all these Books be sure not to miss in collecting all the Texts containing Doctrines necessary to his salvation 5. And likewise he must be assured by his own light that he conceives the true sence of all these Texts though he know that there are great quarrels among learned and pious men about the sense of those Texts 6. For he must be obliged to believe that there is not on earth any either Person or Society infallible to which he can be bound in Conscience to submit his judgment or commit the care of his Soul 7. Lastly He must have so firm a memory as to be able to reject Roman Doctrines because not contained in Scripture This is Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England and so firm is the Rock upon which it is grounde 77. Now whether that Church of England wherein we were Christned and when we were Christned relied upon such a Foundation as this may quickly be discovered by reading only her Twentieth Article which begins thus The Church of England surely hath power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith By the Church here she must needs mean the Governours or Pastours and authorized Teachers of the Church of England for none else meddle in prescribing Ceremonies or determining Controversies of Faith And these saith she have Authority that is no doubt in her meaning not an usurped but lawful Authority And if so then she intends that all her Subjects and Disciples should esteem themselves obliged in Conscience to submit to her Decisions both about Ceremonies and Controversies This submission if any of her Subjects interpret to be only external or to imply no more than not openly refusing Ceremonies or opposing Decisions she will not be contented with it This appears plainly in her Constitutions Established and Published by Regal Authority under the Great Seal of England For from the second Constitution to the tenth all Impugners of the King's Supremacy or that affirm that the Church of England is not a true and Apostolical Church Likewise all Impugners of her Articles of Religion of her Ceremonies of her Government by Bishops of the Form of Ordinations Moreover all Authors of Schisms and Maintainers of Schismaticks all these are denounced Excommunicated ipso facto from which Excommunication they cannot be absolved and restored till after they have repented and publickly revoked such their wicked Errours that is they must acknowledge themselves to have been in an Errour a wicked Errour of which they must repent and publickly revoke it 78. This Authority therefore challenged by the Church of England Established by Law â— is manifestly an Authority over the Souls the Judgment and Belief of her Subjects which Authority Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England does expresly renounce Therefore his is a meer imaginary Church which has no subsistence but only in the fancies of a new brood of men which appeared not in England till Mr. Chillingworth's Book came forth And of such a Church Mr. Chilingworth stood in need because he thought he could with more ease to himself defend Dr. Potter against his Adversary F. Knott by depriving the Church of England of her Authority and laying new Principles of a Church the same which Dr. Stillingfleet has borrowed and artificially spread out and which are greedily embraced by our Young Divines because they reduce the main Dispute between Catholicks and Protestants to an exercise of wit and fancy about Adjectives and Participles ending in bilis and dus and ease them of the same tedious labour of reaâ—ing and citing Fathers and Councils which former learned Controvertists Bishops and Doctors thought necessary to undergo 79. Now the reason why the Church of England assumes an Authority obliging her Subjects to a submission of judgment as well as to external Conformity which other Sects cannot without a shameless impudence pretend to and yet do most tyrannically usurp seems to me to this Because she does not look upon her self to be a new-erected Church but as remaining still a Member of the Catholick Church govern'd by Pastours endowed with Authority received thence and continuing in a Lineal Succession from St. Peter And as supposed a true Member of the Catholick â—hurch her Clergy National or Provincial to have right according to frequent practise in the Ancient Church to call Synods and therein reform Discipline and extirpate such Doctrines as they judge erroneous how far spread soever they may be yet in doing this with the peaceable Spirit of St. Cyprian as to other Churches Neminem judicantes aut à jure Communionis aliquem si diversum senserit amoventes whereby they conclude themselves free from the guilt of Schism Neither yet do they assume to themselves an absolute Infallibility in their Ordinances and Decisions but as your self Sir have intimated in your second Question at the end of your Book assuring themselves that as long as they remain true Members of the Catholick Church they have this kind or degree of Infallibility that they cannot fall into Errours excluding Salvation and thereupon they judge they may oblige their Subjects to a