it not reasonable to conceive that he knew and believed nothing of those great and many Miracles which are now thought to be performed in Celebration of the Mass Pope Gregory gives for the Substance the same Answer to this Objection or Enquiry For descanting on those Words These Signs shall follow them that believe Hom. 39. in Evang Ed. Par. 1523. f. 320. h. c. He saith Nunquid nam Fratres mei quia ista signa non facitis minime creditis What my Brethren will you not believe because you do not do now those Signs But these were necessary in the beginning of the Church for the encrease of Faith but now that it is planted and rooted they are not so whence St. Paul saith Signs are not for the Faithful but the Unbeliever Moreover the Holy Church doth that now spiritually which the Apostles did then corporally for her Priests by Exorcism cast evil Spirits out of the Minds of Men When the Faithful chant the Holy Mysteries and sing forth the Praises and the Power of God with all their Strength what do they do but speak with new Tongues Whilst they strengthen the Infirm in Spirit and hold up them that stumble what do they but lay their Hands upon the Sick that they may be healed Haec itaque signa Fratres Charissimi Auctore Deo si vultis vos facitis These Signs dear Brethren you may do if you please by God's help And this is all that they return to this Enquiry and Objection which makes it reasonable to conceive they were so far from thinking Miracles a necessary Mark and Concomitant of the true Church that they knew of none performed by her besides the spiritual Operations on the Soul of Men or if they did betrayed the Churches Cause by being so profoundly silent upon this Occasion and flying as their only Refuge to those intellectual Operations which doubtless were not the Signs and Miracles enquired after Thirdly Chrysostom adds that Miracles were profitably done then and now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 6. in 1. ad Cer. p. 276. they are as profitably not done for then the Apostles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
will flee Deceit Wisd 1.5 and from Thoughts that are without Understanding and will not abide when Unrighteousness cometh in Now saith he P. 72. if according to the Testimony of the Lord the Holy Spirit rests only upon the Humble and the Meek the Man who trembles at God's Word Et secundum mores hodiernos pauci admodum tales verisimiliter in conciliis sunt and according to the Manners of our Times 't is very likely that few such are in our Councils but of carnal worldly ambitious and contentious Men and of Men having that Knowledge which puffeth up turba solet adesse copiosa the Number usually is very great what necessity is there to believe that the Holy Spirit doth prevail in those Councils and move the Minds of them who always do resist and do oppose his Motions to those things which are most sound and salutary P. 73. If it be not from humane Infirmity but from the Guidance of the Holy Spirit that Councils cannot be deceived who can be sure this Holy Spirit will be present with the major part of an Assembly of such Men they being though in Profession Christians ye in reallity Men of the World who Joh. 14.17 saith St. John cannot receive the Spirit of Truth 2ly Because such corrupt Manners do provoke God in his righteous Judgment to give Men up to strong Delusions and to permit the great Deceiver to prevail upon them according to that Expression of St. Paul That evil Men and Seducers will grow worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 deceiving and being deceived Thus of the Times of Antichrist he hath foretold 2 Thess 2.9 10. That because Men received not the Truth in the Love of it therefore God should send among them strong Delusions that they should believe a Lye. And this Account St. Basil also gives of the forementioned Miscarriages of the Church Governors of his Time Ibid. p. 394. viz. That they befel them because being corrupt and abominable in their doings they had deserved the Punishment which the Apostle speaks of saying because they liked not to retain God in their Knowledge therefore he gave them up to a reprobate Sence and which our Lord inflicted on the wicked Jews to whom he therefore spake in Parables 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might not perceive the Divine Mysteries of the Gospel because they first had shut their Eyes made their Ears heavy and their foolish Heart was waxed gross that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That by way of Punishment they might be subject unto Blindness in greater Matters Clemangis in this also follows the Sentiments of St. Basil For after he had abundantly declared the great Corruptions of their Manners who usually then met in Councils he puts this Question Ibid. p. 73. Quis certo possit scire an major pars concilij sit digna decipi who therefore can know surely whether the major Part of a Council be not worthy to be deceived 3ly Mens evil Lives had they no other Tempter do naturally incline them to cast off those Principles and Practices which contradict and do condemn their Actions and hinder their Pursuit and free Enjoyment of their sensual Appetites this they must be enclined to do partly to free themselves from the continual Gripings of an evil and condemning Conscience For as Theodoret observes They who have put away the upright Conscience do afterwards cast off the Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they cannot bear the Accusations of a guilty Conscience And partly that they may exert more freely that natural