desires by a speciall reuelation or be it that God reueileth to them that secret in his diuine essence wherein all truths are comprehended so that the Church vpon these different manners hath not determined by which of them God is pleased to make this communication to his Saints But by what means soeuer this knowledge is imparted it is very certain that it is farr from ascribing to the creature any of the diuine perfections as the Idolaters did since it doth not permit our attributing euen to the greatest Saints any degree of excellence which is not deriued from God nor acceptablenesse in his eyes but as deriued from their virtues nor any virtue but what is the free guift of Grace nor any information of humane passages but such as God is pleased to communicate nor any capacity to assist vs but only by their prayers nor in fine any felicity but by a perfect submission and conformity to the diuine pleasure It is therefore most certain that vpon penetration into our interior sentiments directed to the Saints it will be euident that we doe not raise them aboue the condition of Creatures and from this ground one ought to be possess'd of the true nature of that honour and reuerence which is intended by our exterior demonstrations the apparent religious offices being appointed to testify the interior sentiments of our minds But by reason that the honour which the Church offers to Saints appeareth most notoriously before their Images and their holy Reliques it is requisite to explaine the Churches syncere doctrine in this Religious Act. In point of Images the Councel of Trent forbids expressely to beleeue any Diuinity or power in them for which we ought to reuerence them or to sue for any fauor or to place any confidence in them and ordains that all the honour should relate to the Originalls they represent All these words of the Councel are so many characters which serue to distinguish vs from Idolaters since we are so farr from beleeuing with them any Diuinity residing in the Images as we attribute no virtue to them but this of exciting in vs the remembrance of their originalls Vpon this it is that the honour we render to Images is grounded for example can one deny that the figure of IESVS-CHRIST crucified when we behold it doth not excite a more liuely remembrance of him who loued vs so as to deliuer himself vp to death for vs As long as the present Image possessing our eyes entertains so pretious a notion in our minds we are moued to expresse by some exterior markes the feruor and extent of our gratitude and we declare by our humiliation before the Image how profound our submission is respectiue to the Original Wherefore speaking strictly according to the style of the Church when we render any honour to the Image of an Apostle or Martyr our ayme is not so much to honour the Image as the Apostle or Martyr in presence of the Image To this purpose the Roman Pontificall declareth and the Councell of Trent expresseth the same intent when it saith that the honour we render to Images is so referr'd to the Originalls that by the means of the Images we kisse and before which we kneele we adore CHRIST IESVS and honour those Saints which they represent to vs. In fine we cleerly discerne in what Spirit the Church honoureth Images by the honour it renders the holy Crosse or the booke of the Gospel All the world sees cleerly that before the Crosse the Church adoreth him who did beare our sinn's vpon that wood and that when her children bow their heads before the bookes of the Gospel when they stand vp in respect at theyr passing by them and kisse them reuerently all this honour terminateth in the Eternall Verity which is exposed to vs by that Instrument There must then be very little equity in calling Idolatry that Religious sentiment which moueth vs to vncouer and bow our heads before the Images of the Crosse in reflection vpon him who was crucyfi'd for our sakes and one must be starke blinde not to discerne the extreame difference between those who confided in Idols vpon this opinion that some Diuinity or some virtue was at is were fastned vnto them and them who professe as we doe that they intend not to make any vse of Images but simply to raise their spirit vp to heaven with the intent of honouring CHRIST IESVS or his Saints and in them God himself who is the author of all grace and Sanctification Vnder the same notion the honour we pay to Reliques is to be apprehended following the stepps of the primitiue Ages and if our Aduersaries did reflect that we consider the bodies of Saints as hauing bin victimes to God either by Martyrdome or Pennance they would not conceiue that the honour we render them vpon this motiue can depart or remoue vs from that we owe to God himself And we may say in generall that if they would comprehend in what manner the affection we beare to some one body extendeth without deuiding it self to his children to his freinds and successiuely by degrees to all that represents that person to all that remains of him or any thing that receiueth the memory of him if they did comprehend that our honouring makes such a progress since in effect our honouring is nothing else but loue mixt with feare and respect in fine if they did comprehend that all the exterior worship of the Catholique Church riseth and springeth in God himself and that it reuerts thither they would neuer suspect that those Religious acts which God alone doth animate could provoke his iealousy They would perceiue the quite contrary and find that if God as iealous as he is of the loue of men doth not account that we deuide between him and the Creature when we loue our Neighbour for his sake the same God as iealous as he is of the duties of his seruants doth not conceiue them to share or part the worship which they owe to him alone when from the motiue of the dutys they owe him they honour those who haue bin honoured by himself Yet true it is that as the sensible markes of reuerence are not all of absolute necessity the Church without any alteration in the Doctrine may haue extended more or lesse those exterior practises suting to the diuersity of times places and other occurrencies not intending that her children should be seruilly subiected to visible matters but only that they might be excited and as it were aduertised by their means to apply themselfs to God to offer him in spirit and truth that reasonable and due seruice he expecteth from his creatures It may easily be discerned by this Doctrine with how much truth I have asserted that a great part of our Controversies would vanish by an only right vnderstanding of termes if these were discussed with Charity and if our Aduersaries did consider calmely the precedent explications