submission of judgment and excommunicate Dissenters since no danger can follow in case it should happen to be an errour to the belief whereof they submit especially considering their constant Profession that they will all conform to the Determinations of a true free and legal General Councill 80. Such a Notion I conceive all English Protestants had of the Church of England and her Authority till Mr. Chillingworth published his Book Upon such grounds I am sure our late worthy and learned Friend Dr. Steward thought he could sufficiently justifie the Church of England against the Roman Catholick Church her imputing Heresie or Schism to Protestants And on the same grounds did the most learned among Protestant Bishops proceed in their Controversies for can you think Sir that Bishop Andrews Bilson Montague Laud Morton c. ever entertained a thought that all Christians whatsoever may with their own Light both find all points of necessary belief in the Scriptures and also comprehend the true sence of them and that not a Soul in England was obliged to believe a word of the Doctrine established 81. Dr. Stillingfleet's Church of England therefore seems to me so far from being that Church which has been Established by Law that it is the most irrational Church that ever was The Church of Geneva or Holland or other Calvinists though grounded on this most presumptuous Principle That they judge of Scripture and its sence only by an internal infallible Light of God's Spirit yet that being once supposed they proceed rationally thereon when they oblige all their Subjects to submit their judgments to the Teachings of those respective Churches or to their Synods of Gapâ— Dortâ— c. Whereas Dr. Stillingfleet exempting all persons from an Obligation of yielding an internal Assent to any Decisions made by Superiours dissolves the very nature of a Church and deposes all Superiours 82. But
Purgatory I should answer wiâ—h passionate Protestations that I never knew of the one or the other till I saw the second Impression That my Superiours were offended with the first c. 59. Sir unless you do believe or would have the world believe that I have made shâ—p wrack of all common honesty and veracity you will have some regard to the account I shall now give with relation to this Accusation In the year 1652. I received at Doway a Letter from a Friend in England signifying that the Impression of that Book being spent he was willing if I thought good to reprint it at his own cost This Offer I was not unwilling to accept and thereupon prepared and sent him about a Sheet full of Additions and Alterations But I protest as in the presence of God that I cannot remember that one line of reproach against the Church of England was added by me which if I had done in such a time when savage Beasts had left that Church desolate would have been an act of most barbarous inhumanity for which I should never have forgiven my self If therefore any such Additions be to be found I do with a clear Conscience disclaim them But truly Sir I think there are none such for I have employed Friends to examine and compare the two Impressions and they could not show me any True it is they have found several passages wherein my stile has been much sharpened but those passages only regard Presbyterians and other Sects which insulted on a Church which they thought they had destroyed and the Revenues of which they had sacrilegiously divided among themselves If this was a fault at least it was not committed against the Church of England 60. In the next place as touching two Omissions very considerable objected against me and an Expostulation of a Protestant Friend about them and also about my pretended Addition of virulent Expressâ—â—ns against the Clergy of England I remember such an Expostulation and never having had the patience to read twice over mine own Writings much less to compare the Editions I might believe that he had certain grounds to objâ—ct both these matters to me and therefore in my answer to him I might protest against having any hand in such alterations But that I imputed them to my Superiours Commands or that they had ordered the Impression of the Book without communicating it to me this I do utterly protest against and I take God to witness that my Superiours never required any Alterations to be made nor interested themselves in the Impression but left the whole business to my self alone 61. The two Omissions are objected by you in these terms In the second Impression the Protestatiâ—n of Duty and Obedience which was in the first was totally left out it being not thought a fit Obligation for the Catholicks to enter into Truly Honoured Sir this is a terrible Inference even in case there had been such an Omission And yet it would have pleased me if it had proceeded only from such a Pen as is that of the Author of the Seasonable Discourse who as I am now informed seeking poyson wheresoever he can hope to find it has transcribed this passage into a later Book called The Difference between the Church and Court of Rome and moreover as became him has made an Addition of one falsity more saying