A DISCOVRSE touching Choyce of RELIGION By Sr. RICHARD TEMPEST Baronet Antiquam exquirite matrem Virgil. Judge yee what I say Acts Apostles To the Lady TEMPEST Madam IT is my Duty to give you an account of spending my Houres whose vertuous directions hath still enjoyned me the imployment of them in the best things and there can be no endevour comparable to the Inquest after Truth Happy are Mens early imbraces of that most worthy mistres of Mans soule when the Son of their Judgement rises free from those Clouds and Mists which otherwayes by long ascending time and endevour they would be but hardly able to expell I must acknowledge my weakenesses and errors knowing it is the Victory of Christianity to conquer the Pride of a Man 's owne understanding and whose vigor is shewed in our lowest submissions The World is like that Nymph which still destroyed those to whom she most seemed faire And Men in the short course of life heape up to themselves a sort of Opinions and Passions and make them the faithlesse guides of their lives of which though they highly esteeme yet doe they but dwell under those barren Hills which are never without Clouds and Showres discending thence And who would for the love of that which in a moment perishes refuse to professe that which will bestow on him Eternity and in a confusion of all humane things will render him a felicity solid and durable I shall shew you what Port my Thoughts have arrived at to escape the stormes of Error and from thence to despise the severall Winds of Doctrine with which Men are much tost but never Saile and through the diversity of Opinions halfe of them Pray for those Winds whereby the rest are Drowned The name of Rome but once Named some Mens minds become surcharged with the apprehensions of Superstition Conspiracy and what evills throng not into their conquerd Imagination whereas they being got out of the Magicke Circle of parties where their minds are Conjured with the Devill of Faction they finde that to be the place which did commend to the whole World The Faith of the Romans And where Christian Profession hath with infinite sufferings and persecutions triumphed over the Armed Power of its Adversaries and foure hundred Heresies that have sprung up before Luther such high displeasures Men have entertained against those Names which they looking directly on with the Eye of Reason would perceive ingraven the well-drawne Lines of Truth they by going on one side looking with the Eye of Passion draw the same Figures and Lines by a deceit of the Eye to beare an unhandsome proportion We intertaine Christian Profession and the Sacred Word of God the Records of it delivered over to us upon a Divine infallible testimony which is that of the holy Catholique Church to which he hath promised his holy spirit to the Worlds end Wherefore if Men would inlarge their thoughts and take a free and open view of all the parts of the Fabricke of Christianity and shall consider of that power which he hath left to his Church of his injunctions to heare his Church of his promises to assist his Church The Gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it to remaine as a Light upon a Hill How great comfort must it needs rayse in the Hearts of Christians to finde this made good in a constant un-interrupted succession of Bishops from Saint Peter Let God be true and every man a lyar The Church of Rome locally is but a particular Church but let them not offer affront to the Divine goodnesse through abuse of Wit or Logicall trifle of a Vniversall particular for the Church of Rome hath ever defended the Catholique cause and antiquity hath ascribed unto it a more powerfull principality calling Her The Mother of Churches though the Holy Catholique church is ever the same like the Ocean which as it beats upon severall Countries with its Waves begets severall Names being now called the French Sea then the Spanish Those Madam who are possest with prejudice against the Sea of Rome have all different wayes of maintaining their opposition neither will they agree to the judgement of any one Tribunall the same Arguments have not the same effects with its different enemies but like Wards in a Key they are to be fitted to the diversity of parties and capacities to unlocke their judgements fast bound with error It being truely said That not the perfection of Reason but the proportion doth prevaile Some retain still something in the bottome of the Box and will not let it see the Light by conference lest it fly away accounting it the surest tenure of Truth to stick with obstinacy in the quicksands of error and esteeme it their best title to it to refuse to dispute it Another Measures Truth by the temper of indifferency and esteemes it to be the safest way to be freed from Error to be willing to capitulate A third frames his own principles and by Reasons and deductions drawne thence makes all their Discourse agree well enough with it selfe As Astronomers some of them making the Earth to move some the Heavens and by both Doctrines according to their principles layd downe make up their Phainomena and appearances but tell them of Antiquity Fathers and the Councels they will answer you with that Merchant that hung out for his Signe Books set on fire so that if any desired to have been Trusted or to have come in his Bookes He answered them That they were burned so if you would get any beleife from them from Libraries and Bookes their Zeale hath already Burnt them Another sort are wittily placed betwixt a Puritan and