Memory Let us come to the time when the Christian has the use of Reason and when he can make an Act of Faith By what shall he begin but by what he began to be instructed He believes then the Universal Church before he believes the Scripture In effect make I do not say a Child but any Man whosoever read the Canticle of Canticles in which there is not the least mention of GOD either good or bad In good earnest He believes this Book inspir'd by GOD only because of the Tradition First of the Synagogue and Secondly of the Christian Church that is in one word through the Authority of the Universal Church But let us keep to our Point Let us consider the Christian in the Moment when the Holy Scripture is propos'd to him as the Word of GOD. 'T is the Holy Ghost which makes him believe it we are agreed on that Point But we dispute about the exterior Means of which the Holy Ghost makes use I say That 't is the Church since 't is she in effect which proposes to him the Holy Scripture since he believ'd the Church before he heard of the Scripture since at his opening the Scripture he is in Condition to say I believe this Scripture as I believe that GOD is You say That he cannot make this Act of Faith He is then no Believer and his Baptism is of no use to him We must instruct him as an Infidel saying to him Here is the Scripture which I believe inspir'd by GOD read it Child examin it see whether it be the very Truth or a Fable The Church believes it inspir'd by GOD but the Church may be deceiv'd and thou art not in condition to make with her this Act of Faith As I believe that GOD is so I believe that he himself inspir'd this Scripture If this manner of Instructing strikes an Horror into Christians and leads manifestly to Impiety the Christian must be able at first to make an Act of Faith upon the Scripture propos'd to him by the Church he must consequently believe That the Church is not deceiv'd in giving him this Scripture A◠he receives from her the Scripture he receives from her the Interpretation of it and she no more exercises Dominion over the Consciences in obliging her Children to believe her Interpretations without examining than she does in obliging us to believe without examining the Scripture it self By this Argument Sir reply'd Mr. Claude you would make every one conclude in Favor of his Church The Greeks the Armenians the Ethiopians we our selves whom you believe to be in error we are nevertheless Baptiz'd we have by Baptism both the Holy Ghost and this Faith infus'd of which you have been speaking Every one of us has receiv'd the Holy Scripture from the Church in which he was baptiz'd every one believes his to be the true Church declar'd in the Creed and at the first he even knows not any other Now if as we have receiv'd without examining the Holy Scripture from the Hand of that Church in which we are we must also as you say receive blindfold all its Interpretations 't is an Argument to conclude That every one ought to continue as he is and that every Religion is good This was in truth the strongest Objection that could be made and thô the Solution of this Doubt appear'd clear to me I was in pain how I might render it clear to those who heard me I spake with trembling seeing it concern'd the Salvation of a Soul and I besought GOD who made me see the Truth so clearly That he would give me Words to express it fully and plainly For I had to do with a Man who heard patiently spake clearly and strongly and in fine pusht the Difficulties to the utmost points I told him I must first distinguish their Case from that of the Greeks Armenians and others he had nam'd who indeed err in taking a false Church for the true but believe at least as indubitable That the true Church wheresoever she is must be believ'd and that she never deceives her Children You are said I to him much farther off for I can lay to your Charge That you do not only like the Greeks and Ethiopians take a false Church for a true but what is undeniable and what you your self confess That you will not have us even believe the true After this Distinction which seem'd necessary to me let us come to your Difficulty Let us distinguish in the Belief of the Greeks and other false Churches what there is of Truth what they have in common with the true Universal Church in a word what comes from GOD from that which comes from human Prejudice GOD by his Holy Spirit puts in the Heart of those who are baptiz'd in these Churches That there is a GOD and a JESUS CHRIST and an Holy Ghost Hitherto there is no Error all this is from GOD Is it not true He agreed it They believe also That there is an Universal Church Are they not right in this and is it not a Truth reveal'd by GOD that there is one indeed I expected his Acknowledgment and after he had given it I added That the Greeks and Ethiopians were dispos'd to believe without examining whatever the true Church propos'd to ' em This is what you approve not Sir in this you are separated from all other Christians who unanimously believe That there is a true Church which never deceives her Children I who believe this with them reckon this Belief amongst the things which come from GOD But see where the human Prejudices begin This Baptiz'd being seduc'd by his Parents and Pastors believes the Church in which he is to be the true and attributes in particular to this false Church all that GOD makes him believe in general of the true 'T is not the Holy Ghost that puts this in his Heart Is it not true 'T is without doubt true In this place he begins to believe amiss Here Error begins here the Divine Faith infus'd by the Holy Ghost begins to be lost Happy are those in whom the human Prejudices are joyn'd with the true Belief which the Holy Ghost puts in their Heart They are exempt from a great Temptation and the terrible Pain there is to distinguish that which is from GOD in the Faith of their Church from that which is from Men. But whatever Difficulty Men have to distinguish these things GOD knows them and distinguishes them and there will be an eternal Difference between that which his Holy Spirit puts in the Heart of the Baptiz'd when he interiorly disposes them to believe the true Church and that which human Prejudices have added to it by fixing their Spirit to a false one How these Baptiz'd may afterwards disentangle these things and by what means they may get out of the Prepossession that has made them confound the Idea of the false Church in which they are with the Faith of the true Church
