in the Protestant no Fear and consequently no Hope which is accompanied always by Fear but in lieu of Hope that Vice which is called Presumption which is a sin against the H. Ghost Timor fundamentum salutis est says Tertul. lib. de cultu foeminarum c. 2. p. 265. Sperando enim timebimus timendo cavebimus cavendo salvi erimus contra si praesumamus neque timendo neque cavendo difficile salvi erimus Fear is the ground-work and foundation of our Salvation Our Hope is mingled with Fear this makes us take heed whence proceeds our security of Salvation On the contrary when we presume we grow careless and run great hazard of being lost for ever SECTION III. Of Charity or Love. CHarity or the Love of God above all things is much more esteemed and honored amongst us than amongst you You rank it contrary to the Apostle even with Faith or seat it on a lower Bench whereas we with the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.13 believe it to be the Commandment of Christ Joh. 15.12 The fulness of the Law Rom. 13.10 The bond of perfection Col. 3.14 which divides betwixt the Children of the Kingdom and those of Perdition S. Aug. The nuptial Garment with which we must enter into the Wedding Mat. 22.11 12. That is the form of Vertues Concil Trid. That without it all other Vertues gift of tongues power of working miracles knowledge of mysteries nay even Faith and Hope are nothing avail nothing are no more to be regarded than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal c. 1 Cor. 13. In fine althô with Divines we are persuaded that these two great Vertues may be separated yet we hold their separation to be their ruin that as Charity is but superficial and not real without the light of Faith so Faith is cold without the warmth of Charity He who knows God without loving him is impious and he who loves him without knowing him aright is blind A Believer without Love is ungrateful a Lover without Knowledge is fensless so these two Vertues must assist one another We must aim to have a living Faith which works by Love Gal. 5.6 and Love is the proper work of Faith. Opus fidei dilectio Aug. tr 10. in Epist Jo. Love both gives to and receives strength from Faith. Charitas robur Fidei Fides fortitudo Charitatis S. I eo Serm. 7. in Quadrag In Heaven there is Love without Faith 1 Cor. 13.8.10 In Hell Faith without Love Jac. 2.19 Christians in this Life must have both for Love without Faith is the Love of Pagans and Faith without Love is the Faith of Devils but Faith with Charity is the Faith of the Children of God in this Life Fides quae per dilectionem operatur ipsa est Fides quae fideles Dei separat ab immundis daemonibus Aug. de gratiâ lib. Artib cap. 7. Thus we joyn together those two great Vertues this we believe this we teach of Charity whilst you out of an ill-grounded opinion of your fac-totum-Fac-totum-Faith relying on it for Remission of Sins Justification Perseverance and Salvation exhaust your Rhetorick so much in commendation of that your Darling that you have no room to commend Charity or Good-works Our Practice as much surpasses yours as to nourishing Charity as our Doctrin doth For seeing the Love of God and Love of our selves are opposit and the one withers as the other thrives their practice must be most proper to nourish Charity which aims most at mortifying Self-love and on the contrary those who foster Self-love must annihilate Charity Now what Practice can you shew for the mortification of the Body the quelling our Passions the renouncing of our Will What Documents do you give for these What Examples can you shew since your reformation of them You have never been able to find in the three Kingdoms a dozen Persons of either Sex who for so many years would sequester themselves from the Enjoyments of the World to serve God in voluntary Poverty Chastity and Obedience Whence comes this but from Self-love which abounds in them and the lack of the Love of God which might cement their Hearts together Whence comes that insupportable Pride which makes your Proselytes so refractory to God and his Vicars their Spiritual and Temporal Superiors That they are so tenacious of their extravagant Fancies so stubborn in their uncouth Resolutions so intractable in their Manners so humorsom in all their Actions and Conversations but a latent Pride the proper Offspring of Self-love and the Bane of Charity Look into 1 Cor. 13. you shall there find a description of Charity and its Qualities Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envieth not Charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Should I now examin the Life of generally all who deliver themselves to your Direction upon these Heads and shew how little of this appears in your Manners and how much there is quite contrary to it the Picture if sincere would fright you or confound you how great soever your Confidence be In fine the words of our Saviour