the contrary saying That because there was no King in Israel everyone went severall ways doing what was good in his own eyes So that by the Doctours way of proceeding one would almost believe that his meaning was that our Saviour had no intention that his Church should be one and consequently that Generall Councills which took great paines to procure Vnity transgressed therein our Saviours order 103. But all Protestants are not of the Doctours mind for though they generally make Scripture not only the Rule but judge also of Faith when controverted Yet they do not so neglect Vnity but that they profess a willingnes to submit their judgments for the sence of Scripture to a Lawfull generall Councill This the Doctour cannot doe now that he has sett forth his Principles unless he will confess the foundation of his Protestant Religion to be unsound He might well enough have done it before whilst he was a Defender of Archbishop Lawd but now it appears that the Archbishops Principles and his are not the same nor probably ever were and I doe assure my self that if the Archbishop were alive none could be more ready to condemn them 104. Other Protestants therefore refuse not submission to Councells as may appear by their confident demanding them For Gesner speaking in their name thus writes We with the loudest voice we can cry out again and again and with all our power we humbly and earnestly beg of Christian Kings and Emperours that a free Christian and Lawfull Councill may be convâ—ked in which the Scripture may be permitted to be the Iudge of Controversies And our Countreyman Sutcliff confidently cryes out that Catholicks are afraid of Councills Yet all the world sees that if a Lawfull Generall Councill were called according to the order of all past lawfull Councills even those received by Protestants they must necessarily be condemned 105. This some others more wise then these loud Sollicitours for Councills saw and therefore when a Councill was ready to be called they providing for themselves would not permit any Point to be decided by Catholick Bishops alone but euery Minister yea Lay-men must have votes in them and a plurality of Suffrages was not to prevayle but an equall number on both sides must dispute and Lay Judges decide that is declared Hereticks must enioy greater Priviledges then Catholicks and instead of a Councill there must be an Assembly of wild beasts consulting to establish Unity in Gods Church which it seems was only to be procured by confusion and not by Order Therefore a certain Lutheran said well of Calvinists calling for a Lawfull Councill that they did imitate a well known Buffon calld Marcolphus who was wont to say That after all his search he could never find a fitt tree upon which he could willingly be content to be hanged Such a tree would a Legitimate Councill prove to the Doctours Principled Protestants 106. Yet there is one expedient for producing Unity which the Doctour may doe well to advise upon for if it take it will certainly have that effect even the Quakers themselves and Fifth Monarchists will not refuse to be of the Doctours Church if they be not already Nay which is more the Catholicks will come in too This is no invention of mine but was many years since suggested by one of the Doctours Protestants Robert Robertson an English Anabaptist of Amsterdam This surely well meaning man perceiving how litle success Scripture alone had to vnite Sects agreeing only in opposing Popery in the year sixteen hundred and two printed a Book in Holland in which he proposed to them all this means of Vnity viz. That they should all ioyn in a common Petition to the States to give them leave to assemble themselves in some Town or field and there each Sect severally to pray to God one after another that he would shew some evident Miracle for decision of their Controversies and declaring which among them had the Truth which he supposed vndoubtedly was not among Catholicks And to the end the Devill might not enter in and deceive them with a false Miracle the man told them he had thought of one allowed by Scripture and which he was sure the Devill could not work namely to make the Sun stand still for a certain considerable time not doubting but that God of his great Goodnes would not refuse to condescend to the Petition of such devout servants of his in a matter so iust and necessary 107. I suppose the Doctour will not deny this design if succesfull to be a most powerfull and unfaileable Mean of producing Vnity which his Principles have utterly destroyed and rendred impossible if not unlawfull And let him with all his wit and invention devise any other more probable since the Catholick Churches Authority is reiected by him and them 108. Notwithstanding all this the Doctour according to his custom and nature is confident that he has demonstrated that the Church of Rome can have no advantage in Point of Vnity above his medley Church Now to the end any impartiall Reader may be a competent Judge between us I will briefly set down the Instruments and Means of Vnity left by our Lord to his Church to 〈◊〉 end the Truth of this Article of our Faith I believe one Catholick Church may remain to the worlds end unalterable 1. Catholicks do ground their Faith on Gods revealed Will in Scripture interpreted by Tradition 2. They believe that God