without any Knowledg in me of your Design says he which was that by true Knowledg he might bring me to you I loved and valued him but not as a Teacher of Truth for I despaired of finding any such in your Church Secondly Besides that general Prejudice he nourisht he misrepresented to himself the particular Tenets of the Church and then hated and reviled the ugly Idol of his own carving If ever saith he my Soul lifted up and moved her self towards the Catholic Faith I was soon driven back for alas Catholic Faith was not that which I took it to be Thirdly He was willing to be convinced but not to believe to see but not to submit his Understanding to Faith He sought a clear Evidence and such as should not controul his usual Apprehension or oppose his Senses as if they had been fit Judges of the Objects of Faith revealed Truths My sick Soul says he could not be cured but by Believing Valetudo animae meae quae utique nisi credendo sanari non poterat ne falsa crederet sanari recusabat c. Conf. l. 6. c. 1. and for fear of being surprized and made to believe what might be false I refused to admit of a Cure I was resolved either to see things or if I could not to conceive them as evidently as that Seven and Three make up Ten. It was on these his Three mistaken Methods that he reflected afterwards when sighing he said What am I Quid sum ego mihi sine te nisi dux in praeceps quis homo est quilibet homo cum sit homo Conf. l. 1. c. 4. to my self but a Guide leading into a Precipice What a sad Man is each Man when he is but one Man That is when he is left to his own Private Sense abandoned to his own Judgment Was it possible that Gods Grace had it been less than Omnipotent should prevail against these stubborn Ill-dispositions of his Mind Long was the Combat violent the Strife but Grace conquered at last and by this Method gained the Field First God by a particular Light convinced him That L 7. conf c. 5. Religion was not Opinion but Faith not a calling of things Divine to the Test of our weak Judgment and carnal Senses but a captivating of our Understanding and humbly sacrificing it to the Divine Truth Next he observed how numerable those things were which he believed though he had never seen them How he had ever adored God and owned his Providence though he knew not what a Kind of Substance he was nor what Way led unto or from him I thought on these Things says he and you were present to me I was carried away by restless Waves and you governed and steered my Course I sighed and you heard me Then he resolves to seek more narrowly Let Time be assigned says he let some Hours be allotted Ibidem c. 11. to the Study of that great Science How I shall save my Soul. Let all Vain and Empty Concerns perish and all my Thoughts and Endeavors be spent in the sole Pursuit of Truth this Life at best is but Toylsome and Miserable Death certain and at Hand if it surprizes whither do we go He presently applyed himself seriously to an humble Search after a Guide to Truth when favoured with a new Light from Heaven he cryes out Conceive better Hopes my Soul the Catholic Faith doth not teach what we Believe and fondly accused her of Thus disposed and weighing with a due Attention the Articles of the Catholic Belief he owns his Heart was filled with Joy and his Face covered with Shame to see how profanely he had strove so many Years not against Catholic Faith as he conceived but against his own Dreams how Rash he had been and equally Impious That whereas he should with Submission have learnt from the â—o quippe temerarius impius fueram quod ea quae debebam quaerenda discere accusando dixeram l. 6. Conf. Church that which she held he fastened on her what he pleased and accused her of it He reads next Holy Scripture with the due deference he owed to that Churches Interpretation owning there is no Text of Scripture into which a false Gloss may not Foist an Error that the Letter ever kills when severed from the Spirit Nulla scriptura est quae non apud illos qui cam non intelligunt possit reprehendi l. 1. de gen contra Manich. which ought to quicken that the very misapplying a Text otherwise truly Interpreted is the most dangerous Weapon that a tempting Devil could use to deceive even if possible Truth it self with an It is written that stubbornly to maintain our own Fancy to be the Word of God because we uphold it by a forced Text is to set up the greatest Abomination of Desolation in the House of God an Idol upon his Altar and to adore it by the worst of Idolatries Self-worship proudly challenging as our own what Christ only could bequeath and left to his Church to each Member as united to the whole the Spirit of Truth who alone must Interpret what he Dictated alone On which score Christ left as a Depositum in the same Hands of the Church the Letter and the Spirit the Book and the Sense the Word and the Truth to be delivered to all succeeding Ages by the same Authority because the separating of the one from the other would Neque enim natae sunt haereses nisi dum