things that can be said on both sides hic nunc and ponder them deeply before a judgment can result And it often happens amongst them that they will determin in one year that action to be rejected which was in another time expedient and good only upon change of circumstances It is in my mind a vain labour to write long discourses about probable opinions as some do For if we speak of an opinion in a strict sence an opinion tending to action and yet separated or abstracted from all circumstances of person time place means motives events and connexions with ill or welfare which no writer of a book can see such an opinion is nothing at all in the world but a meer fantosme more apt to mislead then secure any action of life And he that goes to a book to learn there how he is to act in any business he is about goes like one blind man to another blind guide to lead him For this reason all antient good Christians ever had their consciences gâ—ided by living Oracles of men who laying the general rule of religion before them still gave that for safest counsel which all circumstances considered came nearest to the intent and scope of Gospel Truly I cannot but grieve to see men talk so much as they do now adaies about opinions For we are to hold nothing but Gospell and our holy Christian tradition and no opinions at all in religious affaires And if opinions do rise therin as needs they must sometimes by variation of circumstances that is still to be rejected which most swarves from the intent of holy Gospel or which is all one hath least in it of good and most of ill Let not only three men but three millions of men hold any thing to the breach of this rule it is not to be heeded They who write books of moral actions and conscience can know nothing either of the person actually concerned or of the various circumstances which must bring this action into a just existence let them in their abstracted aery problems say what they please nor innumerable events therof although there be some opinions that no circumstance can justify Nor do Catholick Kings and Princes ever heed at all what people talk in their Schools and Academies unless it proceed to action If any do act well he has peace and if any do ill death is at his door however opinions go But of this enough Doctor Still threatens us here with a more accurate examination of these things from the authour who wrote against the Apology for Catholicks I know not who that Authour is But I can tell him thus much that the right honourable Authour of that charitable Apology stands now actually ready with his Pen in hand to entertain him as he hath once already done And that Protestant writer will find him still a main strong Castle not to be blown down or so much as shaken by his impertinent waves All after ages shall make honourable mention of that noble man when his adversary shall be swallowed up in the deep of oblivion Not only Catholicks but many worthy Gentlemen even amongst our Protestant countrymen have grieved in their hearts to see us lie open to so many grievous defamaâ—ions of men But this noble Person ventured to speak and write an Apology for us And if no man should be valorous truth â—ow kept under lock and key for a whole hundred years would never appear as it is and in its own shape § 18. Sir one mistake of mine committed in my first packet wherin I told you that this piece of Fanaticisme was Doctour Stillingfleet's own proper invention I must here revoke For it is not so I wondred indeed that in his arguments against the Church of Rome set down in the begining of his book wherin is mention made of that Churches Idolatry hinderances of a good life and divisions there was not there any one word of Fanaticisme which here fills up a whole chapter in his book compiled as himself speaks in defence of those arguments But I was inlighten'd in this my doubt by a meer chance For meeting with a Protestant Stationer I asked him if he ever heard of an Authour called Foolis or Foulis who is quoted once or twice by Doctour Stillingfleet O quoth he presently Foolis is an asse he printed last year an ecclesiastical history wherein he says that Papish Saints were fanaticks I had the book but threw it out of my shop It is sold now up and down the streets for wast paper I considered then with my self that the Doctour's arguments were made as himself speaks two Years ago this his book in defence of them is but now printed and Foolis his book a Year ago came forth My riddle is now out The Doctour never dreamed of fanaticisme till he learned it of Foolis And yet does he not quote this Foulis in all his Chapter of Fanaticisme though he does in another ambitious it seems to have the honour of the invention ascribed to himself alone Nor is it hard since Foolis his book is become wast paper to find out not the Master only from whom our Doctour learned his lesson of fanaticisme but the very chair also wheron he sat when first he learned it fith bookish men are very apt to peruse the wast paper they are then to use But it was a lucky chance for Doctour Stillingfleet He applied therefore his wast paper and saying in his heart Here is a gallant matter for a whole new Chapter in my book he rose and tied up his breeches ΤΩ ΚΑΘΟΛΙΚΩ DIVISIONS UNto this fifth Chapter I shall speak Sir very little becaus it is wholly parergicall and besides his or what ought to be his purpose A Reader who looks upon his book conceives him to speak of divisions