according to his Promise will lead and preserve his Church in all necessary Truth or in the true sense of Scripture 3. That for this purpose he foreseeing that Heresies and Schisms grounded on a false sense of Scripture would in after times come has established in his Church an unfaileable succession of Teachers of his Truth with whom he will continue till the worlds end 4. It is his Will and Command that all Christians should obey these Teachers who are to give an account of their soules 5. These Teachers constitute the Churches Hierarchy 6. The Vniversall Church is represented by these Teachers assembled in a Lawfull Generall Councill 7. Such a Councill therefore is the Supreme Tribunall of the Church from whose Decisions there must be no Appeale 8. But because the difficulties of making such Assemblies are extreamly great therefore it is necessary there should be a standing Authority with power to prevent Heresies and Schisms in the intervalls of Councills arising and disturbing the Church 9. This ordinary Authority is established in the Supreme Pastour the Bishop of Rome 10. His Iurisdiction therefore as to such an end extends it self to the whole Church and is exercised in taking care that the Ordinances of Generall Councills be not by any transgressed and also in case any Heresies arise or that any Controversies in Causis Majoribus can not be otherwise ended either to determine the Points of Catholick Truth opposed or at least to impose Silence upon disputants and Litigants till he can assemble a
For though his Book proves in effect exceeding harmless to the common Cause of Catholicks and though all the Weapons made use of by him against the Catholick Faith really want both edges and points of Sufficient sharpnes and strength to make an entrance into the Rock on which our Saviour has built his Church yet they pierce into the very bowells of the Persons fortunes and condition of English Catholicks whose destruction he seems to design And on the other side though the same weapons do draw out the very heart-blood of the English Church yet he pretends all the way and seems to be acknowledged by them a Champion of its cause and not to intend the least harm to the Prelats and Subiects of it Cicero was wont to say that he thought any one Roman Augur could not without Smiling look upon another Augur considering what large preferments and honours they enioyed by befooling the whole Roman Common-weale with their ridiculous fopperies The like smile of secret intelligence passes between the Doctor and his ancient Brethren For a great pleasure it must needs be to them to see him in his new dress in his Surplice and Scarlet-Hood so Canonically defending out of the Pulpitt the Church of England or brandishing his Sword against her Adversaries in printed Volumes but so defending it as not to do the least harm to the old cause Not one word falls from his tongue or pen to give his now Prelats warning of their danger from Presbyterians Independents Latitudinarians and other Sects though all these conspiring against them had held their Necks so many years of late under their feet But nothing can be more ridiculous to those Sectaries nor truly more deserving detestation from all loyall Subiects then to see the same Sectaries quondam friend Doctour Stillingfleet zealously pretending a care of the Safety of his Majesty and the State against the seditious writings and practises of ill-principled Subiects and at the same time as if he thought the world by vertue of the Act of Oblivion had quite forgott the last twenty years troubles naming none but Catholicks as such ill-principled Subiects who yet alone among all Dissenters from the English Church had all of them unanimously adhered to his Majesty and for his Majesties sake had defended also the said Church against the Doctor and his Brethren in evill the Sectaries The plain truth is the Doctors collusion and prevarication in his Book seems to me so visible and so insupportable that it is a shame that hitherto not one true Prelaticall Protestant has appeared as a Defender of the English Church and State against him but on the contrary even some English Prelats themselves have congratulated and boasted of his supposed succesfull endeavours against the Catholick Church though ruinous only to themselves Indeed it was the Doctors Master-piece by his Drollery to putt Protestants into a fitt of laughing that being in so good an humour they might drink down the Poyson he presented them This Poyson it seems does not yet sensibly work with them and therefore they neglect to provide Antidots Well all J can say is Viderint ipsi But they may also do well to consider that to this hour they have not from this Defender of the Church of England seen one line which was not more to the advantage of their Enemies the Sectaries then of their own Church So that abating severall hundred pounds of yearly preferments he still is what he was before his Majesties return He was pleased to stile some late Catholick Writers by the name of Ratts for not answering line by line his great Volume He must give me leave to make use of his Metaphor another way applying it to himself It is a common Observation among Mariners that when they see a Ship suddenly freed from Ratts formerly abounding there they conclude that there are some leaks in it unobserved