question was only but about matter of Fact or their Controversies but of little Importance The Donatists upon that discovery had but unhandsomly said to the Catholicks Return to us that will be as commodious as if we our selves should come to you I am very sensible that this will be their Thought These Gentlemen say that they are in Possession It 's true among other things they are in Possession to suppose as certain that which is in dispute They are the Church It 's that whereof we agree not If they were the Church and that Church sound and entire we would not be so unreasonable to propose it them for to come to us The Church of St. Augustine was the true Church that of the Donatists was in Schism If they had perswaded us that which they assay to prove these many years that we are Schismaticks and Hereticks they would then have reason to invite us to make all these Advances and we should be in the wrong to expect them without moving our selves We are not Innovators we are Restorers of the Apostles Religion We have the advantage of Antiquity of Doctrines and Worship in comparison whereof Antiquity of Churches of Edifices of Chairs and Episcopal Seats is nothing at all We are in a perfect Conformity with the Scripture and the Church Apostolick that is better than Conformity with the Church of the Tenth Age and the following The Question then here is only of Fact thus for if we hold the Apostles Doctrine it s certainly their part who have forsaken it to return to us Time cannot prescribe against Truth It 's in vain to say They have for Title a long Possession The more ancient that such Wandrings are the worse they are But that cannot take from us the right of solliciting those People to return Besides it would be more easie for those Gentlemen to return to us than for us to joyn to them for we should not oblige them to any thing that would be against their Conscience seeing we adore only what they adore But we cannot go to them whilst they do serve that which we cannot serve If this Worship of Images this Invocation of Saints this Adoration of the Eucharist are so little a thing and if that should not hinder us from Joyning to them why do they not abandon that little Thing which scandalizes us so greatly and which we reckon to be much Is nothing to be done for Charity Should not Men renounce their own Interest when it s but inconsiderable for our Neighbours Salvation I pretend not that these Reasons will perswade those Gentlemen to abandon their Party and enter into ours Nor that they are capable of doing it So great a Business is not dispatch'd in so little time But it may give us to understand that we have as much right as they to ask for a Reunion without obligation to change any thing and that all those By-ways which have been invented within this little time some while Ways of Prescription then Ways of Prejudices or Prejudgments then Ways of Sweetning are all Ways of Illusion which only hinder us from Treating of the Business to the bottom and from entring into the particulars of the Controversies Because those Gentlemen do not find it commodious to keep that right Method which hath been used hitherto they are searching indirect Ways I do not hope that those Sweetnings of my Lord of Condom and of his Followers will do any great thing for the general Peace of Christianism and for the Repose of particular Persons Yet I cannot but. Essay to get some little Advantage from it by the by Assuredly we should be thankful to my Lord of Condom for his Book Though it should not produce that effect which he hopes for from it to wit the Reunion of both Religions into one One at least naturally it should produce some Peace between both Parties Till now the Roman Catholick and the Protestant have almost considered one another as the two Antipodes of the World Christian At this day they labour to make them return from thence To make our Spirits reapproach they give us Explications tending to make us see that we are not at such a distance as Men were perswaded of These Explications of my Lord of Condom that do reapproach in some parts his Doctrine to ours do also without doubt cause to reapproach our Doctrine to his If Disputes can be annihilated by the Explications of some Terms If our Doctrine be not far distant from that of the Roman Church and do not hurt the Foundation as is insinuated Why then is it made a Phantasm to the People Why then are Men arm'd against us Why so much abhorring for those Men that do not Sin but in that they understand not the Doctrine of the Church Why are the Powers arm'd and the Arm of Flesh Why have heretofore Floods of our Blood been drawn out Why do they cast on us frightful Names of Hereticks and Excommunicate damned Synagogues of Satan and Organs of the Devil Methinks if Men do but deal in good earnest after those Sweetnings men should have a little Sweetness for us or if they continue that rigorous and severe Method against us it seems to be a proof