divided themselves from the Communion of the Catholike and other particular churches because they would not joyn with them in the belief of Scripture explained in that sense which their severall Articles import and not because they refused to submit to Scripture which all professe to do And lastly whereas though they acknowledged Sâ—ripture to be the only Rule of Faith yet because it not having being written in form of Institutions or a Catechisme the necessary doctrines of Religion are dispersed uncertainly in the severall books difficulty to be found out of them and withall not so plainly delivered but that there is need of explication and conciliation with other passages of Scripture that seem to contradict for this reason each church compiled abridgements and confessions disposed orderly and methodically by which they signifie to the world how they understand Scripture Mr. Chillingworth on the contrary delivers their mind joyntly for them after a new way which is his second Novelty which I will set down in his own words cap. 6. parag 56. By the Religion of Protestants I do not saith he understand the doctrine of Luther or Calvin or Melanchion nor the confession of Augusta or Geneva 〈◊〉 the Catechism of Heâ—delberg nor the Arâ—â—â—â— the Church of England no nor the harmony of Protestant Confessions but that wherein they all agree and which they all subscribe with a greatâ—â— harmony as a perfect rule of their faith and actions that is the Bible the Bible I say the Bible only is the Religion of Protestants Whatsoever else they believe besides it and the plain irrefragable indubitable consequences of it well may they hold it as matter of Opinion but as a matter of Faith and Religion neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it themselves nor require the belief of it of others without most high and most Schismaticall presumption Thus far Mr. Chillingwrrth Now how far other Protestants out of England will approve of this new shift which he ha's found out for them and which I am sure he ha's published without any commission from them I know not But if they also justifie him in this all I can say is that they will make their party much the stronger by it and will likewise have reason to pretend to almost primitive antiquity for if all be of their body who whatsoever their particular tenents be build their faith upon only Scripture interpreted by each mans reason then not only all Heretiques of these times but likewise almost all Heretiques since the Apostles times will be united in the same corporation 9. But once more to return to Mr. Chillingworth's ' Position viz. That all necessary truths are contained in Scripture so expressely that no man can rationally doubt of the sense of them and by consequence there is no need of an authorised visible interpreter All that I shall say in answer hereto shall be the making a few requests to our English Protestants especially As 1. To consider this and the former speeches of Mr. Chillingworth not as an extraordinary invention of his excellent wit but that which extreme necessity forced him to for though before him few Protestant Writers have so freely discovered the arcana schismatis as being unwilling to tell their followers that they had no authority to oblige them to their opinions Yet Mr. Chillingworth deals more ingenuously discovering that this is indeed a foundation most necessary to be laid by all those who deny all visible Ecclesiasticall authority in expounding Scripture and judging definitively of controversies in Religion for otherwise they may say God ha's given us the Scripture to be our only rule this Rule is ambiguous and difficult even in necessary things there is no judge to interpret it mens understandings are weak and their wills strong they are easily led away with prejudices education and worldly interests so that it is a great chance if they light upon the true sense of those difficult yet most necessary mysteries considering besides that they are very contrary to flesh and blood and carnall reason This were to deal with mankind worse then the AEgyptian Taskmasters did with the Israelites to demand brick and give them no straw Since therefore no Protestant would willingly lay such an imputation upon the Father of mercies it will follow that he must of meer force acknowledge with Mr. Chillingworth that all truths necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture so expresly that no rationall man can doubt of the sense of them 10. My second request to English Protestants is that they would take into consideration how after that a Catholique would be so liberall as to allow them this ground they would be able and by what rules to distinguish points unnecessary from necessary for though it were true that all necessary points are plain yet all plain points are not necessary 3. That for a more particular tryall they would resolve with themselves whether the Mysteries of the eternall Godhead and Incarnation of our Saviour be not necessary to be believed if so as the English Articles import then they may do well to take a survey of all the Texts of Scripture which Volkelius and Crellius heap together to combat these mysteries and afterward conclude whether only Scripture being the Rule and only private reason the Judge these mysteries be so plainly and expresly contained in Scripture that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them and that there needs no interpreter to reconcile them 4. I would likewise desire them to consider the places of Scripture which Catholiques make use of to build the authority of the Church and the Reall Presence I name these because they are the principall grounds of their separation Now when they have considered the Texts for the former point let them take notice that they cannot produce one express Text of Scripture against the authority of the Church and for the other point whether the Texts which Catholiques produce for the Reall Presence do not in the literall grammaticall sense say all that Catholiques believe and whether all that Protestants labour to prove be not that though Hoc est corpus meum as the words lye be against them yet the sense hidden and figurative which they desire to force upon these words is against Catholiques And having considered these two instances let them upon Mr. Chillingworths present grounds judge how they can satisfie their own reason and conscience without expresse Scripture for themselves and against at least expresse words of Scripture for Catholikes to make a separation from the whole world 11. In the last place I desire them to speak freely whether if this be true that to be expressely unambiguously set down in Scripture be a condition necessary to all necessary points of Faith there be indeed any points of faith necessary since there is scarce any one article of the Creed which ha's not been and is not at this day questioned by many men yea by
teach mankind to love and glorifie God so hated by them to encourage them in the learning and practise of vertue and holynesse and in a word to induce them to hate renounce and destroy the Kingdome of Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 2. That such a Religion which most assuredly ha's been attested by such miracles is most true 3. That by consequence since this Religion expressely sayes so it is most necessarily to be embraced being proposed by such a witnesse and proponent as God in that Religion ha's declared to have received commission from him and authority for that purpose And this Proponent is as after the spending of many thoughts and much time before I could free my selfe from many prejudices and misinformations caused by education c. by the goodnesse and mercy of God I came at last evidently to perceive to be the present Catholike Church CHAP. XXVII Proofes â—ut of Scriptâ—ure c. for the Churches auâ—hority 1. THe speciall grounds from whence to mine own full satisfaction J collected this assuâ—ance That the Church alone was that divinely authorised proponent from whom I was to receive divine Revelations and these in the sense that she received and proposeth them as likewise the method and manner according to which as distinctly as I could I first gave an account to mine own understanding and now to others were as follows 2. It having been before declared and conformably testified by all kinds of antient Ecclesiasticall writers 1. That the doctrines and formes of practise of Christian Religion were by the Apostles with great care and assiduous inculeations firmly setled in all Churches by them founded and established To which form other Churches by their successors converted generally conformed themselves as Tertullian de Prescrip saith The Apostles founded Churches in every City from which Churches other Churches afterward did borrow the Faith delivered and the seeds of doctrine 2. That Religion was thus setled chiefly and indeed only by Tradition the books of Scripture having been written only occasionally and though they comprehend in generall the principall points of Christianity yet it is very briefly obscurely with seeming contradictions and dispersedly whereupon it is that they do often refer us to the profession and practise of the church Hence in evidence of reason it will follow that he that would inform himself of Christian Religion must have recourse thither where it â—a's been dâ—posited and that not simply in words but withall the sense of those words and the very life of them in practise and this depositary is by all acknowledged more or less to be the Catholike church For even those who make it a part of their Religion to oppose the authority of the Catholike church yet acknowledge that they have received the Scripture that is all the Religion which they have from her and her authority 3. Hence it will follow that that man that should either look for Christian religion where it is not or expect to find it entire where there was no intention to include it in its whole latitude or hope to â—ssure himself of the clear sense of it where it is set down often