by any but the Ratts themselves which threaten its sudden sinking Now let any one judge wherther the Doctour by publishing his Principles has not stolln out of the Church of England yet with a Latitudinarian conscience holding fast his Preferments and does not this argue that the Ratt foresees or shrewdly suspects some danger to the Ship and therefore provides for his own safety by returning to the same Sects which uncessantly plott against it and it is to be feared against the Civill State too It is a sad thing therefore that not one Protestant will open his eyes and give warning of the dangerous proceedings of their Champion Now whether that task and duty deserted by them has not been efficaciously enough undertaken and performed by the Authour of the following Treatise J leave to all indifferent Iudges to determine They are also hereby entreated to impute the delay of this Answer to the true cause above mentioned or indeed to any thing rather then to the least guilty apprehension which Catholicks may have of encountring such an Adversary as the Doctour is supposed to be by persons who are perswaded that an insolent confidence must needs be accompanied with Reason and Truth And for such persons so qualified no doubt it was that the Doctor wrote his Book not to instruct them but to imprint his own enormous passions in their minds Whereas Readers of but ordinary capacity and prudence will easily perceive that it was a consciousness of his own inability to cast any prejudice on the received Doctrins and Discipline of the Catholick Church her-self that forced him to indulge to his fancy and invention to expose to contempt and hatred of unwary Readers the Opinions and Practises of a few particular persons among Catholicks not alwayes faithfully related by him and most of them already censured by Superiours But that which has gained to him the most of his applauding Readers is his acting the Theologicall Zani after a fashion altogether new and unexpected whilst he most ridiculously imputes Fanaticism to the Catholick Church of which never any Heretick before him suspected her capable My last request to the Reader is that seeing this Treatise written in a stile so unpractised hitherto by mee and indeed so contrary to mine own inclination he will interpret it aright and believe that J judged my self obliged to neglect complements of Civility to such an Adversary If he had written like one that sought out Truth J should have condemned my self if any phrases of bitterness had escaped my pen. But in answering such a mass of Buffonry mixed with rancour and malice the Wise man has taught me my Duty Proverb xxv 5. OF FANATICISM §. 1. The Authours Motive of Writing this Treatise Doctour Stillingfleets three Heads of Accusation against the Catholick Church c. 1. THe Authour of this following Treatise may with confidence profess that it was not from a resentment of severall contemptuous Aspersions cast on him by Doctour Stillingfleet in his lately published Book that he was induced to write this Answer For who would not glory in suffring any
Devotions in their Natiue Tongues which are for the most part taken out of the Publick Liturgy and moreouer has commanded all Pastours to interpret to the people in the administring of Sacraments especially the most Holy Eucharist whatsoever they are capable of vnderstanding by which means there is scarce a Rustick so ignorant but well vnderstands what the Priest does through the whole course of the Masse 149. Matters standing thus the Church esteems it more prudent and more conducing also to edification in generall that all Catholick Churches should serve God vniformly in a language which cannot be corrupted especially such provisions being made for the peoples good then to haue the Service of God exposed to Corruptions and continuall Changes But if the Doctour think himself wiser then the whole Western and most Eastern Churches much ioy may he take in his great humility 150. But after all how can the people say Amen will the Doctour say from S. Paul I answer S. Paul in that place Speaks not of the Common Divine Service which was celebrated then in a language well vnderstood and at Corinth doubtles in the Greek tongue but of these Spirituall Hymns and Praises of God extraordinary that were delivered by some in a tongue vnknown And all that can be deduced from it and applied to the Publick Divine servcie is this that either this be performed in a known Tongue or when the Church hath reasonable Motives which she not we must judge of not to change the formerly vsed language of it so much as is necessary for the common people to vnderstand and say Amen to be interpreted as the Apostle saith there ouer and over again Now such Prayers Collects Psalms Hymns Litanies c. as are thought necessary for the common people are interpreted by the Churches order and they have them ready in their Primers Manuels c. Euen all the parts also of the Service of the Masse necessary to be known by them 151. Jt is certain that it is not out of a desire that the people should be ignorāt that the Church thinks not meet to change the language of her Liturgy And I would to God that were the only hindrance of reuniting England to her once beloued Mother for then the breach would not last long §. 