that these Sweetnings were not made with a Spirit of Sincerity but only with a design to procure an Illusion to the Ignorant and to furnish Pretences for those that do seek their Conveniences in the World This is a little advantage which might accrue to us from my Lord of Condoms Book if those of his Party would but be of his mind but I will draw another much more considerable It 's that at the bottom there was never a Book more favourable to the Protestants If we do but consider well the Shape which my Lord of Condom gives to all the controverted Articles this is not a defence of the Dogma's of the Roman Church it 's not an Apology it 's properly an Excuse it 's a Palliative Book if I may so speak Now every man that excuses a Fact a Doctrine or an accused Person by that it self confesses there is some Evil he only tries to make good that the Evil is tolerable This is that whereto my Lord of Condom doth visibly lead us With all his delicate Manners and his Spiritual modelling every Person uninterest'd will conclude that he hath felt some Evil to be within that Church whereto he would have us Reunite and that his Design is only to insinuate That this Evil is tolerable and that it ought not to hinder our Re-union Methinks this appears therein easily by a little attention given thereto for Example if we believe my Lord of Condom An Image hath no other virtue but that of recalling the Memory of the Original there is properly no kind of Homage rendred to it only Men do serve the Original in the presence of the Image Is not that neatly enough to confess That they that go beyond it are most guilty that
A PRESERVATIVE Against the CHANGE OF RELIGION OR A Just and true Idea of the Roman Catholick Religion opposed to the Flattering Portraictures made thereof and particularly to that of my Lord of Condom Translated out of the French Original by CLAUDIUS GILBERT Batchelor of Divinity and Minister of Belfast LONDON Printed by S. Roycroft for Thomas Cockerill at the Three Legs in the Poultrey 1683. TO THE Worshipful Soveraign AND THE BURGESSES OF THE Borough of Belfast AND To the Inhabitants thereof Christian Friends THis Learned Piece was lately brought to my Hand by a Signal Providence in its Native French Dress By the renewed perusal thereof I found it to be very Substantial and Seasonable which made me willing to render it more useful by Publishing it in our Vulgar Habit. It hath been found to be of singular Service in its Native Country and may be so among us likewise through God's Blessing Whilst so many Thousand of our Neighbours Houses are daily Fired it 's time for All to awake The multiplied Persecutions of the Protestants in France so causelesly renewed of late should rowze up all Christians round about them In such Infectious Times a Choice ANTIDOTE should be valued and desired of All. Many Reasons might oblige me to recommend this Present to your View and Improvement The choice Ingredients thereof were very Skilfully Composed and Faithfully Dispensed by the Learned Author thereof My Zealous Affections for all Your Prosperous Welfare chiefly in Spirituals and for the Common Interest of all Christians have perswaded Me to this Publication which I desire cordially to commend to the Blessing of the Most High as becomes the Function and Relation of Your Faithfully Devoted in the Lord Jesus for the best Service CLAVDIVS GILBERT Belfast July 3. 1682. THE CONTENTS OF THE ARTICLES Contained in this BOOK ARTICLE I. GEneral Reflexions upon my Lord of Condom's Book pag. 19 Article II. A General Idea of both Religions p. 36 Article III. That we agree not about Fundamental Points p. 45 Article IV. That the Worship forbidden of God cannot terminate in him p. 53 Article V. Of the Invocation of the Saints p. 56 Article VI. Of Images and Relicks p. 78 Article VII Of Justification and Merit of Works p. 87 Article VIII Of Satisfactions Indulgences and Purgatory p. 101 Article IX Of Sacraments in General p. 115 Article X. Of the Eucharist of Real Presence and of Transubstantiation p. 120 Article XI Of the Adoration of the Host p. 137 Article XII Of the Sacrifice of the Mass p. 152 Article XIII Of the Retranchment of the Cup p. 165 Article XIV Of Holy Scripture p. 176 Article XV. Of the Church p. 182 Article XVI Of the Pope and of his Authority p. 189 Article XVII Of the Points which Monsieur de Condom hath forgotten Of the Worship in an Vnknown Tongue Of the Multitude of Ceremonies Of Masses without Communicants Of forced Celibat p. 198 A PRESERVATIVE Against the Change of Religion OR A just and true Idea of the Catholick Roman Religion opposed to the flattering Portraicture which is made thereof and particularly to that of my Lord of Condom NEver were greater Efforts in France to effect what they call Conversions and never was the Truth attack'd by so many Means nor fought with so much Success We see nothing else every where but Scandalous falls therefore they that lay to heart their Salvation ought