to the Angel of Laodicea Apoc. 3.17 may be very well applied to you Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked God open the eyes of your Heart to see this that so you may be moved to seek for Gold tried Spiritual Riches where it is to be found in the true Church SECTION IV. An Answer to what G. B. objects G. B. p. 78. ARE Papists not taught to confide more in the Virgin or their Tutelar Saints than in the Holiest of all Answ No we are taught no such thing G. B. ibid. Doth not the fear of Purgatory damp the hopes of future Blessedness Answ It doth not G. B. pag. 79. What impious Doctrin hath been Printed in that Church of the Degree of Love we owe to God Answ I know of no such Doctrin of the Degrees of Love due to God. I know that all Catholics applaud the Saying of S. Bernard Modus amandi Deum est amare sine modo I know that Divines require as well as S. Thomas a mediocrity in all Vertues except Charity That all Vertues are betwixt two Vices whereof one offends by exceeding the other by not reaching its due measure And this they assure even of Hope which is betwixt Presumption and Despair and of Faith which is betwixt a lightness of Heart believing all things and a hardness to believe any thing Love cannot be too great and so hath only one Vice contrary to it by defect loving too little Is this Doctrin Impious Hence what you say Some mincing it so as if they were afraid of his being too much beloved This
of Opinions opposite to the Power and Life of Christianity I know none who hath a better Title to it than your Reformation For the Life of Christianity is Faith and Charity and you have destroy'd the first by Heresie and the second by Schism as shall be proved hereafter Children delight in edged Tools which serve only to cut their fingers and you and your Brethren use weapons against us which wound your selves Fatal Experience might have taught you more Discretion than to be still moving that stone which hath once crush'd both your Church and State to pieces And truly the Reproach of Antichristian will fall on your Church if prov'd against ours For say what you please of the ancient Britans the first Apostles of the English who brought us the light of Faith and planted the Gospel amongst us came from Rome The Hierarchy you pretend to came from thence By Authority from the Pope my Lord of Canterbury is Primate and my Lord of London is his Suffragan By the same Authority the Country is divided into Dioceses your Deans and Chapters setl'd your Universities founded and several Degrees instituted in them If the Pope be the Antichrist both Universities and Hierarchy amongst you is Antichristian Moreover the Livings you enjoy were for the most part if not altogether given by the pious Liberality of Persons who profest that Faith we profess and lived and died in the Communion of our Church Gratitude to such Benefactors may teach you to judge less severely to suspend your Judgment till you have more convincing Arguments to ground it on than your own bare and bold Assertion CHAP. III. The true Designs of Christian Religion THe Design of God in establishing Religion was that Men should serve him in this World and enjoy him in the next that they (a) Psal 126.5 here sow with tears there reap with joy now run (b) 2 Tim. 4.7 8. their race and fight their battel then receive their crown Rivers (c) Eccles 1.7 receive their waters from the Sea and return to it again And Religion receives its beginning from God runs through all Ages to return to God again Each Man before his Creation is Creatrix essentia says S. Anselm From which by Creation he is separated and by Regeneration and the good Works which follow it he returns to him again never more to be separated from him The first Action is of God alone the rest are of God and Man For God (d) Aug. Qui te creavit sine te non te salvabit sine te will not compleat the Work of our Salvation with out the Cooperation of Man. God (e) Subest tibi cum volueris posse can do all without Man but will not Man (f) Sine me nihil potestis facere Jo. 15.5 can do nothing without God from whom he must expect prevenient concomitant and subsequent Graces for all and every meritorious Action That Bliss which God prepares for us in the next Life contains God himself and when enjoy'd renders the thrice happy Soul like (a) Similes ei erimus 1 Jo. 3.2 unto God and we must attain to it by means proportionable which partake of the resemblance Wherefore our Understanding must be like that of God believing him and our Will loving him The first is Faith the second Charity to which add Hope to keep our Soul steady amidst the Difficulties of this Life as an Anchor (b) Heb. 6.19 fixes a Ship And you have the three Vertues call'd Theological because they rely immediately on Almighty God Faith on his Veracity or Truth in affirming Hope on his Fidelity in promising and Goodness as he is our Chief