that Mr. Cressy having in the first Edition of his Exomologesis made a Protestation of his Duty and Obedience to the Churches Authority corrected it in the second Who can hinder such Pens from sprinkling their Venâ—m where they please But the comfort is no man sure will take him for A Person of Honour You add the Discourse made of Purgatory was likewise left out because I had mistaken the Tenent of my new Church in that particular Truly Sir I was extreamly surprised at the reading this passage and never having read or compared the two Impressions I did not doubt of mine own guilt yet not of mine own but of him who had taken the care of the Press for I was assured I had never ordained such Omissions But as soon as I had recourse to the Books my surprise but on a quite different ground was renewed and a great joy I had also in pâ—rceiving that your severe Accusations of me were not grounded on any discoveries made by your self for it is manifest that you never yet read my last Edition but upon a false malicious Information given to you by some one wâ—o was desirous to incâ—nsâ— you against me and knew there was no way thereto more effectual than by painting me as a virulent enemy of the English Protestant Clergy and â—â—â—noâ—ncer also oâ— my Fidelity to Hâ—◠〈◊〉 I confess I wondred if any person of your condition should have had the patience to read and with attention compare any thing written by so worthless a Pâ—n 〈◊〉 mine But since it is not your self that I must now contradict but a malicious Informer who has wronged both your self and me give me leave to say to that Informer that there is not a word of truth in what he lays to my charge for neither the Profession of Duty and Obedience nor the Discourse of Purgatory have been omitted in the second Impression no nor one line word or syllable changed by me in either as your own eyes may inform you in the Pages 44â— and 442. of the second Imprâ—ssion and 76â— and 612. of the first Only whereas there was a tedious insinuating Preface before the Profession of Duty intended by way of Supplication to have been presented to the Parliament he who took care of the Impression thought â—it to leave it out and indeed that he had reason not to swell the Book with such unconcâ—rning stuff your self if you read it will easily be of the same mind There being therefore no omission of the Professiion of Obedience a reason cannot be given of that which is not Yet a reason has been given not by your self certainly but by your false Informer and a reason of a very dangerous consequence not to my self only but my Superiours also as if we repented and revoked a Testimony of our Fidelity as not a fit Obligation for Catholicks to enter into But now Honoured Sir after all I will take the boldness freely to tell you that I am heartily sorry that that Form of Profession of Duty had not been quite left out and I believe I shall before I conclude this Apology give you a sufficient reason for it but quite different from that mentioned by you 62. Yet I do not pretend so wholly to justifie my self as not to acknowledge that there may have unwarily flowed from my Pen some few Phrases and Expressions distasteful to the English Clergy even to such as in an especial manner honoured me with their friendship Among which there are two particular passâ—ges which have given great offence to a worthy Prelate whose savour and kindnessâ— I had from my
Commission from the Protestant Clergy to be their common Advocate and in their names to vent his own impotent malice for throughout the whole Book he shâ—ws himself exceeding zealous to defend forsooth the Protestant Church of England and not his own miserable Sect against the Papists Now who could restrain indignation hearing such an one crying out aloud We apples swim This short Treatise of mine therefore at least I believe will escape your Censure 71. These are the Books Honoured Sir which I judged reasonable and requisite to be ranged in a rank divided from that which was written against Dr. Stillingfleet In all which a Controversie in several Points being debated against the Doctrines of the Church of England I could not without shewing my self a Prevaricatour abstain from imputing Errors to Protestants and shewing the â—ll consequences of such errors but it was never my intention to give any scope to unseemly passions against persons from none of whom I had received any injuries but on the contrary from many of the most considerable among them not a few signal obligations If now and then an unwary phrase has drop'd from my pen and I am sure there are not many such I shall be far from justifying them but on the contrary I here publickly revoke them And for the future I dare challenge even Dr. Stillingfleet himself to try his skill upon me whether by any contempt either of my Person or Writings he can force me to answer in a language which shall need such another Apology Some worthy friends â—old me that there was at this time a necessity I should endeavour to excuse my self from acknowledging the justice of all your severe sentences against me considering that others