Doctrine has naturally as I may say passed through all the degrees of Approbation till it came to that of the Pope himself which confirms all the rest Those of the Pretended Reformed Religion may at present see how they were imposed upon An. Avert p. 23. when they were told The Person was known and that a Catholick too who writ against this Exposition of M. de Condom It would certainly be a strange thing this good Catholick unknown to all others of that Religion should make the Enemies of the Church his only Confidents in a Work which he designed against a Bishop of his own Communion But this Imaginary Writer makes the World stay too long and the Pretended Reform'd are too credulous if they suffer themselves hereafter to be amused by such like Promises Thus one of the necessary Questions to be answered in vindication of the Exposition is entirely dispatch'd We need not now go about to refute those Ministers who held the Doctrine of the Exposition not to be that of the Church Time and Truth have so refuted their allegations that no room is left for a reply M. Nogâ—ier would first hear the Oracle of Rome speak before he would admit M. de Condom to have rightly explicated the Catholock Faith p. 41. I give no credit says he to those Approbations which these Bishops give in Writing Other Doctors want not the like Approbations and after all the Oracle of Rome must speak in matters of Faith The Anonymus was of the same mind and both of them supposed nothing more could be said in this matter against M. de Condom if once this Oracle had but spoken This Oracle has now spoken this Oracle I say which the whole Catholick Church hearkned to with so much respect in the very origine of Christianity and the answer it has given has shewn what this Prelate had said hath nothing new or to be suspected in it nothing in a word which is not receiv'd throughout the whole Church Nay this Question being answered all the others are in a manner insensibly dispatcht Mr. de Condom held the Catholick Doctrine was never rightly understood by the pretended Reform'd and that the Authors of their Separation had magnified the Objects to render them odious What he said appears now most certain seeing it is manifest on the one side the Exposition proposes to them the Catholick Faith in its Purity and on the other that it appeared less strange to them than they thought it was But if they find their Pretended Reformers to the end they might animate them against that Church in which their Ancestors served God and in which they themselves received Baptism were forced to fly to those Calumnies which we see now are not maintainable how can they dispence with themselves if they search not a new And why are they not afraid to persist in a Schism which is manifestly founded upon false Principles in even the most principal points They believ'd for example they had good grounds to separate from the Church under pretence that whilst she taught the merit of good Works she destroyed Free Justification Gratuite and that Confidence which a Christian ought to have in JESVS CHRIST only Their breach was principally founded upon this Article An. p. 86. The Anonymus thinks it enough to say The Article concerning Justification is one of the chief that gave occasion to the Reformation But M. Noguiers speaks more plainly Nog p. 83. Those says he who were the Authors of our Reformation had reason to propose the Article of Justification as the most principal of the rest and the most Essential Foundation of their separating At present then seeing M. de Condom tells them together with the whole Church Expos p. 14 15. That she believes we cannot have Life but in Jesus Christ in whom alone she puts all her Hope That she asks all things hopes all things and gives thanks for all things through our Lord JESVS CHRIST and in fine that she places all the hopes of Salvation on him What would they have more The Church tells us Expos p. 15. That all our Sins ars pardon'd by pure Mercy through JESVS CHRIST That we owe that Justice which is in us by the Holy Ghost to his free undeserved liberality and that all our good Works which we do are so many gifts of his Grace The Author of this Exposition who teaches this Doctrine does not teach it as his own God forbid Ibid. p. 15. He teaches it as the clear and manifest Doctrine of the Council of Trent and the Pope approves his Book After this shall it be again said That the Council of Trent and the Roman Church overthrow Free Justification and that trust which the Faithful ought to repose in Jesus Christ alone Is not this unsufferable And if we should hold our Tongues would not the Stones cry aloud and proclaim us injur'd It must be also granted as it was taken notice of in the Exposition Ex. p 15. that those Disputes which the Pretended Reform'd have raised upon so capital a Point are almost brought to nothing not to say wholly refuted No body will doubt of it if they consider what the Anonymus has writ concerning the merit of Good Works with the approbation of four Ministers of Charenton