which comprehend the expresse Doctrine of the Councel of Trent they would forbeare to obiect to vs that we injure the Mediation of CHRIST IESVS and that we inuoke Saints adore Images in a manner peculiar to God himself It is granted by reason that in some sense Inuocation Adoration and the name of Mediator are competent only to God and CHRIST JESVS that it is easy by a perverse vse of those termes to traduce our Doctrine and render it odious but if they are ingenuously receiued in that sense we haue exhibited these obiections loose all their force and if there remayne in the minds of the Pretended Reformers any lesse important difficultyes naturall equity and syncerity will oblige them to auowe themselues satisfy'd in the principall exceptions Besides this there is nothing more vniust then to charge the Church with the stating of all piety in this devotion to Saints since as we haue already euinced the Councel of Trent iudgeth it sufficient to informe and teach Catholiques that this practise is Good Vsefull without advancing it further so that the Churches intent is to condemn such as reiect this practise either by Contempt or Misconstruction and the Church is obliged to condemn them by reason that she ought not to indure the condemning of salutary and usefull practises nor that a Doctrine which all Antiquity hath authorised should be reiected by the Nouellists Doctors The matter of iustification will manifest yet a greater light how many difficulties may be avoyded by a syncere exposition of our opinions Those who are never so little acquainted with the history of the Pretended Reformation can not be ignorant that those who were the first Authors of it did propose this Article to all the world as the principall and as it were the most essentiall ground of their separation so that this seemes the most necessary point to be rightly understood First we beleeve that our sinns are forgiuen freely by the divine mercy for JESVS-CHRIST'S sake these are the expresse termes of the Councel of Trent which addeth further that we are said to be iustified freely because none of those things which precede our iustification either our faith or our works can merit this grace And by reason the holy scripture explains to us the remission of our sinns expressing it some times by saying that God couers them and others that he takes them quite away and effaceth them by the grace of the holy Ghost which renders vs new creatures we conceiue that we are to combine all these expressions to forme a compleate Idea or notion of the iustification of a sinner we doe therefore beleeue that our sinns are not only couered but intirely effaced by the blood of CHRIST IESVS and by the grace by which we are regenerated and this perswasion is so farr from detracting from that image we ought to frame of the merit of that blood as quite contrary it indeareth and eleuateth the value of it for by this meanes the righteousnes of Christ is not simply imputed but actually imparted to the faithfull by the operation of the holy Ghost in so much as they are not only imputed but euen rendered righteous by the grace of Christ. If our righteousnes were only in the sight of man it would not be the operation of the holy Ghost it must then be iustice euen before God since it is God himself who produceth it in vs by an effusion of his charity vpon our harts It is notwithstanding but too true that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and we all offend in many things Wherefore albeit our righteousnes be a true one by the infusion of Charity yet is it no perfect one by reason of the combat between it our concupiscence so that the sighing and sorrowing of a soule repenting her sinns performes the most necessary duty of Christian righteousnes which obligeth vs to confesse with S. Augustin that our righteousnes in this life consists rather in the remission of our sinns then in the perfection of our virtues Wherefore as to the point of Merit imputed to our workes the Catholique Church teacheth that Eternall life ought to be proposed to the children of God both as a Grace mercifully promised by the meanes of our Sauior IESVS CHRIST and as a Reward which is faithfully rendred to their good workes and to their deserts in virtue of that promise these are the expresse termes of the Councel of Trent but least the pride of humane nature should be flattered by the opinion of a persuming Merit the same Councel determineth that all the worth and value of Christian good workes is deriued from that sanctifying grace which is freely conferr'd vpon vs in the name of CHRIST JESVS and that is an effect of the continuall influence of that diuine head vpon his depending members True it is indeed that the exhortations the promises the menaces and reproaches of the Gospel doe declare sufficiently that we are to worke our saluation by the motion actings of our own wills concurring with the Grace of God which assists vs but it is a fixt principle that free will can performe nothing in order to Eternall beatitude but by the same degrees it is moued and eleuated by the holy Ghost Whereupon the Church knowing that it is the holy spirit