't is that for which we ought to pour out tears of bloud that Christians should fall into so prodigious a Stupidity and into so great a want of Reason that if the Mahometans should fall into one like it and would prove their Religion after this manner by their Alcoran we should take them for mad men They ought not to tell you I dissemble their principal proofs drawn from Scripture for those points whereof we speak unto you for they have no other and the case is the same in all other Articles of Popery without excepting their Faith concerning the Eucharist For these words this is my Body although they should signifie a real Presence do not signifie Transubstantiation by any means in the World. 'T is a truth so evident that Cajetan and many other Doctors after him have confessed it Is it not a shame that on an Article so important as is the Adoration of the Sacrament when they should produce proofs from Scripture they cannot produce so much as one but these words this is my Body which do not speak one word concerning Adoration When they ought to prove the Power which is given to the Church to take away the Cup again they quote this is my Body This is in propriety of speech to mock men being not willing to confess plainly that which is truth i. e. our Religion hath no conformity to the Holy Scripture My Brethren that I may compleatly possess you of this truth that Popery hath no kind of Bond Union or Conformity with the Scripture observe these two things First That Popery treats the Scripture as a declared Enemy It disputes against its perfection its clearness its sufficiency and its authority It makes vast Volumes to prove it is obscure that 't is a Nose of Wax that 't is a Sword with two edges that it hath been an occasion by its obscurity of all Heresies that it contains not half the things that are necessary for salvation that it hath no authority without the testimony of the Church that it must be interpreted according to the Voice of the Church and her Practices that she contains a hundred things capable of raising scruple and giving scandal You have heard of the famous Cardinal Perron who collected together all that seems ridiculous to the profane in the Scripture as the Jaw-bone of Sampson's Ass and other like things to make it lose its authority They add that the Scripture is maimed and half lost corrupted by the Jews or Hereticks and as the top of all the Popes the Councils the Doctors the Inquisitors and the Parliaments have even forbidden the reading of it to the People as a dangerous Book Is not this to declare themselves and to act as enemies to the Scripture The other Reflection which I wish you would make is that the Church of Rome looks on the Scripture as her Enemy Popery is always on its guard against the Holy Scripture always prepared to give a Push always drawing back and recoiling always answering always distinguishing sometimes distinguishing Sacrifice into bloudy and unbloudy sometimes Adoration into Dulia and Latria sometimes the Head of the Church into Principal and Ministerial sometimes the Essence of the Body of Jesus Christ into natural and sacramental sometimes Mediators into Mediators of Intercession and of Redemption always to repel the Scripture and always to serve themselves of it Is it not therefore very clear that Popery is at a perfect opposition with the Scripture It attacks it as an Enemy by a hundred false Accusations it defends it self against it as against an Enemy by a hundred and a hundred imaginary distinctions to ward off the blows the Scripture gives it To attack and defend is all that Enemies do to one another Observe well my Brethren in the Instructions which your Converters give you in these late times the Scripture doth not enter among them They are ashamed of the proof which their Doctors have heretofore drawn from the Scripture to support their Doctrines At this day they beat and press upon you by nothing but the pretended Authority of the Church and Passages of the Fathers which you never read From all this I conclude that Popery in the quality of true Religion and the Church of Rome in quality of the true Church are by no means visible seeing they are destitute of that Light which alone can make the true Church visible viz. Conformity with the Holy Scripture An INDEX for the first Year OF THE PASTORAL LETTERS 1 LEtter A Refutation of what M. de Meaux says in his Pastoral Letter concerning the Manner of Conversions A Letter of M. de Meaux to M. D. V. 2 Letter Concerning the Right of Persecutors A Letter of Queen Christiana about Persecution The Use of the Sword of Princes extends not itself over the Conscience They do all that is necessary to assure themselves of the Damnation of the New Converts A Letter of M. P. M. a Confessour condemned to the Gallies 3 Letter Against the Necessity of a living and speaking Authority Against Successions of Seats Assemblies in Gevennes 4 Letter Advice to those which frequent the Sermons of Papists A History of many Assemblies in Cevennes The Martyrdom of the Blessed Teyssier of Burfort and Fulcran Rey in Languedoc 5 Letter The Form of Christianity in the first Age. A Letter to M. de M. a Confessour and his Answer 6. Letter What was the Form of Christianity in the second Age. 7 Letter Concerning Singing and Voices heard in divers places 8 Letter The Christianity of the third Age. M. de Monceaux Doctor in Physick of La Ferte Au-Coll his Confession M. de Juigne of Villiers a Confessour his Death in Prison M. Palmentier of Ville Dieu l'Aunay his Martyrdom Mademoiselle Carquett Vicountess of Novion and M. Chenevix drawn to the Dung-hill 9 Letter The Christianity of the third Age. M. de Voutron with two Damsels of Laon their Confession The Massacre of the Christians in Cevennes M. de Toumeyrol his Martyrdom M. le Feure a Confessor of Niuernois Mademoiselle de Chalmot indured the burning of her hand her Confession 10 Letter The Christianity of the third Age. Concerning the Unity of the Church we are not gone out of that Unity 11 Letter The Christianity of the third Age. A Continuation of the matter concerning Unity 12 Letter Concerning the Original of Monks Advice to persons which are in Convents Concerning the Unity of the Ministry A Letter from Geneva concerning the Christians of Piedmont 13 Letter Concerning the Original of Oecumenical Councils Seven Reasons against their Infallibility The true Idea of Schism 14 Letter Concerning the Original of the Tyranny of the Popes and the Hierarchy Concerning Schism Although the Corruption of the Church of Rome were not extream it would not be allowed us to return thither 15 Letter Concerning the Original of the Invocation of Saints in the fourth Age Three Proofs of its Novelty An Answer to a New Convert about Schism The
Non-elect and Reprobates so that it is absurd that God should cause his Gospel to be preached to a herd of Reprobates among which there is not one person on whom the Word can produce its effect It will be therefore in vain that God should preserve Christians in all the East and South for these Christians being out of the saving Unity will be damned just in the same manner as if they were Pagans Fourthly The Schism of the Ten Tribes gives us a convincing Proof that in Schismatical Churches every single Person is not in a state of Damnation Jeroboam separated ten Tribes from the other two he would not suffer them to go up to Jerusalem but engaged them in a formal Schism nevertheless God there preserved both Prophets as Elijah and Elisha and a multitude of Persons which he affirmed to be his own because they had not bowed the knee to Baal There is therefore no particular Church that has reason to boast it self of having Unity alone to the prejudice of all other Churches Fifthly The truth is that on one side the Jews converted to Christianity in the time of the Apostles and on the other side the Pagan Converts lived in a true Schism for these Jewish Christians would have no Communion with the converted Pagans nevertheless they did not mutually damn each other therefore we ought not to damn those which live in Schism whatever it be The converted Jews had considerable Errors they observed the Law and would retain Circumcision with all their might Things incompatible with Christianity as S. Paul declares so positively as to say If any one be circumcised Christ should profit him nothing nevertheless God suffers and saves them with considerable Errors It is not therefore true that the Church is shut up in one sole Communion and that every Error damns when we separate from a Society that is justly called the Church but it 's true that remaining in a Society bearing that Name we may nevertheless be damned when there are mortal Errors there as there are in the Church of Rome Sixthly Ask your Converters who would oblige you to return to the Church of Rome on pain of Damnation under pretence that Unity is in that Church alone ask them I say whether they would pronounce that all the Greek Christians of whom there are millions are damned for this only reason because they will not adhere to the Roman Church who alone has Unity in her possession If they have the front to say yea ask them if they acknowledge the Greeks for Christians They will also also answer you yea pursue and press them by asking how God can abandon to eternal Damnation an infinite number of Christians who according to the Church of Rome hold no Capital Errors and are only mistaken in things of small consequence If the Papists boast of the consent of all Christians of other Communions and particularly of the Geeks in the Invocation of Saints in the Adoration of Images in the Doctrine of Transubstantiation the real Presence and Adoration they do therefore hold all that the Church of Rome esteems necessary to Salvation why therefore will they damn them for little things and for this alone that they will not live in this pretended Unity To compleat the confusion of your Converters by themselves on the subject of this Unity out of which we are departed Ask them if this Unity be not a certain circle in which the true Church is enclosed They will answer you yea proceed to ask them Whether this certain Circle of Unity has not its Centre that is to say a certain eminent Church to which all the rest ought to have their Relation to the end that they may be within the ciâ—cle of Unity they will also answer you yea and they will add that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is this centre of Unity Monsieur de Meaux finds a way to secure himself from the Thunders of Rome by frequent repeating this and indeed this Supposition according to their Hypothesis is of absolute necessity for if this Circle of Unity have no Centre of Adherence it vanishes immediately a man will always be able to say with good reason To what Church would you that I should adhere is it to that of Paris or that of Toledo These are particular Churches which may err if therefore the Pope be ruined if the necessity of Adherence to the Pope be removed the circle of Unity perishes with him which they call the centre of Unity Now observe that at this day the Divines of the French Church your Converters ruine the Pope from head to foot they take away the centre of Unity and by destroying the centre they destroy the circle 'T is to this that so many modern Writings of Maimbourgh Gerbas Noel Alexander made after the Kings Declarations and the Definitions of the Bishops on this Subject or in prospect of them do tend But the Gallican Church never spake so openly as she hath done but a little while fince by the Pen of a Doctor of the Sorbonne called Elias Pin touching the ancient Discipline of the Church Those among you my Brethâ—en which do not understand the Latin Tongue may consuâ—t those that do and they will inform you that in this Book may be read 1. That the Bishop of Rome had originally no power over other Churches 2. That in the first Institution of Patriarchs he had no power but over the Suburbicane Provinces that is to say those near to Rome 3. That the Popes by little and little ruined the Rights of the Metropolitan Bishops and by Usurpation ascribed them to themselves 4. That the Pope has no right to review and finally judge the Causes determined by the Bishops 5. That the Priviledges which the See of Rome at this day enjoys are not by divine Right but either by Usurpation or the Concession of Councils 6. That to be a good Catholick and a good Christian it is in no wise necessary in many Occurrences to adhere to the See of Rome 7. That the Primacy of the Church which the Pope possesses appertains not to him but by a tolerated Usurpation or as a Priviledge granted by Councils This gives him no character of Infallibility nor the right of judging finally and above Councils Behold exactly the Divinity of the Gallican Church at this day for this man in the view of the Court had not written thus without its Order Behold also the centre of Unity intirely subverted and so subverted as it was by Calvin and Luther This being so why do these Gentlemen everlastingly beat upon your ears about their Unity and the centre of Unity There is no more Unity in the Church of Rome since there is no centre of it there for since adherence to the Pope is no farther necessary to be a true Christian you are not departed from Unity and Christianity by departing from the Communion of the Pope observe therefore thereon that Monsieur de Meaux and your
