and keep the publick Archives of a People they tell us that no man should dare to look toward the writing of a History that is not Master of a great Industry and unwearied Diligence in collecting all sorts of Materials for the raising such a Fabrick of a searching judgment and sublime acumen to preserve him from being impos'd on by falshood and led by an ignis fatuus instead of true and genuine light and above all of a severe and unbyast honesty that will undauntedly tell the truth and discourse not as a party but an impartial and unprejudic'd Relator and as the Author must be thus furnish'd So they tell us Lips not in lib. 1. Politic. cap. 9. his Productions must have these similar accomplishments 1. Truth in the veracity of all passages that nothing be altered conceal'd or diminish'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lucian ubi supr p. 351. for he is a betrayer of verity not only who tells a lye but who does not freely tell the truth and that man who hath not laid aside all affection and partiality forgot his Country and Relations and is in love only with Sincerity is unfit to be an Historian How unworthily hath Socrates of old made every passage of his Church History that relates to the Novatian controversie favourable to that Schism How does he claw the Phrygians the greatest Body of that Faction and praise them for their Abstinence and other Christian virtues and at the same time depreciate Saint John Chrysostome and blame him for his heat and ungovern'd passions for his craft and injustice In like manner how does Philostorgius use all his art to make the Arian dogma pass for the only Orthodoxy How does he celebrate Aëtius and the other prime Assertors of that impious Heresie but discountenance Athanasius hardly allowing him to be honest or learned And to omit others hath not the famous Baronius done so who would have merited more than the World could have paid him Ut. eujus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 atque industriam neque mirari neque praedicare satis possumus ejus fidem innumeris in locis vel inviti cogamur desiderare Casaub Epist dedicat ante exercit adv Baron had he always throughout his Annals sacrific'd on the Altar of Truth whereas now while we can never sufficiently admire or magnifie his infinite reading variety of learning and industry we are compell'd to complain of his want of fidelity 2. Plainness in an orderly and perspicuous disposal of narrations of the causes effects and circumstances why how and to what purpose affairs were managed without which says Polybius any Essay of this nature is rather a ridiculous Fable than a sober Story which plainness must also be observ'd in the Style that it be not abstruse or intricate Poetical or bombast ragged or dull but continued with great evenness and a taking smoothness 3. Judgment not publishing things on hear-say or stuffing a Book with Enthusiastick Legends and strange performances or oracular Dreams and Visions the great fault of Gregory Turonensis and them that succeeded him which made some question whether any man should be allowed to write a History who had not been on the place and an eye-witness of the transactions nor yet intermixing trifling and foolish circumstances wild impertinent and absurd narrations such as Saint Francis's calling the Swallows and Grashoppers the Hares and Lambs Brothers and Sisters in Antoninus or his undertaking to teach a Sheep to adore the Eucharist in Bonaventure and a thousand such equally to be rank'd with the prudence of that German who among other instances of the humility modesty and condescension of one of their Henries reckons this that he was well contented to mend his own Breeches whereas nothing insignificant or trifling should debase the grandeur of a History nothing should be intersperst but what is necessarily subservient to the illustration of Affairs And if such exact care fidelity and discretion ought to be exerted in the Records of our secular concerns how much more studiously should the matters of our biggest and best Interests be managed That the History of the Church suffer not at the hands of its profest Friends whose negligence or ignorance whose want of wit or honesty may signally disserve Religion for I suppose no man is now to be convinc'd how conducive the acquaintance with those primitive and purest Ages is to the fitting a man for the noblest and most sacred researches since that Maxime of the most learned Viscount Saint Albans hath hitherto commenc'd Oracle Advancement of Learning p. 105. Edit Angl. 1633. That it is not Saint Austins or Saint Ambrose 's Works that will make so wise a Divine as Ecclesiastical History well read and observed And that though Bellarmine was a man of vast Parts and his Controversies deservedly famous Montague against Selden of Tithes p. 19 yet that it is Baronius who is the Atlas of that Church and that the surest way to confound oppositions and Schismaticks in controverted cases of Discipline were to have the Face of the Primitive Church-Polity drawn to the Life out of the authentick Writings and especially the Epistles of the antient Fathers at least till the time of the Chalcedon Council inclusively for he must be a man of a Brazen-Face and a Leaden Heart that will opine or oppose against the well known and allowable practices of the Ancients But Ecclesiastical History like the Church whose Amanuensis it was had its infancy and youth its maturity and old Age and after all an unexpected renovation and return to its briskness and vigour The first Essay towards an account of the affairs of the Church after what the Evangelical Registers give us was undertook by those Notaries who probably circ an Chr. 92. Pontificat in vit Clement tom 1. Concil were deputed by Saint Clemens the Bishop of Rome in his own Church and likely by other Prelates after his example in theirs to transcribe the Acts of the Martyrs the particulars of their Discourses and the circumstances of their Sufferings that in those Ages of persecutions others might be encouraged to ambition the same Crown Vetustissima Ecclesiae martyria quorum lectione piorum animus ita afficitur ut nunquam satur inde recedat Certè ego nihil unquam â—n Historia Ecclesiasticâ vidi à cujus lectione commotior recedam ut non amplius meus esse videar De actis Martyrii Polycarpiani c. Jos Scaliger not in Euseb Chron. an MMCLXXXIII p. 202. Edit Lugdun Bat. 1606. But this course not being found sufficient to transmit all the illustrious transactions of the Church to Posterity * Euseb Hist lib. 4. cap. 8. Steph. Gobarus apud Phot. cod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 472. Hegesippus circ an 168. sets about the writing a Body of Ecclesiastical History in his five Books of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Commentaries and because his Memoires as to matter of Fact were very
a Vindication of it His works What extant and what lost His Octapla his Style and the causes of his condemnation The quarrel between S. Chrysostom and Epiphanius thereupon The Church was accustomed to Excommunicate Hereticks after their death Origen's Errors and whence imbibed An Apology for him The Platonick Opinion concerning the Resurrection His character and Encomia from all sorts of Writers Christian Jewish and Heathen Some peculiar remarks in his Life The Title of Martyr was usually given to the confessors of Old but themselves modestly resus'd it The time of his death Life of Saint Cyprian He is inconsiderately confounded with Cyprian the Magician the Servant of Justina The junior Cyprian was never Arch-Bishop of Antioch The Carthaginian Primate was made a Convert by his Country-man Caecilius who was the same person that bears a part in the Dialogue of Minutius Foelix Donatus was Cyprian's immediate Predecessor in that See Who the Libellatici properly were the different customs of the Churches of that Age in allowing or condemning the purchase of such Libels of security from the Heathen Magistrate Saint Cyprian's exemplary humility and charity The Adulteration of his works by the Romanists The Primacy of Saint Peter what His genuine Writings and style The power of the people in electing their Prelates discust They had a priviledge conceded them to except against the manners of the Candidate for holy Orders and in some places to nominate but that power on their tumultuous and disorderly proceedings soon taken from them A Vindication of his reputed erroneous Opinions That Charity purges away Sins That a man may tender satisfaction to God as well as to the Church To communicate Infants a Catholick custom Authority and Reason for it Mixing Water with Wine in the Eucharist A Discourse of the duration of Miracles in the Christian Church especially of Prophecy the cure of Daemoniacs and raising the Dead Miracles no mark of a true Church The vain and empty boastings of the Romanists in this case The time of Cyprian's Martyrdom Two Temples erected to his memory and a Festival His honourable character Saint Austin's Homily in his commendation Life of Lactantius His Country Italy The design of his Institutions to stifle the Objections of two virulent Adversaries of Christian Religion Of whom Hierocles was one but Porphyry not the other Lactantius his Errors The Fathers were not very wary in asserting the Divinity of the Son and Holy Ghost till the appearance of Arius and Macedonius The praeexistence of the soul Merit The excellency of Charity That sins of ignorance damn not Whether the wicked shall arise at the day of Judgment and how His great learning and extream poverty Life of Saint Athanasius His Baptizing his play-fellows vindicated Baptism by Laicks in case of instant necessity connived at in the Primitive Church The Schismatical Ordinations of Coluthus condemn'd and Ischyras degraded who after was made a Bishop by the Arian faction Arsenius his appearing at Tyre to the vindication of Athanasius An account of the death of Arius Gregory and George the Cappadocian usurp the See of Alexandria The last of them cruelly slain What books of this Father are genuine The Saturday was observ'd as a Fast at Rome and Alexandria and the reasons of it but as a Festival in the rest of the Christian world and the reasons of that custome it is yet so retained in all the Churches of the East and South Nine Orders of Angels anciently asserted agreeable to Scripture That the glorified Saints pray for some persons in particular The retention of Images The distinction of sins into venial and mortal Divers Orders of Monks Penance Prayers for the dead Anti-Christ who the holy Table frequently called Altar The Eucharist a sacrifice how an unbloody sacrifice The Doctrine of the Procession of the Father by the Son was the ancient belief An Historical account of the addition filioque and of the just grounds of the Greek Church to keep to the ancient Creeds The life of S. Antony writ by Athanasius The genuineness of the Epistles between Pope Marc and Athanasius controverted That Christ descended locally into Hell The Father 's not in complete bliss till his Resurrection Circumcision was a sign of Baptism Athanasius's Death and character The famous men of his name S. Greg. Nazianzen's Panegyrick on him The Life of Saint Hilary of Poictiers The legend of his Condemnation at Rome under Pope Leo. The ancient division of France rectyfied by Augustus What Countryman Saint Hilary was the great confusion in Historians when men of the same name are cotemporaries When Saint Hilary was banish'd and by whom His honourable mention in the Writings of the Ancients The Tractate de numero septenario is not his Venantius Fortunatus who and how he came to be Bishop of Poictiers Saint Hilary's Poems His Books de Trinitate are his master-piece The Epistle to his Daughter Abra. His Fragment of the Council at Ariminum His Style The Interpolation of his works That he did believe the Divinity of the holy Ghost His Errors candidly considered and apologiz'd His Opinion of the holy Spirit Of our Saviours being without passions Of our being the Sons of God by Nature How all things were created at once His Opinion of Free-will his Death and Character ERRATA Besides mis-pointings and Words printed in an improper Châ—racter the Reader is desired to Correct as follows In the Book P. 4. l. 9. for by r. to p. 10. l. 13. r. Epistle p. 16. l. 9. r. pag. ¾ p. 18. l. 23. r. whence p. 28. l. ult r. rite p. 32. l. 2. r. ancient forms p. 34. l. 17. r. there p. 36. l. 26. and 32. r. thee p. 39. l. 4. r. Obsecrationum p. 52. l. 15. r. preceded p. 102. l. 7. dele as p. 103. l. 27. after ours r. is p. 104. â— dispossess p. 114. l. 21. del of all his Congregation p. 115. l. 23 â— meet p. 138. l. 29. del that p. 139. l. 12. del and. p. 148. l. 27. r. acute p. â—49 l. 32. r. disturber p. 152. l. 32. r. the. p. 158. l. 29. r. Mistresses p. 159. l. 1. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 164. l. 1 2. r. in the next Century p. 166. l. 29. r. l. 4. p. 175. l. 26. del as he continues p. 186. l. 2. r. to partake p. 194. l. 12. r. gamala p. 196. l. 11. r. Martyr p. 198. l. 8. r. more beautified p. â—07 l. 19. for in r. out of p. 214. l. 10. r. of Saint p. 237. l. 18. for i r. first p. 241. l. 18. r. no power p. 337. l. 10. r. Eulalius p. 348. l. 26. r. before that time p. 356. l. 22. r. the Heathen Magicians p. 371. l. 24. r. Quiriacus l. 28. r. Rescripts p. 390. l. 34. r. Saturnilus p. 406. l. 34. r. Callecas p. 421. l. 5. del whereas it p. 465. l. 7. r. Raynaudus In the Margin P. 27. l. marg 8. r. Cod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 37.
we find the same Form admitting a few Alterations which the Church of England uses in that tremendous Sacrament and indeed is the same abating a few Circumstances in the Liturgies of the whole Christian World among the Oriental and Western Christians the Syrians and Aegyptians the Abassines and Armenians the Melchites Jacobites and Nestorians who though in other things they disagree are herein united which makes me imagine their Ceremonies at this Sacrament so uniformly observed could flow from no other Fountain than that of the Apostles according to that Maxime of S. Austin that what is univerfally practised and was never instituted by a General Council must be imputed to the Apostles b Aug. Ep. 59. Paulino resp ad quaest 6. For the Vniversal Church had a set Service which she constantly used at the Celebration of the Sacrament whereof a part was perform'd before the Consecration of the Elements another during the Consecration and Distribution the Solemnity being alwayes concluded with the Lords Prayer the Eucharistical Hymns and the Priests benediction and that it was so from that passage Lift up your hearts to the end of the Communion Service I shall adventure to make appear from the most profound Antiquity XXVI For c Chrysost Tom. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 2 Cor. p. 647. after the Prayers of the Church which we call the first Service were finish'd and the Catechumens Energumeni and Paenitentes were dismist then began another Collect which only the Faithful said being prostrate on the Ground which I suppose was like that General Confession in our Books Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. then they arose and gave the holy kiss each to other after which the Priest being about to handle the tremendous Mysteries prayes over the people and the people pray for the Priest for what else mean those words and with thy spirit and when he returns with his new Invocation the people say it is meet and right so to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and then he begins not the Consecration of the Eucharistical Elements but the Angelick Hymn therefore with Angels and Arch-Angels c. and this is excellently agreeable to the Liturgy of that a Liturg. Chrysost Tâ—â— 6. p. 996 997. L. 8. c. 16. eminent Father I will brieflâ— consider the several parts XXVII The Sursum cordais mentioned by the b Author of the Apostolical Constitutions and he would poorly have made good his pretence who-ever put on that Mask had not this Hymn been instituted by those holy men and the Testimony will be very considerable if the Author of those Books be as some men conjecture Clemens of Alexandria We meet with it also as an Hymn of Universal Practice in c De Orat. Dominic p. 160. S. Cyprian in d Catech. mystagog 5. p. 241. S. Cyril of Hierusalem and in e Ep. 57. Ep. 120. c. 19. Ep. 156 de spirit lit c. 11. de bono perseverant c. 13. de vera relig c. 13. c. Vide Dr. Hamm. Letters to Cheynel p. 26 27. S. Austin frequently that we may omit Dionysius the Areopagite because not so ancient as pretended the famous Bishop of Hippo affirming That they were verba ab ipsis Apostolorum temporibus petita words derived to the Church from the days of the Apostles and S. Cyril telling us that they were traditionally derived down to his time and what was Tradition in his days could be little less than Apostolical and it is observable That the Liturgy which that ancient Father so largely and Learnedly explains in his Catechetick Lectures was the Liturgy of S. James which was then in use in his Church of Hierusalem then followed the Hymn therefore with Angels c. the Prayer which the Greek Churches call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which S. Chrysostom means when he says 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. thou singest and joinest Consort with those blest Spirits and Gregory f Tom. 1. p. 957. Nyssen says they are the words which the Seraphims with six Wings say when they sing the Hymns with the Christian Congregation and was doubtless the g Just M. Apol. 2. p. 97. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Eucharistical Hymn which was sung when the Christians brought Bread and Wine to the Priest which he receiving return'd Praises to God in the name of the Son and the holy Ghost The Form of Consecration of the Elements was says h Tom. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. in 2 Timoth. p. 339. S. Chrys of indispensible necessity and what was then retain'd in the Church was the same which Peter and Paul and Christ himself used at the Consecration of the sacred Symbols The Form is at large in i Tom. 4. lib. 4. de sucra cap. 4 5. p. 377. Edit Erasm S. Ambrose after this manner In what Form and in whose words is the Consecration made in the words of the Lord Jesus For in all the other Additionals thanks are given to God Suppliplications made for the people for Kings and all Orders of men this also k Apoleg c. 39. Tertullian mentions and l ubi supr Justin Martyr and S. m Ep. 119. c. 18. Austin call properly the Common Prayer like our Collect for the whole State of Christ's Church militant here on Earth but when he comes to Consecrate the venerable Sacrament then he no longer uses his own words but the words of Christ Which Form of Consecration he thus expresses a Ambr. ibid c. 5. the Priest says Make this Oblation prepared for us a reasonable and acceptable Sacrifice which is the Figure of the Body and Blood of our Master Jesus Christ who the day before he suffered took the Bread in his hands and look'd up to Heaven giving thanks to the Holy Father Almighty Eternal God he blessed it brake it and being so broken gave it to his Apostles and Disciples saying Take and eat ye all of it for this is my Body which shall be broken for many Likewise the day before he suffer'd after Supper he took the Cup and look'd up to heaven giving thanks to the holy Father Almighty eternal God he blessed it and delivered it to his Apostles and Disciples saying Take and drink ye all of it for this is my Blood See all these words are the words of the Evangelist till you come to Take my Body or my Blood Observe every particular he says who the night before he suffered took Bread in his sacred hands c. therefore it is to very great purpose and advantage that thou sayest Amen So S. Ambrose largely and to the parpose XXVIII The Form of administration was the same with ours b Cyrilaibi supra The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy Body and Soul unto everlasting Life and to this the people said Amen with a loud Voice After the Celebration of the Mysteries c
better Account of his last Actions whom we find buryed in silence by the Antients Only what Mr. H. p. 109 110. affirms That he out-lived his Master Pantaenus many years and yet dyed an 195. cannot be reconciled For Pantaenus flourished under Caracalla says St. Hierome the first year of whose Empire did not Commence till an 211. So that we cannot imagine St. Clemens to dye till circ an 220. at the least when probably he went into his Grave in Peace the Martyrologies of either Church allowing him no place though unjustly they having honored many persons that worse deserv'd that solemn Commemoration and more than a few that never swam to Heaven in their own Blood But it was their neglect and our unhappiness that we cannot Celebrate this brave person in an Encomium tantamount to his Worth THE LIFE OF Tertullian I. TErtullian was a man eminent for his Birth being of the Tribe Septimia of which there had been several Kings admirable for his great Endowments being well seen in all Learning and as the most antient so without controversie the best read of all the Latine Fathers and as famous for his fall his deserting the Catholick Church and suffering himself to be wheadled by the Disciples of Montanus but notwithstanding his Original was illustrious I cannot believe him to have been the Son of a Pro-Consul as Mr. H. p. 111. mistaking St. Hierome makes him for St. a Catal. v. Tertul. vid. Dr. Cave 's Life of Tert. p. 202. Hierome says his Father was Centurio Pro-Consularis i. a Centurion at Carthage under the Pro-Consul of Africk for I think we shall never find in the Roman History an ordinary Centurion intrusted with a Pro-Consular dignity II. Under his Father without doubt he had a liberal and ingenuous Education which furnisht him with those sublime parts that in his Writings exert themselves manifesting him a great Historian and excellent Orator in his African way and an acute Lawyer though that he pleaded at the Bar as Mr. H. p. 112. and others suggest is not so clear b Dr. Cave ibid. p. 203. the Argument from that passage in his Book De Pallio serving as well to prove him to have been a Soldier or a Courtier which Book was not Writ by Tertullian at his first Conversion as Mr. H. p. 113. out of Pamelius supposes c Baron Salmas apud eund p. 205. Prim. Christian part 2. cap. 3. but nine or ten years after when he entred into Holy Orders and so was obliged to change his Gown his ordinary habit for the Cloak Sacerdos Suggestus the Sacerdotal Habit as he calls it a Garb that denoted more Mortification and Contempt of the World and love of the best sort of Philosophy and continued till the time of d Socr. l. 7. c. 36. Sylvanus Bishop of Troas who refused to wear it and e Can. 12. the Council of Gangra condemn'd the wearing when it was presum'd there was much Holiness inherent in the Habit. And f Dr. Cave's Life of S. Justin p. 144. Ferri hoc non posse cùm ipsi capita supercilia sua radant si quando Isidis suscipiunt sacra si forte Christianus vir attentior sacrosanctae religioni vestes mutaverit indignum facinus appellant Ambr. l. 6. Ep. 36. ad Sabin in truth the sordid and mean black Coats of the Christian Monks were by Libanius Eunapius and others laid to their charge till it became Proverbial There goes a Greek Impostor because the Pallium was a Greek Habit as the Toga was a Roman III. In this I cannot but subscribe to that Learned Man whose name I reverence but must take leave to profess my dissent from him in another piece of Chronology when he fixes the Epocha of Tertullian's turning Montanist at the third or fourth year of the Emperor Caracalla and yet affirms that his Book De Corona was Writ the 7th year of Severus at the Creating his eldest Son Antoninus his Co-partner in the Empire and his youngest Geta Caesar for then we must grant Tertullian's fall to have been very early it being very plain to me that he was of that fond belief when he writ the Tractate De Corona Militis from these words a De Coron c. 1. with which he girds the Catholick Soldiers who wore their Garlands on their heads and thought it lawful to fly in time of Persecution which Montanus condemn'd They may be well allowed to fly from Martyrdome who have rejected the Prophecies of the Holy Spirit Where he can mean no other person but Montanus nor does he forbear on this account to rally the very Bishops of Rome in the succeeding words I have known their Prelates Lyons in peace but more timorous than Stags in times of difficulty And in the b Cap. 11. same Book he makes it unlawful for a Christian to be a Soldier contrary to his former judgment in his Apologetick where he tells the Emperor That his Army was full of the Disciples of Jesus and recites the famous undertaking of the Legio fulminatrix without blaming them But the former passage of the Paraclete is so clear that all that Pamelius can do in his Annotations will not wash the Aethiop IV. I therefore think that the Book was Written neither at the 7th nor the 16th year of Severus as Learned Men diversly opine not in the 7th year for Tertullian's Apologetick could not be Writ till that time there being no appearance of a persecution before that year of Severus nor I think at least till three or four years after for c Apologet. cap. 35. in it he not only mentions the overthrow of Cassius Niger and Albinus but of Plautianus as I suppose he means him in that Description Post vindemiam parricidarum racematio superstes calling him the Gleanings after the full Vintage of the Traytors whom he Characters as a Man entring into the Palace Arm'd to the ruine of the Emperor that he affected the assuming the Regalia in his Habit and Houses being most princely and was not negligent in the consultation of Magicians concerning the Fate of the Empire which are an exact Description of that Traiterous and proud African if we consult d Lib. 3. p. 76 77. Herodian and e Spartian in Sept. Severo Spartianus now the Treason of Plautianus did not break out till the 10th or 11th year of Severus Nor do I think it writ in the 16th year of that Prince because f Cap. 1. Tertullian introduces that scrupulous and over-nice man's Fellow-Soldiers complaining of him as if that fact of his would incense the Emperor and give occasion to the raising of a Persecution that would put an end to their serene days and enjoyments So that if it relate to the reign of Septimius it must necessarily be referred to the beginning of it when g Id. ad Scapul c. 4. p. 71. having been cured of a desperate Distemper by Proculus a Christian