obscurely almost every where obnoxious to variety of interpretations would certainly not follow the conduct of his reason 4. Notwithstanding if the imputation of unreasonableness were the only effect of such an indiscreet way of information there is no proud man and pride or impatience to submit to authority is the root of all heresie and Schism but would easily perswade himself to despise such an imputation yea he would take a pleasure in opposing himself and his own reason single not only to one but many ages of men that should it more reasonable to relye upon authority for that which cannot be believed but upon the only motive of authority There is therefore another effect far more considerable then point of reputation which is the utmost danger of eternall perdition in renouncing one main doctrinall foundation of Christian Faith which is the authority of the one holy Catholique Church of Christ which authority consists not only in delivering books of Scripture or Traditionary doctrines but in obliging all men to unity both in fâ—ith and love which is impossible to be had except all men be obliged to the sense and interpretation which she proposeth as received from her by the same authority from which she received the books or doctrines themselves 5. A doctrine this is the most expresse in Scriptures the most constantly asserted by Fathers the only businesse of all Councells the most freely without any contradiction embraced by all Christians before these times excepting only those whom even the Sectaries of these times will call Heretiques or Schismatikes and in these times by all that enjoy the name of Catholikes In a word a doctrine this is beyond all other traditionary doctrines propagated from the Apostles to these times with the fullest universall consent of all Catholikes in all places and of all times of any one point in Christian Religion or any one book of Scripture 6. Among proofs out of Scripture we will begin with the Old Testament concerning which S. Augustine in Psal. 3. ch 2. professeth that the Prophets foretold more often more plainly of the Catholike Church then of Christ himself and the reason he sayes was because many Heretiques would arise that would perhaps spare the person of Christ but none could be a heretike without withdrawing himselfe from the authority and unity of the Church Now the particular Texts which especially S. Augustine makes use of to assert the churches Authority are these In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be on the top of all mountains and all hills shall flow unto her And she shall judge every tongue that resists her in judgement And Kings shall walk in the light of the Church and people in the splendour of her East Again That every Kingdome and Nation which doth not serve her shall perish Isa. c. 2. 54. and 60. That of the Kingly Prophet David Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God That of the Canticles Thou art faire and there is no spot in thee And that of the Prophet Ezechiel Thou shalt no more be called forsaken Psa. 86. Cant. 4. Ezech. 37. 7. Proofs out of the New Testament are Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world Mat. 8. upon which S. Augustine in Psa. 70. 10. thus infers The Church shall be here unto the end of the world For if it shall not be here unto the end of the world to whom was it that our Lord said Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And what was the reason that it was necessary that there should be such speeches in the Scripture Because there would in times to come arise enemies of the Christian Faith which would say Christians will continue for a certain space after that they will vanish and Idollâ— shall
by passengers of withdrawing mine cares from being wounded with fresh relations of new bloodshed and massacres 2. I confesse that war was to me an object not only of horrour but even astonishment as having never read or heard of any other that could enter into any comparison with it 3. Now that which astonished me in the present Commotions was 1. To consider that fatall concatenation of a world of dispositions and circumstances praeceding this war so strange that no humane prudence could have foreseen or suspected them if any of which had not happened there had been no possibility of any prosperous successe to the Anti-Royallists 2. To observe an event incredibly successefull to designes the most unreasonable and seemingly ridiculous that ever were For for example who could imagine that an inconsiderable number of peevish ignorant Presbyterians should ever come to be able to constreine a whole kingdome to forsweare the Religion in which they had been bred and to subvert their own Church upon a groundlesse suspition that the King had a designe to change his Religion who yet was almost the only person that remained constant in it so as to hazard not only the ruine of his estate but the losse of his life also For the time was when if he would have given up Episcopacy he might have obteined in all other respects very tollerable conditions Whereas severall of the wisest and learnedst of his Cleargy have been content to buy their security with a voluntrry degrading of themselves from their offices and titles yea it may truly be said that though many of them have suffered in extremity yet it was not properly with an eye to their Religion but rather their fidelity and loyalty to their Prince or upon quarrells against Episcopall Tyranny to perswade a Nation to accept of Presbyterian Tyranny infinitely more unreasonable and intollerable And which is beyond beliefe that they should be perswaded to imbarke themselves in a warre wherein so many myriads of Soules have perished when the only differences by the confession of the chiefe incendiaries the Calvinist-Ministers and their partisans in France were only trifling inconsiderable ceremonies and circumstances Blessed God what a strange furious spirit is this which has from Calvin descended upon his followers that moves them to such horrible resolutions and extremities even for matters in their owne opinion of no considerable moment and to the end to enforce their novelties and fancies upon the consciences of others against all justice and reason For what is more unreasonable then that Sects whose essentiall grounds are Scripture alone with a renouncing of all visible authority to interpret it should yet assume to themselves an authority to enforce their opinions upon the consciences of others 4. Was it possible to consider these things without astonishment Is not the hand of God as manifest to the eyes of mens understandings in this businesse as the hand from heaven was to Baltassar when by the help of Daniel he read the finall doom of his own and his kingdomes ruine in those words MANE THE CEL PHARES I must needs confesse that though at my leaving of the kingdome the affaires between the King and Anti-royallists stood almost in aequilibrio there being no considerable advantage on either party notwithstanding I could not free my selfe from grievous apprehensions that Gods Providence had not been so busie and vigilant in contriving such a concurrence of ominous and prodigious events to the end to suffer all things quickly to conclude in peace and tranquility CHAP. II. Sacriledge and Perjury acknowledged even by Heathens to be principall causes of publique calamities 1. FRom a view of our present miseries in England and a sad presumption of yet worse to succeed I turned my thoughts to a modest consideration and probable divination of what might be supposed to be the causes of so so daine and dismall a change there that is what peculiar nationall sins have lately reigned in that kingdome and awakned the just severity of God to make it such a spectacle of desolation and Proverbe of misery above any other nation 2. Even the Heathens themselves take notice of two especiall sinnes so immediately and directly contumelious to the Divine Majesty and therefore in themselves so heynous that they never escaped any long time an exemplary vengeance and the punishment ordinarily inwrapped even the posterity of the delinquents Yea though they had been committed only by a private person and that only inwardly and in designe yet the Divine Iustice did commonly extend the punishment to a whole nation such sins the Graecians therefore called A' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is piacular extermnating crimes among which the principall were esteemed Sacriledge and Perjury so that whatsoever calamities seised any time upon any Nation if it could be found out that either of these two heynous crimes had been committed though but by a few particular persons they presently absolved their Gods from any imputation of rigour and much more of injustice 3. Of this argument Plutarch speakes excellently in his booke de ser â Numinis vindictâ And particularly of Sacriledge there is extant in Elian vaâ— Hist. lib. 3 cap. 43. an ancient memorable Delphian Oracle to this effect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Divine vengeance delayeth not to pursue those that are guilty of this crime of Sacriledge neither can they deprecate or avoyd it no not though they were the off-spring of Jove himselfe but it hovers continually over the heads of the guilty and their Children also and one calamity on their family overtakes another An example whereof we find mentioned by Strabo and Gelâ—ius in that so known History of the Gold of Tholouse Strab. Geogr. lib. 4. A. Gell. lib. 3. cap. 9. 4. Then concerning Perjury there is a remarkable example in Herodotus of Glaucus Epicydides who could not escape punishment for having only deliberated and in his thoughts designed the forswearing a thing committed to his trust where likewise this Pythian Oracle is mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is To a perjurd person there is an ofspring given obscure without name maimed in hands and lame in feet and this judgement seises upon him suddenly and irrcsistably never quitting him till it have brought to desolation all his flocke and family CHAP. III. England prodigiously guilty of Sacriledge since the Schisme Visible judgements have continually pursued this crime there 1. NOw how dreadfully and universally the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland have beene guilty of these two scandalous and even to Heathens abominable crimes Sacriledge and Perjury since the time that the schisme from Catholique Unity began is notoriously apparent to all the world and with a secret remorse bewayled even by the English Protestants themselves No man therefore can jnstly blame me as a discoverer and publisher of the faults of my