to be furnished beforehand against the Contagion of this ill Air that reigns at this day It 's time to awake when the house is burning and one may say that if the Zeal of our Reformed in France be not kindled anew they are next to the seeing the ruine of their whole Party The Book of my Lord of Condom is one of the Means which is used with most Success to delude those Spirits that are Wavering and whereof the Piety is ill fixed These Gentlemen have so high an Opinion of that Work and of what it can do that many Bishops cause it to be printed at their own Cost and to be distributed within their Diocess to all considerable Protestants there The Temptation is powerful and the Method which my Lord of Condom hath used is dextrous his Artifices are fine and delicate and it is certain that this Book is able to Corrupt the hearts of those that are inclin'd towards the World and who are seeking out some Pretences to quit a Religion so cruelly attack'd It is then needful that all the World should be taught that every one should keep his Guard well against such a Temptation And as the Roman Church labours to spread my Lord of Condom's Book through all Europe by causing it to be turn'd into all Languages we must also disperse through them all the Answers opposed thereto And when the Publick shall have found one best liked every Particular Person should furnish himself with a Copy thereof that may be still at hand and still read over to be continually upheld against such a Temptation as is never at an end but is uncessantly still renewing Ever since that Loss which the Roman Church had in the beginning of the last Age of so many Millions of Souls which did then separate from her Communion no Endeavours have been omitted to repair that Breach and no Means but have been employ'd to bring back into her Bosom such as have gone away from it We must needs bear them this Witness that never so much Ardor and Zeal was seen in any Enterprize never was a more serious and important Affair undertaken than this design they have laid to hinder the duration and progress of That which they call Schism and Heresie It is indeed a design which cannot be blamed If these Gentlemen are well perswaded that the Religion which we have abandon'd is the only One that may conduct unto Salvation We may not wonder if they labour to bring us back thereto provided that they endeavour it in a good way honestly and by a Principle of Charity and true Zeal But as it often happens that in such a case Men prove the Cullies of their own hearts and that Self-love the Interest of the Flesh and that of the World do delude them all should well examine themselves in that regard and not take it ill that they that are concern'd therein be willing to have their part in such an Examination We should not imagine that all that which is called Zeal for Religion and a design to convert Hereticks should necessarily flow from a good Principle On the contrary God for the Trial of the Faith of his Elect hath almost always permitted that false Religions have had more Zeal for the destruction of the True than the True Religion for the ruine of the Falser When Christian Religion became predominant She did not do that for the ruine of Paganism which had been done against her during the Reign of Pagan Emperours It 's true that true Zeal is always accompanied with Moderation and false
God that gave it us It is to prefer willingly Darkness to Light it 's to merit that God should cast us into a Reprobate sense and deprive us of all knowledge of his Truth Do what men can they cannot but esteem slightly such as change their Religion for carnal Considerations for a Charge for a Pension and for such like Preferments It 's then clear that it 's not honest to sollicite men to commit base and criminal Actions for which they are afterwards slighted Father Mainbourg doth rationally commend Paul the Third who forbad Cardinal Contarin to give or promise any thing to the Protestant Divines not willing that it might be said that he had corrupted them with Mony to bring them by so base a way to the Belief of the Church which employs Means much more noble to convert the Strayers It 's hard to believe that this Author hath not in view some Persons nearer him than Paul the Third than Cardinal Contarin and the Lutherans of the time past The Roman Catholick in France the Protestant in Holland and in England should never say Your Religion is an invincible Obstacle to your Fortune nothing will be done for you whilst you are of that Religion Methinks the Devil hath rendred this Conduct very suspicious and Men should think it their point of Honour not to imitate him and not to say as he I will give thee the Kingdoms of the world and their glory III. It seems also to me that it s but an ill Character in the Zeal that seeks Conversions to be so indifferent in the Choice of People It 's true that the Net of the Gospel Preaching gathers on the Sea-shoar all that is found