Good And Charity on his Goodness in its self Which Three Vertues contain what is required of us in this Life Whatsoever is required to a good life is known as we know what to believe to hope and to love Says (c) Aug. Ench. c. 4. Omnia quae requiris proculdubio scies diligenter sciendo quid credi quid sperari debeat quid amari Haec enim maximè imò verò sola in Religione sequenda sunt S. Austin Which are the only things Religion regards as being designed only for these three Vertues But are we not oblig'd to keep the Commandments Or do not they advance towards Heaven who run (a) Psal 119.32 in the paths which God hath traced out And how come these to be omitted Answer They are not ommitted but are contained in Charity (b) Rom. 13.8 9. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law our whole Duty to our Neighbour and the Commandments relating to him being briefly comprehended in this Saying Love thy Neighbor as thy self As our whole Duty to God is contained in that other Saying Love God above all things (c) Matt. 22.40 On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets These are the two Rootes (d) Matt. 7.17 of the good tree which brings forth good fruit As love of our selves is the root of the bad tree which brings forth bad fruit The (e) Aug. Serm. 44. de Temp. Radix omnium bonorum est Charitas sicut radix omnium malorum est Cupiditas root of all good is Charity as the root of all evil is Concupiscence Again (f) Aug. l. de moribus Eccl. c. 25. Nihil aliud est bene vivere quam toto corde totâ animâ totâ mente Deum deligere To live well is to love God with all our Heart with all our Soul with all our Mind I should as easily write out the whole new Testament as endeavour to cite all the passages which directly or indirectly commend Charity Seeing all tend to extinguish in us self-self-Love and to kindle Divine Love. In it Divine Love sometimes is preferr'd before (a) 1 Cor. 13. the Tongues of Men and Angels before Faith working Miracles before knowledge of the greatest Mysteries Almsgiving c. It is call'd (b) Col. 3.14 The bond of perfection the end (c) 1 Tim. 5. or intent of the Commandments c. I end with the Words of the beloved and loving Disciple (d) Jo. 4.16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Wherefore with Reason S. Austin (e) Aug l. de laudibus Charitatis said Ille tenet quicquid latet quicquid patet in divinis sermonibus qui servat Charitatem in moribus I should not have been so long upon a Point of which I thought none could be ignorant who reads the Scriptures or knows the Rudiments of Christianity did not I perceive that you either never knew it or have forgotten it And When (f) Heb. 5.12 for the time and your Vocation you should be a teacher you have need that one should teach you which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God. For how happens it that in relating the Designs of Christian Religion there is not one clear
or S. Paul composing his Epistles nor so much neither seeing these were so assisted as to Compose Holy Scripture when the Church only pretends to Expound the Word of God. How doth such an Assistance of the Divine Spirit derogate from the Infallibility of God from which it is derived But Her Exposition must be admitted say you though contrary to the Sense As if Infallibility did not exclude all possibility of such a wrested Exposition The Infallibility of the Church may slight your Attempts whilst you are armed only with such Straws We have seen your Arguments let us see your Answers to ours G. B. pag. 44. The Gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church Mat. 16.18 proves not the pretence of Infallibility Why not Learned Sir Not a word of that but as if you had forgotten what you were about you fall upon the English Translation of that Text which you say deserves amendment and I will leave you to be taught better Manners by your Fellow Ministers or your Mother the Kirk of Scotland G. B. pag. 45. The Spirit leading into all truth Joan. 16.13 advances not the Cause a whit since that Promise relates to all Believers Here is another Assertion without Proof as if we were bound to take your word Those words are part of the Sermon after the last Supper at which only the Apostles were present and which was directed immediately to them You should then give some Reason why they relate to all Believers althô spoken only to the Apostles G. B. The Church's being built on the Rock Peter proves nothing for a Series of Bishops of Rome seeing the other Apostles were also Foundations Answ If it prove all Bishops together Infallible firm in Faith as a Rock it confounds your Reformation which is condemned by them all G. B. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16.19 import no more than that Peter was to open the Gospel When you shall give in a Proof we will consider it till then I will believe not you but Christ who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adds the Office of the Keys to open and shut not the Gospel but Heaven by loosing and binding Sins G. B. pag. 46. It is certain that Vice as well as Error is destructive of Religion If then there be no Authority for suppressing of Vice but that same of the Discipline of the Church it is not incongruous there be no other Authority for suppressing of Error but that same of the Discipline of the Church Answ It is certain that both in the old and new Law several Persons have been secured against Error who were subject to Sin. S. Peter was truly reprehensible (a) Gal. 2.11 for a thing he did not for any thing he writ or preached The same of David of Salomon c. For this reason our Blessed Saviour commanded (b) Mat. 23.23 all to follow the Doctrin of the Scribes and Pharisees because they sat on the Chair of Moyses but not their Example So your Question why God should provide more against Error in Faith than against Vice in Manners can find no place amongst Catholics who are taught to adore God's holy Will even when they understand it not and to (c) 2 Cor. 10.5 Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ To you who think it absurd to deny a Man the use of his Reason in Judging and Diseerning all things and submit even Divinely revealed Truths to its Tribunal to you I say we leave the search of those Depths and discovery of those Mysteries G. B. pag. 48. I could prove from History that General Councils have erred that Popes have been Heretics Answ By what you have done we may guess what you can do Your Learning appears by your Writings as also your Judgment in using it We have seen many Proofs of it and shall see more in this small Tract I will add to them one Instance out of another Work of yours Observations on the First Canon of the Apostles pag. 66. You prove that anciently Priests could Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation out of the First Canon of the First Council of Orange When it is evident that That Canon doth not give Priests power to Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation but commands them to use Chrism in Baptism since when every Divine of the First Year knows that Vertical Chrismation hath been a Ceremony of that First and mysterious Sacrament Such Mistakes as these are incident to such as are bred in a Congregation where Ceremonies are abrogated G. B. pag. 49. We are not the Servants of Men nor bound to their Authority for none can be a Judge but where he hath Power to Try and to Coerce Now none but God can search our Hearts so none but he can be Judge Answ The Independent and Quaker and all who endure with regret Prince and Prelate Canon and Civil Law under pretence of Evangelical Liberty will thank you for this CHAP. XIV Of Merits G. B. p. 50. IF any have derogated from the value of the Satisfaction of that Lamb of God they have offered the utmost Indignity to the highest Love and committed the Crime of the greatest Ingratitude imaginable Answ Transeat totum what then G. B. Who would requite the most unconceivable Love with such a sacrilegious Attempt Answ None that I know of But say you how guilty are they of this who would set the Merits and Works of Men in an equality with the Blood of God Answ I know none such if you do point them out for Punishment no Catholic is concerned in them G. B. pag. 51. It is true this Doctrin of Merit is so explained by some of that Church that there remains no ground of quarrelling it except for the Terms sake which is indeed odious and improper thô early used by the Ancients in an innocent Sense But many of that Church acknowledge there can be no Obligation on God by our Works but that which his own Promise binds upon him Answ Here is one of the malicious Sleights of you and your Brethren when you cannot with any colour accuse the Doctrin of our Church to pretend it is only the Doctrin of some few Persons that you may persuade your Disciples the generality of Catholics hold the contrary The Council of Trent contains what all Catholics Subscribe to and this is the Doctrin of that Council in this Point Concil Trid. Sess 6. cap. 16. Benè operantibus usque in finem in Deo sperantibus proponenda est vita aeterna tanquam gratia filiis Dei per Christum Jesum misericorditer promissa tanquem merces ex ipsius Dei promissione bonis ipsorum operibus meritis fideliter reddenda To those who persevere in good Works even to the end of this Life and who hope in God Life everlasting is proposed both as Grace mercifully promised to the adopted Children of God through Jesus Christ our Lord as also as a Reward due in vertue
