upon the Confirmation chang'd their joy into grief All the Officers complain'd of the losses they should receive in their offices if that Reformation were executed ... Supplications also Memorials were given to the Pope by those who having bought their Offices foreseeing this loss demanded restitution ... The Pope having diligently consider'd thereof deputed eight Cardinals to consult upon the Confirmation to think upon some remedies for the complaints of the Court ... He concludes It is certain that they who did procure the Council had no aim but to pull down the Pope's Authority And while the Council did last every one did speak as if it had power to give Laws to him After all you think to mortifie me with objecting that the corruptions of the Court the abuses tolerated in the Church are at great as ever But you must give me leave to tell you 1. I am not obliged to take your bare word for 't 2. Whether it be true or false 't is nothing to my present purpose If false you are to blame for saying so If true 't is none of the Council's fault Having proceeded legally having made good Laws the Council has done its part 't is ours to do the rest My business is to defend the Council I have nothing to do to rake the dunghill of the Church Has the Decalogue less Authority because the greatest part of mankind are so disobedient Or is the Ghospel less Sacred because there are so few who live according to the maxims of it If this be the onely reason why you Protest against the Council of Trent because the Decrees of Reformation are not every where in all things punctually observ'd I see no reason why you may not with as good a grace Protest against the Ghospel the Ten Commandments I have now done with your Objections And although I am not of the Poet's mind that Brevity is always good be it or be it not understood Yet I have endeavour'd to be as short as possibly I could because when I deal with a man of your parts a word is enough to the wise few words are best As for Soave whom you so much admire I desire to ask you a few questions before I tell you what I think of him Suppose a mortal enemy of yours should Libel you by the way of History call you Rogue Rascal in the very Preface and at the same time perswade his Reader that he follows exactly the truth Would you have me take this Author for an Oracle Would you not think me reasonable if I suspected almost every word he said And ought not I to do the Council as much Justice as I would my Friend T is certain that Soave was a mortal enemy of the Council In the very beginning he declares it He says * p. 2. it has caused the greatest deformation that ever was calls it the Iliad of the Age which is as kind a compliment to the Fathers as if he had call'd them a pack of Villains He tells us indeed in the same place that he is not possess'd with any passion which may make him erre and this was well enough said But how shall a body do to believe him If it were your own case I 'm sure you would not like my being credulous And how do I know but that an Enemy of the Council may deserve as little credit as an Enemy of yours Another reason why I do not like him is because he takes upon him to write men's private thoughts with as much assurance as he writes their words and actions He hardly ever speaks of any intelligence coming to Rome but he entertains his Reader with a pleasant Scene in which he brings the Pope alone upon the Stage discoursing with himself his secret apprehensions deliberations upon every matter such thoughts as no wise man would trust his neighbour with although he were the best surest friend he had in the world How Soave could possibly come to any certain knowledg of such things I am not able to comprehend And truly if a man in one case will tell me more than he can know I have just reason to be afraid that in another he 'l tell me more than he dos know A third reason which weighs more with me than all the rest is this You tell me on the one side He was a Popish Frier And on the other I cannot believe but that although perhaps for some reasons he did not openly profess it He was really a Protestant It appears so plainly by his censuring the Decrees of Doctrine as well as those of Reformation by the severe reflections of his own which he intermixes with those of the Lutheran Criticks that I do not conceive how any man of sense who reads him with attention can be of another opinion Had he been a barefaced Protestant I should be more inclined to believe him There is something of integrity honour in a man that openly professes what he is And although passion prejudice may blind him yet I am apt to think that such a person will never deceive me more than he deceives himself But a Protestant that lives dies in the profession of a Popish Frier How can I believe his words when the most serious of his actions are only so many lies For my own part I would as soon make choice of a Catholick Jew to comment upon the Ghospel to write the life of Christ as I would choose a Protestant Frier to write the History of a General Council Before I end my Letter give me leave once more to mind you of the Discourse we had when we saw one another last We both agreed that * C. II. p. 1. it were a very irrational thing to make Laws for a Country leave it to the inhabitants to be the Interpreters Judges of those Laws for then every man will be his own Judge by consequence no such thing as either Right or Wrong that * ibid. therefore we cannot suppose that God Almighty would leave us at those Uncertainties as to give us a Rule to go by leave every man to be his own Judge that * ib. Christ left his Spirit Power to his Church by which they were the Judges even of the Scripture it self many years after the Apostles which Books were Canonical which were not that * ibid. p. 2. the Judgment of the Church is without