Universal Church But they are not satisfied that they ow that submission to the Roman and if not to the Roman they know not to what Church Sol. 16. To say somthing for the clearing this difficulty I shall desire them to consider 1. That whilst the Eastern and Western Churches were joyned in one External communion it is apparent that that Body was the Catholick Church to which the Promises of Christ were made and to which Protestants themselves would not have refused submission 2. That a breach hapning between these Churches is not mortal to the whole Body but onely to that Member that did unlawfully separate 3. By consequence that both the Title and real Authority of the Catholick Church remains in the innocent Part that is either in the Roman or Eastern Church 4. That whethersoever of these two be the Catholick Church English Protestants are Schismaticks since they are divided from both and the pretended grounds of their Divisions are Doctrines received by them both 5. That in case English Protestants would now take into debate to whether of these two parties they should re-adjoyn themselves by that means to become Catholicks again they must be forced to quit both a greater number of their Topical Doctrines and more fundamental ones to fit themselves to an union with the Eastern then with the Roman Church 6. That if they will needs out of Passion prefer the Eastern their Passion will be evident since that whensoever either remorse of conscience or the approaches of death made them see their unsafe condition thousands of them have fled to the Roman Church for shelter but never any to the Grecian or any other but the Roman 7. That as long as they are out of the Roman Church they are in a headless trunck divided from the successor of St. Pèter whom St. Cyprian St. Hierome Optatus c. acknowledged to be the foundation of Unity Order c. Ob. 17. Now if among Protestants any out of a perverse condescendence shal grant that the grounds alledged for the separation of the Eastern Western Churches are not in themselves of such main importance as to hinder them from being really one Catholick Church And therefore that before the present controversies can be decided a general Assembly of them all must be expected Sol. 18. to this they must give me leave to say 1. That they make the Promises of Christ to be casual temporary and obnoxious to critical daies and seasons if they think that the changes of Kingdoms or that the humors of an earthly Tyrant can either evacuate or suspend the force of those promises by which our Lord hath obliged himself to provide that the Gates of Hell that is heresies shall not prevail against his Church The effect of which promise in the opinion of such Objectors must be delayed till the Grand Signior will allow the Grecian Bishops to meet with the Western to consult of and procure the peace and union of Christendom 2. In case they should be permitted to meet Protestants may without the spirit of prophesie foretel their own most solemn condemnation For since both the Eastern and Western Churches do already agree in most doctrines renounced by Protestants viz. Transubstantiation Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the Dead and by consequence a Purgatory in which souls are capable of refreshment by such Prayers Veneration of Images Relicks c. Invocation of Saints Indulgences Merit of good works c. In which Doctrines they do agree as acknowledging them to be Traditionary It is impossible they should ever be perswaded to revoke any of them being met in an Assembly unless they will renounce all order and manner of proceeding in former General Councels which is not according to the Method of Protestants Viz. Endlessly to dispute every controverted Point by Texts of Scripture but to judge of the Truth of Points and the sense of Scripture by Traditien In such Assemblies therefore Bishops will ask one another Have your Fathers delivered to you that Bread after consecration becomes the Body of Christ That this body in the Sacrament is to be adored That we ought to pray for Souls departed in the Faith of Christ c. If so Servetur quod traditum est Now it being apparent that at the present all agree that such Doctrines both in the East and West have been delivered by Tradition and that their meeting together in a Councel will not help to make a contrary Tradition possible It will follow that whether divided or united whether alone or in Assembly they are and ever will be at least so far united as to joyn in the condemnation of Protestants CHAP. V. An Answer to the Remainder of the Preface 1. THe rest of the Preface of I. P. touches my self onely and pretends to shew what success the writings of those great Defenders of the Church of England have had against me in particular forcing me to confess That Infallibility is an unfortunate word That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated it with too great success so that I would wish the word were forgotten or at least laid by c. Now since the Church is not at all concern'd in this but my self onely who am charged with writing an incongruous impertinent Book a Book that deserves no answer but answers it self since it maintains that which its Adversary did not combat c. Truly were it not for I. P. and his friends sake more then mine own I would not answer for my self But since I perceive that the word Infallibility is as unfortunate a word to them as it was to me I will endeavour to take order that it shall be so no more 2. First therfore I say with Mr. Veron that the word Infallibility has been found out by the Schools that love to find out as short waies to express their notions as possibly can be And the world finds very great convenience by it Therefore with reference to the Church Schoolmen and from them Controvertists desirous to express the great veracity of the Church considered as a Judge or witness of Divine Truths deposed by God with her and withal the utmost obligation that all Christians have to beleeve truths so determined and witnessed by her found out this single word Infallibility to express both these by But yet the Church her self hath not as yet assumed or borrowed this word in any of her Decisions from the Schools and therefore being none of the Churches word we are not oblig'd to make her to speak it and the truth is though it comprehends al that they intend by it yet it is no adaequate measure of those conceptions because Infallibility may comprehend a great deal more for truth and our obligation to beleeve it is yet in a higher degree in Scripture then in the Decisions of the Church as Bellarmine acknowledges For the Scripture in all points both of Doctrine and Story and all circumstances is infallibly true not so the Decisions of the
of a world of wandering perverted souls From his ground it is especially that I in this book both take this fashion and Latitude of stating doctrines of faith recommend it to others when they treat with Protestants And particularly from him did I receive Information that the very expresse terme of Infallibility was not of obligation to be made use of in Disputation concerning the Churches Authority As likewise that the Doctrines of Faith promulgated by the said Authority in the Decrees of generall Councells did admit of many more qualifications and restrictions then popular Controvertists do think good to make use of So that if in this or any other point any expressions found in this book shall seem new or not so relishing to any I must refer them to the said Author and his Approvers who no doubt will ease me of the trouble of making Apologies 5. But leaving this digression I will at last relate the successe I found in reading the Canons of the Church the forementioned books and treatises of the Fathers c. Which was that I thereby gained a distinct knowledge both of the faith of the present Church and what those Ancients believed concerning the Churches Authority and this not by relying upon a few select passages and Texts pick'd out by late Controvertists but by observing the maine designe and intention of those Fathers when the very like Controversies in their times constreined them to consider and unanimously declare what they themselves thought and what they had received from their predecessours concerning the Church Haeresie and Schisme 6. That therefore which I learned from them pertinent to my present purpose I will set downe in foure Conclusions relating to foure principall heads of controversie namely 1. Of the Rule of Faith that is Scripture and Traditions unwritten 2. Of the Judge of Controversies that is the Catholique Church 3. Of the unity of the Church and the danger of Heresy Schisme 4. Of the perpetuall Visibility of the Church To all which Propositions respectively I will adjoyne the doctrine of the present Roman Church conteined especially in the Councell of Trent And likewise the beliefe of Protestants Concluding with an examination whether the Roman or Protestant Churches do best conform themselves to the universal Ancient Traditiō cōcerning the Church her authority c. 7. When all this is done at their perill be it if any imputing to me sinister intentions of which they cannot be judges shall say it was either worldly discontent or ambition and not an evident conviction of truth and resolution to save my soule that moved me finally to declare my selfe rather a follower of that part which to my understanding followes an universall and uninterrupted agreement of such Teachers as both sides agree not only to have approached neerest to the fountaine of truth Christ and his Apostles therefore to have had meanes of informing themselves in Apostolicall Tradition incomparably beyond us But also to have been extreamly cautelous and learned and so not easily obnoxious to be mistaken or deceived And likewise unquestionably pious and vertuous and therefore abhorring any intention of seducing others for temporall respects Rather then three or foure new teachers in whom there is not only a visible want of all these good qualities but on the contrary such as have not been able to forbeare to declare themselves to be worse men more polluted with Lust Gluttony Sacriledge Pride Malice Envie c. then without their own confession their adversaries could with a good conscience have accused or but suspected them And the effect of whose innovations ha's manifestly been nothing but Atheisme profanenesse bloodshed confusion and ruine The second Section Conteining a stating of foure fundamentall points of Controversie in foure Conclusions CHAP. I. The first Conclusion concerning the Rule of Faith Testimonies of Fathers acknowledging Doctrines Traditionary as well as Scripture to be a Rule of Faith 1. ACcording to my promise in the last Chapter of the former Section I will consequently set downe the fundamentall truths of Catholique Religion in foure Conclusions respecting foure generall points of Controversie The sense of which Conclusions I found evidently and uniformly delivered by the ancient Fathers and by the light of the said truths through Gods grace and goodnesse I became entirely undeceived and by their direction I was led as it were by the hand into the Gates of that City which is set on a hill the holy Catholique Church of Christ. Now of those this is the I. CONCLUSION The entire Rule of Faith comprised in the Doctrines delivered by Christ and his Apostles immediately to the Church is conteyned not only in Scripture but likewise in unwritten Traditions 2. FOr the former part of this Conclusion viz. That the Rule of Christian Faith obedience is no other then the Doctrines and Praecepts delivered immediately by Christ and his Apostles to the Church And by consequence that the present Church pretends not to any new Revelations or Power to make any new Articles of Christian Faith or to propose any Doctrines under that title other then such as Shee has received by Catholique Tradition it will be unnecessary paines to prove out of the Fathers since I doe not know any Christians who deserve that title that doubt of it Indeed the Calvinists earnest to find all occasions to heighten their Schisme charge the Catholique Church as if she admitted within this compasse other Doctrines Decrees and Decretalls c. But most unjustly since there is no warrant or ground given them to lay this aspersion upon the Church and all Catholiques generally renounce it 3. But as for that which followes in the Conclusion viz. That this Rule of Faith is not conteined entirely and expresly in Scripture alone but likewise in unwritten Traditions In this lyes the maine difference betweeen the Catholique Church and all other Sects both ancient and moderne They all and alwaies conspiring in this that the Scripture is to be the only Rule and themselves judges and interpreters of the sence of it at least for themselves or if not they no body however not the present Church and on the contrary Catholiques in all ages unanimously joyning in the contradiction of that ground and affirming that all Doctrines of Faith were not indeed no◠ever were intended to be entirely express'd in Scripture And that Scriptures ought not to be interpreted by any private spirit or reason any other way then according to the line of Ecclesiasticall Tradition 4. Concerning the Rule of Faith therefore let us aske our Fathers that were before us how they were instructed in this point and among them the first testimony will be afforded us by S. Ignatius to this effect quoted by Eusebiu◠Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Ignatius saith he exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the Apostles which Tradition for surenesse sake he thought good to reduce into writing Againe S. Polycarpus saith the
