of satisfaction in things of such consequence but diligently to search out which amongst all the societies of men in this world is that blessed company of holy ones that houshold of faith that Spouse of Christ and Church of the living God which is the pillar and ground of truth that so they may embrace her commuuion follow her directions and rest in her judgement Now that thou maist be the better able to follow this wholesome counsell let me advise thee with care and diligence to peruse this ensuing treatise and that thou maist receive much benefit thereby for thy souls health thou hast already the prayers of S. Augustine and thou shalt have the hearty wishes and desires of Thy charitable Welwisher A. P. The TABLE Chap. I. HOw S. Augustine came to be deceived by the Manichees Page 1 Chap. II. That the Manichees do condemn the old Testament Page 11 Chap. III. Of the four wayes of expounding the old Testament Page 15 Chap. IV. 3. ways whereby men fall into errour Page 31 Chap. V Of the truth of the holy Scripture Page 37 Chap. VI. That the holy Scripture is first to be loved before it can be learned Page 42 Chap. VII That we ought not to judge rashly of the holy Scriptures and how and with what care and diligence the trve religion is to be sought for Page 49 Chap. VIII Of the way to the instruction of piety and of the wonderfull pains S. Augustine took to find it out Page 63 Chap. IX Of Credulity Page 68 Chap. X. Why Credulity is the way to Religion Page 75 Chap. XI Of understanding belief and opinion Page 83 Chap. XII That it is the safest way to believe wise men Page 93 Chap. XIII That Religion takes her beginning from believing Page 98 Chap. XIV That Christ chiefly exacted belief Page 104 Chap. XV. Of the most commodious way to Religion Page 114 Chap. XVI That miracles do procure belief Page 117 Chap. XVII The consent of nations believingin Christ Page 124 Chap. XVIII The conclusion by way of exhortation Page 129 The Profit of Believing CHAP. I. How Saint Augustine came to be deceived by the Manichees O Honoratus IF any Heretick and a man believing Hereticks did seem unto me to be one and the same thing I should think fit to be silent at this present and to abstain both from speaking and writing in this cause But now whereas they do verymuch differ For he is an Heretick according to my opinion who for some temporall benefit and chiefly for glory and his own preferment either broacheth or followeth false and new Opinions but a man believing Hereticks is one that is deluded with a certain imagination of Piety and Truth I held it to be my duty to deliver thee my opinion touching the finding out and embracing the Truth with the love whereof we have both as thou knowest been greatly enflamed even from our youths Truth is a thing farre differing from that which vain men do conceive who having too deeply settled their affections upon these bodily and corporall things do hold and imagine it to be nothing else but what they do perceive and discern by those five most known Messengers of the Body and they to sse to and fro and rerevolve in their minds the impressions and images which they have received from these things even when they endeavour to disbelieve their senses and by a deadly and a most deceitfull rule taken from thence they think that they do frame a right and perfect judgement of the inefffable Secrets and Mysteries of Faith There is nothing more easie my most dear friend then for a man not onely to say but also to think that he hath found out the Truth but how extream hard it is to find it out indeed thou wilt as I hope acknowledge and confesse upon the perusall of these my writings which that they may prove beneficiall unto thee or at least not hurtfull and unto all those into whose hands they may chance to light I have beseeched the divine Majesty and I do beseech him and I hope it will come to passe if mine own conscience can but bear me witnesse that I came to write them not with a desire of vain renown or frivolous ostentation but with a pious and a serviceable mind My intent therefore is to prove unto thee if I can that it is sacrilegiously and rashly done of the Manichees to speak bitter words and inveigh against those who following the authority of the Catholick faith are fortified and strengthened before-hand by believing and are prepared to receive the light of the Divine grace before they can behold that Verity and Truth which is seen and beheld with a pure and clean mind For thou knowest O Honoratus that we put our selves into the company of such men for no other cause but for that they said that the terrour of authority being set aside they would with plain and admirable reasons bring their hearers and followers unto God and free them from all errour For what else was it that enforced me to follow them and to hearken to them attentively almost for the space of nine years having despised and contemned the religion which by my parents was ingraffed in me being a little child but for that they affirmed that we are terrified with superstition and commanded to believe before any reason is given us of belief and that they importune and urge none to believe untill the truth be first discussed and made manifest unto them who would not be allured with these promises especially the mind of a young man desirous of truth a babler and one that was puffed up with pride upon disputations had with some skilfull and learned Schoolmen and such an one they found me then to be namely who despised my former religion like old wives tales and desired to embrace and with greedinesse to receive the manifest and sincere Truth which they promised to teach and deliver But again what reason withdrew me and called me back that I did not wholly adhere unto them but kept my self in the degree of Hearers as they use to call them and did not forgo the hopes and affairs which I had in this world but for that I also noted and observed that they were more eloquent and copious in confuting others then firm and certain in proving and maintaining their own grounds But what shall I say of my self who was now become a Catholick Christian who being almost exhausted and greedy after a very long thirst was now with an ardent affection returned again to the breasts of the Church which I shaked and wrung much weeping and lamenting to the end I might not onely draw from thence sufficient comfort for my misery and affliction but might also recover my former hope of life and salvation What then shall I say of my self And as for thee thou didest so vehemently hate and detest them that I could hardly draw thee by entreaties and exhortations to