permit this re-union with the Roman Church even on supposition that her corruption is not extreme for 't is a shameful cowardize and unworthy of an honest man to betray his own Sentiments and to give to a Church which he believes impure that homage which is due only to a Church that is clean and undefiled To conclude I say that your Salvation will not permit you to put a period to your Separation from the Roman Church even supposing that her corruption is in some sort tolerable for that corruption which might not destroy your Soul when you were there having been educated brought up and instructed therein from your Infancy becomes mortal when you receive it not having been born brought up nor instructed therein The difference is clear and the reason thereof is evident It is certain that there is a Superstition ungrateful to God which he tolerates in an ignorant Person but he will not suffer nor endure it in a Man of Knowledge and Understanding for a Person which practises a considerable Superstition against his Conscience makes appear therein an Abyss of Perverseness contempt of God his Laws and Truth and such a love of the World and the interests of the Flesh which put him absolutely out of the state of Salvation Behold already something advanced to deliver you from those vain horrors which they would thrust upon you for your Separation under the name of Schism for 1. Although the Schism or Separation had been rash you would have no reason to be afraid of your Salvation 2. Although the corruption of the Roman Church had been in some sort tolerable and although there had been something of Precipitation in the Separation nevertheless you would have no Obligation to return to the Roman Church but you would be obliged to the contrary And here we shall find an occasion to answer to the Fallacy which the new Converts as they call them put upon themselves and which we have mentioned in our Tenth Pastoral Letter and which is one of the most effectual means by which they lay themselves to sleep in that unhappy state where they are There is in it a Question of Right and another of Fact. The matter of Fact is to know whether indeed the Roman Church be corrupted to that degree that we report it The Question of Right is Whether supposing the Roman Church very corrupt we may separate our selves from it and persevere in that Separation to this day We will first handle the Question of Right because 't is thereby that they enchant you and thereby that the most part of you do quiet and calm your selves 't is thereby say I that they do enchant you for your Converters following the Principles of the Author of the Legitimate Prejudices against the Calvinists and Mr. Ferrand's Treatise concerning the Church tell you * Book of Prejudices p. 147 148 c. That although the Church of Rome were Idolatrous and Heretical the Calvinists had no right to separate themselves from it and to set up other Churches and another Ministry 'T is also thereby that those which would be at rest in the Roman Church do lull themselves asleep for this Proposition that though the Roman Church were Heretical and Idolatrous you ought not to separate from it in the Writings of your Converters Mr. Nicholas and Mr. Ferrand is nothing but a false Supposition to make you see the more clearly the necessity of Adherence to the Church of Rome and the horror of Schism And if they found themselves pressed too hard on this spot of ground they might be able always to retrench themselves behind and say Now it is not true that the Church of Rome is Heretical and Idolatrous But at this day one part of these new Converts from a false Supposition draw a very solid Conclusion They receive the Supposition as true That the Church of Rome is very corrupt and maintain this Thesis That nevertheless they ought not to separate from it and that Men may or ought to return to it We have heard the Reasonings of one of these Men in our Tenth Letter we must hear it once more for he says all that these Men think Speaking of the Questions which perplex the New Converts First says he on the positive Separation which ous Fathers made we say that we ought to suffer many things rather than separate from the Vnity of the Church that the Abuses introduced by the Governors thereof may not be imputed to the Faithful that all Scripture which makes mention of Heresies doth not command Separation for the sake of them on the contrary it commands us to bear them It says that we may build upon the Foundation which is Christ Wood Hay and Stubble that Jesus Christ only will make Separation the one from the other that the good Grain and the Chaff will be separated at the last day but that they must grow together till then After he adds some Reflections on a Conjecture of the Author of the Accomplishment of Prophesies which 't is not necessary to report here because they will have their place elsewhere And he concludes this Points with these Words And although the Pope should be Antichrist that would not infallibly hinder Christians from being saved in the Roman Church The Letter contains another Article on the Question Whether the Roman Church be Idolatrous in worshiping the Eucharist or Jesus Christ in the Eucharist This also shall have its place elsewhere Afterwards he adds At last they conclude two things the first That all the Fundamental Truths of Christianity being confessed by the Roman Church we are obliged to continue united with it without making a positive Separation which is against all the duties of Charity and which instead of bringing back those which err produces nothing but an eternal Distance and Animosity In the second place they do maintain That we do not necessarily partake in the Errors of a Communion in which we are the common Confession of Faith ought to be esteemed as an agreement to live under the same Ministry but we are not therefore responsible for all the Abuses which may be or can be introduced into the Ministry Provided we adore the same God and profess the same Fundamentals of Christianity the rest cannot be imputed to single Persons above all when there is a necessity of joyning our selves to this first Christian Society and we cannot find any publick Worship more pure and more edifying The Examples of our Fathers before the Reformation prove clearly That we may secure our Salvation in the Roman Communion even in adhering to the publick Worship Whatever Men say it is inconceivable that Men born and brought up in a Religion who never heard speak of any other Doctrine and who lived and died without protesting against the Opinion of their Church should not partake in the Worship thereof Behold an exact account of all the Illusions which these new re-united Persons put upon themselves and an
because that he well saw that his only Son would be forced to follow that Religion in which he began to be engaged he prayed God to take his Son out of the World and that he might see him die before he died himself Two days after the Son fell sick and in two days he died in the presence of his Father and the Father himself died the day after rendring a thousand Thanks to God that he had heard his Prayer and that he had taken them both out of this World to give them a better Life I learnt this Story from St. Maixent the 10th of August 1684. from two persons worthy of credit viz. the Husband and Wife who had a Child nursed by the Wife of the said Bardon he which made me the Report of this Matter is called Mr. Lavergnac Master of the Grange of the Village of Luzignan in Poitou a person of good credit and full of zeal for Religion his Wife also being present In the Year 1685. the 20th of January a Woman of Jonzac in Saintonge called Susan de Lisle the Wife of Boynard a Glover being with Child as she was in her House sitting upon a Settle by the Window rising up she felt that her Child stretcht it self in her Womb and at the same time she heard it utter a very extraordinary cry and a little after this Infant having again moved it self cried out about a quarter of an Hour with the true Voice of an Infant whereupon the Mother was much frighted and called some persons to help her she having then no body with her but her own Daughter about nine Years old who having plainly heard this cry said to her Mother my little Brothâ—r crys in in your belly this Child was born three Months and nineteen Days after this it was baptized at Linieres by Mr. Couyer Pastor of the said place and was a very vigorous Child and grew in six Months time twice as much as it ought to do We have learnt this story from Liniers from the mouth of the Mother of this Woman and from the Daughter which was present and from the Husband of the God-mother of the Child From Martinique the 24th of May 1687. MOnsieur Poysonnel who commanded a Frigate from Marseille which had taken two hundred Maids and Women and almost as many Gally slaves to bring hither was lost three days since as he was coming into this Town The whole number of persons which were on board the Vessel were 320 and were all drowned as 't is said excepting 30 of the Soldiers and Mariners This was by the imprudence of the Pilots God hath given rest to these poor miserable Creatures This Note teacheth us the sad and glorious end of the Confessors which we spake of to you Others write that this Shipwreck was by command because the Wind was very fair to bring them into the Haven of the Isle and that all the Soldiers and Mariners were saved As for me I will not prejudice the Spirits of men concerning this Fact it being an Action so enormous This is certain that God was pleased to deliver these blessed Confessors and snatch them from the cruel slavery which they had prepared for them August 1. 1687. The Twenty fourth PASTORAL LETTER That the Church of Rome is not visible and that she has no mark which makes her visible A confutation of those Means whereof Mr. Nicholas pretends to serve himself to make his Church visible Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given to you from our God and Saviour Jesus Christ BEfore we pass to another part of the Controversie about the Church and leave the Question concerning its perpetual visibility and after examination of the visibility of the Church in general 't is needful that we take cognizance of the visibility of the Roman Church in particular 'T is needful that you say to your Converters since 't is so that the Church is always visible and that you are the Church help us to see her in and by what is the Roman Church visible If they shew you great Churches full of Men that pray and adore which hear Vespers and Mattins who prostrate themselves before Wafers and Images you will answer this is not to shew me the Church For if I were at Constantinople a Turk would shew me his Mosques all full of Worshippers which cry there is but one God and Mahomet is his Prophet Tell them If you please to go to London I will shew you the Church in England as you shew it me in France I will shew you great Churches full of men which pray and adore which prostrate themselves before God who pray and understand what they pray for 'T is unavoidable therefore that you shew me not Men and heaps of Stones which are called Churches but sensible and visible marks that Popery is the true Religion of Jesus Christ and that the Church of Rome is the true Church Add to this that the marks which they give you ought to be suitable to your capacity i. e. the capacity of plain persons and without learning For the space of twelve or fifteen Years the Popish Doctors of France have changed the Controversie this way The business is not to instruct the learned 't is acknowledged on both sides that the multitude and greater part of the Church is composed of men without learning and of plain people which must be saved as well as the more able From henceforth therefore it is necessary to furnish a means to the common people to inform them of the truth in matters of controversie and a means altogether suitable to their weakness Particularly in this Controversie Whether the Church of Rome hath certain and evident marks of her truth which make her visible For 't is an important Affair and which the weakest ought to understand It is certain that a Church cannot be visible in quality of a Church by any other means than what they call her marks of this we are at an agreement We must therefore see whether the Church of Rome hath those marks which may make the weakest perceive she is a true Church I will not here ingage you in that Labyrinth of Disputes which the Doctors of the Church of Rome have formed about the marks of that Church 'T is their manner to bury the truth under a prodigious heap of useless words and obscure questions I will not examine the sixteen marks which Bellarmine has given nor the forty which others have produced You cannot read those Books nor are they those which they put into your hands and since that time they are become more able in Sophistry Mr. Nicholas who is the last that hath laboured on this Subject has employed three Chapters to prove that the Church of Rome is very visible even to the most weak and plain In the first of these three Chapters he says * Chap. 17 18 19 of the 1st Book The Reformed convinced of Schism That a man may
