Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	apostle_n	church_n	speak_v	2,823	5	4.8418	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45496	Archaioskopia, or, A view of antiquity presented in a short but sufficient account of some of the fathers, men famous in their generations who lived within, or near the first three hundred years after Christ : serving as a light to the studious, that they may peruse with better judgment and improve to greater advantage the venerable monuments of those eminent worthies / by J.H.	Hanmer, Jonathan, 1606-1687.; Howe, John, 1630-1705.; Howell, James, 1594?-1666.	1677 (1677)	Wing H652; ESTC R25408	262,013	452

After these Iohn the Disciple of our Lord who also leaned on his breast published a Gospel remaining at Ephesus in Asia 9. When the Hereticks saith he are convinced from the Scriptures they betake them to the accusation of the Scriptures themselves as if they were not right nor of any Authority and because they are variously spoken and because from them the truth cannot be found out by them that know not Tradition 1. We ought to obey them that are Presbyters in the Church even those who have succession from the Apostles as we have shewn who together with the succession of their Bishoprick have received the certain gift of truth according to the pleasure of the Father Succession of Doctrine is the principal and without that certain gift of truth it is vain yea impious to boast of personal succession 11. Of the Translation of the Septuagint thus Ptolemy willing to have an experiment of them and fearing le●t perhaps by consent they should through their interpretation hide that truth which was in the Scriptures he separating them one from another commanded them all to interpret the same Scripture and this he did in all the Books when therefore they come together into one place with Ptolemy and compared their Interpretations God was glorified and the Scriptures were believed to be truly divine all of them reciting the same both in the same phrases and in the same words from the beginning to the end So that even the Gentiles that were present did acknowledge that the Scriptures were Interpreted by the Inspiration of God 12. Very memorable is that passage of his in an Epistle unto Victor Bishop of Rome recorded by Eusebius Although saith he Christians differed in their Judgements about the manner of Fasting yet notwithstanding were they at unity one with another for this variety of fasting commendeth the unity of Faith They that were Presbyters before Soter of that Church whereof now thou art President Anicetus I mean and Pius and Hyginus and Telesphorus and Xystus neither did so observe it themselves nor left any such Commandment to their posterity and yet nevertheless they not observing it were at unity with them who resorted unto them from those Churches that did observe the same when yet their observance was contrary to those who observe it not Neither was any one at any time rejected or excommunicated for such kind of fasting but those very Presbyters who were thy predecessors have sent the Eucharist to the Brethren of those Churches who kept it after their own manner And when Polycarp was at Rome in the time of Anicetus and they were at variance among themselves about some certain small and trifling matters they were soon reconciled but about this particular they had no contention at all Neither was Anice●us able to perswade Polycarp mark the Roman Bishops used not it seems to command them as now that he should not retain that which he had always observed with Iohn the Disciple of our Lord and the rest of the Apostles with whom he had been conversant neither did Polycarp perswade Anicetus so to observe it but told him he ought to observe the Ancient Custom of the Elders whom he succeeded And things being at this pass they held communion one with another and in the Church Anicetus granted the Eucharist unto Polycarp for the reverence which he bare him and so they parted from each other in peace and in the Universal Church both those that did observe it and those that did not observe it were at peace one with another These and many other the like worthy sayings are to be found in the Books of this Ancient Father but let it suffice to have given you this tast of them § 6. Yet are there some things observed in him as his blemishes and failings wherein he is not to be followed because therein he swerves from that un-erring Rule the word of Truth Even the most eminent Men in the Church after the Apostles have built some hay and stubble upon the foundation they held which will not endure the trial of the Fire Those of this Father are as followeth 1. Somewhat harsh and to be corrected is that concerning Christ. Si