CHRIST would have her alwaies visibly subsist he has cloth'd her with sensible Marks which are always to continue For see how he sends his Apostles and what he says to 'em at his ascending into Heaven Go ye therefore and teach all Nations Matt. xxviii v. 19 20. baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World Teaching with you baptizing with you instructing with you my Faithful to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded consequently exercising with you in my Church an exterior Ministery 'T is with you 'T is with those who shall succeed you 'T is with the Society assembled under their Conduct that I shall be from this present even to the Consummation of the World alway without Interruption For there shall not be any one Moment in which I will leave you but thô absent in Body I will be always present by my Holy Spirit In Consequence of this Word St. Paul also tells us that the Ecclesiastical Ministery shall last without any Discontinuance till the general Resurrection He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens Eph. iv v. 10 11 12 13. that he might fill all things And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the Work of the Ministry for the Edifying of the Body of CHRIST Till we all come in the Vnity of the Faith and of the Knowledge of the Son of GOD unto a perfect Man unto the measure of the Stature of the fulness of CHRIST That is to say till we have attain'd the Perfection of JESUS CHRIST glorify'd in Body and Soul This is the Term which GOD has set to the Ecclesiastical Ministery The Pretended Reformed will not have the visible Church to be that which is call'd JESUS CHRISTs Body Which is then that Body where GOD has establish'd some Apostles some Prophets and some Pastors and Teachers Which is that Body where GOD has plac'd several Members and different Graces Rom. xii v. 4 c. The Grace of Ministery the Grace of Teaching the Grace of Exhortation and Consolation the Grace of Ruling Which I say is that Body if it be not the visible Church But that which makes the Pretended Reformed unwilling to acknowledge that the Body of JESUS CHRIST so much recommended in the Scripture can be the visible Church is their being constrain'd to say that the visible Church sometimes ceases to be upon the Earth and they have an Horror to say that JESUS CHRISTs Body is not always for fear of putting JESUS CHRIST once again to death 'T is then without Difficulty this Assembly of Pastors and People 't is this Church compos'd of so many divers Members by whom so many Holy Ministeries are exteriorly exercis'd 't is this that is called JESUS CHRISTs Body 't was to this Body assembled under the Ministery of Pastors that he said at his ascending into Heaven Lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World He then that descended is the same that ascended to the end he might fill all things Heaven by his Person and his visible Presence Earth by his Spirit and his invisible Assistance both the one and the other by his Truth and his Word And 't was for to continue at his ascent into Heaven this Assistance promis'd to his Church that he plac'd some Apostles some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers A thing which must last till such time as the Work of GOD is entirely accomplish'd till we are all perfect Men and till the whole Body of the Church be arriv'd at the Fulness and Perfection of JESUS CHRIST Thus JESUS CHRISTs Work is eternal on the Earth The Church founded on the Confession of the Faith shall always be and always confess the Faith Her Ministery shall be eternal She shall bind and loose even to the end of the World Hell never being able to hinder her she shall never discontinue the Teaching of Nations The Sacraments that is the exterior Liveries with which she is clad shall last for ever Teach and baptize the Nations 1. Cor. xi v. 26. and I shall be alway with you As often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye do shew the Lords Death till he come With the Supper shall last the Confession of the Faith the Ecclesiastical Ministery and the exterior and interior Communion of the Faithful with JESUS CHRIST and of the Faithful amongst themselves till such time as JESUS CHRIST comes The duration of the Church and of the Ecclesiastical Ministery has no other Limits 'T is not then only the Society of the Predestinate that shall subsist for ever 't is the visible Body in which the Predestinate are included which preaches to them which teaches them which regenerates them by Baptism which nourishes them by the Eucharist which administers to them the Keys which governs them and keeps them united under Discipline which forms JESUS CHRIST in them 'T is this visible Body that shall subsist for ever And 't is for this reason that in the Apostles Creed where the Grounds of the Faith are propos'd to our Belief we are at the same time taught to believe in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Ghost and to believe the Holy Catholic Church and the Communion of Saints The interior Communion by Charity and in the Holy Ghost who animates us I acknowledge it but at the same time also the exterior Communion in the Sacraments in the Confession of Faith and in all the exterior Ministery of the Church And all that we have now said is included in this Word I believe the Vniversal Church We believe her at all times she is then always We believe her at all times she always then teaches the Truth Your Ministers will have us believe that 't is one thing to believe the Church that is to believe that she is and another thing to believe or give credit to the Church that is to believe all her Decisions But this is a frivolous Distinction He who believes that the Church always is believes that she is always confessing and teaching the Truth 'T is to this Church which confesses the Truth that JESUS CHRIST has promis'd Hell shall not prevail against her The Truth then shall never fail to be confess'd in her and consequently in believing that she is we are assur'd that she is always credible In effect the retaining some Points of JESUS CHRIST's Doctrine is not sufficient to preserve the Name of Church For then the Arians the Pelagians the Donatists the Anabaptists and the Socinians would be of the Church They are not however GOD forbid that we should call this Confusion by the Name of Church The Church must not then only keep