scripturae bonae intelliguntur non bene quod in â—is non bene Intelligitur etiam temeré audacter asseritur Tract 18. in Jo. turn the most wholsom Food of our Souls to present Poison whence Heresies have had their birth from good Scriptures ill understood and from the bold and rash asserting of such Errors So that this only is the holy Method to be followed that what we find in Scripture conformable with the Faith we have received we feed on it but when any part thereof appears not uniform with that Rule that it create in us no Doubts but only an humble Quod secundum sanam sidei regulam intelligere non poterimus dubitationem aâ—feramus intelligentiam disseramus Ibid. persuasion that we understand not yet such a Scripture He had scarce receiv'd this Light when behold all his Doubts raised before by the same Lecture disappeared all those seeming Contradictions vanished whence he was perfectly convinced that the Catholic Church was the unerring Guide to be followed by all the Disciples of Christ He expresses the difference of this present Submission from that former Search into Scripture without this Guide under the Comparison of two Travellers whereof Aliud est de silvestri cacumine videre patâ—iam pacis iter ad cam non invenire frustra conâ—ri per invia aliud viam tenere illuc ducentem cura coelestis imperatoris munitam Conf. l. 8. c. 1. of the one climbs up
a high Tree indeed and sees thence the Place he would go to but then ranges blindly in the thick Wood whilst the other walks securely in a Way leading right thither without fear or danger of going astray a large Royal Way made and kept by the Providence of the King of Heaven Then observing how all pious humble Catholics tho' never so plain and illiterate Men enjoyed as a Birthright that Happiness the Search whereof had been so dangerous the Purchase so painful to him What Lib. 8. cap. 1. Conf. want O Lord said he what want did your Little-ones feel of a deep and quick Wit How much did this Dullness of theirs injure them Whilst they were carried in your Catholica deliciâ—tur Ecclesia dicat ego doâ—mio cor meum vigilat Quid est nisi ita quiâ—sco â—â— audiam Tract 25. in Jo. Arms and rested in the Nest of the Catholic Church enlarging the Wings of their Charity and strengthning them by the Food of a sound Faith chosen for and brought to them without their labor Happy Men who enjoy a perfect Rest while their whole Duty is to hearken Behold the final Victory of Grace over the Pride of Human Wit captivated to Faith our Self sufficiency humbled under the Tutoring Discipline and Direction of the Church No wonder if this Saint afterwards us'd no other Method in reconciling misled Heretics to Truth but that by which Gods Grace had retrieved him from his Errors the infallible Authority of a Guiding Church He advised Unlearned Men in general to relie altogether and lean on the Authority Epist 56 of the Church He minded the most Learned who feared to be deceived where Truth seemed to them Fo. 7. liâ— contra cresco c. 33. but obscurely revealed to consult the Church which the holy Scriptures point out without ambiguity assuring them that even in Fundamental Articles of as immediate necessity as Baptism is where Scripture mentions nothing thereof the very Truth of Scriptures is followed whilst that is done which the Catholic Church declares for and with reason since we receive said he the Books of the Old and New Testament in the same number that the Authority of Fo. 10. Serm. 191. de tempore the Catholic Church hath Sealed and Delivered up to us since I would not give any credit to the Gospel if the Authority Fo. 6. l. contra Epist â—und c. 5. of the Catholic Church moved me not to it whatever Doubts there arise not to yield to the Church 't is the utmost Ad honor de util Cred. c. 17. Fo. 6. Impiety the most loose Arrogancy For whether in her most general necessary and first Principles or in remotest Truths leading to solid Devotion whether in Contra Faust l 15. c. 3. in Fo. 6. her Milk or in her Bread the Church alone possesses Truth Those then who have their Belief yet to choose who begin a serious Search into Religion desiring to De util Cred. c. 7. 8. know to which they are to commit their Souls for Instruction they must without any Doubt begin with the Catholic Church If they have been wavering in their Mind and desire to put an end to their toil in seeking let them follow the Way of Catholic Discipline which as it is derived from Jesus Christ to us Christus miraculis concâ—liavit auctoritatem auctoritate meruit sidem De util cred c. 14. by the Apostles so must it be transmitted to our Posterity in succeeding Ages We must receive our Faith from that Church as the first converted to Christianity received it from the Apostles and they from Christ Her Authority being once established by the same Proofs which Domino cooperante sermonem confirmante sequent bâ—s signis Marc. ult the Apostles offered for theirs our whole Work is to embrace what God teaches by her Voice tho' it be above the level