quis exquirat causam propter quam in omnibus Pater communicans Filio solus scire horam diem Domino manifestatus est neque aptabilem magis neque decentiorem nec sine periculo alteram quam hanc inveniat in praesenti quoniam cum solus verax Magister est Dominus ut discamus per ipsum super omnia esse Patrem Etenim Pater ait major me est secundem agnitionem itaqu● praepositus esse Pater annunciatus est à Domino Nostro ad hoc ut nos in quantum figura hujus mundi-sumus perfectam Scientiam tales quaestiones concedamus Deo Et ne fortè querentes altitudinem Patris investigare in tantum periculum incidamus uti quaeramus an super Deum alter sit Deus 2. He hath some passages concerning free will not to be admitted though again in other places he hath somewhat directly opposite thereunto E.g. Dedit deus bonum qui operantur quidem illud gloriam honore● percipient quoniam operati sunt bonum cum possint non operari illud Hi autem qui illud non operantur judicium justum recipient Dei quoniam non sunt operati bonum cum possint operari illud Item Quoniam omnes sunt ejusdem naturae potentes retinere operari bonum potentes rursum amittere id non facere justè etiam apud homines sensatos quanto magis apud Deum alii quidem laudantur dignum percipiunt testimonium electionis bonae perseverantiae alii verò accusantur dignum percipiunt damnum eò quòd justum bonum reprobaverint Adhuc Quoniam liberae sententiae est Deus eujus ad similitudinem factus est semper consilium datur ei continere bonum quod proficiscitur ex eâ quae est ad Deum obedientiâ Et non tantum in operibus sed etiam in fide liberum suae potestatis arbitrium homini servavit Dominus Contrà Dominus pollicitus est mittere se paracletum qui nos aptaret Deo Sicut enim de arido tritico massa una fieri non potest sine humore neque unus panis Ita nec nos multi unum fieri in Christo Iesu poteramus sine aquâ quae de caelo est Et sicut arida terra si non percipiat humorem non fructificat sic no● lignum aridum existentes primum nunquam fructificaremus vitam sine supernâ voluntariâ pluviâ i. e. Spiritu Sancto 3. His opinion concerning the Age of Christ is evidently contrary to what may be collected from the History of the Evangelists for thus saith he Omnes venit per seipsum salvare omnes inquam qui per ●um rena

and learning among whom Tertul●ian and Augustin were chief but scarcely unto any one happened the genuine purity of the Roman Language but only unto Cyprian Thus Erasmus Like a pure fountain he flows sweetly and smoothly and withal he is so plain and open which is the chief virtue of speech that you cannot discern saith Lactantius whether any one were more comly in speaking or more facil in explicating or more powerful in perswading Prudentius also in this regard thus extols him O nive candidius linguae genus O novum saporem Vt liquor Ambrosius cor mitigat imbuit palatum Sedem animae penetrat mentem fovet pererrat artus His phrase is most elegant saith Sixtus Senensis and next unto Ciceronian Candour And in the judgment of Alsted as Lactantius may be truly accounted the Christian's Cicero so may Cyprian their Caesar for these two among the Latines added ornament unto Christian Doctrine Now Caesar saith Vives is egregiously useful for dayly speech unto whom Tully gives the praise of a pure and uncorrupted dialect Quintilian of elegancy whom he peculiarly studyed and Mr. Ascham in that learned and grave discourse which he calls his Schoolmaster judgeth that in Caesar's Commentaries which are to be read with all curiosity without all exception to be made either by friend or foe is seen the unspotted propriety of the Latine Tongue even when it was in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the highest pitch of all perfectness yet is his phrase various sometimes he soars aloft and is very copious with abundance of words as in his Epistle unto Donatus another time he falls as low as in his Epistle unto Caecilius of the Sacrament of the Lord's Cup but most commonly he is temperate and keeps the middle way between these extremes as in his Treatise of the Habit of Virgins In a word he was saith Hyperius plain vehement serious and not unhappily fluent his words breathing a venerable elegancy as the things which he wrote did piety and martyrdom whereof I now proceed to give a taste § 5. In his Treatise of the vanity of Idols we have a sum of his Faith which Froben in his Index affixed unto the edition of Erasmus stiles the most elegant Creed or Symbol of Cyprian containing the Doctrines of Christ his Deity Incarnation Miracles Death Resurrection Ascension and second coming His words are these Indulgentiae Dei gratiae disciplinaeque arbiter magister sermo filius Dei mittitur qui per Prophetas omnes retrò illuminator doctor humani