a Priest If the Priest urge Councels and Fathers they turne to the Puritan and steale the Bible out of his pocket to confute him with And if the Puritan urge the Bible then he turns to the Priest and borrowes of him the Decrees and Councels to defend himselfe with Children saith Aristotle call every one Mother but comming to the use of Reason they then acknowledge onely their true Mother Thus doe Men beare their spirituall Allegiance drest up in severall garbes and formes and apply to themselves the benefits of that stupendous Mistery of our Redemption by the severall Conduits and Channels of their owne Fancies but God is both the Way the Meanes and the End He hath made compleat the designations of his Grace and Men will be found to be more in love with the Meanes then the End and to empty all their Zeales and Devotions into some new Mode in Religion or particular Opinion whereby they are differenced from others They hold such a course that doe make them seem to be desirous to take our Saviour by the Hand over the backe of his Church whereas he hath said of his Embassadors which were to continue to the Worlds End Who heares not you heares not me But Madam it s more agreeable to you and more contentfull to cast the Lines of ones
under which they doe so peevishly militate A Satyre would be the best stile to describe the animosities they prosecute each others Opinion with and no lesse would it become all those angry fits that they expresse in their severall wandrings and errors they throw a Sea of gall and bitternesse after those who upon mature examination relinquish those Mazes they leade their followers in What should one speake of the fruitfull Independency big with all sorts of Opinions Brownists Anabaptists Arminian Zwinglian Aecolampadian and all these the English Church Protestant Episcopall banishes excludes from them The bosome of the Catholique Church is spread wide to intertaine all whom with earnest Prayers and endevors it invites and desires zealous of their salvation which onely in an ordinary way is to be had there The ancient Heretiques Arrians Nestorians Vtichians whose reliques yet possesse some place in the World are excluded likewise by themselves who make this objection and besides their owne Reformation hath been a varied unconstant one that except they would fal in love with this Word Reformation I know not well what can be understood by it H. 8. first onely threw out the Pope but retained the seven Sacraments after by degrees they were taken away and new Doctrines brought in with relaxations of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction and sometime it hath been wholly submitted to the Presbyterian humour in confusedly going to their Churches and so generally using their Directory whereas according to their own opinions vvithout Bishops no Ordination can be Quo teneam nodo They complaine That the opinion of the Church of Rome are obtruded upon them for Artikles and Fundamentals in Faith Doth not all the Wildernesse of their opinions their opiniotive Idolatries each one avouching their Doctrine with Thus saith the Lord Doth not all their Anarchies and irregularities flow in upon them by letting those antient bulworks goe into neglect which stood betwixt a Sea of error and themselves that is in stead of standing upon the old wayes to view and discover truth from they have onely disdainefully trampled upon them and in stead of asking the Fathers to see vvhat they held and thought they will make bold to thinke the Fathers mistaken if they finde themselves contradicted by them and hold and thinke of them as not worth asking Thus doe they discountenance Tradition and the establishments of the Church The Apostle saith When he should come he would order things Now saith the Father what hath beene universally observed was ordered by him St. Augustine de Bap. contra Donatist That which the Universall Church holds and is not Instituted by Councels but alwayes retained it s probably beleeved not to be delivered but by Apostolicall authority Their error that oppose the authority of the Church and the prerogative of the Apostolicall Seat flowes from this wretched pudled Fountaine that is Reducing Reformation to the Scripture it selfe interpreted by mens perticular judgements The holy and sacred letters are the blessed records of our salvation Celestiall Messages Angels of peace winged with love which hover over mens soules with celestiall protections comforts and graces they are the glasse wherein is beheld the beauty of holinesse the splendor of the Eternall Father the Image of his Sonne Yet as S. Austine saith The words of the Scripture are to be so understood as the world hath beleeved which it self foretold should beleeve they were writ upon severall occasions to perticuler Churches which faithfully kept what was committed unto them whether by writing or by word of mouth the Scripture confessing That if all had been writ the world would not have contained the Books and every where they enjoyne the hearkning to the Church which who should not heare are excluded from Christian communion by their holy censure The Church was then establisht when divers of these sacred letters were directed to them and by them and what other rules were delivered taught them they governed taught administred corrected and absolved so that they were like the Testimony in the Arke the Church of God had the custody and interpretation of them so that who should Sacrilegiously steale the testimony out of the Ark and run