it 's very like they all speak the same Language though they should not so boldly maintain so great a falshood it 's most certain they are very careful to conceal from you the general agreement of all these great Societies with the Roman Church not only in point of the Eucharist but likewise in many other points as the Sacrifice of the Mass Prayer for the Dead the Invocation of Saints the Honour of their Images and Reliques for which they have always induced you to condemn us as superstitious and Idolaters You cannot now doubt any more that they have maliciously disguised the Truth to you concerning all this what confidence then can you have in them in beholding clearly that they cheat you in matters of that importance where your Salvation is at the stake Perhaps you will say there is none but Mr. Claud who is guilty of this fault and that it 's true he is much to be blamed for denying things so unquestionable as is the great agreement of all those Churches with the Roman in all these Points But as we have already shown them Tom. 3 of the Perpetuity pag 805. that it was not to take part in a procedure so unbeseeming and disingenuous as is that of Mr. Claud to have suffered in a common Cause that he who had taken upon him their defence should establish it upon a notorious falshood and for four or five years debate about a matter of fact which ingenuity sincerity ought to have made be acknowledged the first day ought they not to have publickly disaproved this procedure and not have permitted that in the enterprise of defending what they take for truth the truth should be wounded by imposing upon the whole ' East to believe what it believes not Mean while consider if there be any Minister who disaproved Mr. Claud during so long a time as that Dispute lasted and very far from that there is very lately one of the most Famous and Learned Professours Mr. Spanhemius of the united Provinces who heaps up Praises on Mr. Claud for the advantages he pretends he has carried in this Dispute whereof the chief Point was to know if the Oriental Churches did really agree with the Roman in point of the Eucharist and who with a wonderful confidence affirms that his Illustrious Brother has exposed to open view the vanity of the suppositions of his Adversary by which he can mean no other but the principal matter of fact which the Author of the Perpetuity had taken for the ground of his whole Discourse viz. that all the Churches of the World were united in the Faith of the Real Presence in the time of Berengarius as they are likewise at this present time Lo here what Mr. Spanhemius dares call most false suppositions vanissimas Hypotheses altho ' you see with your own eyes that they are undenyable truths But you ought to be much more astonished to see that he is not ashamed to make the most authentick and most solemn attestations that ever a Church did give of her Faith pass for precarious Testimonies which ought not be noticed as having been given by Mercenary Souls who betrayed their Conscience in letting themselves be corrupted for money Tom. 3. of the Perpet 806. For what can you conclude from that but that among those of your Party no reguard is had to the truth and those who reigns in it by the confidence people has in them and by the Authority they attribute to themselves care not by what means they keep the People adhereing to them that falsehoods are equally good to them as truths when they produce this effect and provyding an Author make noise and be able to amuse the World with the sound of his words the most intelligent amongst the Calvinists are glad to let him be doing and considers always as an advantage the impression they make thereby upon the generality of their Party But you ought not stop here it is yet more important for you to consider that Mr. Claud did not engage himself to the denyal of so certain matters of fact and the other Ministers to applaud his Art to colour these falshoods but because they saw no other way to extricate themselves from the difficulty they were in To suppose as they did that all the Churches of the world had been for nine Ages without believing the Real Presence and to find them all united in this Belief at the beginning of the eleventh Age without that any one perceived this change or any mark or memory of it remaining is a Chimere so absurd to be maintained that they themselves were amazed at it Therefore to give it a little more liklyhood it was needful to restrict this Innovation within the limits of the Latin Church and to pretend that all the rest had not changed and were all Berengarians and had always been such when Berengarius was condemned in the West You cannot then be perswaded of the contrary as there is no man of good sence but ought to be by only reading what I have said in the 1 and 2 Sect. and yet more by reading the Chapters I have marked of the 1 Tom of the Perpet you cannot I say be convinced of the agreement of the Greek Church of that time but you must conclude that that pretended Innovation without which Calvinism cannot subsist is a work of the Father of Lyes for it ought to have had place in all the Churches of the World as well as in the Roman which they well saw was so inconceivable as Mr. Claud cryes out for fear lest he be necessitate to shew how its possible that insensible change was made at the same time over all the World The Question is not of the whole World The Question is of the Occident and of the Provinces subject to the Obedience of the Pope But the condition of the Greeks at present and of all the other Oriental Communions threw back your Ministers into the same difficulty for if they had granted that they also held all at present the