some Truth She must keep and teach all Truth else she is not the Church Nor is it to any purpose to distinguish the fundamental Articles from the others For all that GOD has reveal'd must be retain'd He has reveal'd nothing to us that is not very important for our Salvation Isai xlviii v. 17. I am the Lord which teacheth thee profitable things In the Faith then which the Church teaches must be found the fulness of the Truths reveal'd by GOD Otherwise she is no longer the Church that JESUS CHRIST founded That particular Persons may be ignorant of some Articles I easily confess but the Church conceals nothing of what JESUS CHRIST has reveal'd And therefore the Faithful who are ignorant of certain Articles in particular confess them nevertheless all in general when they say I believe the Vniversal Church This said I is the Church which your Ministers know not They teach you that this visible and exterior Church may cease to be upon the Earth they teach you that she may err in her Decisions they teach you that to believe this Church is to believe Men But 't is not in this manner that the Church is propos'd to us in the Creed 'T is there propos'd to us to believe her as we believe in the Father and in the Son and in the Holy Ghost and therefore the Faith of the Church is joyn'd with the Faith of the three Divine Persons These things having been said at several times but almost in this Order I added that our Doctrin on this Point was so true that the Pretended Reformed who deny'd it could not wholly reject it That is their Synods acted in such a manner as shew'd that they requir'd as well as we an absolute Submission to the Authority and Decrees of the Church Here I let Mademoiselle de Duras see the four Acts of the Gentlemen of the Pretended Reformed Religion which I have taken notice of in the Exposition Article XX. She had read them there but I caused her to read them in the very Book of the Discipline The first is taken out of the Vth. Chapter Title of Consistories Article XXXI Where 't is said That Disputes about Doctrine should be determin'd by GODs Word if it might be in the Consistory if not the matter should be brought before the Colloquy thence to the Provincial Synod and in fine to the National where the full and final Resolution should be made by GODs Word to which if any one refus'd to submit with an express disclaiming of his Errors he should be cut off from the Church 'T is not then said I to GODs Word alone precisely as such that the full and final Resolution belongs since after it is propos'd an Appeal is permitted but to GODs Word in as much as explicated and interpreted by the Churches last Judgment The second Act is taken out of the Synod of Vitré related in the Book of the Discipline It contains the Letter of Mission which all the Churches make when they send Deputies to the National Synod See the Terms of it We promise before GOD to submit our selves to whatsoever shall be resolv'd in your Holy Assembly being perswaded that GOD will preside in it and guide you by his Holy Spirit in all Truth and Equity thrô the Rule of his Word This Perswasion said I if it be grounded only on an human Presumption cannot be the matter of so solemn an Oath by which they swear to submit to a Resolution they do not yet know It cannot then be founded but upon an express Promise That the Holy Ghost will preside in the last Judgment of the Church and Catholics say no more The third Act which is found also in the same Book of the Discipline is the Condemnation of the Independents on their saying That every Church ought to govern it self without dependance on any one in Ecclesiastical Matters This Proposition was in the Synod of Charenton declar'd as prejudicial to the State as to the Church 'T was there judg'd That it open'd the Door to all sorts of Irregularities and Extravagances took away all Remedies and made way for the forming as many Religions as Parishes But said I whatever Synods are held if we do not believe our selves oblig'd to submit our Judgments to them we cannot avoid the Inconveniences of the Independents and the leaving a Door open for the setting up as many Religions I do not say as there are Parishes but as there are Heads We must then come to this Obligation of submitting our Judgment to what the Catholic Church teaches These three Acts are taken out of the Book of the Discipline printed at Charenton in the year 1667. The fourth is found in a Book of Mr. Blondes's Intitled Actes Autentiques printed at Amsterdam by Blaeu in the year 1655. 'T is a Resolution of the National Synod of Sainte Foy 1578. which names four Ministers to meet at an Assembly where was to be treated a Re-union with the Lutherans by framing a Formulary of Profession of the common Faith Power was given to these Ministers to decide all Points of Doctrin and others that should be brought into Deliberation and to consent to this Confession of Faith even without communicating any farther about it with the Churches if the Time permitted not to do it From this Act I concluded two things One That the whole Synod trusted their Faith in the Hands of four private Persons a thing far more extraordinary than to see particulars submit to the whole Church The other That the Pretended Reformed Church is yet but little assur'd of her Confession of Faith since she consents to the changing it and that in Points so important as are those that make the Dispute with the Lutherans one of which is the Reality If the Pretended Reformed hop'd that the Lutherans would return to them there was no need of a new Confession of Faith What was then intended was That both the one and the other continuing in their Sentiments there should be fram'd a Confession of Faith in which both Parties might agree which could not be done without adding or suppressing something essential in a Confession of Faith which they give us as teaching only the pure Word of GOD. Mademoiselle de Duras acknowledged to me that having seen in my Treatise these Acts and my Reflections which are the same with these I now made she knew not what to answer to 'em and that therefore she desir'd to hear what Answer Mr. Claude would make as well upon these Acts as upon the other Difficulties that regarded the Authority of the Church I told her That thô those of her Religion acted as holding the Churches Authority infallible and indisputable yet 't was true That they deny'd this Infallibility and I added That 't was a constant Maxim in her Religion That every private Person how ignorant soever was oblig'd to believe That he could understand the Holy Scripture better than all the Councils and all the rest