which worketh in vs by his Grace all the good we doe she ought to rest perswaded that the good workes of the faithfull are very acceptable to God of great estimation in his sight and she doth rightfully vse the terme of Merit concurrently with all Christian Antiquity cheefly to signify the value dignity of our workes which we performe by the motion of his Grace But by reason all their sanctity is deriued from God who workes them in vs the same Church hath receiued from the Councel of Trent as the Doctrine of the Catholique Faith this saying of S. August that God crowns his own Gifts when he crowns the Merits of his seruants We intreate all such as loue truth peace to be pleased to read the whole context of the Councel of Trent's words that they once be disabused and deliuered from those wrong impressions which are suggested to them of our Docctrine Notwithstanding we discerne cleerly say the fathers of that Councel that the holy scriptures esteeme so much Good woorks that IESVS-CHRIST himself promiseth that a cupp of cold water giuen a poor body shall not want its reward and that the Apostle declareth that a moment of light payne suffered in this world shall produce an Eternall weight of glory yet God forbid that a Christian should trust glory in himself and not in our Lord whose goodness towards Man is so aboundant that he allowes his own Guifts to them to be accounted their Merits This Doctrine is spread through the whole Councel which teacheth in an other session that we who are not sufficient to doe
perfection of the new man Their diuine institution is extant in the holy scripture either by the expresse words of CHRIST who established them or by that Grace which by testimony of the same scripture is annexed vnto them and inferreth necessarily God's ordayning them By reason that infants can not supply their own want of Baptisme by the acts of Faith Hope and Charity nor by their vows desire of receauing this Sacrament we beleeue that if they doe not actually receaue it they haue no part of communication of the Grace of our Redemption and consequently dying in Adam they haue no part in JESVS-CHRIST It is fitt to obserue here that the Lutherans concurr with the Catholique Church in holding the absolute necessity of Baptisme for Infants and withall wonder that any one hath presumed to deny a truth which no one before Caluin had euer dared to call in question so deeply was it imprinted in the minds of all the faithful Notwithstanding this the Pretended-Reformers make no scruple willfully to lett their children dye as the Infidels doe without bearing any marke of Christianity and depriued of all the grace that belongs to it if the death of the child happen before the day of their Congregation The imposition of hands practised by the Apostles in order to the confirming fortifying the faithfull against persecutions deriuing the principall efficacy from the internall descent of the holy Ghost the infusion of his guifts ought not to haue bin reiected by our Aduersaries vpon this pretext that the holy spirit doth no longer descend visibly vpon vs no more then it is by all the Christian Churches who haue religiously continued it euer since the Apostles and make vse also of the holy Chrisme to demonstrate the virtue of that Sacrament by a more expresse and sensible representation of the interiour Vnction of the holy spirit We beleeue CHRIST IESVS hath bin pleased to ordaine that those who haue subiected themselues to the Authority of the Chruch by their Baptisme and after this engagement haue transgressed the lawes of the Gospel should be bound to vndergoe the iudgment of the same Church at the tribunal of Pennance where she doth exercise the power conferr'd vpon her to remitt or to reteyn sinns The termes of the commission granted to the Churches Ministers to absolue sinns are so large and general that without great temerity the power can not be restreyned only vnto publick and notorious offences and when they pronounce Absolution in the name of CHRIST JESVS since they doe but follow the expresse termes of their commission the sentence is reputed as giuen by CHRIST himself in whose place they are appointed as Iudges It is this inuisible High-Priest who absolueth interiourly the Penitent whilst the Priest exerciseth the exteriour ministery This Penitentiall iudicature being so necessary a curbe for our licentiousnesse so aboundant a spring of pious and prudent aduises so sensible a consolation to soules afflicted for their sinns when Absolution is not only declared to them in generall termes as the Protestant Ministers doe practise but giuen them in particular and the Penitent effectualy absolued by the commission of CHRIST IESVS vpon a perfect examination and a right vnderstanding of the case we can not possibly beleeue that our Adversaries can contemplate so many good consequences without resenting their losse and feeling some shame of such an abusiue Reformation which hath abrogated so holy so beneficial a practise The holy Ghost hauing annexed vnto Extreame-Vnction by the testimony of S. Iames an expresse promise of remission of sinns and ease vnto the sick party there is nothing wanting vnto this most holy ceremony towards the cōstituting it a true Sacrament We must only obserue that according to the Doctrine of the Councel of Trent the sick are more releeued in respect of their soules then their bodyes and the spiritual benefit is alwayes the principal ayme obiect of the new law it is that also we ought absolutely to expect from this holy Vnction supposing we are rightly disposed for it whereas our corporal eases and releifs in our infirmitys are afforded vs only as relating to our eternal health according to the secret and hidden dispositions of Diuine Prouidence and the seueral degrees of preparation and faith which are already acting in the soules of the faithful When we shall seriously cōsider that IESVS-CHRIST hath induced a new