generis praedicabatur Hic est virtus Dei hic ratio hic sapientia ejus gloria hic in Virginem illabitur carnem Spiritu Sancto cooperante induitur Deus cum homine miscetur hic Deus noster hic Christus est qui mediator duorum hominem induit quem perducat ad Patrem quòd homo est Christus esse voluit ut homo possit esse quòd Christus est Cum Christus Iesus secundùm a Prophetis ante praedicta verbo vocis imperio daemonia de hominibus excuteret leprosos purgaret illuminaret caecos claudis gressum daret mortuos rursus animaret cogeret sibi element a famulari servire ventos maria obedire inferos cedere Iud●ei qui illum crediderant hominem tontùm de humilitate carnis corporis existimabant magum de licentiâ potestatis Hunc Magistri eorum atque primores hoc est quos doctrina illâ ille sapientiâ revincebat accensi irâ indignatione provocati postremò detentum Pontio Pilato qui tunc ex parte Romanâ Syriam procura●at tradiderunt crucem ejus mortem suffragiis violentis ac pertinacibus flagitantes Crucifix●s prevento carnis officio spiritum sponte dimisit die tertio rursus a mortuis sponte surrexit Apparuit discipulis talis ut fuerat agnoscendum se videntibus praebuit simul junctus substantiae corporalis firmitate conspicuus ad dies quadraginta remoratus est ut d● vel ab eo ad praecepta vitalia instrui possent discerent que docerent Tunc in Coelum circumfusâ nube sublatus est ut hominem quem dilexit quem induit quem a morte protexit ad patrem victor imponeret jam venturos è Coelo ad poenam Diaboli ad censuram generis humani ultoris vigore judicis potestate 2. Concerning the Article of Christ's descent into Hell the Author of the Exposition of the Apostles Creed thus speaks We are saith he verily to know that it is not to be found in the Creed of the Roman Church neither in the Oriental Churches yet the force of the words seemeth to be the same with those wherein he is said to be buryed 3. Of the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament the same Author of the Exposition of the Apostles Creed having enumerated the same Books that we do These saith he are they which the Fathers concluded within the Canon out of which they would have the assertions of our Faith to consist But we are to know further that there are other Books which our Predecessors called not Canonical but Ecclesiastical as the Books of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Toby Iudith and Maccabees all which they would indeed have to be read in the Churches but yet not to be produced for the confirmation of the Faith 4. Of how little esteem custom ought to be if not founded upon truth he pithily shews in that short sentence Consuetudo sine veritate vetustas erroris est Custom without truth is but mouldy errour In vain therefore saith he do some that are overcome by reason oppose or object custom unto us as if custom were greater than truth or that in Spirituals were not to be followed which for the better hath been revealed by the Holy Ghost Again if Christ alone must be heard as Matth. 17. 5. we ought not to heed what another before us thought fit to be done but what Christ who is before all first did Neither ought we to follow the custom of man but the truth of God 5. He understands by Tradition nothing but that which is delivered in the Scripture Let nothing be innovated saith Stephen unto him but what is delivered He replyeth whence is this Tradition whether doth it descend from the authority of the Lord and the Gospel or doth it come from the Apostles Commands and Epistles for those things are to be done that are Written If therefore this speaking of the Rebaptization of Hereticks or receiving them into the Church only by imposition of hands which later was Stephens opinion against Cyprian be either commanded in the Evangelists or contained in the Epistles or Acts of the Apostles let it be observed as a Divine and Holy Tradition 6. That the Baptism of children was then received and practised in the Church and that performed by aspersion as valid as that

because so many are said to have been collected by Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna and so many are contained in the catalogues both of Eusebius and Ierom. But that skillful Antiquary the Reverend Vsher conceives that the Epistle to Polycarp which is reckoned among and makes up the seven is none of his Ignatius writing no peculiar Epistle unto him but that unto the Church of Smyrna only directed both unto them and also unto him joyntly as their Bishop or Pastour And this saith that learned Author I do not at all doubt to have been in the mind of Ierom whose words Et propriè ad Polycarpum commendans illi Antiochensem Ecclesiam are to be read as in a Parenthesis not as denoting a distinct Epistle from that