common Faith but only of Establishing this Toleration by a Synodal Decree as had been done at Charenton Mr. Claude answer'd that the Point of Doctrin to be decided was Whether a mutual Toleration might be establisht and that the Confession of common Faith would have done nothing else but declar'd this Toleration Which he deny'd not but it might be done in a Synod as I must grant that it might also be done in a Confession of Faith where there should have been an express Article to that purpose I answer'd him That this could never be call'd a Confession of common Faith and askt him Whether he thought the Lutherans or they should have retrench'd any thing of what the one said for the Reality and the other against it He answer'd me No. And then said I each party would have continu'd in the Terms of their own Confession of Faith having nothing common but the Article of Toleration There were said he many other Points in which we agreed 'T is granted answer'd I but 't was not about these Points the Accord was to be made the Question was about the Reality and some others on which there could not be made a Confession of common Faith except one of the Parties chang'd or both agreed upon ambiguous Expressions which each might draw to their own Opinions a thing that had been oft attempted as Mr. Claude himself could not but owne He granted it and related also the Assembly of Marbourg and some others held for that purpose I concluded then That I had reason to believe the Synod of Sainte Foy had a like Design and that 't would have been to mock the World to call that a Confession of common Faith which should have made appear such manifest oppositions on so important Points of the Christian Doctrin To which I farther added 't was so much the more certain That a Confession of Faith was as I said really in agitation in that the Lutherans having already several times declar'd against a Toleration there was nothing to be expected from them but by the Means of which I spake The Matter rested there and I only said That every one need but consider what he ought to think in his Conscience of a Confession of Faith which a whole National Synod had consented to change When Mr. Claude was saying That the Oath of submitting to the National Synod included a Condition I had interrupted him by putting in a word Yes said I they hop'd well of the Synod yet without certainty and expecting the Event they forbare not to swear they would submit Mr. Claude telling me here That I interrupted him and praying me to let him say all I held my peace But after the Affair of Sainte Foy was discuss'd I said to him That I thought it necessary before we pass'd any farther I should tell him in a few words what I had conceiv'd of his Doctrin to the end we might not speak in the air I said then to him You say Sir That these Words Being persuaded that GOD will preside in it and guide you by his Holy Spirit in all Truth and Equity thrô the Rule of his Word are only an honest manner of proposing a Condition He agreed it Let us then said I reduce the Proposition into a conditional one and we shall see what will be the sense of it I swear to submit to all you shall decide on this Supposition or Condition That what you shall decide be agreeable to GODs Word Such an Oath is nothing else but a manifest Illusion as signifying nothing and being but what I might make to Mr. Claude or he to me But in this there would not be any thing serious and 't is to be observ'd that something more particular must be aim'd at since this Oath is only made to the Synod which gives the final determination thô in Mr. Claude's Sense there were as much Reason to make it to the Consistory to which they ought to submit as well as to the Synod supposing it has the Word of GOD for its Guide In this place I held my peace a little and seeing that there was not a word said I went on thus But in fine then Sir if I well understand your Doctrin you believe That a private person may doubt of the Churches Judgment even when she gives her final Determination No Sir answer'd Mr. Claude 't is not to be said That one may doubt there being all the Likelihood in the World that the Church will judge well He that says Likelihood Sir reply'd I immediatly says a manifest Doubt But said Mr. Claude There is more for JESUS CHRIST having promis'd that those who would seek should find since 't is to be presum'd they will seek well 't is to be also believ'd they will judge well and in this assurance there is something indubitable But when there shall be seen in Councels Cabals Factions different Interests it may with reason be doubted Whether in such an Assembly there will not be mixt something human and doubtful Pray Sir said I let us set aside what is good for nothing but to throw dust in ones Eyes All you say of Cabals Factions Interests is absolutely to no purpose and consequently serves only to perplex There is nothing said Mr. Claude more to the purpose And I affirm answer'd I That your self will grant there 's nothing less to the purpose For I ask you Sir Supposing there should appear in the Councel neither Factions nor Cabals supposing also one were assur'd that there were not any and that all pass'd in Order must one receive the Decision without examining it He was fain to answer No. Whence I immediatly concluded I had then reason to say That all you alledg'd as very considerable concerning Factions and Cabals was in the bottom only an Amusement and in fine that a private person a Woman any ignorant Fellow whatever he is may believe and ought to believe that he may happen to understand GODs Word better than a whole Councel thô assembled from the four quarters of the World and than all the rest of the Church Yes said he 't is so I repeated twice or thrice the Proposition he had granted adding still some stronger Circumstance but evidently contain'd in what was accorded What said I better than all the rest of the Church together and than all her Assemblies thô compos'd of the holiest and most illuminated persons in the Universe For all these are still but men after whom according to your Doctrin every one ought still to examin A private person shall believe that he may have more Grace more Light in fine more of the Holy Ghost than all the rest of the Church All this must pass and I might have added more than all the Fathers more than all the past Ages reckoning immediatly from the Apostles times But proceeded I if it be so how do you avoid the Inconveniences of the Independents and what Means has the Church left to hinder the