which are contrary to their unity of faith And yet the Doctour by a multitude of stories which make up this chapter exemplifies only and declares divisions that have been in several times and places contrary to the unity of affections in matter of honor wealth and power some in Italy some in France some in England some in America some about their School conceptions some about power and jurisdiction liberty and freedom and the like So that all that has happened in the Catholick world the space of a thousand years contrary to that peace humility love tendernes justice mercy patience prudence which religion requires so much of it as he found related in Catholick authors to his hand is the miscellan hodg podg of this his fifth chapter called Divisions not ever intended by any of those Catholicks authors unto Dr. Still purpose unto which the said stories are wholly improper 1. The story of the wars and differences in Italy nine hundred years ago about church-Church-lands managed on one side by Charles Martell King Pepin Charlemaign Ludovicus Pius Lotharius and others for the Popes right against Emperours and their Lieftennants on the other And here by
body either that is or has been in the World is liable to errour falshood and corruptions And what necessity in â—eed can there be in me to joyn in any Communion which may go astray and mislead me since I cannot do worse if I remain free and all alone and may perhaps do better But these contradictions are small matters So long as the Doctor opposes the Catholick Church out of which they are all fallen he is a Protestant good enough whatever he hold in particular either contrary to himself or any others The first question which is the occasion and subject of this his present book he resolves negatively averring that the same motives which might secure one born and bred in the Catholick Church to continue in it cannot secure a Protestant convinced by them to imbrace it And this his Assertion he discourses at large and confirms by various Syllogismes because invincible hinderance may perhaps excuse the one but not the other because the Protestant is safe in his own Church and therefore has no necessity to leave it because there is imminent danger in the Roman Church where there is so much Idolatry so many hinderances of good life and devotion so much divisions so much uncertainty of faith in it Unto these resolutions and argumentations of his the Catholick Proposer adjoyned presentâ—y his own reply a very rational me thinks and good one Hereupon the Doctor wrote and set forth this his present book called A Discourse against the Idolatry c. both to inlarge his own arguments and to disable the Catholick Gentlemans Reply And this was the occasion purpose and subject of the book you put in my hand to peruse and write to you the substance of it with some few brief thoughts of my own upon it Indeed the whole book is a kind of Academick Act or Commencement such a one as we have once a year in our famous Oxford Cambridge written and printed for peoples deligh and pastime and if so it please the Stars for his own honour and preferment by our Doctor And it came forth very seasonably about a fortnight before the Oxford Act. to save the wits living here abouts the great charges and some kind of pains of a Journey thither being now furnished well enough aforehand with as subtile and good an Act as that may haply be at our own doors and which may please the Women somewhat better in our Mother tongue The conclusions defended in this Holborn Act are these three 1. Popery is idolatrous And this is accomplished in two of his positions which he calls Chapters 2. Popery is a hinderance to a good life and devotion And this is dispatched at one other breathing named his third Chapter 3. Popery is divided and disunited in it self And this puft out in his fifth Chapter which concludes his Book And in midst of this great Act rises up a prevaricating Tripos to refresh our wearisomness and make a littâ—e sport And he takes up the whole Scene of his fourth Chapter And his Theme is Fanaticisme the Church of Romes Fanaticisme or the Fanaticism of the Roman Church And upon my word it has made many people merry not the softer Sâ—x only but the rougher and more serious mankind And all do so câ—ap and commend the man that one may well belâ—eve he has receiv'd his reward Idolatry ill life and divâ—sions of the Roman Church which are hâ—s three less wild conclusions we have in part already heard of even as we have heard talk of Europe Asia and Africa But Fanaticisme his merriment is I think the proper and peculiar discovery of Dr. Stillingfleet himself And he may deserve either to give or take a sirname from it as Scipio Africanus took from Africa and Vesputius Americus gave to America his new found Land What is it that wit and industry cannot bring to light if they be joyntly bent both of them upon the search And a new discovery especially of a rich pleasant Country ful of curiosities is so pleasant to the Discoverer himself so naturally pleasant that I cannot but think that Dâ—ctor Stillingfleet at his invention of Fanaticisme wherewith he hoped to make many others merry laughed heartily himself He begins his Book with the Roman Idolatry and he does wisely in it For Idolatry is such a terrible thundering charge that in all Readers judgments that Church is half condemned already which hath that crime so much as laid upon it Men therfore choose