12. Of the Churches denying the Reading of the Bible indifferently to all 152. BUt the last and greatest Hindrance of piety and which is wonderfull of Vnity likewise in the Doctours opinion is the Roman Church her denying the reading of Scripture to all persons promiscuously without exception This fault the Doctour will neuer forgiue Her And the truth is if euer there should be a restraint of such liberty in England all the Principles of his Religion would vtterly goe to wrack For how then should euery Sober Enquirer into Scripture frame a Religion to himself How much would the number of Sects be diminished which is great pitty Then Pastours and Teachers would perswade the people that it is their duty to believe and obey them and not to be their own Directours which is intolerable Therefore in so great a concern the Doctours zeale in this Point aboue others may well be forgiuen him 153. How much would the Doctour be beholden to that freindly man who could furnish him with but one line out of any Ancient Ecclesiasticall Writer Father or Councill to iustify the Fundamentall Principle of his and as he pretends of all Protestants Religion viz. That euery sober enquirer may be a Iudge infallible of the sense of Scripture in all Points necessary to Saluation But I can assure him such a freind is not to be found Nay I believe he would thank that man who could shew any Ancient Heretick an Authour of that enormous Doctrin for as he cannot but know that he embraces seuerall Points condemned by the Ancient Church in Hereticks he would no doubt with ioy adopt this Point so beneficiall and necessary to the fabrick of his Protestant Churches 154. To descend to our Modern times Though Luther Calvin Zuinglius c. those disturbers of the world to gain the affections of the Common rabble were very earnest to put the Bible into their hands yet does the Doctour think that they would patiently haue suffred any of their followers to chuse any other Religion out of it but what they as Prophets sent from God had taught them Nay would the Doctour take it well of his own Parishioners if they should doe so Yet he is angry with Catholicks because we rather trust the Churches iudgment then our own a strange quarrell certainly But it is a folly to think that any of the Common sort of people seek into the Bible to find their Religion there not one in ten thousand among us but for his whole Faith relyes vpon the credit and supposed honesty of some zealous Lecturer or reputed learned Doctour Now J would fain know of Doctour Stillingfleet with what conscience he can suffer a whole Congregation of well meaning men who can rely vpon nothing but authority to prefer his authority before that of the whole Church For nothing can be more contrary to the Rules of Common reason in them and for their sinning against Reason he must be answerable to God How does one of the Doctours Parishioners find his whole Religion in Scripture Thus The Doctour will bid him read the last verse of the 6. chap. to the Romans or he will read the words to him The Gift of God is eternall life Here says he the Papists are plainly confuted who say that God rewards our good works with Heaven He will tell him again that the Papists hold that our Lords body is in the Sacrament How shall they be confuted Christ indeed says This is my Body What then this must be vnderstood as if he had sayd This is the figure of my Body Then plain Scripture interpreted by the Doctour is against them Again Look out the first Chapter to Titus you will find that those who are called Elders or Presbiters in the fifth verse are called Bishops in the Seaventh Here our Antichristian Prelats are plainly confuted who exalt themselues aboue Elders c. 155. But one Point there is of main importance to these who will find all things in Scripture which is A Proof that these Books which they are taught to call Scripture are the same which were Anciently written by men inspired by God That they have not been corrupted and that they are rightly interpreted None of all these things they can find in Scripture what remedy therfore for this None in the world but the Doctours own authority He will tell them perhaps that the Vniversall Tradition of all Ages which is of it self credible testifies this and therefore they ought to belieue it But if they should reply and tell the Doctour that for all necessary Points of belief they were according to his Principles to be Iudges for themselues but of that which they call
Tradition they know not how to iudge If any of the Doctours Parishioners should be thus troublesom then must he be angry and with a frown tell them Will ye be Papists Is it not fitter ye should believe me then like blind Papists pin your soules vpon the Authority of the present Vniversall Church This stops their mouths Now they are fully satisfied and ask pardon for presuming to doubt hauing such an Oracle to teach them that they ought to be their own Teachers Thus it is that ordinary people even boyes and girles are to be fooled and made to believe that they see all their Religion in Scripture whenas in very truth they may as well be told that they Smell it out with their noses as I once heard Sir Francis Wenman say in a discourse on a subiect like this 156. Howeuer the whole Stress of the Doctours Religion lying vpon it that euery Christian is to be a judge of the sence of Scripture hence