but his heavy Body keeps him on the Ground and his dull Spirits serve only for a slow Motion there For let a Man read your Book observe your disesteem of others and your insulting over them and he shall think you Eagle-like to be towring above the Clouds whence you with disdain look down on us poor Ignoramus's Yet your heighth is discernible without the help of a Telescope For after all your striving and straining Endeavors we still find you on the Ground equal nay inferior to many whom you insult over without any thing extraordinary but your boldness to Print in so Learned an Age as this is of things you understand not If what I have written already and what I shall write doth not make this clear I will give you leave to apply that Comparison to me I have already spoken Chap. 3. 4. of the Designs of God in delivering Christian Religion that it was to teach Men to serve God in this Life and enjoy him in the next That this Service consisted chiefly in Faith Hope and Charity yet so as Charity gives a value to the other In fine that the End of the Gospel was to unite us to God by Charity in this World and by Glory which is the last perfection of Charity in the other Love is the root of all our Actions As Weight (a) Aug. l. 13. Confes c. 9. Amor meus pondus meum eò feror quocumque feror Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Sicut corpus pondere ita animus amore fertur quocumque fertur in Bodies gives them their Motion towards their Center so Love in Men but with this difference that Weight is restrained to local Motion an Action of one species but Love as partaking of the nature of the Soul whose it is reaches to several and those of an opposit nature for all we do proceeds from some Love. All our Passions are only Love in a several disguise (b) Aug. l. 14. de Civ Dei cap. 7. Is the thing we love absent the love of it is called Desire is it in danger to be lost it is Fear are we in a probability of attaining it it is Hope is it looked on as irrevocable it is Despair are we stirred up to overcome the Difficulties opposing us it is Anger do we possess it it is Joy do we lose it Love is changed into Grief or Sadness c. The same Love putting on several Dresses and transforming it self Proteus like conformable to the nature and condition of its Object So that it would be impossible to reckon all its Species which are reduced to some Heads both by Philosophers and Divines Philosophers draw it to three Species according to three sorts of Good Honor Profit and Pleasure But much more to our purpose is the Distinction of Love used by Divines which in order to a Mortal Life in this World and Eternal Life in the next divides all Mankind viz. The love of God and the love of our selves commonly called Self-love We received the love of our selves from Adam the love of God from Christ that is an effect of corrupt Nature this of repairing Grace from that spring out the works of the Flesh from this grow those of the Spirit that ends in Death this is the Seed of Life By these two Loves two Cities are built (a) Aug. l. 14. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Fecerunt Civitates duas amores duo terrenam scilicet amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei coelestem verò amor Dei usque adcontemptum sui Jerusalem and Babylon Heaven and Hell. In the next World these Loves are pure for in Heaven reigns the Love of God without any Self-love in Hell Self-love rages without any curb from the Love of God. In this Life they are commonly mingled neither so absolutely possessing the Heart of Man as to suppress all motion of its Corrival For even the greatest Sinners feel some motions to Good and the greatest Saints must say Dimitte nobis Forgive us our Sins as we forgive And as betwixt the two Brothers in Rebecca's Womb so betwixt these two Loves there is a combat within our Breast For the spirit covets (a) Gal. 1.17 against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit and these are contrary to one another And this is that perpetual combat which we undergo by reason of which this Life is termed (b) Job 7.1 Militia est vita hominis super terram a warfare And (c) Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Bonum est homini ut illo proficiente quo benè vivimus ille deficiat quo malè vivimus donec ad perfectum sanetur in bonum commutetur omne quod vivimus we are conquered when Self-love prevails over the Love of God but we conquer wuen the Love of God gets the better Wherein then doth consist the perfection of a Christian In a Heart pure from bad Love not yielding consent to the Motions of Self-love but resisting them and a Heart filled with the Love of God following in all things the motions of Divine Grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit And (d) Aug. in Psal 64. Interroget si quisque quid amet inveniet undè sit civis could we certainly discover which of the two Loves rules in our Heart we should certainly know the state of our Soul. Supposing these Principles let us attend to Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 76. Religion elevates the Souls of Men to a participation of Divine Nature whereby they being inwardly purified and