maintained without sin so neither impugned without some blot of offence CHAP. V. BUt some man will say why then doth God very often permit certain notable and excellent men in the Church to preach unto Catholicks a new Religion A very good question and such as deserveth a more diligent and ample discourse unto which notwithstanding I will not answer out of mine own head but with the authority of sacred Scripture and the doctrine of a notable Master in Gods Church let us then hear holy Moses let him give us the reason why learned men and such as for their great gift of knowledge are called of the Apostle Prophets be sometimes permitted to preach new Doctrine which the old Testament Allegorically calleth strange gods because their opinions are so observed and honoured of Hereticks as the gods were of the Gentiles thus then writeth blessed Moses in Deuteron 13. If there shall arise quoth he in the middest of thee a Prophet or one which saith he hath seen a dream that is some Master of the Church whose Disciples or followers suppose to teach by some revelation from God what then and shall foretell quoth he some sign or miracle and that shall happen which he hath said some great Master is here surely meant and one of so deep knowledge whom his followers imagine not onely to know things humane but also to foresee future and such as shall happen which is farre above mans reach as the scholers for the most part of Valentinus Donatus Photinus Apollinaris and such like did brag that their masters were What followeth And shall quoth he say unto thee let us go and follow strange Gods which thou knowest not and let us serve them What is meant by strange Gods but forrein errours which thou knowest not that is new and never heard of before and let us serve them that is believe them follow them What then Thou shalt not quoth he hear the words of that Prophet or Dreamer And why I pray you is not that forbidden by God to be taught which is by God forbidden to be heard Because quoth he the Lord your God doth tempt you that it may appear whether you love him or no in your whole heart and in your whole soul The reason then is more clear then day why the providence of God doth sometime suffer certain teachers and masters of the Church to Preach certain new opinions that your Lord God quoth he may tempt you And surely a great tentation it is when as he whom you think a Prophet a diseiple of the Prophets whom you esteem a Doctour and maintainer of the truth whom you have highly reverenced and most intirely loved when he suddenly and privily bringeth in pernicious errours which neither you can quickly spy lead away with prejudice of your old teacher nor easily condemn hindered with love to your old master CHAP. VI. HEre some man haply doth earnestly desire to see that proved by some Ecclesiasticall examples which by the authority of Moses hath already been avouched The demand is reasonable and therefore of reason not long to be deferred Wherefore to begin with those which are yet fresh in memory and to the world best known What kind of tentation think you was that of late dayes when that ungracious and cursed Nestorius suddenly from a sheep transformed into a wolf began to devoure the flock of Christ at such time as those which were spoiled commonly took him for a sheep and therefore were more subject to his cruelty For who would have easily imagined him to have erred whom every man knew to have been chosen with such judgement of the Empire who was so highly in grace with the Clergy so much beloved of all holy men so greatly in favour with the people who openly expounded the Scriptures and also confuted the pestiferous errour of the Jews why could not this man by such means easily perswade any that he taught aright preached aright believed aright who to smooth the way and make entrance for his own heresie persecuted and preached against the blasphemies of all others But this was that which Moses saith The Lord your God doth tempt you if you love him or no. And to passe over Nestorius in whom was alwayes more admiration then profit more fame then experience whom for some time humane favour had made greater then Gods grace exalted Let us rather speak of them which endowed with many gifts and men of great industrie have been no small tentation to Catholicks as amongst the Pannonians in our Fathers memory Photinus is recorded to have tempted the Church of Sirminum in which being preferred with the liking of all men unto the dignity of Priesthood for sometime he behaved himself very Catholickly but suddenly like that naughty Prophet or Dreamer of whom Moses speaketh he began to perswade the people of God committed to his charge to follow other gods that is strange and unknown errours which before they were not acquainted with But as this is usuall so that was very pernicious that he had so great helps and furtherance for the advancing of so great wickednesse For he was both of an excellent wit and singularly well learned and passing eloquent as he which both in disputation and writing was copious and grave in either language as appeareth by the Books which he wrote partly in Greek and partly in the Latine tongue But it hapned well that Christs sheep committed to his charge very vigilant and carefull in keeping the Catholick faith did speedily remember Moses warning and therefore albeit they admired much the eloquence of their Prophet and Pastour yet were they not ignorant of the temptation And therefore whom before they followed as the chief leader of the flock the same very man afterward they avoided as a ravening wolf Neither do we learne only by Photinus but also by the example of Apollinaris the danger of this ecclesiasticall tentation and therby also be admonished diligently to keep and retaine our faith and religion For this Apollinaris procured his auditours great trouble anguish of mind whilest the authoritie of the Church drew them one way and the acquaintance of their master haled them another so that wavering and tottering betwixt both they were uncertaine whether part was best to be followed But haply he was such a one as easely deserved to be contemned Nay he was so famous and worthie a man that in very many things he vvon credite to fast For who surpassed him in sharpnes of wit in exercise in learning how many heresies in many and great books hath he overthrown how many errors against the faith hath he confuted That most notable and great work of thirtie books in which with great waight of reason he confounded the franticke cavills of Porphirius doth give credit to my report and testifie the truth of my relation It were too long to rehearse up all his works for which he might have been compared to the cheefe pillours of Gods Church
people Thou hast received gold render then gold I will not have one thing for another Do not for gold give me either impudently lead or craftily brasse I will not the shew but the very nature of gold it self O Timothy O Priest O Teacher O Doctour if Gods gift hath made thee meet and sufficient for thy wit exercise and learning shew thy self Beseelel that divine workman in building of the spirituall tabernacle ingrave those precious stones of Gods religion faithfully set them wisely adorn them give them brightnesse give them grace give them beauty That which men before believed obscurely let them by thy exposition understand more clearly Let posterity rejoyce for coming to the knowledge of that by thy means which antiquity without that knowledge had in veneration Yet for all this in such sort deliver what thou hast learned that albeit thou teachest newly and after a new manner yet thou never preach a new religion and deliver a new faith CHAP. XIII BUt peradventure some will say shall we then have no advancement of religion in the Church of Christ no growing on no proceeding forward To which I answer and say Let us a Gods name have the greatest and most that may be For who is either so envious to men or hatefull to God which would labour to stop or hinder that but yet in such sort and with this proviso that it may appear to be truly an increase in faith and not prove to be a change in religion for this is the nature of such things as increase that in themselves they become