Appeal otherwise what they decide would be no farther to be follow'd than it agrees with every man's private Judgment that because in the Apostles Creed we believe in the Holy Catholick Church therefore we ought to believe in the first four General Councils which were true legal Representatives of it And lastly that if the Council of Trent were prov'd to be as General as free as legal in all it's circumstances as any of the first four Councils were then you must needs own your self obliged in Conscience to submit to it to leave of Protesting against it This last part I have here endeavour'd to prove out of Soave himself your own Historian who always makes the worst of things never speaks a favourable word but when the Power of Truth constrains him to it If I have not perform'd according to expectation 't is your own fault who are to blame for having a better opinion of me than I deserve I am no Doctor nor Graduate but every way unfit to be a Champion of the Cause Yet having receiv'd your Commands I have just reason to expect that you will easily pardon a man who in this occasion is guilty of no other crime than being ready to shew himself Your Obedient Servant N. N. Sept. 22. 1686. Page 70. line 1. read rewarded p. 75. * 4. r. ch 14. p. 76. l. 8. r. his 9. book p. 85. l. 26. r. many p. 86. l. 29. r. the year 831. p. 89. l. 8. dele de p. 114. l. 21. r. his 2. book p. 152. l 27. r. shut out p. 161. l. 6. r. it has p. 165. l. 1. r. your p. 168. l. 5. r. haereticis p. 172. l. 3. dele an p. 176. l. 26. r. in this p. 189. l. 22. r. to Basil p. 190. l. 9. r. the case ibid. l. 13. r. HAERETICIS p. 194. l. 1. r. another p. 225. l. 3. r. Charles II. p. 240. * 2. r. 590. FINIS
do I find the least syllable of any promise made by the Emperour to him that the Council should not proceed against him according to Law. He came upon his good behaviour and in his own defence confiding in his own prudence and abilities as well as in the Emperour's Letters in which there is no sign of these two promises 1. that he should not be imprison'd if by any misdemeanour he deserv'd it 2. that he should not be executed if legally condemn'd Both these promises were plainly included in the Extraordinary Safe-conduct which the Tridentine Council granted to the Protestants And therefore as I told you in the beginning The Case was quite different Read Soave and if you believe him you 'l begin to be asham'd of your objection * p. 348 Conc. Trid Sess 15. 18. The Synod doth make Faith to all Priests Princes Persons of what condition soever ... Safe conduct to come remain PROPOSE speak IN THE SYNOD to HANDLE EXAMINE WHAT THEY THINK FIT. give Articles confirm them ANSWER the OBJECTIONS of the Council DISPUTE with those whom it doth elect declaring that the CONTROVERSIES in this Council shall be handled according to the HOLY SCRIPTURE Traditions of the APOSTLES approv'd COUNCILS Consent of the CATHOLICK CHURCH Authority of the Holy FATHERS adding that they SHALL NOT BE PUNISH'D upon PRETENCE OF RELIGION or OFFENCES COMITTED or which WILL BE COMMITTED ... and shall RETURN when it shall seem good unto them WITHOUT LET with SAFETY OF THEIR ROBE HONOUR PERSONS but with the knowledg of the Deputies of the Synod that provision may be made for their Security granting that in this Safe conduct ALL those CLAUSES be held to be included which are NECESSARY FOR REAL FULL ASSURANCE Adding that if any of the Protestants either in coming or in Trent or in returning SHALL COMMIT ANY ENORMITY which shall NULLIFIE THE BENEFIT OF THIS PUBLICK FAITH he shall be PUNISH'D BY THEIR OWN Protestant JUDGES so that the Synod may be satisfied and on the other side if any Catholick in coming hither remaining here or returning SHALL COMMIT ANY THING which may VIOLATE THIS SAFE CONDUCT he shall be punish'd by the Synod WITH APPROBATION OF THE GERMAN Protestant 's THEMSELVES who shall be present in Trent .... which things it promiseth faithfully in the name of all faithfull Christians Ecclesiastical Secular If Huss Jerome had come to Constance with such a Safe-conduct they had neither been imprison'd nor executed With such a one as this the Bohemians went afterwards to Basil were civilly used return'd quietly home With this the Wittenberg Protestants went to Trent remain'd quiet there return'd without receiving any affront That no more of the Protestants follow'd their example in going thither was their own fault They knew very well they might have gone remain'd return'd securely if they pleas'd Consider all this at leisure and then tell me if you can what 's become of your Excuse XI The Councils of Constance Sienna had declared it lawfull to break the faith of any Safe-conduct whatsoever A. Read the Decrees you 'l plainly see the contrary The Council of Constance dos not say 't is lawfull for any whosoever they are to violate the faith of their promises but only declares that no Secular Power can legally hinder the exercise of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction because it is not only independent of it but manifestly superior to it in matters of Religion T is a common Maxim of the Law Superior legibus aut pactis Inferioris non ligatur And in all appearance the design of the Council was to satisfie the World that although the Emperour had pretended to grant an Extraordinary Safe-conduct such as exempts a man from Justice as well as Violence it could not have hindred the supreme Power of Pope Council from proceeding according to the Canons in Causes which are purely of Religion This was the reason why the Protestants would not rely upon the Emperour 's Safe-conduct Nor can I blame them for it See Soave p. 298. Duke Maurice wrote to the Emperour that his Safe-conduct was not sufficient For in the Council of Constance it was determin'd that THEY MIGHT PROCEED AGAINST THOSE THAT