decides nothing till it be first receiv'd and that JESVS CHRIST's was not so as yet since 't was in dispute whether they should receive it or reject it I am oblig'd to observe That assuredly I heard nothing of all this in the Conference and you will soon see that it were indeed better to be silent than to say such things But since Mr. Claude will have said them he must then also say that because JESUS CHRISTs Miracles were rejected as deceitful Signs by the Envious by the Obstinate in one word by the declar'd Enemies of the Truth These Miracles were not convincing enough to oblige Men to believe JESUS CHRIST on his Word without examining farther and that for Example after he had rais'd Lazarus in express Testimony John xi v. 42. That GOD had sent him those who beheld with their Eyes so great a Miracle were I do not say permitted but expresly oblig'd to examin whether JESVS CHRIST was sent by GOD. He must I say carry the necessity of the Examen to this excess Otherwise 't will be true as I have said That there was then a visible and palpable Authority to which every one ought to submit without examining so that there was never any time when Men were less expos'd to the Temptation of Pride by elevating themselves above all living and speaking Authority since JESVS CHRIST the most living and most speaking as well as the greatest and most infallible that ever was was then on the Earth and that they preferr'd not themselves before the Synagogue but by submitting to JESVS CHRIST whose Miracles as himself said took away all Excuse from those John xv v. 22 23 24. that believ'd not in him Which the Assembly that condemn'd him knew so well that they found no other Answer to his Miracles nor any other Means to resist him but to make him away and with him Lazarus also John xi v. 47. xii v. 10. to stifle if they could at once with the Miracles they had seen the Memory of him that wrought them They must not then here think to dazle People with frivolous Answers and make the Readers lose the Consequence of an Argument by bringing in unprofitable Questions I mean That 't is to no Purpose to start up here the Question concerning deceitful Signs nor to answer That the Synagogue doubted of the Truth of JESVS CHRIST's Miracles The Question is only to know whether this Doubt was not the Effect of an evident Malice and in fine whether it be not certain amongst Christians That there was in JESVS CHRIST's Miracles so full a Demonstration of the Divine Power and so clear a Confirmation of JESVS CHRIST's Mission that every reasonable Spirit was oblig'd to yield without any farther Examination so that there was then a living and speaking Authority to which there was nothing to be oppos'd but a gross Ignorance and a manifest Obstinacy This is the matter in Debate and if after this Explication of the Question they think still to escape by saying with Mr. Claude That JESUS CHRIST's Authority was not receiv'd they must go farther John viii v. 13. and say to JESUS CHRIST himself with the Jews Thou bearest Record of thy self thy Record is not true Then we will answer with JESUS CHRIST John viii v. 13 14 16 18. John v. v. 36. Thô I bear Record of my self yet my Record is true And again I am not alone but my Father that sent me bears also Witness of me And again The Works which the Father hath given me to finish the same Works that I do bear Witness of me that the Father hath sent me And in fine C. xv v. 22 24. They have no Cloak for their Sin If I had not done among them the Works which none other Man did they had not had Sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father The meaning of this is That the Miracles are clear the Authority is incontestable and the Resistance can have no other Ground but a blind Hatred I expect they will yet answer me That JESUS CHRIST added after all this John v. v. 39. Search the Scriptures they are they which testify of me and that they will dare to conclude from thence how one might and ought to examine after JESUS CHRIST so that the Word he pronounc'd shews us not a superabundance of Conviction in the Scripture but an insufficiency of Authority in the Person of JESUS CHRIST If they make yet this Objection we have nothing to do but to hold our Peace and leave JESUS CHRIST to defend his own Cause In the mean time we will conclude That 't is JESUS CHRISTs Authority which we revere in his Church If we say the Church must be believ'd without examining 't is because JESUS CHRIST who teaches and guides her is above all Examen We will not forbear to say also in imitation of JESUS CHRIST Search the Scriptures We shall confound them by this Scripture which they say they believe and we shall see them also faint under this Examination but it shall be after we have forc'd them to acknowledge that we must submit without examining to the Churches Authority in which that Spirit whom JESUS CHRIST has sent to keep his place always speaks There is then nothing less to the Purpose than the Example of the Synagogue and our Pretended Reformed depriv'd of this Example which was their chiefest Strength continue alone to believe themselves every one in particular capable to understand the holy Scripture better than whatsoever in the Universe has Authority to interpret it and to judge of Doctrin and than all the Faithful that appear to them in the Worl'd Which is the Error of the Independents or something worse They will say That this private Person who examins after the Church shall always be well assur'd not to be alone in his Sentiment since there will always remain some secret elected one who will think as he does As if without refuting this Vision it were not a Pride detestable enough to set himself alone above all that is seen and heard to speak in the whole Church besides They will say again 'T is no Pride to believe ones self enlightned by the Holy Ghost But on the contrary 't is the height of Pride That particular Persons should dare to believe the Holy Ghost will instruct them and leave in Error all the Faithful that appear in the rest of the Church Nor is it to any purpose to answer as Mr. Claude does in his Relation John iii. v. 8. in his Relation That the Spirit bloweth where he will For they must shew that this Spirit which reposes on the Humble ceases not to breath on those who believe themselves alone more capable to understand the Scripture than all the rest of the Church since they examin after her and not only to breath upon them but himself also to inspire into them this proud Thought But in fine