and grow greater and this is the nature of a change and mutation that something be turned from one thing which it was to an other which it was not Convenient it is and very necessary that the understanding knowledge and wisdome aswell of every man in particular as of all in common as well of one alone as of the whole Church in Generall of all ages and times past should abundantly increase and go forward but yet for all that onely in his own kind and nature that is in the same faith in the same sense in the same sentence In this cafe let the religion of our soul imitate the nature of our bodies which although with processe of time they passe over many years yet they remain the same that they were There is great difference betwixt flourishing youth and withered age yet the self same men become old which before were young so that although the state and condition of one and the self same man be altered yet one very nature and person doth still remain The limbs and members of infants be small of young men great yet not divers but the very same So many joynts as young children have so many have they when they be men and if any parts there be which with increase of years spring forth those before by nature were in man virtually planted so that no new things come forth in old men which before were not contained in them being yet children Wherefore there can be no doubt but that this is the due and right order of growing the most naturall and goodlyest way of increasing onely to have in old years those members those parts and joynts which the wisdome of our Creatour before framed when we were yet but little ones And therefore if a man be afterward changed into some other shape or likenes then his nature requires or if the number of his members be more or lesse then nature prescribeth then of necessitie the whole body must either perish or become monstrous or at least remaine lame and maimed In like manner Christian religion must follow these rules of increasing and growing to wit that with years it waxe more sound with time it become more ample with continuance it be more exalted yet remaine pure and incorrupt and continue full and perfect with each of his parts and as it were with all his members and proper senses And furthermore that it admit no change or mutation sustaine no losse of his proprietie no varietie or mutabilitie in definition for example sake Our forefathers in old time in the spiritual field of the Church sowed the wheaten seed of true faith and religion it were now very injurious and unreasonable that we their posteritie in stead of the perfect and true graine should reape the false errour of cockle And contrariwise it is reason and very convenient that the beginning and ending not disagreing with it self we should of the increase of wheaten seed reape the fruit of a wheaten religion so that when with tract of time any of those first seeds beginne to bud and come forth let them be tilled let them bee trimmed yet without changing ought of the proprietie of the corn springing up and albeit fashion shape and distinction be added and put to yet must the nature of each kind remain and abide For God forbid that those rosie plants of the Catholick doctrine should be changed into thistles and thornes God forbid I say that in this spirituall paradise of the slippes of Cinamon and Balsame should suddenly grow up darnel and poison Therefore whatsoever hath by the grace of God and our Fathers faith been sowen in this Church reason it is that the same be cultivated and maintained by the industry of the children meet that it flourish waxe ripe convenient that it grow and come to perfection lawfull indeed it is that those ancient articles of heavenly philosophie should be trimmed smoothed and polished but unlawfull that they should be chaned mangled and maimed And albeit they receive perspicuitie light and distinction yet of necessitie must they retaine their fulnes soundnes and proprietie For if once this licentiousnes of wicked fraud be admitted I tremble to speak what danger is like to ensue of rasing and subverting religion for if we take away any part of the Catholick faith straight wayes other parts and after that other and againe other and that as it were of custome and by a kind of law shall be abolished And what followeth when every part by little and little is undermined but that in conclusion the whole corps of religion at one blow be come subverted and over thrown And contrariwise if new things and old forreine and domesticall prophane and sacred begin once to be confounded together then must needs this custome generally follow that nothing hereafter remaine in the Church untouched nothing without corruption nothing sound nothing pure nothing sincere and so where before was the sacred school of chast and immaculate truth there shall be a very brothel house of wicked filthie errours But God of his goodnes deliver his servants from such minds and let the impious rather gracelesse follow that furious mad proceeding For the Church of Christ is a carefull diligent keeper of religion committed to her charge she never changeth or altereth in it any thing she diminisheth nothing she addeth nothing What is necessarie she loseth
unwary youth feeling the sweetnes may nothing feare the bitter confection This devise also practise they which upon noxious hearbs and juyces write the names of good wholsome medicines whereby almost no man reading the good superscription any thing suspecteth the lurking poyson The self same thing likewise our Saviour crieth out to all Christians Take ye heed of false prophets which come to you in sheeps cloathing but inwardly are ravening Wolves Ma. 7. What is meant else by sheeps clothing but the sayings of the Prophets and Apostles which they with sheep-like sincerity did weare like certaine fleeces of that immaculate Lamb which taketh away the sins of the world And what is to be understood by ravening wolves but the cruell and destructive opinions of hereticks which alwayes trouble the sheep-folds of the Church and by all means possible teare in pieces the flock of Christ But to the end they may more craftily set upon the sheep of Christ mistrusting nothing remaining stil cruel beasts they put off their wolvish weed and shroud themselves with the words of scripture as it were with certain fleeces whereby it hapneth that when the silly sheep feel the soft wooll they little fear their sharp teeth But what saith our Saviour By their fruits you shall know them That is when they begin not only to utter those words but also to expound them not only to cast them forth but also to interpret them then doth that bitterness break out then is that sharpness espied then is that madness perceived then is that fresh new poison ejected then are prophane novelties set abroach then may you see straight-way the hedg cut in two the old fathers bounds removed the Catholick doctrine shaken and the Churches faith torn in pieces Such were they whom the Apostle sharply reprehendeth in the 2. Epistle to the Cor. Chap. 11 For such false Apostles quoth he are crafty workers transfiguring them selves into the Apostles of Christ What is transfiguring them selves into the Apostles of Christ but this The Apostles alleaged the examples of scripture they likewise cited thē The Apostles cited the authority of the Psalms they likewise used it The Apostles used the sayings of the Prophets and they in like manner