CAME TO THE COUNCIL THOUGH THEY HAD SAFE-CONDUCT FROM THE EMPEROUR And that therefore the Bohemians would not go Basil but under the Publick Faith of the whole Council See p. 307. The Ambassadors went all together to the Presidents told them that the Emperour had given the Protestants a Safe-conduct but that they were not contented with it alledging that it was decreed in the Council of Constance and really executed that THE COUNCIL IS NOT BOUND BY THE SAFE-CONDUCT OF ANY WHOSOEVER HE BE therefore they required one from the Synod These Protestants you see understood the Council in the same sense as I do How come you to understand it otherwise Let the Decree speak for it self judge case betwixt us It runs thus Presens Sancta Synodus ex QUOVIS SALVO CONDUCTU per Imperatorem Reges alios Seculi Principes HAERETICIS vel de Haeresi diffamatis putantes eosdem sic a suis erroribus revocare quocunque vinculo se adstrinxerint CONCESSO NULLUM Fidei Catholicae vel JURISDICTIONI ECCLESIASTICAE praejudicium generari vel IMPEDIMENTUM PRAESTARI POSSE seu DEBERE declarat QUOMINUS dicto Salvo-conductu non obstante LICEAT JUDICI competenti ECCLESIASTICO de hujusmodi personarum erroribus IN QUIRERE aliàs contra eos DEBITE PROCEDERE eosdemque PUNIRE QUANTUM JUSTITIA SUADEBIT si suos errores revocare pertinaciter recusaverint etiamsi de Salvo conductu confiss ad locum vonerint Judicii aliàs non venturi Nec sic promittentem cum fecerit quod in ipso est ex hoc in aliquo remansisse obligatum Conc. Const Sess 17. The Council does not say that any one who makes a promise is not obliged in conscience to keep it to the utmost of his just lawfull power But only declares that every man's Promises Obligations of performance are confined within the limits of his own Jurisdiction which he cannot lawfully exceed And that therefore No man either can promise or be by promise oblig'd to perform any more This is the plain sense of those words Nec ipsum promittentem Imperatorem Regem vel alium quemvis Seculi Principem cum fecerit quod in ipso est quod nimirum ex officio jure suo potest ac debet ex hoc Salvo conductu in aliquo quod Jurisdictioni obsit Ecclesiasticae remansisse ulteriùs obligatum Can you blame this Doctrine Does not every body know 1. that any man may promise every man ought to perform what lies in his power 2. that no man can either promise to encroach upon a power superior to his own or be oblig'd to perform it The 1. Act of the Council of Sienna proceeds upon the same principles
therefore I have nothing more to do but cite the Fathers words so conclude S. Gaudentius is his 2. Tract upon Exodus says He the Creator Lord of Nature who produces bread out of the earth produces also his own proper body out of bread because he can do it promis'd to do it And He who produc'd wine out of water produces also his blood out of wine .... For when he gave the consecrated bread wine to his disciples He said This is my Body This is my Blood. Let us believe him whom we have believ'd Truth cannot tell a lie S. Chrysostom in his 83. homilie upon S. Matthew has these excellent words Let us every where believe God Almighty nor contradict him although what He says seem contrary to our Reason and our Eyes ..... His word cannot deceive us Our Sense is easily deceiv'd That never erres This often is mistaken Since therefore He says This is my Body Let us be persuaded of it believe it .... These are not the works of human power He who did these things at his last supper He it is who now performs them We only are his Ministers 't is He that Sanctifies He that Transmutes the bread wine into his Body Blood. So that as the same Saint says in his 25. homily upon the 1. to the Corinthians That which is in the Chalice is that which flow'd from his side that we are partakers of S. Ambrose in his book De his qui mysteriis initiantur ch 9. Perhaps you 'l say says he I see quite another thing How do you assure me that I receive the Body of Christ And this is that which remains for us to prove How great says he are the examples which we use to shew that it is not the thing which Nature form'd but the thing which the Blessing has consecrated and that the Blessing has greater force than Nature because by the Blessing even the Nature it self is chang'd Afterwards He instances in the change of rods into Serpents and of water into blood and thus pursues his discourse If says he the word of Elias was powerfull enough to command fire down from Heaven shall not the word of Christ be able to change the Nature of the Elements You have read of the whole Creation He said they were made He commanded they were created The Word therefore of Christ which could make out of nothing that which was not cannot it change those things which are into what they were not S. Gregory Nyssen in his Catechistical Discourse ch 37. professes the same faith I do believe says he that by the word of God the Sanctified bread is transmuted into the Body of God the Word ... Not that by mediation of nourishment it becomes the body of the Word but that immediatly by the Word it is transmuted into his body by these words This is my Body .... the Nature of the things which appear being transelemented that is transubstantiated into it S. Cyril Patriarch of Hierusalem in his 4. Mystagogick Catechise discourses thus Do not consider it as meer bread wine for now it is the Body Blood of Christ according to our Lord 's own words Although your Sense suggest otherwise let your faith confirm you that you may not judge the thing by the Tast .... and a little after he goes on knowing says he holding for certain that the bread which we see is not bread although it tast like bread the wine which we see is not wine although it tast like wine S. Hierome in his Catalogue Theodoret in his 2. Dialogue are witnesses that S. Cyril was the Author