forme into the state of Marriage reducing this holy society vnto two persons immutably indissolubly vnited when we shall reflect that this inseparable coniunction is made the signe of his Eternall vnion with his Church we shall find little difficulty to comprehend that the Marriage of the faithfull is accompanied with the Grace of the holy Spirit we will easily praise the Diuine goodnes which hath bin pleased to sanctify in this manner the spring and deriuation of our birth The imposition of hands which the Ministers of holy matters receaue being accompanied with so present and actual a virtue of the holy Ghost and so intire an infusion of Grace is duly reckoned in the number of the Sacraments and we must confesse that our Aduersaries doe not absolutely exclude the Consecration of Ministers but they reiect it only from the number of the Sacraments which are common to the whole Church We are now at last come to the question of the Eucharist or Blessed Sacrament wherein it will be requisite to explaine more amply our Doctrine and yet not passing farr beyond the bounds which we haue prescribed to our selues The reall presence of the Body and Blood of our Lord in this Sacramēt is solidy established by the words of the institution which we vnderstand litterally and there is no more reason to aske vs why we tye our selues to the proper litterall sence then to question a traueller why he followeth the great high-way It is their part that resort to figuratiue senses and choose such by-paths to shew a reason of this their deuiation As for vs who perceaue nothing in the words which CHRIST IESVS vsed for the institution of this Mystery that obligeth vs to take them in a figuratiue sense we conceaue this reason sufficient to settle and determine our receauing them in their proper and litterall signification But we find our selues yet more strictly tyed vnto it when we considerately examine the intention of the sonne of God in this mystery which I will explaine in the cleerest and easiest termes I can possibly and by such principles as I conceaue our Aduersaries can not disagree in I say then that these words of our Sauiour Take and eate this is my Body giuen for you shew vs that as the ancient Iews did not simply vnite themselues in spirit vnto the immolation or killing of the victimes which were offered for them but did effectually eate of the Sacrificed flesh which was a signe
AN EXPOSITION OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE CATHOLIQUE CHURCH IN THE POINTS OF CONTROVERSIE with those of the Pretended Reformation By JAMES BENIGNVS BOSSÜET Counseller in the King's Counsels Bishop and Lord of Condom Tutor to his Royall Hyghnesse the Dolphin of France Translated into English by W. M. PRINTED AT PARIS By VINCENT DU MOUTIER Mont S. Hilaire at the signe of the Looking glasse M.DC.LXXII With Approbation and Permission APPROBATION Of my Lord Arch-Bishop and Duke of Reimes the first Peer of France and of other Lords Bishops WE haue reade the Treatise intituled An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholique Church in points of Controuersie composed by IAMES BENIGNVS BOSSÜET Bishop Lord of Condom Tutor to his Royall Hyghesse the Dolphin and after hauing examined it with as much application as the importance of the matter required we haue iudged the Doctrine conformable to the Catholique Apostolique and Roman Faith Which moues vs to propose it vnder that notion to the persons God hath committed to our charge and as we assure our selues that those of the Catholique Communion will be edified by it so we may hope that those of the Pretended-Reformed Religion who shall peruse this worke with attention may receaue from it clearings and disabuses very conducing to guide them into the way of Saluation CHARLES MAVRICE LE TELLIER Arch-Bishop Duke of Reimes CHARLES DE ROSMADEC Arch-Bishop of Tours FELIX Bishop Earle of Chalons DE GRIGNAN Bishop of Vsez D. DE LIGNY Bishop of Meaux NICOLAS Bishop of Luson GABRIEL Bishop of Autun MARC Bishop of Tarbe ARMAND IOHN Bishop of Beziers STEPHEN Bishop Prince of Grenoble IVLIVS Bishop of Tule TO MY DEAR COVNTRYMEN OF ENGLAND Cognoscetis Veritatem Veritas liberabit vos Jo. 8. v. 32. Yee shall know the Truth and the Truth shall sett you free TRVTH is so much the Center of the Spirit of Man as it pretends to moue towards it euen in all the digressions Deuiations it makes from it For euen most of our Errors Delusions passe themselues vpon vs vnder the notion of Truth The Spirit of Falsity disguiseth himself into the Apparēce of an Angel of Light to haue the easier accesse Did not Pilate himself seeme desirous to know Truth when he inquired of our Sauiour what Truth was But most inquier like him as soone as menaced with this terror if you receaue it you are no freind to Caesar you incurre the displeasure of the State and the Penalty of the Laws they decline the further persute of Truth and shrinke into that weakenes which our Sauiour reproached to his timorous inquirers they lou'd the Glory before Men more then the Glory before God Others there are who seeme frighted as the children of Israël were with the misreports of the inhahitants of the land of Chanaan which were falsely represented to them as Gyants and Monsters for so their Pretending Explorators disguise to them the Roman-Catholique Religion vnder the Forged figures of Idolatry or Superstitiō to diuert an inquiry into the true state and constitution of it But as when Iosuah shew'd the children of Israël a true and sensible parcel of the fruits of that earth they were disabused and inflamed with a desire to partake of the blessed fertility of the land of promise so Godbe praised there are many who vpon an equal ingenuous view of the true and natural state of Catholique Doctrine are disabused and protest against the false reporters as the Psalmist did in reiection of vaine inuentions of the Heathens Narrauerunt mihi iniqui Fabulationes