the disturbances of the Church Tert. adv Valentin c. 4. p. 139. solent amini pro prioratu exciti praesumptione ultionis accendi Id. de baptism p. 273. Ed. Rhen. aemulatio enim schismatum mater est the baffled pretender out of revenge venting his malice against the Church that slighted him So b Hegesip apud Euseb lib. 4. c. 21. when S. Simeon Cleophae was admitted to the Episcopal Chair at Jerusalem in the room of S. James the Just Thebuthis began to corrupt the Church by introducing Heresie because he was not made S. James's Successor So c Tert. adv Valent. c. 4. p. 251. Edit Paris 1664. Valentinus broach'd his new Hypothesis and the d Apollinaris apud Euseb l. 1. c. 15. Theodoret 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 3. sect Montanus ambition of Montanus first occasioned his deserting the Church e Cornel. apud Euseb hist lib. 6. c. 35. Novatus turn'd Schismatick being denied the Popedome f Theodoret. ubi supr lib. 4. sect Arius Arius became the Father of that most pernicious Heresie of his because Alexander was preferred to the Patriarchate of Alexandria and himself slighted and g Socrat. Eccles hist lib. 1. cap. 24. Asterius became his follower because on the account of his sacrificing in the days of persecution he was denied a Bishoprick which he greedily gap't after h Theodor. Eccl. hist l. 5. c. 4. Apollinaris also expos'd his Darling Dogma failing of the Bishoprick of Laâ—dicea i August de haeres cap. 69. Donatus his for missing the See of Carthage and k Epiphan haeres 75. Aërius on the same score turn'd Leveller and because being only a Presbyter he could not be a Bishop was resolved if he could have done it that no Bishop should have been greater than a Priest as Marcion forbad honest Marriage when himself had been cast out of the Church for prostituting the Chastity of a Virgin and I have it from a very worthy person that Hugh Broughton the Patriarch of the Puritans his own Brother should aver that he first went over to the discontented party having been denied some valuable preferment which he desired in the Church and l Doctrin fid lib. 2. cap. 6. Waldensis quotes the Bishop of Salisbury affirming in a full Assembly of the Clergy of the Province of Canterbury that Wickliff aim'd at the Mitre of Worcester and being deceived of his expectations grew discontent nay even the very Conventicles of the Hereticks were subdivided by this spirit of ambition for m Sâ—crat lib. 7. c. â— Sabbatius made a new Schism among the Schismatical Novatians being strongly possest with this Daemon and the desires of a Crosier VIII But this thought I cannot be perswaded to entertain of Tertullian so great a lover of Mortification and Abstinence and one that so little valued external grandeur and the pompous shadows of honour I am therefore inclin'd to believe that it was a passionate and ungovern'd zeal which sway'd him and that his intentions were very just and honourable but misguided that his aim was though he took a wrong course to keep up the reputation of the Primitive Severities and holy Discipline of which he was an eager Assertor for we cannot find him charg'd with any erroneous sentiments in matters of Faith but a scrupulous studiousness to maintain the antient practices a Rigalt not in Tertull adv Prax. p. 501. quae Tertulliani dicuntur haereses c. his greatest Heresies were no other than a stronger love of Martyrdome than ordinary greater frequency in fastings and stricter holiness an injunction of continuing in the estate of Coelibate or at most a contentedness with one Marriage And if these were his Vices good God what can we call his Virtues for it is probable that he held the Opinions of Montanus as that Impostor first propos'd them to the World in a taking dress and such as was very agreeable to the severer sort of Christians not as they were afterward adulterated by his followers the Phrygians acu Phrygiâ interpolatum as Mons Rigaud elegantly terms it whose additional dotages occasion'd his separation from them and setting up his own Congregation of Tertullianists and yet these Phrygians if we may take b Lib. 4. c. 23. Socrates's testimony were the most regular in their lives of all the Asiaticks men very temperate and chaste never heard to swear or seen to be angry or delighted with the toys and pleasures of the world and this I suppose inclin'd them so easily to become Novatians which Schism renewed the discipline of Montanus but was not so fully agreed among themselves in some particulars for the c Apud eund lib. 5. c. 21. Novatians in Phrygia did condemn second Marriages those at Constantinople did neither allow nor disallow them but the Occidental Disciples of that Sect publickly approv'd them IX Nor did Tertullian in this case want enough to plead in his own behalf he being the Champion of the Apostolical Institution but the Church on the principles of Christian prudence remitting her former strictnesses allowing second Marriages dispensing with extraordinary fastings and receiving Penitents before the times of extremity for it appears to have been the Opinion and Practice of the most Venerable Antiquity that gross sinners as Apostates Murtherers Adulterers and such like should be wholly excluded from Penance And this makes d de pudicit p. 555. Ed. Paris Tertullian object to Pope Zepherinus the corruption of the antient discipline and e Ep. 52. p. 59. S. Cyprian confesses that many of his Predecessors did deny communion to such Offenders and the judicious f Of the right of a Church in a Christ Sâ—ate ch 1. pag. 19 c. Thorndike says That if we compare the writings of the Apostles with the Original practice of the Church it will appear that those rigours were brought in by them and that these were the sins unto death which might not be pray'd for abating by little and little till that Discipline was lost but that the Reformation of the Church consists in the retaining it And this he there proves largely and so saves me the labour X. And for the noted Dogma which Mr. H. p. 118. adventures to say made him a Heretick g De Monogam p. 533 Tertullian's argument to prove the unlawfulness of second Marriages is taken from that of the Apostle that a Bishop must be the Husband of one Wife i. as the Fathers generally understood it only once married not the Husband of two Wives either together or successively but says Tert. all the Lords people are his Priests a Royal Priesthood and therefore must so abstain Nay among all the Fathers Monogamy was lookt on as one of the excellent Counsels of Scripture if not as an obligatory Precept and had Tertullian only recommended but not enjoyn'd it I know no man could have blam'd him and in truth in Tertullian's sense the Opinion was countenanc'd
Hieron adv Lucifer Paulin. Ep. 12. ad Sever. Cyril Jeros Cateches 3. c. 1. Dionys Areopag Eccles Hierarch lib. 3. c. 7. we have the Testimony of S. Cyprian and S. Austin of the Western Churches Pope Innocent the First S. Hierom and Paulinus and of the Eastern it is affirm'd by S. Cyril of Jerusalem and Dionysius the Areopagite The Doctrine being every-where asserted and believed that without this Sacrament no Salvation was to be had and this says S. Austin from an ancient and Apostolical Tradition derived to his Age. The Custom is yet continued in the f Smyth de hodier Gr. Eccles statu p. 101 102. Greek and g Abud hist Jacobit c. 9. p. 14. c. 13. p. 18. Aethiopian the Armenian and Aegyptian and Maronite Churches unto this day and among the h Olearii Itiner lib. 3. p. 143. Muscovites in case of sickness it is given to Children that are past seven years old when they think they begin to sin mortally And it is now retained among the Bohemians and Moravians so that in the Southern Eastern and Northern Churches it is yet retain'd and in the West in the days of a Capitular Car. M. l. 1. c. 161. Charlemaigne it was enjoyned it was in use in the days of b Erud Theolog. de Sacramd 1. c. 20. Hugo de S. Victore c Part. 3. q. 80. art 12. and Aquinas when he mentions Children as wanting discretion to be cautious enough in the use of the Sacrament seems to imply that to communicate Infants continued till his time and in an old d Apud Chamier tom 4. l. 9. c. 9. sect 14. Ritual found at Glaritz among the Swisse-Cantons it is commanded that the Eucharist be forth-with given to Infants baptized and e Loc. com sect de coen dom p. 610. Ed. 1563. Musculus calls it a Catholick Custom affirming that in his native Country of Lorraine there was in his time retain'd a shadow of that ancient usage for as soon as the Infant was baptized the Priest who did that charitable Office took some of the Fragments of the Sacramental Bread reserved in the Pix and shewing one of them to the people put it again into the Pix and then gave his fingers to be wash'd in Wine by his Sacristan which done he dropt a little of that Wine into the mouth of the Infant saying Sanguis domini Jesu Christi proficiat tibi in vitam aeternam which is agreeable to what is asserted by Hugo de S. Victore nor was the usage ever forbidden till the last and worst of Councils at Trent XX. And it is observable that the Romish Church forbad it not because it could not benefit Children but to keep up the Opinion of their fondling Transubstantiation f Franc. Ã Victoria relect de Eucharist n. 75. lest the queasie stomach of a Child should dishonour the Body and Blood of Christ by casting it up again after reception This was anciently practis'd g Est in 4. part 1. â—ist 12. Sect. 9. to withdraw the people from the Idol Sacrifices of which some parts were distributed to the Attendants and put into the mouths of Infants nor is it without the countenance of other reasons h Musâ—ul ubi supr p. 611. for if Infants be Partakers of the thing signified viz. the benefits of the death of Christ who shall forbid them the sign and if they be Members of Christ's body for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven i.e. the Church Mark 10.14 which body is partaker of one Bread and one Cup who shall debar them that Food which Christ allots for his Members and why it should be more unlawful for Children to receive the Eucharist than to eat the Passe-over I know not And for S. Paul's advice that every one must first examine himself which Infants cannot do it only relates to those of whom there is fear of eating and drinking unworthily but there is no such fear of Infants whose original sin is done away in Baptisme and who are not capable of committing actual sins because they offend not with deliberation and choice and if they may be baptiz'd though they cannot personally believe but only by their sureties why not be communcated when they cannot examine themselves especially while they are baptized without any disposition at all to that Sacrament but when they are communicated they have received already some dispositions towards the reception of that Sacrament viz. the grace which is confer'd on them in Baptism So much for this practice and I have somewhat enlarg'd my self to shew that the Fathers were not without their reasons for so doing though I profess my self to be of the opinion of the Church of England in this case which rather thinks fit to debar Infants the Communion and requires Catechizing in the Principles of Religion Confirmation by the hands of a Bishop and a solemn entry on the practice of the Laws of Christianity before admission to this blessed and tremendous Sacrament XXI The mixing Water with Wine in the Eucharist was a Custom common in the days of a Apolog. 2. Justin Martyr and b Lib. 4. c. 57. Irenaeus both in the East and West and of S. Cyprian in the South c Ep. 63. p. 85. who at large pleads for it as what he was enjoyned to use by a Miraculous notice from Heaven it being not improbable that our Saviour according to the Custom of those Eastern Countreys did dilute the rich and brisk Wines Vide Ambros de Sacram l. 5. c. 1. alios which he drank as a Testimony of Sobriety For that our great Master did so celebrate is expresly mentioned in the Liturgies of S. James S. Mark S. Basil and S. Chrysostom and according to this pattern did b Carth. 3. can 24. Aurelian 4. can 4. Antissiodor c. 8. c. the ancient Councils enjoyn all holy Priests to officiate those mysteries and c De Dogmat vet Eccl. c. 75. Gennadius numbers it among the Catholick practices of the age that he lived in nor was the Church without good reason beside the Example of the Son of God 1. To testifie that Christ is the true rock whence flow the Waters of Eternal life and which was typified by that Rock that followed the Israelites in the Wilderness so says d De Sacramen l. 5. c. 1. S. Ambrose 2. Because both Water and Blood issued out of the side of Christ when on the Cross so all the ancient Liturgies and Fathers 3. To testify the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church which relation is cemented by his passion the Wine representing the blood of Christ and the Water the vast multitudes of the Christian Churches for as Water and Wine will so mix that they cannot be separated so nothing shall divorce his Church from his love and embraces So e Epist 63. Cone Brac. 3. can 1. S. Cyprian And perhaps a fourth reason
right to the Elect who were delivered and secured from his power by the sufferings of the Son of God and perhaps to make a publick demand there whether any thing more were to be done for the perfecting mans redemption This the Lord Primate acknowledges to be the general sense of Antiquity a Archbish against Fisher Sect. 11. n. 3. and in that sense in which the Antient Primitive Fathers agreed the Church of England believes the words as in the Creed without further dispute And the learned b On the Creed Sect. of the descent p. 479. Ed. in quarto Pearson who inclines to the second opinion confesses that whereas the Fathers are made wonderfully to differ in this point yet there is nothing which they agree in more than in this a real descent of the soul of Christ unto the habitation of the souls departed the persons to whom and the end for which he descended they differ in but as to a local descent into the infernal parts they all agree But this Article hath been so accurately handled by Bishop Bilson of old and lately by c Theolog. Vett l. 2. c. 8 9 c. Dr. Heylin to the answering of all objections that thither I am content to refer my Reader and there he shall meet with particular satisfaction XXXIX The second error which this Patriarch is charged with is that the Fathers were in Hell till our Saviours resurrection and at his descent into that place were delivered I will not say that the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Inferi are of a very comprehensive signification in themselves and include both Paradise and the place of the damned which is undertook by Dr. Windet in his De vitâ functorum statu but will take them in an Ecclesiastical sense and if we grant that the Son of God led captivity captive at his descent into Hell the question is at an end says a Ubi supr p. 506. Dr. Pearson for in vain shall we pretend that Christ descended into Hell to lead captivity captive if we withal maintain that when he descended thither he brought none away that were captive there For this was the notion which the Fathers had that the Sons of men were conquer'd by Satan and after death actually brought into captivity and that the Soul of Christ descending to the places where they were did actually release them from that bondage and brought them out of the possession of the Devil by force for if he had taken no souls from thence how did he spoil Hell Now that so the Fathers understood this doctrine see a Thesaur part 1. l. 2. art 4. Jodocus Coccius and Dr. b Ubi supr Heylin at large but we will content our selves with c De Dogmat Eccles cap. 78. Gennadius Before the passion of Christ all the souls of the Saints were not in Hell properly so called under the power of eternal torments but not as yet freed from the punishment of Adam ' 's sin and therefore in a servile and inferior condition not to expiate their sin by that punishment but out of a necessity till Christ taking our humane nature upon him and becoming the second Adam freed them from that curse and their confinement to that place where yet they were under a certain hope of a future redemption which being by Christ perfected on the Cross they with the penitent Thief went with him into Paradise XL. Against so universal a tenet of the Catholick Church says d De rep Eccles l. 5. c. 8. n. 124. p. 384. Spalatensis I have nothing to oppose for Gennadius made a collection of none but Catholick opinions let those to whom the Doctrine is displeasing disprove it This he speaks probably but confidently e N. 122. p. 383. affirms that the souls of all good men who dyed before our Saviours resurrection never entred into heaven till then and so says our learned f Gagge Sect. 41. Appello c. 18. Montague to whom I will subjoyn the forementioned g Ubi supr Dr. Heylin the joynt consent of all the Fathers make me hold off my hand from condemning it as false or impious it being nothing derogatory to the Gospel or Kingdom of Christ but seems to add much lustre to our Saviours person according to the Te Deum that Christ opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers The little objections against which opinion he there answers and quotes Bullinger to uphold his hypothesis And is not this meant by Nowel in his Catechisme who makes the third reason of Christ's descent into Hell to be that the dead who in their life time trusted in him to come for redemption might understand and perceive that the work of their redemption was according to their hopes finished I shall end the Section when I have said that it was one of the h Art 3. p. 41. Articles of Religion agreed on in the Reformation under Edward the VI. An. 1552. As Christ dyed and was buried for us so also it is to be believed that he went down into Hell for the body lay in the Sepulchre until the resurrection but his Ghost departing from him was with the Ghosts that were in prison or in hell and did preach to the same as the place of S. Peter doth testifie Which last clause was left out of the Article in the Review under Queen Elizabeth XLI The Doctrine of Free-Will and the salvability of the Heathens have been formerly discuss'd and the Fathers vindicated but what error there can be in affirming that Circumcision is a sign or note of Baptisme I cannot see since except the Circumcision of the heart which the Fathers generally speak of and chastity and confession of sins as some of them affirm there is nothing so properly typified by the legal Circumcision as Baptisme this says a Contr. Julian Pelagian lib. 6. cap. 3. S. Austin no man that is but ordinarily vers'd in holy Writ will deny since the Apostle most expresly affirms of Christ Coloss 2.10 11 12. that he is the head of all principalities and powers in whom also we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands buried with him in baptisme Now the circumcision made with hands and which was given unto Abraham was a similitude of that circumcision not made with hands And for the truth of this opinion he b Contr. eund l. 2. elsewhere quotes S. Cyprian and S. John Chrysostome that the African Primate was of this belief c Ep. 59. p. 80. his Writings make appear and that it was generally so believed appears by that question which he solves why every Infant should not be Baptiz'd as well as Circumcised the eighth day and d Tom. 1. hom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Genes p. 323. vide eund to 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 853. S. Chrysostome calls the laver of Regeneration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Circumcision which is conferr'd in