to those of Smyrna but as relating to the same For as the quick eyed Casanbon observes those words of Ignatius mentioned by Ierom immediately after in quâ arte are not taken out of the Epistle to Polycarp as Baronius imagined but out of that unto the Church of Smyrna where only to this day they are to be read and not in the other And Eusebius produceth the same words out of the Epistle to the Smyrncans Thus Hic Ignatius cum Smyrnaeis scriberet c. Hence Honorius Augustodunensis in his Book de luminaribus Ecclesiae being an Epitome of Ierome Bennadius Isodore Hispalensis Beda and others enumerating the Epistles of Ignatius altogether omits that unto Polycarpus which therefore ought to be and is by Vsher accordingly ranked among the second sort of his Epistles The six Genuine Epistles then are these His Epistle 1. To the Ephesians wherein he mentions Onesimus their Pastour 2. To the Church of Magnesia lying on the River Meander whose Bishop was Dama 3. To the Church of Trallis whose Overseer was Polybius 4. To the Church of Rome All these were written at Smyrna in his journey from Syria to Rome His Epistle 5. To the Church of Philadelphia 6. To the Church of Smyrna Written from Troas Which yet the Centurists leave to the consideration of the diligent Reader how unlikely it is that they who conducted him should go so much out of the direct way and Road leading to Rome and fetch so great a compass about in their journey Though these and these only are judged to be genuine yet have they not escaped the hands of those who have offered no small injury unto them having most unworthily corrupted these ancient Reliques partly by addition and interpolation of what never fell from the pen of Ignatius and partly by diminution and substraction of that which they saw would prove of disadvantage and prejudicial unto them These Epistles saith Chemnitius have in them many sentences not to be contemned especially as they are read in the Greek but withal there are mingled other things not a few which verily have not in them Apostolical Gravity It 's most certain therefore saith Cook that his Epistles are either supposititious or at least filthily corrupted so mangled and changed by insertion or resection That saith Rivet they are of little or no credit but only in those things wherein they do agree with the writings of the Apostles from whose Doctrine that Ignatius did not recede both his Piety and Learning do perswade us So that even those six Genuine Epistles through the foul abuse that hath been offered unto them have clearly lost much of that authority which they they had of old For the discovery of this fraud take a few instances In Epist. ad Philadelph mention is made of this Heresie that there was in Christ no humane Soul yet was Apollinarius Laodicenus the first author thereof who lived about the year 370 a long time after Ignatius And as this is foysted in so are those words left out which are cited by Theodoret in Dialog 3. being taken by him out of the Epistle to the Smyrneans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e They saith he speaking of those Hereticks that denyed the truth of Christ's flesh admit not of Eucharists and oblations but reject them because from the Eucharist is proved the truth of Christ's flesh For thus doth Tertullian learnedly argue lib. 4. contra Marcionem Quod est phantasma figuram capere non potest Atqui Corpus Christi capit figuram scil panem Igitur Corpus Christi non est phantasma I wonder therefore saith Scultetus what judgment they have who bring this place of Ignatius to establish trans and consubstantiation That passage also mentioned by Ierom Ignatius that Apostolical man boldly writes that the Lord chose Apostles who were sinners above all men is not now to be found which yet Ierom had out of one of the seven if not rather six Epistles contained in his catalogue for he speaks of and therefore 't is probable he had seen no more The second sort of Epistles are such as are dubious and concerning which it is very questionable whether they be his or no of these there be also six in number being the second collection made as the reverend Vsher conjectures by one Stephanus Gobarus Tritheita about the year 580 by Anastasius Patriarch of Antioch about the year 595 and by the Publisher of the Constantinopolitan Chronicle about the year 630. So that in the sixth Century after Christ they grew up to the number of 12 coming out of the same Shop that vented the Canons of the Apostles augmented by the addition of 35 to the former as also the Apostolical Constitutions variously trimmed and altered So that these are of a much later date than the former the only Genuine Birth of this famous Martyr These latter six are 1. Epistola ad Mariam