also were wounded by them But certainly one Apology against personal imputations will be sufficient and God willing I shall spend my declining days more to the profit of my soul by silence and patiently suffering injuries though silence should be interpreted a confusion of guiltâ— then by composing with great loss of precious time and publishing Books regarding the qualities of persons which Books are scarce ever half so long-liv'd as a yearly Almanack and which serve only to increase the uncharitableness and injustice of this present age in which men will be sure to censure all Books and Persons and are indifferent whether they condemn the Plaintiff or Defendant or both ¶ 6. There was no intention of Reviling the Church of England in my Book against D. Stillingfleet 72. NOW I come to the fatal Book against Dr. Stillingfleet touching Fanaticism which forced you Sir to open a passage to all your indignation against me for my reviling reproaches against the Church and Clergy of England I fear now that no excuse of so great a crime will be admitted by you and that to pretend to justifie my self would be taken for an affront Yet Sir truth is bold and I dare pretend not only to justifie my intention and manner of writing in such a stile but my hope also that the said Book would deserve to be favourably accepted by the English Clergy 73. Now the ground of my justification is a firm perswasion that the present Church of England is the very same that it was when both of us received our Baptism in it by which Baptism we became Members under favour not of the Church of England but of that Holy Catholick and Apostolick Church of the belief of which our God-fathers and God-mothers made a publick Profession for us 74. This perswasion therefore remaining still the same I do confidently affirm and I protest my intention to have been that not any of those sharp phrases and Invectives ought with any justice to be interpreted as meant against the Church of England or the the Doctrines and Discipline of it established by Law but only against Dr. Stillingfleet's Church which he desires indeed should pass for the Church of England but which really is removed from it at a greater distance and opposition than is the Church of Geneva And to demonstrute this it will be sufficient to take a prospect first of the fabrick of Dr. Stillingfleet's English Church framed by himself upon Mr. Chillingworth's Authority and next of the Church of England established by Law as she represents her self in her Articles of Religion and Ecclesiastical Constitutions 75. First then Dr. Stillingfleet has made his Church perfectly visible throughout even from its very foundations or Principles of which the two most considerable and which involve all the rest are the thirteenth and the fifteenth The words are these Such a particular way of Revelation being made choice of by God for the means of making known his wâ—ll in order to the happiness of mankind as writing we may justly say that it is repugnant to the nature of the Design and the Wisdâ—m and Goodness of God to give infallible assurance to persâ—ns in writing his will for the benefit of mankind if those Writings may not be understood by all persons who sincerely endeavour to know the meaning of them in all such things as are necessary for their salvation And consequently There can be no necessity supposed of any infallible Society of men either to attestâ— or explain those Writings among Christians 76. Is such a Church as this Honoured Sir securely grounded Can you think it a crime in anâ— rational man to call this Church fanatical But why do I talk of a Church In all the Doctors Principles there is no mention of any Church at all as a Teacher or Interpreterâ— not the least regard had to such needless persons as Teachers or Governours Bishops or Presbyters All are sheep without shepherds or shepherds without sheep There is nothing to be found I mean for his sort of Protestants but a Book which all must read though they cannot read and in it find the way to heaven a thing so easie in the Doctor 's opinion that even the blindest man cannot miss it so he will consult that Book But I must recal my word The Doctor indeed does mention a Church or Society and that an infallible one but it is only mentioned to be rejected Now certainly if he rereject that Church which if any Church can have any obliging Authority may challenge the greatest on earth he will much more reject any inferiour Authority or Church Yet since he will take it ill if we do not call an Assembly of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Church please to consider that in this Church every man the most ignorant and stupid must by his own light know first that God has left his whole will touching his salvation in Writing 2. That this Writing comprehendeth thirty eight Books given by God to the Iews and twenty to Christians 3. All these Books this ignorant man must by his own light still know to be both safely conveyed and truly translated though he be not able to read either the Original or Translation 4. He must out of