brought them forth But when that scripture which was alike alleadged alike cited alike brought forth was not alike in one sense expounded then were discerned the simple from the craftie the sincere from the counterfeit the right and good from the froward and perverse and to conclude the true Apostles from those false Apostates And no marvel saith S. Paul For Sathan himself transfigureth himself into an Angel of light it is no great matter therefore if his ministers be transfigured as the ministers of Justice Wherefore according to Saint Paul whensoever either false Apostles or false Prophets or false Doctours do bring forth the words of holy Scripture by which they would according to their corrupt interpretation confirm their errour there is no doubt but that they follow the crafty slight of their master which surely he would never have invented but that he knoweth very well that there is no readier way to deceive the people then where the bringing in of wicked errour is intended that there the authority of the word of God should be pretended But some will say how prove you that the Devill useth to alledge the Scripture Such as doubt thereof let them reade the Gospel where it is written Then the devill took him up that is our Lord and Saviour and set him upon the pinnacle of the Temple and said unto him If thou be the Sonne of God cast thy self down for it is written that he will give his Angels charge of thee that they may keep thee in all thy wayes in their hands shall they hold thee up lest perhaps thou knock thy foot against a stone Mat. 4 How will he think you handle poor silly souls which so setteth upon the Lord of Majestie with the authority of Scripture If thou be quoth he the Son of God cast thy self down Why so For it is written quoth he we are diligently to weigh the doctrine of this place and to keep it in mind that by so notable an example of the Scripture we make no scruple or doubt when we see any alledge some place of the Apostles or Prophets against the Catholick Faith but that by his mouth the Devil himself doth speak For as at that time the head spake unto the head so now the members do talk unto the members that is the members of the Devil to the members of Christ the faithlesse to the faithfull the it religious to the religious to conclude Hereticks to Catholicks But what I pray saith the Devil If thou be the Sonne of God quoth he cast thy self down That is to say Desirest thou to be the Son of God and to injoy the inheritance of the kingdome of Heaven Cast thy self down that is Cast thy self down from this doctrine and tradition of this high and lofty Church which is reputed to be the Temple of God And if any one demand of these Hereticks perswading them such things how do you prove and convince me that I ought to forsake the old and Universall Faith of the Catholick Church straight wayes is ready at hand For it is written and forthwith he will alledge you a thousand Testimonies a thousand Examples a thousand authorities out of the Law out of the Psalms out of the Apostles out of the Prophets by which expounded after a new and wicked fashion he would throw headlong unfortunate souls from the Tower of the Catholick Church into the deep dungeon of wicked Heresie Now with these sweet promises which follow Hereticks do wonderfully deceive simple men For they dare promise and teach that in their Church that is in the conventicle of their communion is to be found a great and speciall yea and a certain personall grace of God So that whosoever be one of their crew they shall straightwayes without any labour without any study without any industry yea although they never seek nor crave nor knock have such speciall dispensation that they shall be carried up with the hands of Angels that is preserved by Angelicall protection that they never hurt their foot against a stone that is that they never can be scandalized But some man will say If the Devil and his Disciples whereof some be false Apostles false Prophets and false Teachers and all perfect Hereticks do use the Scriptures cite their sayings bring forth their promises what shall Catholick men do How shall the children of the Church behave themselves How shall they in the holy Scriptures discern truth from falshood To which I answer that They must have great care as in the beginning of this Treatise I said holy and learned men taught me that they interpret the Divine and Canonicall Scripture according to the Tradition of the Universall Church according to the rules of the Catholick
by being the cause of a virtuous life Page 32 CHAP. VIII That Christian Doctrine containing the Grounds of Faith is from God Page 44 CHAP. IX Christian Faith proved true out of their use of Prayer and Contemplation Page 58 CHAP. X. The same Verity proved out of the exteriour Worship of Christians Page 67 CHAP. XI The same Verity proved out of the intrinsecall effects of Christian life Page 77 CHAP. XII The same truth proved out of the extrinsecall effects of Christian life Page 90 CHAP. XIII The same confirmed by the wonderfull works of Christ and first by his Power Page 101 CHAP. XIIII The same concluded out of the Wisdome of Christ Page 125 CHAP. XV. The same Verity confirmed out of the Goodnesse of Christ Page 144 CHAP. XVI The same proved out of the Power Wisdome and Goodnesse of Christ all together Page 161 THE TRIUMPH OF THE CROSSE OR Of the Verity OF FAITH By Hierome Savanocola of Ferrara LONDON Printed by R. Daniel 1651. The Preface HAving as farre forth as I judged sufficient for my present purpose treated in the precedent Book those things which are of themselves obvious to naturall reason it remains now that I discusse those also which are above the sphere of our Nature that I may thereby plainly shew the Christian Faith to be most true not onely by natural motives but out of the very actions of our blessed Saviour Christ Jesus and because things before our eyes do more enforce our under standing to assent then things which are past for it is harder to deny what we plainly see before our eyes then that which we receive at trust by Traditions I shall lay the first grounds of my proofs in those things which are unquestionable unto all as being daily seen practised in the Church of Christ and are most apparant to sense it self I do not speak of the vices of evill Christians who as such are sequestred rather and cut off from the communication and mysticall Vnion of the Church but of those good members of it which not onely bear and professe the name of Christians but also prove themselves to be such by their virtuous lives and actions This done I shall produce reasons grounded in those actions of Christ which are most generally received and allowed of by all so that the latter shall manifestly confirm the former the things present those which are past But because the chief effect at which the institution of the Church aims is Justice and an irreprehensible and unspotted life our Saviour saying speaking of the members of his Church Ego veni ut vitam habeant abundantiùs habeant To this end I came that they may live and that they live more abundantly First therefore I shall in due order prove the truth of the Christian Faith by reasons truly grounded in the virtuous lives of good Christians Secondly in the causes of such a life and lastly in the effects of the same life wherein I shall comprise all those things which are daily exercised in the Church