Cassabolitam or as some call her Zarbensem In two ancient Manuscripts she is stiled Maria Proselyta Chassabolorum or Castabolorum It seems to be derived from the place of her Birth or Abode or both which may be a City in Cilicia in the lesser Asia not far from Tarsus famous for the Birth of the Apostle Paul there For so I find Strabo making Castabala to be a Town of Cilicia situate somewhat near unto the Mountain Taurus Pliny also reckons it for one of the inland Towns of this Country near unto which are the Anazarbeni now called Caesar-Augustani the Inhabitants of the City Anazarbus fruitful in Olives saith Rhodignie the Birth place of the Renowned Dioscorides as also of Oppian the Poet so Stephanus Bizantii 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To whom add Niger thus speaking The City Cesarea was aforetime called Anazarbeum situate near the Mountain Anazarbeum Again Castabala also is another Town beside the Mountain Taurus So that with a little alteration which might happen through time and the errour of Transcribers she might have the name of Cassobolita from the one and of Zarbensis from the other of those Towns Accordingly I find in one of the

but the least probability why he might have eutituled them unto Cyprian 9. Those two Prayers one for the Martyrs the other made use of by himself as is pretended on the day of his suffering have the like censure from Bellarmine that the Po●●s had who leaves them altogether uncertain 10. Of the single life of the Clergy and that they ought to abstain from the company of women The work is not Cyprian's as the many barbarous words to be found in it and the phrase do plainly shew as Erasmus conceives to whose censure Pamelius subscribes who thinks it rather to be Origen's being induced hereunto by some authorities Vincentius Bellovacensis in speculo Hist. lib. 11. cap. 15. mentions a Book of Origen's which he calls Liber pulcherrimus de singularitate clerieorum Also Laziardus Caelestinus in Epitom Hist. universal ●aec babet fertur Originem codicem de singularitate clericorum composuisse by his mentioning without dislike those who make themselves Eunuchs for the Kingdom of God and by divers Grecisms here and there to be found in it But saith Bellarmine the stile is against this which shews it to be the work not of a Greek but some Latine Author Baronius supposeth it to be Cyprian's though upon weak and slender grounds as Rivet shews Liber de singularitate Clericorum Originem Cyprianum Augustinum praefert autores It is therefore very uncertain whose it is But saith Erasmus whoever were the author of it it cannot be denyed that he was a learned and eloquent man And without doubt saith Bellarmine very ancient 11. An exposition of the Apostles Creed which though it be inserted among the works of Cyprian yet is it generally conceived to belong unto Ruffinus a Presbyter of Aquileia as appears both by the phrase and also by the authority of Gennadius who stileth him not the least part of the Doctors of the Church and of an elegant wit to translate out of Greek into Latine And saith he in this exposition he through the Grace of God so far excelled that others in comparison of of him can scarce be said to have expounded it Pam●lius therefore entitles it unto Ruffine as the true author thereof and not Cyprian whose that 't is not it 's evident from the mention therein made of the Heresies of Arius the Manichees Samosatenus Eunomius who all lived after the time of Cyprian Yet by the consent of all it is a learned piece and most worthy to be read but herein blamed by Pamelius because it denies the Books of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Tobit Iudith and the Maccabees to be of authority for the confirmation of the faith but for what cause is obvious enough 12. Of the incredulity of the Jews unto Vigilius it is none of Cyprians but rather the preface of one Celsus upon the altercation between one Iason a Christian and Paviscus a Jew of Alexandria and indeed in the close of it the author so stiles himself In mente inquit 〈◊〉 habe puerum tuum Celsum A confused piece it is no way suitable unto the piety or learning of Cyprian 13. Against the Jews who persecuted our Lord Jesus Christ written by an uncertain author the stile discovering it not to be Cyprian's 14. Of the Revelation of the head of Iohn the Baptist and the translation of it into France under Pipin the Son of Charles Mar●ell who lived about the year 750. by which it appears as clear as the Sun to be none of Cyprian's who was some hundreds of years before this time and they are meer fables that are contained in it it might well come but of the Cell of some superstitious Monk being fabulous superstitious and ridiculous 15. Of a twofold