sed non vt lex tua Omnia mandata tua Veritas Vniust men make their own storys but what they say is not like thy law All thy commandements are Truth Here is therefore a true naturall parcel of the fruits of that land of promise the Church of CHRIST to which this blessed promise was made that it should be led into all Truth and that CHRIST IESVS the founder of it would remaine with it vnto the end of the world This promise can not be verified in any Church which hath had a notorious deficiency and interruption for many ages which marke of inconformity to CHRIST'S figure and description of the True Church is euident in all the Pretended-Reformations But the designe of this Author was only a short easy exposure of such Catholique Doctrines as the beleefe thereof is fully sufficient to render the professor an intire Orthodox Catholique so that this short Treatise may be call'd rather a Factum of the case then Pleading of the cause since it doth but singly expose the matter of Fact in all our Beleefs whithout any Arguing against the opposite Opinions Whereupon I may not improperly say this is a true picture by the life of Catholique Religion which designeth only a iust and natural representation of it not a character that raiseth beautifyeth the figure it exposeth And in conformity to this profession the pious and prudent Author declareth in the close of this discourse that it was designed only for a Faithfull Manifest in the name of the Catholique Church the vtility whereof was expected in the disabusing all ingenuous Readers in those misreported Doctrines which are wrongfully imputed to her And God hath bless'd this pious proposall so as to recommend it very notoriously by the satisfaction which is profess'd to haue bin receaued by one of the most considerable persons of this age for the honour of his Birth and eminency of all sorts of Merit he hath acknowleged much of his cleer full information of the Catholique Doctrines as receaued from this excellent discourse And surely I haue not seen any edition of this nature as may be more aptly call'd a Mapp of Catholique Religion for all the lesser Controuersies are marked out in very smale points touches but the two Capital seates are distinguish'd by some larger markes which represent them so you will find the Reall Presence of CHRIST in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrifice of the Masse as being the Capitall seates of our Controuersies extended in a much larger figure then the other questions and the drawing these two figures at their full length with their true features was the most requisit application by reason they are the most aspersed disfigured by the Maligners of the Church And these two Articles rightly understood as they are profess'd and explain'd in this Treatise may promise the remoue of the greatest difficultyes which most frequently auert many ingenuous candid Protestants from entring into an equal impartial inquiry concerning the seeming difficultyes of these two points namely this of the Reall Presence of CHRIST'S Body and Blood in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist as pretending it s not being cleerly explained and likewise the Controuersy about the Sacrifice of the Masse as not appearing euidently specified in holy Scripture Me thinks these two may not be improperly
r Daillé hath writt a treatise intitled Faith grounded vpon the scripture wherein after having exposed all the articles of Faith professed by the Pretended-Reformed Church he Saith that They are without contest the Church of Rome professeth the beleife of them and true it is that they hold not all our opinions but that we hold all their beleefs Wherefore this Minister cannot deny our beleeuing all the principall articles of Christian Religion vnless he will destroy his own Faith But had not Mons r Daillé graunted this the matter proues it self since all the world knowes that we profess the beleife of all those articles which the Caluinists call Fundamentalls so that an ingenuous syncerity would allow vs without dispute this Assertion that we haue not waued or declined any of the Essential perswasions The Pretended-Reformers discerning the aduantages we may draw from this concession seeke to disapoint vs by alledging that we destroy those articles by asserting others which are inconsistent with them This is what they labour to euince by consequences they inferr from our doctrines but the same M r Daillé whome I produce to them not so much to conuīce them by the testimony of one of their most learned Ministers as in regard that what he saith being euident in it self teacheth them what they ought to beleiue of those sorts of consequences supposing that ill ones might be deriued from our Doctrine This is what he saith in his letter to Mons r de Monglat vpon the occasion of his Apologie Although the opinion of the Lutherans in point of the Eucharist inferres according to vs as well as that of Rome the destrūction of the humanity of CHRIST JESVS yet that consequence cannot be obiected to them without calumnie considering that they doe formally reiect it There is nothing more Essentiall to Christian Religion then the verity of the Humane Nature of JESVS-CHRIST and yet notwithstanding the Lutherans hold a doctrine from which is inferr'd a destruction of this Essentiall verity by consequences the Pretended-Reformers account euident they haue not scrupuled to offer them their communion in respect that their opinion hath no poyson in it as M r Daillé attesteth in his Apologie and their Nationall Synod held at Charenton in 1631 admits the Lutherans to their Communion vpon this ground that they agree in the principles and fundamentall points of their Religion It is therefore a maxime constantly established amōgst them that we ought not in this matter to consider the consequences which may be drawne from a Doctrine but simply what the party maintaineth and what he stateth who professeth