Story follow doctrinall writings namely Epistles conteining particular doctrinall controversies and precepts of manners written upon occasion when false Teachers had sowne tares of particular Heresies in the Churches founded by the Apostles Among these Epistles those of S. Paul both for the number importance and length of them obtained the first place but disposed not according to the order and dates of time that they were written but according to the priviledges and advantages of the Churches and Citties to which they were sent the Romans having obteined as reason was the first place then the Corinthians c. and after all such followed his particular Epistles to particular persons as Timothy Titus c. In the last place the whole volume was concluded with this single booke of Prophecies as being last written most difficult and lesse necessary These things being apparent let all reasonable men judge what just advantage can be taken by Protestants thus to build their maine foundation of difference from the Catholique Church upon so inconsiderable so casuall a thing as the order wherein the bookos of the New Testament have been ranged no man knowes by whom CHAP. VII Rnasons and Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth to prove onely Scripture to be the Rule of Faith 1. BEsides these two so much by many Protestants magnifyed proofes of the Scriptures pretended sufficiency to determine all controversies of Religion with exclusion of unwritten Traditions There are other arguments which had greater force with me produced by Mr. Chillingworth and which that he might more advantagiously enforce he laies this first for a ground viz That no man ought to be obliged upon paine of Excommunication to believe any thing but what God hath revealed to be necessary to eternall salvation which is the substance of the New Covenant made by God in Christ conteining points of necessary beleife and precepts of necessary Evangelicall Obedience For saies he why should any errour or ignorance exclude him from the Churches Communion which will not deprive him of eternall salvation Why should men be more rigid then God 2. These grounds thus laid and supposed unquestionable In the next place to prove that this Covenant is entirely conteined not only in the whole Scripture but also in the lower Gospels yea sufficiently in any one of the former he first alledges these reasons Because the Evangelists having as they professe a purpose to write the Gospell of Christ or New Covenant no reason can be imagined why they who have set downe many passages unnecessary should neglect any necessary For what supine negligence and indiscretion must that needs bee such verily as no man in these dayes undertaking the same designe would commit Againe with what truth could they stile their bookes the Gospell of Christ being but a part of it 3. After such discourses he brings in his opinion two evident and unanswerable Texts out of the Gospells to prove that whatsoever is necessary for a Christian to beleive or practise is conteined in every one of them severally The first Text is the conclusion of S. Johns Gospell cap. 21 Many other signes also did Iesus in the sight of his Disciples which are not written in this booke But these are written that ye may believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in his name For the enforcing of which quotation he addes By these words these are written may be understood either These things are written or These signes are written Take it which way you will this conclusion will certainly follow That either all that which S. Iohn wrote in his Gospell or lesse then all and therefore all much more was sufficient to make them believe that which being believed with lively faith would certainly bring them to eternall life 4. The second proofe is from those words in the Preface of S. Lukes Gospell cap. 1. Forasmuch us many have taken in hand to set forth in order a Declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us even as they delivered unto us which from the beginning were eye witnesses and Ministers of the word It seemed good to me also having had perfect understanding of things from the first to write to thee in order most excellent Theophilus that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed To this quotation he addes a parallell passage of the same S. Luke in his entrance to his History of the Acts of the Apostles Chap. 1. viz The former treatise have I made O Theophilus of all that Iesus began both to doe and teach untill the day that he was taken up c. Lastly he adjoynes twelve questions serving to enforce to the uttermost the strength and energy of these Texâ—s Which Questions after I have first prepared a way by consideration of a few principall termes in this controversie to a satisfaction what is here concluded from these Texts quoted by Mr. Chillingworth I will likewise set downe adjoyning to each of them its answer CHAP. VIII Preparatory grounds for the answering of these reasons and Quotations That Christian Religion was setled in the Church by Tradition especially The advantage of that way beyond writing 1. THe whole weight of this Controversie concerning the Rule of Faith viz. Whether all truths and precepts c. of Christianity necessary to Salvation be to be sought for in Scripture alone or any one or more of the Gospels as expresly conteined in them as Protestants affirme or likewise in the Tradition of the Catholique Church as Catholiques maintaine relying upon the true understanding of these three things especially viz. 1. The way whereby Christianity was setled in the Church which will appeare to have beene by Orall Tradition and externall uniforme practise as being more secure from errour and mistakes than writing 2. The occasion of the writing of the Gospels and other bookes of the New Testament and the benefit which the Church reapes by them 3. The meaning of this Phrase things necessary to salvation and the freeing of it from ambiguities and misapplications I conceived it therefore necessary to meditate seriously and as exactly as I was capable to informe my selfe distinctly of these particulars to the end that I might be able to judge whether these difficulties and objections alledged by Mr. Chillingworth would approve themselves as unanswerable as at my leaving of England I supposed them Here therefore I will set down in order the effect of my enquiry 2. To begin therefore with the first particular to be premised namely the way whereby Christian Religion was setled and continued in the Church By diligent reading of the writings of severall Fathers especially and ancient Ecclesiasticall Historians it manifestly appeared at least to mine own full satisfaction that it was not the purpose of Christ to deliver his new law as Moyses had done his in Tables or written characters but in Orall Tradition or to write it indeede but as Eusebius
equally very artificiall and very naturall 6. Thus much of the Preface therefore being acknowledged to be unanswerable the designe of all that follows is 1. To shew that the doctrine of the churches Infallibility is of all others most generall and comprehensive and which if it could be demonstrated would immediately decide all other controversies 2. That therefore none can seriously think Protestants so unreasonable but that if they were perswaded of the truth of this they would presently submit and leave all disputing 3. But yet since it seems evident to them that some Decisions of the Church are contradictory to the Scriptures which Catholiques propound as infallibly true Therefore it is necessary that Infallibility ought to be demonstrated at least to a higher degree of evidence then they have of the contradiction of the Churches Decisions to the infallible Rule of Gods Word 4. That no such demonstration hath been made by Catholiques the great Defenders of the Church of England have very excellently and fully demonstrated 5. And this with such successe that the very name of Infallibility begins to be burthensome even to the maintainers of it in so much that one of their latest and ablest Proselytes Hugh Paulin de Cressy as the author stiles him which is a title that the same Serenus Cressy for that is henceforth his name assumed in Religion utterly renounces is most certain the Author can never justifie against such a world of much more able Proselytes hath acknowledged the same word Infallibility to be an unfortunate word and too advantagious to Protestants and therefore fit to be forgotten and laid by Wherupon the Author gives scope to a fit of triumphing at the strength of reason and power of truth that a Catholique is forced or renounce so fundamentall a doctrine which yet notwithstanding is not found in any Councell c. 6. Now lest it should be thought to be only the word Infallibility but not the notion of it intended by Catholiques and understood by Protestants that is deserted by Mr. Cressy the Author sayes that Protestants never impugned it by Nominall Arguments producing a passage out of Bellarmine to justifie the acknowledged sense of that word 7. Hereupon the Author imputes to Mr. Cressy unreasonablenesse in answering Arguments made against that which himself confesses cannot be maintained 8. And yet greater unreasonablenesse in the manner of his answer because deserting Infallibility he answers only for the authority of the Church and so makes this authority answer for that Infallibility From this last he draws three consequent absurdities which shall be set down when their place comes to be answered 9. Hereupon he profesles that having considered the inconsiderablenesse of M. Cressy's whole discourse he changed his resolution to answer it as judging it not to deserve an answer 10. And lastly he concludes the invinciblenesse of my L. Falklands discourse of Infallibility 7. This is the mind and whole importance of the Preface which whether rationall or no shall be examined but it is confess'd to be orderly enough and therefore shall be endeavoured to be answered according to its order and the Paragraphs and divisions made by me not himself CHAP. IV. An Answer to the four first Paragraphs of the Preface 1. THat which the Author of the Preface sayes in his first Paragraph viz. That the Doctrine of the churhes Infallibility is of all other most generall and comprehensive and which if it could be demonstrated would immediately decide all other controversies is so conformable to evident reason that it cannot be denied And that which reason requires of me to acknowledge in the first Paragraph charity would invite me to grant universally in the second viz. That if Protestants were perswaded of the truth of this they would presently submit and leave all disputing Were it not that I. P. himself discourages me I doubt not but both himself and many others if they were absolutely convinced of the churches Infallibility would not wilfully detain the truth in unrighteousness by continuing in an obstinate and then an acknowledged disobedience to the church But they behave themselves in the search of the truth as if they were afraid to find it They come with extreme prejudice and partiality to the examination of the controversie and if they can find but any small advantage against any passage in Catholike writers though the churches doctrine be not at all concerned in it they presently give the cause decided according to their own minds and interests which partiality of theirs seems much more intense and withal heightned with fâ—â— greater Passion since the downfall of their Church then ever it was before for indignation to see the extreme weaknesse of their cause imbitters them much more in their disputes against Catholikes and encreases their obstinacy against the authority of Gods church as if they would be revenged against God for giving such an advantage to his