of this work And now I appeal to the judgment of my Auditory whether I may not venture to defy any Catholick of this present Age to express in plainer terms our Faith of Transubstantiation * However T is very strange you 'l say if this were the faith of the first Ages that None of the Heathens nor so much as Julian the Apostat should take notice of it This if we believe a late Author is to a wise man instead of a thousand Demonstrations that no such doctrine was then believ'd * As for Julian the Apostat Of three books which he wrote we have but one that imperfect Had he objected it 't is certain S. Cyril of Alexandria never would have taken notice of it in his Answer So cautious he is in speaking even of Baptism that he passes it over in these terms I should say many more things .... if I did not fear the ears of the profane For commonly they laugh at things they cannot understand * As for the Heathens 't is sufficient to reflect what care was taken by the primitive Christians to hide the mysteries of our Religion to keep our books out of the hands of Infidels This privacy of ours made Celsus call our Doctrine Clancular and Origen in his first book against him answers that it is proper not only to Christian Doctrine but also to Philosophy to have some things in it which are not communicated to every one Tertullian in his 4. book Ad Uxorem ch 5 for this reason would not allow Christian women to marry Pagan husbands will not your Husband says he know what you tast in Secret before you eat of any other meat And S. Basil in his book Concerning the Holy Ghost ch 27. says that The Apostles Fathers in the beginning of the Church by privacy silence preserv'd the dignity of their Mysteries * But because my Author thinks this Demonstration worth a Thousand I am the more willing to answer him in his own words that though I have untied the knot I could with more ease have cut it For since 't is plain evident from all the Records of the first eight Centuries that Transubstantiation always was believ'd it is the wildest and the most extravagant thing in the world to set up a pretended Demonstration of Reason against plain experience matter of Fact. This is just like Zeno's Demonstration against Motion when Diogenes walkt before his eyes A man may demonstrate till his head heart ake before he shall ever be able to prove that which certainly was never to have been All the Reason in the World is too weak to Cope with so tough obstinate a difficulty I have now perform'd my promise I have in three Sermons prov'd 1. that Transubstantiation is neither contrary to Sense nor Reason 2. that it follows clearly from the plainest words in Scripture 3. that it has been the perpetual faith of the Catholick Church not only since Paschasius but ever since the first foundation of Christian Religion And now I not only beg of you but earnestly conjure you by all that ought to be most dear to you by all your desires expectations of eternal Happyness to consider seriously leisurely three fundamental principles of Christianity 1. That without Faith 't is
impossible to please God. They are the words of S. Paul to the Hebrews ch 11. v. 16. 2. That there is but one Body one Spirit ... one Lord one Faith. They are the words of the same Apostle to the Ephesians ch 4. v. 4. 5. 3. That we ought to follow the Direction of this one Lord to find out this one Faith. This Direction is written in the Prophet Jeremy ch 6. v. 16. Thus says the Lord stand in the ways see And ask for the Old Paths where is the good Way walk therein and you shall find rest for your souls T is natural for men to please themselves with thinking how much they are wiser than their Predecessours Nothing is more agreable to Man's proud inclinations than to be always finding faults giving magisterial directions for the mending of them And this is that which makes the very Name of Reformation pleasing delightfull To give it its due Reforming is a pretty Thing if it were well applied If every Man would make it his chief business to reform himself O! what a Happy Reformation should we live to see But this alas is much the smallest part of all our Business There is no Vanity no Pleasure in Reforming of our selves We only gain a Victory where we desire it not only triumph over our own faults A proud man would as willingly sit out as play at such small game as this All his delight is to reform his Neighbours And here I must confess if Men were only a little overbusy in reforming of their neighbours Manners the Folly of their Pride were in some measure tolerable But when our insolence attempts the Reformation of their Faith of that Church to which Divine as well as Human Laws require Obedience and Submission the specious Name popular Pretence will never sanctifie the Crime If they who in the last Age undertook the Reformation of our Church were known to be infallible some grains of blind Obedience might be easily allow'd But since they may perhaps be grievously mistaken it very much behoves you to consider it T is a common saying if a man cheat me once 't is his fault but if he cheat me twice 't is mine T is not the first time that a considerable Party in the Catholick Church has separated from the whole upon these plausible pretences of Reformation to correct Abuses Innovations Errours Did not the Arians thirteen hundred years since begin to separate upon this popular pretence Did not they in the same manner amuse their Proselytes with plausible stories of errours innovations and abuses crept into the Church Did not they make as great a noise against the Consubstantiality of God the Son complain as much of Spiritual Tyranny inveigh as much against the Council of Nice for making introducing and imposing a new unheard of Article of Faith quite contrary to the belief of three preceding Ages plainly opposite to