Real Presence Transubstantiation and the Adoration and are perswaded they never had another Faith whom could they have made believe that this had happened four or five hundred years since by an insensible change in all these Communions of whom many have no connexion with one another it being they mutually accuse others of Heresie without so much as one person perceiving the Innovation Therefore it was needful to say farther that it was false the Oriental Churches were of this Faith and that this could not be true but only of some Latinised Greeks and not at all of the true Greeks But they are of this Faith whether Mr. Claud will or not you are doubtless perswaded thereof But beware lest for want of application to the most important Affair you have in the world which is that of your Salvation you smother the natural consequences you ought to draw from this conviction for you ought to say 1. Our Ministers have cheated us hitherto in denying many years pertinaciously and as far as can be judged against their own Consciences in a dispute of Religion a thing which is more clear than the light of the day we have then no reason to trust our selves to so blind guids and so void of sincerity 2. They deny or dissemble matters of fact so certain and important to be known for no other Reason but because being acknowledged to be true the pretended Innovation in the belief of the Eucharist in all the Churches of the World cannot subsist I cannot then be convinced as I am of the truth of these matters of fact but I must also be convinced that that Innovation is a dream invented by Aubertin and other Ministers because they saw well without that they could not hinder themselves from being looked upon as Innovators and Hereticks 3. It s not only in the belief of the Eucharist that these great Oriental Societies agree with the Roman Church it is also in the Sacrifice of the Mass in Prayer for the Dead in the Invocation of Saints in the Honour given to their Reliques and Images which our Ministers incessantly represent to us as Doctrins of Antechrist for which we ought to have made separation from the Roman Church and which are the most common subject of their invectives against that Church Now I see clearly all that is ill grounded since all other Christian Communions who are not subject to that pretended Antechrist have on all that the same Faith which the Roman Catholicks have I have therefore great reason to fear that I cannot in conscience continue to stay with Calumniators and Schismaticks and consequently I cannot do better than to return back whence our Fathers ought not to have come forth I think there is no intelligent Person will deny these consequences to be just yet it is so great a matter to change Religion that the conviction of the understanding is not sufficient for that effect God must besides touch the Heart with his Grace Prayer must beg this Favour from him and Hope must expect it from his Mercy FINIS Approbation of the Doctors WE underwritten Doctors in Theologie of the faculty of Paris do certify we have read 〈◊〉 Book Entituled The Faith of the Catholick Church concerning the Eucharist invincibly proved c with a Preface in form of a Letter to the Gentlemen of the pretended Reformed Religion by M We have found them conform to the Rules of Faith and most profitable for the conversion of Heriticks The Author sets down therein in Abridgement what is contained in several Volumns to the end he might facilitate the means of being instructed of the Truth of this great Mystery to those who might not have the leasure to read these Volumns entirely This is the judgement weâ—â—â—ke of this little but excellent Work at Paris the oâ— of November 1683. AUGET of the House of Sorbon RICHER of the House of Navarr
shew it was not credible that all these Authors were mistaken or knew not if there were any Churches holding Berengarius his Opinion or not Lanfrancus a Native of Italy who had been a Monk at Bec afterwards Abbot of Caen and at last Archbishop of Canterbury could bear witness of the Sentiments of a great part of Europe Deoduinus and Adelmanus could serve as witnesses for Germany and Guitmondus for Italy where the Greeks were mixt with the Latins and Hugo for France Nor can it be said they intended to deceive the World because there is not any probability that so considerable Men would have been so imprudent as to advance against their Conscience so important a matter of fact concerning which it had been easie to have covered them with shame had it not been true Finally it is there made out farther that neither Berengarius nor his Sectators did object to these Authors that their Reproaches of the novelty of their Opinion was false or that it was not contrary to all the Churches of the World That we find not they cited any Author either of the Eleventh or Tenth Age as favourable to their Opipion but were forced to go seek it in some passages of St. Augustin interpreted according to their fancy and in the Book of John Scot Aeâ—rgene And that they found themselves so straitned by that Argument of the uniform Belief of all Churches as they had nothing to say but that after the Gospel was preached to all Nations and the World had believed it and the Church was formed augmented and fructified it fell afterwards into Errour by the ignorance of those who understood not the Mysteries and that it was perished and remained extant onely in their Party It ought then to be held for certain and undoubted that all Christian Churches were found united in the Belief of the Real Presence in the time of Berengarius about the beginning of the Eleventh Age. And this is what Aubertin lib. 9. p 943. a most Learned Protestant