within its compass Dirt Stones and Pearls but the Fisher-man makes his Choice he takes the Pearls and throws the rest into the Water The true Church doth inclose indeed enough of Prophane and ill Christians whereof she cannot get rid because they are born in her bosom She hath no need to fortifie the ill Party and increase it by receiving the Impious the Libertines and worldly Professours which do cast themselves into her Arms only to recover the Reputation that they have lost and upon design to procure themselves some Protectors against the Party which they have dishonoured by their Crimes The Spirit that should conduct men to Jesus Christ is a Spirit of Purity and of Renunciation to the World for the Lord saith If any will follow me he must deny himself I think therefore that the true Church should never open her Arms unto such who have always distinguished themselves by a life full of Disorders unless she may have good assurances that they will renounce Crime as well as Errour And to be assured of that there must be a long Trial. I know well what is said and thought about it It 's true say they that by these sorts of Conversions we augment not the Number of the Saints but we lessen that of the Hereticks In diminishing their Number they may happily be brought one day to be ashamed of their Singularity Their Multitude helps to make them Heady they perswade themselves to be in the right because they see themselves to be many who report it so one to another These ill Converts say they again have Families to be saved they have Children that may be made good Christians the Stock is naught but the Branches may be sanctified Whoever Reasons after this manner be he Catholick Roman or Protestant assuredly reasons but badly Although these kinds of Reasoning were not altogether delusions yet must it needs be granted that they are Maxims of a Politick purely human for indeed the Spirit of Christianism doth not commit a present Evil for the prospect of a future Good He abhors Vice and Crime he would not be beholding to it for the Salvation of many Souls though it could be the very occasion of saving some The Church casts all those dead Carkasses on the Shoar far enough from receiving them into her bosom under whatsoever pretence IV. In fine Sincerity and good Faith are in my Judgment an inseparable quality of true Zeal The Prince of Darkness often transforms himself into an Angel of Light but never doth an Angel of Light take the form of the Prince of Darkness Falshood often abuses the Truth to support it self but Truth can never make any good use of Falshood This is to borrow the Devils Weapons for to fight for Jesus Christ and that cannot have any good success for there is nothing common between Christ and Belial It 's true that pious Frauds are no New things Of a long time have Miracles been fained Oracles supposed and Books published under the Names of Authors who were known to have some weight with those whom they had a design to convert It 's that which hath given birth to the Oracles of the Sybils to the Books of Mercurius Trismegistus and to the false Visions of the Pastor and to so many other Deceits contrived with a good Intention But this Conduct though it be ancient is not therefore become better by growing old Never will Deceit prescribe against Probity and good Faith It will always be true That a Zeal which deceives Men to convert them is a Zeal that is false ignorant and misunderstood There is hardly any kind of Deceit which is not practised to fortifie ones own Party and to diminish the opposite Party But here is that which is most ordinarily used and with less Secrecy It 's that on one side they paint out the Religion which they would combat with colours most black and hideous they render it monstrous that it may cause horrour they dissemble what Good it hath they exaggerate what it hath of Evil they give a Criminal Character to all its Expressions they make Heresies of all Tenets they ascribe to it what it doth not hold they disguise with the hue of Infidelity what it holds On the other part they fairly colour the Religion whereof they undertake the defence they draw the Curtain on that which might scandalize it they give an air of Innocency to their most criminal Practices they cover with fair Names the foulest Things It 's a kind of discredit whereof each Party accuses the opposite Party the Roman Catholick accuses the Protestant and the Protestant accuses the Roman Catholick It 's a Process that one cannot decide but by examining to the bottom to see who is in the wrong and who it is that imputes or imputes not As I do not here pretend to be uninterest'd being a declared Protestant I make no difficulty to pronounce that our Side is alone in the good Faith yet will I not be believed upon my Word But the thing is so clear and so well known of all the World that I could suppose it without taking the pains to prove it They have black'd Us with the most horrid Imputations and it 's a case of so great notoriousness that I know not whether it be