hence you being perswaded that it is more do wish that all English Catholicks who you think have a Religion different from that in other Catholick States would give an evidence and security of and for their Fidelity to his Majesty by disclaiming all kind of subjection to another Spiritual Sovereign as their fellow Subjects do yea as hath been done lately even by Catholick Subjects in France 101. These noble Sir are the Proposals at least as many of them as concern me at present which you have thought fit to make to the end to oblige me by my resolution of them to discover whether the suspicions you seem to have of the defect in Loyalty not of my self only but of my Superiours and Brethren also be not justly grounded I am willing to give you herein the best satisfactâ—on I am able And truly Sir were it not for the first Proposal I should heartily wish that as I do not at all doubt but that you are indeed a Person of Honour I could also be assured that you were of Great Authority in Publick Counsels for then I might hope that God would make an instrument of his great goodness to us such a Person who has generously in such circumstances as we are at the present declared his judgment that in case we could justifie our Loyalty we should not for our dissenting otherways from the Religion of the State be the only persons excluded from his Majesties gracious Indulgence and the rights of Free-born Subjects 102. In order now to the satisfaction I desire to give you Sir I will in the first place consider the first proposal which I conceive you intended for a foundation on which you build a perswasion that we ought to renounce an acknowledgment of any authority at all though purely spiritual assumed by the Pope over his Majesties Subjects 103. Hereto therefore I say that as to the distinction you have framed between a Religion of State and Christianity considered according to its essentials which last only you seem to affirm to be unalterable it being a distinction never before heard of by me and now aâ—so not perfectly understood I know not wâ—ll what Answer to make In discoursing on this subject you seem to make your State-Religion to regard external discipline Ceremonies Solemnities c. And for such matters it will be easily granted that the Sovereign Temporal Prince may if need be interpose himself in the ordering of them for the convenience of his people in case this may be done without endangering a Schism from the Body of Christianity But you extend your State-Religion yet farther so as to contain Doctrines also such as are not essential to a Christian Profession which you say may be altered by the Prince with Advice of his National Clergy and errors removed how long soever continued and how largely soever dispersed This may also pass upon condition first that neither the Prince nor his Clergy take upon them to judge those Doctrines to be errors which the Vniversal or Patriarchal Church of which they are subordinate members doth teach and hath Synodically established And next that they will submit their decisions to a future judgment of the Vniversal or Patriarchal Church For otherwise all Vnity all Authority Ecclesiastical and all Order in Gods Church will be utterly dissolved 104. And whereas you demand of Catholicks that they explain what is the full extent of that Spiritual Power which they acknowledge in the Pope over England c. you must permit me to say that to give an account exactly of all the several Acts of Spiritual Iurisdiction belonging to the Pope over all within his Patriarchate would require perhaps several months study But I suppose the intent of this demand may more easily be satisfied by saying in the first place That since even the greatest Princes are not Spiritual Pastors â— but subject as to their souls to the Iurisdiction of their lawful Pastors an exemption from which would not be a priviledge but a misery And again since the Pope considered but even as a Patriarch has of right belonging to him a Spiritual Iurisdiction and power to inflict Spiritual Censures on all persons subâ—ect to him even Princes also according to their demerits we therefore conceiving it an unquestionable Truth that England is comprehended within the Western Patriarchate must also affirm that the Pope's Spiritual Iurisdiction extends to us also But then in the next place we also confidently affirm that by Virtue of this Spiritual Iurisdiction inherent in the Pope the Temporal Rights and Power of the King or even of the meanest of his Subjects are not at all abridged or prejudiced This assertion Sir you cannot but know has always been maintaine in France the Pope not contradicting it Hence it follows that it is agreeable to Catholick Religion And why English Catholicks should be suspected not to be as tender of the just Rights and precious Lives also of their Sovereign as the Catholick Subjects of any other Kingdom and why they should be thought to be willing to acknowledge any Temporal power Direct or Indirect to be inherent in the Pope over the King or Kingdom to which not any Catholick Gentleman or Nobleman would submit I cannot imagine And truly Honoured Sir I