away with Scripture and impaile Congregations about with new goverments and cry The Word of the Lord and quarrell at the other orders and Traditions of the Church he would be judged by all to have ravisht the spheares of government to have disordered the Divine dispensation of his goodnesse towards us Neither can they pretend any right over those Laws who are condemned by those Laws Waters out of their own channels beget strange and forraine tasts and this is the grand and unhaypy sophistry of this age a bene conjunctis ad male divisa Scripture divided from the Church seems to countenance every party in their fancies making it like a Looking-glasse wherin they doe but see their owne Image not Gods and by an inward delusion view the reflections of their owne wits flattering their understandings whilst by a foreprepared conceipt they finde some countenance to their own inward thoughts Whereas Scriptures the Oracles of God are truth not the Pen or the Presse being writ because they were true not true because they were writ They say neither their Religion Reason nor Charity will permit them to acknowledge the Church of Rome for their Mother I shall now view the use of Reason in the election of Religion and see if it well directed doth hinder them When that which flows from well establisht authority shall be call'd in question or disputed through the violence and disorder of Factions the upholders of Government and Justice have recourse to the Origens and Fountaines of Justice shewing how all their Acts and Decrees received their obligatory nature from the agreement they had with those rules of Reason and those severall Laws which constituted them to be good and just so that they who before found onely the effects of peace by a due obedience to them now search into the reasons and causes why they were of such power to produce such effects And those who before pleasantly lived in the building laboriously now seeks the Foundation The mysteries of Religion being above reason were confirmed with mirakles which are above nature but whether this or that Religion be the same with that which was so confirmed must be examined according to all those rules which though divinely given must now by reason be examined whether they be conformable to them or not The protitipe was from Heaven the originall supernaturall but for to prove the continuance of it we must compare and examine it according to all that hath been delivered concerning the same formerly And it s no small difficulty to chase truth through its severall channels The Laws of Gods Church challenge our obedience the opposing wherof is Scisme because we are kept in one intire body by the observation of them the neglect whereof cuts us off from that communion Civill Governments and
seek their mutuall ends in this conjunction no discontented or ambitious great one but hath a prepared way to awe or be revenged on his Prince or State and Kings and Governors themselves are at last forced to hang their Crownes and Diadems upon the maintenance and upholding on one party or other who becomes strong or weake as that party ebbes or flowes all the rest esteeming themselves but persecuted by their power and would at last prove like the Ivy which first dissolves the Wall and then seems to uphold it Thus did Reformation so called Jehu like drive its war-like Chariots through Germany Mars so long a time seeming to have set up his standard there whilst replenished with these unwholesome humors the German Diets became not so wholesome as before and no lesse suddainely hath those sparkes taken hold and flowne over the French Stables whilst Genevah the Lady of the Lake challenges the Prerogative of the Apostolicall Seate and dictates Laws to its Brethren From Calvins Institutions the Switzers cantonize their Religion as well as Country and not meanly have these seeds grown up under the shade of Orange Tree The Dane with graver pace recedes from their former Ecclesiasticall league and now all breaking up and disbanding the face of Europe which was seen one and intire in the Sea of Rome is now by these numberlesse Fractions but parcels and peeces representing severall Faces the sacred anchor of Religion being moved True religion not contrary nor prejudiciall to Governments all the ships of States and Goverments come to be tost and troubled Religion being like the Sunne which whilst it keeps its owne proper and heavenly course gives light and influence to all but when the pretence of it serves earthly ends it causes a conflagration and is a Phaeton to set the world on fire Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum True Religion must be such that it carry no distruction to Common-wealths though it last for ever as the worship of Christ was instituted to doe There are vices of men and there are vices of times but disobedience to Governments or Doctrines of disloyalty are detested by the Catholique Religion and the Canons and Decrees of the Church I will recite the words of an English Jesuit This Priesthood which is now rejected is the same which was given to St. Peter and the Apostles the same which St. Augustine and his Associates had that converted England the same which hath been honor'd of all Kings since the same Sacrament unchangeable the same power of order the same jurisdiction there is not any poynt of civill regiment in that Sacrament being wholly spirituall and supernaturall nothing concerning a temporall Common-wealth no renouncing or deniall of any authority in England no