prove the Church to the weakest by Scripture In the second That a man may prove the Church to the most weak by Tradition And in the third That the Church of Rome is not unfurnished with exterior marks which make her known to be the true Church to the weak Behold three Sources of visibility for the Roman Church 1. Tradition 2. Exterior Marks 3. The Scripture As this is one of the Books which your Converters put into your hands I do intreat you to give attention to what I have to say to you thereon I begin with Tradition They understand by Tradition the Testimony of the Fathers Councils and Authors of all Ages therefore the meaning is they can prove the Church of Rome is the true Church by the testimony of the Greek and Latin Fathers and by the Councils of the Greek and Latin Church And at first this is a contradiction that stares you in the face It may be proved says he to the weak by the Fathers and the Greek and Latin Councils that the Church of Rome is the true Church And how can a man prove to the weak a truth by the testimonies of the Greek and Latin Fathers To those which understand neither Latin nor Greek or who have neither means nor time to turn over the Leaves or read and examine these great Volumes Behold the way nothing more remains than to employ these two means the first is a Principle founded on a Rule of St. Austin that all Customs that are found universally established whose original and beginning we know not may be very justly ascribed to the Apostles The second means is included in this Syllogism which Mr. Nicholas makes The Scripture and Tradition teach that there hath been always in the World one Church visible and successive and that this Church is infallible for the instruction of believers in the truths of Faith. Now the Church of Rome is this only visible Church Therefore the Church of Rome is the infallible Church and to her alone it belongs to instruct men in the truths of Faith. And behold how Mr. Nicholas forms a light upon the first medium which makes the Church of Rome visible to the weak All the Traditions which the Hereticks dispute saye he have their certain Epoche's or beginnings which are not disputed by them The Calvinists agree that in the fourth Age men called upon Saints adored Reliques and observed Lent that in the seventh Age they worshipped Images in the eleventh they believed Transubstantiation The weak have no need to assure themselves of this matter of fact by way of examination for 't is confessed on both sides Apply the Principle of St. Austin that all Customs found universally established in one Age and whose beginning we know not may be justly attributed to the Apostles Now the customs of invoking Saints adoring Images observing Lent and worshipping the Sacrament are found generally established in some Ages as the Calvinists confess and we know not where to find the original of them therefore they ought to be referred to the Apostles A man cannot tell how many Illusions there are therein which are unworthy of an honest man yea a man of a good understanding First 't is to scoff at mankind to say 't is a light proper to make the Church visible to the weak For this method of reasoning doth necessarily suppose 1. That a person must know that this pretended Rule on which they support themselves is St. Austin's 2. That the Ministers consent to the truth of this rule 3. That they confess that upon certain times the customs of adoring Images praying to Saints c. were generally received 4. That from thence it follows that these customs generally established in some Ages ought to be referred to the Apostles All this is disputed and there are large Books written on the Subject which the weak cannot read and this requires an examination which is above the capacity of those which are not men of learning This is that which we have proved invincibly in our Answer to Mr. Nicholas * System of the Church l. 2. c. 16. Secondly It is to be observed that this fine Principle upon which this pretended Evidence is founded viz. the Rule of St. Austin is false especially if it be applied to all Ages It hath been observed that the Fathers of the fourth Age were very much inclined to support the Novelties crept into the Church upon the authorities of the Apostles and to make all things pass for Apostolick the beginning whereof the People were not then able to see It is therefore false that all Customs which are found establish'd in a certain Age although we be not able to find the beginning of them in a distinct manner ought to be ascribed to the Apostles For example The custom of adoring the Sacrament of the Eucharist was not generally established in the Latin. Church till the twelfth Age. Although we could not find the original of this Idolatry it were an impiety to attribute it to the Apostles There are certain Practices which are insensibly established by little and little the first point of whose original cannot be precisely observed It doth not follow therefore that we must ascribe the original to the Apostles We must attribute nothing to the Apostles but what is in their Writings 3. I observe that there is a faulty and shameful falseness in the application of the Rule Mr. Nicholas pretends that the Customs which are found generally established in certain Ages ought to be referred to the Apostles and that for this reason the custom of falling prostrate before Images must be referred to them because this custom is found generally established in the eighth Age. I do maintain that Mr. Nicholas does basely betray his conscience in this example for he is perswaded as well as I and all those Roman Catholicks in France which are men of knowledge and understanding do know that the Apostles did not establish Image-worship and these Gentlemen do not refuse to confess it when they are not in dispute Fourthly I say that this reasoning supposes a thing which is altogether false 't is that we are not able to find the original of those Customs which are generally established in certain Ages this is false the custom of praying to Saints is found established in the fifth Age. In our preceding Letters we have shewn the original and birth thereof In like manner we find in all the following Ages the birth of the Worship of Images of Purgatory the Sacrifice of the Mass the Real Presence and Transubstantiation They make a wrangling with us about it unworthy of honest men Shew us say they who was the first Heretick that taught either the Invocation of Saints or the Worship of Images or those other false Worships which you condemn I answer that I have no need to name their Author seeing I have shewn the Age of their birth I prove for example after a manner invincible that they did
will attempt to deceive you Among others they make use of the Discourses and Writings of the Bishop of Meaux of Petisson the great Converter and Monsieur Nicholas They oblige you perpetually to read over the Exposition of the Catholick Faith written by that Bishop to paint and colour the Popish Religion Some months since the same Prelate published a Pastoral Letter to the new Converts of this Diocess with the same design and intention that is to seduce you and withdraw from your eyes the Deformity and Ugliness of the false Religion They never cease to commend unto you the mischievous difficulties of Monsieur Nicholas his Book intituled The pretended Reformed convinced of Schism There 't is proved to you that by the way of Examination and Inquiry 't is impossible to find out truth and that you will never hit on it but by submitting to the Authority of the Church Monsieur Petisson hath revived the same difficulties in a late new Book And 't is one of those Books to which those that have been seduced do send us as one of the Sources from whence they have derived their Illuminations These Books shall be the subject matter of these Letters not that I intend to examine and confute them line by line but only to expose and lay open the falsity of these Teachers the imposture and gullery of their Sophisms and the unfaithfulness of all their advances and progressions but we will not confine our selves within the bounds of Controversie We will take care to acquaint you with all things that are most considerable in this Persecution we will inform you in those passages of the Life Death and Behaviour of our Martyrs and Confessors which are most proper for your establishment and edification For which reason we do intreat all those that know any thing that is certain therein that they will inform us concerning it that we may make it publick for the benefit and advantage of the weak We will begin with the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop of Meaux to the new Catholicks of his Diocess We shall pass by his Prologue and engage with him in the matter of his Letter by reflections on the manner whereby the Reformed have been brought to their pretended Change and Conversion In the mean time I cannot forbear to stay one moment on the Title thereof The Pastoral Letter of my Lord the Bishop of Meaux to the new Catholicks of his Diocess 'T is one of the pretended Successors of the Apostles which causes himself to be Printed under the Name and Title of my Lord. These Gentlemen are well advanced since the Authors and Founders of Christianity who called themselves plainly by their own names without any other Title than that of Servants of Jesus Christ and Apostles of our Lord. My Lords St. Peter and St. Paul had forgotten to set the character of their Grandeur on the front of their Pastoral Letters or Epistles If the corruption of the World proceed so far as to authorise the custom of calling Bishops Lords methinks their vanity should not be so great as to give themselves that appellation 'T is not very edifying to see the marks of pride and wordly vanity on the front of a Pastoral Letter I do not observe this to give any offence to the Bishop of Meaux in particular my dear Brethren 't is to make you sensible of that Religion whereinto they would initiate and engage you 't is a Religion the soul whereof is Pride and the principal members and heads thereof are monsters of Emptiness and Vanity Christian Humility displays its Characters upon all things but the false Religion carries Pride to its utmost height and leaves the footsteps thereof on all things wherewith it hath any conversation We shall one day have occasion to make you see it in points of much more importance than this which nevertheless is not so light but that it deserves that we take some notice of it Do not suffer your selves to be abused by those that tell you That in some Protestant States the Bishops retain the same Honours The Bishops of England have this to say for themselves That they are Peers of the Realm to which state and condition the Name and Title of My Lord doth appertain and belong but besides I am persuaded that the wiser of these Gentlemen will willingly sacrifice these Titles which do not sufficiently bespeak the humility of a Minister of Jesus Christ to a general Reformation in the Church when it shall be received On the contrary Pride is so very much of the essence of Popery that it will forsake all rather than renounce it I come to the manner how Conversions are made in France according to my Lord of Meaux I do not marvel my dearest Brethren that you are returned in Troops Pastoral Letter pag. 3. and with so much ease to the Church where your Ancestors have served God. The foundation of Christianity and as I have already said the Character of Baptism hath secretly called you thither These Gentlemen rejoyce at the Facility they have found in bringing back the Protestants to their Church that is to say in forcing Subscriptions from an infinite number of Persons who have conceded either to their threatnings or the fear of losing their Estates or the torments and persecution of the Dragoons 'T is true there have been seen examples of weakness therein which have been strange and prodigious and we know that they make a great prejudice and rock of Offence thereof they tell you If it were the true Religion would not those that profess it adhere more closely to it Some of our Brethren have wrote expresly to satisfie you against this Scandal They have shewed you that things have happened much after the same manner in the ancient Persecutions and that Defections have fallen but little short of being general In those times men ran in Troops to offer Incense to Idols as in our days they have been seen running to make Signatures and Subscriptions At all times there have been few persons capable of suffering torments Martyrs are chosen Vessels upon whom God pours out an extraordinary measure of his Grace to strike with Astonishment the Enemies of the Truth to shame and confound the weakness of those that fall and to support the Faith of the infirm These are Miracles but if they were frequent and ordinary they would not be so If the view and consideration of so many Persons as have conceded to Violence or the fear of Sufferings doth scandalize and offend you look not that way but behold and consider the stability and courage of your Ancestors which established the Reformation in the last Age. Consider the number of our ancient Martyrs behold their Constancy their Christian Kindness and the Blessings that they gave to those that burnt them Consider the strength which ennabled them to bear the most horrible Punishments and Tortures They were burn'd by a slow fire they saw their Bowels drop out in the
admonishing us of our duty by these heavenly Voices who melodiously sung those holy Hymns which we were wont to sound forth in our Church which was then laid wast and destroyed I protest before God that these things are so as I have reported them and I am very glad to make known these truths for the Edification of all those that fear the Lord. In Testimony whereof I subscribe my self at Amsterdam September 4. 