do extremely wonder upon what grounds you should suspect any Catholicks disposed to betray the Rights and Honour of our Sovereign or our Ecclesiasticks unwilling to touch upon this Point concerning the Popes Temporal Power which you say is the Hinge upon which all other Controversies between Protestants and English Catholicks do so entirely hang and depend that if that only were taken off all the rest would quickly fall to the ground 105. Noble Sir if ever you read this Apology you will find that it is published permissu Superiorum and therefore what I shall now write on this special subject you may please to consider not as the inconsiderable opinion of one particular person only I do now therefore assure you that there is not any one Point of Controversie upon which we more earnestly desire to be summoned to give an account before equal Iudges than this But withal permit me I beseech you to say that though in many regards none could be more fit to sit on that Tribunal than your self yet one Principle you seem to have imbibed which would undo us all For you will not be content with our justifying our selves to be Loyal Subjects unless we will be Herodians also you will not be content that we should give to Caesar the things which belong to Caesar unless we give him those things which belong to God too We do willingly acknowledge that all Christian Kings not of England only have in some sense a kind of Spiritual Authority â— that they ought to be Nursing Fathers to God's Church that God expects from them that they should promote true Christian Doctrine both touching Faith and Manners that they should employ their Kingly Power when occasion
is to oblige even Ecclesiastical persons to perform their Duties yea even Bishops also to govern Christ â—s flock according to the Orders prescribed them and all their Subjects to live in all Christian Piety and Virtue We sincerely acknowledge all this and that in executing this they are God's Substitutes But we dare not acknowledge them to be the Successors of Christ's Apostles We receive Christian Doctrines and the Orthodox sence of Scripture not from Princes but from such Pastors and Teachers only as God has appointed by a Lineal Succession to continue in his Church to the end of the World for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ that we be not children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men c. These divinely authorized Teachers and Pastors by the assistance of God's Spirit promised to them do preserve the Church one Body consisting of several distinct Members united in the same Catholick and Apostolick Faith and Charity which Faith is unalterable both as to the Foundation and Superstructure We do not understand your State-Religion We never till now heard of such a Position as this That all Churches in case they preserve entire only the Fundamental Articles of the Creed though the Supreme Power respectively in them took liberty to change any other Doctrines were sufficiently Orthodox And I confess when I had read such a Discourse in your Animadversions touching a State-Religion I then exceedingly wondred at the Approbation 107. But Sir does this concern only Roman Catholicks in England Are they the only persons obnoxious to a suspicion of Disloyalty and to all the most horrible punishments threatned in our Laws against Traytors because they dare not profess the State-Religion You seem to be perfectly acquainted with the State of France and you are well satisfied with the Profession of Fidelity made by the Hugonots But have they any reverence for the State-Religion there Do not they freely justifie their own Religion against it even that Religion the Profession whereof they extorted by shedding the blood of many Myriads of their Kings faithful Subjects Yet notwithstanding all this they are now in your opinion very faithful Subjects too and no man thinks of obliging them to the State Religion Doubtless also you know England better than France How many thousand Dissenters are there from the State Religion besides Roman Catholicks yet the terrible Laws are made only against Roman Catholicks From Roman Catholicks only care is taken of exacting Oaths both of Fidelity and Supremacy as being esteemed the only dangerous Subjects in the Kingdom and this for the Treasonable Actions or scarce one score of persons abhorred by all the rest For the discovery and prevention of such personal Treasons Thanksgivings must solemnly every year be paid to God and Devotion at such times is expressed by renewing malice against innocent persons Whereas a delivery of the whole Kingdom and Church from almost an Vniversal Rebellion designing the extinction of Monarchy and Prelacy both yea and executing the Murder of the lawful Sovereign is not esteemed a motive for a publick Engagement to pay thanks to God or to preserve in mens minds a memory of his wonderful Blessing to the Nation neither it seems is there at all a necessity of requiring from any a Retraction of the Principles of Rebellion or a promise that it shall never be renewed Noble Sir I beseech you not to interpret this to be