Remarques Relating to the STATE OF THE CHURCH OF THE First Centuries Wherein are intersperst ANIMADVERSIONS ON J. H. 's View of Antiquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greg. Naz. to 1. Orat. 18. p. 274. Quomodo fidem eorum possumus denegare quorum victoriam praedicamus Ambros de fide ad Gratian. lib. 3. cap. 7. LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in S. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXX TO THE LEARNED Dr. WILLIAM CAVE TO you Sir who have so well merited of the present Age by the faithful and accurate account which you have given the World of the Primitive Times is this Address presented as a just Tribute from one who professes himself a passionate admirer of the antient Vsages and for that reason a most obedient Son of our holy Mother the most Oxthodox and pure the best govern'd and regular part of the Catholick Church who having nothing else to ingratiate him to the Wise and Learned would make his Veneration for the oldest i. the best Religion a pretence for his intrusion and I should be unjust to that duty in which all the lovers of sacred History stand bound to your charity to the despised because seemingly antiquated Rites of Christianity which you have with a manly courage and much gallantry asserted had I omitted this opportunity of letting you know how gratefully an unknown Disciple of yours relishes such instances of your generosity and care in collecting and preserving the scattered Reliques of the most reverend and brave Assertors of the Christian Doctrine And when I once began to indulge to such Sentiments I was of a sudden conquer'd by an insatiable desire of serving you And though it may seem a debasing of your worth which I intend to celebrate to intitle you to the Patronage of this Trifle yet I was not willing to baffle my resolutions because I knew that the meanest Sacrisice assumes a lustre from the piety of the Devoto although here I should have sate down contented to have offer'd a poor and despicable Present on my private Altar and never coveted the calling of the World to see so impertinent and unbecoming an Oblation had not the interests of Religion compell'd me to appear when the more concern'd thought it not worth the while to stifle and oppose an imperious Aggressor who to promote the novelties of late days takes Sanctuary in the remotest Antiquity and would fain engage the best of Christians the Fathers to protect and countenance him who by his close insinuations and clandestine practices is so ready to put a Masque on the Face of the most beautiful Truths and in that odd dress render them ridiculous while the Mushroom-Opinions that were the Birth of yesterday or in former Ages branded as notorious Heresies must be recorded as the only Rule of Orthodoxy Sir my thoughts were some years since fixt on the Primitive Christianity and in the midst of my Design I was happily superseded by your more successful and comprehensive industry and I was not a little proud that Mankind were rescued from the impertinencies of my Scrible and treated in a more satisfactory way in your exquisite and complete Collections where the Heterodox and Obstinate the Factious and Schismatical may contemplate the Beauty Order and Decorum of the Temple-Service where the fierce and brutish the uncharitable and censorious may be Converts to the generous examples of that Religion which is pure and peaceable where the ill-natur'd and debauch'd the lustful and intemperate may be invited to become Scholars to that Easter who teaches Men to deny ungodliness and carnal lusts and to live soberly and righteously and godly in the World And had the Author of the View of Antiquity been so just to his own reputation and the interests of the Church as he ought he also might have found reason to stifle his design and confine his Papers to his private Study when your Apostolici bespoke the Press for his intentions were thereby forestall'd and his Reader engaged to be severe since after the delicacies of such a Treat as your Book affords it were insufferable Penance to be condemned to Bread and Water although were there nothing but the coarseness of the Fare to be apologiz'd for it were easily pardonable but when it is both mouldy and unseasonably serv'd in it cannot but nauseate To rescue therefore the ignorant and unwary first engaged me to this making my self publick that such little arts might not impose on the credulous and whatever was so stiled might not presently commence Antiquity which Essay could poorly have pretended to the shadow of hopes of success had not your light directed me and the account you give of the Apostles Disciples in the three first Centuries unriddled many obscure passages to me so that this gives you a new title to my Productions which if they may merit your pardon and any way promote the veneration of those best days and practices will over and above satisfie the expectations and comport with the ambition of Sir Your most faithful humble Servant A. S. Sept. 10. 1678. TO THE READER AMong all the instances of the Antients prudence and sage managery of their Affairs this was not the meanest that they thought not every man fit to be honoured with the Imploy of an Historian and intrusted to communicate the Affairs of the Common-Wealth to Posterity but selected a peculiar Order of learned and faithful of wise and venerable persons to be the Conservers of their Records to transmit their remarkable Actions to the admiration and use of future Ages and to give their Bravery and Virtue its due immortality Hence among the Aegyptians Babylonians a Joseph contra Appion lib. 1. init Jews and Romans none but their Priests were dignified with this Office a great part of the reputation and interest of every State depending on the just and impartial Registry of their Atchievements But how strangely have succeeding Ages degenerated from that excellent Pattern Every man now thinks himself fit to write an History 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Lucian quom Histor scribenda sit tom 1. p. 347. accounting it his particular Province and an undertaking as facile as to eat or drink to use his feet or his eyes as if the whole of an Historian were only to ly down and dream of Inspirations and Antiquity and start up a Thucydides or a Xenophon as if nothing in nature were so easily attainable as to be able to give the World an account of the greatest Exemplars of Virtue and the most debauch'd Prostitutes of Vice to unravel the various Mysteries of Providence and declare the causes of the ruine or advance of Empires and all the changes that happen in a Nation to Chronicle the Rewards of Piety and the Punishments of Villany and men could safely sport themselves no where but over the Graves of their Progenitors But the Judicious and Learned have required extraordinary qualifications in him that would be a Harbinger to Fame
Doctrine by standing to the Challenge of the famous Jewel and the Men of the New Discipline with the same Authority in point of Government and Polity and under her protection will I shelter my self Rectè verè haec in tumulo viri summi Adami à Bodenstein Basileae in coemeterio D. Pauli leguntur being satisfied that I can say that although I have disserv'd some particular Interests Nec omnia nec omnes mihi Placuere quinam ego omnibus Non omnibus Cous senex Non Eremita Spagirus Num tu Viator omnibus Deo placere cura abi Reusner Ep. ded â—nte lib. de probation urinar yet I am not conscious to my self of having baffled my own conscience dishonour'd the Truth or offended my Saviour and if I can please him other Frowns are contemptible THE CONTENTS The Life of Saint Ignatius THe deplorable loss of the antient Histories Apologies and the Acts of the Martyrs Whether Ignatius saw Christ in the Flesh and was that little Child that he took in his Arms and blest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what He was ordain'd Patriarch of Antioch by Saint Peter Two distinct Coetus of Jews and Gentiles under their distinct Bishops at Antioch Rome Corinth and elsewhere Their coalition at Antioch under Ignatius How long he sate in that See Ignatius not the most antient of Ecclesiastical Writers The genuineness of his Epistles evinc'd The Apostolicalness of Episcopal Government and novelty of any other Church-Polity The Excellent and Primitive Government of the Church of England Four different Copies of Ignatius's Epistles which of them are dubious which spurious and which genuine That to Polycarp was one of the seven genuine The Stages of his Journey to Rome the reason of his being carried so far out of his way What the Heresie of Apollinaris was An account of the first finding a genuine Copy of these Epistles first in England then at Florence Mistakes in Quotations not unusual in the antient Writings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what and who usually carried the Bishops Letters to foreign Churches The three Latine Epistles His Style and Actons very conformable to Saint Pauls Ignatius first instituted the Antiphonal Hymns at Antioch Liturgies in his time and of Apostolical Institution An account of the most remarkable Passages in his Epistles his Zeal for Martyrdome severity against Schism and Heresie and importunate pressing submission to Bishops His leisure of writing purchast from his Guards The reasons why he was Martyred not at Antioch but Rome The time of his Journey his Preparative Torments and Death Gods Vengeance on the City of Antioch His greater Bones collected and buried The Church instituted Festivals to their Martyrs Memories honoured their Reliques and God wrought Miracles by them but their adoration was still disallowed Other famous Men of the Name Saint Chrysostom's Panegyrick The Life of Saint Justin His Original He was a Samaritan by Birth not by Religion An Apostolical Person The manner of his conversion His Apology writ to Antoninus Pius An account of his Writings The Age of the Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite The Quaestiones ad Orthodoxos are Saint Justin's but interpolated The Doctrine of the immaculate conception of Reliques and Vows That Baptism is necessary to Salvation The ancient use of Chrism A dissertation concerning the use of the Cross in all holy and secular Offices Where by whom and how the Sermons of the Anâ—â—ents were managed The Chiliast-Opinion the salvability of the Heathens and the Doctrine of Free-Will considered Saint Justin's Errors in Chronology His Martyrdom The Life of Saint Irenaeus His Mission by the Churches of Lyon and Vien to Pope Eleutherius and the Asian Churches Marcus the Disciple of Valentinus a notorious Heretick Most of the antient Hereticks and persecuting Emperors accused of too much familiarity with the Prince of Darkness The Female Sex most easily imposed on by those Impostures The Devils Policy in assaulting the Church Irenaeus his adjuration of the Transcriber of his works The Greek Copy of his works not to be found The Villany of Fathering Books on a wrong Author Heresies have appeared in the World according to the methods of the Creed The necessity of Episcopal Succession Irenaeus held not two natures in Christ His other Errors apologiz'd for and vindicated That the departed Saints are not in the most perfect bliss till the day of Judgment His Character and Martyrdom Life of Saint Clemens of Alexandria The Antiquity of the Catechetick School at Alexandria Clemens his several Tutors his last Pantaenus whom he succeeded in that School The time of his being made a Presbyter of that Church A large Discourse of the extraordinary care and respects of the Ancients toward their Martyrs in visiting them in Prison in Embalming and paying other funeral Honours to their dead Bodies in honouring their Relicks holding their Religious meetings at their Caemeteria and there performing all their Sacred Offices in Celebrating their Birth-dayes and recording their last Actions in building Churches to their memories allowing them an honourable commemoration at the Altar and calling their Children by their Names What Books of his are lost and what others misfather'd on him The Excellent method of his Writings that remain His Apocryphal citations Chemnitius his severe censure of some passages in his Paedagogus The disingenuous dealing of Blondel and others with the Ancients on the account of Episcopacy The agreement of the Jesuites and Presbyterians in that case A description of S. Clemens his Gnostick in his Stromata The Judgment of Pope Gelasius invalidated in condemning the Writings of Clemens with Hermas's Pastor and S. Barnabas his Catholick Epistle His errors considered His worth and Death The life of Tertullian Tertullian's birth and Education The time of writing his Book De pallio That he turn'd Montanist sooner than is asserted after which the Books de Corona c. were writ That the Rites mentioned in that Book were Catholick usages not observances of the Montanists That Ambition sowered most of the Antient Hereticks but Tertullian's ungovern'd zeal sway'd him The Apostolical Church did not admit gross offenders to penance The necessity of single Marriage was the opinion of the Antients their reasons for it The continuance of the Spiriâ— of Prophecy in his time this inclin'd him tâ— believe the Visions of Montanus and let him into many odd Opinions The difference between the Spirit of true Prophecy and pseudo-afflatus of Maximilla c. Hiâ— justly lamented fall His Writings and Style He did not believe Montanus tâ— be the Holy Ghost That Martyrdom expiates Transgression Tertullian no Maâ—tyr The Life of Origen Origens Name and Excellencies Hâ—â— Castration The occasion of his remove 〈◊〉 Caesarea The Emperour Caracalla's spleâ—â—â— against the Alexandrians and the caâ—â—â— of it Origen took not two journeys 〈◊〉 Rome nor was ever a Scholar to Ploâ—â—nus He is too often nâ—gligently confounâ—ed with a junior Origen a Heathen His Allegorical way of interpreting Scripture whence and
anothers Province but where both of them preacht the Gospel in the same City and founded a Church it was divided into two Coetus or Assemblies under their respective Bishops as h In Gal. 1. 22. to 9. p. 214. Ed. Eras Seorsim qui ex Judaeis erant Ecclesiae habebantur nec his qui erant è Gentibus miscebantur S. Hierom or who-ever put out those Comments in his name So * Apud Euseb Hist lib. 2. cap. 24. Dionysius of Corinth seems to imply was his Church founded and so without doubt was the Church of Rome where Linus succeeded S. Paul and Cletus S. Peter till both the Coetus had their coalition under Clemens and that there were two such distinct parts of their first Plantation seems plain to me from Rom. 14. where the Gentile Church is advised not to censure the Jewish who observed days and abstained from meats And after this manner had the Church of Antioch its Original for it appears by Act. 15.23 that the Synodical Epistle of the Apostles was directed to the Brethren which were of the Gentiles in Antioch Syria and Cilicia who were distinct from the Jewish Converts as appears from v. 28. And this I am apt to think was the Model of Government in all Churches where those two Chiefs of the Apostles came whereas at Alexandria where they had only S. Mark for their Apostle and Instructer Epiphan Haeres 68. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had but a single Bishop So that in this City both the Apostles laying the foundation committed the raising of the Superstructure each to a distinct Successor Ignatius succeeding S. Peter Euodius S. Paul till on the death of Euodius there was a coalition of both the Coetus under the surviving Bishop And I suppose this happened providentially in all places just upon the ruine of Jerusalem under Titus that the Apostles having buried the Synagogne with honour there might no longer be the distinction of Jew or Gentile in the Lord Jesus and this may help to strengthen the Conjecture of the most learned a Ubi supr Pearson and to reconcile Eusebius and his Translator S. Hierom that Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch more than 30 years for so long he exercised the Jurisdiction after Euodius his decease as appears by Eusebius and how long before as the Bishop of the Jewish Christians is uncertain VII Sect. 2. p. 3. Mr. H. says that Ignatius is altogether the most ancient of all now extant first of Writers as I understand him in the Christian Church Where certainly he must allow us to except S. Barnabas who writ his Catholick Epistles or if that be controverted S. Clemens his Golden Remains to the Corinthians the Author whereof was martyred the third year of Trajan whereas the first of Ignatius's Epistles was not writ till an 10. of that Emperour and from this consideration we are naturally led to Sect. 3. p. 4 5 c. VIII In the Discourse of the Writings of this Martyr he at first gives them their due Eulogy Vide Baron T. 2. an 109. p. 31. and Not. ad Martyrol Feb. 1. that as a certain well-drawn Picture they do excellently represent and give us a lively Image of him and so they are in the Opinion of all Learned and Unprejudiced Persons having had the Approbation of the Holy Fathers and Ancient Councils and had our Author stopt here in a just Admiration of this holy Man and his Writings I should have been content to have seconded his Design and offer'd my Veneration and Esteem on the same Altar But what this one fit of passion gives us is by another snatch'd from us and the Epistles so commended are presently attempted to be debas'd by an heap of Inconcludencies Nor can I but a little admire that Mr. H. writing a large Diatribe à p. 4. ad p. 15. on these Epistles never remembers any Edition of them later than that of the most Reverend Vsher who by an ingenious and successful sagacity rescued this great man from the vile Abuses of his Interpolators who had interwoven their coarse Thread with his Purple never taking notice of the Edition of Isaac Vossius who out of the Medicean Library at Florence Ann. 1646. furnisht the World with a genuine Copy of the seven Epistles the same I suppose which a Pro Epist Pontif lib. 2. c. 10. comm in constit Apost l. 9. c. 17. Turrianus saw and so much and so justly boasts of terming it a most ancient and emendate Copy the number being the same with the computation of the Ancients in which also the Passages quoted by them are found which are wanting in the Vulgar Copies and which exactly agrees to those two barbarous Latine Translations which the Reverend Primate met with here in England the one in the Library of Cains College in Cambridge the other among the Books of that Prelate of Universal Learning Bishop Montague which Transcript of Vossius when it was first communicated to the World was acknowledged by b Apolog. pro sent Hieron praefat p. 40. Blondel the bitter Adversary of those Epistles to be the same which for above a thousand three hundred years since Eusebius and after him the other Fathers used and since him by Dailleé in his set Tract to evince their spuriousness of which undertaking of that Learned Frenchman Mr. H. in his Mantissa takes notice and could not but see that it had Relation to the Medicean Copy and the emendate Edition of Vossius a Book that hath been unanswerably silenc'd by the incomparable Bishop Pearson in his Vindiciae Epistolarum Ignatii a Tractate that I wonder is never mention'd in a Discourse so suitable but this is not the first over-sight Mr. H. hath been guilty of IX And if the Censure be not too severe there is some reason why this Edition purg'd of all the foisted Passages is not mention'd which is because of the Episcopacy therein asserted when by sticking to the interpolated Copies a Crime I find willingly committed by the Assemblers and Dr. Owen against Dr. Hammond by the Accurate Dailleé himself and I will not say by our Author they might decry every Sentence that made gainst their darling Discipline as foisted in contrary to the mind of the holy Ignatius this Mr. H. more than intimates in these Passages a Life of Ignat. p. 7. vide p. 14 15. They i. the genuine Epistles which he before mentions have not escaped the hands of those which have offered no small Injury to them having most unworthily corrupted these ancient Reliques partly by Addition and Interpolation of what never fell from the Pen of Ignatius and partly by Diminution and Substraction of what they saw would prove of disadvantage and prejudice to them so that even those genuine Epistles through the foul abuse that hath been offered unto them have lost much of that Authority which they had of old And I may safely dare to affirm that had not
his misapprehension of the Primate who in his c Pag. CXXIX 18th Chapter of his Prolegomena tells us of three several Copies of these Epistles in Greek whereof one was made use of by this Antiochus but not a word of the three additional Latine Epistles till chap. 19. where he briefly mentions them Nor could any thing but my promise have reconciled me to so barren and unprofitable an Employ as the rectifying such mistakes as these are amounts to XXII We are next inform'd that Ignatius's stile was lively and fiery and such as became a Martyr for Martyrs said d Life of Iren. p. 62. ex Erasm Epist ante Irenaei Opera he out of Erasmus have a certain serious bold and Mascusine kind of speech and very truly Ignatius his way of Writing is very like S. Paul's and I may say of that Apostle and our Martyr as e Orat. in fun S. Basilii To. 2. p. 918. Gregory Nyssen does of his Brother S. Basil and that Apostle of the Gentiles that there was in them the same measure of holy love Thus when he was condemn'd to be led bound to Rome f Martyr Ignatii p. 4. he heartily thankt God that thought him worthy with the Apostle Paul to be bound with Iron Chains and when he came in sight of Puteoli he made haste to leave the Ship g Ibid. p. 7. desiring to tread in the steps of that holy man and this he wishes might also happen to him in Heaven h Epist ad Ephes p. 40. that he might be admitted to the pleasure of walking and conversing with him whensoever he should see God And as he was an Imitator of him in his actions so also in his way of Writing having digested the Epistles of the Apostle and made his sense his own quoting him on all occasions and whatever Dailleé may object this to me is a strong argument that he was an Apostolical Prelate who was so intimately acquainted with S. Paul's Writings and what nobler Pattern could he propose to himself than that elegant and rational Apostle And this himself in the a Pag. 64. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Inscription of his Epistle ad Trallianos calls the Apostolick Character and of it I could give some Iustances but that I am deterr'd because it hath been undertook by that excellent person the Bishop of Chester who I wish had publisht that Commentary of his which he b Ubi supr p. 203. promist wherein all the passages in Ignatius should be reduc'd to their Originals and collated with the words and sentences of S. Paul Nor is the conjecture incomparably bold if we assert that whereas these Epistles were annext to that of Polycarp which they follow in the Lord Primates Edition they might also be publickly read in the Church as well as that Epistle or the other of St. Clemens to the Corinthians XXIII And here it seems to me very proper to insert somewhat of the Orders and Institutions of that Age particularly of that Question which hath been and is so much discuss'd whether Ignatius saw that Vision which Socrates records and which occasioned the introducing the Antiphonal Hymns into the Church for c Hist Eccl. lib. 6. cap. 8. Socrates who is the only Historian of the Ancients that relates it tells us of a great Tumult that happened at Constantinople under S. John Chrysostom by reason of the Arians singing alternately some Psalms of their own in dishonour of our Saviour and S. Chrysostom's introducing others instead of them and thence takes an occasion to give an account of the Original of the practice That S. Ignatius saw a Vision of Angels praising the holy Trinity with alternate Hymns like that of the Prophetick Vision Is 6.3 and that thereupon he introduc'd this Custom into the Church of Antioch and from thence it was propagated to other Churches This Story out of Socrates hath since found a place in the d Lib. 10. cap. 9. Tripartite History in the life of S. Chrysostom writ by e Tom. 8. Op. Chrysost p. 199. Georgius Patriarch of Alexandria in the acute Critick f God 75. p. 141. Edit Haeschel Photius and others But the Antiquity of the Custom having been by many disputed and its Eopcha set as low as Flavianus and Diodorus in the Fourth Century I think my self bound to adjust its due Age. The praising God in Holy Songs was certainly as ancient as the Church Christian and it hath been the common practice of the Hereticks in all Ages to corrupt the allowed Hymns or to introduce new ones of their own So Harmonius the Son of Bardesanes and after him Paulus Samosatenus and then Apollinaris writ many such Psalms wherein they infus'd the Venome of their Heresies a Baron Tom. 2. an 264. p. 654. in opposition to whom Ephrem Syrus made others for the Churches of Syria and Gregory Nazianzen silenc'd Apollinaris which was also done in the Western Churches by Ambrose Damasus Paulinus Prudentius and others And it was particularly laid to the charge of Paulus Samosatenus by the b Apud Euseb l. 7. c. 24. Council of Antioch in their Synodical Epistle that he had exploded the Hymns that were used to be sung to our Saviour's honour as a Novel Custom and introduc'd by men of Yesterday and provided light and idle Women in the midst of the Church in the most Solemn Feast of Easter to sing impertinent Songs to his own praise and this passage may serve to answer that place in c Hist lib. 2. c. 24. Theodoret That the Church of Antioch had their Custom of singing their Antiphona's from Flavianus and Diodorus who introduc'd it in opposition to Leontius the Arian Bishop of that City in the Reign of the Emperour Constantius just after which time it was introduc'd at Rome by d Platin. in Damaso Pope Damasus and at Millain by e Ambros Cont. Auxent Aug. Confes l 9. c. 6 7. c. S. Ambrose the usage having been begun by Ignatius at Antioch in contradiction to the Docetae and Ebionites who did assert the same or like Heresies with Arius denying the Divinity of Christ Afterward the Right was discountenanc'd by his Successor Paulus Samosatenus and so came to be dis-us'd till Flavianus restor'd the ancient and laudable practise whom by a mistake f Hist lib. 3. c. 13. p. 47. Philostorgius and g Apud Nicet Thesaur Orthodox fid lib. 5. cap. 30. Theodorus Mopsuestenus make the Author of the Gloria Patri For I am sure it was no Novelty in h Tom. 2. Epist 62. ad Neo-Caesar p. 843 844. S. Basil's time who being opposed by some of the Followers of Sabellius and Marcellus for obliging his Churches to such Hymns pleads for himself That he had the Example of the Churches of Aegypt Lybia Thebes Palaestine Arabia Phaenicia Syria Mesopotamia and several other places and methinks it could not be an Universal Practice of a sudden