and reach of Human Reason For before our Minds be cleared from that Dullness which Sin hath left De agone Chron. c. 13. in it that especially of Insidelity we must believe what we cannot yet understand the Prophet having most truly said Without you believe you shall not understand for Faith is delivered in the Church in very few words in which Eternal Mysteries are comprehended which carnal man cannot yet conceive The first Heresie arose In Psalm amongst Christ's Disciples from the refusal of yielding to his words which seemed hard they unhappily made a Schism from him If Peter stuck stedfast to Christ was it by understanding the high Mysteries of that Speech of Christ No but he piously believed what he understood In Psalm 130. not Learn little ones of Christ learn from hence due Piety for those who will dispute of Mysteries they do not understand do but heighten their Pride whil'st that curse falls on them which the Royal Prophet speaks of in the 130 Psalm If I was not humble of heart but have swelled up my mind with Pride as the Child weaned from the breast is towards his Mother so be my Soul punished The Church of God is that Mother from which they are severed they should have been nurs'd and fed by her and so might have grown and become capable of digesting the Word and Mysteries of Faith. Ponder then well the sense of those two words of your Creed Catholic Church observe what a certain death Psalm in part Donati seizes the Vine-branch how it withers when lopt off from the Body of the Vine come and seek Life from the Root number the Priests in St. Peter's Chair observe how they have succeeded to one another that 's the Rock which the proud Gates of Hell never conquer This was his method of reducing those better-disposed Souls which erred by mistake rather than by malice but if he found any obdurate before he shaked against them the dust of his feet according to Christ's Command before he avoided them as already condemned following the Apostles Counsel he with a true Charity weeping Ad Tit. 3. 10. for the certain danger they ran minded them of it thus To be fond of ones proper Opinion or to be averse L. 2. con Don. c. 5. from better to that degree as to be guilty by breaking Communion of the Sacrilege of Schism or Heresie is a Presumption beyond all others but the Devils since it is to refuse a Submission to the Spirit of Truth guiding that Church it is promised unto and which God commands all to hearken unto and to obey 'T is the Crime of Corah erecting an Altar against an Altar which involves the weak and ignorant Followers as much as the Leaders when equally stubborn in standing to their Separation it seeming even a higher Crime in unlearned men who pretend not to extraordinary Parts and yet presume to be Judges of and to condemn the Universal Church preferring to her Decisions the opposite Errors of a few L. de Bapt. con
Donat. c. 16. L. 2. contra c. 23. of her revolted Children I do not despair of the Salvation of any one in particular whether he be a great Sinner in the Church or a Schismatic out of it Judgment is reserved to God alone he only who hath in his hands the Iron Rod can break the Earthen Vessels but I equally declare of both with the Apostle That neither those who in the true Church die in sin nor those who through a stiff stubbornness die out of her Communion shall be saved De symb ad Catechum c 10. For whoever shall be found out of it will be an Alien not reckoned amongst the Children of God whom he shall not have for Father having refused to have the Church for his Mother That Catholic Church which only is the Body of Christ of which He is the Tract 32. sup Joan. Salvator corpoâ—is sui L. de verâ fals poen c. 12. Head whereof He alone is the Savior out of that Body no one receives Life from God's Holy Spirit nor consequently can pretend to an Eternal one Out of this Churches Vnity no one can attain to true Penance no one can obtain remission of sins her Children alone being the sole Dispensers of the Mysteries of God. In Her House only the Lamb is eaten that is on Her Altars only is sacrificed the true Victim of our Redeemer Ser. 18â— de tempore which alone so applies to us the saving Sacrifice of the Cross that who eats not of that Flesh hath no Life in him As then no one escaped the Deluge who was not Q. Q. 75. ad â—â—aâ— Q 52. Contra Petili ut supra in Noah 's Ark so no one shall be saved who is not a Member of the Church out of which an Heretic may have all things but Salvation He may have the Sacraments he may keep the Gospel he may have the Faith and preach it only Salvation he cannot have Tho' he be a Paul converted by God's Voice instructed from Heaven he must first be sent to those who can administer to him the Sacraments and enter him a Member into the Church's Body Tho' he be a pious Cornelius an Alms-giver a man of Prayer a sober Liver tho' he have an Angel to instruct him Peter must teach him and admit him into the Kingdom of God upon Earth of which he hath the Keys the Church before he Ad