least pretence of any charge of sedition or Treason But for this only crime of being of that heavenly Vocation to which the Spirit of God had called and the sacred authority of the Church had exalted them And for a conscionable discharge of that calling they were arraigned condemned drag'd to the place of execution there ignominiously hang'd among thieves and murderers and their half-living bodies most inhumanely quartered and exposed to the sun and weather 2. This crime was the more inexcuseable because committed by Englishmen who though violent enough in their passion when it is provoked yet are apt in a short time to relent and by English Protestants a Sect pretending above ordinary to moderation and clemency But the truth is the Calvinisticall Spirit ha's been working in that state and government ever since the beginning of Q. Elizabeths reign for the Calvinists were the Councellors that first suggested those cruelties which their descendents have since eagerly pursued and acted by the hands of others till their so long projected designs succeeding they might have the pleasure to glut themselves with Christian bloud even to vomiting as they have of late done 3. Now that this is no false character of that Calvinisticall Spirit besides many wofull experiences in other countreyes our great Presbyterian contrivers and managers of the late war have given severall testimonies irrefragable who whensoever they were pressed with want of treasure knowing the complexion and temper of their own faction in London how delightfull a spectacle of bloud would be had no readier ways to extort supplies of money from them then by feasting and regaling them with the cruell execution of a Catholique Priest or shedding the bloud of their own Archbishop or of some other considerable Royaltist I beseech almighty God that when the time shall come that he will make inquisition for bloud he would sever the innocent from the guilty and not impute to the whole Nation the cruelty of that one bloudy Faction there CHAP. VI. The Authors sadnesse for the sins and miseries of his countrey What remedies and lenitives he found for this sorrow 1. A Sad meditation on such arguments as these was the exercise of my thoughts at my departure out of England and a good while after during my first abode in France And though God be thankedâ— I could not accuse my self of having contributed any thing directly or otherwise then all other sinners before Almighty God doe to the present desolations of my poore beloved countrey and there ought to have contented my selfe with an entire resignation of the whole matter into the hands of a most mercifull however infinitely provoked God praying for the peace of that Ierusalem without unnecessary afflicting mine own soule Yet I willingly deceived my selfe into a kind of pleasure of greiving with this false beliefe that in such circumstances to do any thing but grieve were to renounce not onely humanity but likewise that duty which the Law of Christ obliged me to performe in the behalfe of his Church 2. But time and better instruction from spirituall Persons especially Catholiques whose councels in matters of practises in such cases I thought it not unlawfull to hearken to did at length reduce my minde into a more calme temper toward the tranquility I was much advanc'd by an obstinate resolution not only not to be inquisitive after newes good or bad but to avoyd those conversations where I might be in danger of such a mortification and withall by employing my time and thoughts in that charge which I had undertaken and in mine own private studies CHAP. VII A Scruple suggested to my minde viz. To the Communion of what Church I should adhere upon supposition that the Church of England should faile 1. NOt long after this there was I know not how suggested to my understanding a thought which I could not at pleasure silence and which interrupted much my extreame eagernesse of reading it was this A supposition being made that it should please Almighty God to put a period to the Church and Ecclesiasticall government in England to what Churches Communion I should then adjoyne my selfe 2. It was not any reason I had to dispayre of the Kings condition that occasioned such an inquiry for at this time he was in a state to dispute upon even termes the victory with his enemies nor any jealousie of the truth of the English Religion But knowing that the English Church considered as distinct not only from the Roman but from all other Sects in separation likewise from it was not nor ever pretended to be either indefectible or infallible Nay more considering that the Ecclesiasticall government in England depended absolutely upon the firmnesse or weaknesse of the Kings authority there by whose absolute power only and according to whose interests it was framed at first And perceiving but too well that for many yeares there had been a powerfull malicious contriving faction of Calvinists equally enemies to Monarchy and Episcopall Government as they have given proofe to the full and which had intruded themselves and were generally incorporated both into the inferiour Cleargy Universities chiefe Bourgeosies and places of Judicature whose designe received from their forefathers it had been to omit no occasion to ruine both the civill and Ecclesiasticall State whereto the whole Kingdome of Scotland would be sure to give their brotherly assistance Lastly being assured that the maine thing and to me the most considerable advantage which the English Church had above all others pretending to a Reformation namely a succession and authority of Bishops and other Ecclesiasticall Orders received from the Roman Church was never confidently and generally taught in England to be of divine right and by consequence tooke no firme rooting in the consciences of English subjects Upon which ground I easily foresaw that though perhaps many would adventure far to support the Reall authority yet if ever the title of Episcopall Jurisdiction should be separated from the Rights of the King there would but very few appeare that would hazard their fortunes or lives for that which though they preferred infinitely before the Presbyterian Tyranny yet they had never been taught that it was an essentiall condition of a Church Yea on the contrary they had seen both King and Cleargy and generally the whole Kingdome looke upon the Calvinist and Lutheran Churches as brethren of the same Religion in substantialls sending Bishops and other Ecclesiastiques to sit with them in their Synods maintaining their quarrells commending their principall Authors harbouring releeving and preferring their exiles In a word upon the title of Brotherhood assisting them with treasure and forces in their Rebellions 3. Upon such grounds as these considering the unsure foundation of the English Church I thought it not unreasonable to spend some thoughts upon that enquiry viz. To what Churches Communion I should adjoyne my selfe upon supposition that the English Church should come to sayle I thought my self the rather obliged to pursue
measure bee attributed to my education in a Church which challenged to it selfe a priviledge beyond all other Sects from a succession of Bishops or to the evidence of reason and authority which convinced mee of the necessity of such a succession However it came I found it was impossible for mee to suffer my selfe to be perswaded that Episcopacy was a Government condemnable or that a legitimate succession of Holy Orders was not necessary to the constitution of a Church Or lastly that the supereminence of Episcopacy above Priesthood the appropriating thereto of the power of Ordination Confirmation and giving suffrages in Councells was an usurpation crep'd into the Church immediatly after the Apostles Times and contrary to their intention Considering that the Primitive Churches were extreamly and punctually scrupulous in maintaining the very phrases of traditionary Doctrines and Formes of customapractises In so much as when the least innovation in either was discovered all men conspired to condemne the innovatours Witness the controversies about Easter Rebaptization of Heretiques c. Was it imaginable thought I that those first Bishops who even by their Officers were more peculiarly Canditati Martyrii should so suddenly degenerate from the Apostolicall Spirit of Humility as universally to conspire to set up that pretended Tyranny over the rest of the Cleargy and the whole Church Or supposing that in the midst of such dire persecutions they had the will and leasure to designe such ambitious projects is it credible that the whole Ordor of Bâ—esbyters would suffer themselves to be excluded from their Priviledges and Officers so very lately bequeathed them by Christ and conferr'd by the Apostles and this universally through the whole World and not one single Presbyter appeare that should protest against such an usurpation Certainly it was much more probable that Luther and Calvin were either deceiveâ—s or deceived then that all Primitive Bishops were Tyrants and all Primitive Preists fooles or rather betrayers of that power and duty left and enjoyn'd them by the Apostles 5. But though I could have digested this what arts or violence could I make use of against mine owne reason and conscience to perswade my selfe to live in a Church in which there were neither Bishops nor Priests but a new Order and Title of Ministers made by a conspiracy of ignorant laymen a Church