as it must have been if introduc'd by Flavianus S. Basil's Cotemporary i Tom. 2. a◠152. p. 136. Baronius informs us That the Angelick Hymn Gloria in excelsis c. was enjoyn'd by Pope Telesphorus circ an 152. to be sung at the Consecration of the Eucharist and I am apt to think it was done alternately if not I am sure k Lib. 10. Epist 97. Pliny who lived with Ignatius impeaches the Christians of that Age of no other Crime save that they were wont to meet at a set time before day and to sing among themselves invicem alternately a Song to Christ whom they account a God which is a plain description of the practice of that Age. And a Hist Eccl. lib. 2. c. 16. Eusebius out of Philo makes the observance coaevous with the Church of Alexandria under S. Mark affirming that among the Primitive Christians when one began to sing the rest quietly hearkned to him and then sung together the remainder of the Hymn probably bably in imitation of Moses and Miriam Exod. 15.1 21. So that it is likely that the usage may be ancienter in some Churches than our Martyr but not improbable that his Vision might be the occasion of bringing in the Custom into the Church of Antioch and as the Custom prevailed so early in the East and in Aegypt so also in the Southern parts of Africk and at Carthage for b Lib. 2. ad uxor cap. 6. Tertullian mentions this mutual singing wherein they provok'd one another to Emulation who should Sing best And c Dc Orat. dominic p. 160. Cyprian quotes the Hymn at the Celebration of the Eucharist begun by the Priest with sursum corda and answered to by the People with habemus ad dominum and the practice carries its own Vindication with it for I remember somewhere Greg. Naz. calls Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Creature made answerable to the Angels and that d Tom. 2. Homil. 55. in Matth. p. 355. S. Chrysostom relates and vindicates the Hymns of the Monks those Angels of the Desart as he calls them wherein they intermix'd the Doxology and then went to the Hymn again herein following the Laws of the Apostles beginning with the Doxology and ending with it and beginning with it again So that it seems by him to have been an Apostolical Tradition XXIV Here was also a fair Occasion offer'd to have instructed the World not only that Episcopacy was then a venerable Order in the Church but that the Bishop had Power to impose a Liturgy from that famous place of the e P. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Epistle to the Magnesians nor can I think that it was a Novel Usurpation of the Prelates in those early days but that set Forms of Prayer are of Apostolical Institution who herein followed the Example of their infallible Master who as he made the Jewish Baptism a Christian Sacrament and took the Symbols of the Eucharist from their Custom of Blessing the Bread and the Cup at their Passeover so was not ashamed to collect the Petitions of his most incomparable Prayer out of the several set Forms of Petition in use among that people 'T is true they had in that happy saeculum the miraculous Spirit or Gift of Prayer which enabled the Apostolical Priest without praemeditation to compose Prayers according to the perpetual or emergent occasions of the Christian Congregation whereof he was the Guide where we may observe what the Apostle means when he mentions Prayers by the Spirit and that this was given to cross the design of our Modern Pretenders to it that every man might not take what Liberty himself pleased to pour out his own Effusions yet this extraordinary Charisma and Afflatus soon ceas'd and as it abated was succeeded by some of those very Forms which the holy Spirit had so prodigiously dictated collected either by the Apostles themselves or their immediate Successors The Greek Church have an undisputed Tradition among them that whereas the Apostles spent whole Days and Nights in their holy Offices the length of those Devotions gave occasion to S. James to omit those Prayers that were used only on extraordinary and emergent occasions and yet even in those the Apostles did not disdain to follow ancient Precepts for the Prayer Act. 4. from v. 24. to 31. is nothing but an Abstract of Psalm the second and the glorifyed Saints Apocal. 15.3 4. were not ashamed to sing an Eucharistical Hymn composed of the Songs of Moses David and Jeremy and to chuse and cull out the most pertinent of those Prayers for the dayly use of the Church which is since called his Liturgy and was afterward again shortned by S. Basil and S. Chrysostom and if any man should dispute the Authenticalness of his or S. Mark 's or S. Peter's Liturgies in that Church they would first admire and then deride him though it cannot be denyed but that there are many Additions and Interpolations in them as now extant which are not of equal Authority with those Collects which are truly Primitive but that also is an Argument that there were anciently such Liturgies left to the Church as they came out of the Apostles hands till they fell into the hands of evil men And for this notion of the Spirit of Prayer we are obliged to a Tom. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 8. Rom. 26. p. 120. S. Chrysostom who plainly affirms That to them that were newly Baptiz'd God was pleas'd to give many miraculous Donatives which were called Spirits for he saith Let the Spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets for one had the Spirit of Prophesie and he foretold Futurities another of Wisdom and he instructed the World in the Laws of Piety a third of Healing and he cured the Sick a fourth of Miracles and he did raise the Dead another of Tongues and he spake divers Languages and among all these there was also the Cift of Prayer which also is called the Spirit of Prayer and he that was so endowed prayed for the whole Congregation for whereas we are ignorant of many things that are necessary for us and apt to ask what is unnecessary therefore fell this Spirit of supplication on one certain person and he stood up and made known the common necessities of the Church and instructed others to pray and this he did with much compunction and many groans Of which usage the Embleme is yet retain'd in the Deacons bidding of Prayers a Selden not in Eutych p. 41 42. So when the Spirit of Prophesie ceas'd in the Jewish Church Ezra and the great Consistory instituted certain Forms of Devotion of dayly use from which no man might dare to recede XXV Among these setled and establish'd Forms of the Apostles we may suppose none were so likely to be retain'd as those at the Celebration of the Eucharist which then the good men receiv'd every day For in all the ancient Liturgies
Ambr. ubi supra lib. 5. cap. 4. p. 380. Hier. lib. 3. adv Pelag. Tom. 2. p. 309. both Priest and People said the Lord's Prayer which was of the entireness of the Mystery and so our Church uses it though in the Eastern Churches it preceeded the Prayer of Consecration for this Prayer was thought so necessary and indispensible a part of the Christian Sacrifice that the d Apost Conslit l. 7. cap. 25 26. Ancients were obliged to use it three times every day but especially in the Eucharist as say all the Liturgick Writers and therefore e Tert. de Orat. cap. 1. praemiss◠legitimâ ordinariâ oratione quasi fundamento accidentium Vide eund de fug in persec init Tertullian rationally calls this the ordinary and lawful Form of Devotion which must be laid as a Foundation on which we may build our Petitions for our particular necessities But I cannot believe Gregory the Great in this particular when he f Lib. 7. indict 2. Epist 63. affirms That the Apostles used no other Form of Devotion but this in the Consecration of the Sacrament for I cannot but suppose that there were some Additional Collects and Hymns subjoined such as what I have already mention'd although in truth that very Prayer contain all things in it g Aug. Ep. 121. c. 12. for whatever else we can say either may raise our Spirits or heighten our Devotion but can never out do the efficacy of this Form To this succeeded a Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 10. c. 6. the Prayer like that in our Liturgy We offer unto thee our selves our Souls and Bodies c. and then the Priest dismist the Communicants with his Benediction XXIX And of this sort also am I apt to think was that custom of saying at the naming of the Gospel Glory be to thee O Lord agreeable to that of Acts 11.18 where the People when they heard of the Conversion of the Gentiles glorifyed God and under this head I suppose I could muster some other Collects of our own and the ancient Church but I forbear I know there are many Objections against the ancient Liturgies by reason of some Additions and the mention of some Ecclesiastick Practices not coaevous with the Apostles but this Argument is not of so great weight for we may as well say that our Common-Prayer-Book is not the same with that of Queen Elizabeth because we have a new Form of Baptism of those of riper years a new Form for the thirtieth of January c. and for Seamen some few Collects added that were not then in use the Doctrine of the Sacraments added to the Catechism and a new Translation of Scripture introduc'd and that we pray for King Charles and Queen Katherine whereas they pray'd for Queen Elizabeth these things being alwayes varied according to the present Exigencies of the Church and yet the Liturgy the same I will close all with that of b DeDogm Eccl. c 30. Gennadius who speaks the sence of the fifth Century observationum Sacerdotalium Sacramenta respiciamus c. Let us pay our Veneration to the Mysteries of the Priestly Prayers which being established and delivered to the Church by the Apostles are with a strict Vniformity celebrated in the whole Catholick Church that an Vniformity of Devotion may go along with the Vniformity of Faith For when the holy Prelates do become Ambassadors in the behalf of the Congregation to the Divine Clemency they undertake the Interests of Mankind and with the assistance of the whole Church that sighs and prayes with them desire that the Infidels may be made Converts the Idolatrous reclaim'd from their Impiety that the veil may be taken from the hearts of the Jews that they may be Partakers of the Light of truth that Hereticks may become penitent and return to thebosome of the Catholick Church that Schismaticks may be endowed with the Spirit of peaceableness and humility that the Lapsi may be restored to the Church-Communion and the Catechumeni admitted to Baptism and that these things are not perfunctorily and in vain desired from God the effects have made manifest for out of every one of these sorts God hath made Proselytes to the Truth whom he hath rescued from the Powers of Darkness and translated into the Kingdom of his Son XXX When the famous Confessor was brought to his journeys end and heard the Lyons roaring with an uncommon joy says S. a Catal. v. Ignat. Hierom he thus exprest himself I am Gods bread c. This Dailleé would use as an argument to invalidate the authority of these Epistles and the so often and justly celebrated Prelate b Part 1. cap. 6. p. 84. cap. 9. p. 130 131. part 2. c 16. p. 217. Bishop Pearson vigorously opposes the entertainment of the Opinion as if the words had never been spoken in the Amphitheatre and the assertion would too much depreciate the Epistles But the authority of S. Hierom inclines me to be of another belief who plainly affirms that Ignatius thus exprest himself when he heard the Lyons roaring and although I am not ignorant that that acute Father through haste hath committed many faults by mistaking Eusebius yet I can hardly believe him deceiv'd in this while c To. 5. p. 504. S. Chrysostom avers the same as I understand him who praising Ignatius for his resolution in dying with the greatest satisfaction and willingness asks this Question And how know you this and answers himself We know it from the words he spake when he was about to dye I wish I could enjoy these beasts For though he were about to dye from the time of his condemnation yet this implies to me that he was nearer his death than when at Antioch And d Act. S. Ignat. apud Surium Febr. 1. Simeon Metaphrastes tells us that he thus bespake the Romans though there be no such thing in the ancient acts of his Martyrdom O you Spectators of this my combate know that these things have befallen me not for any crime of mine but that I might follow my God and enjoy him whom I insatiably long for for I am his Corn and must be ground by the teeth of the Beasts that I may become pure Bread And of this mind is the great e To. 2. an 110 p. 50. Cardinal though no man more vigorous than he to assert the genuineness of these Epistles for to urge f Pears part 1. cap. 6. p. 87. that he might hear the Lyons roar at Smyrna as well as at Rome is to me a far-fetcht conjecture This therefore I suppose was a speech common in his mouth and a testimony that he was not driven but went willingly out of the world and in what that g Ubi supr p. 83. c. great man affirms that Maximus was the first that dreamt of any words used proverbially by our Martyr he seems to me to answer himself by vindicating him against Dailleé
for when Maximus says of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my love is crucified that perhaps it was a familiar sentence to him so it looks says that eminent Prelate and might be used by him in his speeches as well as writings and adds that Dailleé's argument from thence that because the words are in one of his Epistles therefore they could not be spoken by him though it be the same argument which himself after uses is a frivolous distinction and unworthy of Dailleé But who will believe continues he that this was a familiar expression of Ignatius I answer S. Hierom did and Sophronius and I think S. Chrysostom Simeon Metaphrastes Baronius the Lord Primate and others But who can imagine that ever these words were spoken by him before his Condemnation I answer that no man certainly is so mad as to suppose this Apophthegm used before his Sentence but that between it and his Execution in which time he writ all his Epistles both that speech My love is crucified and this I am Gods Corn c. might be frequent in his mouth as testimonies of his courage and love to Heaven first written by him and afterward on all occasions spoken which at last that a Ubi supr p. 87. si quâ—â— fuerint post ea decantata c. excellent man seems to grant And this answer both vindicates the Ancients and yet gives no assistance to Dailleé's Hypothesis and of this opinion after I had finisht this did I find the Learned b Life of S. Ignat. sect 8. p. 106. Dr. Cave to whose industry and diligence the Church owes the reparation of many of her ancient ruines XXXI In his Epistles I am accosted with unaccustomed demonstrations of Christian gallantry and an ardent zeal and such longings for Martyrdom as argue a soul strongly transported with the love of Jesus and immortality an infinite care of his disconsolate and widowed Church of Antioch which in every Letter he recommends to the prayers and assistances of those Churches to whom he writes but especially to S. Polycarp but above all a most holy vigour and earnestness against Heresie and Schism there being not one Epistle wherein he takes not care to condemn the Heresies of that age to discountenance Schism and Faction and passionnately to recommend Obedience to the Prelates of the Church And since The View of Antiquity handling this subject ex professo hath given us so poor an account I will take leave to transcribe a few passages to that purpose XXXII The great design of his Epistle to the Romans is to engage the Christians of that Church Epist ad Rom. p. 21 23 24 25. Ed. Usser Lond. 16â—7 not to use any means to hinder the consummation of his course by Martyrdom telling them that such an act of Charity would be a great piece of injustice to him that he never till the sentence of condemnation past on him began to be a true Disciple of Christ beseeching them by their prayers to hasten the day of his dissolution assuring them that he would invite the wild beasts to devour him that neither the fire nor the Cross nor the teeth of those ravenous and untamed Lyons that neither the breaking of his bones the racking of his joints the bruising of his body and on the head of all this the utmost torments that Satans malice could inflict would signifie any thing so he might enjoy his Master Jesus that were he Lord of the ends of the earth and all the Kingdoms of the world combined into one Empire for him they neither could tempt nor profit him that he had rather dye for his beloved Jesus than be Monarch of the Vniverse for what is a man profited to gain the world and lose his soul that he longed for no one but him that dyed for him and rose again that he was a passionate lover of death for his love was crucified that he was not satisfied with corruptible nourishment or the pleasures of this life but only desired the bread of God which came down from heaven the bread of life which is the flesh of Jesus Christ the Son of God born in the latter age of the world of the seed of David and Abraham that he longed for no other drink but his blood the great testimony of the invincible Charity of Jesus and the means of attaining to life Eternal Which last passage I am inclinable to believe hath its relation to that good old Custom of giving the Sacrament of the Eucharist as a Viaticum to dying persons XXXIII Id. ad Ephes p. 7 8. Against the Heresies of the Age he is very smart Be not deceived my Brethren Adulterers shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and if they shall dye who do these things in the flesh how much more they who by impure Doctrines corrupt and prostitute the honour of the holy and chaste Faith for which Jesus was crucified Such a polluted person shall be thrust into unquenchable fire and all they that hearken to him I beseech you therefore Brethren and yet it is not I but the Love of Christ which intreats you make use of no other but Christian Food and abstain cautiously from the strange Plant which is Heresie There are many Time-servers who embrace the Lord Jesus and believe proportionably to the advantages they receive by the Faith Men that give an envenom'd draught Ad Trallian p. 18. mingled with what makes it luscious and palatable which he that is ignorant greedily swallows to his own Damnation keep your selves charily from such which is easily done if you avoid Pride and self-conceit and unite your selves inseparably to the Lord Jesus to your Prelate and to the Ordinances of the Apostles Ad Smyrn p. 35. Of which Hereticks he tells us that they denyed the Passion and Resurrection of our Saviour and as they had forfeited the Faith so they had lost their Charity took no care of the Poor of the Widows or the Orphans had no Prayers or Celebration of the Eucharist among them of whom though Mr. H. p. 19. tells us that Menander Basilides and others are named by Ignatius yet I must aver that though he means them yet he no-where expresly mentions them but rather professes Ibid. that he will omit the giving a particular account of them not thinking it fit to remember the names of such Infidels till they had repented XXXIV Nor is his Pen less keen against Schism Ad Phâ—adelph p. 28. 30. You being children of the light flye all Schisms and false Doctrines where your Shepherd is there do ye as Sheep follow him for there are many Wolves Abstain from all noxious Plants which the Son of God never cultivated because they were not planted by his Father Be not deceived Brethren if any man be a follower of a Schismatick that man hath no inheritance in the Kingdom of God for where there is division and wrath in that place God hath no residence
illustrious by much additional Magnificence and Ceremony and was constantly celebrated till the days of f Ubi supr Evagrius But perhaps Mr. H. would not mention these things being loth to acknowledge that in those early days the Reliques of Martyrs were reverenced and the Anniversaries of their Death 's celebrated with Sermons and other Christian Offices to both which I 'll speak a few things that it may serve for a view of the ancient usages in that kind and vindication of S. Chrysostom whose Panegyrick I subjoin in which we find him copious on this subject XLI The Primitive Church did call the days of their Martyrdoms their birth days Natalitia hereby testifying that whereas they were born in sin but at their dissolution went into Abraham's bosom that they believed that the day of a mans departure is better than the day of his birth Eccles 7.1 and though they seem'd to be lost to all hopes in the eye of the world Ps 116.15 yet that the death of the righteous is precious in the sight of the Lord. So the Church of Smyrna in their g P. 28. Edit Usser apud Euseb lib. 4. c. 15. Gr. 14. Lat. Epistle concerning S. Polycarp's death to the rest of the Christian Churches We say they plac'd his bones in a fit Repository where we meeting together God will give us ability to solemnize the birth-day of this Martyr with exultations and rejoycings that we may both celebrate the memories of former Martyrs and prepare and incourage others for the future to the same undertakings So h Scorpiac p. 279. E. Edit Rhenan Tertullian says of S. Paul that he was born at Rome because there martyred and after him the name occurs frequently in a Comment in Job lib. 3. Origen b Epist 37. Cyprian and c Tom. 3. Homil. 70. S. Ambrose but above all in d Homil. 129. in S. Cyprian p. 117. Edit Raynaud Peter Chrysologus who gives the reason of the name Natalem ergo Sanctorum cum auditis c. The birth-day of a Martyr hath its denomination because the good man is born not a child of this world but a son of Heaven rescued from labour and temptations and introduc'd into the region of rest and quiet from a state of misery and torments to the delicacies of the superiour Palace which do not for a while please the senses and then disappear but are firm and everlasting And in this was the care of the Church in those dangerous times exerted in ordaining Notaries to record the acts of their Martyrs and this was all the Ecclesiastical History till Hegesippus which they enjoyed And I am not a little glad that I find this acknowledged by the learned and modest e De Re dempt lib. 1. cap. 13. Thes 1. p. 304. Eait Neostad 1597. Hierome Zanchy that the primitive Votaries used to meet at the Tombs of the Martyrs on the Anniversaries of their Sufferings where God wrought many miracles to testifie that those his Servants were in Heaven and to engage others to the like resolution and the Christians paid a veneration to their Reliques Which reverence f De Idol Rom. lib. 1. cap. 9. sect 1. Dr. Reynolds doth also acknowledge and allow and of which I shall more particularly treat viz. of the honour done to their dead bodies by God and men by Miracles wrought at their Sepulchres and veneration paid to their Remains although I heartily profess my detestation of the superstitious usages of the Romanists in this point and their many wheadling impositions on the deluded Laity being only willing to adjust a due respect to those Remains of the Primitive Martyrs but from my soul abhorring their adoration XLII Of Ignatius g To. 5. p. 504. S. Chrysostom is a sufficient Testimony how joyfully his bones were received in every City and how reverently entertained The h Epist ubi supr p. 28. Church of Smyrna collected the Bones of S. Polycarp of more value than precious stones and purer than Gold and laid them in a place convenient So the i â—aâ— 6. cap. 29. vide Concil Gangrens can 20. Apostolical Constitutions affirm that the Reliques of those who dwell with God are not without their due honour it was customary in the days of k Praepar Evang. lib. 13 cap. 7. Hist lib. 2. c. 25. Eusebius to meet at the Monuments where the sacred Tabernacles of the Apostles and other good men were fixt there to make their prayers to God and to honour those blest Souls Heretofore says a Tom. 1. Hom. in Ps 115. p 319. S. Basil the Priests and Nazarites were enjoined not to desile themselves by a dead body which if any did he should be unclean and must wash his cloaths but now he that toucheth the bones of a Martyr receives some holy influences from that grace that is in the body and b Ibid. p. 318. for this cause the Reliques of the Saints are honourable For c Ambr. To. 3. Scr. 92. de Nazar Celso p. 323. Edit Costert why should not the faithful pay respect to that body which even the Devils reverence which they punisht in its tortures but admire in its Sepulchre I honour therefore that body which Christ honoured when it was under the Sword and which shall reign with him in Heaven d Hom. in Theodor. Mart. Gregory Nyssen e Adv. Vigdant Epist 53. Hierom f Epist 10â— Augustine g De S. Laurent Prudentius and others are full to this purpose but I omit them being content to mention that h Vit. Aeâ—â—â— p. 65. Eunapius derides the Christians for honouring the salita capita the embalmed heads of those men who were as he spightfully and falsly objects put to death for their execrable Villanies meaning the Martyrs and it was one of the methods of cruelty in the i Theodoret. lib. 3. cap. 6. â—â—â—lostorg lib. 7. cap. 4. Nicepl 10. c. 3 Apostates time to prostitute the Reliques of the Martyrs But I will shut up my Quotations on the subject with the opinion of the Church of the fifth Century out of k C. 7. Gennadius de dogmatibus Ecclesiae We believe that the Bodies of the Saints but especially the Reliques of the holy Martyrs are to be sincerely honour'd as the Members of Christ and that the Churches called by their Names are to be approached with piety and devotion as places dedicated to the Worship of God and whoso thinks otherwise is no Christian but a follower of Eunomius and Vigilantius For why should we stick to honour what God hath honoured by Miracles So the l Quaest 28. Author of the Questions under the name of Justin Martyr The Bodies of the sacred Martyrs are preservatives against the snares of Satan and cure Distempers that have baffled Physick And thus does m Greg. Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Julian p. 36. Edit