We acknowledge says he as in Justice we must M. de Condom and those of the Roman Church An. p. 104. who hold the most Orthodox Opinions concerning Grace express themselves almost in all things as we do We agree with them in the main But since he promised us so much Justice he ought to have acknowledged that M. de Condom whom he makes here to be of a particular Sect has not said one word concerning the merit of Good Works which is not taken from the Council Expos p. 13 14 15. He said Eternal Life ought to be proposed to the Children of God both as a Grace which is mercifully promised to them by the means of our Saviour Jesus Christ and as a Recompence which is faithfully rendred to their good Works and to their merits in virtue of that Promise He said That Merits are the gifts of God He said We can do nothing of our selves but that we can do all things with him who strengthens us and that our whole confidence is in JESVS CHRIST And the rest which you may see in their proper place By this means it is he has satisfied the Pretended Reform'd and made them say they agree with him in the main Seeing therefore these Propositions are taken word by word from the Council they cannot hereafter but acknowledge the Principal Subject of their complaints to be taken away by the sole proposing the Decrees and proper Terms of a Council so much hated and blamed amongst them What is it offends them most in the Satisfactions which the Church exacts from the Faithful but only that they think Catholicks looks upon those of
Doctrine of Justification Ibid. 13. and our Adversaries would be very unreasonable if they should not confess that this Doctrine suffices to teach Christians they ought to refer all the glory of their Salvation to God through JESVS CHRIST If the Ministers after this should go about to move questions about subtilties it is good to advertise them that it becomes them not now to be so scrupulous in our behalfs after having granted what they have done to the Lutherans and their own brethren concerning Predestination and Grace This their conduct towards them ought to have taught them in this matter to reduce themselves to what is absolutely necessary for the establishment of the foundations of Christian piety But if they could but once resolve to prefix these limits to themselves they would be presently satisfied and they would cease to accuse us of annulling the Grace of God by attributing all to our good works seeing we have shown them in such clear terms of the Council of Trent these 3 points so decisive as to this matter That our sins are pardoned us out of pure mercy for the sake of JESUS CHRIST That we are indebted for that Justice which is in us by the holy Ghost to a liberality gratis bestowed upon us and that all the good works we do are but so many gifts of his Grace And indeed we must acknowledge that the learned of their Party do not contend so much of late about this Subject as they did formerly and there are but few who do not now confess there ought not to have been a breach upon this point But if this important difficulty about Justification upon which their first Authors laid all their stress be not looked upon now as essential by the wisest persons amongst them we leave them to think what they ought to Judge of their separation and what hopes there would be of an union if they would but overcome their prejudice and quit the Spirit of contention SECT VIII Satisfactions Purgatory and Indulgences VVE must farther explicate after what manner we believe we can make satisfaction to God through his grace to the end we may not leave any doubt upon this matter uncleared Catholics unanimously teach that JESVS CHRIST God and Man was solely capable through the infinite dignity of his Person to offer up to God a sufficient satisfaction for our Sins But having satisfied superabundantly he could apply this infinite satisfaction after two manners either by an entire remission without reserving any punishment or else by changing a greater punishment into a less that is an eternal pain into a temporal This first manner being more compleat and more comformable to his goodness he makes use of it immediately in Baptism but we believe that he makes use of the second in the pardon he grants to those who fall after Baptism being carried in some manner to it by the ingratitude of those who have abused his first gifts so as they are to suffer some temporal pain tho the eternal be remitted It must not be hence concluded that JESVS CHRIST has not fully satisfied for us but on the contrary that having obtained an obsolute dominion over us by the infinite price which he has given for our salvation he grants us pardon upon what condition what law or with what restriction it pleases him We should be injurious and ungrateful to our Saviour should we dare to deny the infinite value of his merits under pretence that when he pardons us the sin of Adam he does not at the same time free us from all the consequences of it but leaves us still subject to death and so many other corporal