Justification It is for Example the odious Term which they give unto Doctrines the most innocent in the World The Seventh Canon is made to perswade That we look upon as very Sins the motions of Faith and Contrition that ought to precede Justification Which is not so The Eighth supposes that we say That every fear of Hell is a Sin and serves only to render Sinners more Criminal which is far distant from our Sentiments The 9 th the 19 th the 21 th and the 27 th condemn us as if we did teach That for to be Justified we need only to have a naked Faith simple and destitute of the society of good Works A Doctrine which we most abhor The 10 th and the following have given place to those Tragical Declamations against Imputed Righteousness whereof these Gentlemen acknowledge this day the Truth and Innocence So the Justice of Jesus Christ is not only imputed but actually communicated to his Faithful Ones by the operation of the Holy Ghost saith my Lord of Condom The 13 th and 14 th impute an absurd Doctrine to us That for obtaining remission of Sins and Justification we must believe that we have already received it 5. Behold yet another Reason of our refusal to Subscribe the Decrees of this Council about Justification It is because it condemns for Heresies those Opinions which we believe to be sound and true The 12 th Canon the 15 th and 16 th in giving an odious and little faithful Turn to our Doctrine upon the Certainty that we may have that we are in Grace and that we are Predestinate would snatch away from us a Truth which we believe to be of absolute necessity for the tranquillity of the faithful Soul It 's Confidence in God and in his Promises which renders us certain of our Salvation for so long a time as we are in actual obedience to his Commands The Canon 17 th and 23 th which impute unto us to believe That Men are Predestinated to Evil which we do abhor would at the same time take away from us a Truth clearly couched in the Word of God and which hath been acknowledg'd by St. Augustine It is That God calls no others but those whom he hath Predestinated and Justifies no others but such as he hath so called and will Glorifie no others but such as he hath so Justified that is to say That the Grace which God gives the Reprobate is not a Grace truly Justifying and that Justification is never lost The Canon 18 th and 25 th tend to ruine a very considerable Truth viz. That in our best Works there are some defects A Sentiment which we account so important that without it according to us cannot be preserved our Christian Humility And at the same time those same Canons impute to us to say That all the good Works of the Faithful are mortal Sins the which we abhor The 28 th sets down a Doctrine which we cannot receive it is That Faith without Charity and without Works is a true Faith 6. In fine We cannot subscribe to the Doctrine of this Decree because that although the Canons thereof were in some places capable of receiving a good Sense in the Theory yet they give them a very bad one in the Practise For Example the 18 th Canon that saith That Man can fulfil the Law of God when he is upheld by his Grace And the 38 th which expounds in what manner our Works are Merits might be received with the Glosses of Monsieur de Condom but they cannot be suffered in that Sense which the practise of the Vulgar gives them I maintain that the Devouts of the Roman Church believe to be saved by the Merit of their Works and to gain Paradise by their Mortifications as Men gain a moderate Reward by the greatest of all Labours Able Men among the Moderns do speak of this Matter like my Lord of Condom I grant but Vulgar Predicators deliver this Doctrine in a most scandalous manner and most approaching to Pelagianisme The Canons of the Council may receive this popular Sense which they give it in their Practise as well as that which Able Men of the Church of Rome give thereto in their Theory But are we obliged to receive and prefer the Sense of Theory which doth nothing and which is shut up among a few Persons to this Sense of Practise which is diffused through the World Why have Men so much jealousie for this Term Merit which is proud and opposite to Christian Humility Though Men strive much they will never blot out of it those Idea's of Pride which Use hath fastened thereto Whilst it is said to Men that their Works merit Eternal life they will always perswade them selves that those Works are of a great Perfection and that there is a proportion between what they give to God and what God renders to them Though we were different but only in Terms were it not better to speak with us seeing our style carries one necessarily to Humility than with such Canons whose Expressions do carry one naturally to Pride Whereupon are founded those proud Opinions that in shutting up themselves in a Convent that in making Vows of Celibate Poverty and Chastity