Arcadius our present Prince Sacrilegious who hath after a long time brought the Bones of the Prophet Samuel out of Judaea into Thrace Were all the Bishops Fools that enshrin'd those scatter'd Ashes in Silk and carryed them in a Vessel of Gold Were the people of all Countreys besotted who met these Remains in such multitudes that the Troop reach'd from Palestine to Chalcedon So that learned Father XLV Nor are these Ancients which so earnestly recommend this veneration but invincibly averse from any adoration of or prayers to these Martyrs Thus when the Christians of Smyrna were about to collect the Ashes of S. Polycarp by the instigation of the Jews the President was inclined to hinder it lest the Christians deserting their crucified God should worship Polycarp The miserable wretches say a Polycarp Martyr p. 27. those holy men being ignorant that it could never enter into our minds to forsake Christ that suffered the torments of the Cross for the salvation of mankind and bow down to any other as a God for we adore him who is truly the Son of God and we worthily embrace and venerate the Martyrs as his Disciples and imitators for their incomparable love to their Master and Prince with whom we expect to be sharers hereafter in Glory as here we are Scholars to their Piety And b Epist 53. ad Ripar To. 2. p. 120. Chrysost To. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 984. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et Aug. de vera relig cap. 55. non sit religio cultus hominum mortuorum honorandi ergo sunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem c. S. Hierome who is so hot against Vigilantius yet denies that we adore Angels or Archangels much less dust and ashes But we honour the Reliques of the Martyrs that we may adore him whose Martyrs they are we honour the Servants that their honour may redound to their Master who says he that receives you receives me for if the Reliques of Martyrs be not to be honoured how do we read that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Thus the Fathers on one hand appropriate to God his due adoration and on the other preserve the fame of those admirable persons from being sullyed by the endeavours of those that with much rashness contemn them that have been slain for the testimony of Jesus c Irenae â—ib 3. cap. 20. For at that time when their blood shall be required and they made partakers of glory tum à Christo confundentur omnes qui inhonoraverunt eorum martyrium then shall all those be confounded by Christ that have defamed their sufferings And of this mind also is a Exercitat in Ep. ad Trall cap. 14. p. 46 47. Vedelius at Geneva XLVI Thus we see the Fathers are far from giving any honour peculiar to God to Saints or Martyrs they living in an age when the traditional account of those things could not be easily interrupted or the faith of men imposed upon by fabulous and legendary Relations of Reliques which have been multiplyed after a prodigious manner by the Church of Rome to the scandalizing of many sober men of their own Communion So that could I be ascertained where the Ashes of S. Ignatius were really deposited I would respect and reverence them and kneel down before his Tomb and remember his courage and love to God and thank my Saviour for so enabling him and beg the same or the like assistances for my self but before I should worship his Head that is enshrined in the Jesuits College at Rome or any of his Bones at Naples or elsewhere reserv'd I must be perswaded to desert my present belief and veneration which I have for the sacred Oracles and the Writings of the ancient Church I have been so large in this because I know that the Name Relique hath been a Mormo and Bugbear to affright many conscientious men from entertaining Orthodox Notions lest they should comply with Popish Opinions And now I have done with S. Ignatius when I have told my Reader that there was another Martyr of this Name in S. Cyprian's time circ an 250. and after him another circ an 860. whose Name is in the Martyrologies among the Confessors for he was Patriarch of Constantinople and honoured with the other Name of this Prelate of Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Novus or junior Deifer S. Chrysostom 's Panegyrick on the holy Martyr S. Ignatius who having been carried to Rome and there martyred was from thence brought back again to Antioch Decemb. 20. To. 5. p. 498. c. Edit Savil. ' THE splendid and magnificent among Feasters make their Treats of many and divers Courses at the same time testifying the Plenty of their Houses and the Welcome of their Acquaintance So the Liberality of the Holy Spirit affording us a Demonstration of its Domestick Power and Munificence towards Gods Friends sets before us frequent and various Tables of Martyrs Lately a very young Girle and unacquainted with Marriage the blest Martyr Pelagia entertained you with abundance of delight To day this holy and generous Martyr Ignatius hath succeeded the Feast of that Virgin The Persons are diverse but the Table the same their Combats different but their Crown one their Contentions various but their Trophees the same For in the Heathen Games seeing their Exercises concerned the body only men have admittance but here where the soul is in the whole Engagement the Theatre is open and the Race set before either Sex Neither are men alone listed in this service lest the Female Sex taking refuge in the weakness of their Natures might seem to have a plausible Apology nor do Women only exert their Courage lest the men should be ashamed but among both sorts many are called forth to the Combat and many Crowned that thou mayest learn by their actions that a a Gal. 3.28 in Christ Jesus there is neither Male nor Female that neither Sex nor weakness of body nor age nor any other such thing can hinder those that run the holy Race if an ingenuous chearfulness and an exalted will and an ardent and fiery fear of God be firmly setled in our minds for this cause Virgins Women and Men old and young Servants and Free-men every degree every Age and Sex strip themselves for these Combats nor were they in the least hurt because they brought with them brave resolutions to undertake these Engagements This season therefore calls us to a narration of the famous acts of this blessed man but my reason is disturbed and full of tumult not knowing where to begin what to speak to next or wherewith to conclude such a multitude of praises do surround us and we suffer in the same manner as he that enters into a * * 〈…〉 Garden and sees many a Bed of Roses and many a Violet and no less number of Lillies and other pretty Ornaments of the Spring various and different
little Arts of some late Aggressors to overthrow it for if all Sin unexpiated makes obnoxious to Damnation then Children are so lyable by reason of their Original Transgression brought into the World with them unless they be allowed Laver of Regeneration that they may be â—anctifyed and cleans'd by the washing of Water by the Word the Word sanctifying the Water and the Water purging the Criminal not by putting away the filth of the flesh i. any Bodily Pollutions but of the Spirit by the answer of a good Conscience towards God relating to the Apostolical Custom of Interrogatories in Baptism and hereby are they wash'd and sanctify'd This is the Doctrine of the Church of England declared in the end of the Office for Publick Baptism That it is certain by Gods Word that Children which are Baptized dying before they commit Actual Sin are undoubtedly saved Nor will I trouble my self any farther in this when I have subjoyn'd the Testimony of a Father or two to this purpose For the Greek Church a Contr. Arian Tom. 1. p. 147. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vide Nyssen Orat. in eos qui differunt Baptisma Tom. 1. p. 958. Chrys Tom. 4. Homil. 3. in Ep. ad Philip p. 20. S. Athanasius whom Mr. H. justly reverences who calls Baptism that sanctifying and enlivening Purgation that brings Remission of sins and without which no man shall see the Kingdom of Heaven and b Tom. 1. Orat. de S. Baptis p. 65 â…” Gregory Nazianzen blames those that believe that at their death their desire of Baptism shall be accepted That it is a Râ—ddle never to be resolv'd that a man that dyes unbaptiz'd shall for his intentions he accepted by God as if he were baptized or that he that is without its confines shall be transported into Heaven by a few barren wishes only without passing through the requisite preparations for that Kingdom for if the desire of Bâ—ptism can confer the efficaâ—â— of that Ordinance on thee the desire of Heaven shall be all thy happiness both preparation and reward imaginary This c Hâ—â— 3. in La Origen handsomely in his Allegorical way deduces from the variety of Genealogies which the two Evangelists allow our Saviour for S. Matthew deriving his Line from the time of his Natural Birth not only terminates his Catalogue in Abraham but reckons into the number of his Progenitors Tamar Rahab Bathsheba and other Sinners whereas S. Luke recording his Pedigree from his Baptism makes him at first rise to be the Son of God and does not Mr. H. himself say as much p. 43. out of this very Father That through Baptism we obtain Remission of the Sins we had before committed For the Latine Church I would quote S. Austin but that it is palpably known that only on the account of this Belief a Lib. 3. de Orig. animae l. 1. de peccatmerit remis c. 15. c. he damns all Infants unbaptiz'd and assures us b Ibid. c. 24. that the Christians about Carthage used to call Baptism Salvation and the Eucharist Life Nor is there any difference farther than words between us and the Romanists in this point says the Learned c Apud Dr. Featley's Dipper dipt p. 10. Dr. Reynolds in his Lectures de Censura Apocryphorum not but that it is in the power of God to save without means but that there is no way in our power to come to Salvation without them VII The use of Chrism is on all hands acknowledged to be very ancient and to have been used in Baptism Confirmation anointing the Sick and many other Ecclesiastical Offices and had the Church thought fit to â—etain it still I suppose no peaceable man would have disgusted it d Of â—â—onfirâ—â—â—g 21. Mr. H. in another place allowing it to be as ancient as Tertullian and what he calls an ancient Custom as e De coron milit cap. 3. vide Apolog. cap. 3. Christianus quantum interpretatio est de unctione deducitur Theophilus Antiochen ad Autolyc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he does Chrism can be little less than Apostolical and that Cyril of Jerusalem says We are thence called Christians and he might have named long before him and Tertullian too Theophilus Antiochenus As to the Ceremonies of the Mass which word anciently signifyed no more than the Church Liturgy being mentioned only in General and we being ignorant whether reflecting only on the Innovations of the Roman Church or the Primitive usages of the Church of England we say nothing in their Vindication the Doctrine of Free-will we shall consider hereafter that Confirmation is a Sacrament we deny take it in the strict sense of the word as it signifies holy Rituals ordain'd by Christ as generally necessary to Salvation though in a larger sense both Confirmation and several minuter observances of Christianity were by the Fathers called Sacraments or rather Sacramentals VIII I have considered all his unsound Doctrines as he calls them that are found in these Questions except the first viz. Vide Spalatens lib. 7. cap. 12. â—ct 86. c. the use of the Cross in which if I am a little larger I shall beg my Readers pardon This Mr. H. p. 14. derides as having no power to terrifie the Devil and p. 38. reckons a-among the Popish and unsound Doctrines the use whereof Parker in his Treatise of the Cross accuses not only as a sin against the second Commandment but against the other nine too and hath entituled his several Chapters of the Swearing Sabbath breaking Murther Adultery Stealing False-witness and at last of the Concupiscence of the Cross as well as of the Idolatry of it For whatever this last and imaginarily wisest Age of the World is apt to acknowledge in those days when the Blood of a dying Saviour was yet warm and the Testimonies of Heavens Love fresh in Mens Remembrances the Christians of that time put an estimate on whatever had but a remote Relation to Jesus but a peculiar value on the Instrument of his Sorrows and the Worlds Happiness Hence they used to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross before whatsoever undertakings a Tert. de Coron câ— Cyral Catec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orig. l. 3. in Job fol. 36. Ed. Merlin Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 47. Orat 19. p. 306. They went no where abroad or ever came home they never put on their Cloaths or wash'd they neither did eat or drink or sleep or sit or lye down or walk or enter into any Discourse in a word in every action they fortify'd themselves by signing their Fore-heads with the sign of the Cross even to the prefixing it to all their Writings as afterward they used in nomine Domini or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this by Apostolical Tradition says b Quaest 91 in sacr script Anastasius Nicaenus IX In every civil Action they customarily â—ed it and in every sacred Office the Church enjoyned it
and Primate of Spain was deposed by his Fellow-Bishops for setting out some pieces of his own under the name of his Predecessor Isidorus Hispalensis in the Arabick Version of his works not to wish them the fate of e Gallon respons ad monac Benedict p. 32 Cicarellus who was hang'd at Rome and afterwards his body burnt for the like Forgery XIV And here I think it convenient to repeat what others have observed before me that the Devil in destroying the Church hath followed the Method of the Creed in the first 300 years he instigated the Followers of Simon Magus Menander Basilides Marcion and others to deny and oppose the first Article concerning God the Father In the next three Centuries by the Followers of Sabellius Photinus and Arius to contradict the Divinity of Christ After the year 400 he combated the Doctrine of the Incarnation Passion and Resurrection by Nestorius Entyches Dioscorus and others After the year 800 the Procession of the holy Ghost was disputed in the Greek Church since that the nature of the Catholick Church and the power of Remission of sins by the Papists and Anabaptists c. the Resurrection of the Body by the Socinians and the life everlasting by the modern Sadducees XV. Among the memorable sayings of this Father Mr. H. p. 69. reckons his denying an uninterrupted succession of Bishops to be a mark of the true Church Of which there is not a word in the place of Irenaeus that Mr. H. quotes the Assertion it self aff onting the Judgment of the ancient Catholick Church who makes a continuance of Episcopal Government to be necessary to the Integrity of a Church and so does a Lib. 3. c. 3. l. 4. c. 43. Irenaeus himself advising all good Christians only to obey such Apostolical men but to shun those that cannot deduce themselves from this regular succession as Hereticks and Schismaticks the mistake only lyes in this that a Church without this continued series of Prelates may be a true Church in Essence and Nature but cannot be entituled to Integrity and Perfection Salvation may be had in that Assembly though they want that Government which is of Divine Institution the retention of which sacred Order among us hath extorted this confession from the mouth of a b Cudsemius de desperata Calvini caus c. 11. Jesuit that the Church of England is not heretical because it maintains a succession of Prelates XVI Irenaeus's Opinion of Christs ignorance of the day of Judgment is well vindicated by c p. â—74 Gallasius in his Nores on that place others of the erroâ—â—ouâ— Opimons of the Father we have apologizâ—d for in our Memoâ—â—s of S. Justin the Martyr and for his peculiar opinion concerning the age of Christ D. d Life of Iren. Sect. 10. p. 170. Cave and e Part. 2. l. 2. c. 4. p. 191. Scrivener agaâ—â—st Daillée have satisfied all modâ—st Inquirers â—n those words of his lib. 3 c. â—1 that seem to imply as if the two Natâ—res in Christ were mixt and confused which was afterward the Heresie of Aâ—ollinaris and Eutyches against whom Theodoret expresly writ his second Dialogue the holy man without doubt means no more but the Union of the two Natures for so lib. 4. c. 37. he explains himself joyning commixtio communio Dei hominis together and lib. 5. c. 2. blaming the Ebionite Hereticks for denying this truth his next error that Satan never blasphem'd God till the Incarnation of Christ for which he quotes Justin Martyr is meant of his doing it not openly but under a Masque as under the form of a Serpent he trepan'd Adam not by himself but by his Instruments that profess Religion and yet abuse the Author of it such as were the Marcionites and Valentinians whom he mentions who called themselves Christians yea the purer sort of Christians Gnosticks and yet blasphemed God Nor do we find among the Jews who before the Incarnation of Christ were the peculiar people of God any Heresie which opposed that Article that the Creator of the World who Commission'd the Prophets should also send his Son which Opinion Irenaeus lays at the door of Valentinus and his Tribe who distinguisht between God the Father and the Demiurgus or the Creator of the World nor is his reason altogether indefensible quippe nondum sciens suam damnationem because the Devil did not as yet expresly know his sentence the Father seeming to allude to that opinion of a Ad. Ephâ—â— p. 45. Ed. Usher S. Ignatius which was afterward generally imbrac'd that the Incarnation and Crucifixion of our Saviour and Virginity of his Mother were hid from the cognizance of Satan so that he might believe that the general promises of a Redeemer given to the Old World might as well reach to him as to the Sons of Adam till the Incarnation of Jesus made it appear to the contrary and that then seeing his estate remediless he fell into a like rage with those who are condemn'd by the Law who says b Ubi supâ— Irenaeus blame not themselves but the severity of the Judge and the rigour of his proceedings XVII His discourse of Enoch l. 3. c. 30. that he was Gods true servant without the badge of Circumcision or observation of the Sabbath no man I hope questions and for what is added that being yet in the flesh Dei legatione ad Angelos fungebatur he was sent on an Embassie to the Angels had we any thing to countenance the conjecture beside the respect we bear to this great man I would say it was a mistake of the Translator and that the words in Irenaeus's Greek might be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which will bear the old Version but to me will be thus rendred better And having been Gods Ambassadour i. a Preacher of Righteousness to the old World he went to the Angels and was translated where he is kept as a witness of Gods Judgment on those fallen Spirits which words may be supposed to â—elate to that common Opinion among the Fathers that Enoch with Elias are translated into Paradise in their mortal bodies and that in the end of the world they shall both come again to preach Repentance to mankind and reduce them from the service of Antichrist to the worship of the true God and shall be martyred at Jerusalem and after three days rise again and then ascend into Heaven which Opinion I take not upon me to defend but only to give a bare Narration of this is expresly averr'd by c De anima c. 28. de resurrect p. 31 I. Edit Rhen. Tertullian and the d P. 290. Author of the Book de montibus Sinai and Sion under the name of Cyprian but says Pamelius of some other African Author of that Age e To. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 149. Saint Chrysostome it 's true professes his ignorance herein but S. f De genes ad liter l. 9. c. 6. Austin is of
k Nyss To. 2. vit Gr. Thaum p. 1006. S. Gregory of Neocaesaria returned from his retirement in the Decian persecution he commanded the Festivals of those that had been martyred during his recess to be observ'd and all the people annually met at the places of their Burial and made that day a holy-day and to take them off from their old Heathenish Customs that prudent Prelate permitted them on those Solemnities to chear themselves and recreate their drooping Spirits with the several kinds of innocent mirth out of an intention to induce them by those sensible joys to the rellish of more spiritual and nobler pleasures For the Christians did not observe their Festivals as the Heathens did theirs with a pompous train of obscene and impudent observances and all the Arts of Debauchery but with a Feast l Theod. ubi supr whence all Drunkenness and Gluttony and immoderate laughter were banish'd and where all things were perform'd with a modest chaste and temperate decorum m Naz. Orat 6. p. 139 140. consul loc The Fathers severely cautioning the people on such occasions not to indulge to voluptuousness intemperance and luxury and other pleasurable satisfactions that vanish in a moment For what conformity is there between carnal pleasures and the Combats of the Martyrs The one becomes a Theatre the other the Church He who will celebrate the Festival as he ought must imitate their Combats and their Victories and stedfastness to the interests of truth must dread nothing but to dishonour God and pollute his Image and this is a Festival kept according to the mind of Christ XVIII It is true what the Fathers foresaw and would have prevented fell out at last to the prejudice of Religion every man a Conc Carthag ' 5. Can. 14 pretended a Vision and on the strength of that built an Altar to an imaginary Martyr the people in those Meetings gave the reins to all sort of unbecoming and irregular mirth to Intemperance and Lasciviousness and treated themselves with Wine and Dainties and set up b Basil reg fusior disput interr 40. Markets near the Coemeteries for the sale of necessaries for those luxuriant Banquets till the c Aug. contr Faust Manich l. 20. c. 21. Manichees objected it to the Catholicks that they did appease the Manes of the dead thereby This set the Prelates of the Church by degrees to discountenance and bring into disuse these conventions the d Conc. Illiberit Can. 34 35. Council of Elvire forbiding the burning of Torches in the Coemeteries by day and Womens watching there by night the making the Feasts there was prohibited by the Council of e Can. 28. Laodicea the Markets severely decry'd by S. Basil the Oblations of the Bread and Wine and other conveniences for the Feast disallowed by S. f Aug. ubi supr de C. D. l. 8. c. 27. Confes l. 6. c. 2. Ambrose and other holy and wise Bishops because of the intemperance in which most men then wallowed And yet the people were not of a sudden wholly converted from this distemper but that g B. Foelicis Natal 9. p. 668 669. Paulinus complains that they retained a spice of their old Heathenisme serving their Belly as their God and spending the whole night by Torch-light in sports and drinking and luxury But to the Festivals when soberly and Christianly observ'd the Bishops of the Church used to invite their Neighbour-Prelates So h Ep. 336. S. Basil engages one of the Bishops of his Province to be present at the Anniversary of some Martyrs and i Naz. Tom. 1. Orat. 6. p. 139. S. Gregory Naz. was invited by S. Gregory Nyssen and Nicetas a Dacian Bishop was a Guest to k Paulin. ubi supr p. 664. S. Paulinus on the Feast of S. Foelix XI To the honor of the Martyrs did the Primitive Christians very early l Theod. ubi suprd Asterius Amisen Homil. de avarit p. 51. Edit Rayn build Churches Platina says that Pope Fabianus began the custom they were called Martyria by the Chalcedon Council Confessiones Memoriae Martyrum by the Latines Caius the antient Ecclesiastical Writer mentioning the Trophies as he calls them of S. Peter in the Vatican and S. Paul in the Via Ostiensis which Baronius will have to be Churches built to their honour and it agrees to the account of m De 7. Urbis Eccles c 4. p. 45. c. Onuphrius that there was a little Oratory erected over S. Peter's Grave in the Vatican near the Via Triumphalis which was afterward destroyed by Elagabalus that profligate Emperour n Catalog v. Clemens S. Hierome also informs us that there was a Church built at Rome to the memory of S. Clemens that continued till his time a Vic. de persec Vandalic l. 1. two Churches were built to the memory of S. Cyprian presently on his Martyrdom which were the one rased the other usurpt by the Arrians b Naz. Orat 21. p. 386. another to the Virgin Thecla in the City of Seleucia and probably it was so done in other places but when the Christian Faith was acknowledged by the Governours of the world and Constantine submitted his Scepter to the Cross nothing was so usual as the enquiries after the Reliques of the Martyrs and erection of stately beautiful and well-adorn'd Fabricks to their memories the building Temples and erecting Altars c Aug. de C.D. l. 22. c. 10. where they facrificed not to the Martyrs but to that God who is equally the Patron of the Church Triumphant and Militant that great man built a noble Church over S. Paul's Grave at Rome another at Constantinople to the honour of the twelve Apostles and d Naz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 14 15. the Divine gives us a memorable instance how God was pleas'd with the hearty zeal of those pious persons for when both Gallus and Julian before his Apostasie were wonderfully concern'd and careful in testifying their love to the holy Jesus by their beautifying and endowing the Monuments of the Martyrs and building Churches to them the God of the Martyrs publickly testified his acceptance of the unfeigned devotions of Gallus by prospering the work till it was compleated but miraculously demonstrated his disrelish of Julians hypocritical pretences as he despis'd Cain 's Sacrifice for the Earth where he laid the foundation of his Temple spued up the materials and though he more than once eagerly endeavour'd to fix a Basis it still continued as if a perpetual Earthquake had resided there to overthrow and scatter what was built Heaven taking care by this instance not only to vindicate it self from the godly pretences of that Infidel but to caution the World what a future Enemy he would be to the Martyrs For the e Sozomen l. 5. c. 19. Historian reckons it as a great Specimen of his spleen and malice that he commanded the Churches of the Martyrs