Holy Writ All This you know was false You know that though the word was new the faith was old plainly prov'd by Scripture And yet these popular noises which then the Arians buzz'd into the peoples ears amused them so They never entertain'd the least suspicion of their being cheated Had our Reformers been the first you had been deceiv'd The fault had then been theirs But since the same trick has been playd so often in the Church if now you are deceiv'd the fault is yours I have laid before your eyes this day a prospect of the eight first Ages They accuse the Catholick Church of making a new Article of Faith And by the most Authentick Records of Antiquity it has been plainly prov'd that they themselves are guilty of unmaking an old Article of Faith as ancient as Christ his Apostles Remember the days of old Consider the years of many generations Ask thy Father he will shew thee thy Elders and They will tell thee Stand in in the ways see and ask for the old paths where is the good way walk therein There is no other Way which can conduct you safely to the Joys of Heaven which I wish you all in the Name of the Father Son Holy Ghost Amen * VVhen this Sermon was preacht before his Majesty several paragraphs which are all marks with a * were omitted for brevity sake but are here printed as they were found in the Author's papers A SERMON Preacht before their MAIESTIES AT WHITE-HALL April 23. 1688. Printed by his Majesty's Order Sine me nihil potestis facere Without me you can do nothing Iohn 15.5 THe principal difference betwixt the daring Boldness of a Heathen the true Valour of a Christian Sacred MAJESTIES consists in this The first is grounded in Pride the second in Humility The first begins from a vain Imagination of our own Sufficiency as if we were able to do all things The second from a true Idea of our natural Weakness who are able to do nothing of our selves This was the reason why our Saviour Jesus Christ instructing his Apostles those great Hero's of the Church was pleas'd to settle this foundation for the superstructure of their great glorious Actions Without me you can do nothing That they might better understand it He compar'd them to the branches of a Vine which being separated from the Root immediatly fade wither without bringing fruit I am the Vine you are the Branches Without me you are fruitless Without Humility all that seems great glorious is but a splendid Bubble a meer empty Nothing All this you 'l say is very true Humi'ity is never out of Season But why so much of it in this Day 's Ghospel Why is it now in Season more than any other time The Reason is Because no Virtue is so apt to puff us up with Pride as Fortitude A Hero among men is too often like Lucifer among the Angels From the Meridian of his aspiring height if he look down 't is with Contempt if upward 't is with Emulation of being like the Highest No wonder whilst he lives and flourishes if he desires to be like God For even when he is dead Posterity is apt to make him so Hence 't is the Hero's of Antiquity have peopled an imaginary Heaven with so many Deities and Mankind was so ignorantly Superstitious as to offer Sacrifices to them Had we not been instructed better by the Word of God and particularly by the Ghospel of this Day Our Nation for ought I know might have been guilty of the same extravagance S. George might then perhaps have been a God among us But since all Catholicks are well acquainted with this great fundamental Truth contain'd in the words of my Text Without Christ all the Apostles all the Saints in Heaven can do Nothing The Knowledge of this Truth has dasht the hopes of Hell the Gates of it can never prevail against us We cannot if we do not quite renounce our Faith We cannot be in
Branch abiding in the Vine is fruitfull As in this Kingdom every good man is a Loyal Subject to his Prince So in this Army all good Christians are Souldiers fighting every one against the common Enemy under the Standard and Command of Jesus Christ our General Raise up your thoughts above the world Consider all the Blessed Spirits who are happy there Assure your selves there is not one of them a Saint triumphant now in Heaven who was not formerly a Souldier militant on Earth S. Paul assures us that there is not one who wears a Crown of Glory there but what he fought for here * 2. Tim. 2.5 He is not crown'd says he except he have fought lawfully Our Saviour tells us in the Ghospel of S. Luke Our Enemy the Devil is both * Luke 11.21 Strong and Arm'd And is it not then the Duty of all Christians to arm against him Hear how S Paul describes a Christian tell me what he meant if not a Souldier * Ephes ch 6. Put on the whole Armour of God your Loyns girded with Truth taking the Shield of Faith and the Helmet of Salvation And why all this * ibid. That you may be able to stand against the Devil the * Apoc. 12.9 Old Serpont whose History begins in Genesis and ends in the Apocalypse S. George is always pictur'd fighting with a Serpent The Story which perhaps was first occasion'd by the Picture is a Fable But however if the Maxim of Mythologists be true that there is seldom any Fable without some foundation in History we may believe the Picture is * D. Heylin Hist of S. G. at least in part Historical as being thus contriv'd of purpose in those times by those men who most affectionatly were devoted to our Martyr to publish to Posterity how bravely he refell'd the Devil that Old Serpent the old Enemy of Mankind with how much courage he resisted all his violent assaults And with how much constancy he stood immoveable * ibid. in the profession of his Faith the whole Church praying with him and kneeling like the Virgin by him in that holy Action that God would give him strength to live die victorious in a War which all good Christians are engaged in a War in which we all are