spoken out of a malignant envy against any or a desire that others should share in our sufferings Perhaps there is a necessity considering the Constitution of the present Age that some party should remain for ever in a state of suffering And this being so it is certainly agreeable to Prudence that those should suffer whose Religion teaches them to suffer and who have been so long enured thereto who most certainly will meekly suffer without resisting and who do sincerely profess that according to their perswasion it is absolutely unlawful to defend their Religion persecuted by Sovereign Magistrates by any other way but suffering Notwithstanding it is probable that these Statesmen may find small cause to boast who have thought fit to continue the last Ages policy when for the gaining of a present advantage or preventing an inconsiderable incommodity it was judged expedient to have always in a readiness this mean of giving contentment to the Vulgar by complying with their clamours Christianâ—s ad Leâ—nes For they might have done well to have some apprehensions least those Lions after they had devoured their destined prey might perhaps next with more security and a fiâ—rcer appetite turn upon their Masters 108. It is now at length time to say something to your Principal Proposal in which I am most nearly concern'd which is your wish that English Catholicks ' would give an evidence and security of and for their Fidelity to His Majesty c. that so they may shew themselves as good Subject's as those of France who by occasion of a seditious Book have you say Sir in a Declaration of the Sorbon concerning the King's Independency thus certified their resolution in the year 1663. Quâ—d Subdâ—ri fidem c. That Subâ—ects do so entirely owe Faith and Obedience to their most Christian King that upon no pretext whatsoever they can be dispenced therefrom For this you commend the French But as for English Catholicks they in your judgment do depend on the Pope so entirely that they have a Religion quite different from that which is professed and established in any other Cathâ—lick Country in Europe 109. Honoured Sir it cannot indeed be denied but that English Catholicks I mean Ecclesiasticks have a peculiar dependance on the See of Rome more than Catholicks generally have in other Countries For without in Authority thence derived they cannot come into England to sacrifice their lives for the Spiritual assistance which Charity requires from them to their Brethren here But Sir it such a dependance be a crime to whom 〈◊〉 to be imputed It is câ—rtain they themselves would much rather live under such Orâ—inary Superiours as govern in all Catholick Countries But this will not be allowed them to their great griâ—f It cannot therefore be help'd but they must either râ—nounce Châ—istian Charity and suffer their poor Country-men to starve for want of Spiritual Nourishment or apply themselves to 〈◊〉 who alone as the case now stands can give them a Mission and Authority to die for Faith and Charity 110. But Sir I cannot conceive how such a special dependance as this should move you to think that we are of a Religion quite different from that of other Catholicks abroad For whatsoever Iurisdiction our Priests do exercise it is the very same which in case there were any Catholick Bishops in England would have been conferred by them No other Commission have they no particular engagement to
persons not yet ordained may be seen habited like Priests at the Altar with all prescribed Ceremonies practising the reciting those words and performing those actions and Ceremonies which the by-standers can judge to be no other but the celebrating Mass yet in reality there is no such thing done no consecration at all made nor any thing performed but what may be as well done by any Lay-person of either Sex It is not saying Mass or hearing Confessions therefore that the Law condemns and against which it denounces death but only the receiving Priestly Orders beyond the Seas from an Authority derived from the Church of Rome â— This thing alone in England is declared Treason and by consequence no truly legal Conviction can be wiâ—hout the deposition of Witnesses who can testifie the time place and Bishop when where and from whom the accused Person received Holy Orders 127. Honoured Sir you will have the goodness to pardon so prolix an assertion of the innocence of our Catholick Priests and consequently of all committed to their care since your self obliged me to it having in your Animadversions so oft and largely expressed your opinion that they could not clear themselvâ—s from a just suspicion of Disloyalty to which they are more obnoxious than any Catholicks in other Countries Whereas it is most certain that not any of his Majesties Subjects nor any Catholicks abroad can if by Authority required give more unanswerable prooâ—s of their Fidelity and very few in our Nation â—if any equal Whence it follows that whatsoever we suffer it is purely for our Religion and the Catholick Faith that we suffer ¶ 12. Humble Thanks for good Counsel 128. I will conclude this Apology with humble thanks