Bonifacium cont 2. Ep. Pelag. can be saved otherwise let him observe all the Commandments live a chast life to the purity of an entire Virginity be profuse in Alms-giving most patient in bearing with all Injuries let him sell all and give to the Poor reserving nothing for himself after all those De fide ad Pet. c. 39. seemingly laudable actions yet if he be not of the true and Catholic Faith when he departs this life he will meet a certain Damnation altho' he should shed his Blood for the Name of Christ Say not that Cyprian and his Church because they condemned no man and separated none from their Communion were not Heretics and that it may suffice you that you copy this Example That was enough when the Church had not yet decided the Dispute to whose Decision Cyprian had certainly submitted himself and with her condemned all her Opposers which you do not Say not that you err in no Fundamentals that you conceive it a thing indifferent unto what Party you joyn your selves supposing they be Epistola 45. de Donatistis Christians and therefore remain fixed to that Party in which you were born for whatsoever in particular the Opinions of Heretics and Schismatics be since they profess otherwise than the Church does and requires of Serm. 14. de verbis Dom. them to do they are in a state of Damnation because they renounce thereby one fundamental Article of Faith the In Psal 17. In ventre Ecclesiae veritas manet quisquis ab hoc separaâ—us fuerit necesse est ut falsa loquatur Authority and Vnity of the Catholic Church in whose bosom Truth dwells So that whosoever is removed from it 't is necessary that he be in Error Say not I am satisfied my conscience doth not reproach me that I am in an Error I am charitably persuaded others may also serve God well but many Mysteries in the Catholic Church appearing to me very strange how can I believe what I understand not or how shall I an unlearned person ever satisfie my self of the Truth 'T is then better for me to live of that Religion my Father and Mother were of and die in that Church which I was Christned in Such weak reasons which yet retain in Heresie the greatest part of those who are unhappily engaged in it betray equally the weakness of their Judgment and headstrong stubbornness of their Will. The whole Catholic Church of all Ages of all Nations in her General Councils rests satisfied of the Truth of each Article of Catholic Belief so as to Curse and Excommunicate all those who believed as you do in opposition to her Now Sunt ibi quaedaâ—â— qâ—ae suboffendunt animoâ—â—â—naros negligentes sui quâ— maxima turba est populariter accusarl possunt defendi autem populariter propter mysteâ—â—a quae his continentur non à multis a â—modum possunt c. 2. de util Cred. there is an ease and satisfaction which proceeds from Ignorance such as is in him who in a dark night walks without fear on the brim of a Precipice he knows nothing of another from Knowledge and can you think without the highest Presumption that Ignorance lay on the whole Church's side and Science in your private Gift Is it charity to think all those General Councils were most uncharitable which all said Anathema to the Errors which they condemned and you now approve True Faith involves Mysteries which usually scandalize ignorant Souls and careless in seeking Instruction that is the greatest part of the World because they can be plausibly argued against but not so easily made clear they would not otherwise be Mysteries of Faith. 'T is then not only most to be counsell'd to believe what you see not Credere ante ratione cum percipiendae rationi non sis idoneus ipsa â—iâ—e excolere animum excipiendiâ— seminibus ventatis non solum saluberrimum judico sed tale sine quo aegris animâ—â—â—alus redire non potest yet the reason of since you acknowledge your self unlearned ignorant not able to judge in such Debates and by Faith to manure your Soul and to fit it to receive and improve the Seed of Truth but 't is so absolutely necessary that by no other method health can be restored to a sick mind Are you ignorant not able by your own Judgment to determin on what side the Truth lies Why then 't is evident that you are bound to leave all those Congregations which leave you to your own final Decision and to repair