1686. V. Deformalagues I do maintain that a Testimony such as this though it were alone is capable of putting the spirit of incredulity to distress for what that is reasonable can be said against it It will be said this is the Testimony of a Woman but by being a Woman hath she renounced all Honor Shame and Conscience in the matter of Testimony She must have renounced all those things to attest with an Oath a matter of Fact with so many circumstances She is but a Woman but she is not a Woman that reports some Visions of the night or particular Revelations she is a Woman that reports things that happened in publick and whereof she hath for witnesses with her self many hundreds of persons Though she be a Woman it does not follow but she may be endued with good understanding now she must have lost all sense to advance such a falsity and to expose her self to be overwhelmed with shame as a maker of Fables to conclude she is a Woman but she speaks of a thing happened not above seven days ago if I may so say To conclude behold a Memorial of Monsieur de Brassalay a Gentleman of Honor and acknowledged such by all that know him Some days before the Interdiction of the Churches of Bearn there were many persons that heard the singing of Psalms in the Air in the City of Orthez The first that heard it was Lichigaray Brunier a Lawyer revolted some years since the most malignant of the Persecutors and who continually stirred up troubles to those of the Reformed Religion He rose from his Bed to go tell the Curate that there was an Assembly of people that sung Psalms without the City he also went to a Serjeant named Gowlan to conduct him to the place where he thought to surprize them but this Popish Serjeant having laid his Ear to the Window answered him there was nothing to be done for he well perceived the singing was in the Air. Afterward it was heard from time to time more than a month by divers persons sometimes at night and sometimes by day among others Lichagaray Canneille an Elder of the Church of Orthez protested and told me that sitting upon the bank of the River a thousand Paces from the City reading in a Book he heard a great singing of Psalms on that side the Church stands which is in the midst of the City and not doubting at all that is was an ordinary Assembly that were met together at Evening Prayers which was then very numerous because of the hazardous conjuncture and consisted at the least of two or three thousand souls he hasted to go thither and always heard a great singing of Psalms till he was entered into the City but having found the doors of the Church shut the Neighbours told him that it was not yet the hour of Prayer It is to no purpose to say they sung in some Cavern or Cave for there is nothing but Houses and the parts adjacent to Orthez are Vineyards Meadows and Fields it has been a long time since forbidden to sing Psalms in Houses and no body has dared to venture thereon and least of all would they think thereon in a time when they every hour feared the Interdiction of their Church and when they advised by all sorts of methods to defend themselves from it Moreover this Elder hath assured me that he never heard more lofty singing in the Church This he told me being in Bearne about sixteen months since in the presence of very many honest Men. After the Church of Orthez was razed to the ground this singing of Psalms was heard no more for some time but about the months of September and October last it was heard by most part of the people of Orthez and many others of the Country which tarried till night before they went home on Market-days those of the Suburbs as well as those of the City heard it every one in his Quarter ordinarily at the same hour viz. between eight and nine at night some heard the words others heard the Tune of the Psalms and there is not it may be a House in Orthez of which some one of the Family hath not heard it The said Lichiguray Bruneir went one night he and two others to that part where they heard this singing without the City and they all three heard the singing for a long time over their Heads the Tune of the 138. Psalm whereof they could not hear distinctly but these words Toward thy holy Temple I will look and worship thee and praised in my thankful mouth thy holy name shall be even for thy loving kindness sake and for thy truth withal for thou thy name hast by thy word advanced over all Du Faur a Physician and Magistrate of the City another Papist heard it divers times but their malice made them say they were Sorcerers and Devils A young Damosel of the Suburbs of Moncade which is near the Castle the ancient Habitation of the Lords of Bearn heard this singing being in her Bed she rose and caused more than fifty persons to go out who having heard it fell on their Knees and wept through the joy they conceived to hear so incomparable a Melody in the Air which continued more than half an hour And it must be known that it was in a place much raised above the City even as a very high Mountain and the people heard this singing over their Heads as if it had been in the Clouds I have heard an honest Man who was one of the Spectators make this relation who poured out Tears then when he spake of it the same thing I have heard from other places To conclude it is impossible to doubt of a truth which the far greatest part of the Inhabitants of Orthez are able to certifie The Parliament of Pau and the Intendent of Bearn have also given their Testimony thereto by a Decree which forbids Men to go hear these Psalms and to say they have heard it on the forfeiture of five hundred Crowns and by another Ordinance which forbids the same thing under the forfeiture of two thousand Crowns The Consuls of Orthez did publish these Ordinances in their City I do not as yet very well understand what can be opposed to the Testimony of Monsieur Brassalny Those that know him as we do know that he is not of a temper to impose upon any one nor to suffer himself to be imposed upon by any one whoever he be Those things which he reports are not hear-says at a great distance for
the Severity of Discipline which the Church granted at the request of the Martyrs At this day they call Indulgence the relaxation of the Justice of God which he grants as they suppose in considerations of the Merits and Sufferings of the Martyrs who suffered more than was necessary for themselves To conclude they have changed the Consideration and Respect which they had for the Intercessions of Confessors and Martyrs into Merits and Works of Supererogation The Church did retard the rigor of her Law against Sinners because of the esteem which she had for those that suffered for the Name of Jesus Christ At this day they grant Indulgences by the application of the Merit of those which have suffered too much either by involuntary Persecutions or by chosen and voluntary Mortifications But hear how the same S. Cyprian speaks very aptly concerning one of these Confessors named Lucian who carried himself too haughtily and desired too earnestly that they should have respect to his Letters of Intercession * Epist 34. The Lord Jesus Christ hath said that we must Baptize Nations in the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and that all Sins past are forgiven in Baptism But this man that is to say the Confessor Lucian knowing neither the Law nor the Commandments commands that we give Peace and pardon Sins in the Name of S. Paul not considering that they are not the Martyrs who make the Gospel but that it is the Gospel which makes the Martyrs Therefore at that time they did not alledge the Threats of S. Paul S. Peter the Martyrs and Confessors as the reasons for which they granted Indulgences that is to say the relaxation of the Discipline of the Church In the same Age that is to say the third they will produce unto you the word Confession and the terms of being on their knees at the feet of their Priests And they will not fail to find for you there the Auricular Confession practised at this day but there is nothing more false For those which dazle your Eyes thereby do very well know that the Greek word which signifies Confession was not at that time any secret Confession But the whole Act or Actions of publick Penance were so called And if at that Age Penitents were seen at the feet of Papists this was not done in secret and in a place appointed for the receiving Confessions where they acknowledged all their Sins in the Ear of the Priest But in Churches and in publick that they might be admitted by Prayer and imposition of hands either to Penance or to the Peace of the Church It was so certainly a publick Action that the Pagans took occasion from thence to accuse the Christians of adoring the shameful parts of their Priests This Confession was made in publick with Sack-cloth Ashes and Tears begging the Prayers and Assistance of all Christians This may be seen fully explicated in the Ninth and Tenth Chapters of Tertullian's Book of Repentance A Point of Controversie Concerning the Vnity of the Church that it is not in the Church of Rome and that we are not departed from it WHen a City is besieged and assaulted of all sides those that have a desire to defend it would be every where at the same time but they cannot which is their trouble My Brethren we have the trouble at this day you are besieged you are attack'd at an hundred places they batter you by a thousand wicked Reasons we would be every where and defend you on all sides but whilst we endeavour to defend you on one side they deceive and ruine you on another The rash and bold adventure of the Bishop of Meaux who hath told you in his Pastoral Letter That from the Apostles days to his no alteration has happened in the Doctrine of the Church hath engaged us that we may confound him to make you perceive the essential Changes which have been introduced both in its Doctrine and Worship at least in the first five Ages to the end that from thence you may judg of all the rest But whilst we pursue this design which cannot presently be executed I understand that they seduce you by the Sophisms of the Church of its Unity Visibility and the horror of Schism And that which grieves us most is that by the Letters which come or are communicated to us we see that the most part of you who are willing at any rate whatsoever to be at ease and rest where they are do also endeavour to possess themselves of and obstinately to maintain these wicked Reasons and it may be that one of you will know himself in the following words All the World reasons concerning Religion agreeably to their own Light and Passions But the Questions which do most trouble and confound it are these 1. The positive separation which our Fathers made 'T is said that we ought to suffer without separating from the Communion of the Church that the Abuses introduced by Governors may not be imputed to Believers But the Scriptures that make mention of the Heresies that must arrive in the Church do not command Separation for the sake of them On the contrary they exhort us mutually to bear with one another they say that Wood Hay and Stubble may be built on that foundation which is Christ Jesus and that he alone will separate one from the other that the good Grain and the Chaff shall be separated at the last day but we must let them grow together till then Behold exactly the Religion 1. Of our revolted Ministers There has been sent unto us an Account of a Conference which Cheyron an Apostate Minister of the City of Nismes had with the famous Confessor called Mr. Matthew an Advocate of Duras who is in the Town of Constance at Aggues-Mortes that which this Wretch says is the same with what hath been written and you have read 2. 'T is also the Religion of all those which have any understanding or illuminations they cannot but see that the Church of Rome is extremely corrupt But the question is say they whether we ought to separate from it because of its Corruptions yea they say we ought to bear them and add further after all there is but one true Church and although it be corrupt it is nevertheless the Church and we must endure its Diseases and Imperfections The Poyson of this illusion is so eating and dangerous that we have reason to fear that it continues long upon your Minds it will penetrate into them and totally corrupt them and so whilst we are pursuing other Subjects your hearts will be poysoned by this mischievous Sophism in that manner and to that degree that you will never recover This is it which obliges us to return to the Bishop of Meaux's Letter sooner than we intended Nevertheless without forsaking the subject matter we are upon for we will endeavour to intermix things in such a manner that in every one of our following
is true that in his Book of Prescriptions from the 15th Chapter to the 22th he proves that we may not dispute against Hereticks by the Scripture but by the Tradition of the Churches And he returns to it again in the 37th and 38th Chapters thereof But if the new Converts which have written to us and do send us to that Book had read it with some wisdom and attention of mind they would have seen that it neither doth nor can concern us 1. The Hereticks concerning whom the question is there were no Christians they were Magicians Disciples of Simon Magus who retained the Name of Christian and no mâ—â—â— Besides Tertullian says plainly * Chap. 37. That we must 〈◊〉 them at a distance from the Scriptures because being no Christians they did not belong to them 2. These Hereticks did not acknowledg the Authority of the Scriptures they rejected them or received only some pieces of them cut off from the rest and which were wholly corrupt and falsified And when the Catholicks quoted to them the Holy Scripture they derided it as a fabulous Writing How then could any man dispute with them from a Book whose Authority they did not acknowledge there was a necessity of having recourse to another sort of proofs 2. That which was good in the time of Tertullian is not good at this time of day I do maintain that it was then very easie and very convenient to dispute against Hereticks by Tradition It was then not above an hundred years since the last of the Apostles died There was nothing more easie than to learn what had been their Doctrine by their Successors It is about a hundred and fifty years since the Reformed Church of Geneva had its existence If the Doctrin of Calvin were now under dispute nothing were more easie than to prove without Book that his Doctrine passed without alteration even to those that now teach in that Church and School But is it the same thing when there are 1200 1500 and 2000 years past By what way can we search so far and ascend so high through an infinite number of Men of whom not one hath retained the Doctrine that he did receive in the same estate in which it was delivered to him Behold a very fine Comparison 3. Add to this that Tertullian sends us to the Testimony of those Churches which were founded by the Apostles because those Churches had the Authentick Letters as he calls them that is to say the Original Writings of the Apostles so that to send the Hereticks to the Churches and to their Testimony by reason of those Authentick Letters was to sâ—â—d them to the Scripture it self 4. Besides let thes◠〈◊〉 â—nd She Converts which have been seduced by the reading of this Book read it from the 22 to the 32 Chap. and they will see that the Doctrine which Tertullian would have us search in Tradition is the same which was contained in the Writings of the Apostles and not an unwritten Word and certain Doctrines which the Apostles did commit to the Ears and the Memories of their Successors The Hereticks would not acknowledge the Authority of the sacred Volumes Go to says Tertullian to them lay by the Holy Bocks and let us lay hold of Tradition let us see what the Bishops have taught since the Apostles