the outward Conversations regulated the World may be restored to its primitive Innocence and Men admitted to an inward intimate fellowship with their Maker Answ What you say of participation of Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 is out of Scripture likewise our souls being inwardly purified and our inward fellowship with God. All which is true althô you neither tell what they mean nor understand it your self But that by Christianity the outward Conversation should be regulated or primitive Innocence restored is alien or untrue That by Christianity outward Conversation is regulated is alien orderly Conversation being a meer external Quality many times as excellent in Infidels as Christians Certainly the perfection of Christianity may be found in Anchorets and preserved in a Desert Whence a good Conversation appears not to be a very material Ingredient of Perfection And that Christianity should aim at restoring the World to its primitive Innocence is absolutely false for that Innocence cannot be attained unto neither in this Life nor the next not in this in which the greatest Saints have their (a) Rom. 7. Combats from which Man in the State of primitive Innocence was free not in the next the State of Glory being above that of Innocency So neither of these is the End of Christianity G. B. pag. 76. What Devices are found out to enervate Repentance Sins must be divided into mortal and venial
Answ From the beginning there hath always been observed an inequality of Sins I will omit modern Divines which you do not understand and Councils which you regard not Bede in cap. 5. Jac. distinguishes them and the manner to expiate them which in the Greek Church is still in use That same is observed by S. Austin Enchir. cap. 71. cited above Chap. 18. Sect. 2. The beloved Disciple 1 Joh. 5.16 17. speaks of sin unto death and others not such S. Paul 1 Cor. 6.9 10. gives a Catalogue of several Sins which exclude from Heaven Did all these concur to devise a way to enervate Repentance and that none till (a) Lib. 2. Inst c. 8. n. 59. John Calvin should discover the Plot What was Christ concerned in this Device who distinguishes Sins against the Holy Ghost from others Whither will these Men lead us or go themselves or what can be secure from those Tongues which spare no more the Doctrin delivered by Christ by the Apostles or the Primitive Fathers than that of Modern Divines I know all Sins are Offences against God yet I do not with the Stoicks think all Sins equal or him as great a Sinner who speaks an idle Word as him who kills his own Father The contrary Paradoxes may find place and be admired in Calvin by his deluded Followers but certainly no sober Man can approve them G. B. pag. 77. Their asserting that simple Attrition qualifies Men for the Sacrament Answ You do more for you think Attrition sufficient to Justifie without the Sacrament Pag. 76. having said that Repentance and Remission were always united you explicate Repentance to be a horror of sin upon the sense of its native deformity and contrariety to the Law of God which makes the Soul apprehend the hazard it hath incurred by it so as to study by all means possible to avoid it in all time coming This is all you say which any Divine knows to be only Attrition as not expressing clearly the only Motive of true Contrition Love of God above all things for his only Goodness Give glory to God Is it not true that you had heard of a Dispute beyond Seas between the Jansenists and their Enemies about the sufficiency of Attrition to Justifie with out the Sacrament And you never would take the pains to examine the Sentiments of either part or their Motives but relied upon the first apprehension which occurred to you Your Writings give a probable ground for this Conjecture G. B. pag. 76. All the Severities enjoyned by Papists for Penances do but tend to nourish the Life of Sin. Answ You may as well say the severity of the Laws against Robbers and Murtherers the Ax and Halter tend only to nourish Inclinatinations to rob and kill Sure your common Sense is far different from that of others else you would never advance these Paradoxes Neither will it serve your turn if you recur to the pecuniary Mulcts enjoyned to some For first you cannot blame those without blaming Scripture which recommends Alms-giving Dan. 4.24 as a means to redeem Sins Secondly Because worldly Men are not so willing to part with their Mony and how generous soever you are were you to give a Crown for every Vntruth you Print you would by that pecuniary Mulct not be encouraged to write as you do CHAP. XXII Theological Vertues G. B. p. 78. THAT which is next pressed in the Gospel for uniting the Souls of Mankind to God is that noble Ternary of Graces Faith Hope and Love. Answ You can never speak so much in commendation of the Theological Vertues as they deserve for their Merits surpass all we can say And