Church Proofs of this given by too many others will appear in the whole contexture of this Preface as I shall demonstrate 2. Thirdly J. P. sayes That since it seems evident to them that some decisions of the Church are contradictory to the Word of God which Catholiques propound as infallibly true Therefore it is necessary that Infallibility ought to be demonstrated at least to a higher degree of evidence then they have of the contradiction of the Churches decision to the infallible Rule of the Scriptures Truly this is not altogether unreasonable therefore to give him satisfaction I will fix a good while upon this point though I shall be forced to say over somewhat said already Therefore according to the grounds of the precedent Book I will endeavor to clear the controversie of Infallibility as it is there handled from the mistakes of J. P. and to effect this more prosperously I will peruse this supposition 3. Let it be supposed that the Church of England did pretend to an Infallibility or if you will to an authority of obliging all Christians under pain of Damnation to submit to her Decisions This being supposed and that I desirous to enquire into the grounds of this pretension should betake my selfe to a meeting of severall learned Protestants and say to them since it is so necessary that all Christians should receive information in Christian Doctrine from you Pray let me know where I shall find it This request would presently raise a murmure amongst them and there is onely one answer in which they would all agree which is this That that only is to be accounted the doctrine of the Church of England which ha's been determined by the authority of the English Bishops ratified by the secular head of the Church the King yet with the advice of the Parliament and embraced by all the children and Subjects of the English Church But when they would descend more particularly to signifie the speciall repositories of this Doctrine there would be great variety of answers For the most moderate of them would
of his divinity yet places him above all other creatures But this denies him even that degree of common sens which men of mean capacity enjoy for it makes him establish a law with his own blood which is neither necessary to be kept nor indeed possible to be known then which what can be more absurd ridiculous The perspicacity of my honored lords judgment was so imployed in opposition of Infallibility that I am confident he never reflected upon these sad inevitable consequences 5. But surely no salvation is to be had without this unity in divine truth as I have shown at large in my Exomologesis and onely Christians have the Depositum of Divine Truth entrusted to them Where then shall they finde it In his lordships forementioned Answer it is implied That it is onely to be found in Scripture and Traditionary writings But all such writings are obnoxious to variety of senses and interpretations What must be done in that case to finde out the true Interpretation for that every body says his lordship must shift as well as he can he is to do his best following the dictamen of his own private Reason to finde out the true sense of Scripture And for his comfort he is to beleeve that if his private Reason should chance to mis-lead him as ten thousand to one it will yet there is no danger at all let but private Reason do its best and he may assure himself all wil be Well Gods infinite goodness would fail if a Soul proceeding so reasonably should miscarry But how is this confidence of security in following private Reason grounded That does not at all appear neither in Scripture nor Tradition neither did his lordship seem to imploy the admirable sharpness of his own private Reason to search grounds for that upon which the Eternal disposal of his soul depended 6. That which drove his lordship upon the rock of private Reason was meerly a mistake us may appear to any one that shall carefully read this small Treatise of his If he could have found an infallible Authority for one less then infallible was to his reason a ridiculons thing he would have abhord the though of relying on private Reason interpreting Scripture He sought after this infallible Authority but he sought onely there where either it was not or at least it would require very sharp eyes and a very unprepossessed minde to discover it Therefore he streins his Reason to prove that this infallibility is not to be found in the Pope nor in a Councel at least not so evident to him as to countervail the seeming evidence of the force of some objections that he had against some decisions of Councels and such an evidence he must needs have or none To demonstrate this he makes use of all the imaginable difficulties and mullities that could be found against the legitimation of a Pope and Councel and of any erronious opinions or unlawful or questionable practises in the Church though never decided nor warranted by the Church it self But there is not one word in all his Discourse against the Infallibility of the Universal Church it self or of a general Councel approved of and received by the Church It seems in his Disputes it had been his misfortune chiefly to treat with those that would urge the Dogme of the Popes Infallibility not onely as a Catholick Truth but also as a necessary fundamental established point of Catholick Faith and not being fully cleared in the evidence of their pretentions a thing not very strange since many learned Catholicks would furnish him with doubts and Objections to encrease the mist and obscurity he concluded that no Infallibility could any where be made appear 7. Being thus unfortunately perswaded that there was no evidence of an Infallible Universal Authority plain evident Reason taught him that there could nor possibly be any other Guide but private Reason following its own light for this private Reason would never lead him to submit his Reason to a Church of England or Geneva or Racovia c. For why to any one of these rather then to another And if to all of them indifferently then to contradictions because in many things they contradict each other 8. In this case and circumstances therefore his lordship argued as reasonably as it was possible for one to do that had mistaken the first principle and with the clear ingenuity of a truly noble spirit not imitated hitherto by any Protestant he acknowledged that upon any other grounds but his the Plea of Catholicks was unanswerable unavoidable that is unless private Reason following its own light in the Interpretation of Scriptures were to be every ones Guide and this being apparently a most fallible Guide unless it were certain that God would give his grace that is good fortune to assist private Reason in finding the Truth or his pardon in case it missed of finding it the pretentions of Catholicks are unanswerable 9. Now instead of searching reason to combat this usurpation of private Reason I shall beg of all reasonable ingenious Persons to consider with me what deplorable case this was that he who saw evidently that if the Catholick Churches Authority and Infallibility were opposed all other Churches must expire The Authority of the English Church would be an airy fantosm the Tyranny of Geneva an abomination Amsterdam a meer Bedlam Racovia an execration c. Should notwitstanding think that any one could be safe in no Church at all and thereupon renouncing all authority both name and thing should betake himself to the casual conduct of blinde humane natural Reason but Jâ—â—cia Domini abyssus multa 10. Well but this conduct of Reason and this indifferency as to the point of danger Whether Reason be a true ar false Guide must be disproved by some infallible way says his lordship in the beginning of the twelfth Paragraph otherwise none can be condemned if they follow it 11. For Gods sake what more infallble proof can be imagined against it then this That such a Guide such an arbitrary incertain incapable blinde Guide and interpreter was never heard of in Christs Church till this age that it appeared out of the mists of Polonia T is true it has been actually really followed by all sorts of Hereticks and Schismaticks though they were asham'd to cal it by his own name of private Reason for they pretended it was the Church the Primative Apostolick Church that they followed but never till this later Age private Reason as private Reason shew'd it self in the Chair of Judicature A Guide that will lead them that follow through Rivers and Fens through Woods and Deserts through Mountaines and Precipices to the right hand and to the left backwards and forwards and in a Circle A Guide that must never repose but be continually travelling which way it matters not being as secure in Falsehood as in Truth A Guide that can never be confident much less secure of the right way yea obliged to
Exomologesis OR A Faithfull Narration OF The Occasion and Motives of the Conversion unto Catholike Vnity OF HUGH-PAULIN DE CRESSY Lately Deane of Laghlin c. in Ireland and Prebend of Windsore in England Now a second time printed With Additions and Explications by the same Author who now calls himself B. Serenus Cressy Religious Priest of the holy Order of S. Benedict in the Convent of S. Gregory in Doway Luc. cap. 22. vers 32. Tu aliquando conversus confirma fratres A PARIS Chez Jean Billaine Rue S. Jacques à l'Ensigne S. Augustin MDCLIII To the Honourable Walter Montagu Esquire Sir IN this happy retrayt of a voluntary banishment from the world which by Gods goodnesse I have made choice of one principall designe of my thoughts is not to think of the world yet this cannot justifie nor excuse me if I should endeavour or be willing to forget such a Person as you and one to whom I have so great obligations Indeed I should not comply with this my Vocation if I did not oftentimes remember you To think of you to write to you or converse with you are not worldly businesses they may become and cannot but be advantagious even in matter of spirit to the most abstracted persons for what will such an object represent to them but a true esteem of heaven gracefully set off by an heroicall contempt of earth and this exemplified to the best advantage by one who in the middest of the greatest affluence of all worldly contentments in the strength of his age and vigor of capacity when he was most disposed and inabled to tast whatever was gustfull in them yet had the succesfull courage to despise and renounce them And which is more admirable one that still maintains a fearlesnesse of their skill to recall his liking of them since out of pure charity to God and his distressed servants he dares yet live in sight of them a stranger to them one that with himself consecrates all his own riches to God and onely interesses himself in the wealth of others to the end that he may procure supplies for those that want and to inrich those who by supplying such wants can be perswaded to purchase eternall treasures To you SIR therfore I addresse my self willing to take any even this poor occasion by a very mean Present to testifie to the world my cordial affectionate esteem of you my thankfull acknowledgment of your great goodnesse and charity towards me expressed by a considerable pension without any intercession of friends voluntarily offered and out of your own prison and straitnesse freely sent me immediately after my Conversion though a meer stranger to you yet sufficiently recommended by relinquishing of Friends Estate and Country for that Religion's sake which before had made the same conquest over you And since expressed by many testimonies of your friendly benignity and confidence I take leave therefore to present unto you this Book as it is now a second time published The subject of it is the story of my uncertainties and wandrings and in conclusion my fix'd establishment in the same solid foundation of Truth with you which gained â—e first the happinesse of your affection And I pretend in this second publication to a further entrance into the same affection not for any worth of the Treatise but onely for the testimony that I of mine own accord give publikely of my declining to consider mine own fame or esteem with men in a matter that respects though only the circumstances of divine Truth Since the ground why I renew the impression is to signifie that I detest to maintain with a perverse constancy even the smallest phrases or words which I could suspect might be obnoxious to offence or misconstruction I cannot call it a Book of Controversies though the essentiall points of Catholike Religion be asserted in it or if of Controversies it is principally against those that unnecessarily multiply them Whatsoever it is a poor Present it is God knowes and yet even in that respect lesse unacceptable to you who despise riches and more becoming me whose profession is poverty I pretend to no reward or if any I am content that your pardon should be my reward Yet I must recall my words I do indeed humbly expect and beg a great reward no lesse then the richest kind of Almes Prayers and the best of that best sort of Almes your prayers mine for you have been alwayes due since I knew you and God willing shall be most faithfully paid at Gods holy Altar for I am in truth of heart Paris 21. Octob. 