conspiracy to Prince no authority communicated but to offer Sacrifice to Pray to Preach minister Sacraments The Grecians the Germans and other people having their Doctrine diverse to the Church of Rome have their seminaries in the same City and their Priests maintained by the same Popes yet the Princes of those Nations for the greater part being Infidels Turkes condemne not their Priests for Traytors but admit the exercise of their Function as agreeable to the Common-wealth and as it were a great absurdity to say that the Pope in relieving the Catholique Students of Palestine Grecia Armenia and such Nations should doe it in hope to be temporall Lords of those Countries but onely for love to true Religion so is it improbable he should have any such intent in England as unprobable as the other to be under his temporall regiment no Article we defend Prayer to the Saints Prayer for the Dead restitution for wrongs and injuries to those that live obedience to Governors the validity of their Laws the force of good works the number grace and reverence of the Sacraments pennance and punishment for sin both in life and after teaching duty to God honour to Magistrates equallity to all injury and oppression to none the chiefest poynts of true regiment cannot be offensive to a well ordered policy CAP. V. An Invitation of Wits to the study of Arts and to leave opposing the Church with the excellency of the fruits of Piety which onely can proceed from true Religion IT is observed by the most Ingenious Lord Virulam That in Divinity there was nothing to be added by the wit of Man and in stead of finding wantings and desideratars complained here of too much luxuruancy of Mens brains for God hath so surely founded his Church on one side and the Devill hath so busily in the night sowne Tares on the other that there is no imployment here for the restlesse agitation of Mens heads It was truely observed by another That Men must either resolve their Religion into Reason or Authority if into Reason then they must beleeve no more then they can prove by Reason If into Authority It was apparant where it had continued this sixteen hundred yeares but the measure of truth is many times the maintaining Mens cause but not truth the guide of their cause they transferre and send the beams of their wit to gild the clouds of their error How unhappy are the triumphs of those endevours which strive to make falshood appeare more like truth then truth it selfe As the English Poët describing truth by Vna which is still one and the same and falshood by Duessa which is doublenesse complains Though Una was as faire as faire might be Yet false Duessa seem'd as faire as she When the edge of wit is turned aside to maintain an error how are men uncharitable to Texts of Scripture how doe they pretend to a Genealogy by thredding all the oppositions that ever was in any Age against the Church on the line of their Discourse for their service such and such Ages must have the plagues of Egypt brought upon them grosse darknesse The Fathers must pretend to no more knowledge then that which hath now the approbation of mens more refined braines and the lately found out rules of Reformation so called must over-rule the witnesse of Antiquity the Authority of Councels the constitutions of the Church When Ireneus and St. Hierom c. doe magnifie the Apostolicall Seat they must be held but flashes of Rhetoricke dashes with their Pen they make use of hard niceties elaborate thinnesse weake finesse where Sillogismes must seem to uphold the Church whereas that which is comprehended within the rules of reasoning will fly no higher then reason can carry it Thus doe they strive to place in the Clouds that Article of I beleeve the holy Catholique Church Divine words being such that they require a Simple beleever but argue a disputer impious because in Divinity we respect not what is spoke but who speaks How doe the holy vertues of Charity and Humility give place to Ambitious heats and contentions and tryalls of wit where men more strive to get the conquest in words then to become the happy subjects of truth Is there
part the Parabolicall the Figurative expressions the Naturall the Originals of the Old and New Testaments the Hebrew and the Greeke with the Antient Greeke and Latin Glosses If Hystory may prevaile Eusebius shall bring testimony Palladius Sezemen Socrates Ruffin shall be witnesses St. Bede St. Jerom shall tell what was the practises in the first times of Christianity If the pious Decrees of those Popes which themselves beleeve to be Saints in Heaven shall be heard Catholique Doctors have viewed all their Decrees both before the Councell of Nice and after If conquest by the Arts of Disputation be pretended to they have enterd into the nicest differences and have been cutters of a Commin Seed and are throughly acquainted with all the most retired advantages of Wit and Learning There have been many and great challenges to the foure first Generall Councels Nice Constantinople Ephesus and Calcedon but many Catholiques have not onely read from the first of Nice to the last of Trent but also all other approved Provinciall Councels If the Fathers Doctors and men famous in all Ages be consulted with they will appeare to be all of the same holy Catholique Church St. Basill St. Athanasius Gregory Nazianzen St. Gregory Nessen St. Gregory the great Iraeneus Cyprian Fulgentius Pamphilus the Martyr Palladius Theodoret Ruffinus Lactantius Vincentius Lyrenensis Dionisius the Areopagite Schollar to