to be burnt XX. These Temples in the days of peace were f Aster Amisen ubi supr pompous and beautiful and magnificently adorn'd and that not only in the curiosity of the Structure but in new and additional Ornaments the good Presbyter g Hier. Epitaph Nepot Tom. 1. p. 25. Nepotian spending much of his time in sprucing the Martyria with divers Flowers and Boughs and Branches of the Vine and with whatever lookt handsomely and decorous and to this was added afterward in some places h Paulin. Natal 9. S. Foelic the History of the Old and New Testament or of the Martyrs Life done in picture but the greatest Ornament that they boasted of were the Reliques of the good man there deposited for as it was i Conc. Carth. 5. Can. 14. unlawful to meet at any Coemetery where no Martyrs Reliques were entomb'd so k Paulin. Ep. 11. ad Sever. p. 149. Ep. 12. p. 168 172 c. without some or other such remains of the Saints they would seldome in the fifth Saeculum consecrate a Church and probably the day of the Martyrs death was pitcht on for the time of its dedication for those times the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were also made Festival and observ'd a Naz. Orat 43. p. 697. by an antient and excellent Law at which time says S. b Ibid. p. 704. Greg. of Nazianzum the Martyrs are more than ordinarily pleasant and from their bright Thrones convene the people that love Jesus to hear an account of their generous and Christian demeanour And this gave the first rise to our Wakes which like the Agapae at the Coemeteries are now much degenerated from their Original Institution XXI They were also curious in instructing the world how benign and compassionate God was to them in easing their pains in plaguing their persecutors in revealing their Reliques and working miracles at their Tombs their torments were so far from sitting uneasily on them that they voluntarily courted them and rejoyc'd under them and when they were condemn'd usually cry'd out Deo gratias God be praised S. Ignatius resolv'd and S. Germanicus actually did incite and allure the wild beasts to devour them and Apollonia leapt into the fire S. Laurence felt no pain on his Gridiron nor Theodorus the acute twitches of his Rack and other inflictions but full of joy continued singing a Psalm and how could he but be chearful c Sezoâ—â— â—â—la supâ— that had his Assistant-Angel at his side wiping off his sweat and refreshing his tired and parcht limbs by pouring a cooling shream on him God gave them wisdome to confound their Adversaries and that prudence and courage made them active and bold and enabled them to d Chrys Tom. 5. p. 491. tread on burning Coals as on a Bed of Roses and sport themselves in the midst of the flames like those that danc't at a Revel so unconcern'd were they at all the contrivances of Satan they flockt to Martyrdome as Bees to a Hive and were more passionately eager to die for Jesus than men now-adays are for Preferment or a Bishoprick their Reliques were reveal'd by Miracle so e Naz. Orat 18. p. 284. S. Cyprian's Body was discover'd the remains of S. Gervasius and Protasius were reveal'd to f Aug. Confess l. 9. cap. 7. S. Ambrose S. Stephen's to g Phot. Cod. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 199. Lucian the Presbyter of Cephargamata the Prophet h Sozom. l. 9. c. 17. Zecharies to Calamerus and the forty Martyrs to the Empress i Id. l. 9. c. 2. Pulcheria to omit many other examples That Miracles were there wrought hath been already evinc't for even in the days of k De C. D. l. 22. c. 8. S. Austin such supernatural effects succeeded in the Name of Christ at the memories of his Saints and he makes it good by the story of a Daemoniack cured at the Church built to the memory of the two forementioned Saints of Millain in the Village Victoriana but thirty miles from his own See Hippo and how God punisht their Persecutors is every where obvious in the antient story XXII Besides their Anniversaries the Church gave them daily an honourable commemoration at the holy Altar and that by an Apostolical Tradition says a Chrys Tom. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Act. p. 736. Tom. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 928. Tert. de Coron Mil. c. 3. pass Cypr. Ep. 34. p. 37. Aug. contr Faust Manich. lib. 20. c. 21. l. 22. c. 10. c. S. Chrysostome not as the Dead are now prayed for in the Church of Rome for so neither do they make supplications for the Martyrs says b Proleg in Martyrol Rom. p. 7 8. Baronius for the Sacrifices there offer'd for the Martyrs had relation to the Eucharist then administred for when in that Sacrament the death of Christ is remembred the death of his Martyrs is also minded as of Souldiers with their Captain to testifie their inseparable union to their Master and the Church Triumphant to the Srcrifice of Alms then given to the Poor and of solemn Thanksgiving to God for the example of the Martyrs hostiae Jubilationis as c Ep. 12. ad Sever. p. 175. Paulinus elegantly expresses it and wishing themselves partakers of their Crowns the prayers of the Church then used for them relating to the joyful Resurrection of the whole man at the day of Judgment and the Consummation of bliss d Field of the Church append 1. p. 754. vide Calvini Ep. 87. ad Prot. Angl. p. 167. For it was an ordinary thing with the Antients in their prayers to acknowledge and profess that the thing was already granted and perform'd which they desired and that the Martyrs were already carried into Heaven in a Chariot like Elijah and yet beseech'd God notwithstanding to accept of their voluntary devotions and affections So S. Austin prays for his Mother Monica Nazianzen for his Brother Caesarius and S. Ambrose for Valentinian the Antients using to pray for their Brethren and Friends on the days of their Obits and for the Martyrs on their Anniversaries as if they had been but then in departing and in danger of Hell for as on the day of the Nativity and Circumcision c. we speak to God as if God had then sent his Son into the world c. and yet mean not as the words may seem to import that Christ doth then newly take flesh c. but that he is born to us and we are made partakers of his Birth so they desire that which is then wanting to the holy men as if the Anniversary were the day of their actual Martyrdom This was the belief of the ancient Church till e De verb. Apest ser 17. St. Austin introduc'd a new Opinion that who so prayed for a Martyr did an injury to a Martyr which place f Decret l. 3. tit 33. c. 5. Pope Innocent the
with c Tom. 2. an 196. p. 280. Baronius that the Clemens which Sozomen speaks of is Clemens the Bishop of Rome on whom is father'd the writing the Acts of St. Peter and that Suidas speaks of a Heathen Historian But the * Vide Euseb Hist l. 6. cap. 11. Comment on Genesis seems to have been his or rather a Comment only on the History of the Creation the Hexameron if we may believe d Lib. 1. explanat in Genes Anastasius Sinaâ—â—a who avers that Clemens and Pantaenus for so it must be read and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Priest of Alexandria and the most wise Ammonius were the most ancient and first Interpreters that unanimously understood the History of the Creation in a mystical way of Christ and his Church Besides all these e Tom. 2. an 120. p. 76. the Cardinal seems to intitle him to a Tract De Justitia wherein he confutes the Carpocratian Heresie whereas 't is as clear as what is writ with a Sun beam to him that inspects the Father that the Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was writ by Epiphanes Carpocrates's Son a young Heretick of very pregnant parts who dying at 17 years of age was worshipt at Sama a City of Cephalenia as a God out of which Book we have a large fragment or two in f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. p. 312 313 314. St. Clemens wherein he undertakes to prove the lawfulness of community of Wives from the dictates of Nature and the Divine Institution and that that Prohibition Thou shalt not covet thy Neighbors Wife signifies no more but this Thou shalt not destroy the law of Community which I have establisht by coveting thy Neighbors Wife so as to appropriate her to thy self XXX The Books that are extant were writ g Heins and Dr. Cave's life of S. Clem. p. 198. in an excellent order First his exhortation to encline the Gentiles to abandon their folly next his Paedagogus or instructor as a Catechism for the Neophytes then his Stromata which Mr. H. by a hard and uncouth term frequently calls Stromes being a full explication of the Mysteries of Christianity with the Confutation of the Heathen Dogmata fit for the reading of the most accomplisht Professor of Religion And that all the Arts that were necessary to be learnt as preparatives to the best knowledg i. the Christian might not be estranged from the capacities of his Scholars He in his Hypotyposes treats of Logick and the other Sciences introductory to the Mysteries of true Philosophy and herein we may observe him to have been a follower of Pythagoras and Plato first purifying the understandings of his Disciples from all their Faeces and evil Notions then initiating them into the Temple of Truth and at last acquainting them with the more sublime rules of Wisdome and Piety His Books are full of all sorts of learning and a pleasing intermixture of the variety of Humane and Sacred Story Of the first Book of his Stromata a Canon Isag l. 3. part 3. p. 340. Joseph Scaliger gives this Character That he hath of all men given the best and largest account of the Chronology of the age of the Heroes And for his Protrepticon which hath a much nearer and more peculiar relation to the Candidates of the Priest-hood it is numbred by the Reverend b Of Idolatry Sect. 18. Dr. Hammond among the choicest of that excellent set of Books which may serve any Student for the Isthmus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or passage between the study of Humane and Divine Learning who reckons this with Origen 's Books against Celsus and Justin Martyr 's and Athenagoras 's Apologies with Tatianus his Orat. contr Graec. Theophilus ad Autolyc Theodoret de curand Graec. affectib Eusebius de praeparat Evangel with Cyril of Alexandria against Julian Tertullian 's Apology Minutius Faelix his Octavius and Arnobius contra Gentes with Lactantius Julius Firmicus and St. Austin de Civitate Dei The converse with which Writings is a generous and becoming employment and such as is its own reward XXXI That S. Clemens was an admirer of Traditions and Apocryphal writings c Hist 1. 6. c. 11. Eusebius is an undoubted testimony for when he writ his Scholia on the whole Bible he under that Head comprehended not only the controverted Catholick Epistles of S. Peter S. John and that of S. Jude but the Epistle of S. Barnabas and the Book called the Revelation of S. Peter on all which he commented and in such Quotations he is not sparing he d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 304 305.330 331. Epit. doctr Orient p. 572. c. more than once cites that Dialogue between our Saviour and Salome out of the Gospel secundum Aegyptios who asking the holy Jesus how long Death should reign was answered as long as her Sex should bear Children but that he came to destroy the works of the Woman meaning carnal lusts To which when Salome replied that then she had done well that never had Children he subjoyns that every Herb may be freely eaten of except that which is bitter and venomous implying that neither Matrimony nor Celibacy are expresly commanded or forbidden by the Law of God a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 339. And when she askt him when the Consummation of all things should be was again satisfied that it should be when there should be no more shame and two should become one and that one neither Male nor Female i. when the irascible and concupiscible faculties should be subdued to the Laws of right Reason and Religion from the extravagancies of which passions all shame hath its original He frequently also cites the Book called the Preaching of S. Peter from whence he asserts b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. p. 457. that the just men among the Gentiles did worship God but not according to that perfect and absolute rule which the Son of God hath reveal'd to the World and that God gave to the Jews their Prophets to lead them to the knowledge of Christ and to the Gentiles their Prophets the Sibyls and others to the same end c Ibid. p. 460. vid. p. 488. 579. In this Tractate also he quotes that Christ descended into Hell to preach to the Spirits detain'd there From d Epit. Doctr. Orient p. 578. vid. p. 574. the Book of Enoch he informs us that the fallen Angels did teach men Astrology and Magick and other unlawful Arts Among all which traditional and Apocryphal citations I truly admire that one of the Apostle Matthias whom some men e Apud eund 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. p. 356. affirm to have been Zacheus the Prince of the Publicans and who was f Id. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 7. p. 549. abused by the followers of Marcion Basilides and Valentinus as if he were the Patron of their Opinions who among other things affirm'd g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
he not only kept his Miraculous Physician at Court with him but shewed himself favourable to all persons of his Religion whereas about the 9th of his Empire begun that fierce and cruel Persecution that ended not but with his Life I would therefore presume to believe that the Donative on the occasion of which Tertullian writ the defence of that Soldier who refus'd his crown was given not in the times of Severus but in the first year of Caracalla and Geta on their return out of Britain after the death of their Father when Antoninus slew all his Fathers Physicians for not hastening his death and his own Governor Euodus for endeavouring to take up the differences between him and his Brother and all others that were favourites to Severus it being usual at the Inauguration of Princes to give such largesses and very necessary at that time to smooth the mind of the Soldiery after so many brutish acts of cruelty and continued threatnings of more mischief V. So that I cannot but see a necessity of believing that Tertullian became a follower of Montanus in the middle of the reign of Septimius Severus for in the fifteenth year of that Prince were his Books against Marcion writ as a L. 1. adv Marc. p. 56. C. Ed. Rhen. himself testifies but that he was then a Montanist is very plain for b Lib. 1. ad fin he defends the necessity of single Marriages by the testimony of the Paraclete which can be no other than Montanus and c L. 4. p. 91. D. calls the Orthodox in scorn Psychici and pleads eagerly for his new Prophetick Afflatus and Ecstasies and to this the very long Popedome of Zepherinus will give countenance and engage us to believe that the Disputation between Gaius and Proclus was manag'd some years sooner than most of the Chronologers place it Nor are several other Works of this Father commonly reckon'd among his Tracts Writ before his Desertion of the Church but infected with the leaven of Montanisme for in his De resurrect carnis he stiles Prisca a Propneâ—ess and in his Deâ—anima undertakes to prove the corporeity of the Soul by a vision of that Impostress and in the beginning of his Book De velandis virginibus he affirm That Holiness was in its rude elements under the law of nature in its infancy under the Mosâ—ick Oeconomy and the Prophets in its youth under the Gospel Dispensation but never came to its maturity and full growth till his time under the Paraclete His discourse also against Praxeas then commenc'd wherein d Cap. 1. adv Prax. he tells us that at first the Roman Prelate Baronius says it was Anicetus Dr. Cave Eleutherius but I think it was Zepherinus did believe the Prophecies of Montanus Prisca and Maximilla and granted Letters of Peace and Communion to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia that were infected with that Heresie allowing what his Predecessors had condemn'd but was diverted from continuing in that resolution by Praxeas the Author of the Sect of the Patro-passiani against whom Tertullian Writing says That he did two good Offices for the Devil while he was at Rome he expell'd the Spirit of Prophecy and brought in Heresie he banish'd the Holy Ghost i. Montanus and crucified God the Father Calling the Orthodox by the usual name of disgrace among those Herereticks Psychici which makes me wonder that that very Learned Man should number these Books among those that Tertullian Writ before he fell into Heresie Whereas in the Books which he Writ before he became a Montanist he a De praescript adv haeret c. 52. calls it a blasphemous assertion to aver That the Holy Ghost discovered more by the Ministry of Montanus than of the Apostles and his Tractate De Baptismo purposely opposes Quintilla a Woman of great repute in the Family of Montanus to prove the necessity of Water to the right Administration of Baptism and of Baptism to Salvation VI. To this Opinion for the main Mr. H. p. 13½ assents but I can no way allow of his deduction from it that therefore all the customs and usages of the Church idle Ceremonies he calls them which Tertullian reckons up in his de Corona came out of the School of Montanus as the Centurists says he profitably conjecture and which p. 169. he stiles the materials of the Antichristian Synagogue then preparing For had Tertullian argued against the Catholicks from the observances of his own Conventicle he had expos'd his reasonings to derision by begging the question whereas the Orthodox might easily retort on him that these were not the usages of the Christian Church but of their little Tribe whereas the method is perswasive when disputing against the Catholicks he urges them with their Traditional Rites and practices which were common to both them and the followers of Montanus nor is it but a most irrational inference to cast off all things that are good because of the intermixture of some unsound Positions in any person or writing as if we must think all the accounts of the Primitive usages in Eusebius were only the little arts of the Arians or in Socrates did belong only to the Novatian Schism because the one was supposed an Arian and the other a Puritan But to argue justly we must first prove the Institution of these Ceremonies to be an act of Montanus and the use of them the peculiar practices of his followers which I think Mr. H. will hardly undertake and if he hath any Veneration for that learned man B. Rhenanus whom he so often quotes he may from his Notes on this Book have a perswasive and sober account of the reason of these Institutions and if this will not satisfie b Ubi supr Tertullian shall give him my Answer Quamdiu per hanc lineam serram reciprocabimus I count it madness any longer to draw this Saw of contention but it behoves the opposers of ours and the Primitive Church to discountenance as much as may be such early instances of the use of the Cross the Responses in Baptism the prohibition of fasting on the Lords day and many other such practices The occasion of this so justly lamented defection of this great man S. c Catal. v. Tertul. Hierome says was the envy of the Church of Rome against him and the opprobrium there cast on him which might easily work on a man of his temper and Country to imbitter him Pope Victor and the Emperour Severus his Countrymen and Cotemporaries were not the most moderate men in the world such injuâ—ties being insufferable to ingenuous Natures a Lib. 6. cap. 25. Sozomen telling us that had Apollinaris been treated with more mildness and condescension by Theodotus and Georgius Bishops of Laodicea he believes the Church had never been pester'd with his new Heresie others as Pamelius and Mr. H. p. 115. that it arose from his missing the Bishoprick of Carthage and such ambition hath also much promoted