that took upon her to degrade and annull the Orders of the whole Christian World because they had not been communicated to her a Church which notwithstanding the expresse words of S Paul Epb. 4. who tells us that one of the speciall gifts which oâ—r Saviour upon his Ascension received from his Father to enrich his Church withall was that subordination of severall Orders of the Cleargy which was to continue till the consummation of the Saints or end of the World yet professeth that there is no such subordination and that there were no lawfull Bishops or Pastours in the Church for many hundred yeares before Luther broke his vow of Chastity to make himself fit to propagate them and before Culvin escaped from Noyon to Geneva there to maintaine the gates against the Bishop and to create Ministers under himself and in his Princes place CHAP. XI Consent of Fathers against Calvinists and Lutherans 1. UPon such grounds of Calvinists and Lutherans if they could possibly appeare to be true what impudence and folly must we needs impute to all the ancient Fathers and Doctours of the Church who never fayle in disputing against all sorts of Heretiques or Schismatiques to insist unanimously upon this Quere By what lawfull succession from what Apostolique Seate their first Teacher derived himselfe And professing that it was necessary to insist upon the point of succession as to examine the truth of the Doctrines themselves according to that Speech of S. Chrysostome Hom. 11. in Ephes. Suppose you that it is sufficient to say they are Orthodox and in the meane time Ordination is lost and perished To what purpose is the rest this being not made good For wee ought no lesse to contend for it then for the Faith it self 2. Witnesse hereto S. Ireneus Lib. 4. cap. 45. Where is it then that a Man shall find such Pastours S. Paul teacheth us when hee sayes God hath placed in his Church first of all Apostles secondarily Prophets in the third place Doctors There then where the Gifts of our Lord are placed in the same place must wee seeke for the truth among whom the succession of the Church since the Apostles and the purity of Doctrine is maintained in its integrity Witnesse S. Cyprian in Ep ad Magnum Whereas some alledge that they acknowledge the same God the Father the same Sonne Jesus Christ and the same Holy Ghost this can nothing availe them viz. being a Schisme For Core Dathan and Abiron acknowledged the same God that Aaron the High Priest and Moses did living under the same Law in the same Religion They invoked that one and true God who is to be worshipped and praid to Yet in as much as exceeding the limits of their Ministery they assumed to themselves the licence to sacrifice in opposition to Aaron the High Priest who by the ordination of God had before obtained the lawfull Priesthood they being supernaturally strucken presently received the just punishment of their unlawfull attempts And againe Novatianus is not in the Church neither can be accounted a Bishop who despising the Evangelicall and Apostolicall Tradition succeeding to no person has been ordained by himselfe And againe How can hee be acknowledged to be a true Pastour who the true Pastour beeing alive and by a successive Ordination presiding in the Church without succeeding to any one beginns from himselfe And again Ep. ad Flor. Christ sayes to his Apostles and by them to all Prelates who succeede the Apostles by a substitute ordination Vicariâ Ordinatione He that beareth you heareth me Witnes S. Athanasius de Synod How can they be Bishops if they have received their Ordination from Heretiques even by their own accusation Lastly to omit infinite passages in Tertullian S. Augustin Opâ—atus c Witnesse S. Hierome who speaking of H lary the Deacon authour of one of the Sects of the Luciferians in Dial cont Lucifer saith Together with the man his sect likewise is perished because a Deacon could not ordaine a Clearke to succeede after him Now it is not a Church which hath no Priests 3. Were such arguments as those I would faine know logicall and efficacious in the third and fourth century of Christianity and are they of no force now When was it that they began to lose their vertue Did all the Ancient Martyrs Bishops and Doctours of the Church Champions of Christian Religion confound all the ancient Heresies by demonstrating that the Authours of them had no personall legitimate nor Doctrinall succession And shall wee be made believe that such a succession now is not onely not necessary but that it is rather a prejudice yea that it
that it had no power of wounding as soone as it gets strength it fayles not to dart it out to the destruction of never so many thousands that oppose it I shall for proofe onely desire that men would cast their eyes upon the condition of England since the late Calvinisticall faction there got a fatall opportunity to discharge freely that poyson which for a long time it was forced to keepe closed up in it's entrals where after the best enquiry I could make I could not finde or heare of during the time of these late bloody commotions so much as one single person of the Presbyterian-Calvinist party but did actively oppose his King Nor one single Minister of that party but was a Trumpet io incite to war And all this not to free themselves from any danger they were in for their consciences for before the warre broke out his Majesty had offered them sufficient security but to destroy the present government of that Church and to set up their owne in place of it And as for their Brethren in France to this day it has beene in vaine attempted to perswade them to signifie the least dislike of these their practises the most infamous and scandalous to Christianity that ever were 6. If all these considerations together doe not more then sufficiently prove that without partaking of the scandall I could not adjoyne my self to the communion of these Sects let all the world judge Especially I being before yet remaining absolutely perswaded that it is utterly unlawfull upon praetence of defending Religion or avoyding persecution to oppose actively that peaceably settled Government under which I live Much more to seeke the alteration or ruine of that Government upon designe of introducing that Religion which I thinke to be true And truly I cannot but acknowledge it a great blessing of God that though I had the misfortune to be bred in Schisme yet it was in such a Church the forme whereof having been moulded by authority if not according to the interests of the Civill Governours in which continuing it was besides the obligation of my conscience mine own secular interests also to be loyall to the King with whom that Religion did before stand and is now in great danger to fall for by this meanes I had no tentation at all to study waies to elude those expresse commands of Christ by S. Paul Rom. 13. to be obedient not only for wrath but even conscience sake to my worldly Governour and of Christ himselfe immediately Mat. 5. to seeke for blessednesse by suffering for the righteousnesse of the Gospels sake not by opposing with active violence the Governours that sought the ruine of it much lesse under present here of by persecuting and destroying others Divine Providence seeming on purpose to order the publication of these truly Christian doctrines under the reigne of Tiberius Caligula and Nero then which the sunne never saw more abominable Tyrants and enemies to Religion to the end that in future ages no pretence should serve to dispense from Obedience And this doctrine of Obedience truly Christian which I learned in England being now by Gods goodnesse a Catholique I do and by the grace of God will to my death retaine and the rather because I shall now embrace it meerly for the authority of Christ and in imitation of his Apostles and ancient Christians afterward whose heroicall subjection to persecuting Emperours even then when it was in their power to revenge themselves among other writers Tertullian most divinely expresseth in his Apology and elsewhere and that most victorious Thebaean Legion gave an illustrious example Whereas in England that the interest of state had a great influence even upon this doctrine of obedience appears in this that when Q. Elizabeth conceived it convenient for her worldly designs to take on her the Protection of the low-Countreyes against the King of Spaine She employed D. Bilsou Bishop of Winchester one of her learnedst Cleargymen to write his booke of Christian subjection in which to justifie the revolt of Holland he gave strange liberty in many cases especially concerning Religion for subjects to cast off their Obedience But that book which serv'd Q Eliz. worldly designs by the just judgement of God hath contributed much to the ruine of her successour K Charles For there is not any booke that the Presbyterians have made more dangerous use of against their present Prince then that which his Predecessour commanded to be written justifie her against the K. of Spaine CHAP. XIII Protestants recriminating Catholiques for Rebellion answered 1. I know well that the Lutherans but especially the Calvinists triumph much that they can finde so few Catholiques that have been as wicked in this nature as their best and most authentique teachers most unjustly imputing to Catholique Religion the most abhored desperate acts of a few Traytors and the seditious bookes of a few Authors Whereas not onely all Catholiques in generall doe abhor those Acts renounce and condemne those Writings but the whole body of the French Iesuits in Paris to whom especially the Calvinists declare war in this point being in the yeare 1625. met in a full Assembly have publiquely and unanimously disavowed condemned and detested such seditious positions and writings universally agreeing to condemne that scandall wherein I never yet saw them imitated by any one Calvinist Particularly for English Catholiques their innocence and clearnesse in this point of Obedience was to me sufficiently apparent even before I left that Kingdome besides other proofes testifyed in a Petition offered to the Parliament immediately before the late Commotions as in the name of all of that Religion in England In which the profession of their loyalty was according to the tenour following The Catholiques of England do acknowledge professe K. Charls now reigning to be their true and lawfull King supreame Lord and rightfull sovereigne of this Realme and of all other his Majesties dominions And therefore they acknowledge themselves to be obliged under paine of sin to obey his Majesty in all civill and temperall affaires as much as any other of his Majesties subjects and as the lawes and Rules of Government in this Kingdome doe require at their hands And that notwithstanding any power or pretention of the Pope or See of Rome or any Sentence or detraction of what kind or quality soever given or to be given by the Pope his predecessors or successors or by any authority spirituall or temporall proceeding or derived from him or his See against their layd King and Countrey they will still acknowledge and perform to the utmost of their abilities their faithfull loyalty and true allegeance to their said King and Countrey And they doe openly disclaime and renounce all forreine Power be it either Papall or Princely Spirituall or temporall in as much as it may seem able or shall pretend to free discharge or absolve them from this obligation or shall any way give them leave or licence to raise tumults