it was necessary for his ends to contend Manibus pedibusque that none should be discouraged from reading Scripture Yet I hope he will excuse those who are not able to read 157. To make this good he employes the vtmost of his invention Subtilty and reading He who cannot find out one single short sentence in Antiquity to help to support the main Pillar of his Religion Yea moreouer he who has not alledged one probable argument of reason for strengthning that tottering Pillar except only a Negatiue one which is this That Christians haue no obligation to belieue any Church or Teacher expounding the sence of Scripture therefore they must if they will be believers believe themselues alone In this miserable exigence this same Doctour notwithstanding to proue that Christians in all times were indulged and exhorted to read the Scriptures flourishes in a Luxuriant stile with demonstrations a priori a posteriori per reductionem ad absurdum impossible which demonstrations also he backs with an army of Ancient Fathers teaching as he himself does viz. S. Clement S. Ignatius S. Policarpus Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen S. Basill S. Hierome S. Chrisostome S. Augustin c. and moreouer that this was their Doctrin is saith he acknowledged by late Catholick Diuines Espenceus and Alphonsus a Castro and one more I will add by the vnworthy Writer of this Treatise also 158. But this being granted no Catholick and J think no man in his right witts will grant that euery Porter Cobler or Landresse is capable to instruct themselues by reading the Scripture alone or if they cannot read them by hearing them read in this Point of main importance that Scriptures are Gods Scriptures or to clear the Doctrine of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity the Incarnation of our Saviour the Procession of the Holy Ghost or the Point of Iustification as determined by S. Paul and S. Iames c. I have so much confidence now in the Doctours ingenuity that he will also acknowledge thus much yea by his experience in teaching ignorant people J am assured he has found no small difficulty in making such and other like necessary Doctrins of Christianity sink into the minds of the rude people though sett down in the simplest plainest Catechisms for infants though also those Catechisms were with all his skill explained by himself 159. Now taking this for granted till he contradict it J would ask him Does he in his conscience think that the forecited Fathers when they exhorted the Christians of their times to the reading of Scriptures did not suppose that for the sence of them in things any way difficult or controverted they would submitt their judgements to the Church which had they not supposed they would haue been less liberal in putting the Scriptures into their hands For hence it is that the Bible is called by S. Ambrose liber Sacerdotalis because to be dispensed to the people according us Bishops and Priests iudged it might proue beneficiall to them and in all ambiguities to be interpreted by the same Pastours Besides this the art of Printing being then vnknown it was not every ordinary Mechanick who could purchase so costly a Manuscript as the Bible was every groom or Chamber-maid could not carry it vnder their arms to Church vnles they could spare at least two years wages to buy it and hire also a litle Asse to carry it so great was the bulk considering the largenes of Letters writen in these Ancient times The persons invited therefore by these Holy Fathers to the frequent reading of Scriptures were for the most part those of the higher rank of more ingenuous education and so Prudence and discretion and especially such as they knew to be firm to the teaching of the Church Now to such persons the Roman Church freely allows the reading of Scriptures and on the other side for such as the Doctour qualifies with the name of Protestants according to his new Mode that is Independents on any Authority the Fathers most certainly would more strictly then they are now have pro-prohibited the reading of them 160. Neither is it much to his purpose his alledging that though in the time of the first four Generall Councills the Fathers had tryall enough of the mischief of Heresies yet notwithstanding they did not on that account forbid the people to read the Scriptures For who knows not the vast difference between the ancient and our Modern Heresies Anciently the In ventours of Heresies were great learned Prelats and subtile Philosophers and the obiect of their Heresies were Sublime Mysteries of Faith examined and framed by them according to the grounds of Plato's or Aristole's Philosophy far above the reach of Vulgar capacities from whence it is that Tertullian calls the Ancient Philosophers the Patriarchs of Hereticks And moreover their applications of Texts of Scriptures for confirming such Heresies were so Speculatively nice and acroamaticall that both great sharpnes of witt and learning too were necessary to the discovering and unridling the fallacy Hence it came to pass that in those dayes the Scriptures might freely enough be read by ordinary Christians without danger especially considering their intention in reading them was not to find out a New Religion but to instruct themselves in Piety and inflame their hearts in the Divine Love 161. Thus stood matters in the Church during the times of the first four Generall Councills But our Modern Heresies are of a quite different Complexion They are conversant about matters obvious to the weakest capacities as the external administration of Sacraments the Iurisdiction of Superiours Civill and Ecclesiasticall the manner of mens Devotions the Institution of Religious Orders the Obligation of Vows the Ordonnances of the Church teaching Fasting Matrimony Celibacy Paying of Tithes c. Or if about Sublime Mysteries Men are taught to examine such Mysteries by naturall Reason and the Verdict of their outward Senses Hence it is come to pass that our late Heresiarcks have not been profound Subtle Philosophers but