as open'd the Book He forms not then his Faith by the reading of the Scripture this Reading finds his Faith already form'd this Reading does but confirm to a Christian all he already believ'd and all he had already found in the Churches Belief He believ'd then before all things that the Church deceiv'd him not and by this he began to make the Acts of a Christian Children are not instructed in any other manner When they hear their Parents 't is the Church they hear for our Parents are our Teachers only as they are Children of the Church 'T is for this reason the Holy Ghost sends us to them Ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee St. Basil Ep. 29. so great a Divine justifies himself and at the same time confounds the Hereticks by alledging to them the Faith of his Mother and of his Grandmother St. Macrina and he herein imitates St. Paul who praises Timothy for having an unfeigned Faith 2 Tim. 1. 5. which dwelt first in his Grandmother Lois and his Mother Eunice The meaning is that true Doctrin ought always to descend from hand to hand and that there shall always be a true Church to which none can ever shew her beginning nor find in her State those Marks of Interruption and Novelty which all other Sects bear on their Front Christian Parents joyn'd to this Church joyn their Children to her and put them at the feet of her Ministers to be there instructed 'T is not to be imagin'd that Children in whom Reason begins to appear because they know not how to rank their Discourses are incapable of resenting the Impressions of Truth They are seen learn to speak in an Age yet more infirm in what manner they learn by what they make the Distinction between the Noun and the Verb the Substantive and the Adjective neither themselves know nor can we who have learnt by this Method well explicate so deep and hidden it is We learn almost in the same manner the Churches Language A secret Light guides us in both these States in the one 't is Reason in the other Faith Reason discovers it self by little and little and so does Faith infus'd by Baptism We must have Motives to fix us to the Churches Authority GOD knows them and we know them in general in what manner he ranks them how he makes these innocent Souls perceive them is the Secret of his Holy Spirit However 't is certain that this is done and by this he begins As this is the first Christian Act we make and as on this Foundation all is built so it subsists for ever The time will come when we shall know more distinctly why we believe and the Churches Authority will from day to day become stronger in our minds The Scripture it self will fortify the Chains which bind us to her but we must always have Recourse to the Original that is to believe on the Churches Authority What Age soever we are at 't is by this we begin to believe the Scripture we continue also on the same Foundation and St. Augustin was already perfect in the Ecclesiastical Science Cont. Ep. Fudam 5. when he said He would not believe the Gospel if the Authority of the Catholick Church did not oblige him to it I could were it in dispute shew the same Opinion in the other Fathers We must always re-ascend to the first Principle and this is the first Principle that fixes us to the Church Let them not reproach to us this Vicious Circle The Church makes us believe the Scripture the Scripture makes us believe the Church This on both sides is true in different Respects The Church and the Scripture are so made for one another and do so perfectly suit with one another that they support each other like Stones in an Arch which mutually keep up the Building All Nature is full of such Examples I bear the Staff on which I lean the Flesh binds and covers the Bones which sustain it and all things in the whole Universe mutually aid one another So it is with the Church and the Scripture There was but one Church such as JESVS CHRIST founded to which such a Scripture as we have could be address'd that is such an one as durst promise the Church in which this Scripture was made an eternal continuance If any one receives the Scripture by the Scripture I will prove to him the Church if he acknowledges the Church by the Church I will prove to him the Scripture but since we must begin on one side I have clearly enough shewn by Mr. Claude's Confession that if we begin not by the Church the Divinity of the Scripture and the Faith we ought to have in it is in Danger Wherefore the Holy Ghost begins our Instruction by fixing us to the Church I believe the Catholick Church Amongst our Adversaries one must examin before he believes and he must before all things examin the Scripture by which he examins all the rest 'T is not enough to have read some particular Verses some Chapters some Books till such time as one has read all conferr'd all examin'd all Faith continues in suspense since 't is by this Examen that 't is form'd Amongst the true Christians one believes at first Thy Faith hath saved thee saith JESVS CHRIST Thy Faith Tertul. de Praescrip 14. observes Tertullian in that divine work of Prescriptions and not thy being verst in the Scriptures There 's no need of passing through Opinions through Doubts through the Uncertainties of human Faith I never chang'd says St. Basil What I believ'd from my Infancy Ep. 79. has only been strengthned in my following years Without passing from one Opinion to another I have only perfected what was at first given me by my Parents As a Grain which is sown of little that it was becomes big but continues always the same in it self and without changing its Nature takes only Increase so is may Faith increas'd and this is not a Change in which one passes from worse to better but an Accomplishment of a Work already begun and the Confirmation of Faith by knowledge In this manner we pass not as amongst our Reformed from a State of doubt to a State of Certainty or as Mr. Claude loves better to speak from an human Faith to a divine Divine Faith is declar'd at first by the Churches first Instructions and this could never be did not her infallible Authority prevent all our Doubts and all Examination 'T is thus Cont. ep Man 4. as says St. Augustin 't is thus I say That those believe who not being able to arrive at Vnderstanding secure their Salvation by the simplicity of their Faith If we must always examin before we believe we must begin by examining whether there is a GOD and hearkning for some time with a kind of Suspension of Mind to the Arguments of the Wicked That is we must pass to the Belief