beare armes or offer any violence to his Majesties Royall Person to the High Court of Parliament to the State or Government Being all of them ready not only to discover and make known to his Majesty and to the high Court of Parliament all the treasons conspiracies made against him or it which shall come to their hearing but also to lose their lives in the defence of their King Countrey to resist with their best endevours all conspiracies attempts made against their said King or Countrey be they framed or sent under what pretence or patronized by what forreigne authority soever And further they profess that al absolute Princes supream Governours of what Religion soever they be are Gods Lieutenants upon earth and that Obedience is due unto them according to the lawes of each Commonwealth respectively in civill and temporall affaires and therefore they doe here protest against all doctrine and authority to the contrary And they doe hold it impious and against the word of God to maintaine that any private Subject may kill and murther the Annointed of God his Prince though of a different beliefe and Religion from his And they abhor and detest the practice thereof as damnable and wicked And lastly they offer themselves most willingly to accept and embrace the late Protestation of union made by the High Court of Parliament excepting only the clause of Religion Professing that they cannot without sin infringe or violate any contract or break their words and promises made or given to any man though of a different faith and beliefe from the Church of Rome All which they doe freely and sincerely acknowledge and protest as in the presence of God without any equivocation or mentall reservation whatsoever 3. Now I desire to know what security beyond this any State can expect from any Christian or indeed any man What jealousie can reasonably be given by persons thus clearly and ingenuously professing their consciences and protesting their obedience yet notwithstanding the English Catholiques are ready to give a security even beyond thisâ— the Catholique Bishop pro tempore formerly residing in England having as I have been credibly informed offered his owne person and life as a pledge of the loyalty of all his Cleargy c. under his obedience in so much as if any of them shall be found guilty of disloyalty the Bishop will be obliged to produce such a delinquent to condingne punishment or pay the defect of it with the forfeiture of his owne life These things considered I should not deny even during the time that I was a Protestant but that it was with great impudence and injustice that Catholique Relegion was accused by those two Sects of disloyalty a crime universally and only adhering th themselves and abhorr'd by all sorts of persons all Orders and degrees among Catholiques CHAP. XIV A fourth scandall among Calvinists c. viz. their aversion from unity 1. A Fourth great discouragement which I had to joyne in Communion with the Lutheran or Calvinist Churches was their manifest renouncing of Christian Charity and the peace of Gods Church their unwillingnesse to abate the least point of doctrine even to a very phrase or to alter any thing in discipline though to gaine thereby the greatest good which is unity and reconciliation in a word the Spirit of Donatisme a Spirit of Separation out of the love of Separation it selfe 2. Whether it was a naturall inclination in me to hate all quarrells unlesse most extreamely necessary and unavoidable or my education in the English Church which of all other Sects doth most professe moderation I have alwaies dearly esteemed those writers whether Catholique or Protestant which have endeavoured to lessen the number of differences between Christians to give the most moderate qualified sences to differing opinions and to attempt all probable waies of reconciliation as Hofmeisterus Wicelius Franciscus à Sancta Clarâ c. among Catholiques And Bishop Andrewes Montague Grotius Monsicur de la Millitiere Acontus c. among Protestants I was moreover in mine owne understanding convinc'd that in very many points the differences between Catholiques and Protestants was onely in words while in the meaning both parties agreed as concerning Freewill Predestination Iustification Merit of Good workes sinnes Mortall and Veniall c. Nay further that some negative points of doctrine were maintained even by the Church of England contrary to their owne grounds that is contrary to the Universall consent of Primitive antiquity as denying Sacrifice and Prayer for the dead and by consequence Purgatory sacrifice of the Altar Monachisme Difference betweene Evangelicall Councels and Precepts vowes c. 3. Hereupon it was that mine owne reason assisted by my love to Christian unity perswading me that for worldly respects or out of feare of consequences ungratefull even the Church of England had divided it selfe from the Catholique to a further distance then justice truth and charity would permit I could not answer it to mine owne reason and conscience if instead of approaching to the Catholique Church I should run quite out of sight from it by communicating with those Churches whose generall designe and study it is to make the wound of division incurable and the breach every day wider and wider among whom it is a crime to talke of Reunion in a word who call it zeale to professe division from the Catholique Church even in those very points wherein their consciences cannot but tell them that they doe really agree with it 4. Manifest testimonies of this more then Donatisticall Spirit have been given by Calvin in his most barbarous censure of that too too moderate condescending booke of Cassander D E OFFICIO PII VIRI and by the Calvinist-Churches in France in their comportments towards Mâ—ssicurs Grotius and de la Millitiere upon occasion of those treatises by them published tending to union Yea so in love have they shewed themselves with Schisme quatenus Schisme so zealous to renounce that precious legacy of Peace which our Saviour at his last farewell to the world left to his Church that they multiply division upon division even among themselves making Frusta de frusto of the seamelesse garment of Christ denying Communion to one another even for points in their own opinion of no considerable importance The Lutherans will not communicate with the Calvinists nor the Remonstrants with the Contra-remonstrants nor the Separatists with the English Protestants And whatsoever union the French-Calvinist Churches boast of they owe it entirely to the civill Power there for if that would allow them the liberty they would fall into as many devisions as any of their brethren 5. If sometimes an extraordinary fit of seeming charity have come upon them the Circumstances demonstrate that it was not love of unity or conscience that begat that good mood but meerly temperall hopes or feares I remember S. Augustin Ep. 50. ad Bonifas Speaking of those professed Masters of Schisms the Donatists gives
and after I saw it I did not hastily suffer my selfe to be received into it till I saw there was no other way to escape drowning left me 2. My first thoughts after so successelesse a search of a Church were not doubtingly but sollicitously expostulating in my mind where is the effect of that promise of Christ that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against his Church And Behold I am with you till the end of the world I wondered that the Fathers should so unanimously interpret the Church to be that City seated on the top of a mountaine For I had in vaine sought both mountaines and Valleyes and could not get a sight of it But I concluded that certainly the fault was in mine owne eyes which some mist or disease had blinded and not in want of visibility in the Church since all the Promises of God in Christ are in him YEA and in him AMEM. And therefore that no preconceits of assurance or demonstrations ought to hinder me from examining the pretentions of the Roman Church as well as the rest That it was utterly impossible that the Promises of Christ should faile but that it was very possible that both my selfe and Mr. Chillingworth might be mistaken in beleiving those arguments to be demonstrations which were not That perhaps he did not understand fully the minde of his adversary M. Knot Or perhaps that the opinion and expression of Infallibility combated by Mr. Chillingworth was but an interpretation given by a private Doctour of his sence of the Churches doctrine so the arguments against it not proceeding directly against the Church However that it was very reasonable just and requisite seriously and diligently to examine the true state of