equally oblig'd to follow the example of our then Victorious now Triumphing Saint Whensoever we see the George hang at the Breast of any Knight of that most noble heroick Order I could wish it would mind us How happy all those are who by a frequent memory of his Example wear a deep impression of it in their Hearts I cannot but admire the Piety of that great * Edward Ill. Prince the Glory of his Times and Ornament of Europe who in the Institution of it took such care to recommend it with such marks of honour to Posterity Nor can I pass without reflection how sutable the Statutes are to the intention of the Founder how well they answer his design by ordering that the George be never laid aside although the other Ornaments upon occasion may be let alone and only are of obligation upon solemn Days Because the Spiritual War in which all Christians are Souldiers is perpetual without intermission Because the Devil like a cunning Serpent always lies in ambush ready to surprise us Because he every day so frequently assaults us obliges us to be upon our guard Therefore the Image of this Fighting Saint must always be before their eyes always appear upon their breasts always awake the memory of those who over above the common tye of Christianity are by their Knighthood bound in honour not to lay aside S. George's resolution of encountring the infernal Serpent the malicious Enemy of their Eternal Happyness that so they may at length receive an Everlasting Crown of Glory And this is the reason why at the Investitre of any of these Knights when first the George is put about their Necks the Chancellor of the Order reads an Admonition importing that They wear the Image of the Blessed Souldier of Christ S. George to the end that by his imitation they may be provok'd and having stoutly vanquisht their Enemies both of Body Soul they may not only receive the praise of this transient Combat but be crown'd with the Palm of Eternal Victory Not only They whose Dignity entitles them to wear the George upon their Breasts but All who with respect behold it there are animated instructed by it to discharge the Essential Duty of a Christian whose Life is a continual Warfate upon Earth S. George himself had never been Victorious without God's Grace VVithout Christ he had been able to do Nothing The very same Grace we may have for asking if we are sincere The whole Courch prays this Day that God may grant it us Let us Therefore Conclude and joyn our Prayers with Her 's O God who by thy Blessed Martyr George's intercession merits dost rejoyce us mercifully grant that we who by him crave thy Blessings may receive them by the Gift of thy Grace Through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A LETTER Concerning the COVNCIL OF TRENT SR Having perused the * The History of the Council of Trent written in Italian by Pietro Soave Polano translated by N. B. printed London 1676. in fol. pages 769. If my Reader have a different Edition he may observe his whole number of pages and by the Rule of Three as this of mine is to that so will my quotations be to his Author you so much recommended to me I am apt to fancy that never any two Historians disagreed more than yours mine the one so zealous in exalting the other in depressing of the Council But yet I am not of opinion that this was the only difference bewixt them Pallavicini had the freedom of the Vatican Archives He referrs himself to the Records of the Council the writings of * He setts down their names l. 8. c. 10. n. 14. such Persons as were Members of it Moreover He is so far from being partial that * D. Still Rat. Account Aquilino says He has done the Church more disservice by his Answer than his Adversary had done by his History As for your friend Soave I am afraid he 's apt to make the worst of things even when he speaks truth as to the substance His intimate acquaintance with the Archbishop of Spalatro his correspondency with the French Huguenots are enough to make me suspicious of him If you tell me he was a Popish Frier I must mind you that he was a Venetian Papist that he lived in a time of great dissentions betwixt the State of Venice and the Pope that he was even then engaged in writing against the Pope's proceedings T is hard to say how much he was a friend to the Church But any man may see how bitter an enemy he was to the Court of Rome
were not instituted by Christ or had not authority from him For the Pope himself is created by the Cardinals and yet hath his authority from Christ So the Bishops receive the Diocess from the Pope authority from Christ Their Superiority over Priests he prov'd to be jure divino by authority of many Fathers who say that Bishops succeed the Apostles Priests the seventy two Disciples Antony Grossetus insisted upon the same point * p. 559. He said it was necessary to declare that Bishops have not commission for their Office from men for so they would be Hirelings to whom the Lambs do not belong because the man who had committed the care unto them being satisfied they had no more to think on .... In the end he excused himself that he had spoken without premeditation ... not remembring that that point was forbidden to be spoke of Here it is that Soave would make us believe that Grossetus fear'd some bad encounter but I am sure if any bad encounter had ever hapned to him upon this account Soave would have taken care to let us know it Have but a little patience to observe how freely boldly the Bishops deliver'd their opinions in the following Congregations and then I 'l give you leave to tell me if you can what bad encounter they fear'd The Archbishop of Granata said * p. 565. They must needs declare both these two points that is that Bishops are instituted jure divino and are jure divino superior to Priests And he confirm'd his opinion at large with many reasons arguments