acknowledges at least as to the Latins For he pretends that the Innovation was made in the darkness of the Tenth Age That those of the Eleventh had suckt in with their Milk the Belief of the Real Presence Hac Opinione una cum Lecte imbuli SECT 3. The particular Proof of the same Major in regard of the Greeks in the time of Berengarius AMong many Proofs which may be seen in the First Tome of the Perpetuity lib. 2. c. 5 6 7 8. c. I shall content my self with one onely During the Eleventh Century when the Heresie * The Heresie of Berengarius consisted in denying the Real Presence of the Body of Jesus Christ in the Holy Sacrament of Berengarius made so much noise in the Latin Church when it was condemned by nine Councils whereof some were held in France and some in Italy the Greeks had several Churches and Monasteries in Italy and the Latins had also Churches at Constantinople Whence it was not possible that being so mixed together either of them could be ignorant of the Sentiments of one another especially in respect of a Mystery concerning which there was risen up a Heresie in the Judgment at least of the Latins Wherefore it is inconceivable that if the Greeks had been Berengarians at that time as Mr. Claud would have it believed they should have without the least bustle or noise suffered the Latin Church to condemn as an Heresie their Sentiment in the matter of the Eucharist And that the Latins on their side should have said nothing to the Greeks seeing them maintain that same Heresie which they had so recently condemned in the person of Berengarius Now it is certain that these two Churches did not at that time nor afterwards upbraid one another on this matter although they were never more inclined nor had greater provocations to have done it if there had been any ground for it For it was at that time there arose the hottest debate that could be imagined betwixt Michael Cerularius Patriarch of Constantinople and Leo Archbishop of Acride Metropolitan of Bulgaria on one side and Pope Leo and the whole Latin Church on the other Nothing could parallel the bitterness and animosity of the Greeks Michael and Leo of Acride did write in the year 1053 which is the very same year wherein Berengarius was condemned in two Councils both held in Italy one at Rome and the other at Vercelli to John Bishop of Trani in Apulia This Letter was most bitter They upbraided the Latins in several things That celebrating the Eucharist in Azimis they communicated with the Jews That they eated strangled meats That they did not sing Alleluia in Lent But not so much as one word of the Faith of the Eucharist And this Letter having been communicated to Pope Leo the IX He wrote thereupon a Letter to that Patriarch and Archbishop wherein after having defended the Latin Church on the point of Azimis he complains of the violence of the Patriarch Michael who had caused shut up all the Churches of the Latins that were at Constantinople And he extols the modesty of the Roman Church in that there being several Churches of the Greeks both within and without the City of Rome yet they were not hindred to observe the Traditions of their Ancestors Because says he the Roman Church knows well that the diversity of Customs according to Times and Places is no ways prejudicial to the Salvation of Believers when they have the Same Faith. Whence it appears that although there were then a great number of Greeks in Italy whose Sentiments in matter of the Eucharist Pope Leo could not be ignorant of he was perswaded there was no more but a diversity of Customs in point of the Eucharist by reason of the Azimis betwixt the Greek and Latin Church and that both these Churches had but one and the same Faith of that Mystery And consequently he was no leâ—â— perswaded that the Greek Church believed the Real Presence and Transubstantiation as well as the Latin For aâ— to the Latin Church the Calvinists doeâ— not deny that she believed both those points at that time This is farther confirmed by another Letter which Michael Cerularius wrote the year following when he could be no more ignorant of the condemnation of Berengarius to the Patriarch of Antiochia which as the forementioned is full of Accusations against the Roman Church to perswade him to forsake the Popes Communion amongst which Accusations there were some altogether calumnious as that the Latins did not Honour St. Basil and Sr. Chrysostom and yet not so much as a word of their Belief of the Eucharist which had been a far more considerable ground of separation if the Greeks had not had the same Faith on that matter than the â—ifles which they objected to the Laâ—ins That their Priests raised their Beards That their Monks eated fat That their Bishops carried the Effigies of a Lamb. And by what passed
of them on his side as he pleases himself and on the other the things remains still quite contrary to what he says of them The Question says he p 641. is not of the whole-World it 's onely of the Occident and of the Provinces subject to the Obedience of the Pope That is to say I will not have this to be the question I will not be at the pains to explicate how the Doctrine of the Real Presence and Transubstantiation was introduced in the East in the Patriarchates of Constantinople of Alexandria of Jerusalem and Antiochia in the Churches of the Armenians Nestorians and Jacobites I will not trouble my self to guess how it did penetrate into Ethiopia Muscovia Mesopotamia Georgia Mingrelia â—oldavia Tartaria and into the Ind a's I had better say it is not there I will have sooner done and by this means I will free my self of a great many difficulties Mr. Claud if he pleases will permit us to adverrise him that he is