Claude is oblig'd to acknowledge a Church always visible since the Church which is not visible is no Church and that according to the Definition Vid. Sup. p. 103. he has given us the Church is the true Faithful who make Profession of the Christian Truth under a Ministery which furnishes her with the Aliments necessary for the Spiritual Life These Faithful then are not a Body in the Any since they make PROFESSION OF THE TRUTH under an Ecclesiastical Ministery always subsisting and that as we have seen there must be without any Interruption an exterior Profession of which it may be said There are the true Believers Thus 't is not sufficient to alledge at random to us conceal'd Believers they are oblig'd to shew us without Interruption first a visible Society of which may be said They are there 't is there they serve GOD in Spirit and Truth 't is there they confess the Gospel Nor will it be enough to shew us these Believers dispers'd they must secondly shew us them gather'd together under the Authority of an Ecclesiastical Ministery with preaching of the Word with the Administration of the Sacraments with the use of the Keys and all the Ecclesiastical Government By consequence they must shew us a Society of Pastors and People whence it follows in the third place that they must be able to name us these Pastors since the Succession of them is manifest To seek all this in the Pretended Reformed Church as it is now separated from the Roman Church that is from that Body of the Church which acknowledges the Roman Church and the Pope for its Head is what Mr. Claude does not so much as dream of 't is enough for him that to the time of the Pretended Reformed's Separation he finds all this in the Roman Church it self The true Believers were there as long as those that compos'd the Pretended Reformation were there when they went forth or were driven forth Vid. Sup. p. 46. they carry'd the Church with them as Mr. Claude said in the Conference This Discourse more like a Raillery than a serious Discourse is nevertheless that which is seriously held in the new Reformation Till the Separation of these new Reformed the Succession of the true Believers that is according to Mr. Claude of the true visible Church Man Ans q. 4. seq was perpetuated in the Roman Church and 't is since their Separation that she ceases to contain them Such is the Succession of the visible Church which Mr. Claude establishes in his Manuscript Answer till the Separation the true Faithful which the Roman Church contain'd after the Separation the Pretended Reformed which came forth of her Bosom But whence came their Pastors Were they also detacht with these pretended Believers from the Body of the Roman Church to perpetuate in the Church thus Reform'd the Ecclesiastical Ministery Ibid. In no wise Mr. Claude does not understand it so The Faithful detacht from the Roman Church all on a sudden depos'd all the Pastors which were before that is to say that before the Catholick Bishops and Priests with the Pope at their Head were the Pastors establisht by JESVS CHRIST for there must be such for the true Believers which they contain'd in their Unity in the Moment that the Reformation appear'd they were all on a sudden depos'd and the Ministery taken out of their Hands But what right had private persons thus all on a sudden and in one moment to dispossess all their Pastors 'T is because they are the true Believers Man Ans q. 4. seq to whom the Ministery appertains of right who might consequently dispose of it take it from some and give it to others Man Ans 4. q. towards the end We must not says Mr. Claude imagine the Succession of Pastors in this ordinary transmission which the Ministers make from one to another and which is call'd the exterior and personal Succession the Question is whether it may not sometimes happen that the Church that is the true Believers shall take her Ministery out of the hand of those who have too visibly abus'd it and give it to others This is the Question in general Cons 8 9 10. as Mr. Claude proposes it and the Application he makes of it in particular is That the Latin Prelates who enjoy'd the Ecclesiastical Ministery in the time of our Fathers and who were assembled in the Council of Trent having made Decisions of Faith incompatible with Salvation and having pronounc'd Anathemaes against these who submitted not to them the Pretended Reformed had Reason to regard these Prelates as Ministers who had stript themselves of the Ministery and to give it to other Persons They should then at least according to these Principles have expected the Decisions of Trent and since before these Decisions so many Churches separated from Rome had already given themselves Pastors the Reformation will have begun by a manifest Usurpation But let us not so much press Mr. Claude and without insisting rigorously on the Council of Trent let us desire him only to mark us some day a little near the Time in which he will permit the true Believers to have continu'd under the Ministery of the Roman Church And in the mean time let us content our selves to observe this new Doctrin that it may happen that all the Pastors of the Church dispossest all on a sudden may become in one moment private men and that without their establishing any other Pastors to succeed them the true Believers in no wise Pastors but private persons separated from every Church actually existing may of their sole Authority confer the Ministery on others establish them ordain them instal them This is what Mr. Claude afterwards farther explicates by these words that these Pastors before alone in Function are of right depriv'd and the Ministery return'd of right to that part of the Society Cons 10. in which are found the true Believers that is to say the Pretended Reformed separated from the Roman Church and from every Church then subsisting in the world What an Authority and Privilege does the Separation give Such is Mr. Claude's Doctrin if I change if I exaggerate if I diminish let him without delay publish his writing to confound me But if this be his Doctrin I conjure our Reformed to consider what Prodigies of Doctrin must be taught to defend their Reformation For first where do they read in what Gospel in what Epistle in what Writing of the Old or New Testament that all the Pastors of the Church should in a moment fall from their Chair and become private persons whom one might and ought freely disobey Has JESVS CHRIST hidden this great Mystery from us and would he not have precaution'd us against this horrible Temptation of his Church But this is not all after he has shewn us in the Scripture this universal Fall of all the Pastors he must also find there this Ministery return'd of right