himself obliged in conscience by breaking all Rules of Piety and humanity to do all manner of despight to his Catholick fellow-Subiects he would hereafter at least please to abstain from reviling and blaspheming Gods Saints or traducing the most Divine exercises of contemplative soules more perfectly practised only in Heauen Jt argued certainly a heart brimm full of the Gall of bitternes that to oppose only one single line of his Adversary pag. 31. in which all that he sayes is the mentioning new Sects and Fanaticisms he could allow one hundred and twenty Pages in a senceless and execrable recrimination not considering or rather perhaps too much considering and intending that such a recrimination should reflect with great disparagement on the English Protestant Church In whose Calendar severall of those Saints to this day possess a place Truly in all reason his Attempt by his Socinian Principles of depriving the Governours of that Church of all Anthority granted by her Princes and Parliaments ought to haue suffised him without traducing her as a Canonizer of Fanaticks What excuse he can make for this I cannot imagine unless perhaps his tenderly scrupulous conscience dictates to him that the Scottish Covenant requires all this and more from the obligation whereof the Bishops cannot it seems and his Brethren Presbiters will not absolue him If so his zeale methinks should incite him yet further and particularly to make use of the power and high esteem he has by his late Book gotten in his Vniversity of Cambridge to become a Godfather in rebaptizing and giving a New Name to an ancient and famous Colledge there which at present has two Names both of them extremely inconvenient and prejudiciall to the Design of his beloued Book being called not only S. Benets but likewise Corpus Christi-Colledge For as long as these names continue neither will S. Benedict pass there for a Fanatick nor the Reall presence be esteemed aground of a worse then Pagan Idolatry But I believe he will scarce be able with all his Rhetorick to obtain from them such a compliance or even perswade his own Parishioners to renounce Heaven except S. Gregory S. Benedict S. Francis c. be excluded thence A Second Request is that since to his great credit order has been taken by his friends more solicitous for him then their own Church to render his Book unanswerable he would hasten his zealous Huguenot Brethren of the Savoy iust such Defenders of the Church of England as himself to enlarge his conquests through France also by sending abroad their French Translation of his formidable Book the Rationall Account There will be no need to fear any officious Searchers nor the least obstruction to their dispersing their ware in France for there Catholicks are so confidently secure of the invincible Truth of their Religion that the King himself not only permits but invites yea and expressly commands the subtillest of the Huguenot Ministers to write and publish freely whatsoever they are able to say in defence of themselves or against Catholick Doctrines Now it is manifest that the Doctours friends the zealous Searchers and murderers of all Answers to his Book do not believe that he has any confidence at all either in the truth or honesty of his cause And iust reason they have since it is a cause evidently destructive both to the English Church and state as hath been demonstrated And if themselves had any regard at all either to their Church or the Civill state and peace of the kingdom all betrayed by him they would see and acknowledge that their vigilance would have been much better employed in preventing the birth of so deformed and pernicious a monster My third Request is indeed J fear too reasonable to expect it should be granted by an Adversary of the Doctors temper It is this His design beeing to deterr all English-men from Communion with the Catholick Church from a consideration of dangerous Doctrines and Practises in it he is requested that hereafter he would not abuse the world by fathering on the Church Exotick opinions of particular Schoolmen and by representing the Churches Doctrines lamely falsely and dishonestly His enormous faultiness in this regard in mitation of Doctor Taylor committed in his last Book through every one of the Points mentioned by him may be visible to all heedfull Readers and irrefragable Proofes hereâ—fare in a readiness to be produced if his busy friends the Searchers could be perswaded to rest in their beds in the night time He cannot complain of any difficulty to find out all necessary Doctrines in which Catholicks universally agree as we may for Proteflant Doctrines The