and I will prove that 't is precisely the same Doctrine with that which is written in our Books which you reject Read you that have suffered your selves to be abused read I say the 22 Chap. and those that follow to the 27 and you will see that the Hereticks spake exactly the same Language which your Converters do that we must not apply to nor support our selves by the Writings of the Apostles * Tertull. de Prescrip c. 25. That the Apostles indeed might know all and agree in the things which they did preach but they did not reveal all things to all that they said certain things publickly and to all but that there were other things which they said in secret and to a few and that is it which St. Paul means when he saith to Timothy O Timothy keep that good thing which was committed to thee Behold exactly the Doctrine of your Converters and that of the ancient Hereticks 'T is that which Tertullian opposes proving that the Apostles delivered nothing by Tradition but that which is written 5. Poor silly Fools which have suffered your selves to be seduced by I know not what shadows and appearances and who put your selves to judge of Antiquity without knowing any thing thereof If you knew against what Hereticks Tertullian disputed you would see that the Contrversie was not about things that were not in the Holy Scriptures These Hereticks denied that Jesus Christ was God and that he was a true Man They said that he had no true Flesh and that his Passion was nothing but a Tragedy and an appearance of a great many Phantoms they denied the Resurrection of the Flesh Was there any need to recur to Tradition to prove such things as these Doth not the Scripture contain those Truths that are opposite to these wicked Imaginations as clearly as Tradition And do you not see that Tertullian forsakes the Scriptures on this Subject only because the Enemies against which he disputed had forsaken them and had no reverence for their Authority 6. To conclude If there be any hard terms in this Book attribute them in the first place to the heat of Dispute which always carries Men too far secondly to the Genius and African manner of Tertullian's Expressions and learn that according to the same Author * Lib. Prescrip c. 15. One cannot prove any thing which respects the Faith but by those Letters and Writings which are the Rule thereof Learn by this excellent Passage of Tatian who was then the Judge of Controversies and the Source and Fountain of Instruction 't is to that he refers the manner of his becoming a Christian †Tatian Orat. in Graec. As I sought every where with care I happened on some Books of the Barbarians so the Pagans call the Books of Christians and Jews and I sound them as to time much more ancient than the Philosophy of the Greeks and much more venerable if we consider the Errors which are in the Grecian Books I gave credit to these Books because their style was simple and yet magnificent because there was nothing affected in them because the Discourses were not obscure and many things to come were predicted in them I was affected with them because of the greatness of the Promises and because they learn'd me that there was but one Moâ—â—rch in the Vniverse This Ancient knew not as yet the Divinity of Monsieur de Meaux that the first Article of Faith is I believe the Church and that we ought not to believe that the Scripture is Divine but because the Church says so And as to Tradition you which suffer your selves to be dazled by the
't is Soulier the Priest a man the most given up to the Spirit of Calumny that ever was in the World the most desperate and frontless Lyer that Popery ever bred up and to make his Elogy in one word Bipedum nequissimus the greatest of Knaves This man publishes in the year 1682. a furious Libel against the Reformed under the Title of The History of the Edicts of Pacification in which amongst other Proofs of our lewd and Criminal Conduct prosecuted and carried on to the end he makes use of this Act drawn up says he by the Synod of Montpazier in the form and words in which it is here seen The Pastors and Elders of the Churches of Lower Guyenne Assembled in the Synod at Montpazier the first of July 1659 and some days following UPON the report made by Mr. Ricottier The first was the Minister of Clairac the other of Nerac of the Care that he hath taken with Mr. Vignier now absent at the desire of some of the Society to obtain that our Brethren of England should concern themselves in the preservation of our Liberties which they endeavour every day to destroy wherein they think he hath laboured happily by the interposition and assistance of Mr. Daret And having learnt from the Mouth of Mr. Daret and seen by Letters which have been written to him and whereof he had given a Copy to the said Mr. Ricottier that to maintain us in our Priviledges and prevent the dissipation of our Flocks they offer not only to interceed for us but also in case of refusal to bear Arms into this Province if we promise them Cromwell was yet alive and give them assurance to put into their hands all the Cities and places whereof we can dispose The Society approving the Care of the said Messieurs Ricottier and Vignier after having all promised by Oath made to God not to reveal a Secret of this importance return Thanks to the said Mr. Daret for what he had already done to make it successful and do intreat him to go assoon as he can and know what assurances they desire and promise on our part that we shall give all those that are possible and as a Pledge thereof they have drawn up the present Act which shall be dispatcht to him to this end and purpose and the Original put into the hands of the said Vignier to be secretly and faithfully kept there until the business can be executed to the Glory of God and the Comfort of our poor Afflicted Flocks c. The Original is Signed by the President the Assistants and the Register of the Synod This Imposture caused all those that saw it to tremble and the Reformed stirred all that they could to justifie themselves from this Calumny but this was no time to succeed in an Enterprise of Justification for Persons whom they had resolved to destroy after the most cruel manner in the World and whom by consequence they would look upon as Criminals Nevertheless the Synod of the Province of Guyennâ— did what they could and took the Resolution expressed in the Act of the last Synod held in the Province and I think she last Synod that was held in France Behold the Act faithfully printed according to the Copy Signed by the Secretary himself An Extract from the Legier Book of the Acts of the Synod of the Reformed Churches of Lower Guyenne held in the City of the upper Thonneins by the Permission of the King the ninth of December and some days following in the year 1683. ARTICLE the Sixth THE Deputies of the Church of Burdeaux having represented to the Society that in a Book made by Mr. Soulier the Priest printed at Paris 1682 Intituled A History of the Edicts of Pacification the said Soulier in the 393 page of that Book and in that which follows it hath reported an Act which he pretends to be made by the Synod of Monpazier to give thanks to Mr. Ricottier and Vignier both Ministers for the Care they had taken to engage the English in the Interests of the Reformed Churches of this Kingdom with these two Circumstances noted in the Margin of that Book the one that the said Mr. Ricottier was Minister of Clairac the other that Cromwel was yet alive then and at the time of the said Act adding that the Original thereof had been put into the hands of the said Vignier and taken in his Closet after his Death by Mr. Monier Minister of Nerac that this Act was put into the hands of Monsieur the late Bishop of Agen and whereas this Act is a suppositious piece and injurious to the Honour of the Synod and to the Memory of the said Ricottier who was then Minister of the Church of Burdeaux they account themselves particularly concerned to make the Calumny of this Act appear and also their inviolable Fidelity to the Service of the King therefore they represented the said Book and likewise the said Legier Book of the Synod held at Montpazier the first of July 1659 desiring the Commissioners to view the said Book in the page marked and quoted and likewise the Legier Book of the Synod of Montpazier but the Gentlemen the Commissaries said it was no part of their Commission to examine Books or Papers of preceeding Synods that it appertained to the Society to look to their justification where and as they should think good that for their parts they pretended not to take any cognizance thereof Whereupon the Society after they had reflected upon the Importance and meaning of the said Act and having examined it together with the Legier Book of the Synod held at Montpazier the first of July 1659 it appeared by comparing these two pieces that the aforesaid Act printed in the Book of Soulier is not in the said Papers of the Synod and moreover that the falseness of this pretended Act is clearly proved by two Circumstances in matter of Fact one whereof is that by the Table of the said Legier Book of the Synod of Montpazier it appears that the late Mr. Ricottier was not Minister of the Church of Clairac the other Circumstance is this that 't is certain that Oliver Cromwel died the thirteenth of September 1658 and so it was impossible that the Churches of this Province could have any Correspondence with him in the year 1659. After which the Society resolved that humble Remonstrances should be made to his Majesty to assure him of the inviolable Fidelity that the said Churches had preserved and should always preserve for his Service and to desire that he would be pleased to appoint that the said Soulier should be Condemned to make them such satisfaction as he should judge fit with prohibition both to him and all others that for the time to come they injure them no more by Calumnies of that nature The present Extract is taken from the Papers of the Act of the Synod held at the City of the Upper Thonniens the ninth of September and some days
given a Copy to the said Monsieur Ricottier that to maintain us in our Priviledges and prevent the Dissipation of our Flocks they offer not only to Interceed for us but also in case of Refusal to bear Arms into this Province if we promise them and give them assurance to put into their hands all the Cities and places whereof we can dispose The Society approving the care of the said Messieurs Ricottier and Vignier After having all promised by Oath made to GOD not to reveal a Secret of this importance return Thanks to the said Monsieur Durel for what be had already done to make it successful and do intreat him to go a soon as he can and know what Assurances they desire and promise on our part that we shall give all those that are possible and as a Pledge thereof they have drawn up the present Act which shall be dispatcht to him to this end and purpose and the Original put into the hands of the said Vignier to be secretly and faithfully kept there until the business can be executed to the Glory of GOD and the Comfort of our poor afflicted Congregations c. Signed Ricottier Moderator E. Durel Assistant J. Asimont Chosen to Collect the Acts. J. Meysonnet Secretary There are no attempts imaginable which the Priest Soulier doth not make to defend this false Piece But we see that God doth strike these Impostors with a Spirit of Blindness so that they stumble in places where it were easie for them to be upon their guard The Work hath appeared in publick a long time since and we were advertised from France that this part thereof was envenomed leud and worthy that we should make the Injury and Reproach thereof fall upon its Author But the Calvinists of Holland of whom Monsieur Soulier speaks with so much contempt have so little esteem for his Works that they did not put themselves to the trouble of obtaining this And the Printers of Holland who print all things at are saleable did not think that the Sale of the History of Calvinism would pay the charge of the Press The reason therefore why we Anwer to it so late is because we could not recover any Copy thereof at last we resolved to obtain it by an Express otherwise it had never passed our Frontiers We have therefore seen and read it and have judged that the Conspiracy of Montpazier did indeed deserve that we should reply to it But before we defend our Arguments for the Falshood thereof and produce new ones 't is necessary once more that you know who the Priest Soulier is that you may also know of what weight his Authority is but I choose rather that you know it from the mouth of one of his Brethren than from ours for which reason we shall here produce a Letter which Monsieur Le Feure a Doctor of the Sorbonne did write to one of his Friends concerning this Gentleman and this since the History of the Birth Progress Decay and Ruine of Calvinism appeared in the World. A Letter of Monsieur Le Ferre Doctor of the Sorbonne to Monsieur de M. concerning Monsieur Soulier the Priest. I Must confess faithfully Monsieur that I have always believed that a politick Dissimulation of those Resentments which a man cannot discover without prejudice to his interest was not the Vice of our Nation and that it ought to be the horrour of men of the Character which we bear I speak of Resentments which are believed just and whose end is the Defence of Truth and not a Chimera of Reputation or false worldly Honour I have been hitherto and am yet perswaded that 't is to be an Enemy to Truth to suffer it to be oppressed then when there is reason to fear that a man shall draw upon himself the Persecution of those which oppose it for I have made to myself a Rule of that ancient Maxim of the Fathers of the Church Let us be Banished so the Truth be Preached Behold Monsieur the only reason why I have had so few Contests with persons of eminent Merit so that the Priest Soulier had passed in silence if he had not observed a quite opposite conduct Judge thereof Monsieur by the following History in the Year 1681 the learned Jesuit Father Mesnier being chosen by the