Noble Sir for the double â—dvice you think fit to give me toward the lâ—â—ter end of your Animadversions and I do also promise conformity to them to the uâ—most of my skill and power The first Advice has reference to my self purely The second to the Cause First therefore you counsel me having once been a Son â—f the Church of England and obliâ—ed tâ— her for my Education c. but nâ—w out of Conscience separated from her external Communion at least to live fairly and civilly towards her and to allâ—w some beauty to have been in the Church whiâ—h detained me so long and much more in writing on controverted Points to abstain from revilings c. 129. Sir Obedience to this Advice is very easie to me who never intended to be guilty of such ingratitude and disingâ—nuous an humour as reviling the Church of England and I extremely wondered when I read it in your Animadversions with such atrocity imputed to me But by the way I beseech you once more not to confound Dr. Stillingfleet's Church with the Church of England estâ—blishâ—d by Law Fâ—r the â—uture though Age and a sharp Infirmiâ—y which summons me to prepare an Account of all my Actions to the Supreme Iudge ought and will suggest to my thoughts meditations of another subject more seasonable than Controversie yet in câ—se God by my Superiours shâ—ll engage me in renewing Disputes for defence of his Catholick Truth and â—hurch I here oblige my self to be so wary in the managing of them that the most jealously tender Protestant shall not have cause to be dissatisfied and the like caution I shall observe if it be possible in sâ—parating the Cause of your Church from that of other Sects who will needs in despight of you invade the Title of Protestants of the Church of England 130. Your second Advice Sir is that I should contract the Controversie into what concerns the Church of England soly that is to what is contained in the Articles and Policy thereof without making sallies against Presbyterians Independents c. 131. Truly nothing is more reasonable than this Advice yet withal nothing more difficult than a conformity thereto because it does not depend on me and therefore I dare not promise obedience thereto The only Book wherein the occasion and argument of it permitted me to oppose the Church of England was my Exomologesis and therein I am sure nothing was treated but what was peculiarly essential to your Church As for other Books wherein I was only a Defender I was at the mercy of my Adversary who if he wandred into Exotick opinions I could not help it I was to be upon my guard as well against transverse as direct blows 132. This were Sir an Advice very fit to have been given to Dr. Stillingfleet and truly it would be very convenient if it would please you to make use even now at last of the Interest and Power you deserve to have with him to counsel him to deal so with the Catholick Church as you would have us to do with the English He has scope sufficient allow'd him for he may attaque not the Council of Trent only but all other Councils both General and Provincial received by Catholicks And in case he think it unreasonable that all the pains taken by himself or his friends in collecting recreative matter for the Consolation of his Parishiâ—ners or of Country Gentlewomen should be lost If he have more stories to make sport withal concerning Saints Classical or Heteroclites as no doubt he may find enough for a Book in folio or if he can furnish the Press with examples of some particular persons guilty of Superstitious usage of Images or of exotick Opinions touching Indulgences Confession Purgatory c. it is pity such costly materials should be cast away Let the World see them in God's Name if he have the Conscience to pretend so but let it not be in a Book of Controversie unless in relating such fopperies he will also as becomes a person who would be esteemed ingenuous declare that the Catholick Church approves not such ridiculous stories or exotick Opinions and that she expresly condemns superstitious practices about Images and sordidly gainful usages of Indulgences Now Sir when English Protestants and particularly Dr. Stillingfleet writing not only in quality of an English Protestant but of the Champion of the Church of England assaults the Catholick Church with such Engins what would you advise Catholick Answerers to do Must we say nothing but what concerns directly the Articles or Constitutions of the Church of England Truly that were the best course which also I purpose if it be possibleâ— to take and withal to neglect whatsoever he pretends to confute as the Doctrines of Catholicks unless they can be shewed to be the Decisions of the Council of Trent or other received Councils To conclude this matter You Honoured Sir profess to acknowledge the Doctour a Legitimate Champion of the English Church and that you are exceedingly delighted with the softness gentleness and civility of his Language Let this I beseech you Sir invite you to read over once more his Book which being done I shall be exceedingly mistaken if being demanded seriously in private by an intimate Friend your Judgment