it So that when by consequences they pretend to deduct from our Doctrine that we can not sufficiently acknowledg the souueraine glory due to God nor the quality of Saviour and Mediator in CHRIST JESVS nor the infinite dignity of Sacrifice nor the superaboundant plenitude of his merits we may easily defeate those consequences by this short answer which M r Daillé himself furnishes vs with by saying that the Catholique Church disclaiming them they can not be imputed to vs without calumny But I will vndertake further and clear to the Pretended-Reformers by the single explication of our Doctrine that so farr it is from ouerthrowing the Fundamentall articles of Faith either directly or by any just consequence that quite contrary our Doctrine hath established them in a manner so solide so euident that without palpable injustice the aduantage of a right vnderstanding them can not admit a question And to begin with the adoration due to God the Catholique Church teacheth that it consists principally in beleiuing that he is the Creator Lord of all things and in adhering to him with all the powers of our soule by faith hope and loue as to him who alone can conferr our Eternall happinesse by com̄unication of the infinite Good which is himself This interior adoration which we render to G'od in spirit and in truth hath its exterior markes of which the principall is Sacrifice which can not be offered but to God alone by reason the homage of Sacrifice is established in order to a publike confession a solemne protestatiō of the soueraingnity of God and of our absolute dependance on him The same Church teacheth that Religiōs Worship ought to terminate in God as being the necessary end and obiect thereof and if the honour she renders to the Blessed Virgin and the Saints may be termed an Act of Religion it is upon the ground that it relateth necessarily vnto God Before I explaine further in what this honour consisteth it will be vsefull to obserue that the Pretended-Reformers being press'd by the power of euident truth begin to acknowledg that the practise of praying to Saints and honoring their reliques was established in the Church euen in the fourth Century M. Daillé making this acknowledgment in the booke he writt against the Latine Church touching the obiect of Religious Worship accuseth S. Basile S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. John Chrysostome S. Augustin and diuers other great lights of Antiquity which did shine in that age and aboue all the rest S. Gregory Nazianzen who is styled the Deuine as a note of his excellency he taxeth all these with hauing changed in this point the doctrine of the preceding ages But surely it will seeme very improbable that M. Daillé should have better vnderstood the sentiments of the three first ages then those who did as it were inherite their doctrine immediately vpon their death and it is by so much the lesse to be beleiued by reason that the fathers of the fourth age were so farre from perceauing any introduction of new doctrines in this Act of Religion that this Minister himself citeth expresse texts by which they shew clearly that they pretended in praying to Saints to follow the example of their Predecessors But not to examin any longer the iudgments of three primitiue ages I rest satisfyed with the graunt of M. Daillé who yealds to vs so many eminent Doctors who did instruct and discipline the Church in the fourth Age. For though it is an easy matter twelue hundred years after their death to taint them by way of scorne with the title of a Sect calling them Reliquarists as persons who honored Reliques I will hope that those of his Communion will beare more respect to those eminent personages they will not presume at least to object that theyr praying to Saints and honoring their Reliques rendred them guilty of Idolatry or that they ouerthrew the confidence that Christians are to haue in IESVS-CHRIST and we may hope that hence forward they will forbeare those reproaches when they consider they can not apply them to vs without laying the same imputation vpon so many excellent persons whose Doctrine Sanctity they professe to reuerence But since it is my worke to exhibite here our Beleif rather then produce the Mantainers of it we must persue the explication of it The Catholique Church teaching the
word doth not allow vs any doubt of it Our Aduersaries did well discerne that simple figures and bare signes of the Body and Blood would not satisfy Christians vsed accustomed to the Grace and Goodnesse of a God who giues himself so Really to vs. So that vpon this ground they seeke to decline the being taxed with their denying a Substantiall and Reall participation of IESVS-CHRIST in the Communion They affirme with vs that he makes vs partakers of his proper Substance They say that he feedeth vs with the Substance of his Body and his Blood and conceauing that his shewing vs by some signe that we did partake of his Sacrifice would not be sufficient they declare expressely that the Body of our Sauiour which is giuen vs in the Communion doth ascertaine vs of it These words are so important as we will presently examine them Now then we see the Body and Blood of CHRIST present in our Mysteries by the grant of the Caluinists for what is communicated according to the proper Substance of it must needs be Really present True it is that they explaine this Communication saying it is effected by the Spirit and by Faith but it is also certain that they will haue it to be Reall and because it is not possible to render this intelligible that a Body communicated to vs only in Spirit by Faith should be imparted to vs Really and in its proper Substance they haue not bin able to remain fix'd in both parts of a Doctrine of such a Contradiction and so they haue bin forced to grant two things which the Catholique Church teacheth The first is that CHRIST IESVS is giuen vs in the Eucharist in such a manner as