the hand of Heaven appear'd signally in it if we may believe a Ibid. c. 13. Socrates who tells us that it was reported that at the parting of these two famous Prelates at Constantinople Epiphanius told S. Chrysostome that he hop'd he should never die a Bishop to which the Patriarch retorts that he as firmly hop'd that Epiphanius should never return home in safety and both fell out true Epiphanius dying on Ship-board before he reach'd Cyprus and S. Chrysostome a little while after in banishment But this was a very irregular method of finding out and countenancing Orthodoxy and wherein they might have followed a better pattern of two men as famous as any in that Century in a similar question viz. S. Athanasius and S. Basil who differ'd about the writings of Dionysius of Alexandria the first asserting them to be Orthodox the last that there was something of Arianisme couched in them yet neither denounc'd the other Heretick but amidst their different sentiments maintain'd an amicable correspondence XV. Such was the harsh fate of this admirable man who was not only forc'd to experiment the envy of the world while alive but was hindred taking refuge in the grave which is the sanctuary of the miserable excommunicate while alive and as if that were not enough excommunicate after his death too and that not by the hot and irrational zeal of a few private persons but by the mouth of a b Com. C. P. general 5. anathem 11. General Council and rank'd in the same Classe with Arius Macedonius Nestorius and Eutyches and other most infamous Hereticks The custome I cannot dislike but heartily wish that this learned and pious man lay not under such severe censures For though it seems uncouth to punish any man when he is gone out of the World and hath answered God for his Opinions yet there was great reason that the Church should so proceed in the case for how else in truth could the antient Hereticks have been expos'd who liv'd before the age of General Councils and when few or no Provincial ones could be had and how should the Church curse a Heretick till she knew him to be so when as many times the wretch kept himself within the Catholick Communion under the Masque of his Hypocrisie and the Vizard was never taken off till after his death when by a severer scrutiny into his assertions and writings the Impostor was detected See Crackenthorp's Vigilius dormitans c. 6. Thus Domnus Patriarch of Antioch was punisht by the Council of Chalcedon Theodorus Bishop of Mopsuestia c. by the 5th General Council Honorius by the 6th and the 2d Nicene thus the Synod of Sardica condemn'd the revolters to Arianisme and the African Synod every Bishop who made a Heretick or Pagan his Executor and the Synod at Rome under Pope Martin the first execrated the memory of Sergius and Pyrrhus the Patriarchs of Constantinople and Dioscorus being chosen Pope Simonically was many years after his death for that contract excommunicate And according to the prescriptions of the Councils did particular Fathers act a Ep. 50. ad Bonifac. Comit. S. Austin declaring his resolutions to curse Cecilianus formerly the Arch-bishop of Carthage could he but be sure that the accusations laid to his charge by the Donatists were true b Id. l. 3. contr Crescon c. 35. And professing also his intentions to do so to whatever persons had in the time of Persecution deliver'd their Bibles to be burnt though dying in the Church-communion XVI Nor were the Fathers of the Church without a president and encouragement in the Imperial Laws c Cod. l. 2. Tit. 5. de haeret Manich leg 4. The Emperor Theodosius decreeing That after death an action might be lawfully commenc'd against a Manichee or a Donatist to render the memory of the Heretick infamous for if traytors though in their graves are yet branded in their posterity who are depriv'd of estate and honor though their Father dy'd unimpeach'd how much more reasonable is it that the same course should be held in matters of Religion says that august and glorious Prince And there is something of this nature retain'd in the Greek Church unto this day who give absolution to the dead that have been buried in the state of excommunication and this supposes they may be anathematiz'd too that you may bind as well as loose the dead for they are d Malanus Peloponnes in Histor Patriarch C. P. apud Crusii Turco-Graec l. 2. Sect. 32. passim perswaded that the body of a man who dies out of the Ecclesiastical communion cannot turn to ashes as long as it lies under the Churches curse but continues hard and swoln and of a dismal black and affrighting colour but if many years after the Bishop or any by his authority go to the grave open it and solemnly pronounce the prayer of absolution in a small space the body returns to its Primitive dust And the action it self abating the circumstances hath its warrant in the Council of Chalcedon which absolv'd and Canoniz'd a Martyr Flavianus Patriarch of Constantinople who had been Excommunicate and murdered by the Faction of Dioscorus in the Pseudo-Ephesine Synod Such was the Power and Practice of the Primitive Church and such doubtless is the Jurisdiction of the present but as I could wish it had been antiently superseded in the case of Origen so I would have the weapon drawn and us'd very sparingly at all times for if from broken sentences and the ill interpretation of an honest and well-meant but mistaken and ill-worded discourse a man must after his dissolution when he cannot answer for himself be censur'd and damn'd few or none of the most Eminent and stout Defenders of the Church shall be out of the reach of this lash XVII Nevertheless the greatest lovers of the name of Origen cannot but acknowledge that he had his defects his great converse with the discourses of the Philosophers leaving a certain tincture in his mind which became visible in his writings there being a near relation between the Opinions of the Academy and the School of Christ a Baren Tom. 2. an 234. p. 4â—3 Platonism being the ready way to the belief of the Name of Jesus and I could wish we had that Copy of his works which was once b Apud eund an 256. p. 553. Cassiodores in which that wise man had mark'd all the dangerous passages that the Reader might with caution proceed it being a prudent course to allay the extravagancy of that esteem and love which some men had for his name ingaging them to chuse c Vinc-Lirinens common c. 23. rather to err with Origen than imbrace the truth with others the most material of his Errours d L. 2. Apolog adv Ruffin p. 220. Ed. Erasm S. Hierome hath summ'd up in these words That the Son of God is a Creature the Holy Ghost a Servant that there are innumerable Worlds that
it over with her Silver Wings S. Philip's Daughters were thus acted says c Hist lib. 3. c. 25. Eusebius and it lasted till the days of d Dialog cum Tryphon p. 308. S. Justin the Martyr about which time e Eus ubi supra lib. 5. c. 16. Quadratus Bishop of Athens was eminent for this gift and after him f Polycrat apud Eus l. 5. c. 23. Hier. Catal. v. Melito Melito Bishop of Sardis and g Apud Euseb lib. 5. c. 3. Irenaeus mentions a Revelation made to Attalus concerning Alcibiades But when Montanus pretended to engross this Donative and appropriate it to his Conventicle it became more rare and was bestowed only on a few persons of extraordinary qualifications men h Orig. contra Gels l. 7. that had attained to a high degree of self-denyal and mortification among whom we may reckon i Greg. Nyssen tom 2. p. 976. Phaedimus Bishop of Amasea who deputed S. Gregory the man of Miracles to his Bishoprick and S. Cyprian to whom the time and manner of his death was revealed in a Vision the miraculous influences of the holy spirit superintending the actions of those admirable men XXIV But I suppose that notwithstanding what the elder k Apud Euseb lib. 5. c. 16. Apollinaris avers that this Blessing was to last for ever in the Church and that S. l Ubi supr cap. 17. Austin says that it continued to his time that at farthest on the alteration of the state of Religion from a troubled and disturb'd to a serene and pacate scene of Affairs under Constantine this inspiration was seldom if ever conferred on any man for as to that Prophecy of S. Athanasius concerning Julian Nebecula est pertransibit that the Cloud would suddenly blow over and many others of antient and later times they are only the sage conjectures of an observing and prudent Experimenter who having read how the world hath been heretofore managed and in his own time remarked the revolutions of Affairs draws Conclusions strongly probable what will succeed from the same or the like premisses And it is observable that in such predictions as in the old Oracles what hath fallen out right hath had the good luck to be Chronicled when a thousand other such Essays that have not answer'd expectation have been buried in Oblivion So that Tully in his Epistles ad Atticum fore-telling the Miseries of the Civil War may on the same grounds be styled a Prophet and if such productions of a discreet and well-practis'd observer must presently commence Oracle this were giving up the Cause to the Church of Rome who to this day plead a right to this dispensation and in truth to every bold Enthusiast and pretender to Revelation but the Church of Rome may not boast of her Prophecies since their authoriz'd Saints contradict each other in the account of their Visions S. Bridget pretending a particular Revelation that the Virgin Mary was conceived in Original sin S. Katherine of Siena pleading Revelation to the contrary but were Prophecy yet continued to the Church it is no unquestionable Authority to broach new Doctrines a Vide Theodoret in loc Deut. 13.1 2. and S. b Contr. Faust Manichae lib. 4. c. 2. Austin's Character of the Patriarchs is the best way of judging concerning this excellent endowment That a life according to the Laws of the Prophets is preferrable to a Tongue tip'd with such Seraphick Discourses Illorum hominum non tantum lingua sed vita prophetica fuit c Chrys To. 2. hom 24. in Matth. p. 172. For Pharaoh had his Dreams Nebuchadnezzar his Visions and Balaam his Spirit of Prophecy while these Communications from Heaven were so far from alleviating that they aggravated both their Crimes and Torments XXV To dispossess Satan was the design of the Son of God and when he had conquered the main Body he left the subduing the dispers'd and routed Troops to his Followers who got signal Victories over the baffled and affronted powers of the Kingdom of Darkness and erected their Trophies over Satan not only in the days of d Apol. 1. Dial. cum Tryph. p. 247. Justin Martyr and e Lib. 2. c. 56 57. Irenaeus of f Apol. c. 23. c. 37. ad Scapul c. 3. Tertullian and g Octav. p. 90 92. Minut. Foelix but in the days of h Contr. Cels l. 2. Origen i Nyss to 2. p. 998 999. Gregory Thaumaturgus k Ep. 2. p. 6. S. Cyprian and l Lib. 2. cap. 16. Lactantius those unclean guests being driven out of their Habitations by the Prayers of the devout Exorcist and though the Gentiles dreaded being possest their Daemons equally dreaded the Christians with whose words they being tormented as a Malefactor is with a Whip did not only confess themselves to be evil Spirits but gave an account of their names and for such Cures were the Servants of Jesus sought unto even by their Enemies and Persecutors So M. Aurelius Antoninus courted Abercius the Bishop of Hierapolis to dispossess his Daughter Lucilla who had been betroathed to Lucius Verus his Collegue in the Empire and the holy man undertook and accomplish'd it And though the truth of that story be by some doubted yet it seems to me to carry with it its own credentials and a To. 2. an 163. p. 15 0 1. Baronius hath fully evinc'd it XXVI But I suppose that as soon as the great Enemy of Christianitie's Interests so sensibly decayed as they did under Constantine when his Oracles ceas'd and his Temples were defac'd when he was no longer fed with the steams of slain Beasts and the fumes of Incense then also this power ceas'd in the Church of God though b De Civit. D. l. 22. c. 8. S. Austin avers that it continued till his time 'T is true the term Exorcist continued and had a place in after Ages among the names of the Church-Officers but then it was only aequivalent to Catecheist the ancient Exorcists both instructing the Catechumens and superintending the Daemoniacs which being an employment that the Church could not want succeeded to the whole title on the expiring of that miraculous power for to believe that the present charms of the Romanists succeed to the practices of the Ancients I must first be induced to credit their Legends and believe that an Amulet shall keep me shot-free or cure a Fever But such Tricks find a livelihood for their wandring and irregular Priests and that gives them some credit but neither is this such a great mark of God's favour or a true Church if it were yet continued for c Chrys ubi supr p. 171. Judas had power given him to cast out Devils and yet himself was one XXVII That the anointing the desperately sick with Oyle was also a speciaâ— influence of the holy Spirit is uncontroleably asserted in that story of the Emperour d Tert. ad
says he honour the Lords day who despiseth the Saturday And d Homil. an liceat dimittere ux p. 56 57 Edit Raynandi Asterius Amisenus styles them the Nurses of devotion and the Parents of Church assemblies which summon the holy Priest to instruct his Congregation and command his Congregation to frequent the house of God and both to have a due care of their Souls Which observances had their confirmation not only in the Canons father'd on the e Can. 66. Can. 16 49 51. Apostles and the Provincial Council of f Laodicea but in the g Can. 55. sixth general Council at Constantinople which from all the parts of the Catholick Church commands an uniform submission to the Sanction which the Latines refusing this among other things help'd to widen the breach between them X. And to this day the h Smyth p. 29. Greek Church i Gaguin dereb Muscovit the Muscovites the k Abudac hist Jacebit c. 7. p. 10. Jacobites in Aegypt the Melchites in Syria and the l Breerwood's Enquir c. 16. c. 23. Abassynes keep this Festival not in conformity to the Jews which they expresly deny and which the same m Lacdic c. 29. Council that commands its Christian observation does expresly condemn as S. Basil does censure Apollinaris for the same Crime in his seventy sourth Epistle but in honour of the blest Jesus who is the Lord of the Sabbath And the Aethiopian Christians plead for it the Authority of the Apostles in their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Claudius the King of that Country expresly declares in his n Apud Hottinger topogr Eccles orient c. 3. p. 47. vid. ejusd primit Heidelb p. 306. Confession by which he questionless means the Apostles Constitutions which in more than one place injoyn it as a preparation to the great day of the remembrance of our Saviours Resurrection the Christian Sabbath the Abassynes call it as they do call the other the Jewish Now the Apostles successors forbad fasting on this day say some because the primitive Hereticks Menander Saturnitus Cerinthus Basilides and others believing that the world because corruptible was not made by God but by the Devil fasted on that day when the Creation was consummated Others that it was done out of complyance with the Jews who were very numerous in the Eastern part of the World and very tenacious of the Mosaical Ceremonies so Circumcision was for a while retained to bury the Synagogue with honor others to testifie Christs resting in the grave that day and perhaps it proceeded from an unwillingness suddenly to cancel and abrogate that Festival which had by God himself been set apart for religious Exercises and which not only the bless'd Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath kept while here on earth but his Apostles for a very considerable time after his ascension and so much for that usage XI The Questions ad Antiochum are undoubtedly the off-spring of some other father and in this I assent to Mr. H. p. 370. But that therefore all the opinions therein mention'd must not be Orthodox I cannot imagine for as to the nine Orders of Angels the belief thereof is as antient as the genuine Athanasius for presently after him I find them distinctly reckoned by a Apolard◠Ruff◠l. 2. p. 220. vid. ej com in Is 63. S. Hierome for the Western Churches under the title of Cherubim and Seraphim throni principatus dominationes virtutes potestates Archangeli angeli and by b Orat. 39. p. 207. Ed. Paris 1622. S. Basii of Seleucia for the Churches of the East I will says he run through the Orders of Angels and leave the Princes thereof i. e. the Arch-angels behind me I shall be carried above the most pleasing company of the thrones above the height of powers and the eminence of principalities and the force of virtues above the most pure and perspicacious Cherubim and the quick Seraphim adorned with six wings And if we may confide in the conjectures of those learned men that place the Epocha of the Pseudo-Dionysius in the beginning of the fourth Century and make him coevous with Eusebius the Church-Historian then the Opinion will justly claim more Antiquity nor was the notion unknown to the Platonists of that age c De Myster Aegypt Segm. 2. c. 3. Jamblichus who was Pophyry's Scholar and flourisht under Julian the Apostate naming the several Orders of the Heavenly Hierarchy and Scutellius his Translator in the Margin reckons them XII And in truth I am perswaded that the Opinion is as old as Origen not only because S. Hierome where he enumerates these nine Orders of Spirits treats of Origen's errors but because I find the father himself numbring them under the names d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 1. c. 6. of Angels Virtues Principalities Powers Thrones and Dominions e Hom. 3. 4. in S. Luc. Seraphim and Arch-angels and these he there stiles divers Orders nay Clemens of Alexandria in his Excerpta out of the Oriental doctrine of Theodotus gives an account of the different Offices and Dignities of Angels and f Ep ad Smyrn S. Ignatius before him discourses of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the divers ranks and Orders of Angels as not only Baronius but our most learned Pearson understand him And why this notion should be so strange when holy Writ defends it I know not in that we have an account of Angels frequently of Arch-angels 1 Thes 4.16 of Cherubim Gen. 3.24 of Seraphim Is 6.2 of Principalities Powers Virtues and Dominions Eph. 1.21 of Thrones Col. 1.16 Nor can I fancy that these are divers names of the same thing for a To. 2. adv Jovin l. 2. p. 90. sinè causa diversitas nominum est ubi non est diversitas meritorum says S. Hierome in this very case it is in vain to use different names where the things are not distinguish'd XIII That the Saints departed know all things we leave as a novel assertion to its Patrons the Romanists in the mean time believing that the Saints pray for us for the whole Church in general which no sober man denies and sometimes and on some occasions for some persons in particular of which the History of Potamiaena in b Hist Eccl. l. 6. c. 4. Eusebius is a sufficient evidence So S. Ignatius promises the Church at c Ep. ad Tralli p. 20. Trallis that he would pray for them not only while he was alive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but also when he came to Heaven And when the Fathers tell us that S. Paul's Conversion was owing to S. Stephen's Prayers may it not relate not only to the Lord lay not this sin to their charge but to his Supplications for him in Heaven thus did d Hom. 3. in Cant. Origen believe and e Ep. 57. p. 78. vid. eund de disc hab virg p. 139. de mortalit p. 177. S. Cyprian writing to
his book called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gives as good reasons as either of them to prove the late prevalent faction in this Nation to have been the Anti-Christ All with confidence enough and some probabilities to shoar up their Tenet but for my self I profess ingenuously it is a Mystery which I understand not and as e Ad fin comment in Epistolas Cardinal Cajetan says of the Apocalypse so say I me nescire exponere exponat cui Deus concesserit I have not skill enough to interpret the Prophecy let him do it whom God hath enabled XIX The last opinion which Mr. H. reckons as Popish and Novel in these questions ad Antiochum is the Sacrifice of the Altar where I know not whether he cavils at the names Ignat. Ep. ad Magnes p. 34. Ed. Voss Ep. ad Philadelph p. 40. Polycarp Ep. p. 17. Iren. l. 4. c. 20. Can. App. 3. 4. Tertul. de paenit cap. 9. de exhort castit de orat ad fin Cypr. Ep. 66. p. 93. Ep. 73. p. 105. Conc. Laodic Can. 19. Euseb l. 10. c. 4. Naz. Tom. 1. orat 11. p. 186. Ambros l. 5. Ep. 32. p. 147. Aug. Epist 50. c. or the things signified That the name Altar was antiently given to the holy Table whereon the sacred Mysteries were celebrated is very plain in antiquity and the Fathers trod in the steps of Saint Paul Heb. 13.10 So Ignatius Polycarp Irenaeus Tertullian Cyprian Greg. Naz. Ambrose Augustin the Canons of the Apostles and the council of Laodicea to omit Chrysostome Optatus and others who tell us of serving at Gods Altar of kneeling and lying prestrate before it and of Maximinus's being beat with the broken pieces of the altar as he stood at Gods table and Saint Athanasius in the life of Saint Anthony says that that good man foresaw the rise of the Arian Heresie in a vision wherein he beheld certain wild mules overturning the altars of the Christian Church with their heels And so is the word used by Oecolampadius Zanchy and other reformed Divines a Chilling praefin 24. And it is the glory of the Church of England that we can use the names of priests and altars and yet neither believe the corporeal presence nor any proper and propitiatory Sacrifice XX. This last Sacrifice we leave to the Church of Rome Iren. l. 4. c. 34. sacrificia in popuâ—o Judaico sacrificia in Ecclesia but assert that in the Eucharist there is a Sacrifice 1. Of the remembrance of Christs death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that famous place of Saint Chrysostome 2. The Elements are properly the peoples Sacrifice for primitively the Congregation brought of the good things of the earth and offered them on the altar part whereof was Consecrated to be the Mystical Elements and the rest spent in a love-feast those they first solemnly tender'd on the altar and then as in the peace-offerings among the Jews and other Sacrifices among the Gentiles the people fed on their own Oblations And this properly is called Sacrificium by the b Just M. dial cum Tryph. p. 260. Iren. l. 4. c. 3. Cypr. de Oper Eleemos p. 180. Aug. Ser. 215. c. Fathers 3. Good Christians in that Sacrament offer to God themselves their Souls and bodies to be a living Sacrifice which is their reasonable service as our Liturgy hath it 4. A Sacrifice of penitence and a broken heart there offer'd to God 5. A Sacrifice of prayers and praise which properly makes it an Eucharist 6. A Sacrifice of Alms to the poor And all these are acknowledged to be in the Sacrament by the c De sacrif miss l. 3. c. 1. p. 752. vide Chemmit exam part 2. Sect. de missae Sacrific p. 718. c. Noble du Plessis It is no wonder that the Fathers call the Holy supper a Sacrifice where the sacred office is a commemoration of the sacrifice on the Cross where there is the reading and exposition of the word of God and fervent prayers the contrition of the heart and the Consecration of the whole man to God and an Extensive Charity to all their brethren who in Christ are coheirs with them of heaven XXI Nor is the term unbloody Sacrifice so great a Mormo but that our profound d Ag. Hard. art 17. Sect. 14. Jewel allows of it according to the Antients e Demon. Evang l. 1. c. 6. Orat. de laud. Const ad fin Fusebius frequently terming it the Sacrifice that is abstracted from blood as does also Saint Gregory Nazian-and others among the Fathers nor is that learned Prelate herein singular but I find him seconded by the modest and f De cultu Dei extern l. 1. c. 16. p. 421. acute Hierome Zanchy who allows of the distinction of the Oblation of Christ into that of bloody and unbloody not but that all the Primitive Sages were ignorant of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation says he but they so called the Sacrament for two reasons both because it is an image and representation of that propitiatory Sacrifice which Christ on the Cross offer'd up to his Father and also because it is a Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving as for all other the mercies of Heaven so especially for the redemption of the world by the Blood of Jesus Ambr. Hom 92. de SS Naz. Cels To. 3. p. 322. Ed. Costeri Magni periculi res est si post prophetarum oracula post Apostolorum Testimonia post Martyrum vulnera veterem fidem quasi novellam discutere praesumas post tam manifestos duces in errore permaneas post morientium sudores otiosa disputatione contendas What necessity is there then these things being duly considered that we must be forc'd to learn a new Jargon in Divinity were it not to introduce new Sentiments and such as differ from the Judgment of the first and best Ages but there is a kind of necessity to dress new Notions in new Terms XXIII Nor will Rivet's Argument which Mr. H. p. 371. uses disfranchize the Anonymous questions that go under the name of Athanasius because in them the procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son is denyed but rather confirm them to be our Patriarch's both because that Opinion is ancienter than S. Athanasius and the same which himself embraces and since Mr. H. doth more than intimate the novelty of that Opinion and the World hath been too censorious to condemn the whole Greek Church of Heresie in this point it may not be altogether impertinent if we consider the State and Original of that Dogma together with the rise and occasion of the addition filioque to the Constantinopolitan Creed XXIV And here it is observable that the procession of the holy Ghost as it falls under our cognisance is twofold the first unspeakable and eternal by which from before all Ages he proceeded from the Father the other temporal when he was