if you compare the least of them with those called Moral Vertues it will out-shine Velut inter stellas Luna minores Yet Faith and Hope must do Homage to Charity or Love as to their Sovereign as to the End to which they are designed to the Fountain of their Life and Cause of their Value This I have said above yet I again repeat it for their sakes who so set up the Merits of Faith as to neglect Good-works without which Faith is dead Jac. 2.17 and place it before Charity without which Faith avails nothing 1 Cor. 13. I could wish our Adversaries would vouchsafe to read with attention that Chapter last cited in it they would see the Seat due to Charity the Queen of Vertues which seems at present hidden from the Eyes of those wise and prudent Men yet is revealed to little ones It is with great difficulty that I undertake a Comparison betwixt the Practice of these Vertues amongst Catholics and amongst Protestants because all Comparisons seem to be grounded at least on an appearance of equality in the Objects which in this Matter cannot be yet something must be said to make these presumptuous Men know their wants and weakness that they may seek to have them supplied and that I may proceed more clearly I will begin with the Definition of Faith and Heresie SECTION I. Of Faith. DIvine Faith is a firm assent to an obscure Truth revealed by Almighty God because it is revealed by him I say an obscure Truth because S. Paul Heb. 11.1 says the same Argumentum non apparentium A declaration of things not seen or known by natural Reason This is the Material Object as Divines speak the only Formal Object is the Veracity of God quia Deus est verax that is can neither be deceived or mistaken as being Omniscient nor deceive us as being all Good. To this the Testimony of the Church concurs as a Witness assuring that God delivered such a System of Truths So that is a Condition necessary to apply the Revelation to us who have not heard God speak or reveal S. Athanasius in his Symbol delivers as a Condition of Faith that it be retained Entire and Vndefiled Integra Inviolataque For seeing all is delivered by the same Authority those who believe not all (a) S. Thom. 2.2 q. 5. art 3. oppose that Authority delivering it and by consequence even what they believe they receive not purely upon their submission to that Authority speaking but for their own Caprichio or Reason or Pleasure That is properly called Heresie which word is deduced from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to choose And it signifies a choice of any thing whatsoever but by common use it is appropriated to that Choice * Tertul. l. de Praescript c. 6. Haereses dictae Graec◠voce ex Electionis interpretatione quâ quis sivè ad instituendas sivè ad suscipiendas eas utitur Hier. in Tit. 3. Haeresis Graecè ab Electione dicitur quod scilicet unusquisque id sibi eligat quod ei melius esse videatur Vide c. Haeresis 24. q. 4. Vide etiam August Epist 162. which is made of Points delivered as of Faith. We Catholics have Faith because we believe firmly those Truths that God hath revealed because he revealed them to the Church which as
his Superior Christ Jesus I never heard S. Ambrose suspected of Pride for refusing to admit Theodosius the Great into the Church before his Penance for the Slaughter at Thessalonica or for excluding him the Cancels after it It was a Zeal of the Glory of God and the good of the Church which moved him the Emperor himself understood it so As for precious Ornaments of the Church I will own ours to be too costly when you shall have proved that any thing is too good for God's Service not till then The infinit Majesty of God is ground sufficient to oblige us to bear him the greatest Respect interiorly and express our Duty to our Creator and our Gratitude to so great a Benefactor by returning to him in the best manner we can an Acknowledgment of his most bountiful Gifts This serves also to stir up in the Auditory Submission Respect and Adoration which otherwise would fail CHAP. XXVII Vnity of the Church in Faith and Sacraments G. B. owns that Protestants are Schismatics Of Severity against Dissenters And of Hugo Grotius G. B. p. 100. A Fourth Design of Christian Religion was to unite Mankind under one Head into one Body not by Love and pardoning Injuries only but also by associating the Faithful into one Body the Church which was to be united by Bonds of Love governed by Pastors and Teachers and cemented with the Ligaments of the Sacraments Answ You say something thô disorderly but not all For 1. You omit Faith by which we are inserted into the Body of Christ 2. You put Charity which doth not make us parts but living parts of that Body whose parts we are by Faith. 