rather to be accounted Atheists than Idolaters For the first argues wit with other stupidity Nor will one man of a hundred trouble himself to read over a Book written on any purpose of clearing from that enormous crime either himself or religion professed by the Author of it Be the imputation never so false yet is it stil ablasting imputation which kills and overthrows not so much by proving as by naming it He must needs be impious who is an Idolater and he must be an Idolater who is called so Be it never so unjust it is still a witty trick to cry out against him as an Idolater whose honour and livelihood we would here in England undermine Sad experience has proved this to be true too too often And the Great God of Heavens anger lies I fear heavily upon us for it This thus far Now forward IMAGE IDOLATRY The Church of Rome worships God by Images and is therefore guilty of Idolatry by giving to the Creature the worship due only to the Creator For God having forbidden any such sort of worshiping him by his own law and commandments given by Moses wherein he forbids his people to make day kind of image pesel themunah eikon glypâ—on sculptile any thing represented either by carving tool or pensil cannot own that worship nor can any such worship terminate upon God And the reason of that law of Moses is unchangeable which is that God's infinite and incomprehensible Deity cannot be representâ—d For which reason the wisest of Heathen both particular Men and Nations judged all such representations of the invisible Godhead to be incongruous and unbecoming his glory And if this were inconsistent with Gods nature and will in the old Law much more in the new where we are taught to worship God in spirit and truth and to have no low unworthy thought of God It might therefore seem more rational to worship God in the Sun and Moon which have more of God in them and to say our prayers to the Sun and Moon them to any image or shadow the same argument which excuses the one will justifie the other much more For this reason St. Paul teaches that the Godhead is not like to gold or silver or stone and blames those who change the glory of the incorruptible God into the image of corruptible man And the Heathens in doing this did ill although the wiser sort among them testifie that they did not hold their statues to be Gods but that they worshipped God in
the way we may note that Charlemaign or Charles the great was a notable champion not for the faith only but for the temporals also of the Roman Bishop even to his death which I gave the Doctour notice of when I spoke of the Councel of Frankford and himself now here acknowledges it 2. The story of the quarrels between Henry fourth Emperour and Pope Gregory Hildebrand about an age afterward and the various troubles inferred upon the said Emperour therby 3. The story of P. Vrban and Paschall and others then sitting in the See apostolick and Emperour Rodulphus Lotharius Conradus and the great wars and feuds between them unto the great affliction and misery of mankind 4. The story of the Schismes that happened in the ninth age about the election of Popes wherein successively they deposed contradicted judged and censured one another unto the unexpressable scandall and grief of the whole world And all these above named histories are gathered out of Alphonsus Ciaconus Baronius Luitprandus Morinus Papirius Massonus Onuphrius Sigonius Nauclerus Sigebertus Otto Frisingensis Conradus Rubeus Valesius Sirmondus Sabellicus Blondus Nithardus Hincmar Guicciardin Platina all Catholick historians not one that I know excepted 5. The story of Friars and Monks exemption from Episcopal jurisdiction and the troubles caused thereby amongst the Clergy and the instability of Roman Prelates sometimes confirming and then again recalling those their priviledges This happened in the thirteenth age about four hundred years ago some Doctours defending the said Religious exemptions and priviledges as St. Bonaventure St. Thomas Jacobus Abbas Cluniacensis and some opposing them as Dr. Saint Amour and the University of Paris Armacanus Durandus Mimatensis Petrus de Vineis and Aegidius Romanus 6. The story of two or three Priests here in England about threescore years ago who haveing boarded together at Wisbich with some of the Society very peaceably for a time at last fell out and parted with much scandal and heats one against another 7. The story of Richard Smith Bishop of Calcedon opposed here in England about forty years ago by some religions 8. The story of a bitter contest between some regulars and their bishop in the Philippin Islands and again in Angelopolis in America about twenty years ago 9. The story of the many differences amongst the Schoolmen not to be ended either by Pope or Councels although one of the contradictories must needs be false These are his stories some of them dismal enough and yet all of them I think as true as I am certain they are impertinent And ever and anon the Doctour cries out where is their unity here where is now their infallibility so much talked of whereas indeed the stability of religion and Gods infallible protection of his Church never appeared in greater splendour then it did in those dismal dark times when such as should have been Pastors proved wild beasts rather and wolves to destroy the flock For even in those worst times did the Catholick Church most flourish in unity and Christian piety all over the world And through