and spiritual infirmities which this sin brought upon us If suffices that JESVS CHRIST has once paid the price by which we shall be one day entirely freed from the evils which overwhelme us it is our parts to embrace with humility and thanksgiving every part of his benefits by considering by what progress it pleases him to procure our deliverance according to that order which his wisdom has established for our good and for a more clear manifestation of his bounty and Justice Upon the like account we ought not to think it strange that he who has shown us so great mercy in Baptism should be more severe towards us after our having violated our holy promises It is just yes and beneficial to our salvation that God in remitting our sin together with the eternal pain which we deserved for it should exact of us some temporal pain to retain us in our duties lest if we should be too speedily freed from the Bonds of Justice we should abandon our selves to a temerarious Confidence abusing the facility of the Pardon It is then to satisfy this Obligation we are subjected to some painful works which we must accomplish in the Spirit of Humility and Penance and it was the necessity of these satisfactory works which obliged the primitive Church to impose upon Penitents those pains called Canonical When therefore she imposes upon Sinners painful and laborious works and they undergo them with humility this is called Satisfaction and when regarding the fervour of the Penitents or some other good works which she has prescribed them she pardons some part of that pain which is due to them this is called Indulgence The Council of Trent proposes nothing else to be believed concerning Indulgences Contin sest 25. Dec. d. Indulg but that the powe to grant them has been given to the Church by JESUS CHRIST and that the use of them is beneficial to salvation to which this Council adds That this power ought to be retained yet nevertheless used with moderation lest Ecclesiastical discipline should be weakned by an over great facility which shows the manner of granting Indulgences to regard discipline Those who depart this life in Grace and Charity but nevertheless indebted to the divine Justice some pains which it reserved are to suffer them in the other life This is what obliged all the Primitive Christians to offer up Prayers Alms deeds and Sacrifices for the faithful who departed in peace and communion of the Church Sess 25. de Purgator with a certain faith that they may be assisted by these means This is what the Council of Trent proposes to us to believe touching the Souls detained in Purgatory without determining in what their pains consist or many other such like things concerning which this Holy Council demands great moderation blaming those who divulge what is uncertain or suspected Such is the innocent and holy Doctrine of the Catholic Church touching Satisfactions which has been imputed to her as so great a crime If after this Explication those of the pretended Reform'd Religion accuse us of injuring the satisfactions of JESVS CHRIST they must have forgotten what we told them that our Blessed Saviour payed the full price of our Redemption that nothing is wanting in this price because it is infinite and how these remaining pains of which
we have spoken come not from any defect in the payment but from a certain order which he has established to retain us in a saving discipline by just apprehensions But if they also tell us we believe we can of our own selves satisfy for some part of the pain due to our sins we can with confidence assure them the contrary appears by the maxims we have established Which maxims make it clearly appear that our Salvation is no other but a work of Mercy and Grace that what we do by the Grace of God is no less his work then what he dos alone by his absolute power and lastly that what we give to him appertains no less to him that what he gives to us To which we must add that what we call Satisfaction following the Example of the primitive Church is after all nothing but the application of the infinite satisfaction of JESVS CHRIST This very consideration ought to appease those who are offended when we tell them that God is so well pleased with fraternal charity and the communion of Saints that he frequently also accepts of those Satisfactions which we offer up one for another It seems these men do not conceive how much all we are belongs to God nor how all the favours which his Goodness makes him have for the faithful the members of JESVS CHRIST are necessarily referred to this divine head But certainly those who have read and considered how God himself inspires his servants with a desire to afflict themselves with fasting hair-cloth and ashes not only for their own sins but also for the sins of all the people will not be astonished if we say that being touched with the delight he has to gratify his friends he mercifully accepts of the humble sacrifice of their voluntary mortifications in abatement of those chastisements which he prepared for his people