3. You add Sacraments which are only exterior Signs of interior Communication 4. You confound Charity and Sacraments as equally concurring to the Vnity of the Church yet there is a vast difference betwixt them the one formally quickning the Members of the Church interiorly the other only effecting it interiorly and testifying it exteriorly 5. Betwixt the Sacraments there is a vast difference as to this and you confound them for Baptism being our Regeneration in Christ is an esficient Cause of our Union with him and makes us his Members the others are designed only to nourish those who are already united to and in him When you speak of being Governed by Pastors I hope the Pope may find place amongst them he being the prime Pastor G. B. pag. 101. The Gospel pronounceth us free and no more Servants of Men but of God. Answ Free from the Ceremonial Law of Moses not from that of the Gospel and Obedience to the Governors of the Church How changeable are your Sentiments In the foregoing Page 100 the Church was to be Governed by Pastors and Teachers now she is to obey none but God and if any Man pretend to Command he changeth the Authority of the Church into a tyranical Yoke So we must have Governors without Authority to Command and Subjects without any Duty to Obey A new Model of Government G. B. ibid. Those things for which we withdrew from the Church are Additions to our Faith. She added to Scriptures Tradition to God Images to Christ Saints to Heaven and Hell Purgatory to two Sacraments five more to the Spiritual Presence of Christ his Corporal Presence Ans Never Man spake more and proved less than you who offer not one word in proof of these disputed Points which we declare to be evident untruths Is not this a poor begging of the thing in question But they are say you Additions to your Faith. Did we add to your Faith or you cut off from ours and that of the whole Christian World before your Deformation How could we add those things to your Faith when they were in peaceable possession all over the Christian World as you own your selves many Ages before Protestancy was thought on You have here only one Truth viz. That you withdrew from the Church Which convincingly proves the Guilt of Schism to lie at your Door G. B. pag. 105. If a Society of Christians visibly swerve from Christ so that Communion cannot be retained with it without departing from Christ then the departing from the Corruptions brought in can be no departing from the Church If then it appear that the Roman Church hath departed from the Truth of the Gospel those who separated from her cannot be said to separate from the true Church Answ Here we have a Paralogism which might better become a Junior Sophister than a Chaplain in Ordinary to his Majesty You will see it in these Instances The Communion of that Church ought to be renounced which obligeth her Children to Mahometism If then the English Protestant Church oblige hers to that her Communion ought to be renounced Another That Man deserves the greatest Contempt who writes Controversie and hath nothing to write but Calumnies and Sophisms If then Mr. G. B. hath nothing else but such stuff to fill his Books with he knows his Deserts What think you Sir of such Arguments which serve only to delude an unwary Reader into an assent of what you would but cannot prove There is no Logician but knows that Conditional Propositions signifie only the Connexion betwixt two things under such a Condition but they assert nothing absolutely unless the Condition be proved For Example If a Man flies he hath Wings If the Heavens fall we shall catch Larks These I say are granted to be true althô the Condition be impossible Yet those who grant them do not expect those Wings to go a Journey nor rely on those Larks for a Supper In like manner suppose we should grant your Conditional Illation yet the Guilt of Schism would lie on your Consciences because you neither do nor can prove the Condition upon which your Excuse relies G. B. pag. 106. The Cruelty of Papists extendeth to as much bloudy and barbarous Rage as ever sprung from Hell. Answ You mean the Laws made against Heretics which being made by the Secular Power and not by Churchmen I think my self not obliged to vindicate them Yet seeing the most severe of them all the Faggot was till of late as I am informed in force in England and hath been actually executed upon some since the Reformation I leave you to answer to our Honorable Judges for your pragmatical Boldness in censuring them so severely Another would take notice of the Laws in force against Papists but I let that pass it is enough to vindicate our Churchmen that they never made those Laws they never condemned any Man by them all they do is to judge of the matter of Fact whether a Person be guilty of Heresie and if they find him so to leave him to the Secular Power This is the most that ever the Inquisition did as far as ever I heard G. B. pag. 108. Grotius says that in Charles the Fifth's time more than One hundred thousand were butchered on the accout of Religion And in his Son Philip 's time the