Martyrdom unto Fortunatus it is to seek of a Father for Cyprian's it is not as the mention of Dioclesian and of the Emperour's war against the Turk do fully evidence Pamelius thinks it to be the work of some Neoterick and not unlikely as Henry Grave conjectures of Erasmus But this is very improbable considering how sharp Erasmus is against those who by counterfeiting their writings have so abused the Fathers and if he would in this kind have imposed upon the world surely he was not so weak to let fall such passages as should so palpably discover it to be an imposture and supposititious we leave it therefore as an exposed Birth 16. Of the twelve abuses of the world the phrase is not Cyprian's and the quotation of the Scriptures according to Ierom's Translation speaks it of a later date Erasmus is of the mind that it came from some honest Laick and Pamelius guesseth it to have been written by one Ebrardus or Iohannes Climacus 17. A small Tract entituled Coena so unworthy the name of Cyprian that it deserves rather to bear that of a Turk than a Christian it is so impure and ridiculous the author seemeth to have been an Italian some profane knave being so well acquainted with all sorts of that Country Wine § 4. His stile is such as hath a certain proper and peculiar face whereby it may be known saith Augustin It tangs of his Country but yet is he more plain and candid than the rest of the Africans And I wish saith Erasmus that as Augustin did exceed him in the number of the Volumes which he wrote so that he had attained unto and equalled him in the elegancy of his language Oh would he had as happily emulated his tongue as he ingenuously admires it Tertulliano inquit Ludovicns Vives loquitur clariùs sed ipse nonnunquam Afrè Time was saith Erasmus when I accounted Ierom for the chief among the Orthodox Writers but when I looked a little more narrowly into Cyprian I was doubtful whether of the two to prefer they both seemed to excel but if a true and natural kind of speaking and that which is more remote from a declamatory shadow deserve the precedency herein Cyprian went as far beyond Ierom as Demosthe●●s beyond Cicero he is every where more serious and hath less of affectation his habit or form of speech is such that you may perceive him to be a true Christian Bishop and destined unto Martyrdom his heart burns with Evangelical Piety and his words are answerable Non minùs fortiter quàm disertè loquens he speaks no less strongly than eloquently for worthyness became him more than neatness yet is he quick enough sometimes as where he derides a certain Heretick that denyed him to be a Bishop and likewise when he refutes those who deemed such not meet to be called Christians but Clinicks that in perilous diseases were baptized not only by immersion but aspersion or sprinkling of water For here besides that perpetual sweetness which as blood runs through the whole Body he useth quips and jests Again Africa sent forth many men famous for eloquence

with us also and almost through all provinces that to the right celebrating of ordinations the Bishops of the same province next unto that people over whom the Chief Officer is ordained do convene or meet together and that the Bishop be chosen in the presence of the people who most fully know the life and conversation of every one Again the people obeying the Lords Commands and fearing God ought to separate themselves from a sinful overseer nor to mingle themselves with the sacrifices of a sacrilegious Priest seeing they chiefly have the power either of chusing such as are worthy or refusing the unworthy Which very thing we see to descend from Divine Authority And else where speaking of Cornelius and of his great modesty and humility when called unto the Office of a Bishop he hath these words worth our notice Non inquit ut quidam vim fecit ut Episcopus fieret sed ipse vim passus est ut Episcopatum coactus ●●ciperet Et factus est Episcopus à plurimis 〈◊〉 nostris qui tunc in urbe Româ aderant 〈◊〉 ad nos literas honorificas laudabiles testimonio suae praedicationis illustres de ejus ordinatione miserunt Factus est autem Cornelius Episcopus de Dei Christi ejus judicio de Clericorum penè omnium testimonio 〈◊〉 plebis quae tunc affuit suffragio de sacerdotum antiquorum bonorum virorum c●llegi● 13. Of the interest of the people in the management of the affairs of the Church thus he I determined saith he from the very beginning of my Bishoprick to do nothing by my private sentence without your counsel and the consent of my people but when by the grace of God I shall come unto you we will then handle in common those things which either have been done or are to be done as mutual honor requires Again to the same purpose This agreeth with