which shows that being satisfied by these he renders himself more mild towards the others by this means honouring his Son JESVS CHRIST in the communion of his members and in the holy society of his mystical body SECT IX The Sacraments THE Order of Doctrine requires that we now speak of the Sacraments by which the merits of JESVS CHRIST are applyed to us Seeing the disputes we have concerning them if we except the Eucharist are not so hot as the others we will in the first place clear in short the cheifest difficuties which are raised concerning the other and reserve the Eucharist which is the most important of all the rest till the last The Sacraments of the new Covenant are not sacred signs only which represent Grace nor seals which confirm it to us but the Instruments of the Holy Ghost which serve to apply it to us and which confer it upon us by vertue of the words which are pronounced and the exteriour action which is performed upon condition that we put not not any Impediment by our not being rightly disposed Whilst God annexes so great Grace to exteriour signs which have not of their own nature any proportion with so admirable an effect he shows us clearly that besides all we can do interiourly of our solves by our good dispositions there must necessarily intervene before we can be justified a special operation of the Holy Ghost and a peculiar application of the merit of our Saviour which is exhibited to us by the Sacraments So that this Doctrine cannot be rejected without injuring the merits of JESVS CHRIST and the operation of his divine power in our regeneration We acknowledg seven sacred signs or Ceremonies established by JESVS CHRIST as the ordinary means for the Sanctification and perfection of the new man Their divine institution appears in the holy Scripture either by the express words of JESVS CHRIST who established them or by the Grace which according to the same Scripture is annexed to them and necessarily shows a divine institution Baptism Seeing little Children cannot supply the want of Baptism by acts of Faith Hope and Charity nor by the vow to receive this Sacrament we believe that if they do not really receive it they do not in any manner partake of the Grace of redemption and therefore dying in Adam they have not any part in JESVS CHRIST It is good to observe here that the Lutherans believe with the Catholic Church the absolute necessity of Baptism and are astonished with her that such a truth should be denied which never any one before Calvin durst openly call in question it was so firmly rooted in the minds of all the faithful Nevertheless the Pretended Reform'd are not apprehensive voluntarily to let their Children dye like the Children of Infidels without bearing any mark of Christianity and without receiving any grace if their deaths should chance to prevent the day of their assembly Confirmation The Imposition of hands practised by the Holy Apostles to confirm the Faithful against Persecutions having its principal effect in the interiour descent of the Holy Ghost Act. 8.15.17 and the infusion of his gifts it ought not to have been rejected by our adversaries under pretence that the Holy Ghost descends now no more visibly upon us Thus all Christian Churches since the Apostles times have religiously retained it making use also of Holy Chrism to shew the vertue of this Sacrament by a more express representation of the interiour unction of the Holy Ghost Penance and Sacramental Confession We believe that JESVS CHRIST has been pleased those who have submitted themselves to the Authority of the Church by Baptism and who have since violated the laws of the Gospel should come and submit themselves to the Judgment of the same Church in the Tribunal of Penance Math. 18.18 John 20.23 where she exercises the power which is given her of remitting and retaining sins The terms of that commission which is given to the Ministers of the Church to absolve from sin are so general they cannot without temerity be restrained to publick sins and seeing when they pronounce that absolution in the name of JESVS CHRIST they only follow the express terms of this Commission the sentence is looked upon as rendred by JESVS CHRIST himself by whom they are established Judges It is this invisible High Priest who interiourly absolves the Penitent whilst the Priest exteriourly exercises the function This Penitential Court of Judicature being so necessary a curb to liberty a source so fruitful of wise admonitions so sensible a consolation for souls afflicted for their Sins when their absolution is not only declared in general terms as it is practised by the Ministers but when they are in reality absolved by the authority of JESVS CHRIST after a particular examination and knowledg of the Case we cannot believe that our adversaries can look upon so many benefits without regretting their loss and without being somewhat ashamed of a Reformation which has cast off so saving and so holy a practise Extream Vnction The Holy Ghost having according to the testimony of St. James