authorities ... He cited Pope Eleutherius who in an epistle to the Bishops of France wrote that Christ had committed the Church Universal to them He added that Ambrose upon the Epistle to the Corinthians saith that the Bishop holdeth the place of Christ is Vicar of the Lord ... that there are extant Epistles of Cyprian to Fabianus Cornelius Lucius and Stephanus Popes where he giveth them the title of Brothers and of Austin written in his own name of the Bishops of Africa in which the Popes Innocentius and Bonifacius are likewise call'd Brothers which is most plain not only in the Epistles of those two Saints but of many others the Pope is call'd Colleague ... that it is against the nature of a Colledge to consist of persons of divers kinds ... In this Colledg of Bishops the Pope is Head but for edification only ... that S. Gregory saith in his epistle to Johannes Syracusanus that when a Bishop is in a fault he is subject to the Apostolick See but otherwise all are equal by reason of humility which Christian Humility is never separated from the Truth He inveigh'd against those Theologues who said that S. Peter had ordain'd the other Apostles Bishops ... * p. 566. He jested at those Divines who had said that all the Apostles were instituted by Christ and made equal in authority but that it was personal in them ought not to pass to their Successors except that of S. Peter asking them as if they had been present with what ground authority or reason they were induced to make such a bold affirmation invented within these fifty years only expressly contrary to the Scripture in which Christ said to all the Apostles I will be with you untill the end of the world which words because they cannot be expounded of their particular persons only must be necessarily understood of the succession of all * p. 567. The Archbishop of Braga prov'd at large the Institution of Bishops de jure divino He said that the Pope cannot take from Bishops the Authority given them in their consecration which doth contain in it the power not only of Order but of Jurisdiction ... that to Titular Bishops a City is allotted which would not be necessary if the Episcopal Order could subsist without Jurisdiction He was follow'd by the Bishops of Segovia of Segna others who spoke as boldy as himself not fearing any bad encounter and Soave says * p. 569. almost the half were of that opinion Afterwards * p. 577 to quench the boyling heat of the controversy about the Institution of Bishops that it might not increase by means of so many who were prepar'd to contradict Laynez they would not hold any Congregation for many days And yet they were so far from fearing any bad encounter that almost every day * p 578 three or four of them joyn'd together went to some of the Legates to renew the instance And one day the Bishop of Guadice with four others told them among other things that * ibid. as a Prince dos institute in a City a Judge of the first instance a Judge of Appeal who though he be superior yet cannot take authority from the other nor usurp the causes belonging to him so Christ in the Church hath instituted all Bishops the Pope superior in whom the Supreme Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction was yet so that others had theirs depending on Christ alone After all this the Bishop of Segovia when the Prelates met again in Congregation argued * p. 582. that it was decided in the Congregations under Julius III. that Bishops are instituted jure divino though it was not publisht in Session by reason of the suddain dissolution of the Council ... The Cardinal of Mantua caused the Acts of that time to be search'd that to be read by the Secretary which was then defined to be published ... Three Heads of Doctrine were then composed and in the third which was of Hierarchy it was said The Holy Synod doth teach that those are not to be hearkned unto who say that Bishops are not inslituted sure divino it appearing manifestly by the words of the Ghospel that Christ our Lord hath himself call'd the Apostles promoted them to the degree of Apostleship into whose place the Bishops are subrogated neither ought we to think that this so eminent necessary a Degree hath been brought into the Church by human institution There were also eight Canons the last whereof said thus He that shall say that Bishops are not instituted Jure divino or are not Superior to Priests or have not power to ordain or that this doth belong to Priests Let him be Anathema This the Cardinal of Mantua interpreted only of the power of Order the Bishop of Segovia understood it of All which containeth Order Jurisdiction and though he answer'd reverently in appearance there past so many replies that they were forced to break up the Congregation When the Cardinal of Lorain came to Trent he told the Cardinal of Mantua he * p 583. would not be curious in unprofitable questions that for his own part he was more inclined to the opinion which doth affirm the Institution of Bishops the Obligation of Residence to be de jure divino but though it were certainly true he saw no necessity