in doing voluntary Mortifications Men have Righteousness and Merits to spare so as to impart to such as have not enough and that Men can have Works of Supererogation Whence comes all that I say but from the Theology of this Council and of that of its Interpreters In a word to shorten I say there are at least Four Reasons for which we cannot yield to the Doctrine of Justification in that manner wherein the Council hath explained it 1. The first is That by its Ambiguities and its uncertain Expressions it hath left Semi-Pelagianisme entirely untouched and even Pelagianisme it self too The Second That it condemns us unjustly attributing to us Opinions which we do not hold at all The Third That it condemns such Truths which we may not and ought not to forsake The Fourth That its Expressions do conduce naturally to the Sense which we give it and do oppose as appears by the Practise of the People and of its Devouts and by the Books of the Demi-Doctors of the Roman Church My Lord of Condom may see presently that without casting our selves upon Questions of Subtilty as he speaks there are yet many things that separate us from him about the Article of Justification ARTICLE VIII Of Satisfactions Indulgences and Purgatory MY Lord of Condom hath reason to treat of Indulgences and Satisfactions after Justification for Indulgences are the Justifications of Men and Justification is the Indulgence of God But he must permit me to tell him that he hath no reason to treat this Affair as a Controversie of Nothing and that should not separate us from the Roman Church They say that Catholicks teach with a common accord That only Jesus Christ God and Man together was capable by the infinite
to Sanctity she makes too much use of Terrour The Spirit of the Gospel is a Spirit of Sweetness The Law of Moses had a hundred Threats for one Promise but the Gospel hath a hundred Promises for one Threatning It s Character is that of Debonairty Mens Souls must be drawn by Love to oblige them to Love God That is the true Principle of Sanctification Though it were true That Purgatory were capable of restraining Men God hath no need of a Lie for his help to uphold his Truth and to settle his Justice But there is something more and we are engaged to regard this Controversie as a Capital Affair and for many Reasons 1. We are obliged to nourish the peace of honest and pure Consciences and of Souls truly penitent They accuse us of lulling them asleep and plunging them into Security God is our Witness therein We present to them just and lawful Terrours by the sight of the Pains of Hell but when they have escaped those Pains by a true Repentance we would account a Cruelty to present to them other Pains of the same Nature and declare them to be unavoidable If the Roman Church should teach this Dogma in good earnest and that it were so believed I maintain it would be Impossible for their Faithful People to die without unimaginable Auguishes A Moment in Purgatory is something more cruel thau whole Years of the Gout or Gravel Colick and all other Pains gathered together in some wretched Creature How could a Man die with any tranquillity being assured to fall into Torments so horrible and of so long continuance If we must consider it as a Capital Crime to make a poor Wretch suffer without the Magistrates Order Racks and dolourous Torments We cannot behold it as a light thing to torment Souls so cruelly without God's Order by the fear of an Imaginary Evil 2. Although Purgatory should do no more hurt at this day it would deserve to be banished for the Evil it hath done It is the Source whence have sprung so many shameful Productions which dishonour the Christian Name so many fabulous Stories false Miracles returns of Souls Visionary Apparitions and a Thousand other things of this sort In a word It 's the Father of Legends and the cause why the Christian People in most places is yet fed with those Windy Meats and with that Word which may well be called the Antipodes of God's Word Shall that be counted for nothing which hath so often served a dishonest Gain And though it were possible to hinder these Abuses why should we retain a Doctrine which exposes both the People and the Conductors to so many Spiritual Dangers 3. I would intreat these Gentlemen that they would well remember the Principle which we have laid in the Subject of Satisfactions and Indulgences it is that to judge well what distance a Doctrine doth cause between one Religion and another it must be regarded by that which is reduced to Practice It 's Practice which is sensible to the People and the People is that Party properly whose Reunion is in agitation Upon that Fort let them consider of what importance is Purgatory in this Affair it is the foundation of a great part of the Worship of the Roman Church it is the foundation of Satisfactions and Indulgences whereof we have seen the Sequels to fill up all their Worship Purgatory is the foundation of Prayer for the