whether dispers'd or re-united whether always subsisting or sometimes wholly extinct shall clearly find according to his Principles without any need of the Ministery all necessary Aliments For also of what use is a Ministery to them in which Error prevail And would not the Scripture alone be more commodious and more instructive to them This is what the 〈◊〉 should say to avoid the Inconveniences into which we cast them But Mr. Claude neither durst nor ever will dare to do it because he would find in it Inconveniences yet more insupportable and more visible 'T is in a word because he sound that by pushing the Authority and sufficiency as I may say of the Scripture independently of all Ecclesiastical Ministery they must at last destroy the Scripture it self In effect Rom. 1. ◠10. he found in the Scripture that the Scripture ought not to be Vid. Sup. p. 50. as the Philosophy of 〈◊〉 the Rule of 〈◊〉 Republick in Idea but of a People always subsisting which this Scripture calls the Church He has found that this People ought to be always visible on the earth since they ought not only to believe with the Heart but also to confes◠with the Mouth and to use his Terms make Profession of the Christian Truth He has found that the Scripture was entrusted in the hands of such a People to be their unchangeable Rule that there should be always Interpreters establisht by GOD the Author of this Scripture as well as the Founder of this People and that so the Ministery destin'd by GOD to this Interpretation was as eternal as the Church it self If he writ these great Words GOD always preserves in the publick Ministery all that is necessary for the guiding true Believers to Salvation Man Ans 4. q. he cannot found this Assurance on any human Industry Let GOD leave the Ecclesiastical Ministery to it self it must fall If then it be certain that GOD will always keep there all that is necessary to Salvation GOD himself must have promis'd it and the Eternity of the Ministery cannot be founded but on this Promise Mr. Claude also finds it in those Words Thou art Peter Matt. xvi v. 18. and the rest 'T is thence he concludes with us that JESUS CHRIST in speaking to a Church that confesses and confesses without difficulty by her principal Ministers since 't is by St. Peter in the Name of the Apostles to a Church joyn'd to an exterior Ministery and using the Power of the Keys has promis'd her that Hell should not prevail against her consequently supported by this Ministery and therefore he affirms that GOD preserves always in the publick Ministery all that is necessary to the Salvation of GODs Children Another Promise of JESUS CHRIST's Matt. xxviii v. 19 20. directed to those that baptize and those that teach and concluded by these powerful Words And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the World makes Mr. Claude as well as us say that JESUS CHRIST promises the Church to be with her Ibid. to baptize with her and to teach with her without interruption even to the end of the World Thus according to this Minister this Promise regards the Church as joyn'd to the Ecclesiastical Ministery which makes him also conclude that JESUS CHRIST promises the Corruption shall never be such in the Ministery but that there shall still be enough to entertain the true Faith of his Elect even to the end of the World In fine Eph. iv Man Ans Ibid. a third Passage to wit that of St. Paul to the Ephefians makes him conclude with us that the Ministery shall last even to the end of the World and continue in a degree and in an Estate sufficient to edify the Body of CHRIST and bring all the Elect to the Perfection of which St. Paul speaks GOD then must concern himself with it without whose Assistances continually present neither such a Stability nor such an Integrity can be expected in the Ministery After he had thus begun to believe he should have finish◠the Work and given Glory to GOD even to the end Mr. Claude was not far from the Kingdom of GOD when he said that GOD would render himself superior enough over human Infirmity to preserve always manger the Efforts of Hell a Church which should confess the Truth and an exterior Ministery which should furnish true Believers with the Aliments necessary to Salvation He ought then to proceed to the end and believe that the same Hand which would hinder Hell from prevailing so far against the Ministery as to deprive it of these necessary Aliments would hinder it also from prevailing so far as to make any Error have dominion in it and that so much the rather as what he believ'd manifestly comprehends what is left to believe For if he believ'd on the Faith of the Divine Promise that there should be always a Church with which JESUS CHRIST would not cease to teach that is without difficulty that he would not cease to teach with the Doctors of this Church he ought by the same means to believe that he would teach there all Truth JESVS CHRIST not being come Joh. xvi v. 13. nor having sent his Holy Spirit to his Apostles to teach them some Truths but to teach them all Truth as himself declares in his Gospel Nor would it be to any purpose to say that Mr. Claude Promises in the Ministery only sufficient Aliments which can comprehend no more than the Fundamentals of the Faith as our Reformed find them amongst the Lutherans For JESVS CHRISTs Doctrin containing nothing but what is profitable Is 48. v. 17. agreeably to this Word I am the Lord which teacheth thee profitable things if we find not in the Ministery JESVS CHRISTs Doctrin entire we shall never find that Degree requir'd by Mr. Claude nor that Estate sufficient to bring all the Elect to the Perfection of which St. Paul speaks 'T would be then something to believe that by the Promise GOD would always keep without interruption in the Ministery all essential Truths for 't would be to acknowledge in the Church with which JESUS CHRIST teaches a beginning of infallible Authority by acknowledging this Authority at least in respect of the first Truths of Christianity But to finish the Work and not to believe by halves we must also believe that JESUS CHRIST in teaching teaches all and confess in his Church an absolute Infallibility Thus we must not say with the Ministers and their incredulous Flock This Ecclesiastical Ministery is of men subject to fall one may doubt after them for this would be to yield to the Temptation and no longer to believe the Promise We must say 't is of men with whom JESUS CHRIST promises to be and teach always then manger human weakness and all the Endeavours of Hell Rom. iv v. 18. against hope we believe in hope that we shall find eternally in their common