the modesty and discipline and the very life of us all that many Bishops meeting together in one the people also being present unto whom even unto them honor is to be given for their faith and fear We should dispose of all things with the Religious care of Common Counsel 14. Of the Original and rise of Heresies thus Thence Schisms and Heresies have and do arise when the Bishop who is one and set over the Church is by the proud presumption of some contemned and a man honored with the dignity of God is by men judged unworthy By one Bishop that he means one Bishoply Office unus Episcopatus appertaining alike unto all rightly called thereunto appears from Epist. ad Antonianum 55. § 16. tract de unitate Ecclesiae § 4. § 6. These and many the like excellent passages are to be found in the writings of this eminent Father Yet was not the beautiful face even of this man without its blemishes though they were fewer then are to be observed in most of the Ancients and those that were for the most part so small that they may not unfitly be called rather freckles and morphew that do detract but little from his great worth Such as were some hard expressions that fell from his pen either through in advertency and want of caution or because they were in those times commonly made use of perhaps harmlesly then but abused in after ages by those who to palliate their errors with a shew and pretence of Antiquity strained them higher and wrested them to another sense then the innocent Authors intended in them Of this kind are the following instances 1. Concerning free-will which in divers places he seems to assert he some other where seemingly crossing himself speaks the contrary e. g. God saith he remunerates with the reward of paternal piety whatsoever he himself hath performed and honors that which he himself hath wrought in us Again 't is of God I say 't is of God saith he all that we can thence we live thence we have our strength 2. He ascribes too much unto good works particularly unto alms by which he saith the defilement contracted after baptism is washed away but that the sins preceding conversion are purged by the blood of Christ. Which yet he may be conceived to have uttered in a declamatory way and is to be understood here and throughout this whole treatise of works as conjoyned with or accompanying Faith 3. He attributes remession of sins to our satisfaction wherewith saith he God is to be appeased but of this a tolerable interpretation may be made the word satisfaction being Catachrestically taken for the repentance and confession of the Lapsi wherewith the Church was satisfied whereupon they were again admitted unto communion And that they might the more commend unto men those Ecclesiastical Rites the Ancients by little and little in their exhortations unto the people began to speak hyperbolically of them as that pardon of sin and reconciliation were this way obtained upon which ground those passages of satisfaction and alms fell inconsiderately saith Chemnitius from the pen of Cyprian 4. He too eagerly and even superstitiously urgeth the mixture of water with wine in the Eucharist because water and blood came out of the side of Christ True it is that in the primitive times the custom was in many Churches that they might Celebrate the Lords Supper with the greater sobriety to temper the wine with water at length some went so far so did the Aquarii who had thence their name quòd aquam offerunt in poculo Sacramenti as to make use of water only whom here Cyprian justly reprehends though yet he urgeth the mixture of both too vehemently and upon too slender grounds Had he left it as a thing indifferent and not pressed it as necessary for which Chemnitius justly blames the Council of Trent it needed not to have been ranked among his errors 5. He seems to allow of the admission of Infants or those not come to years of discretion unto the Lords Supper its like to have been the common error of that time as appears by the story he relates of a young Girl who had been partaker of the Idol Sacrifices Afterward coming with her mother unto the Christian Assembly puella mixta cum sanctis to give you his own words precis nostrae orationis impatiens nunc ploratu concuti nunc mentis astu coepit fluctuabunda jactari velut tortore cogente quibus poterat indi●iis conscientiam facti in simplicibus adhuc anuis facinus enim commissum tam loqui indicare non potuit quàm nec intelligere prius potuit nec arcere rudis anima fatebatur Vbi verò solennibus adimpletis cali●em diaconus offerre praesentibus coepit accipientibus caeteris locus ejus advenit faciem suam parvula instinctu Divinae Majestatis avertere os labiis obturautibus premere calicem recusare Perstitit ●●men Diaconus reluctanti licet