Clergy for their Agent-General and Counsel to the Syndicks of the Diocess of this Kingdom prosecuting the Destruction of the Temples of those of the Reformed Religion built contrary to the Edicts published a Collection about those matters printed at Paris by Monsieur Leonard Bookseller to the Clergy In the time of this Impression Monsieur Soulier published a little Work where by way of Essary he accuses the Syndecks of Ignorance as having suffered the Preservation of many Churches which ought to have been destroyed The Father Mesnier seeing that this blow would fall directly upon him thought himself obliged to refute this Dream of Monsieur Soulier he therefore employs about twenty of the last Pages of his Book to convince this Monsieur of Ignorance He concludes them by accusing him of Falshood of Calumnie and of being a person that at most knew no more than to Read and Write and sending him to the exercise of his first Trade and Employment Monsieur Soulier saw and dissembled the thing from 1681 until the end of this Year 1686 that is to say near six Years Why did he keep silence so long and why speaks he now after he had been so long dumb Think of it what you please Monsieur but behold that which I think most reasonable concerning it The Father Mesnier was alive and is now dead Soulier owed to him what he knew in the matter of Edicts against those of the Reformed Protestant Religion which he hath dressed over again to give a tast of them to the World. The Father Mesnier made use of him to be a Servant and a Scribe and he is not the first who from the Servant of an Author is become an Author himself The Servants of Physitians do every day steal the Secrets of their Masters The Father Mesnier is therefore dead and Monsieur Soulier hath filled up his place in a very short space of time The Revocation of the Edict of Nants followed by the Destruction of the Churches of those of the Reformed Protestant Religion having rendered his pretended Employment much more unprofitable than the Work which he reproaches me for sending into the World a little too late nevertheless being puffed up with his new Place and Preferment he was not able to endure any longer to be accused of Ignorance But why does he fall upon me 'T is because I being necessarily engaged to take part in the business contested by Father Mesnier and him I put myself on the side of the Master against the Servant and to save myself the labour of confuting Soulier I said that it had been done by Father Mesnier Yea I had the Charity not to name Soulier when I said as
the Author of the Policy of the CLERGY and of the Answer to the Calvinism of Maimburgh We only know concerning this Author by report that he hath a great Contempt for Soulier and his Works so that if he make Books expresly to vex him he may set his heart at rest for he will never obtain his end The Ninteenth PASTORAL LETTER An Article of Antiquity The Original of Images An Article of Controversie A Continuation of the Matter of Schism The Corruption of the Roman Church was so great that we were forced to a Separation A notable Letter concerning the Confessours carried to America Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given unto you from God and our Saviour Jesus Christ WE have been obliged to interrupt the subject of our Pastoral Letters to refute a heinous Calumny cast upon one of our Synods and which reflects upon the whole Body At this time we take again our matter and our order we remember that the last Article of Antiquity which we handled was that of the Invocation of Saints which took its birth in the fourth and fifth Age 'T is the fourth change which altered Christianity in those Ages the first was the Original of Monkery the second was the Establishment of the Hierarchy the third was Oecumenical Councils and the fourth was the Invocation of Saints and the Worship of Reliques Behold a fifth 't is the Introduction of Images into Churches The Worship and Adoration of Images did not come so soon and we do not see the spreading thereof till the sixth Age But in the fourth and fifth Ages men began to bring Images into some Chappels consecrated to the Memory of Martyrs And 't is a thing that could not fail to happen One depth calleth to another and when men fell into Idolatry to men they were not far from Idolatry to Images for 't is very natural to represent those men which we Invoke and to give Honour to their Images For which reason I am amazed that the second Part of Paganism viz. The Adoration of Images came so slowly after the Worship and Adoration of Saints But the aversation which the first Christians had for Idols held firm as yet for some time after the Birth of the Superstitious Worship of the Martyrs and their Reliques It is therefore true that in some Provinces about the end of the fourth Age a person may shew you Historical Representations in the Churches they began to paint the Histories of the Bible It appears by a passage of Gregory Nissen * Greg. Niss Orat. de Divin filii Sp. S. that the History of the Sacrifice of Abraham was painted in some Church And by another Homily of the same Gregory Nissen †Orat. in Theodor. Martyr it appears that they began also to paint the Histories of some Martyr or Martyrs in their Temples The Painter says he hath expressed the Flowers of his Art drawing on a Table the great Actions of the Martyr his Resistance his Combates the savage and bruitish Assaults of Tyrants the flaming Furnace and the happy Consummation of the Martyr and a Table in which was Jesus Christ in Humane shape over-looking the Combate If we were of the mind of your Convertors we would hide such things as you might very well be ignorant in but we are sincere in our Confessions as we are willing to be in our Defence and Allegations 1. For first we do maintain That in the fourth Age the Church had as yet a horrour for all Worship of Images They begun to introduce them into Churches only for Ornament And if your Convertors do produce to you any thing of these Ages which seems to signifie that they Adored Images hold it for certain that they are false passages or taken from false and suppositious Books 2. We do maintain That the use of painting Historical Tables in Churches did not begin till about the end of the fourth Age And before Gregory Nissen of Capadocia who lived about the Year 380 we do not find any mention thereof among the Ancients 3. In the third place you ought to know That this Custom was then very rare and that we cannot discover any Churches but those of Cappadocia in Asia and a certain Church in Italy where Images were seen in their Temples 'T is true some quote a passage of St. Basil taken from his Homily upon the Martyr Barlaam by which they would prove that in the Chappel of this Martyr they had set the History of his Martyrdom for St. Basil there invites the Painters to represent magnificently the Combates of the Martyr But it is certain that the Painters to whom he speaks are Orators which he exhorts to represent well in their Discourses the glorious Sufferings of Barlaam But although it should be to Painters without Figure that Basil speaks as the City of Cesarea whereof he was Bishop was in Cappadocia this would serve to fortifie that which we maintain viz That this dangerous Custom of introducing Images into Churches was not any where else but in the Province of Cappadocia for no Author of this Age speaks of it but the Bishops of that Country unless it be Paulinus Bishop of Nola who tells us That he caused the Representation of the Sufferings of St. Faelix the Martyr to be put in the Chappel that was dedicated unto him Now 't is to be observed that this Paulinus Bishop of Nola fells us also two considerable things First That the Custom of placing of Pictures in Churches was very rare The second That that which put him upon doing it was a design to represent to the Eyes of the Country People those Combates the painting whereof would make more impression upon them than Descriptions made by the mouths of Orators Some peradventure will demand of me Faulinus Bibliothec Pat. Tom. 14. Edit Lugdu says he what was the reason which occasioned me to resolve to make the Figures of Animate Creatures to be painted in Sacred Houses seeing the Custom thereof is very rare And he adds That it was to try whether the sight of these enameld and raised Shadows of Colours would not make some impression upon the gross and stupid minds of the Vulgar He says also in the same place That his end was to employ these Dregs of the People in the Contemplation of these Figures on Feast days to the end that they might spend the less time in Debauchery Observe thereon that then it was very rare to see Pictures in Churches therefore they did not expose them to the Adoration of the People For Objects of Adoration and Worship ought to be known by all besides they were put there only for the use of the Vulgar 't was not therefore to give any Worship to them for they are not only Country People which are obliged to Religious Worship To conclude Paulinus says expresly That it was only for Commemoration and not for Worship 'T is therefore from this good but superstitious man
they have taken away half thereof they give but one part of the Sacrament and by so doing give nothing They have made private Masses contrary to the Institution of Jesus Christ and the custom of all sound Antiquity To conclude What have they not done to disfigure the Worship of God How many vain and ridiculous Ceremonies and of no use How many signs of the Cross holy Waters Exorcisms Agnus Dei's and other Toys And above all they cover this with the Vail of an unknown Tongue they speak Latine to the Peasants of France Germany and Spain who are edified by what is said as much as if they spake Arabick Behold my Brethren a very short but very true Picture of Popery After this will you think that our Separation was unjust You will yet say that we must bear many things and that 't is a Religion in which a man may conveniently enough be saved In the Name of God do not say that this Picture is extravagant and that you do not see all this therein For 't is a true Description of Popery such as it hath been in France as well as elsewhere for more than seven or eight hundred years There is no man that knows any thing of Antiquity that can dissent from it 't is yet at this day the Popery of Italy Spain Portugal and all Countries where the Reformation hath not been tollerated Yet at this day do the people of Spain and Portugal know any thing of God and of Jesus Christ but the Names The Object of their Devotion is an Image which works Miracles on the top of a Mountain or in some Church of a Monastery and their Piety spends itself in Foolish and Pagan Processions in which there are mingled all those things which may render a Show ridiculous and Devotion impious We wish you could hear those which being banished from this Country a while since by the order of the Court of France are again returned hither The Bible is imprisoned in those unhappy Countries An illustrious Fugitive carried one of them thither the Inquisition who laid hands on him seized it and kept it as you keep a dangerous Enemy and never could that illustrious Exile get it out of their hands till he came out of the Country then they permitted this dangerous Book to carry its poyson elsewhere God grant that you may give attention to all this to the end that you may remain fully perswaded that your Fathers were obliged to separate from the Church of Rome and that you cannot return thither without Damnation WE shall now give you that which we omitted in our last Letter 't is the History of some Cruelties exercised at Valence by Rapine which deserve to be consecrated to the memory of all Ages of the Church First you shall know how he treated the Daughters of that illustrious Martyr Monsieur d'Cross and thereby at the same time you will learn after what manner he labours in the Conversion of all others When these Gentlewomen were arrived and delivered into his hands he separated them and put them in differing Dungeons filled with Dirt and Ordure he took away their Cloaths and Linnen and sent them to an Hospital to enquire for Shifts which had been many Weeks and sometimes many Months upon Bodies covered with the Itch Ulcers and Carbuncles full of matter and putrefaction after this manner he cloathed the Daughters of Monsieur d'Cross This Villain gives them nothing to support their Lives but a little Water and Bread which Doggs would not eat Rapine visits them many times in the day with his Lacques by whom he strips them and gives them many blows with a Bull 's Pisle and he himself beats them with his Cane on the body and upon the very face itself in such a manner that they have nothing of humane shape remaining he breaks them with so many blows that they are not able to set one foot before another nor lift their hand to their mouth nor move their arms besides this he causes them to be plunged many times in a day in a deep Mire moistened with stinking water he draws them not from thence till they have lost all sense and knowledge at last they faint under these Torments which have no example in the History of the most barbarous Pagans after which they were exported to a Convent where they are having neither form nor figure covered with wounds from head to foot This we have received from an honest Man who saw them in this frightful state Mademoiselle d'Farelle of Nismes is at this day in the hands of this Villain with many other Gentlewomen The Parliament of Greenoble a little while since sent him twenty five or twenty six persons both men and women to be converted by these ways and methods Monsieur the Baron d'Faugere of Languedock whose Fidelity is known to all those who know his person met the Rector of the Jesuites of Nismes at S. Esprit who told him he was going to Valence to labour in the Conversion of an obstinate Hugenot who had resisted all the means that they had made use of And a few days after meeting the same Gentleman told him That he could prevail nothing and that he had said to Rapine that no body but he could be successful therein and that he ought to labour in it So that this poor Gentlewoman with many others have without doubt passed the ingenious Cruelties of this famous Hangman We may very well boast that he has given us an example of Courage and Constancy which may dispute it with all the ancient and modern Martyrs 'T is the famous Monsieur Menurett an Advocate of Montlimar he was eminent throughout his Conversation for an exemplary Life and Devotion when the Missionary Dragoons were sent into Dauphine and to Montlimar he strengthened all persons about him by his Exhortation and Example The Governour of Montlimar caused him to be arrested they put him three Months into something like a Chamber where he had nothing to lye on but a sorry Matt. After these three Months they put him into a hideous Dungeon He went thither full of joy comforting his Friends who wept and bewailed him as they accompanied him thither He told them they ought to rejoyce that God did him the favour to suffer for his Name He was six months in this noisome Dungeon and there became Dropsical They drew him from thence to carry him to Valence and put him into the hands of Rapine which is the last tryal to which they put the Faith of the Martyrs of that Country Rapine drew near to him with the countenance of a Lyon and with words like roaring concluding We will see whether thou wilt be so obstinate in my hands He put him into the entry of a Chamber under which ran all the sinks of the Hospital even those of the Bogg-houses and Jaques and for a bed they gave him a Plank This place was opposite by another little entry to the Chappel