doth not sute either with Baptisme or Preaching the Gospel but is peculiarly proper to this Mysterie We shall discerne presently the consequence of this principle but lett vs first consider how it is allowed granted by the Pretended-Reformers And in this point I will not alledge the testimony of any particular Authour but the very words of the Catechisme in that place where it explicateh what relateth to the Lord's-Supper It pronounceth in expresse termes not only that CHRIST IESVS is giuen vs Really and truly in the Sacrament and in his own Substance but being asked the question what aduantage we haue by the communication in the Supper aboue that in Baptisme or Preaching they answer although he be truly communicated to vs by Baptisme and by the Gospel yet in them it is but Partly and not Entirely From whence it followes that in the Lord's-Supper they teach he is not giuen vs Partly but Compleatly There is an extreame difference between receauing in Part and receauing Plenarily So that if we partake of JESVS-CHRIST in all other com̄unications of him but in Part and that in the Lord's Supper singly we receaue him Entirely it followeth euen by the Confession of our Aduersaries that we must seeke in the Communion a participation special and peculiar to this mystery which can not appertaine to Baptisme or Preaching and at the same time it followes also that this partaking is not annexed vnto Faith since our Faith spreading extending it self through all the acts of Christianity doth exist and operate in the Preaching of the word and in Baptisme as well as the Lord's-Supper And indeed it is to be obserued that notwithstanding all the earnestnesse the Pretending-Reformers haue expressed to render Baptisme and Preaching equal to the Eucharist vpon this account that CHRIST JESVS is truly com̄unicated to vs by them they neuer durst venture to assert in their Catechismes that CHRIST was giuen vs in his proper Substance either in Baptisme or in Preaching of the Gospel as they haue affirm'd it of the Eucharist So that they haue bin conuinced they could not decline the ascribing to the Lord's Supper such a manner of possessing CHRIST as is peculiar to this Sacrament and that our Faith which is common to all the actions of a Christian could not be that distinct singular manner Now this singular manner of possessing CHRIST IESVS in the Eucharist must needs be Reall since it giueth to the beleeuer the very Substance of the Body and Blood of our Sauiour which is not done by Faith and this is what the Catholique Church holds teacheth The second point granted by the Pretending Reformers is drawn from the Article following immediately what I haue allready cited out of their Catechisme which is this that the Body of our Sauiour in regard it was once offer'd in Sacrifice to reconcile vs vnto God is now giuen vs to assure vs that we partake of that reconciliation If these words haue any meaning in them if they are not an empty sound only a meere vaine amusement they must needs suggest to our vnderstanding that CHRIST JESVS doth not giue vs a simple signe or symbole but his proper Body to assure vs that we partake of his Sacrifice and the Reconciliation of Mankind If then the receauing of the Body of our Sauiour assureth vs of our participation of the fruite of his Death it followes of necessity that this partaking of the fruite must be a distinct thing from the receauing of his Body because the one is the pledge and security for the other from which supposal aduancing further I say that if our Aduersaries are forced to distinguish in the Lord's-Supper the partaking of the Body of our Sauiour from the hauing part in the fruite and grace of his Sacrifice they ought likewise to distinguish the participation of that Diuine Body from all that participation thereof which is conferr'd Spiritually and by Faith for this last partaking namely by Faith will neuer afford them two distinct actions by one of which they receaue the Body of our Sauiour and by the other the fruite of his Sacrifice no body being able to conceaue what difference there is between partaking by Faith of the Body of our Sauiour partaking by Faith of the fruite of his Death They must therefore yeald that besides the Communion by which we partake Spiritually of the Body of our Sauiour and of his spirit coniointly in the receauing the fruite of his Death there is yet an other Reall Comunion of the Body of the same Sauiour which is a secure pledge to vs that the other namely the benefit of his death is assured to vs if we doe not frustrate the effects of so great a grace by our own opposite dispositions This consequence is necessarily included in the principles to which they agree nor can they euer be able to explicate this verity in any solide way vnlesse they returne to the sense of the Catholique Church Who can choose but admire in this point the power of Truth All that is consequent to the principles granted by our Aduersaries is cleerly vnderstood in the sense of the Church euen the least instructed Catholiques easily conceaue that in the Eucharist there is a Com̄uniō