Councill of Trent alone will sufficiently furnish him Or if he think fitt to have recourse to the interpretations of its Decisions in all reason and conscience he ought to content himself with such as seem to him most moderate and rationall Christian charity and love of Peace requiring this from him But I fear his unconformity hereto must be pardoned For his principall vocation now being to be a Controvertist to which it seems he is by Superiours engaged and to which employment Preaching Sacraments and all must yield it will be impossible for him to write volumes of Controversy his way if he be confined to matters only which are pertinent or to arguments which are Logically concluding For how could he then delight profanc Readers with ridiculous stories or give scope to his own more profane Fancy in descanting irreligiously on the actions of Saints or fill up many sheets with nasty occurrents raked out of dunghills and charging them on the Church which abhorrs them more then himself How could he I say thus play the Controvertist if he were to assault the Church only in her necessary Doctrines and Discipline exhibited in her Councills I must therefore I fear prepare my self with patience to receive a Refusall to Requests though in my opinion very reasonable and which I here sett down because J believe they will be esteemed such by ingenuous and judicious Readers who surely will not judge the cause of Catholicks prejudiced by the Doctors confutation of a Church no where extant in rerum naturâ except in his own disordered Fancy Lastly he is desired to consider that Almighty God commands us to loue Peace and Truth Zach. 8. 19. both these For Peace alone without Truth is a conspiracy in Errour and an imprudent zeale for Truth may be more pernicious then Errour Both these therefore ought to be loved together And to Hate both Peace and Truth seems a depravation scarce consistent with Human nature or any Rationall Agent besides the Devill himself Since therefore the Doctor by demolishing all Tribunalls in Gods Church which might peaceably end Controversies has endeavoured as much as in him lyes to banish Peace eternally from among Christians it is iustly to be expected from him that being now become by Profession a Controvertist he should give some better testimony to the world that he is at least a Seeker and Promoter of Truth and that his Design in writing Preaching and Disputing is to conquer the iudgments of Dissenters to a belief of that which himself pretends to be Truth But can any reasonable man imagine that he had so much as a desire to convert Catholicks who alone seem to be esteemed by him Dissenters by such a Book as his last is which they cannot read without trembling at the blasphemies of it and without a horrible aversion from one who would make their Church and Faith odious for Doctrines and Practises which the said Church is so far from owning that she condemns them and would moreover persuade them to forsake an established Communion without being informed whither to betake themselves These proceedings are so unreasonnable that it seems manifest he had not so much as a thought of convincing their iudgments so that he will have small reason to wonder that not one single person can be found whom he looks on as an enemy who has given him occasion to erect a Trophey yea moreover though perhaps he will not believe it that a considerable number have against his will had their eyes opened by him to see the desperate state of that cause which seems to seek its last refuge in the Protection of such an Advocat A strange fate certainly this is of a Book so boasted of and to which such conquests have been promised Therefore any sober Reader who shall heedfully reflect on the Doctor 's abilities will hardly be perswaded to believe that he intended his last should be a Book of Controversy but rather an Engin raised by him to work during the space of a few months some considerable mischief against the persons of innocent Catholicks at a season as he thought proper for his purpose when he conceived thereby the whole Kingdom might happily be incensed against them Which holy design if he could effect it would afterward be indifferent to him whether his Book were confuted or not However our hope is that Dominus iudicabit pauperes populi bumiliabit Calumniatorem FINIS Nullos esse Deos in ane coelum Affirmat Selius probatque quod se Factum duÌ„ negat haec videt BeatuÌ„ Martial l. 4. Epigr 21. Pag. 262. Psal. 118. Mem. 2. Cor. 12. v. 2. 3. 4. P. 334. P. 336 P. 336. P. 337. P. 244. Suar. in 3. S Th q 27. Anâ—on Summ. p. 1. tit 8. c. Baron ad A. D. 604. P. 248. P. 235. Irenic P. 392. P. 346. P. 349. P. 350. 13. Principle 15 Principle I. Que. Ansvv. II. Qu. Ansvv. III Qu. Ansvv. IV. Qu. Ansvv. V. Qu. Ansvv. Irenic Eph. iv 4. 5. vers 5. Gesner in Re Bellar. Def. Schlusscâ—b P. 443. Ration Accou p 54. Aug. de Bapt. cont Donat. l. 4. c. 16. P. 180. Conc. Triden Sess. XIV cap. 3. P. 183. P. 181. P. z12 Conc. Tâ—id Ses. XIV c. 8. August lib. 50 hom Hom. 41. Conc. Tâ—id Seâ— VII de Sacram Can. 8. P. 206. Gal. 4. P. 183. Aug. Hom. 50. capvlt P. 681. Luk xvi 9. Lib. de curâ pâ—â— moâ—tuis cap. 4. P. 183. Conc. Tâ—id Ses. xxv Decâ—et de Indulg Ibid. P. 516. P. 188. P. 174. Cor. 14 1. Cor. 14. Vers. 5. 9. 13. 27 28. P. â—15 P. 174. Philast Preface pag. 6. Ibid. p. 22.