Militant of Christ The triumph of the Crosse or of the verity of Faith CHAP. I. That there is a true Religion IT is altogether necessary that every one acknowledge that in the world there is a true Religion By Religion we understand a due Worship exhibited unto Almighty God as he is the universall fountain source and moderatour of all things For every effect doth exhibite a certain worship to its cause whilst converting its self unto it and as it were invocating it with a kind of subjection it strives to imitate and make it self like unto it which expresses nothing else but a certain return of honour from the effect to its cause that it may be more and more perfected by it Wherefore Almighty God being the universall Cause of all things of whom heaven and earth and all that hath goodnesse in it have their whole being and dependance most clear it is that in man there ought to be an ingrafted and naturall instinct to convert it self to God and to invoke and subject himself unto him to do his uttermost to become like unto him and to be perfected by him which is nothing else then to exhibite worship unto him Now if there be such a naturall inclination in the rationall nature of man to worship his Creatour and that this inclination cannot be superfluous or in vain we must of force conclude that there is a true Religion to be found amongst men Moreover seeing that man is naturally inclined to the divine Worship as every effect is to its cause and that he is rationall as not being necessitated to any thing as other brute and irrationall things are which are naturally carried away by their appetites but having a true dominion over his actions he freely disposes of them as he list Now if all men as naturall reason is oftentimes very defective should fall into so generall and gross an errour that there should be no true and divine Worship found amongst them it would follow that they would be so deprived of the divine Providence that there would appear no Divine care exercised towards them in the thing which is of all others most necessary and naturall unto them seeing that this true divine Worship is that by which man is to arrive to the fruition of his last end But this I have elsewhere plainly refuted I adde that every countrey and nation in every age both past and present having been though in divers wayes addicted unto the divine Worship it must necessarily follow that this truth is wholly ingrafted and naturall unto man for that is naturall as I have elsewhere showen which agrees unto all and at all times wherefore if there should be no true divine Worship found this natural inclination would be wholly frustrate seeing it were not able to arrive unto the end which it was ordained for whence it would follow that Almighty God executed his Providence more towards unreasonable creatures then towards man Lastly seeing that every cause infuses its perfection and goodnesse as much as possible it may into its effect intending by all means to attract it and make it as farre as it hath capacity like unto it self Almighty God being superlatively good and the first origin of all things hath questionlesse a speciall care of the perfection of man for whose sake and use he made all other inferiour creatures wherefore the true perfection of man principally consisting in the subjecting himself unto God and in the Divine veneration in the which Religion doth chiefly consist it follows that there is a true Religion to be found in the world CHAP. II. There are two sorts of Divine Worship MAn having a capacity to exhibite veneration unto Almighty God two wayes corporally and spiritually we ought to distinguish two sorts of Divine Worship in him to wit interiour and exteriour interiour is that which we perform by the acts of our understanding and will exteriour is that which we
Glory and Dominion through all ages for ever Amen FINIS THE PROFIT OF BELIEVING Very usefull Both for all those that are not yet resolved what Religion they ought to embrace And for them that desire to know whither their Religion be true or no. Written by S. Augustine LONDON Printed by ROGER DANIEL In Lovels Court near Pauls Church-yard 1651. The Preface To the well-disposed READER Learned Reader I Know thou art not ignorant that of all the affairs and businesses in this world there is none of that consequence and importance unto thee as the saving of thy soul and that our Blessed Saviour who knew best of all the mestimable value thereof and vouchsafed to redeem it at so dear a rate as with his own pretious bloud plainly declared the importance thereof when he said in the Gospel Mat. 16.16 What is a man profited if he shall gain the world nnd loose his own soul Or what shall he give in exchange thereof Wherefore let me advise thee to seek out and embrace the true Faith and Religion for that without such a Faith according to the Apostle Heb. 11.6 it is impossible to please God and without pleasing of him it is impossible to be saved If thou thinkest that thou hast found out the truth already and that thou dost embrace it then give me leave to tell thee that the world at this present abounds with an hundred heresies at least the embracers whereof shall not according to S. Pauls doctrine Gal. 5.20 inherit the kingdome of God and yet as the same Apostle doth affirm Ephes 4.5 there is but one Lord one Faith one Baptisme so that it is an hundred to one but that thy Faith and thy Religion are false and thy salvation is in danger thereby Is there not then great reason that thou shouldest well consider whither the Faith and Religion which thou embracest be true or no when upon this resolution depends thy fruition of unspeakable blisse or intolerable suffering of endlesse pains for all eternity How to find out the true Faith Religion it is a matter of very great difficulty not onely by reason that there are many faiths and religions in the world and of all these there is but one true and all the rest be false but also for that the controversies debated now adayes are so many and so intricate that few have leasure to study them and fewer ability to conceive and understand them yet the zeal of learned Writers hath not been wanting to satisfie men herein But what age since the Apostles dayes hath brought forth any man so able to perform so great a task as was that incomparable Doctor S. Augustine lib. 3. de Eccles fol. 170. who as Doctour Field asserteth was the greatest and chiefest of the antient Fathers and the most famous of all the Divines which the Church hath had since the Apostles time and as Doctour Covell affirmeth in his answer to Master Burges pag. 3. hath farre excelled all others that have been or are like to be hereafter those onely excepted that were inspired by the Holy Ghost both in Divine and Humane knowledge What man since the Apostles dayes could ever so well discern true doctrine from false truth from errour and true faith from heresie as could that great S. Augustine who did not onely like another David fight against the Goliah of one heresie but like another Joshua fought the battels of the Lord against all the force and power of heresie in his dayes for fourty years together Wherefore if this great Doctour should have left any advises or instructions behinde him unto any of his dear friends that were then hereticks whereby he taught them how to find out the true faith and religion amongst so many heresies ought not such instructions to be