that question which if the Roman Church could to my understanding justifie that she had not err'd in there would presently be an end of all my travells and doubts about other particular controversies For who will question or suspect the truth of that Witnesse or Judge in particular speeches or assertions that has once in grosse approved himselfe to be Infallible 3. Had it not been for this point of the Churches Infallibility and some Philosophicall Objections against the Reall Presence c. I had not lived thus long out of the communion of the Roman Church for I alwayes acknowledged that there were in it very many advantages and excellencies to which no other Church had the confidence to pretend As 1. I could not deny having withall the Confession of the most learned Protestants that the Religion of the present Roman Church is the very same Religion which Saint Augustin the English Apostle by the Mission of Saint Gregory the Great planted in England when he converted it from Paganisme so that me thought it was somewhat an extravagant thing to separate now from Rome for those very points by the embracing of which England became Christian Especially considering what persons Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine were of what sublime holinesse and profound learning and how that Religion was confessedly conffirmed by Divine Miracles 2. I could not but admire and infinitely approve the ingenuity of the Roman Church in obliging all her children to interpret Scriptures and to conforme their beleife to the generall consent of Fathers Indeed the Protestants in England especially made honourable mention of the Fathers but none but Roman Catholiques proceed thus farre 3. That if we defined Haeresie and Schisme according to the generall notion of the Fathers viz. that Haeresie is a misbeleife innovated in points of Faith contrary to the Doctrine universally received in the Church and Schisme an uncharitable division of one part from the externall Communion of the whole Of all Churches in the world the Roman could with least reason and justice be accused of these two sinnes for first She only receives and preserves the ancient practise and all the Councells and Synods of the Church Secondly all other Sects apparently broke from her Communion and all Haeretiques were of her Religion before they innovated and introduced new opinions 4. That the method by which the Roman Church decided all emergent controversies namely by the authority of the present Church however I was then perswaded there was some usuâ— pation in it yet de facto ended all disputes and produced an admirable unity in that Church A blessing which not only reason but manifest experience showes to be impossible to be aâ—ceiued in Protestant Churches where scripture interpreted by private judgement is the Rule and Iudge for hitherto never has there been made an agreement in any one controversie among them In so much as the proper difference between Catholiques and Protestants is that if two Catholiques be in debate about any question both of them will agree to bee judged by a third namely the Church and till that be done they breake not Communion But if two Protestants quarrell each of them will interpret and judge both for himselfe and his adversary too there being no umpire between them nor any thing to oblige them to Communion 5. That the sobrâ—st Protestants sometimes are not without some suspicion of guilt in matter of Schisme acknowledging at least that worldly interests had influence upon those Princes that begun separation first a case never to be found among Catholiques And when any such scruples arise in the mindes of Protestants they never trouble themselves with seeing themselves divided from the Greek or Abissine Churches but only the Roman And very many among them on their death beds at least when all secular respects are silent desire reconciliation with the Roman Churches Whereas I believe there never was heard any one example of a Roman Catholique which on his death-bed desired to forsake that Communion to be incorporated into a Protestant Church And 6. There was a sixth advantage far more prevailing with me then all the former though at the first I had but an imperfect view of it namely the eminent rules of sanctity and spirituallity taught by most prudent and pious directors and practised after a manner that nothing in any of the Protestant Churches approacheth neere unto it The story and Order of my information in this particular I will reserve till the Conclusion of this Narration For the present I will content my selfe with avowing that every day the more neare and faire a prospect I had of the beauty of Holinesse my prejudices and objections against that Church in which onely such a jewell was to be found diminished till in the end I could not free my selfe from partiallity at least so farre as to wish that Truth might not be found separated from so heavenly a Companion This Treatise being a Story rather than a controversie I thought my selfe obliged not to conceale my actions though they might be obnoxious to be esteemed imperfect or faulty and am content to heare and thanke whosoever will vouchsafe to reprove mee for them 4. I will not deny but that these seemed to me very specious
and alluring qualities especially being of such a disposition that is one that above all things in the world abhorred quarrelling one who though he durst not betray necessary truths by professing the contrary yet in many cases would willingly have purchased peace with silence lastly one that alwaies suspected his owne reason and that was desirous to find out authority which might deserve to have his reason submit it selfe to it 5. Yet notwithstanding all these invitations so prepossessed was I with the invinciblenesse of Mr. Chillingworth's arguments against the infallibility of the Church joyn'd with an opinion that it was an essentiall requisite to Communion with the Roman Church to acknowledge infallibility in the notion that I apprehended it that it was not without much violence to my selfe that I could obteine from mine owne reason permission to make a serious enquiry into the grounds of it But at last because I would not accuse my self afterward of want of ingenuity and fidelity in denying that to the Roman Church alone which I had performed in respect of all other Churches besides even to the Socinians Nestorians and Eutychians and besides the affaires of England growing every day in the greater decadency I found that I was likely to be forced to a reall necessity of resolving that that Question which at first I reflected on onely upon an imagined supposition namely Supposing the Church of England should come to faile to the Communion of what Church I should then adjoyne my selfe 6. A Question this is which I am confident never any one person of any one Sect of Christians before was effectively forced to determine For never before was there any Religion so wholly appropriated to any Kingdome or Government as that such a Government decaying the whole frame of that Church sunk the professors thereof not being able to find in the whole world any Church into which without renouncing their maine distinctive principles they could enter Since the time that it was Gods good pleasure to rejoyne mee to the Rock from whence I was hewn leading me into the unity of his Church I have conceived that I might attribute this decay and now almost vanishing of the English Church to a double intention of almighty God the first To shew that when Religion in substantiall doctrines especially is framed according to interests of State it does thereby as it were renounce and exempt it selfe from Gods Protection and by consequence not deserving his care is not likely to be long-liv'd the second to the end to shew the curse that lies upon Schisme in generall it may seeme to have been Gods pleasure that that Church which had more shew of excuse than any other whatsoever and that better represented a form of the Ancient and most glorious Church than any other Sect should be the first that should be undermined to the end that others seeing what has been done to a tre◠which had some greennesse in it might thereby prophecy what shall become of their rotten and drye ones CHAP. XVIII Preparations to the examining of the grounds of the Roman Churches authority 1. VVEll at last lifting up my heart in dayly and almost hourely fervent prayers unto almighty God for the direction of his Holy spirit a practise which God knowes I never discontinued from the beginning of my search but now a more urging necessity sharpned the intention and fervour of my heart and striving all I could to cleanse the scals wherein I was to weigh this so important a merchandise from all externall prejudices or allurements or any thing that might hinder my enquiry from being perfectly ingenuous and unpartiall and almost vowing that if God would be pleased to set me on a rock higher than my selfe giving repose unto my minde that onely knew quid fugeret but not quò fugeret I would consecrate the remainder of my life to blesse and serve him in the best and strictest manner I could finde and lastly resolving to purchase truth at the dearest rate possible though with the losse of fortunes hopes friends or Countrey I applyed my minde earnestly and diligiently to the examination of the authority and so much disputed infallibility of the Roman Church to Catholiques a rock of foundation upon which all Religion relyed but to me hitherto a rock of offence and the maine considerable prejudice which drove me back whensoever I endeavoured to make any appoaches toward that Church 2. My next preparation and provision for this businesse was to informe my selfe not so much from particular Catholique Doctors as from the Church it selfe in the decisions of her Councels what was her doctrine in this point and in what manner and termes expressed my designe being to learne onely what was so necessary to be believed in this Article as that without it a man could not call himselfe a Catholique and with subscription