1652. SIR Your Servant in our Lord most affectionately devoted B. SERENUS CRESSY To the Right Reverend Fathers the Fathers DD. Religious of the Holy Order of the Carthusians in the English Convent at Newport in Flanders Right R. R. Fathers SInce it was the eminent sanctity of your Order in vaine endeavoured with greater care by you to be hid from the observation of the world then by others their hypocrisie which contributed much to put me in a condition of writing a discourse of this nature And since it was by the command and for the satisfaction of certain Superiours of your Order likewise that contrary to my Resolution I adventured upon this work and lastly since it was by the advice and encouragement of certain of your Fathers Religious that I took the confidence to publish it being written therefore in strict justice it ought to return and addresse it self thither from whence in so many respects it took its originall But whereas the language made it uncapable either of the censure or apology of those persons who had the greatest and immediate influence upon it and besides though it had been Translated it would not have procured that effect which I infinitely desire Therefore it may seem that meer necessity hath cast upon you this trouble and charity Though the truth is seeing the almost only argument of this Book is to maintain Catholike Unity against the sacriledge of Schisme there could scarce be chosen fitter Patrons for it ' then such persons who are the true successors of those Innocent Martyrs with the effusion of whose blood both Catholike Unity expired in England and that Sacrilegious Tyrant K. Henry 8. dedicated his accursed Idol of Schisme an act which alone may be able to rectifie the judgments of the seducing seduced World for can any man think otherwise but that Catholike Unity is a daughter of heaven whose Victimes have been the lives of persons so only heavenly in their conversationâ— and how could that infernall monster of Schisme prove her â—rigâ—nall better then by being the designe of that Prince â—â— abandoned to all impiety as that he made choice to establish this his darling by sacriledge and murder Saeriledge most palpably against his conscience since in that regard be always continued a Catholique and murder of a most studied beyonâ—sness being committed upoÌ„ persons so innocentâ— that they
Caesariensis before quoted expresseth it not with ink on paper but by his Spirit in the hearts of his people according to the ancient Prophecies concerning him in the Old Testament And hereupon the Fathers observe that our Saviour left nothing at all in writing neither did he lay any injunction upon his Apostles to write bookes And therefore the same Eusâ—bius Hist. Ecel l. 5. cap. 8. 24. expresly affirmes That the Apostles had the least regard to writing The like is noted by Saint Chrysostome in his frist Homily upon the Acts where he gives the reason why the booke of the Acts does onely or principally conteine the occurrences concerning S. Paul and not those neither to the end of his life But an assurance of this irrefragable is given by Saint Paul himselfe who in severall places of his Epistles referres to the doctrine setled by orall instruction as when he sayes Gal. c. 1. If any one shall preach otherwise then ye have received let him be Anathema And againe Phil. cap. 4. Those things which ye have been taught and received and heard and seen in me doe ye And againe to shew the uniformity of the doctrine every where he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme of wholesome words And againe We write no other things unto you then what you have known And againe 1 Cor. cap. 14. 15. As I teach in all Churches And againe So we have preached and so ye have believed Hence S. Augustine makes this rule The Scripture is wont for brevities sake to be silent of many things which are to be learned from the order of Tradition For this reason it was as antiquity observes that S. Paul kept his residence so long a time in many Cities after he had setled Churches there to the end to inculcate into their memories the substantiall doctrines preached over and over unto them and to establish an uniforme order and discipline among them which by that meanes continued in an exact conformity for severall centuries of yeares in the Catholique Church all the world over as Tertullian S. Basil S. Augustin c. observe 3. Now this way of setling Religion by Tradition and outward practise was much more secure and lasting and far lesse subject to corruptions then writings without unappealable interpreters especially could possibly be If it be objected that memory is not so safe a depositary as written records which are made use of to supply the defects of memory It may be answered that that is true of preserving doctrines meerely speculative but not so of such as may be made as it were visible by practise as almost all Evangelicall doctrines are For as for bookes we see by experience that those which of all other in the world ought to have been preserved with the most exact care and wherein the most scrupulous curiosity was commendable I meane the Sacred Evangelicall writings have not been able to escape the inevitable fate of all bookes especially such as every one almost will thinke himselfe concern'd to transcribe that is to have infinite variety of readings much more then any other bookes that I know of whatsoever and principally in in the originall tongues which were not read in Churches Insomuch as in my hearing Bishop Usher one of the most learned Protestant Prelats in England professed that whereas he had had of many yeares before a designe to publish the New Testament in Greeke with various lections and Annotations and for that purpose had used great diligence and spent much money to furnish himselfe with Manuscripts and Memoires from severall learned men abroad yet in conclusion he was forced to desist utterly from that undertaking lest if he should ingenuously have noted all the severall differences of readings which himselfe had collected the incredible multitude of them almost in every verse should rather have made men Atheistically to doubt of the truth of the whole booke then satisfie them in the true reading of any particular passage An evident signe this is that the ancient Governours of the Church did not suppose that Christian Religion did onely or principally rely upon what was in writing For if they had they would doubtlesse either have forbidden such a multitude of transcribers or have preserved the Originall copies or at least have imitated the exact diligence and curiosity of the Jewish Masorites in their preserving the Old Testament entire for the future namely by numbring all the letters and points and signifying where and how oft every one of them were found in Scripture None of which preventions and cautions notwithstanding have been used in the Christian Church Yea so farre is it from that that at least one whole Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans and that most ancient Gospel in Hebrew secundum Nazaraeos are at this day utterly lost not to speak of severall bookes mentioned in the Old Testament not now to be heard of 4. Well but how casuall soever bookes may prove to be yet it does not hitherto appeare how Orall Tradition and Practise can demonstrate it selfe a way more secure and free from hazard than they I will therefore endeavour to resolve this seeming difficulty by asking these Questions Can any one reasonably say that for example the doctrines of Christs death for mankinde commemorated in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist of his reall unfigurative presence there have beene or could possibly have beene more securely propagated and more clearely and intelligibly delivered to Posterity in bookes written which may be lost and will be corrupted by some transcribers and every transcribers copy is as authentique as any others or as they have been in the Tradition and universall Practise of the Church and in a continuall visible celabrating of those divine Mysteries where every action they did performe published the truth which they believed where their thanksgiving for Christs Passion dayly renewed the memory manner and end of it where their prostrations and adorations demonstrated their assurance of his reall Presence where every mans saying Amen at the Priests pronouncing Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi expressed their confession of that Presence with exclusion of all Tropes and Metaphors in the businesse Againe is not the true inward sence of these Christian Doctrines conveyed more intelligibly and represented more exactly lively and naturally by such practises and solemne spectacles than by bare words though they had beene never so eleare and of never so studied a perspicuity With relation to which expresse impossible to be mistaken way of propagating the Mysteries of Christian beliefe and reflecting in his minde thereupon S. Paul in all probability thus reproved the Galatians for their inconstancy in these words of wonder and indignation Gal. c. 3 v. 1. O insensatiGalatae O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been lively represented being Crucified among you As thinking that nothing of lesse power than a charme could
XIX Passages out of Fathers concerning the Churches Authority 1. BUt I will no longer defer the testimonies which Antiquity affords to the third Proposition conteined in the second Conclusion forementioned viz. of the Churches authority to intepret Scriptures and define Controversies I confesse I might have contented my selfe considering the superabundance to omit single passages when so many Fathers have written whole books to witnesse it as Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Vercentius Lirinensis c. mentioned before and whereas all Councells in whatsoever they have determined have virtually determined this otherwise their determinations were to be esteemed any thing else but determinations Notwithstanding I will not refuse the trouble of selecting a few passages more expresly declaring what at large most of the bookes wherein they are found endeavour generally to prove whether Logically and rationally or no let the world judge I am sure they proved it so effectually that they have thereby utterly destroyed the Heresies that opposed them Let the first witnesse therefore be S. Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. Where the Church is there is the Spirit of God and where the Spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace The same Father againe lib. 4. c. 43. We must obey those Priests that are in the Church those that have succession from the Apostles who together with Episcopall power have according to the good pleasure of the Father received the certain gift of Truth And all the rest who depart from the originall succession wheresoever they be assembled to have suspected either as Haeretiques or Schismatiques or Hypocrites and all these do fall from the truth Againe lib 4. c. 62. The spirituall man shall judge them that be out of the Church Which Church shall be under no mans judgement For to the Church all things are known in which is perfect faith of the Father and of the dispensation of Christ and firme knowledge of the Holy Ghost teacheth al truth Again l. 5. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches To which order many yeild assent who believe in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit of God without letters or ink and diligently keeping ancient Tradition It is easy to receive the truth from God's Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich Store-house all thinges belonging to truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches and from them to receive what is certaine and cleare concerning the present question 3. Witness Tert. de Preser Therefore we must not appeale to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be settled upon them in the which there will be either no victory at all or very uncertaine c. Againe Order did require that that should be proposed in the first place which ought now to be onely debated viz. Which of the parties is possessed of that faith to which the Scriptures agree from whom and by whom and when and to whom that discipline was delivered by which men are named Christians For wheresoever it shall appeare that the truth of the Christian discipline or Faith is there will also be found the truth of Scriptures and expositions and all Christian Traditions Witnesse Origen Since there be many who thinke they believe the things which are of Christ and some are of different opinion from those who went before them let the doctrine of the Church be kept which is delivered from the Apostles by order of succession and remaines in the Church to this very day That onely is to be believed for truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church And again in our understanding of Scriptures we must not depart from the first Ecclesiasticall Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us 4. Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccl. There is one head one Source one Mother by the Issue of her fruitfulnesse copious by her encrease we are born we are nourished with her milk with her Spirit we are quickned The Spouse of Christ cannot be defiled with adultery Shee is pure and chast Shee knoweth one house and with chast bashfulness keepeth the sanctity of one bed This preserveth us in God This advanceth to the Kingdome the Children that shee hath brought forth Whosoever divideth from the Church and cleaveth to the adultresse hee is separated from the promises of the Church He cannot have God to his Father that hath not the Church to his Mother Witnesse Lactantius l. 4. c. ult It is onely the Catholique Church that hath the true worship and service of God this is the wel-spring of truth the dwelling-place of Faith the temple of God into which whosever entreth not and from which whosoever departeth is without all hope of life and eternall salvation Witnesse S. Basile and S. Gregory Naz. who as Ruffinus Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 29. relateth took the interpretation of Scripture not of their own sense but from the Tradition of the Fathers Witness S. Cyril of Jerusalem lat 18. The Church is called Catholique because it is spread over the universall world from one end to the other and because it teacheth Catholiquely and entirely all doctrine which are to be known Witnesse S. Ambrose Faith is the foundation of the Church for it was not spoken of the flesh of Peter but of his faith That the gates of Hell should not prevaile His Confession overcame Hell and this Confession excludes many Haeresies for seeing the Church like a good Ship is beat upon by many waves the Foundation of the Church must prevail against all Haeresies L. de incarn dâ—â— 5. Witnesse Dom. in Psalm 37. In the Church the truth resids Whosoever is seperated from it it is necessary that he speak false things Againe Ep. 54. The heighth of all authority all the light of reason for the reparation and reformation of mankinde consists only in the saving name of Christ and in his only Church Again Ep. 56 The supream Emperour of our Faith hath fortified his Church with the cittadell of authority and by meanes of a few persons piously learned hath armed it with copious provisions of unconquerable reason That therefore to him is the most right discipline that especially the weak should retire into this cittadell of Faith to the end that for their defence being placed most securely others should combat with most strong reasons Again de util Cred. c. 16 if the Providence of God doth not precide over humane affairs no care is to be had concerning Religion But if the severall variety of creatures which ought be believed to have flowed from some fountain of most perfect beauty and by certain inward instinct doth exhort both publiquely and privately those
either denyed or affirmed they being of a contrary opinion would break Communion from and deny it to other Churches for Schisme about unnecessary things is by all Christians acknowledged a sin almost unpardonable 2. That rationally to affirm a doctrine to be expressed plainly in Scripture it is not sufficient to say it appeares so to me for so almost every one will be forward to say of all his Opinions which he pretends to be grounded on Scripture But that is to be called plain and expresse which ha's not been controverted by men of reason pretending to piety and impaertiality especially if they be in any considerable number so that it will not be satisfactory to say this appears plainly to me and I am sure I am not led by interest or faction as others are for this may be every ones plea against another 3. That where two senses are given of any passage of Scripture the one extremely probable and naturall the other not wholly absurd and whereof the words may possibly be capable in this case one Protestant cannot upon their own grounds condemn or impute heresie to another 3. These positions thus premised in the next place I conceived it very just that before any Sect of Christians did build upon this foundation of the Scriptures containing expressely and evidently all things necessary that they should all conspire to make a Catalogue of points necessary and this with relation to severall states of persons or at least to Communions and Churches I add this limitation because to multiply severall distinct Catalogues for all persons would be of extreme labour and on the other side to make one Catalogue for all men would as Mr. Chillingworth Cap. 3. parag 13. sayes be like the making a coat for the Moon which is continually in the wain or encrease 4. Now to shew the reasonablenesse of this and that Mr. Chillingworths adversary required most justly such a Catalogue from Protestants let but any man consider with himself what satisfaction any man can have from a Protestant Minister when he shall tell him You have the Bible of our Translation in which we affirm all necessary truths to be contained but mixed with a world of unnecessary you are not absolutely bound to study or to be able to read this Bible yet you shall be damned if you be ignorant of those necessary truths dispersed here and there in it to say definitively how many and which are those especiall necessary truths we are not able neither have we authority therefore at your own perill be sure you mistake neither in the number nor sense of those truths we can indeed afford you Articles and Catechismes to which as long as you live with us you must be forced to subscribe but we have no authority for there is none visible upon earth to propose our collections or determinations as obliging in conscience c. In what a miserable case would that Protestant be that should give himself leave to examine upon how meer a quicksand all his pretentions to eternity are built 5. And whereas Mr. Chillingworth would seem to conceive himself secure in the midst of these uncertainties because as he thinks Catholiques also are encumbred with the like I found that conceit of his altogether groundlesse for the promises of Christ remaining firm and appropriated to the Catholique Church it will follow 1. That in the Catholique Church shall be taught to the worlds end all necessary and profitable truths to all sorts of persons so that every man respectively receiving and believeing what the church appoints to be proposed to him cannot fail of being instructed with things necessary c. 2. The same Church being endued with authority to determine the true sense of divine truths a Catholique submitting to the Church cannot be in danger through mistakes or errours so that he who hearkens to the Church ha's his catalogue of fundamentalls made to his hand the Church like the wise Steward in the Gospell out of that store of provisions given her by Christ proportioning to every man his dimensum panis quotidiani his own befitting allowance 6. And here by the way will appear 1. The vanity of that ordinary calumny which Protestants impute to the Catholique Church as if she taught that it were sufficient to ignorant men only implicitly to believe what the Church believes without an explicite belief of any thing for there is none so ignorant but is obliged to know and assent to what the Church teacheth him by his Pastour suitable to his estate and education And secondly an usuall mistake among Protestants who think that all the credenda in Catholique Religion are comprised in the definitions of Councells for before ever any Generall Councell sate the Church was furnished with her full measure of divine truths necessary to be believed which were by her publiquely professed and proposed which have been occasionally declared and distinctly expounded in her Councells But to return to Mr. Chillingworth 7. He by his sharp understanding and long meditation coming to perceive those inconveniences and considering that no Protestant or other Church could upon their generally acknowledged grounds authoritatively define either the number or sense of Articles of Faith so as to oblige any man even within her Communion in conscience to assent and submission For for example if an Englishman would not subscribe to the sense of any Article of the Church of England all the penalty would be he should not partake of the priviledges and preferments of that Church but he might go over into Denmark or Holland whose sense in such an Article he liked better and still be acknowledged even by the English Church to be orthodox enough He therefore was forced to introduce two Novelties among English Protestants which find great approbation the first is to alter the old manner and notion of subscription to the English Articles for whereas before the Protestants there by their subscription testified their belief of all the 39. Articles in the sense imported in the words yea whereas there was a Canon which denounced Excommunication ipso facto to all that should say that any of them were not true Mr. Chillingworth thus expresseth his mind in subscribing I am perswaded that the constant doctrine of the Church of England is so pure and Orthodox that whosoever believes it and lives according to it undoubtedly he shall be saved and that there is no error in it which may necessitate or warrant any man to distrub the peace or renounce the Communion of it This in my opinion saith he is all intended by subscription 8. His second novelty is that whereas the Protestants alwaies professed that the publiqua Confessions of their Churches Faith was indeed their own faith that is such expressions plain and indubitable as are in holy Scripture concerning such points or at least irrefragable consequences from Scripture and therfore were to them as Scripture because their sence of Scripture and whereas they respectively
in any degree wound nor so much as incommodate his adversary 3. Secondly I answer that whatsoever arguments have been or can be made by Protestants against the manner of Resolution of Catholique Faith do not touch the Church at all since she ha's not intermedled in that Scholasticall nicety of the Resolution of Faith If particular men to exercise their wits and to boast their subtilty do busie themselves in this last inquisitive age about such curiosities undebated and unheard of among the antient Doctors of the church what is that to the church her self or her Traditionary doctrines which were proposed and believed before that new language of the schools was invented 4. But thirdly to demonstrate that Protestants do vainly flatter themselves in supposed advantages against Catholiques about this point of Resolution of Faith I will endeavour as briefly and as perspiouously as I can to set down the state of that controversie which when I have done I believe that without any further trouble it will justifie it self not to be obnoxious to those circles and absurdities which Protestants charge upon it 5. Now for a preparation thereto I will lay down these grounds viz. 1. That that is the thing into which we say Faith is last resolved which is the prime motive or authority for whose sake we believe 2. In all kinds of belief the prime authority which deserves Faith must have two qualities viz. Knowledge and veracity 3. In divine Faith the prime authority is alwaies the prime Verity or God 4. In divine Revelations we are to distinguish the faith or assent which we give to the truth revealed from the knowledge or assent to the Revelation or act of revealing 5. In immediate divine Revelations we believe the truth it self for the authority of the revealer or relator himself which is God and we assent to the revelation having a certain knowledge thereof either by the help of our senses externall and internall or without them immediately by our understanding 6. But if divine revelations be conveyed to us by a second hand that is by the report of others yet then faith is not resolved into the conveying authority but into the prime 7. To make faith by vertue of the prime authority certain or firm I must have assurance of the