Dead the cause of the Sacrifice the occasion of so many Masses of Prayers and of Services of so many Travels of Pennances of Vows of Pilgrimages and Macerations In a word one may say that all is done for Purgatory and Nothing almost for Hell For an Act of Contrition according to these Gentlemen saves from Hell But all the Contrition of all the Penitents together would do nothing against the Pains of Purgatory Men must pass through them or redeem them by Penible Works by Prayers by Alms by Masses and Penances So all the Strength of Devotion is turn'd towards that side 'T is clear then methinks that we cannot tolerate a Doctrine whereupon is fastened a Worship whereof we cannot participate though our Life were laid thereon ARTICLE IX Of Sacraments in General WE have met with so many things which separate us from the Roman Church in those Articles that we have now examined that it is not very necessary to find some in this present Matter which is that of the Sacraments Monsieur de Condom passes it over lightly hastening to that of the Eucharist I will also follow him and pass by this place with the like swiftness The Controversies which regard Sacraments in general their efficacy and their manner of acting are for the most part most Metaphysical and therefore beyond the common capacity of the Vulgar That of the necessity of Intention in the Minister thereof is nevertheless of no small importance It deserves well that Mousieur de Condom should speak a word of it He did too much think of what he was Writing that she should forget it It seems he did not find colours good enough to cover that horrid uncertainty wherein Christians must needs continue whilst they suppose the validity of the Sacrament to depend of necessity on the Intention of him that doth administer it For in fine we maintain that on this Supposition one can nevet be assured neither of having been rightly Baptized nor that what is ador'd in the Eucharist is no more Bread and so Men are never out of the danger of Idolatry About Baptism doth only the absolute necessity of this Sacrament and condemn to death those little Children whose unhappiness it is to die without receiving of it but he brings no proof for it I will only say That what Monsieur de Condom adds is not very true That we fear not to suffer willingly our Infants to die like the Children of Infidels I know none but do fear that and that will not do all that they can to hinder this mishap yea we make no scruple of Baptizing them without our Churches in case of necessity But when the Providence of God prevents our care and suffers it not to succeed we would be very loath to damn to Eternity Creatures more often innocent than those who have given them birth and which have the happiness to be born within the Covenant of Grace About the Sacraments of Confirmation Extreme Unction Order and Marriage Monsieur de Condom leaves the part of Explication and takes that of Probation Though the Proofs were worth any thing I would not examine them himself hath forbidden it us If any one saith he shall think fit to answer this Tract he is desired to consider that for a meet Advancer of the Business to purpose he must not undertake to confute the Doctrine which it contains I have submitted to this Law and have conceived the Equity thereof But in truth without it I should wrong my Lord of Condom if I should mispend time
Calvinists do agree that supposing that one must take literally these Words This is my Body Catholicks reason better and more Consequentially than the Lutherans We do not confess that it is good that the Publick should be advertized of it It is a surprizing Slander that Facts of this kind should be advanc'd without proof Monsieur Daillé in his Apology for the Reformed Churches employs a whole Chapter to prove the contrary Monsieur de Langres hath published a Sermon upon these Words Be ye such as to give no stumbling Block neither to the Jew nor to the Greek wherein he proves That Adoration is not an Attendant of the Lutherans Real Presence and I will make it appear that it is not an Attendant even of the Roman Churches Real Presence If any of ours have confessed what Mon-Monsieur of Condom saith it was in the heat of Dispute against the Lutherans and we make no difficulty to disown it But the following Articles will oblige us to penetrate further into this Matter and to prove that Adoration the Sacrifice c. are not Natural Attendants of the Real Presence ARTICLE XI Of the Adoration of the Host. WE are going to make a Chapter of a Point whereon Monsieur de Condom hath made but one Period which is this I will not stay upon the Point of Adoration because the most Learned and most Judicious of our Adversaries have long ago granted us That the Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist ought to carry to Adoration those that are perswaded thereof And after that they would accuse Anonyme that he had accused Monsieur de Condom to pass by the difficulties