many passages to prove Transubstantiation says that (d) Mistagog 4. under the Figure of Bread is given to us the Body and under the Figure of Wine is given to us the Blood. And St. Gregory Nazianzen saith (e) Orat. 42. that we are made partakers of the Passover but always figuratively altho' our Passover be much more clear than that of the ancients for the legal Passover I dare say was a dark Figure of another Figure i.e. of the Eucharist St. Jerome saith (f) In Jerem. cap. 3. lib. 2. advers Jovin that the Figure of the Blood of Jesus Christ is made with Wine and elsewhere that Jesus Christ hath offered not Water but Wine for the Figure of his Blood. Theodoret saith (g) Dialog 3. 1. that the Eucharist is the Figure of the Passion and that the Sacred Nourishment is the Figure of his Body and his Blood. In these Passages the Ancients make use of the word Type which exactly signifies Figure They have also expressed the Nature of the Sacrament by the word Antitype which signifies an opposite Figure or a Figure that has respect unto the thing signified as one Pillar answers to another which is placed just over against it So the Author of the Constitutions attributed to the Apostles saith (a) Lib. 5. cap. 13. that our Lord gave to his Disciples the Mysteries which are the Figures answering to his precious Body and Blood and that we celebrate the Figures answering to the Body and Blood of our Lord. In the Liturgy ascribed to St. Basil 't is said (b) Lib. 6 29. we beseech thee by offering the Figures of the Body and Blood of thy Christ St. Cyril of Jerusalem saith (c) Mystag 5. that we taste the Figures answering to the Body and Blood of our Lord. Theodoret saith (d) Dialog 2. that the Divine Mysteries are the Figures answering to the true Body Can any thing be more express than all this unless it be what we see with our eyes In proper terms they tell us that the Sacrament in nothing but an Image Eusebius Bishops of Cesarea saith (e) Demonst lib. 8. That Jesus Christ commanded his Disciples to make the Image of his own Body Procopius upon Genesis saith (f) Cap. 49. that Jesus Christ gave to his Disciples the Image of his Body And Pope Gelasius or some Author of the same Age saith (g) Gelas de duabus nat certainly the Image or the Similitude of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ is celebrated in the Mystery This therefore shews us plain enough what we ought to believe concerning Jesus Christ our Lord even that which we profess that which we celebrate and that which we receive in his Image I do not think that Zuinglius and Calvin have spoken more plainly and significantly To conclude they call the Bread and the Wine Symbols a word which every one knows signifies as much as the word Figure Eusebius saith * Demonst lib. 1. cap. 10. We have learnt to make a Memorial of this Sacrifice upon the Table with the Symbols of his Body and Bloud And St. Chrysostom ‖ Hom. 83. in Matth. If Jesus Christ be not dead of what are the consecrated things the Symbols And Theodoret * 1 Cor. c. 11. When we shall have the presence of our Lord we shall have no more need of the Symbols of his Body Nothing is so common in the Fathers as these Expressions To partake in the Symbols of our Lord to take the Symbols to burn the Symbols c. These same Fathers do give us the same Reasons of the Names Body and Bloud which are give to the Bread and Wine that we our selves give of them 'T is because they are the effectual Representations of the Flesh and Bloud of Jesus Christ If the Sacraments saith St. Austin †Epist 23. ad Bonifac. had no resemblance of those things whereof they are Sacraments they would be no Sacraments and 't is because of this Resemblance that they take the name of the things themselves as in the Sacrament of the Body of Jesus Christ the Sacrament of his Body and of his Bloud are in some sort his Body and Bloud It seems to me that a person must be prodigiously blind to believe that he which speaks thus does not think as we do The same St. Austin saith elsewhere * Serm. ad Infantes apud Bertram How is the Bread his Body and that which is in the Cup his Bloud My Brethren these things are called Sacraments because 't is one thing that is there seen and another thing which is understood that which is seen is a corporeal Species and that which is understood is a spiritual Benefit and Advantage To what end does he take this compass of discourse and why does he not answer without scruple 'T is because the Body of Christ Jesus is really there after the words of Consecration An Article of Controversie An Answer to the Prejudices which some persons have raised against our Separation from the Actions the Conduct and the Personal Qualities of the Authors thereof WE have finished our Answer to the Sophisms which they propose unto you on the subject of our Separation by making it evident to you that it does not hazard your salvation that it was necessary and that it was just But before we pass to other Questions which respect the Church we must say something concerning those who made this Separation for 't is the most fruitful Source and Fountain of Illusions and a Subject of perpetual Harangues and Declamations And this we owe especially to a Woman of Quality among those which are called new Converts who places the little Edification that our Reformers have given to the World or rather the Scandal which they have given to it by their Conduct and Divisions as one of the Reasons which hath most affected her and prevailed on her to embrace the Roman Religion 'T is a subject on which an infinite number of Books have been made to which I might send you were it not that Books are taken from you for the most part besides my designe being to spare you the labour of reading great Books I am to abridge and reduce what our Authors have said thereon to the compass and extent of a Letter Behold then the Accusations which they form against the Authors of the Separation which I have justified in my preceding Letters 1. That these pretended Reformers did no Miracles to support their extraordinary Mission and their new Gospel 2. That they led a scandalous life and such as had no conformity with the Spirit of a Reformed Gospel which they boasted to bring into the World. 3. That there appears in their Expressions a dark Malignity and an implacable Hatred against the Roman Church and that their Books are full of cruel Injuries both against the Roman Religion and against its Doctors a thing absolutely contrary to the Spirit of Charity 4.
That they are divided into three Sects of which Zuinglius Calvin and Luther made themselves the Heads That if the Spirit of God had sent them to Reform the Church he would also have united them in this great design and have inspired them with the same thoughts and the same apprehensions 5. To conclude they say that they have rent and torn each other by transports of Passion which are the true Characters of false Pastors and false Christians As to the first Objection I cannot avoid baptizing it by its own name and calling it an Impertinence Why should our Reformers work Miracles and why were they obliged thereunto When Jehu reformed the Church of Israel pull'd down the Temples of Baal broke in pieces his Statues rooted out his Prophets and abolished his Worship did he work Miracles or had he any need thereof Was it any spot to that Holy Reformation that Josiah made when he re-established the Service of God which was almost wholly under a heap of forreign Idolatries that he wrought no Miracles When Theodosius the Great reformed the Christian Church and drove away Arianism which was become the reigning Religion did he do Miracles or had he any need thereof There is no need to work Miracles but when men bring a new Religion and a new Revelation For that reason the Apostles wrought Miracles because they had a new Revelation to propose to the World. They brought a Gospel unknown to Jews and Gentiles and opposite to the prejudices of the one and the other We brought no new Gospel into the World we propounded the Old and the New Testament the one and the other were received without contradiction by all those Christians which we desired to reform When it shall please God to convert the Jews to Christianity according to his promises there is much probability that he will send them some Prophets which will work Miracles and that will be necessary For although the Gospel-Revelation be already manifested and we have the Books of the Evangelists and the Apostles nevertheless this is nothing with respect to the Jews because they do not esteem our Books Canonical but believe the Apostles to be Cheats and Impostors There is therefore need of new Miracles to recover them from their prejudices and oblige them to give attention to the truth But as for us it was in no wise necessary to work Miracles to establish that Book whereof we served our selves Otherwise as often as the Kings of Judah produced the Law of Moses to make Reformation in their Church they had been obliged to work Miracles They had nothing else to do but to produce the Book and make it evident that the Abominations which had been introduced into Religion were either forbidden or not commanded there Behold all that they had to do behold all that we have to do and 't is to misunderstand the Conduct of God and the Spirit of the Gospel to imagine that the truth cannot be commended to Unbelievers but by Miracles How many millions of men have been converted to Christianity since the days of the Apostles and the cessation of the gift of Miracles Miracles are designed to deliver men from their evil prejudices and to endue them with such as are good that they may hearken to the truth Men that believe not the Christian Religion but only for the sake of its Miracles are very ill-Christians And among those which became Converts by the preaching of the Apostles those who had no other reason to embrace this New Religion but the Miracles which they saw done by those which preacht it were very miserable Converts such persons are the seed of Apostacy and adhere to the Church but by a very feeble root We ought to adhere to it for the love of truth now 't is the knowledge of the truth and not the sight of Miracles which gives birth to the love thereof If Miracles be not necessary for the Conversion of Unbelievers with far greater reason they cannot be of necessity for the bringing back of wandring Christians to the right way For there needs no more but to shew them the holy Scripture which so exactly marks out the path in which they ought to walk As to what they say that those who will establish a new Ministry must have Miracles for the support of it 't is an Affair to be treated on elsewhere We have already said something concerning it and we shall have yet farther occasion to speak of it and shew that we have no more established a new Ministry than we have introduced a new Gospel Where there is no new Revelation there is no new Ministry our Ministry is that of the Apostles because our Doctrine is theirs The second Accusation which they make against the Authors of our Seperation is their Scandalous Life There is no probability say your Converts that God should suffer so strange an Alliance as that would be of a great abundance of the Spirit of Light on the one part and of so great disorders of Manners on the other And thereon they publish a hundred ugly stories to cry down the Memory of Luther Zuinglius Calvin Martyr Beza c. First we say that truth is truth without any dependance on those who declare it Your Converters have said somewhere That the Citizens of Babel may sometimes build Jerusalem 'T is a truth so certain that to deny it a man must be ignorant and false For in all Ages there have been very Evil men who have defended the part of truth and who have even maintained it against Hereticks whose Conduct and Manners have been very regular and oftentimes more edifying than that of the Orthodox We must not form a prejudice against the Doctrine upon the ill Conduct of those which preach it we must judge of Truth by it self So that although it should be true that our Reformers were such as they report them nevertheless it would behove us to see whether these Citizens of Babel were not the Builders of Zion But God forbid that we should have no other fortification to defend our selves We have made to appear the innocence of the Lives of the Authors of our Separation by Apologies of so much strength that their Calumniators have been covered with Confusion and the most part of our most resolved Enemies have been obliged to renounce them The Bolsacs the Bertheliers the Florimond de Raymonds and other like Calumniators ought to be the Horror and Execration of all Honest men The Author of the Legitimate Prejudices against the Calvanists and other like Authors who are willing to preserve themselves in the Esteem of Honest men fortifie and establish themselves upon notorious matters of fact such is for example Marriage of Priests Persons who have made a Vow of Chastity say they and who were obliged to celibate by so many Oaths have violated their Vows in the face of the Sun they have opened Cloysters to take Wives from thence and so have committed a