certitude of this conveying hand that is not only that this conveying hand did receive those revealed truths but the true sense of them likewise and withall was not subject to errour in the propagating of them 6. Having laid these grounds we will make application of them to the present purpose in a few examples The first shall be of a revelation made by God immediately either by expresse language or dreams or visions or the Oracle of Urim c. for all these are of the same nature as much as concerns certainty as when God revealed to the Prophet Isaiah the mystery of the Conception of the Messiah of a pure Virgin In this case the Prophet it is to be supposed was assured by a certain knowledge that this revelation was reall and not imaginary so that he believed the truth revealed with a most firm faith for the authority of God the prime verity whom he knew to be the revealer for if he had not assuredly known this he could not have adhered firmly to the mystery though in it selfe never so true and infallible A second example shall be of an immediate revelation also but yet somewhat of a different nature from the former viz. Of our Saviour teaching the Jewes that he was the Messiah the eternall Sonne of God and confirming this truth by divine Miracles In all outward appearance he seemed to be but a man and therefore what he taught could not be the object of divine Faith neither could his hearers have assurance of his authority unlesse they were assured of the truth of his miracles A third example shall be of the same revealed truth viz. That Christ was the Messiah c. but proposed to persons living in the second or third ages after that time by those who either were themselves eye-witnesses or received it from those that were In this case the persons living in the second or third age if they had not certitude that those that told them this did not lye could not with a faith rationally firm and certaine assent to those truths But certain they might be and most undoubtedly were and the grounds of this certainty were as I have largely shewed before a certain knowledge both that they all heard these and all other substantiall truths of Christianity from their Ancestors as a Tradition Universall whether written or no it matters not and that it was as impossible that all their ancestours all the world over should conspire to seduce them with a lie as that their own eyes and ears should deceive them In all these examples there is the same resolution of Faith for both the immediate witnesses of these revelations and their successors do resolve their faith in these supernaturall truths finally and only into the authority of the prime verity For if any of them should be asked Why do you believe that Christ is the eternall Son of God They would all answer because God ha's so revealed neither could they proceed any further But if they were asked how are you certain that there was such a divine revelation the immediate witnesses would say We saw and heard Christ himself publishing these truths and with a world of stupendious miracles confirming them And their successours would say we receive the same truth by an Universall Tradition not only in it self and of it self credible and in a high degree certain but such an one as ha's more advantages to demonstrate its certainty then any other that ever was Now what ha's been spoken of the second and third ages may upon the same grounds be verified of the fourth fifth and all following to the worlds end And likewise what hath been exemplified in one or two supernaturall truths revealed may be extended to all the substantiall points of Christianity all which as I before demonstrated arrive unto us by the same conveying hand of Universall Tradition by severall wayes as writing publike profession and practise propagated 7. Now among these truths or doctrines coming by Universall Tradition and for that reason believed most assuredly by all Catholique Christians and by consequence most certaine and indubitable one principall one is the authority of the present Church considered not as a relator only but as authorized by Christ to teach this and all other doctrines so as to oblige all men to belief and obedience Which speciall doctrine though it were only testified in Scripture as it is evidently enough were sufficient against those that acknowledge only Scripture for their rule yet we are certain of the truth of this doctrine by the former Rule which can neither fail us neither can we be mistaken in it viz. Because it is universally believed in the present
say that he is inferiour But now what Texts are there to be found so evidently expressing the eternall Divinity of the Son of God as there are for appropriating the Divine Nature to the Father only Viz. these two Texts This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And To us there is but one God even the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ. 7. The truth is if Tradition and the authority of the Church be not admitted to interpret Scripture the Socinians and other Antitrinitarians cannot by Protestants be condemned as Heretiques upon the pretence of denying expresse Scripture since if reason alone be judge those Texts cannot be called express which may be confronted with others seemingly contradicting or which are capable of a sense it may be lesse probable yet so as that without much racking the words will be able to bear a case which to have hap'ned in this controversie every reasonable man will confesse that shall cast his eyes upon the severall positive Texts alledged by Crellius in his book De uno vere Deo I may add further that if the universall Tradition of the present Church in the time of the Councell of Nice had not prevailed for the stating of that great controversie against the Arians so many objections those Heretiques heaped together not only out of Scripture but likewise out of the writings of such Fathers as preceded that Councell that perhaps they might have endangered the cause as will appear to any one that shall cast his eyes upon a world of passages quoted by Heretiques out of Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian S. Justin Martyr Origen Lactantius c. 8. The Second instance is the Heresie of Rebaptization renewed by the Anabaptists of these times and in conformity to Antiquity condemned by English Protestants it is more evident then the Sun that expresse Scripture alone being the Rule and private reason or Spirit the Judge the Anabaptists cannot upon Protestants grounds be accused either to erre in a point fundamentall or however in a point fundamentall contained expressely in Scripture 9. In the last place that upon Protestants grounds no separation among them can justly be called Schisme in the notion of Antiquity appears yet more evidently For among those â—â— of Sâ—â—â—â— now in England which abhor and renounce the Communion of one another 1. There is not any one of them that ha's the assurance to stile themselves the Catholique Church with exclusion of all others not in actuall Communion with them Now Schisme is only a separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church at least if universall antiquity may be allowed to be the judge 2. There is not any one of them which dares apply to themselves in particular those words of Christ Tell the Church and if he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican or those Promises of his Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And I will send the Comforter which shall lead you into all truth And Behold I am with you to the end of the world Now there is no Schisme but from such a church to which those elogies and promises belong 3. All the means and remedies left them to deale with those they call Schismatiques or Heretiques are not to excommunicate them in a Generall Councell as the Catholique Church ha's continually upon occasion done for what a ridiculoâ—s affembly must that be to which they should presume to attribute the name of a Generall Councell And how more ridiculously would an Anathema sound being fulminated by a Synod of Charenton or Gappe or Dâ—rt c. But their proper course in such cases is to persecute imprison or perhaps burn one another as Calvin did Servetus and by this means the weaker and sufferer would be the only Heretique and Schismatique But of Schisme more in the following Conclusion CHAP. XLV The third Conclusion The point of Shisme slightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly considered THE 3d. CONCLUSION viz. That there is one only Church of Christ and that all Heretiques who believe not all Christian doctrines taught in her and all Schismatiques who breaking the bond of Charity divide themselves from her visible and externall Communion are separated from Christ himself 1. IN my discourse upon this Conclusion I need not separate Heresie from Schisme since I do not know any Sect in these times precisely Schismaticall that is without any mixture of Heresie as the Donatists were in the beginning who agreed in all doctrines with Catholiques but separated upon a quarrell grounded upon a matter of fact Therefore hereafter when I speak of Schisme and enquire upon what party it is to be charged it is to be supposed that Heresie must accompany it seeing the foundation of all the present separations among Christians is â—heir disagreeing in points of faith and doctrine 2. Now though this divine truth viz. That the true Church of Christ is only one and by consequence that an injustifiable separation from it is in a high degree damnable be acknowledged by all Christians that I know since it is an expresse article of our Creed Credo unam sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam that is I believe one holy Catholike Church and therefore there may seem to be no necessity to put ones selfe to the trouble of proving it Notwithstanding I will not refuse that trouble to make a collection of quotations both out of Scripture and Fathers to the end both to get a distinct notion of what was antiently understood by this word Schisme and to set forth according to their conceptions the abominablenesse and extreme sinfulnesse of that sin and this the rather because a sad meditation upon such passages enforced me to consider in what a state I had formerly lived and likewise made me wonder that heretofore above all other points I had not bent my thoughts and studies to enquire and determine since it is apparent that there is a Schism in the church upon which party the guilt of so horrible and exterminating a sinne did lye 3. But the truth is my wonder decreased when I considered that hitherto I had not met with any Protestant Writers that have throughly considered this point of Schisme which yet above all others ought to have been most exactly ventilated and examined as S. Augustine lib. 2. cont lit Petil. saith in the case of Schisme against the Donatists The whole question therefore is whether you do not ill you I say to whom the whole world objects the sacriledge of so geeat a Schisme the exact examination of which question whilest you neglect all that you say is superfluous and whereas you live like theeves you boast that you dye as Martyrs And again Ep. 164. ad Emer Don. Wherefore in the prime place this is to be enquired for what reason you made