which he finds most troublesom Is it possible that Monsieur de Condom should imagine that we are so deprived of common Sense to suffer our selves to be surprized by such Illusions He will not stay upon the Adoration of the Eucharist He shall do what pleases him but he may permit me to stay thereon and that I may shew to all them who are sollicited to change their Religion that this is a Capital Affair and that for this Article alone there is no less danger than of their Salvation by such a Change I have no need to stand upon that Truth which is acknowledged of all the World that God doth absolutely forbid the Adoration of the Creature under Eternal Pains I will observe only that in the business here in agitation we tread not upon Thorns as w do at other times when we are obliged to express the Sense of the Roman Church For Example when we speak of the Worship which they render to the Saints and Images We know not in what Terms to speak the Truth for within this short time these Gentlemen thrust on their Delicateness to the extream Here it is not so As they keep no measure they do not oblige us to keep any the most Scrupulous speak freely they say roundly That Men must adore the Sacrament with Adoration of Latria They are the terms of the Council There is no plea for doubt but that all the Faithful according to the Custom which hath always been received in the Catholick Church owe to this most Holy Sacrament in the veneration thereof the Adoration of Latria which is due to the True God Let us learn what is meant by this Adoration of Latria It is a Soveraign Adoration it is an Act of infinite Annihilation of the Creature before the Creator it is a Worship which concludes all the Acts of Faith and Love Hope and Admiration Confidence Zeal and Acknowledgment and in general all Homages due to a Being infinitely Good and infinitely Merciful Behold what they would have us to render to that which we consider but as a Creature This is the business which they would dispatch in a Period To know of what importance this Adoration is let 's first consider it in respect to our Principles and then we will consider it with respect to the Principles of Monsieur de Condom and of his Church I must then entreat these Gentlemen that they would presuppose for a moment with me that we Reason in giving a figurative Sense to these Words This is my Body In a moment I will have for them the same Complaisance which I now ask of them and I will suppose that the Sense which they give unto these Words be true In this Supposition that here is no Real Presence no Transubstantiation I pray them to consider what is done in adoring this Sacrament They worship Bread and I know not whether Bread how holy soever it be be more worthy to be adored than the Sun and Stars which are so beautiful and wherein God's Image shines with so much brightness What would be said of a Man that should worship the Water of Baptism the Sounds of God's Word the Characters of the Holy Scripture I confess that the Sacraments though one should even suppose that Jesus Christ is not concluded within it is a thing most holy and most venerable But there is an infinite distance between Reverence and Adoration We owe respect to the Gospel and to Baptism we owe them no Adoration But here is a Thought whereby we know very well that many Persons who are not very well perswaded of the Real Presence do flatter themselves and others Although say they the Body of Jesus Christ were not there whatever it be we adore it wherever it be our Adoration doth terminate in him and we shall always have this Reason to give before the Throne of God I had intention to adore you I am perswaded that this Excuse shall not be received by the Judge of the World He must then justifie almost all the Pagans who in adoring the Creatures had an intention of Adoring God Then should he shew favour to those Jews which adored the Golden Calf for they had an intention to adore God That appears evidently enough in what they say of that Calf These are thy gods O Israel which have brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Can they be thought brutish enough to have thought that the figure of this Calf which was but now made before their Eyes had brought them out of Egypt before it was made Who sees not that they regarded this Calf as the Image and Emblem of that Great GOD who had done so many Wonders in their favour Yet had the Wrath of Gnd almost consumed them with all their good Intentions And if one believes the Jews of this day their present Calamity is still an Attendant thereof for they have a Proverb that says That in every one of their Miseries there is a part of the Golden Calf Men say I direct my Intention to Jesus Christ whatever part he be in In Conscience let them tell me if a Man which with the like direction of Intention should adore the Sun and the Moon would be innocent Jesus Christ is not there but he may be there he is there at least by his Divinity