greatly desired and if any such could be found to be highly esteemed and diligently perused Surely thou wilt say that coming from so great a Doctour and being so proper and necessary fot these times without doubt they ought Why then Learned Reader give me leave to present unto thee a learned Treatise of his which he sent unto his dear and learned friend Honoratus to draw him from the Manichean heresie to the true Religion I durst not presume to tender it unto thee in this poor English habit were I not confident that thou seekest more after the true Religion and the saving of thy soul then after vain eloquence the entising words of humane wisdome 1 Cor. 2.4 but I will assure thee under this poore attire thou wilt find a rich and a learned discourse of great S. Augustine not onely very profitable for those that are not yet resolved in point of Religion but also for them that dere to be satisfied whither the faith and Religion which they embrace be true or no. If the stile be displeasing and ungratefull unto thee know that very many of the African Fathers have harsh stiles besides consider how hard a matter it is to teach a native African to speak true English In this work first he shews how the old Testament is to be expounded and defends the Authority of it against the Manichees that rejected it Secondly he overthrowes that Manichean principle That nothing is to be believed in point of Faith which is not first by reason made manifest and evident unto the Believer In the third place he adviseth fervent and frequent prayer peace and tranquility of mind and a sequestration of affections from terrene things as aids necessary for the finding out the truth then declaring that Christ hath raised a very great and a famous Church consisting of all Nations which is to continue very visible and conspicuous even to the worlds end he exhorts Honoratus to addresse himself unto the Pastours and Teachers thereof and to learn of them the true faith and Religion This way of proceeding to find out the truth is far more short and easie then by the examination of all the points of controverted doctrine by their conformity to the holy Scriptures for it consists in two points onely first in seeking out which of all the Churches is the Church of Christ and secondly whither this Church can erre or no. For the finding out of the Church S. Augustine proposed four marks unto Honoratus Unity Universality Sanctity and Apostolicall Succession the which are set down very plainly in Scripture The Unity of the Church is twofold in body and in faith in regard of the first our Saviour saith his Church is one fold and hath one shep-heard Joh. 10.16 and the Apostle calls it one body 1 Cor. 12.13 In respect of the second S. Paul earnestly exhorted the Corinthians 1 Cor. 1.10 to speak the same thing and that there be no division amongst them but that they be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement and he beseeched the Ephesians to endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 4 5. affirming
that there is one body and one spirit one hope of their calling one Lord one Faith one Baptisme and the Scripture testifieth that in the Apostles dayes the multitude of Believers were of one heart and of one soul Acts 4.32 The Universality of the Church is also twofold in time and in place this later was foretold by the Prophet Moses relating Gods promise made to Abraham of an ample posterity and that all the nations of the earth should be blessed in his seed Gen. 22.18 Gal. 3.8 by the Royall Psalmist declaring that God the Father would give unto his Son the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost part of the earth for his possession Psal 2.8 and that he should have dominion from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth Psal 72.8 and by the Prophet Isaiah affirming that all nations shall flow to the mountain of the Lords house Isa 2. v. 2. For the accomplishment of these Prophecies our Blessed Saviour declared Luke 24. v. 44. that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses aend in the Prophets and in the Psalmes concerning him and v. 47. that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among all uations beginning at Jerusalem and for the performance hereof he gave a commission unto his Apostles to teach all nations Matth. 28.19 and to preach the Gospel to every creature Mar. 19. v. 15. That the Church of Christ should be universall for time and continue perpetually unto the worlds end it was plainly foretold by the Prophet Isaiah who speaking of our B. Saviour saith that of the encrease of his government and peace there shall be no end Vpon the throne of David and upon his kingdome shall he sit to order it and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever and that no doubt may be made of the performance hereof the Prophet addes the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this And by the Prophet Daniel affirming that in the dayes of those Kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdome which shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consume all those kingdomes and it shall stand for ever Dan. 2.44 All which was confirmed by the Angel Gabriel saying The Lord shall give unto Christ the throne of his Father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob and of his kingdome there shall be no end Luke 1. ver 32 33. For the perpetuall settlement and establishing of this Church Christ said unto S. Peter Vpon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Matth. 16.18 Touching the sanctity of the Church of Christ God by the Prophet Ezekiel saith I will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore and the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctifie Israel when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore Ezek 37. v. 26 28. and by the Prophet Malachi Mal. 1.11 From the rising of the sunne even to the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name and a peace-offering Unto this sanctity our Blessed Saviour exhorts us saying Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 and Mark 7. v. 13 14. Enter ye in at the strait gate for strait is the gate and narrow the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it And teaching how to distinguish the good from the bad he saith v. 20. By their fruits ye shall know them As for Apostolicall succession S. Paul saith Ephes 4. v. 11 12 13. that Christ gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastours and teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come into the unity of faith and of the unity of the Sonne of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulnesse of Christ that is as Doctour Fulk against the Rhem. Test in Ephes 4. sect 4. fol. 335. and Mr. Calvin in his Instit cap. 8. de fide sect 37 38. pag. 233. 234. do expound for ever As for the second point whether the Church of Christ can erre or no S Augustine saith that neither the violence of heathens nor the subtilty of hereticks can overthrow it which agrees with our Savionrs promise Matth. 16.18 that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and to preserve her from all errour and heresie Christ promised to be alwayes with her even to the worlds end Matth. 