must be encouraged enlarged supported or it is so very narrow Nostâ—â—m est velle sâ—d volâ—ntâ—â— ipsa admonetur ut sâ—rgat sanatur ut valâ—at dâ—â—atatur ut capiat impletur ut â—abeaâ— De Viâ—uiâ— so feeble that it sinks after the first offers under the least weight and even when we think our selves most resolved most forward after even many endeavors we find our hearts very empty of all Virtues if God hath not himself mercifully placed them there How long do some continue in Error and in Sin A constant Object of Gods Hatred and Justice on the very brim of Hell unconcerned and without any sense of their danger Ah! Gods Grace hath not awakened yet their dull Conscience lull'd in the sleep of Sin. How many others behold their own Misery and sigh often for it acknowledge themselves equally criminal and miserable see themselves sinking deeper and deeper yet never offer resolutely to release their Souls from and avoid those partly incumbent partly threatning miseries Alas they have consumed the Substance and Vigor of their Souls in Sin those many deep Wounds have impaired their Strength God's Grace which only can hath not yet wrought the cure How many in fine after their Sins are pardoned and they set in a right way stumble at the first difficulty and advance no further or with little sense ever full of good Wishes and empty of Effects Their narrow and poorly-stock'd Hearts can receive but little know less 〈◊〉 to improve it till God by his Grace enlarâ—â— and enrich them Oh then let us ever prâ—â— â—ever cease and may this Grace be all we ask â—et us ever seek but this Grace only having ever in our hearts and mouths that frequent Prayer of the Church O God be intent on my help Lord hasten to succor me But again for our comfort that help being obtained with what security may we not attempt the greatest things with what ease may we not perform them S. Augustin in that happy moment of his Conversion wondred De quo imoaltoque secreto evocatum est in momento liberum aâ—biâ—rium mâ—um l. 9. c. 1. from what dark Den in which it had been so long locked up from him his Free-will was restored such unusual strength he found in himself It proved a satisfaction a comfort to him to want those Pleasures without which he had believed he could not live How unerringly through the course of his following â—ife did he practise those Virtues whose Names had been unknown to him T is with Truth you mind us Great S. Paul That 't is God works in us both to will and to do so little toil and Qui operatur in nobis vellâ— perficere pain is found in the performance when God's Grace works in us a steddy fix'd Resolution And can we give place to any Anguishes Fears Apprehensions when God offers his Grace by calling us to a true Faith to a pious Life His Infinite Mercy is then at hand to create in us a Will his Omnipotency to joyn to it a facility in obeying him Who hath found a Treasure forms generous Designs dares undertake great things conceives he shall easily remove any obstacle because that he knows the force of Gold which in a moment can supply all wants God's Grace is his Treasure 't is the Riches of his Bounty saith S. Paul in a moment it gives Divitias bonitatis ejus Strength to the Weak Knowledge to the Dull and Ignorant Courage to the most Timerous 'T is true we can do nothing without God but 't is equally true that Jo. 15. Omnia possum in co qui me comfortat Phil. 4. we can do all things in him that enables us all We can despise the soft deluding Pleasures of sense with the Virgins blot out whatever stains of past sins by our Tears with God's penâ—tâ—nt Servants practise with ease all Christian Virtues with the Conâ—â—ssors undergo and conquer all sorts of Sufferings for Justice with the Martyrs But then let us ever remember that Sentence of S. Augustin God cannot work with us but when we Deus non esset co-operator nâ—si â—â— esses operator Aug. work our selves If Grace be God's hand ever stretched to help us and work with us if a Divine Light able to disperse the greatest Darkness if a Heavenly Science exposed to no Error infused in those who admit of it if it be an easie conquest of all Vices and of whatever Opposition to Virtue when used if it be that with the help whereof all good Saints came to be such Oh Christian Brother what a Treasure hath laid so long hidden in thy heart and how useless yet That Grace is the whole Fruit of the Cross of Jesus thy plentiful effectual Redemption to neglect it is as deep an Offence as to tread under foot the precious Blood of our Redeemer Ah dig up that Treasure then stir it up use that Talent or it will be taken away How long God will permit it to lie dormant in your hands I know not He gives Secundum mensuram doâ—ationis Christi â—â—h 4. it not lavishly but according to the measure of Christ's Gifts How soon yours will be filled I know not If now you hear your self called answer if moved follow if commanded obey Some one Grace I know is the critical one to each mans Salvation such were those Samuel offered to Saul Nathan to David the former past by his and was set aside for ever an abandoned Reprobate the latter obeyed his and became according to God's heart Whether this day by my voice God hath Gratiam invenâ—amus in auxilio opportuno Heb. 4. 16. not presented to some one here the critical Grace the last loud call I know not but this I know that whoever obeys not his whoever resolves it not from this moment ventures his Salvation upon a perhaps than which there cannot be a more certain Folly scarce a more crying Sin. Use then all that measure which God hath offered you and your Fidelity will be blest by such an increase of it as will possess you with a Heavenly Bliss which God in his Mercy grant us all without end Ad majorem Dei Gloriam FINIS