unquietnesse by reason of certaine scruples already entertained concerning Religion For there I saw persons so utterly secluded from the world that they never visited other men and rarely and with unwillingnesse admit-other mens visits yea excepting a few houres weekly renounced the conversation and sight of one another but only in the church where their conversation was only with God Persons so mortified in their looks so immoveable in their postures with countenances so intent upon their present devotions as if they onely lived with their rationall faculties and so far from observing that they were observed by others that truly I believe they knew it not persons as after enquiry I was informed that through the whole course of their lives practise a strict abstinence and for a greater part a rigorous fast persons that every day allow neer eight houres to vocall prayers and laborious singing in the church and almost all the hours besides in their private cells to meditation and contemplation persons that no incommodity of weather hinders from their midnight watches and devotions in the church for severall hours together persons whose inseparable cloathing is hair-cloth and whose other more private mortifications and austerities they do most sollicitously conâ—â—al from the world and account it of all other the most rude mortification if they should come to be discovered persons who are so far from desiring the esteem of the world that they never would publish any miracles done in their solitude nor seek the canonization of any of their Saints no not their Founder S. Brunâ— himself persons who notwithstanding all these austerities expresse in their conversation the greatest repose and contentment and chearfulnesse of mind imagineable the greatest compassion toward others that would seem to compassionate them and protestations that if there were no happinesse to be expected in another world yet that the inward ravishings of soule the spirituall embraces which their coelestiall Bridegroom affords them many times deserve to be purchased with far greater worldly losses and with far greater austerities then any that they have or can suffer Lastly persons whose order ha's continued now without interruption for about six hundred years without the least scandall without the least need of Reformation growing the more perfect according to the declination of the rest of mankind as if God intended it in an especiall manner to be the defence and security the chariots and horses of Israel An order whose encrease of revenews are perceived not by themselves but the poor only who are accordingly more amply and frequently sustained insomuch as that which ha's been the corruption of other orders is the purifier and refiner of this and I may add this observation with respect to England an order that Almighty God did principally chuse by which to condemn Schisme at it's first entrance there viz. by suffering them that is piety and innocence it self to be the first victimes and sacrifices offered to it 4. I must confesse that as I could not consider these things without astonishment and admiration so I could not free my self from some degree of envy and indignation that I could not find any thing in any of our Churches to oppose to such a spectacle I was willing enough to suspect that there might be some mixture of a secret hypocrisie and pride and ostentation even in such renouncings of pride and ostentation But then I confuted my own suspition by this most sure observation that Almighty God did not usually of all other vices suffer hypocrisie even in a single person to be long undiscovered much less in a whole order and for six hundred years together Therefore I began to discourse thus within my self Is it possible if the Roman church be so deeply guilty and so intolerably depraved as I have hitherto believed that Almighty God should suffer such servants of his to lye in those dregs and pollutions exposed to eternall perdition so many years together Ha's their continuall meditation been in the holy Scriptures and yet never one beam of divine light be sent from heaven to irradiate any of their understandings and to convince them that their whole Religion is apparently contradictory to the same Scriptures Is it likely that if the Faith of the Church was of necessity to be changed and the practises to be reformed that God should make choice of such Apostles as a debauched perjured sacrilegious Apostate Monk of Germany or a seditious uncharitable malicious Picard or a furious Gladiatour of Switzerland and in the mean time leave such persons enflamed with his love still lying in their deadly ignorances and impieties never suffering one of that order to be converted yea leaving Heresie more confirmed in them now then ever before that such a pretended new Evangelicall light discovered it self 5. Some time I spent in such meditations which I could neither hinder nor satisfie my self in yet because it seemed dangerous to me to build resolutions upon the manner and method of Gods Providence which is inscrutable therefore I thought it as necessary for me to examine not the outward shewes but the Rules of Holinesse practised in the Romane church as the doctrines therein professed for if the former appeared to be according to the Spirit of Christ they would strongly argue for the truth of the later Having this designe I provided my self of the best Methods of Devotion and Spirituality that I could meet with and upon all occasions I made conversation with such Religious persons as were in opinion eminent for a spirituall life The successe whereof was strange and incredible For whereas I had alwayes been of opinion that that which in the Roman church was called mysticall Theology was if compar'd with the ordinary Practicall Divinity as I took the Morall Philosophy of the Platonists to have been compared with that of other Philosophers viz. the same ordinary doctrines and precepts of vertue but only cloathed in abstruse sublime and Metaphoricall termes rendring the professors thereof not more vertuous then other men but more phantasticall and self conceited But I found that the notion I had of it had no affinity with the thing it self Mysticall Theology being nothing else in generall but certain Rules by the practise whereof a vertuous Christian might attain to a neerer a more familiar and beyond all expression comfortable conversation with God by arriving unto not only a belief but also an experimentall knowledge and perception of his divine presence after an inexpressible manner in the soul wherein he is taught first to purge himself of all pollutions of sin and worldly lusts to possesse himself of all Christian vertues and by such meanes to prepare himself for an union with the heavenly Majesty the generall instrument of all these blessings being a constant exercise of Mentall Prayer that is meditating with the understanding upon heavenly mysteries but especially inward ejaculations aspirations and immediate acts of the will loving praising adoring and perfectly resigning it selfe to the
be doubtful that he is wrong A Guide that the Scripture never mentioned and the Church never heard of but supposed by being called a Chruch that it never should be hearkned to so that whether Scripture or Tradition or Church or all of them be followed such a Guide ought to be deserted and renounced A Guide that two persons cannot possibly follow together because no two persons that ever followed any other Guide beside Authority did or could think all things to be reasonable that any other thought so And lastly by consequence such a Guide that as long as he continues in the office there cannot possibly be any Church any where And is not this an infallible Eviction that this is an imaginary seducing Guide since it is impossible that that should be a Guide appointed for any Christian which neither Christ nor his Apostles nor any of their followers ever mentioned yea which does formally destroy one of our twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam 12. And yet when all this is said even this is a less unreasonable and less unsafe Guide then any divided particular Church can be For this hood-wink'd Guide inquiring into Scripture and searching after Tradition may possibly stumble upon the way to Unity and Truth that is the true Catholick Church for private Reason professes the exclusion of partiallity and will not refuse to take into consideration whether it self ought not to be renounced and Authority submitted to and if it chance to finde Reason for Authority it will resign its Office and cease to be a Guide any longer or private Reason any longer whereas particular Churches being founded upon the renouncing of Universal Authority in practise and yet usurping that Authority which they renounce doe not onely mis-lead their followers but having seised on them do chain and fasten them in that Dunge on CHAP. VII A concluding Exhortation wherein all are invited to Catholique UNITY 1. FOR a farewell to I. P. and all his Brethren and to all my dear mislead Countrymen of what Religion Sect or Faction soever but principally the Protestants Presbyterians and Independents I beseech them all to suffer a word of Exhortation made by St Paul to the Philippians Phil. 2. Si quae ergo consolatio in Christo si quod solatium c. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Charity if any society of the spirit if any bâ—â—els of Compassion fulfill the joy of St Paul and all Saints that you be of the same Judgement having the same charity being of one mind thinking the same thing That is Think Catholique Unity a desirable thing and pursue the ways to attain it 2. Now the Sun shines not clearer at Noon then this Truth That there is no possible Unity without Authority nor no Christian Unity without an Infallible Authority all other Authority is meer Faction and Rebellion an Authority that reaches to the outward appearance or that bindes onely the purse If there were any true Spiritual Authority lately in England or now at Geneva c. it would engage the consciences of those that are under it and that not as English men or French but as Christians And by consequence all Christians should be obliged to submit to it a thing that themselves do not so much as pretend to Therefore by all those passionate exhortations of St. Paul I conjure you be no longer averse from Catholick Unity and Catholick Authority for be assured without such Unity and Authority submitted to you will finde no consolation no not in Christ himself no comfort in the charity of the Father nor society with the â—â— Spirit c. 3. Do not according to your mistaken custom account us uncharitable in professing that salvation cannot belong to any that are estranged from our Catholick Communion we could not be Catholicks if we said not so Thereby we approve our selves to be the lawful children of the Ancient Saints Martyrs Confessors c. all which out of their burning charity not pride or malice protested damnation to all out of their Communion For how could they or we be the true Church unless we excluded false Churches St. Augustin was the benignest humblest charitablest soul in his Age yet who thunders so loudly and so terribly against Schismaticks as he And his enemies the Donatists pretending to be the Catholick Church to the end to justifie seemingly their false plea were forced to denounce damnation to all from whom they were divided otherwise they would not have had so much as the shew of Catholicks 4. More particularly addressing my self to my most dear friends the English Protestants of whose communion I once was a seduced Member consider I beseech you that that which at the first composing of this Book I onely suspected might possibly happen is now abundantly effected God has in part visited on you the persecution and injustice you laid upon us Now do you not see that your Church was the meer creature of State-Policy If it had had the power of Religion the decay of your Ecclestical estates or imprisonment of your Bishops would not have destroyed Authority among you The censures of a captive Pope or Excommunication of a Synod meeting in a Grot were as terrible to irregular disobedient Catholicks as if they had thundred from the Capitol or the Emperial Pallace in Constantinople Where are the proofs now of your Spiritual Power Why do not you thunder out your Excommunications against the Subverters of your Religion or against your own daily revolting subjects Alas who would be frighted with such Anathema's Or what subjects have you now after the loss of your temporal Lordships And which way shall those Lordships be regained that you may become a Church again Those that were once content you should enjoy them will not adventure their own estates to recover them for you the Lutherans are too far off and the Calvinists too neer you may comfort your selves with your Liturgy and perhaps your Surplices worne in private Conventicles But as for a succession of Priests or Bishops that is not to be hoped much less a restauration of your Religion which is now quite out of date 5. To what Church will you now apply your selves To the Scotish Kirk or your own Presbyterians the first incendiaries of all these troubles the Idumaeans that cried Exinanite Exinanite usque ad fundamentum in ea Or to their successors of a thousand names and shapes and all of them frighrful What is it that holds you from returning to Catholick Communion What other injuries have we done you except that we have forced you to blush to see how patiently we suffred your injustices oppressions and persecutions But the Truth is you were not so much our Persecutors as that poysonous generation of Calvinists among you they were those who instill'd fury into our Kings and Parliaments and poison into the laws against us Which very lawes are still kept in force against Catholicks