all these tempests and many more yet greater hath this ship of the Church passed on now almost seventeen hundred years and yet continues To keep it safe and whole not only from outward opposition of Infidels but even from the many inward domestick scandals strong enough to crack asunder the very sides of it and dissipate it into dust is a power and vertue truly divine which can proceed from nothing but Gods great favour and love and blessing upon it We had never heard so much of the power of our Lord Jesus nor known it so well if a tempest had not rose and indangered the ship And all that I think can be judiciously gathered from these many dismal stories and miserable scandals is only this that in all such distresses and ever we are still to trust in God and in the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ who has promised to be with us even to the worlds consummation And if he be with us we shall be well be what will against us whether it rise within the Church or fall upon it from without The Catholick Church must tast all the trials and temptations which may render her conformable to her Lord and head both from friends and foes And it is enough that he watches over us who never sleeps and suffers no more to befall us then will redound to his own glory in the end But I wonder much how the Doctour amongst the many differences and broils here recorded could omit to relate the differences betwixt the Kings of France and Spain now daily sounding in our ears unto the sad and woful ruin of so many thousand people But he is subtle and thinks perhaps if he should speak of such publick things now in present action that every one would be able to tell him presently that the said discourse is nothing to the purpose for that the said Kings and their whole Kingdoms are all in a perfect unity of their Catholick faith for all that And therefore he judges it a wiser part to hunt farther from home as foxes do where ordinary Readers cannot so easily discern his impertinency If he do speak any thing near our own times it must be the wranglings of some obscure men unknown to us if he relate the differences of greater men they must be such as are far removed off four five nine hundred years ago and then he hopes that his Reader may not so easily discover his fraud For the same reason he omits also to speak of the great wars and differences between the hous of York and Lancaster here in England which brought with them as dismal effects as any here recorded by him as also the Wars of England with France unto the utter depopulation in a manner of that whole Kingdom And yet did their unity of faith stand all the while inyiolable And this truth becaus it is known to every Reader therefore will not the subtle Doctor make any mention of these things But I cannot so well tell why he should omit the story of the Arrian heresy which disturbed not one Kingdom only but all the whole Christian world Europe Asia and Africa so far as the very Sun in the Firmament looked upon it And those differences were indeed about a point of faith which nothing is here in all the differences related by the Doctor Secondly they brought with them unspeakable molestations and damages all the world over far further then these his related differences ever reached Thirdly they lasted four hundred Years whereas most of these his differences were little and light and personal or national and none of them so lasting as the troubles of Arrianism So peevish obstinate and self-will'd are men even against all rules of Christian piety and moderation when concupiscence and passion are once ingaged And yet was that Arrian dispute so quaint and subtile that the world hardly discerns where the difference lay which so much incensed all the Catholick Prelates in the world and set in such a deadly fewd so many great and holy men on both sides who had guided their Flocks before in all tranquillity and peace But what reason soever the Doctour had for his omission of this Arrian heresy which is more pertinent than any of all his stories put together yet might he not me-thinks have utterly forgot the famous and renowned story of Robin Hood who was a noble person and well beloved of his Countrey and yet out-lawed by his King who professed the same Catholick religion with him was forced to confine himself to woods and deserts in much hunger and distress and daily dangers of his life If he had bethought himself well he might have printed here the whole History of England and France Spain and Italy Germany Poland and Greece And it would have made him a fine long chapter Especially if he had inserted all the wranglings and law-suits that have happened amongst Christians in all the said Kingdoms from their first conversion for above a thousand years unto this last age when Protestancy first showed its head But in all that time there is not an Authour upon earth who mentions any wars any wranglings any division of Protestants For neither Cesar nor Pompey however mischievous made any troubles before they were born nor did any writer take notice of those turbulent warriours from the time of Picus first King of the Latines unto their daies which was little less than the same space of time that Protestants were in a deep silence and peace all over the whole Christian world fifteen hundred years I have no more now to say but dear Sir farewell and continue still to love and pray for Your friendly Postillator J. V. C. FINIS