Saint Paul St. Ignatius St. Polycarpus St. Clement St. Augustine Hierome St. Ambrose Papias Schollar of St. John the Evangelist c. Who will not then put their foot into the same Barke with so excellent company to sayle to happinesse in but remaine in the Cock-Boars of their owne private opinions to be tost with every wave of Doctrine and to suffer Shipwracke The Hebrew and Greek Scriptures are preserved by the Roman Church defendors of the Catholique cause Its Doctrines whether writ or delivered by mouth Historians deliver the same to be with what Popes have maintained Decrees confirmed Expositions cleared Councels declared Schooles taught and Fathers delivered And their practice is demonstrated by all Ancient Laws of England Imperiall Nationall of Forraigne Countries and former times by confession of Enemies Mahumetans Jews Pagans and all those Scismatickes who confesse Antiquity is not for them I shall for those opinions that are pretended to be cause of their departure and the hinderance of their not returning againe to the Church of Rome give you a taste of the Fathers in severall Centuries and withall shew what fruits of piety charity and comfort they have contain'd in them Of the Eucharist Altars Sacrifice The word Transubstantiation must not be indured they say it is but a late word The verity of its Doctrine since the Councell of Laterane onely used hence they impute novelty to the Artikles of the Church they acknowledge the Church hath a power given it to decide controversies and the truth of the reall presence being called in question with subtile interpretation of words the Church must use some words of art to oppose them and secure the truth against their nimble turning of the sence of words so that to quarrell at the word is indeed to quarrell at the exercise of the Churches power moderne rebellions against the Tenents of holy Church forceth it to use some words to hinder the evasions of its enemies which they professe to signifie no more by then what was taught by This is my body The word Trinity was not used till Councels found it necessary to oppose certain Heresies of those times by framing that word But what a sinister laying hold of all occasions is there by those who once undertake to defend a party Ingenuity is fled passion is the Pilot whilst they are tost upon those faithles Seas of error Transelementation is as hard a word and M. Mountague allowes that The Greeks use a word to of the same signification yet no offence taken at it Heare the Fathers severall expressions as well as late Councels St. Ambrose in the fourth Age after Christ by the benediction nature it selfe is changed the change is not made by Faith alone but really saith St. Chrysostome Not every bread but that which receives the benediction is made the body of Christ Saint Augustine in the fifth Age. In answer to Melateiâ— The Bishop of Derry doth ingenuously confesse That Antiquity hath used the expressions of seeing Christ touching Christ in the Sacrament of fastning our teeth in his flesh c. What satisfaction can prevaile with a moderate ingenuity which one shall not meet with in later Schoole-men and Councels Clypeus Tridentinus saith Beleeve Transubstantiation but the manner of Transubstantiating you need not Schoole termes oblidge not whether by adduction or assumption or any other words of Art they may argue but not disturb the Faith of the Church How Christ is present in the Sacrament can neither be perceived by sense nor imagination St. Thomas of Aquin. Jeremias Patriarcha in Greece saith By the power of the omnipotent spirit the bread is changed into the very body of Christ wine into the very blood The Councell of Trent declares that in this Sacrament Jesus Christ true God and true Man is truely really and substantially contained under the species of those sensible things yet nor according to a naturall manner of existing but Sacramentally He was the Word that spake it And what that word did make it I doe beleeve and take it All the Ancients use constantly without flashes of Rhetoricke or translation of words the word sacrifice and not onely to note giving of thanks but propitiation oblation and offering likewise are used by the Fathers of the Councell of Nice Dialog 4.58 This sacrifice singularly saves the soule from Eternall destruction which doth repaire unto us by mistery the death of the onely begotten who although rising from the dead dyes not and death shall have no further power over him notwithstanding in himselfe immortally and incorruptibly living is againe sacrificed for us in the mistery of this holy oblation Fathers in all Ages have spoke and held this Cardinal Perron calls it a sacrifice applicative of a sacrifice Thus doe the enemies of Catholique Doctrines and words by their opposition of them make that which should be the band of Unity the flag of dissention And for the name of Altars St. Ambrose saith He is upon the Altar who suffered for all those under the Altar the bodies of Martyrs who are Redeemed by his Passion St. Augustine saith the sacrifice it selfe is the body of Christ which is not offered to the Martyrs because they themselves are that also The piety and fruits is brings The word Transubstantiaon truely understood affords us the comfort of asserting the truth of Gods promises For the severall modes and manners which those out of the Church fancy to themselves touching the presence of Christ if there were words of Art to expresse how detractive would they be found from the verity certainty and