to which alone a man might sufficiently justifie himself against all exception to deserve that title For this purpose I applyed my selfe to the Study of the ancient received Councels I perused diligently the Codex Canonum Ecclesiae Universae Burchardus Wormatiensis Caranza's summe of the Councels but especially the Councell of Trent and the Bull of Pope Pius quartus desiring further information from severall learned Catholiques If I perused any particular Controvertists it was with intention to take notice of such unquestioned and unsuspected Authors as had most retrenched from this controversie all particular opinions and had expressed their understanding of the Churches meaning with the greatest condescendence and qualification 3. Having made extraits pertinent to my purpose out of the forementioned Councells and Authors and having digested them I deduced corrollaries out of them importing what authority the Church assumed to her selfe whence derived and how limitted And distrusting mine owne Collections to confirme my selfe further and to assay whether those deductions would be allowable by Catholiques sufficiently informed of the true sense of the Churches doctrine I gathered out of my extraits certaine Conclusions which I digested into a forme of Questions These I sent to a worthy and learned friend a Doctor of the faculty of Paris desiring his resolution whether such senses as I had given of the points mentioned would be receivable among Catholiques or no. His kindnesse and Charity moved him not onely to take the trouble upon him of answering my Questions but likewise voluntary to publish in print the Questions with his answers to the end satisfaction might be given that he had said nothing therein that any Catholique would question Which resolutions of his I thought fit to annex to this treatise 3. Besides all this for my further information and because even during my education in Protestancy I had been advised and was consequently resolved to embrace those doctrines which were most conformable to the profession of the Ancient Church I conceived it necessary to study diligently such Fathers writings especially as had been forced to maintaine the Churches
Caesariensis before quoted expresseth it not with ink on paper but by his Spirit in the hearts of his people according to the ancient Prophecies concerning him in the Old Testament And hereupon the Fathers observe that our Saviour left nothing at all in writing neither did he lay any injunction upon his Apostles to write bookes And therefore the same Eusâ—bius Hist. Ecel l. 5. cap. 8. 24. expresly affirmes That the Apostles had the least regard to writing The like is noted by Saint Chrysostome in his frist Homily upon the Acts where he gives the reason why the booke of the Acts does onely or principally conteine the occurrences concerning S. Paul and not those neither to the end of his life But an assurance of this irrefragable is given by Saint Paul himselfe who in severall places of his Epistles referres to the doctrine setled by orall instruction as when he sayes Gal. c. 1. If any one shall preach otherwise then ye have received let him be Anathema And againe Phil. cap. 4. Those things which ye have been taught and received and heard and seen in me doe ye And againe to shew the uniformity of the doctrine every where he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a forme of wholesome words And againe We write no other things unto you then what you have known And againe 1 Cor. cap. 14. 15. As I teach in all Churches And againe So we have preached and so ye have believed Hence S. Augustine makes this rule The Scripture is wont for brevities sake to be silent of many things which are to be learned from the order of Tradition For this reason it was as antiquity observes that S. Paul kept his residence so long a time in many Cities after he had setled Churches there to the end to inculcate into their memories the substantiall doctrines preached over and over unto them and to establish an uniforme order and discipline among them which by that meanes continued in an exact conformity for severall centuries of yeares in the Catholique Church all the world over as Tertullian S. Basil S. Augustin c. observe 3. Now this way of setling Religion by Tradition and outward practise was much more secure and lasting and far lesse subject to corruptions then writings without unappealable interpreters especially could possibly be If it be objected that memory is not so safe a depositary as written records which are made use of to supply the defects of memory It may be answered that that is true of preserving doctrines meerely speculative but not so of such as may be made as it were visible by practise as almost all Evangelicall doctrines are For as for bookes we see by experience that those which of all other in the world ought to have been preserved with the most exact care and wherein the most scrupulous curiosity was commendable I meane the Sacred Evangelicall writings have not been able to escape the inevitable fate of all bookes especially such as every one almost will thinke himselfe concern'd to transcribe that is to have infinite variety of readings much more then any other bookes that I know of whatsoever and principally in in the originall tongues which were not read in Churches Insomuch as in my hearing Bishop Usher one of the most learned Protestant Prelats in England professed that whereas he had had of many yeares before a designe to publish the New Testament in Greeke with various lections and Annotations and for that purpose had used great diligence and spent much money to furnish himselfe with Manuscripts and Memoires from severall learned men abroad yet in conclusion he was forced to desist utterly from that undertaking lest if he should ingenuously have noted all the severall differences of readings which himselfe had collected the incredible multitude of them almost in every verse should rather have made men Atheistically to doubt of the truth of the whole booke then satisfie them in the true reading of any particular passage An evident signe this is that the ancient Governours of the Church did not suppose that Christian Religion did onely or principally rely upon what was in writing For if they had they would doubtlesse either have forbidden such a multitude of transcribers or have preserved the Originall copies or at least have imitated the exact diligence and curiosity of the Jewish Masorites in their preserving the Old Testament entire for the future namely by numbring all the letters and points and signifying where and how oft every one of them were found in Scripture None of which preventions and cautions notwithstanding have been used in the Christian Church Yea so farre is it from that that at least one whole Epistle of S. Paul to the Laodiceans and that most ancient Gospel in Hebrew secundum Nazaraeos are at this day utterly lost not to speak of severall bookes mentioned in the Old Testament not now to be heard of 4. Well but how casuall soever bookes may prove to be yet it does not hitherto appeare how Orall Tradition and Practise can demonstrate it selfe a way more secure and free from hazard than they I will therefore endeavour to resolve this seeming difficulty by asking these Questions Can any one reasonably say that for example the doctrines of Christs death for mankinde commemorated in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist of his reall unfigurative presence there have beene or could possibly have beene more securely propagated and more clearely and intelligibly delivered to Posterity in bookes written which may be lost and will be corrupted by some transcribers and every transcribers copy is as authentique as any others or as they have been in the Tradition and universall Practise of the Church and in a continuall visible celabrating of those divine Mysteries where every action they did performe published the truth which they believed where their thanksgiving for Christs Passion dayly renewed the memory manner and end of it where their prostrations and adorations demonstrated their assurance of his reall Presence where every mans saying Amen at the Priests pronouncing Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi expressed their confession of that Presence with exclusion of all Tropes and Metaphors in the businesse Againe is not the true inward sence of these Christian Doctrines conveyed more intelligibly and represented more exactly lively and naturally by such practises and solemne spectacles than by bare words though they had beene never so eleare and of never so studied a perspicuity With relation to which expresse impossible to be mistaken way of propagating the Mysteries of Christian beliefe and reflecting in his minde thereupon S. Paul in all probability thus reproved the Galatians for their inconstancy in these words of wonder and indignation Gal. c. 3 v. 1. O insensatiGalatae O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth before whose eyes Iesus Christ hath been lively represented being Crucified among you As thinking that nothing of lesse power than a charme could