she is visible in this old age an corruption as she was visible in her youth and purity so that neither her youth nor her old age neither purity nor corruption signifie any thing to Visibility The case is the same concerning the Perpetuity of the Ministery the Ministery is perpetual therefore 't is incorruptible Deny that consequence without scruple for 't is false but some will say Does not the Lord teach with those Pastors which follow one another in the order of Ages Answer Ye because these Pastors teach the three Creeds conformably to the Holy Scriptures Jesus Christ teaches with them and they with Jesus Christ But because they teach beyond the three Creeds Idolatrous and superstitious Doctrines they teach against Jesus Christ My Brethren that which I have said unto you in this and the preceding Letter is sufficient to make you understand what is the perpetual Visibility of the Church Read it and read it again until you understand and possess it very well and you will easily answer the two Sophisms which your Adversaries put upon you The first is That if the Church hath not been always visible the Pagans for a thousand or twelve hundred years before Luther's Reformation had no door open to their conversion For how should they be converted and how should they find the Church if she were invisible Now 't is a prodigy contrary to all reason and probability that God for the space of so many Ages should hold the door of the Church close and hidden Besides this is contrary to History and Experience which learns us that the most part of the Northern Nations Sweden Denmark Poland and many Provinces of Germany did not receive the Christian Faith till since the eighth Age i. e. since the time that Antichristianity was mixed with the Christian Doctrine For the Roman Church began according to us to be Antichristian before the sixth Age. This is a difficulty which they propose to you to which you ought to answer That according to what we have told you we do not teach that the Church became invsible by the Antichristianity which is entered there she is corrupt but she continues visible Christianity hath not failed to continue its integrity in Popery therefore the Church remains intirely there I have told you that Christianity and the Church are the same thing This Christianity continuing visible in the Books of the Old and New Testament and in the three Creeds which the providence of God hath preserved in Popery the door of conversion hath been always open to the Pagan Nations for Jesus Christ crucified and his true Mysteries have not failed to preserve their force and efficacy in despight to all the Darkness which the bastard Mysteries of Antichristianity have brought in thither There hath been Conversion and Perversion and Perversion in the Pagan Nations which have joyn'd themselves to the Church of Rome since the eighth Age. There hath been Conversion for they have entertained one God in three Persons one God Creator of Heaven and Earth one Jesus the Eternal Son of God the Word made Flesh who died and rose again for the Sins of Men who will come to Judge the Living and the Dead and having raised men from their Graves will send some men to everlasting Torments and some to the Kingdom of Heaven This is Christianity by receiving this they became Converts to Jesus Christ There hath been Perversion also for by receiving a Vicar of Jesus Christ a Vice-God upon Earth a Soveraign to all the World a Master of Kings as of Subjects of Crowns as of Shepherds Crooks by adoring Bread Angels Saints Reliques and Images they have done nothing else but changed their ancient Paganism for a new one But however it be their Perversion has not hindered their Conversion and that they have entertained Antichristianity hinders not that they have not embraced also the Christian Doctrine So that the Gate of Conversion to Christianity was never shut But the question is Whether this Gate be saving whether these Conversions be profitable or whether we ought to say of the Missionaries of the Roman Church what Christ Jesus said of the Pharisees That they compass sea and land to make Proselites whom they made twofold more children of hell than themselves The question is Whether the Antichristianity which they have embraced hath more power to destroy them than the Christianity which they have received hath to save them It behoves you to answer that these People who are joyned to the Church of Rome since the eighth Age have some portion and lot with her ancient Members that God doth nothing in vain that he hath not converted so many men to Christianity to destroy them all though it be a corrupt Christianity which in the times when there were no Churches which were not very corrupt as well as the Church of Rome it may be granted that God did preserve unto himself children in these corrupt Societies that in these Pagan Nations which are joyned to the Church of Rome God had his Elect and that he found means to save these Elect from among the Nations by the Christianity which they had embraced and that he gave them the grace to separate the Antichristianity and not to be hurt or injured thereby How this was done is not for us precisely to determine These are the depths of the ways of God. We will say the same concerning the Conversions which the Roman Church hath made in the Indies that God saves his Elect from among these Nations by the Christianity which the Missionaries cause them to embrace and defends them from the wounds and hurts which the Antichristianity that is joyned unto it might do unto them by ways known to his profound Wisdom We might believe this say I were it not that according to the report that the Papists themselves make unto us of the Christianity which the Jesuites teach the Indians and the Chinesees is not so much as an honest Paganism This is it which must be answered to the first Difficulty Behold the second If you confess say they that the Church is visible and always visible the Church of Luther and Calvin cannot be the true Church for it was not visible two hundred years agon having no existence in the World. When you shall have made a dissection of this Difficulty you will find it the most pittiful one that ever was made Know then my Brethren that when we say the Church was visible and always visible we understand the Church Universal and not any particular Church By the Universal Church must be understood Christianity dispersed through all Nations in the East West North and South in all places where they retain the Books of the Old and New Testament with the three Greeds which are the Abridgment of them This Church is always visible for God cannot permit that she perish wholly nor yet that it be wholly hidden but the particular Churches of which the Universal Church is made
not invocate Saints in the three first Ages of the Church I find afterwards the Invocation of Saints about the end of the fourth Age. Is not this to observe the point of its birth what does the name of the first Author signifie in this case Besides superstitious and idolatrous Practices had not one single Author they had many 't is the sottish and ill instructed people who introduce Superstitions and who introduce them insensibly and by little and little But for speculative Heresies 't is the learned which give them birth for which reason 't is easie to mark both their Authors and the precise time of their original Fifthly To conclude I observe in this light which Mr. Nicholas forms to us to make the Church of Rome visible there is no more of sound judgment than of honesty For although even all that he says were solid and his method would prove the Invocation of Saints the Adoration of Reliques Lent c. were Apostolical Traditions this would not prove that which ought to be proved here viz. that the Church of Rome is the only true Church For it must be known that the Greek Church which according to the Papists is schismatical and which a man cannot secure his salvation do also invocate Saints worship Images and observe Lent. 'T is therefore necessary to find in Tradition a proof which makes it evident that the Church of Rome is the true Church with exclusion to all other Sects and this is it which the reasoning of Mr. Nicholas doth not prove neither directly nor indirectly The other Source from whence Mr. Nicholas will draw a light by Tradition to make the Church of Rome visible to the weak is yet more dark and obscure 'T is a ratiocination which supposes 1. That Tradition teaches that there hath been a visible and infallible Church in the World. Tradition doth not teach it and although it should teach it a plain weak man which cannot read the Greek and Latin Fathers the Councils and the Opinions of the Doctors would not be in a condition to assure himself thereof 2. This reasoning supposes in its second Proposition that the Church of Rome is this only visible infallible Church And this is that which must be proved that is that which is obscure and must be made plain to the eyes of the weak Is it not therefore very absurd to pretend to make a light for the weak to render the Roman Church visible of that which is denied and contested by all the World yea although it should be true that there is one visible and infallible Church it would not follow that this were the Church of Rome for three fourth parts of Christians dispute this priviledge with her Mr. Nicholas hath found an admirable secret to draw the weak out of this difficulty It is not needful as he insinuates to make known to the weak that there be other Sects as ancient as the Church of Rome who pretend to be the Church Nothing more is necessary than to make them see the new Sects of Lutherans and Calvinists in opposition to the Church of Rome For they will easily see that this visible Church which ought always to be in the World cannot be that of Luther and Calvin and they will not be so much as tempted to search any other Church but that of Rome I think I have pressed Mr. Nicholas thereon after such a manner as to cover him with a confusion out of which he will never escape For I have made him see that it is properly to cheat the weak to let them believe there is no other Church in the World but the Roman and the Protestant The Protestant Church not having the marks of perpetual visibility since she was not till about two hundred years ago the weak without inquiring further believe that the Roman Church is the only true Church on supposition that she is the only ancient Church Mr. Nicholas confesses that this supposition is false for he acknowledges the Greek Church is as ancient as the Roman But nevertheless according to him 't is expedient to permit the weak to believe this false supposition as if it were true that they be not tempted to search any other Church but the Roman On this matter of fact and about all the rest of the Book against Mr. Nicholas we do declare to him that his silence is look'd upon as a conviction They write that he prepares an Answer to the first Part of the System of the Church where the Nature of the Church is spoken to If it be so we declare to him that that is not the capital Controversie between him and me 'T is about the impossibility of examination of particular Controversies 't is about the Authority of the Church which he ought to answer and to which he will never answer the 2d light which Mr. Nicholas forms to make the Church of Rome visible is drawn from the external marks which make her known for the true Church to the weak and ignorant These external marks according to him may be reduced to two they are Miracles and Sanctity Now this Sanctity and these Miracles which must make the Roma Church visible are either those of the present or those of past Ages Mr. Nicholas searches the visibility of the Church of Rome more in the Miracles of the first Ages than in those of this And behold how he reasons the Church of the two or three first Ages had marks sufficiently evident of the Divine Spirit wherewithal she was animated the miraculous Holiness of her Members and the Miracles which were done there made her sufficiently visible and sufficiently supported her authority If the Church of the three first Ages had this character both of authority and evidence we cannot refuse it to the Church of the fourth Age for 't was the same Church She possessed all the advantages of the three first Ages That is to say her Miracles and her Prodigies of Sanctity which appertained to her by right of succession and she had those which were her own and which were not inferiour to them For she had her Martyrs her Prodigies of Sanctity and her Miracles and these Miracles were done in that same Church where by the confession of the Ministers they prayed to Saints and worshipped Reliques These Prodigies of Sanctity and these Miracles did yet continue in those Ages in which the Ministers do confess that they had Images and believed Transubstantiation For example in the Age of St. Bernard which is the 12th This St. Bernard wrought Miracles and taught all that which is believed in the Church of Rome Follow on from Age to Age and you will come even to the Church of the present Age who hath right to attribute to her self not only the Miracles of the Apostles but all those which have been wrought since and above all those which were done by the Reliques of Saints in the fourth and fifth Ages As the Miracles which St. Austin reports