28.20 and God made this covenant with her Isa 59.21 My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed saith the Lord from henceforth and for ever by which words saith Mr. Calvin in Comment hujus loci God promiseth that the Church shall never be deprived of this inestimable benefit to be governed by the Holy Ghost and to be suported by heavenly doctrine and to this effect he sent down the Holy Ghost to teach the Church all truth and to remain with her for ever Joh. 16.13 Joh. 14.16 Thus thou seest how S. Augustines instructions for finding out the truth are grounded in Scripture but more expressely in S. Pauls doctrine who tells us Rom. 10.17 that faith cometh by hearing and hearing is by the word of God if we ask him how men may come to heare the word of God he answers v. 14 15. How shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach unlesse they be sent So that faith is bred in men by hearing and believing the word of God made known unto them by preachers lawfully sent which preachers as he saith to the Ephesians Ephes 4. v. 11 12 13. are alwayes to be found in the Church of Christ and are placed there ver 14. that from henceforth we be no more children tossed to fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleighs of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive which is an office that cannot be performed by men that are frail and subject to errour unles the Lord by his divine assistance doth preserve them from erring Doctour Field having considered the facility and solidity of this method doth advise all those to practise it that desire to be satisfied in matters of Religion in these terms Epist dedic of the Church Seeing the controversies in our time are grown in number so many and in nature so intricate that few have time and leisure fewer strength of understanding to examine them what remaineth for men desirous
be well conceived and understood Thou shouldst do well to seek out a man both pious and learned or one that is esteemed and reputed so to be by the approbation and consent of many by whose instructions thou mightest become better and more expert and skilfull by his learning Such an one saist thou was not easie to be found it would be some labour and trouble to seek him There was none such in the land wherein thou didst dwell If so what cause could more profitably enforce thee to travell if he lay hid in the continent or firm land or were not there at all thou shouldst sail beyond sea if he were not there to be found by the shore thou shouldest make a voyage even unto those lands wherein the things which are contained in those books are said and reported to have been done O Honoratus have we done any such thing and yet when we were but most wretched and silly boyes we did at our own pleasure and in our own judgement condemn a Religion and that perhaps a most holy one for I speak as yet as though some doubt were to be made thereof whose fame and renown hath already possessed the whole world What if the things which seem in those Scriptures offensive to some that are ignorant and unskilfull be for this cause so written and set down that when such things are read as agree not with the sense of all sorts of men but much lesse with theirs that are holy and wise we may with more care and diligence seek out a secret and hidden meaning thereof doest thou not see how men labour to interpret the pastorall Catamite upon whom the rough shepherd poured out his affections and how they affirm that the boy Alexis upon whom Plato is also said to have made some love-verses signifies I know not what great and mysterious matter but that it surpasseth the judgement and understanding of unskilfull men when as indeed that Poet abounding in his inventions may without any detestable crime or offence be conceived to have published lascivious songs but were we indeed hindred and withdrawn from seeking out the true Religion either by the publishing of some law against it or by the power of them that oppose it or by the contemptible shew and appearance of men dedicated to the service of God or by any base or dishonest report or by the newnesse of the institution or by some hidden profession thereof No no none of these things did withdraw and hinder us all laws both divine and humane do permit men to seek out the Catholick faith and certainly it is lawfull according to humane law to hold embrace it if so long as we erre we be uncertain of the divine law We have no enemie that puts any fright or terrour into our weaknes although truth and the salvation of our souls if it be sought after where it is lawful to seek it with most safety and it cannot be found ought to be enquired for with any danger and hazard whatsoever the degrees of all powers dignities do most devoutly impart their service unto this sacred and divine worship and the very name of Religion is most honourable and hath a very great esteem and renown What hindereth us then at last to seek out carefully and to examine with a pious and diligent search whether here be that truth which though few do know and retain after the sincerest manner yet the favour and good will of all nations doth conspire therein All this being so imagine as I said that we now make our first enquiry what Religion we ought to embrace both for the cleansing and reforming of our souls Without doubt we must take our beginning from the Catholick Church for there are now more Christians then if the Jews were joyned with the worshippers of idols And whereas of the same Christians there be divers heresies and all would have themselves thought to be Catholicks and do call others besides themselves hereticks the Church is one as all do grant greater in multitude if thou considerest the whole world and as those that know do affirm more sincere in truth then all the rest but as for truth it is another question But that which is sufficient for those that seek it is that the Catholick Church is one upon which other heresies do impose divers names when as every one of them is called by its proper name which it dares not deny whereby we may understand by the judgement of Arbitratours not hindred by any favour unto whom the name Catholick which all seek after ought to be attributed But lest that any one should think that this thing ought to be debated with much babling or superfluous discourse there is one Church indeed wherein even the humane Laws are after a sort Christian Yet I will have no preocupation of judgement to be drawn from hence but I judge it to be a most fit beginning for the seeking out of the truth For there is no fear least the true worship of God relying upon no proper force of its own should seem to stand in need to be upheld and supported by them whom it ought to sustain and support but certainly it were a perfect happinesse if the Truth could there be found where with most fecurity it may be sought and retained but if it cannot it ought to be sought for in another place what danger and perill soever be incurred CHAP. VIII Of the way to the instruction of piety and of the wonderfull paint Saint Augustine took to find it out HAving thus resolved and determined these things which in my opinion are so right and just that I ought to prevail in that cause with thee whosoever were against it I will recount unto thee as well as I can what course I took to find out the true Religion when as I sought it with such a mind and resolution as I have now declared that it ought to be sought for When I was departed from thee beyond the Sea now staggering and doubting what I ought to embrace and what to reject which doubting daily encreased in me from the time that I gave ear unto that man whose coming unto us was as thou knowest promised as from heaven for the resolving of all the difficulties wherewith we were troubled and I knew him to be a man like other men but onely that he was eloquent I held a great debate and deliberation with my self being now in Italy not whether I should continue in that sect into which I was sorry and grieved that I had faln but by what means I might find out the truth for the love whereof thou canst bear me witnesse how I sighed and groaned I was often of an opinion that it could not be found out and the great waves of my thoughts and cogitations moved me to assent to the Academicks Oftentimes again when I considered as well as I could that the mind of man is endued with such vivacity and