whilst the Reformers plonder'd the Church divided the spoiles 2. To do it with more ease it was in vain to call a Council of Bishops but the Laity were to have the charge thereof who could not be deceiv'd by their proper interests This Reason I confess if it had taken place would have been worth it's weight in gold but pray give me leave to make the case your own Suppose a man should demand your purse and upon refusal tell you He is the better Judge whether or no you ought to deliver because your interest blinds you but He cannot be deceiv'd by his praper interest Would you believe this honest Gentleman How did you like this method of Reforming when our English Rebels threw the Sovereignty out of doors the Church of England out of the windows Did you fancy that those Church-and-State-Menders deserv'd to have the charge of those matters and that it was necessary they should have it because they could not be deceiv'd by their proper interests If such a Throughout-Reformation as this had been effectually procured All had been well Complaints would then have ceas'd because there would have been nothing left to complain of The Reformers would have reduced the Pope the Cardinals the Bishops Priests Friers to their beginning which in plain English is little better than reducing them to their end The Faction would then have triumph'd according to their hearts desire just as our Rebels did when they had brought our Monarchy to it's beginning by beheading of the Government But this not being effected All the rest was nothing to the purpose One would think that eleven or twelve Decrees containing above 140. chapters of Reformation might be some degree of satisfaction to any reasonable men But when people are disappointed in their principal design right or wrong 't is all the same they are out of humour and when they are so t is a hard matter to please them This was the reason why the Lutheran Criticks were so sharp in censuring ridiculing the Decrees as soon as each Session of the Council was publish'd in Germany p. 504. The Birth of the Mountains was a proverb much in vogue which Soave has recorded in more places than one though otherwise worded The travail of the mountains and the nativity of the mouse an expression proper enough to let us understand what vast projects they had laid of reducing all things to their beginning how much they were disappointed in them since what was decreed by the Council compar'd with what they would have done themselves was no more than a mouse to a mountain In the same page he goes on Concerning the Reformation it was said that more light points could not be handled nor more lightly and that they did imitate the Physician who in a hectical body laboured to kill the Itch. This was another pleasant jest which Soave took care of for fear it should be lost But let him jest as he pleases the Itch he talks of is not so easily cured This humour of Reforming is a very itching humour And the Itch is a strange restless disease Even the wiser sort of mankind when they have once got it cannot for their lives forbear Scratching though they know by experience that it dos more harm than good Read the Decrees of Reformation from the beginning to the end and if you read them with a serious attention I am very confident an impartial man as you are will not say they are either light or lightly handled If you have the Council in your Library I had rather you would read them there than in Soave who I must needs tell you is not so exact as I could wish him Under pretence of relating the substance he leaves out a great many circumstances which a curious man would be desirous to know And besides although I have compar'd a very small part of his translation with the original I find several mistakes in it p. 503. n. 1. he reads is for is not p. 692. n. 12. he reads six for five p. 733. n. 2. he reads two for three p 753. n. 1. of two express commands he has made only one exhortation Such negligences as these are enough to make me suspect him in other matters are a great argument that it was more his business to find fault with the Reformation than to give an exact account of it But whether you consult the Council or his History that you may find out all the Decrees in order without any trouble I have directed you to all the Sessions of the one pages of the other V. 173. 174 VI. 211. 212. VII 247. 248. XIII 320. 321. XIV 331. 332. 333. 334. XXI 503. XXII 537. 538. XXIII 691. 692. 693. XXIV 730. 731. 732. 733. 734. 735. XXV 751. 752. 753. 754. 755. 756. And for your better satisfaction I have set down some few instances of Soave's Translation comparing it with the Original enclosing what he has either alter'd or omitted in a parenthesis like this 1. Concerning Scripture The first point of Reformation in the first chapter of the first Decree is this * p. 173. n. 1. that in the Churches where there is a stipend allotted for reading Divinity the Bishop should provide that the Holy Scripture should be read by the Stipendary if he be sit and not being sit the Bishop should depute a Substitute to perform the charge But for hereafter that the Benefice should not be conferred but upon a sufficient person That in the Cathedral Churches of populous Cities Collegiate Churches of great Castles where no such stipend is assign'd the first Prebend that falleth void should be applied to that use or a simple Benefice or a contribution of all Beneficed men to institute the Lecture And again concerning * p. 693. n. 18. the institution of Seminaries it was constituted that every Episcopal Church should have a certain number of boys brought up in a Colledge to learn among other things the Holy Scripture All this * Sess 5. c. 1. The Holy Synod ordereth decreeth least that heavenly Treasure of Sacred Books which the Holy Ghost has so liberally bestow'd upon mankind should lye neglected 2. Concerning Ecclesiasticks * p. 732. n. 1. The Decrees of Reformation did contain That whosoever have right in the Promotion shall be admonished that it is a mortal sin if they shall not use all diligence to promote the most worthy most profitable to the Church And it was added How necessary it is that the Pope in regard of his Duty should endeavour to assume Cardinals of most excellent worth to provide the Church of fit Pastors because if the flock should perish by the evil government of persons negligent forgetfull of their duty Christ will demand an account of his Holiness * p. 733. n. 3. That Patriarchs Primates Metropolitans Bishops shall be bound to visit their proper Diocess ... That the