preuent all scandal They haue concluded by this regulation that both kindes were not essentiall to the Communion by the institution of CHRIST for otherwise they would haue bin bound absolutely to refuse the Sacrament to such as were not able to receaue it compleat and not to giue it them in a manner contrary to that CHRIST JESVS had commanded and in that case their disability would haue sufficiently excused them But our Aduersaries haue conceaued that such a rigour would be excessiue if they did not allow at least one of the Species to such as were not capable to receaue the other and since this condescendence hath no ground in the Scripture they must needs confesse with vs that the words whereby CHRIST IESVS hath proposed to vs the two Species are liable to some interpretation and that the right vnderstanding of them ought to be declared by the Authority of the Church But it might seeme that this Article of their Discipline which is of the Synode of Poytiers held 1560 had bin reformed by the Synode of Vertueil assembled in the year 1567 where it is said that the company is not of opinion the Bread should be giuen to those who would not receaue the Cupp These two Synodes neuerthelesse are not at all opposite to one another that of Vertueil speaketh of those who Will not receaue the Cupp and that of Poytiers of such as Can not take it And indeed notwithstanding the Synode of Vertueil that Article remaineth in their Discipline nay more hath bin approued by a Synode later then that of Vertueil namely by the Synode of Rochelle in 1571 where the Article was renewed and putt into that state which it now remaineth in But supposing the Synodes of the Pretended-Reformers had differr'd varied in their opinions that would serue only to manifest that the matter in question is not a point of Faith but of that kind which the Church may order dispose of according to their own principles There remaineth now nothing but to expose what the Catholiques hold touching the Word of God concerning the Authority of the Church CHRIST IESVS hauing lay'd the foundation of his Church vpon the Preaching of his Disciples the Vnwritten Word was the first guide rule of Christianity when the writings of the New Testament were adioyned to them the former Word did not for all that loose its Authority which causeth vs to accept with the same veneration all that was taught by the Apostles be it by writing or by word of mouth according to what S. Paul himself hath expresly inioyned And the certain proofe that a Doctrine comes from the Apostles is its being accepted and embraced by all Christian Churches whilst its beginning can not be pointed mark'd out We can not choose but receaue all that is establish'd in this manner with the submission due to the Diuine Authority and we are confident that such persons of the Pretended-Reformed Religion as are not very obstinate haue the same perswasion in the bottome of their harts it being impossible to beleeue that a Doctrine setled and receaued from the beginning of the Church can flow from any other spring then that of the Apostles Wherefore our Adversaries ought not to wonder that we being zealously carefull to inherit all that our Fathers haue left vs doe conserue the Deposite of Tradition as well as that of the Scriptures The Church being ordained by God to be the Depositary of the Scripture of Tradition we receaue from her hands the Canonicall Scriptures and we beleeue whateuer our Aduersaries say that it is principally the Church's Authority that determineth vs to reuerence as Diuine writt the song of Salomon which hath so few sensible markes of Propheticall inspiration and likewise the Epistle of S. Iames which Luther reiected and that of S. Iude which might be suspected by reason of some Apocriphall bookes cited in it in fine there can be no motiue but that Authority to perswade the receauing the whole body of the holy Scriptures which Christians accept as Diuine euen before the reading hath wrougt any feeling of the Spirit of God in those bookes Being then inseparably bound as we are to the Authority of the Church by meanes of the Scriptures which we receaue from her hand we are taught also by her Tradition and by the help of Tradition the true sense of the Scriptures So that the Church professeth to say nothing meerly of her self and likewise that she inventeth nothing new in her Doctrine that she doth but follow and declare the Diuine Reuelation by the interiour direction of the holy spirit which is giuen her for her Teacher That the holy Ghost expresseth himself by the Church the dispute raised about the Ceremonies of the Law euen in the time of the Apostles doth euidence and their Acts haue directed all succeeding ages by the manner that first contest was decided by what Authority all following differences are to be determined so that whensoeuer any dispute happens to deuide the faithfull the Church will interpose her Authority and the Pastours assembled will say after the Apostles It hath seemed good to the Holy Spirit and vs. And when the Church hath pronounced and determined her children will be taught not to examine a new the Articles resolued vpon but that they are bound to accept with all submission the Church's Decisions And in this methode we follow S. Paul and Silas who deliuered to the faithfull the first iudgment of the Apostles and were so farr from allowing a new discussion of what had bin decided as they trauell'd through the townes teaching to obserue the ordinances of the Apostles In this manner the children of God acquiesce in the iudgment of the Church beleeuing that by her mouth they hear the Oracle of the Holy Ghost and it is vpon the ground of this perswasion that after hauing profess'd in the Creed I beleeue in the Holy Ghost we ioine next to it The Holy Catholique Church by which protestation we oblige our selues to acknowledge an Infallible and Perpetuall Verity in the Catholique Church since the same Church which we beleeue perseuering throughout all ages would cease to be a Church if it left to teach the Truth reuealed by God so that such as apprehend least she should abuse her power by introducing Falsities haue little Faith in him by whose hand she is held and conducted And if our Aduersaries would consider discusse these matters in a fairer and more humane manner they would be forced to auowe that the Catholique Church is so farre from affecting to render herself Mistresse of her Faith as her Aduersaries charge her that quite contrary she hath laboured with all her power to binde her self and to exclude all means of In̄ouation since she doth not only submitt to the holy Scriptures but to banish for euer all Arbitrary interpretatiōs which would make the conceipts of men passe for Scripture declareth herself obliged