even by the eyes of common people give me leave a little to consider with my self upon whose words I have believed that there was a Christ that being already guarded and fortified by such a faith I may give ear and hearken unto thee I perceive that I believed and gave credit unto none but to a setled and confirmed opinion and to a most renowned fame and report of people and nations these people also I see in all places to be in possession of the secrets and mysteries of the Catholick Church Why shall not I then chiefly enquire of them diligently what Christ hath commanded by whose authority being moved I have already believed that Christ hath commanded some profitable thing Wilt thou better expound unto me what Christ hath said whom I would not think to have been or now to be if thou didst recommend it unto me to be believed This therefore as I said have I believed upon a famous report of men confirmed with consent and antiquity but you who are both so few and so turbulent and so new it is certain you can produce and bring forth nothing which may deserve credit and belief And therefore what a madnesse is this in thee to say Believe them the known multitude of Christendome that we ought to believe Christ but learn of us Manicheans what Christ hath said Why so I beseech thee Verily if that known multitude should fail and could teach me nothing I should much more easily perswade my self that I ought not to believe Christ at all then that I ought to believe any thing concerning him of any others but of those by whose means I first believed him O mighty confidence or rather folly I will sayst thou teach thee what Christ hath commanded in whom thou art already perswaded to believe What if I did not believe in him at all couldest thou teach me any thing concerning him But sayst thou it behooves thee to believe What upon your warrant and recommendation No sayst thou for we do by reason lead those which do already believe in Christ Why then shall I believe in him Because it is a grounded report was it grounded upon you or upon others Upon others sayst thou Shall I believe them first and be afterwards taught and instructed by thee Peradventure I ought to do so were I not above all things admonished by them not to come at all unto thee for they say that you hold pernicious doctrines Thou wilt answer they lie How then may I believe them concerning Christ whom they have not seen if I may not believe them concerning thee whom they will not see Here sayest thou Believe the Scriptures But all Scripture if being new and unheard of it be alledged or commended but by a few and hath no reason to confirm it receives no credit nor authority at all but those that alledge it wherefore if you that are so few and unknown commend those Scriptures unto me I refuse to believe them besides also you proceed against your promise rather by commanding belief then giving any reason thereof Here again for the authority of Scriptures thou wilt call me back to the known multitude of Christendome and to common report Restrain at length thy obstinacy and I know not what unruly appetite of worldly fame and rather admonish me to seek out the chief rulers of this known multitude and to enquire for them diligently and painfully that rather I may learn something of them touching these Scriptures who if they were not I should not know whither any thing ought to be learnt at all or no. As for thee return into thy corner and lurking-hole and delude us no more under a shew and pretence of truth which thou endeavourest to take away from them unto whom thou grantefl authority and credit and if they also deny that we ought not to believe Christ unlesse an undoubted reason can be rendred thereof they are not Christians For certain Pagans do alledge that against us foolishly indeed but yet not contrary nor repugnant to themselves But who can endure that those men should professe that they belong to Christ who strongly affirm that nothing ought to be believed unlesse most evident reason can be given even unto fools concerning God and divine matters But we see that Christ himself as that history teacheth which they also believe desired nothing more principally nor more carnestly then that he might be credited and believed when as they with whom he was to treat about those affairs were not yet fit to learn and conceive the divine mysteries For to what other purpose did he work so great and so many miracles he himself also affirming that they were done for no other end but that men might give credit and beliefe unto him He led the simple sort of people by belief you lead them by reason he cryed out that he might be believed you cry out against it he commended those that did believe you blame and reprehend them But unlesse he had turned water into wine to omit his other miracles could men have been brought to follow him if he had done no such things but onely taught and instructed them Or is that word of his not to be regarded 1 Joh. 14.1 Believe God and believe me Or is he to be blamed for rashnesse in belief who would not have Christ come into his house because he believed that by his command onely his sick sonne could be cured Mat. 8.8 He therefore bringing a medicine which was to cure the most corrupt manners did by miracles winne authority by authority deserved belief by belief drew together a multitude by a multitude obtained antiquity by antiquity strengthened and confirmed Religion which not onely the most foolish novelty of hereticks endeavouring by deceits but neither the antient errour of the Gentlies being violently bent against it could in any part abolish or destroy CHAP. XV. Of the most cemmodious way to Religion VVHerefore albeit I am not able to teach thee yet do I not cease to warn and admonish thee that because many men will seem to be wise and it is not easie to discern whither they be fools or no thou beseechest the divine Majesty with very much earnestnesse and fervent desires with sighs and sobs or also if it be possible with weeping and tears to free and deliver thee from the evil of errour if thou desirest to lead a blessed and an happy life Which may more easily be brought to passe if thou wilt willingly obey his commands which he hath been pleased to have confirmed and strengthened by so great an authority of the Catholick Church For seeing that a wise man is by his mind so united unto God that nothing is interposed and set between them which may divide and separate them for God is truth and no man is to be accounted a wise man that doth not attain to the knowledge of truth we cannot deny but that the wisdome of man is interposed as a certain medium