of them I shall leave my Reader to judge when I have given him the judgment of the sagacious a Notes on Sir Tho. Ridley's View of the Civil and Eccl. Laws part 3. ch 2. sect 4. p. 218 219. Mr. Gregory Some say that these Canons are supposititious I only know that they may be so not that they are and however it may be dull to entertain any thing that shall be obtruded yet the rejection of ancient Authors and Councils should be warily concluded upon Thus much notwithstanding is recorded that by reason of the Arian incendiaries a compleat number of the Canons of that Council was so rarely found that Athanasius himself who was present at the Synod was forc'd to send into these parts to the Bishop of Rome that then was to desire from him a perfect Copy because in the Eastern world a few or none had escapt the fire of the Arians This is in the Epistles supposed to have past between Pope Mark and Athanasius and if these be true the Canons are the less to be suspected The reasons against which Epistles are for the most part Chronological which are subject to much hazard XXXIV The Homily de passione imaginis Christi in Beryto is doubtless counterfeit the dissertation being too ridiculous to be fathered on so wise a man but notwithstanding this I believe it antienter than the second Nicene Council where it was solemnly produc'd by Peter Bishop of Nicomedia as a true venerable Relation whose Author was Athanasius to which more solemn publication of the story I conjecture the date of some Manuscripts hath Relation The Sermon on our Saviours passion is of the Nature of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which the seventh Tome of S. Chrysostom will furnish so great a number being the Collections of some laborious man out of the writings of such a Father according to the Custom of the middle Ages which delighted much in Epitomes but that the seven additional Homilies set out by Holstenius should be spurious only because they lay so long dormant is a strange way of arguing while himself confesses that some of them are approved by Photius a much better Critick than any of this last Age and all found in three several Libraries at Oxford Paris and Rome And if their lying so long dormant shall disenfranchize them what might we think of the Epistle of S. Clemens to the Corinthians which was wisht for in vain in the Western World till the Patriarch of Alexandria sent it to King Charles or the many pieces of several other Worthies of the Church which never saw light till the last Editions of their Works But I am weary of following him in his dry jejune and borrowed Criticisms wherein Erasmus and Rivet Scultetus Cook and Perkins are his Oracles XXXV That the words which Athanasius uses were only known to the Age wherein he lived and neither before nor after is an inconsiderate assertion though positively affirm'd p. 375. since a Ep. ad African the Patriarch himself quotes his Predecessor Dionysius and Dionysius of Rome with Theognostus and others among those who called our blest Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or consubstantial with his Father and for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term is frequent in Justin Martyr and Athenagoras and is as old as S. John's Gospel and should we grant that these words were first used which Relation to the Arian Controversies yet no man can be so mad to be perswaded they were never so used after his time XXXVI Whether the Creed that goes under the name of Athanasius be his or no I shall not dispute but must profess that Mr. H's argument p. 376. is not convictive for what S. Gregory Naz. means is no other but that Epistle sent to the Emper or Jovianus mentioned p. 359. containing the Orthodox Doctrine in opposition to the new Creed of the Arians which is extant in the first tome of S. Athanasius's works and in b Li. 4. c. 3. Theodoret's History And now could I heartily wish for a man skill'd in unriddling mysteries to instruct me in the sense of that Translation p. 384. where undertaking to assert the peoples power in Electing a Bishop he says The people being gathered together with the Holy Ghost who constitute a Bishop publickly and in the presence of the Clergy craving a Bishop Of which words I profess my incapacity to make sense or if any be to be supposed it implies that the people and the holy Ghost did joyn suffrages and both chuse a Bishop which seems to me a very strange medley and the Clergy at the same time sat by as unconcern'd spectators XXXVII But this is not the first time that such false assertions have been impos'd on the Fathers while their most Orthodox Sentiments have been represented under the Notion of Errors Thus as to the Article of the local descent Mr. H. is not content p. 296. to tell us that it is a novel addition to the Creed and that it signifies no more than that Christ was buryed which how absurd it is that in so short a Summary there should be two Articles the same and the later that should explain the former infinitely more obscure let all rational men judge but p. 386. objects it against Athanasius that he affirms the local descent of Christ into Hell which c Ep. 99. ad Euod S. Austin says none but an Infidel d Etymolog l. 8. c. 5. S. Isidore of Sevil none but an Heretick will deny Some by this Article would understand Christ's suffering Hellish pains in his foul during his Agony and Dereliction on the Cross this is the Calvinists beloved Dogma and to say no more of it borders too near on blasphemy to be defended Others that he continued 3 days in the state of the dead his soul during that space being separated from his body till the time of his resurrection this Opinion the Arch-bishop of Armagh first introduc'd into the World and it hath since found many an eminent Patron there being nothing in it says Dr. Hammond against the Creeds of ours or the antient Church XXXVIII But the received opinion of the Antients is that Christ in the space between his death and resurrection went down locally into the Hell of the damned not to suffer any thing there for this Article is reckoned by all as the first of those in the Creed that relate to his exaltation but to triumph over Satan in his own territories and to manifest his conquests to the powers of darkness that Satan might see that he whom he tempted was the true Messiah to fasten condemnation to those faln Angels by a decretory sentence personally pass'd on them and to receive the homage which he extorted from them that the wicked might look on that Saviour whom they despised and be convinc'd that their torments were the just punishment of their infidelity and that that King of terrors might see that he had no
and render it to the eyes of all men exquisitely accomplish'd but this was one of the meanest of his admirable Atchievements for if he exposed himself to actual dangers for the sake of the truth what wonder was it that he should vindicate it in his writings But I will add one thing to my former Relation which I above all things revere in him and which I cannot without injuring you pass by at this time especially which is a time of Schisms and Contentions for this action of his ought to be an instruction to us that now are alive if we seriously weigh it for as when one thrusts his hand into the water he not only separates between the water that is left but between what he grasps in his hands and runs between his fingers So we divide not only from all impiety but from the eminently godly not in small and impertinent and contemptible opinions for this were more tolerable but in words that tend to one and the same sense for whereas we piously assert one essence and three hypostases the one describing the nature of the Godhead the other the properties of the Trinity as also do the Italians only by reason of the barrenness of their language not able to distinguish the hypostasis from the essence lest they might seem to admit three substances they substitute in the name of three hypostases three persons what happened something very ridiculous or rather lamentable This little difference in words made a noise as if there had been difference in opinion hence the Heresie of Sabellius took its rise because of the distinction of the three persons and Arianisme because of the three hypostases both being the rude off-spring of a pertinacious love of contention And what succeeded this small distinction being establish'd and grating on some mens minds and what made it distasteful was a love of quarelling the ends of the earth were in danger to be ruin'd by a few syllables which when this bless'd Saint this true man of God and great guide of souls both saw and heard he could not endure to slight and neglect so absurd and unreasonable a distinction but applyed a remedy to the distemper and how did he make his application having convened both parties with all meekness and humility and accurately weighed the intention of the words after he found them agreeing in the things themselves and not in the least differing in matters of doctrine allowing them the variety of names he tyed them to unity of sentiments this was a more advantagious act of charity to the Church than all his other daily labours and discourses which all men celebrate in which there may be intermixt some love of applause and for that reason some innovation made in the Faith This was more honorable than all his watchings and humicubations the benefits of which are confined to the particular practisers of those virtues nay it is nothing inferior to his applauded flights and exiles for after his sufferings he pursued those things for which he chose to undertake such calamities and this also was his design on others praising some moderately correcting others useing the spur to some dull tempers and the reins to other hot spirits infinitely careful that the offenders might repent and those that were innocent might be kept from falling in his conversation master of the greatest simplicity in his government of the greatest variety of skill wise in his discourses but much wiser in his intellect to the mean capacities he stoop'd himself to the more acute his notions and words were more sublime * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A lover of strangers and advocate for the oppressed and a defender from danger he was in truth all those things which the Heathens parcel out among their Gods I will call him * * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. the Patron of Marriage and the Friend of Virgins the Peace-maker and Reconciler and the guide to those who are going out of this life How many brave characters and qualities does the virtue of this Man afford me should I describe all when he had so lived was so instructed and so carefully had disciplined others that his life and demeanor was an exact pattern how a Bishop should have his conversation and his opinions the rule of Orthodoxy what reward did he reap of this piety for neither is this negligently to be past by he dies in a good old age and is gathered to his Fathers the Patriarchs and Prophets and Martyrs that combated for the truth and that I may give him a short Epitaph his Exit out of the World was more honorable and decorous than his return into his City from Banishment his Death was attended with an Universal Mourning and the thoughts that all men entertain'd themselves with of his worth out-went all that may be seen But thou O beloved and happy Man who among thy many other virtues didst exquisitely understand the seasons and measures of Speech and Silence do thou here put a period to my Oration which though it fall short of the truth and thy worth is yet proportionable to my weak abilities and look down propitiously on us from above and guide this people that are perfect adorers of the perfect Trinity which is contemplated and worship'd in the Father Son and holy Spirit protect me and help feed my Flock if peaceable and serene days attend me but if War and confusion reduce and assume me to a station with thy self and those that are like thee though it be no ordinary thing that I beg for the sake of Christ our Lord to whom be all glory honor and dominion for ever Amen THE LIFE OF S. Hilary OF POICTIERS I. IT is Mr. H.'s usual unhappiness in this his View to contradict himself while with more diligence than judgment he hath collected whatever scattered Memoires had relation to his subject without that severe examination that became an Historian whether all the particulars were reconcileable to the laws of time and truth Of this we have a pregnant instance in § 1. p. 396. where out of a Chronic. part 2 c. 3. p. 54. Antoninus we are entertain'd with a pleasant story of an Imaginary Council at Rome under a Pope Leo that never was which he that list may read at large in that Historian Who having recited the particulars out of Vincentius his Speculum and Jacobus de Voragine acknowledges them to be dubious and are indeed no way reconcileable to truth unless we create an Antipope at that time called Leo or assert that Pope Liberius had two names whereof one was Leo both which are equally improbable for there is not a word to this purpose in the antient Church-Historians who are so copious in their accounts of the Arian Synods no not in Philostorgius their own Historian who not caring to falsifie the Records of the Catholick Church would certainly never have stifled so remarkable a transaction had there been but the least
ill to affirm that he was banish'd by both Synods which was impossible or if he meant otherwise the rules of Grammar would have obliged him to have set the Synod of Arles before that of Besieres in order of writing as in that of time VI. This excellent man is seldom mentioned by the Church-Historians who writ in Greek or by the Greek Fathers whom I have met with Only I find Theodoret styling him the holy Hilary Bishop and Confessor But the Latine Fathers are more frequent in his due Encomia Vide Socrat. Eccles hist lib. 3. c. 8. Sozom. l. 3. c. 13. lib. 4. c. 8. l. 5. c. 12. Theodor. dial 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aug. contr Julian l. 1. c. 2. Ecclesiae Catholicae adversùs haereticos acerrimum defensorem venerandum quis ignorat Hilarium Episcopum Gallam virum tantâ in Episcopis Catholicis laude praeclarum tantâ notitiâ famâque conspicuum vid. cund de nat grat c. 61. c. Hieron in Isai c. 60. Cyprianus nostri temporis Confessor Hilarius â—nne tibi videntur excelsae quondam in saeculo arbores aedificâsse Ecclesiam Dei Id. Apolog. adv Ruff. l. 2. virum eloquentissimum contra Arianos Latini sermonis tubam c. he is called by S. Austin the holy blessed and venerable Hilary a man famous in the judgment of all the Christian world the most Reverend and acute Defender of the Catholick Church against the Hereticks by S. Hierome a most eminent and eloquent man whose Books with those of Athanasius he highly commends in his 7th Epistle to the reading of that good woman Laeta some of which himself had transcribed with his own hand at Triers And Ruffinus who in other places is not so just to him yet in his a Lib. 1. cap. 30. History commends him for his excellent morals his meekness and sedate temper and for his learning and eloquence adding of him and Eusebius Vercellensis That they were the illustrious lights of the world and with their rays did illuminate all Illyricum Italy and France to omit Sulpitius Severus Venantius Fortunatus and others VII § 3. p. 399. We are told that the Tractate De numero septenario is S. Hilary's because it is dedicated unto Fortunatus but that is not an argument strong enough to deprive S. Cyprian for there were more than one Clergy-man of that name in the time of that African Primate for instance there was Fortunatus à Tuccabori who subscribed in the Synod of Carthage and probably was the same to whom S. Cyprian writ his 53d Epistle and his Exhortation to Martyrdome Nor could there be that actual friendship between Venantius Fortunatus and S. Hilary which Mr. H. mentions for S. Hilary is p. 414. affirm'd to die An. 366. But Venantius Fortunatus flourish'd not till circ An. 570. nor was he a French-man by Birth but an Italian Born in Marchia Tarvisana and bred at Ravenna who being oppress'd with sore eyes travel'd to the shrine of S. Martin famous for such Miracles where finding his cure for a testimony of his gratitude he writ the life of that famous man and intending a further visit to his reliques he came to Tours and thence to Poictiers where making a halt he was first made a Priest and then Bishop of that See VIII His Book of Hymns is acknowledged to be lost unless as b Epist dedic ante opera Hilarii Erasmus conjectures those Hymns Crux fidelis and that on S. John Baptist Vt queant laxis c. be some of them But that this great man was the first among the Catholicks that set forth Hymns and Verses as is said p. 400 I cannot grant For the world is not ignorant that Tertullian writ against Marcion in Verse and other Poems are father'd on him on Cyprian and Lactantius and if he means it only of Hymns how can he reconcile his position with that of c Hist Eccles lib. 5. cap. ult Eusebius from a much Antienter Author who living circ an 200. and writing against the heresie of Artemon uses this as an argument to disprove that disturber of the Church that many faithful Brethren from the very infancy of Christianity had writ Psalms and Hymns to the praise of Christ the Son of God in which they attributed Divinity to him IX His Books concerning the Trinity are said by d Ubi supr Erasmus to be his Master-piece as Tully's Books de Oratore or S. Austin's de Civitate dei or S. Hierom's Comments on the Prophets are theirs But withal he wishes that that great wit had undertook a subject that would better have comported with his sublime and transcendent Eloquence and Acumen But I cannot believe that he was the first among the Latines who writ on that subject as is affirmed p. 401. for Mr. H. himself p. 143. acknowledges a Discourse of Tertullian's in defence of the Trinity which the whole Greek Church says Baronius ascribe to that Father others to S. Cyprian a third sort to Novatian the Roman Schismatical Presbyter Cyprian's Cotemporary and Antagonist who as a Catal. v. Novatian S. Hierome informs writ a great Volume of the Trinity an Epitome of what Tertullian had before-hand said on that subject the youngest of which lived some years before this French Prelate and whereas he may explain himself that he means it of defending the Doctrine of the holy Trinity against the Arians we know that that Alexandrian Incendiary did only revive and polish the decryed and condemned Opinions of Artemon Photinus Paulus Samosatenus and others though I think it were not impossible to prove that b Id. ibid. v. Lucif Lucifer Bishop of Calaris in Sardinia undertook this Controversie against the Arian Faction before Saint Hilary X. As I cannot subscribe to Cardinal Bellarmine and Possevine that the Epistle that is extant in the name of S. Hilary to his Daughter Abra is undoubtedly his so neither can I think that so indulgent so good a Father could be forgetful of his Family during his banishment but that he writ both to his Wife and Daughter which Epistles being lost this was foisted in for one as writ on that famous occasion of Abra's consulting him about her Marriage which Story is elegantly rendred into English by the Seraphick Prelate c Holy dying ch 3. sect 7. p. 102. Bishop Taylor and to him I remit the Reader XI The Epistles to S. Austin and the Poem called Genesis have been adjusted to their true owners already and as to the Fragment concerning the Transactions of the Council at Ariminum p. 405. I would not have had Mr. H. so tamely to have subscribed to Baronius whose interest it was to decry that piece and who is herein followed by his Epitomator d An. 352. sect 4. an 357. sect 9. Spondanus and the learned e Resp ad Reg. Jacob lib. 1. cap. 27. Perron The passages in that fragment being too severe and peremptory to be
allowed by these Proctors of the Roman Church as becoming Language from a Puisny Bishop to his Holiness to impeach him of Heresie and anathematize him for notwithstanding all their Arguments I can see nothing why it may not be genuine XII His style is intricate but copious and lofty and for this cause among others Erasmus complains that it cost him more time and pains to correct S. Hilary Hier. Ep. 13. ad Paulin. tom 1. p. 106. Gallicano cothurno attollitur Sidon Apollin l. 4. Ep. 3. attollitur ut Hilarius than it did to set out S. Hierome although of S. Hierome a Ep. nuncup ante opera Hieron he speaks confidently that it cost that Father less study to write than him to fit his works for the Press after which he goes on with a continuation of the Character that his way of expressing himself is such that had he treated of those subjects that are plain and intelligible yet it would be hard to understand and easie to deprave his Writings much more now when he undertook to demonstrate what is above all reason and cannot be explain'd so that men have hardly usurp'd that liberty over any one of the Ancients as they have done over S. Hilary especially in his Books de Trinitate Synodis in which by comparing Manuscripts he found in some places whole Prefaces added in others a conclusion of a discourse in a third place 30 or 40 lines interpolated at once And when b Ep. 141. ad Marcell S. Hierome says That he durst not reprehend a man so eminent in his Age both for his courage in asserting the truth for the holiness of his life and the perswasiveness of his Eloquence which made him famous throughout the whole Roman Empire yet in the same Epistle he says that he understood neither Hebrew nor Greek for which Erasmus makes his Apology that for skill in Hebrew none of the Fathers before him had any but Origen and that engaged them to use the Translation of the Septuagint and for his knowledge of the Greek Tongue that he was happier in his own Compositions than in his Translations adding and omitting in the later what himself pleased Nor is his style without its Barbarisms but Scio inter Christianos verborum vitia non solere reprehendi says S. Hierome Solecisms in Speech are no breach of the Laws of Christianity XIII His Creed § 5. p. 407. is set down too short as if the holy Prelate never owned the belief of the Divinity of the holy Ghost when to what Mr. H. recites he should have added what immediately follows c Tom. 1. lib. 3. adv Constant p. 281. haec ego in spiritu sancto it a credidi ut c. These things by the assistance of the holy spirit do I so believe that I am not to be taught any other Creed for herein I differ not from the belief of the Fathers according to the Doctrine of the Gospel and the Symbol repeated at my Baptism For if he defended the Trinity ex professo in his Books and owns the belief of the Apostolick Creed which he there mentions I know not how he can be said to deny the Divinity of the holy Ghost And this I mention because Erasmus and others so impeach him for that when he expresly mentions the adoration of the Father and the Son he alters his style when he speaks of the holy Ghost a De Trinit lib. 2. p. 30. l. 12. p. 261. hie ergo spiritus sanctus expetendus est promerendus est ut patrem filium adorem sanctum spiritum tuum promerear c. and for this method of expressing himself Erasmus gives his reasons by way of Apology either that his discourse did not require any more explicite Declaration of the holy Ghost's Divinity or that the Dogma was not yet defined by the Church or that there is no such position expresly laid down in Scripture or that his great design being against the Arians there was more need to prove the Deity of the Son of God who was made man Macedonius not yet appearing to disturb the Church and yet b Pag. 260. in the same Sentence where S. Hilary denies Christ to be a Creature he affirms the same of the holy Ghost and if no Creature then by the Father 's own way of arguing a Creator and if so to be adored and whatsoever is to be adored is God XIV The Errours laid to the charge of this venerable Ancient have been collected to Mr. H.'s hand by Erasmus and others but that acute Dutchman excuses the first when he assigns usum spiritui sancto as if it were a mistake of his in translating the passage out of some Greek Writer and it is affirmed by a c Chemnit orat de lect Patr. p. 4. good Author that he collected the Sentences of the Greeks concerning the Trinity fortasse legerat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quod derivatur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab utendo unde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so that he imagined the word to signifie use which imports goodness and if so in this last sense the Doctrine is consonant to that of the Schools which attributes works of Power to God the Father of Wisdom to God the Son but of Mercy and Goodness to God the holy Ghost so that this is rather an Errour in Grammar a mis-translation than an Errour in Divinity XV. His second Errour was not only his but the Opinion of Clemens of Alexandria and others and Bonaventure says that Gulielmus Parisiensis saw a Book of S. Hilary's wherein he retracted that Opinion When he affirms that the blest Virgin did conceive carry in her Womb and bring forth our Saviour it implyes plainly that he derived his flesh and blood from the substance of his mother and when he subjoyns that he took nothing else from her I should understand it either of original sin which he was absolutely free from or rather of Humane Passions which the blest Virgin was subject to and so this Assertion immediately succeeding the former in the Father seems to me to be the same with it Nor can I think there would have been so intimate and sacred a friendship between our Confessor and S. Athanasius so great that the Alexandrian Patriarch translated S. Hilaries Books into Greek if the one had denied Christs being born of the substance of his Mother which the other makes an Article of his Creed So that here I cannot forbear giving my Reader the excellent advice of this very Father to guide him in such cases a De trinit lib. 1. p. 9. Optimus lector est qui dictorum intelligentiam exspectet ex dictis potius quà m attulerit neque cogat id videri dictis contineri quod ante lectionem praesumpserit d Apud Chemnit loc com part 1. sect de filie p. 76. intelligendum That man only is fit to read Books