and the present Governors who profess Independency an absolute freedom of Conscience are yet by a secret transition of some dregs of Calvinistical pollution become severe Executioners of their cruelty against us By that means destroying the foundation of their own Religion and rendring themselves obnoxions to be censured by neighbouring Princes and States as persons of no faith or constancy even to their own Principles But however it is to be hoped that care will be taken that the Presbyterian banner shall never be displayed amongst you lest their little fingers prove hereafter more heavy to all their opposors then the Prelatical loynes were formerly And I cannot but congratulate unto Scotland their late procured liberty from this more then Scilician Tyranny of Kirkism 6. If those now exauctorated now dispossessed Presbiterian Spirits would hearken to the advise of one that truly wishes so well to their souls that he would willingly sacrifice his life for their good I would desire them to consider how palpably beyond all other Sects their condition is most miserable and evidently accursed both by God and man For their Dominion and Tyranny never lasts longer then during the times of sediâ—ions and secret rebellious practises Then indeed secular ambitious spirits having great use and need of them to whisper treasons sow discontents inflame revenge and under a shew of zeal root all charity obedience and peacefulness out of the consciences of the people do suffer them to rage Whilst these plots are agirating so long they have leave given them to domineer over the souls of men and to set up their abhorrid Tribunals But when once their secular lords see themselves settled by their practises then nothing is so contemptible as a Calvinistical Minister witness Geneva where they have no influence upon the State and witness Holland where the whole Body of their wretched Ministery are not allowed one single voice in their Government nor the meanest Artisan scarce willing to cast away a daughter upon them 7. Filii hominum usquequo gravi corde ut quid diligitis vanitatem quaeritis mendatium O my beloved Countrymen How long will you remain of such stupified insensible blinde hearts Do not you perceive that it is meer emptiness that you graspe and a palpable lie that you so busily seek whilst renouncing Christs Authority you follow the conduct of your own Reason and Spirit Are you not now become like the men of Sodom struck with blindness yet perswaded that you are the onely Seers You cross and justle one another in the way knocking at all doors but the right How impossible is it that this blindness this eternal wandring should be cured but by the Opobalsamum of Catholick Faith and Obedience to the only spouse of Christ the Church Your eyes are not the onely Organs but your ears must be used for the learning of the true way Faith comes by hearing not studying or disputing and the persons to be heard are those that are sent that have a Mission sealed by Christ and delivered successively from his Apostles and by their Successors If you would hear you would beleeve And if you would beleeve you could not be divided But you will read and study and dispute and the fruit thereof is not faith but science falsely so called which puffs you up with a vain opinion of knowledge and tempts you to study and dispute without end Now if you really beleev'd the Scriptures which you read you would hear the Church that is the onely safe Interpreter of them He that hears you hears me sayes our Saviour to and concerning his Apostles and their Successors Christians must be hearers of their Teachers to the end of the world What infinite numbers of mis-lead souls have continually deceived themselves into eternal perdition and all of them with the Bible in their hands and perhaps in their heads and memories And this not for want of reading or disputing but of hearing and beleeving 8. This is the true and proper Difference indeed between a Catholick and a Mis-beleever The Bible is a Rule to them both but the sense of the Bible is conveyed several ways to them Hereticks receive it by the eyes they deliver it themselves to themselves by which means every one being a Teacher independent of another Christ has no Schollers among them so that every Reader creating a sense proper to his own tast and disposition they all agree onely in possessing the outward bark but the true sense escapes them Whereas a Catholick receives both the Bible and the sense of the Bible from the Church and Teachers appointed in Her So that he has the same assurance of the senseâ—â—â— of the Bible it self then which a greater certainty cannot be given even Protestants themselvs being Judges By this means it comes to pass that as it is impossible that Hereticks should agree any other way then in faction So it is impossible that Catholicks should differ in points of belief as it is impossible that Protestants should be humble who trust none nâ—r rely on any but their own wit and judgment they being their own only Authority So it is impossible that Catholicks should in this regard be proud whose wit and judgment is to renounce their own judgment and to depose their own wit and to captivate both to the obedience of Faith which comes by hearing Christ speak to them by his Church Lastly as it is impossible that Hereticks who follow private Reason which of all others by a general acknowledgment is the blindest Guide should not with their blind Guide fall into the Pit so it is impossible that Catholicks if their works be answerable to their faith should not with the Church that teaches them attain the glory which Christ has purchased for his Elect. 9. Do not I beseech you my dear friends look upon this Characteristical difference between Catholicks and Hereticks as a new device of our own brain but as an Ensigne set up by the Fathers of the Church yea by the Holy Ghost himself speaking by his Choisest Organ St. John the Evangelist Ep. 1 Chap. 4. Ipsi de mundo sunt ideo de mundo loquuntur c. They are of the World therefore they speak of the World and the World hears them we are of God He that hath known God heareth us Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error The Apostle in the beginning of the Chapter had warned the Brethren of the multitude of Antichrists that is Hereticks that were shortly to infest the Church and to preserve themselves from their poyson he advises them to try the Spirits that they might discern the true from the false Now to enable them for this Tryal he gives this mark of distinction They saith he that is the false Spirits are of the world and they speak of the world and the world heareth them Their great Master and Arch-Apostle is the world that is worldly lust which as he said before were
The lusts of the flesh â—he lusts of the eye and the pride of life these were the great Masters that taught them their new Doctrine and made them renounce the old The weariness of an unmarried or of a chast life ambition after great estates and scorn to submit themselves to obedience these taught new lessons to the Arch-Heriticks and these lessons they preach to others and those that are of the world and love such censual conveniences hear them Thus is Heresie begun and continued in the world 10. On the contrary saith he We are of God who have conquered the world and by that means â—rample on these things we have a far more noble ambition For the reward that we pretend to is no less then God himself And all that know God and know how to set a value on him hear and obey us Hence he concludes Hereby know we the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error But it may be replyed That as there are many true Beleevers much immers'd in the lusts of the world so there may be some Hereticks that in appearance at least are in a good measure free from the same lusts 'T is true yet those Hereticks do not hear the Ministers of Christ They receive their writings they study them and dispute out of them but do not hear the true Pastors interpreting them Hereby indeed is known the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error For if they without mission would not pretend to be Apostles nor deliver their own doctrines out of the Apostles writings but have humility to hear the Apostles and their Successors and Faith to beleeve them they would never be obnoxious to this Spirit of Error 11. To conclude my dearly beloved Friends instead of examining those several marks of true and false Churches and Teachers extant in Books of controversies content your selves with this Catholick mark given by the Apostle in his Catholick Epistle to all Christians to the worlds end Would you know where the Spirit of Truth is It is not among them that accept and read and study the Scriptures for then what would be Heresie Do they not in all their wandrings and mazes carry the Bible with them And the Bible it self as they use it leads them to destruction For Lust Ambition Curiosity Covetousness or Pride either blinding them or staining their eyes makes them think they see in Scripture that which foments and encreases those Passions Whereas if having their eyes open to read the Bible they would keep their ears open likewise to hear the Church interpreting it it is not possible they should erre or be at variance about the mysteries of Faith God Almighty of his infinite goodness clear your eyes and open your ears that you may see and hear and live for ever Amen FINIS AD LECTOREM En tibi Candide Lector illas Eximii Doctoris ad Quaesita mea pridem missas Responsiones in priori quidem hujus Libri Impressione promissas sed ex oblivione omissas Quod ad speciales autem Doctrinas pertinet vel hìc vel superiùs in Libro contentas me tanquà m Historici solùm non Dogmatistae partes agentem respicias Et vale Quaesita Generalia QUaeritur primò Utrùm haec Thesis sit in Romana Ecclesia irrepraehensibilis videlicet Nihil est creditu necessarium in Religione Christiana tanquam de fide nisi quod revelatum fuit Ecclesiae per Christum Apostolos ejus Respondetur Quod haec thesis ut jacet est omninò irrepraehensibilis immò nihil est proprie de side cujus actus necessariò iâ—mediatè innititur divinae revelationi â—nisi quod revelatum fuerit á Deo Ecclesiae per Christum Apostolos Ab eorum enim tempore nihil de novo Ecclesiae revelatum agnoscimus Qu. â— Utrùm omnes articuli de Religione in Concilio Tridentino determinati propositi sinâ— veritates divinae tales quae ab Apostolis fuerint Ecclesiae revelatae Resp. Omnes articuli purè doctrinales nec aliam incluâ—entes materiam facti quà m quod divinitùs institutum agnov mus determinati a Concilio Tridentino tales sunt quoad substantiam Qui verò vel disciplinales vel ex toto vel ex parte ad materiam facti non divinitùs instituti spectant canonicam habent certitudinem ac proinde quicunque illorum aliquâ—m pertinacitur condemnaverit tanquam Ethnicus publicanus habendus est Qu. 3. Si non Uâ— v. gâ— articuli de libris canonicis de vulgata translatione de communione sub una speâ—ie de veneratione imaginum utrùm liceat Catholico inquirere probabiliter determinare quinam speciales articuli sint tales veritates revelatae quinam non Resp. Ad quaestionem principalem sepositis hypothesi perenthesi quod omninò licet Ad hypothesim supra responsum est Ad parenthesim autem respondetur Quod esse librum canonicum importat duo 1. Quod vel doctrinam revelatam contineat vel cerre nihil dissonum à veritate divina Catholica 2. Quod liber ipse semper habebatur à multis Ecclesiae Doctoribus divini fuisse alicujus authoris Cui scilicet istius libri doctrina ad Religionem spectans aut immediatè à Spiritu sancto revelata fuerit aut in illa tradenda divinum adfuerit speciale auxilium De prima parte potest Concilium verè oecumenicum certissimè decernere de secundâ cum majori vel minori cerâ—itundine juxta varias reâ—um circumstantias ita tamen ut canonicam semper habebit certitudinem hujusmodi Concilii etiam in hac parte decretum Quod idem dicendum est de vulgatae editionis decreto licèt purè materiam facti designet De communione sub una tantùm specie Concil â— Decretum est negativum videlicet Ecclesiam non teneri nec institutionâ— seu praeâ—epto divino nec quacunque aliâ◠de causa Sácramentum Eâ—charistiae fidelibus omnibus sub utrâque specie administraâ—â— Et hoc certistimum habet Ecclesia ex traditione praxi An verò justis de causis unam tantùm speciem communiter administrari decreverit prudentiae non doctrinae quaestio est De veneratione imaginum quamvis res facti sit hoc tamen ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus traditum habemus Qu. 4 An non haec sit pobabilis ratio distinguendi inter tales articulos scilicet ponendi istos articulos esse revelationes divinas in quibus Concilium explicitè significat Ecclesiam traditionaliter recipisse talem doctrinam à primis usque Christianismi temporibus Resp. Hanc rationem seu viam distenguendi inter tales articulos probabilem ac sanam esse non verò solam unicam Oportet enim ut articuli qui sint revelationis divinae sint doctrinales qui nunquam ab omnibus Ecclesiae Doctoribus habebantur incerti tunc etiamsi Concilium declararet hujusmodi articulos ad novatoris alicujus obtundendam audaciam absque