Opposition that is in them to that Law of Holiness and Light by which their Actions are reproved according to that saying of our Lord Every one that doth Evil hateth the Light John 3.20 neither cometh he unto the Light least his Deeds should be reproved 'T is this Corruption of Manners which seemeth to have turned all the Severities of ancient Penance and all the wholesom Methods of Church Discipline into Formalities and Superstition into fruitless Pilgrimages the going barefoot the carrying wax Tapers the mumbling over a few Pater Noster's Ave Maria's or penitential Psalms which either the penitent doth not or at the least is not obliged to attend to and which have very little Tendency to the Conversion and Reformation of a Sinner but rather do encourage him to sin at such an easy rate 'T is this hath introduced so many easy Ways of Pardon and Justification Attritio ex turpitudinis peccati Consideratione vel ex Gehennae poenarum metu communiter concipitur Concil Trid. Sess 14. c. 4. Et eum ad gratiam dei in Sacramento poenitentiae impetrandam dispoint Ibid. vid. Catechism Rom. Part. 2. c. 5. §. 37 38. without the bringing forth Fruits meet for Repentance and taught even Councils to determine that Attrition or Sorrow out of apprehension of the Foulness of Sin or the fear of Punishment will dispose Men to obtain the Favour of God in the Sacrament of Penance So that if the vilest Wretch when going out of that World in which he hath lived most lewdly all his Life be afraid of Punishment for his Enormities or apprehensive of the Foulness of them as the more wicked he hath been the likelier he is and the greater Reason he still hath to be provided he be absolved by a Priest he must go out of the World in the Favour of God and in a justified Estate And if so what necessity is there of adding to our Faith Vertue and of patient Continuance in well doing that we may seek for Honour and Immortality or of following after Holiness and Purity of Life that we may see God Moreover Men by their wicked Conversations will be disposed to introduce and cherish such Doctrines as best comply with their impure Inclinations that they may have the greater Freedom in the Pursuit of their Ambition Covetousness and all their other sensual Appetities and may the better gratify those Inclinations And here we have a wide Door open at which the Innovations of the Church of Rome might enter seeing most of them have an apparent Tendance to the gratification of Pride and love of Empire of Covetousness and Ambition of Ease and Freedom from restraint in the Ecclesiasticks and Church Governors and give them Opportunity to Lord it over Mens Consciences to engross the Wealth and the Conveniences of the World to live at ease and to be uncontroulable by any but themselves For do not the Doctrines of Purgatory Pardons and Indulgences directly tend to make them Masters of Mens eternal and by that of their temporal Estates Is not the Treasury of the Saints and of our Saviour 's Merits a way of driving Trade for the enriching their own Treasuries Do not their Masses and Oblations of true propitiatory Sacrifices for the Dead tend to engage all dying Persons to sacrifice their Estates unto them and leave them lumping Summs of Money for that end Are
most Christian Churches Saint Jerom that in process of time it obtained Authority Estius notes That they who before doubted of it in the Fourth Century embraced the Opinion of them who received it Praefat. in Epist Jacobi and that from thence no Church no Ecclesiastical Writer is found who ever doubted of it but on the contrary all the Catalogues of the Books of Holy Scripture published by General or Provincial Councils Roman Bishops or other Orthodox Writers number it among Canonical Scriptures quae probatio ad certam fidem faciendam cuique Catholico sufficere debet which proof must give sufficient certainty of it to any Catholick The Second Epistle of St. Peter Pag. 58. Apud Cypr. Ep. 75. p. 220. is cited by Origen against Marcian under the Name of Peter Firmilion saith That both Paul and Peter in suis Epistolis Haereticos execrati sunt ut eos evitemus monuerunt in their Epistles condemned Hereticks and admonished us to avoid them which is done by Saint Peter only in this Epistle Eusebius saith That it was commemorated by many and that they who did not reckon it Canonical yet held it very useful on which account Lib. 3. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was much studied with other Scriptures The same Eusebius informs us That his First Epistle was always owned by all Christians and thence we may have full assurance of the Truth of this Epistle for there are not saith the Reverend Doctor Hammond greater Evidences of any Epistles being written by the acknowledged Author of it than these Cap. 1. v. 1. The Title of Simon Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ The Voice which came from Heaven saying vers 17 18. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased we heard when we Peter and John and James were with him in the Holy Mount this second Epistle beloved I write unto you that you may be mindful of the Commandments of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour Cap. 3. v. 1 2. All which are certain Demonstrations That Simon Peter the Apostle of our Lord who was with him in Mount-Tabor and there heard the Voice forementioned and who writ the First Epistle to the Twelve Tribes dispersed writ this also Note Lastly That after the Fourth Century § 22 there appears not the least intimation that any of these Books were any longer doubted of by any Orthodox Professor of the Christian Faith they being all received and reckoned as Canonical by the Councils and Fathers who mentioned the Canon of the New Testament Now from these premisses there is just ground to make this Inference and Conclusion That seeing most of the Catalogues of the Fourth Century given by Councils or by Fathers and all the Catalogues of the Fifth Century unquestionably assure us that what was once controverted by some few was afterwards unanimously received by all the Church of God we are sufficiently assured of the true Canon of the Books of the New Testament The evidence now produced even of these controverted Books being sufficient both in the judgment of all Catholicks and of all Christians who on these grounds alone receive them as such to assure us that they are Canonical Scripture for by what reason can any Man evince that ought to be rejected from the Canon which always was received as Canonical by the greatest part of the Church Catholick and being accurately enquired into by those who once were Doubters found such an uncontroulled reception through the whole Church diffused as stifled through all future Ages the least appearance of a doubt Hence then the Roman § 23 Doctors may discern what it is they have to do if they do undertake to shew us such a Tradition for those Roman Doctrines we reject as hath been shew'd for the Controverted Books of the New Testament And 1. It must be owned by them that it cannot be necessary to Salvation to believe or have an absolute assurance that these are true and Apostolical Traditions and therefore Haec est fides extra quam salus esse non potest This is the Catholick Faith without which there is no Salvation must be excluded from the Roman Creed 2. It must be also owned that the pretented Traditions of the present R. Church were for some Centuries controverted and rejected by whole Churches Orthodox and Apostolical and which were as such owned and embraced by all Christians and that some of them were or at least might have been for the first Four Centuries disowned by the Church of Rome as was one of these controverted Books and consequently it must be owned that she could not then be received as Mater Magistra omnium Ecclesiarum the Mother and Mistress of all Churches 3. It must be proved that there was the same necessity that these controverted Books should be known and received from the beginning by all Christians as that the necessary Traditions and Articles of Christian Faith should be so 4. It must be proved that these Traditions were always owned and mentioned as Divine and Apostolical Traditions by many Orthodox Churches and Fathers and even when controverted were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acknowledged by most of the Church Guides To instance in the Apocalypse which Mr. M. on all occasions singles out as a Book whose Authenticalness cannot be better proved than their Traditions let him shew us any such Testimonies from the First Second and Third Centuries for the pretended Traditions of the Church of Rome as we have shewed for the Apocalypse any one that saith of them as Denys of Alexandria doth of the Apocalypse That he durst not reject it by reason of the multitude of Christians who had a veneration for it let him produce the plain Testimonies of the Fathers that the Truth of these Traditions may be decided by the Testimonies of the Ancients that they owned them as Apostolical by virtue of their Testimony that the Ancient and Holy Fathers led by the Spirit of God gave Testimony to them and that they were the Traditions of holy Men inspired by God All these things have been said of the Apocalypse in the Four first Centuries and when Mr. M. can produce any thing of the like nature evidence and strength for any one of his Traditions we will own it as Divine and Apostolical Here then we see the greatest and the plainest difference betwixt the Traditions we receive and own and those pretended Traditions of the Church of Rome which we reject For 1. The Traditions we receive are Traditions handed down in writing to us throughout all Ages of the Church unto this present time the Traditions we reject are only presumptive Traditions such as the Church of Rome presumes to be so but yet they have no Footsteps in the Ancient Records of the Church of Christ which is a demonstration that they falsly do presume they are Traditions for as we could have no just reason to believe those which we own to be
our selves Mr. Mumford shews that Prayer for the Dead is at least Object 6 as ancient as Tertullian and that from the Fourth Century P. 401-406 till the Reformation it generally obtained in the Church and is not this enough to prove it an Apostolical Tradition as St. Austin and some others represent it To this I have already returned one Answer by shewing Answer that Communicating Infants obtained in the same Century in which Tertullian lived Vide supra §. 6. and that from the Fourth to the Twelfth Century it was generally practised and held necessary for the Salvation of the Infant and yet the Trent Council hath declared That it was neither necessary nor Apostolical And there is one thing farther observable to compleat this Parallel That Pseudo-Dionysius in that very place where he discourses of Prayers for the Dead undertakes also to account for that other Custom Eccl. Hier. c. 7. §. 3. quae est de precib pro mortuis p. 417. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Administring not only Baptism but the most sacred Symbols of the Divine Communion to Children not capable of understanding Divine things That this was then done he saith expresly not only here P. 419. but in these following Words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Priest also delivers to the Child the Sacred Symbols which his Paraphrast varies thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pachymeres p. 436. The Infant also partakes of the Mysteries And these things saith he our Masters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have brought down to us from an ancient Tradition so that the Practice as it was as early so was Tradition equally pretended for it Secondly It hath been lately shewed by the Judicious a Answer to the Jes ch 7. Bishop Vsher the searned b De poenis satisf l. 5. Dall and by the Author of a late excellent Treatise of c Sect. 1. Prayer for the Dead and Purgatory That the Ancients prayed for the Dead upon these Five Accounts 1. Dall ibid. c. 7. As believing the Doctrine of the Millenium or the Saints Reign on Earth a Thousand Years 2. Dall ib. Ush p. 232 c. As supposing that in the general Conflagration of the World at the last Day all should pass through the Fire and feel the Torment of it more or less 3. Dall ibid. c. 3 4 5 6. Ush ibid. As thinking that the Souls of just Persons departed were not to be admitted into the highest Heavens or the Fruition of Gods immediate Presence till the Resurrection but were till then reserved in Abraham's Bosom 4. Dall ibid. c. 9. As thinking That the Sentence was not instantly pronounced at the Day of their Death but was reserved to that of Judgment when the Just should have a publick Absolution and the full Crown of Righteousness awarded to them 5. Dall ib. c. 12. As furmising That even wicked Persons by their Prayers Alms and Oblations might receive Aut plenam Remissionem aut tolerabiliorem damnationem either a full Remission or a more tolerable Damnation And indeed I think it very difficult to name one Ancient Author by whom these Prayers are mentioned who held not one or more of these Opinions which might give Rise unto this Custom that of the Millenium and of the non-Admission of Souls into the highest Heavens being almost generally received in the Second Century in which we hear nothing of Prayers for the Dead Now all these Opinions are generally condemned and discarded by the Church of Rome and if they may reject all the apparent Grounds recorded in the Ancients of this Practice and censure the chief Reasons upon which they did it why may not the Tradition also be rejected as being founded upon precarious Doctrines which they themselves deny to be Apostolical Thirdly I answer That if by praying for the Dead Mr. M. only means the using of such Prayers as St. Paul made for Onesimus viz. 2 Tim. 1.18 That God would Grant him Mercy at that Day viz. The Day of Judgment or such as our Church useth in her Liturgy That God would deliver iâ— in the Hour of Death and in the Day of Judgment and that all they who are departed in the true Faith of God's Holy Name may at the Day of Recompence have their perfect Consummation and Bliss both in Body and Soul. I say if he intends this only it is no more than we our selves do by our Practice and Subscriptions own The Doctrine we deny 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defin concil Florent apud Bin. Tom. 7. p. 851. p. 564. is that which is contained in the definition of the Florentive Council in these Words If those who have truly repented â—y in the Love of God before they have satisfied for their Sins of Commission and Omission by worthy Fruits of Penance their Souls are purged after Death by purgatory Punishments and that they may be relieved from those Punishments it is profitable for them to have the Aid of the 〈◊〉 viz. The Masses Prayers and Alms and other Acts of 〈◊〉 performed by the Faithful and that they being thus purged 〈◊〉 presently after received into Heaven and admitted to the immediate Vision of God. The Doctrine we deny is that which in the Trent Council is delivered â—â—â—us The Catholick Church instructed by the Holy Spirit 〈…〉 S. Courgils and in this General Synod taught from the Holy Scriptures Purgatorium esse animasque ibi detentas fidelium suffragijs potissimum vero Altaris acceptabili Sacrificio juvari Sess 25. and the ancient Tradition 〈…〉 â—â—ry and that 〈…〉 by the 〈…〉 the acceptable Sacrifice of the Altar which Sacrifico say they 〈…〉 the Tradition of the Apostles 〈…〉 the Sins Punishments Sed pro defunctis in Christo nondum ad plenum purgatis Sess 22. cap. 2. and Satisfactions of the Faithful living but also for the Dead is Christ not fully punged And therefore she defines That if any one say that after Justification the Fault of the Penitent is so remitted and the Guilt of eternal Punishment so blotted out Ut nullus remaneat reatus poenae temporalis exolvendae vel in hoc saeculo vel in futuro in purgatorio Sess 6. can 30. that there remains no Guilt of temporal Punishment to be suffered in this World or in the future in Purgatory before he can have admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven let him be Anathema Now to prove this Doctrine from the perpetual Tradition of the Church of Christ Mr. M. must not only prove the Antiquity of Prayer for the Dead which no body denies but 1. Apud Bin. Fom 7. p. 838. That some Soulsâ—â—dying in Christ or departing hence in the Love of God are detrained in Purgatory or as the Florentine Council doth exprels it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a place of Torments 2. That they are there detained to undergo some temporal Punishment for their Sins or to be fully purged from