Man and nor God and consequently neither his Words nor his Wishes are operative He would not have the Doctrine of the Real Presence to be in all these great Provinces But it is and will be in them whether he would or would not the matter does not at all depend upon him And we have made it appear by Proofs which we judge himself will not gainstand So that notwithstanding of all his Wishes the question is to know how the belief of the Real Presence could be introduced in all these places if it had not still been in them Cerrain it is that it is there established and reigns and domineers absolutely There is no other known no memory that ever any other Doctrine was there All these Nations are perswaded they hold it by continual succession from their Forefathers It is manifest they have held always this Doctrine since the time the Berengarians were first heard of and that in this point they were still united with the Roman Church Mr. Claud must then tell us who has made them embrace this Doctrine But how can he do it since the reason why he would exeem himself from entring into this question is because he finds that not only solid Proofs but even Inventions and Fictions fails him all his Machines become useless to him He talks to us of Paschasius of Disputes of the Intrigues of Monks of the Violences of the Court of Rome And to render all this heap of Dreams and Visions ridiculous there needs no more but to oblige him to cast his eyes on two third parts of the World which knows neither Paschasius nor his Book and are so far from acknowledging the Pope that they are most passionately bent to contradict him in all they can Let Mr. Claud tell us therefore who did perswade them to a Belief which he pretends to be directly contrary to Scripture to Fathers to Reason and Sense What Preachers did produce so great an effect How comes it to pass that none of all these Nations did resist this Innovation How comes it to pass that all of them have forgot they changed their Perswasion and takes their present Doctrine for that which the Apostles established in the Church and which has descended even to them by the succession of their Bishops Mr. See pag. 2. of the General Answer Claud wearies his Imagination to invent an impertinent Fable of a young Monk who without going out of his Convent and without being heard tell of abroad yet changes the Faith of the whole Occident He torments himself to accompany this Fable with a thousand phantastical suppositions He exhausts all his Figures and all his big Words to dazle a little the eyes of the simple and to hide from them the absurdity of this Romance But he takes no heed that all his endeavours are in vain there remains more than two thirds of his Work to be done without which all the pains he takes are to no purpose he must yet find other Paschasius's to carry this Faith into all the Societies separate from the Roman Church and into remote Provinces All these Paschasius's must have the same success that no person contradict nor oppose their Enterprizes that no person perceive them renversing the ancient Faith and in a word they must all have accomplisht their work at the same time when Berengarius shall happen to start up to the end he might with some ground of reason say That the Church was perished and there was no more remnant of it than those who followed him Lanfrancus cap. 23. I see very well that Mr. Claud for all his stoutness succumbs under the greatness of this Enterprize It frights him he gives it over he asks pardon he would wish with all his heart that that this made no part of the Question The Question says he is not of all the World. But there is no moyen to be complaisant to him The Question is of the whole World whether he will or will not because that Belief is establisht throughout the World. This depends neither upon him nor me It is a necessary part of this great Question and which draws all the rest after it Wherefore since by a constrained confession of his inability he acknowledges he cannot say there was made an universal change of Belief in the whole Orient he must needs abandon all the rest and avow that all his moyens are ruined all his Engines shattered all his Projects renversed and all his Suppositions destroyed If he say it was Paschasius who invented this Doctrine and that it could never have fallen into the brain of another we shew him an infinite number of Christians who neither knows Paschasius nor his Book and who yet makes still profession of this Doctrine and here he is convinced of timerity and imposture If he tells us That the Popes did by their Authority and Violences concur to make it be received We shall let him see those great Nations over whom they have no Jurisdiction in which they are not acknowledged and amongst whom their Decisions have neither Credit nor Authority and who notwithstanding are no less tenacious of the Faith of the Real Presence as those People who are most submitted to the Holy See and this does farther point him out as a Deceiver of the World by groundless and improbable Fables If he talks to us of Cabals and imaginary Intrigues of Disputes of Philosophy by which he pretends this Doctrine was established we shall shew an infinite number of People who neither knows the School Philosophy nor never disputed of these matters and amongst whom even the imagination of Mr. Claud himself could never make the Intrigues of the Court of Rome active and who yet believes the Real Presence as we do And lo here also all his Reckonings and Fables annihilated This is what regards the third Circumstance which is that this Innovation should have been made at the same time in all the Churches of the World Which renders it so