Scriptures any example of such a thing yet the truth of the same Scriptures is held of us in this matter when we doe that which pleaseth the whole Church the which the authority of the same Scriptures doth commend that because the holy Scriptures cannot deceive us whosoever feareth to be deceived with the obscurity of this question let him require the judgement of the Church which the Holy Scriptures without any ambiguity doe demonstrate to the end that because the Scriptures cannot deceive us whoseover is afraid to be deceived by the obscurity of any question may have recourse to the Churches judgement concerning it the which Church the Holy Scriptures demonstrate without any ambiguity 6. Witnesse S. Vincentius Lyrinensis c. 2. Inasmuch as all do not take the Scripture in the same sense by reason of it's profundity but some on one fashion some on another so that almost as many sences may seem to be drawn from it as there are men for Novatianus expounds it one way Photinus another Sabellius another Donatus another Arius Eunomius Macedonius another Apollinarius and Priscillian another Iovinian Pelagius Caelestius another And lastly Nestorius another For this reason to avoyd the labyrinth of so many contrary errours it is very necessary that the line of Propheticall and Apostolicall conceptions should be drawn according to the rule of Ecclesiasticall and Catholique sense or intelligence Witnesse lastly S. Leo It is not to be doubted but that all Christian observance is of divine institution and that whatsoever is received by the Church into the custome of devotion doth come from Apostolicall Tradition from the doctrine of the Holy Ghost who doth also now preside over his own institutes in the hearts of the Faithfull that all both obediently observe and wisely understand them Serm. 2. de Ieiun Pent. CHAP. XX. Quotations out of Antiquity for the authority of Councells A contrary character of Heretiques 1. TO the former quotations so expresse so efficacious to assert the Churches authority in points of Religion from which there lyes no appeale I will adjoyne other testimonies of Antiquity to demonstrate the veneration given by all Orthodox Fathers to the Councells of the Church their acknowledgement of their obliging authority and how in obedience to them they submitted their owne particular opinions Witnesse hereof may be either the Apostles themselves or Apostolique Fathers at least in those most ancient Canons whereto S Clement also gives testimony who appointed that Bishops should twice in the year keep Councells and among themselves examine the decrees of Religion and compose such Ecclesiasticall controversies as should arise the first in the fourth week after Pentecost and the second on the twelfth day of Hyperberitaei Octob. Witnesse S. Ignatius Ep. ad Smyrn Do you all follow the Bishop as Christ did his Father Without the Bishop let no man praesume to do any of those things which belong to the Church The same Holy Father Ep. ad Policarp testifieth that it was the order in his time that Syâ—ods and assemblies of Bishhops were frequently celebrated Witnesse Tertullian cont Psych cap. 13. In those countrys of Greece there are assembled in certaine appointed places Councells out of all Churches by which both things of higher importance are agitated in commune and the representation of the whole Christian name is celebrated with great veneration Witnesse that glorious Emperour Constantine in his Epistle to the Churches mentioned by Socrates Hist. Eccl lib. 1. cap. 6. where he saith Whatsoever is decreed in the Holy Councell of Bishops that is universally to be ascribed to the Divine Will Witnesse S. Gregory Nazianzen Ep. ad Chelid Those that agree with Apollinards say that they were admitted by the Councell of the West or Roman Bishop by whom it is manifest they were once condemned Let them shew this and we will yeild for then it is manifest that they assent to the true doctrine for it cannot be otherwise if they have obtained this Witnesse S. Ambrose de Fid. ad Grat. lib. 3. c 7. who calls the decrees of the Councell of Nice haereditariâ— signacula not to be violated by the rash boldnesse of any man And many expressions to the same effect are extant in S. Hilary in his booke addressed to the Emperour Constantius 2 Witnesse S. Augustin con Don. lib. 7. con Crescon lib. 1. It is to us a safe thing not to rush forward in any rashnesse of opinion concerning those things which neither have been agitated in any Catholique-National-Synod nor determined in any Occumenicall but to maintaine that with the assurance of a secure voice which in the government of our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ hath been strengthned with the consent of the universall Church And againe In the former ages of the Church before the Schisme of Donatus Id. de Bapt. con Don. I. 1. The obscurity of that Question viz concerning Rebaptization of Haeretiques compelled great persons and endued with great charity to dispute and debate among themselves however without any breach of peace In so much that in severall Countreys for a long time the decisions of severall Councells did vary and clash among themselves untill in a Plenary Councell of the whole world that which was soundly believed was without all manner of doubt confirmed Again Id. con Parm Ep. lib. 2 the question being whether Baptisme can be given by those men also who never have been Christians we ought not to affirme determinately any thing therein without the authority of a Councell so great as may be answerable to the greatnesse of the matter But concerning those who are separated from the unity of the Church there is no question at all but that they doe both reteine it and communicate it and that they do both perniciously reteine and perniciously communicate it without the bond of Peace for this hath been already agitated considered perfected and confirmed in the unity of the whole world And againe Id. de Bapt. con Don. lib. 2. cap. 4. Neither durst we affirme any such thing if we were not well grounded upon the most uniforme authority of the universall Church unto which undoubtedly S. Cyprian would have yeelded if in his time the truth of this question had been discussed and declared and by a Generall Councel established Lastly to omit many expresse testimonies of Vincentius Lyrinensis Facundus c. the last witnesse shall be S. Gregory the Great Ep. 24. who professeth that he receives and venerates the fower first Generall Councells no otherwise then the fower Gospells as likewise that he doth in like manner embrace the fifth Councell This was the language of the Catholique Fathers when they wrote many of them purposely upon this very Question And besides these testimonies other will be produced occasionally in the following discourse 3. On the contrary Haeritiques as S. Basile observes doe generally agree 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to raise an altar in opposition to the altar of the
of which together with others pertinent thereto I will here as in their proper and naturall place orderly set down 2. In the first place therefore since all information of things past before our age can no other way be had excepting only extraordinary or divine inspiration not to be expected or relyed upon if pretended unlesse it be attested by miracles but by Tradition from the times when such things hapned yet arriving at us by the testimony of the present times and persons living with us By consequence I had no difficulty but that in the present hypothesis of Christian revelations the only immediate witnesse of them was the present church and this either by orall profession that thus she had received by information and practise of the precedent age Or by writings of antiene times continued and daily transcribed but all preserved and conveyed to us by the present church 3. In the second place I considered that these divine Revelations and doctrines of Christian Religion being of such a particular nature as that besides the believing them to have been we are obliged to assent unto and embrace them as the only necessary means of avoiding eternall misery and attaining to eternall happinesse Hereupon it is that the present church our only witnesse of them represents them to us not only as the present age does the actions of Caesar or books of Cicero that is with so much assurance that we cannot be reasonable men and doubt of them yet by doubting or disbelieving them there is no losse to be feared but only of our reputation But she proposeth them to us as necessarily to be submitted to and her self as an authorised witnesse having received commission from the divine Author to oblige all men to believe her as a proponent Which double capacity of the church viz. 1. Simply a proponent 2. As an authorised proponent I conceived it very requisite for me to distinguish and at least in my understanding to separate the one from the other For though Catholiques who from their infancy have been brought up in acknowledging the grounded authority of the church have no need to distinguish this double capacity for themselves yet in disputation with those Sects which accept of Tradition simply at least for books of Scripture but deny such an obliging authority and especially in explaining the manner of Resolution of Faith I conceived and found as to my self great profit in this distinction 4. In the third place for simple Tradition I enquired whether and upon what grounds it could be made to appear to be certain and absolutely convincing And upon mature consideration I was satisfied that they were extremely mistaken who thought that there was no absolute certainty in any knowledge excepting only such as we receive either immediately by our senses or by evident discourse and demonstration of reason For on the contrary I found that knowledge from report of Tradition might in some cases be as truly certain as that from sense or demonstration So for example before I saw the City of Rome I was most assured that there was such a place and the reason was because it was impossible that such a world of writings and persons all which could not be led by interest to frame a lye should conspire to witnesse such a thing and not one person be found that contradicted them The like may be said of Tradition or report of things past when a whole age agrees universally to acknowledge a Tradition under that notion neither friends nor enemies contradicting it is impossible that such a report should be false Yea I may add further when there are in the same age two Traditions of two considerable parties directly contradicting the one the other it may fall out yea sometimes it may be most assured that both of them must in some respect be true As for example the whole Nation of the Jewes dispersed all the world over do agree that they have received as a most sure Tradition that our Saviour was an Impostor and wrought all his pretended miracles by Magick and help of the Divell on the contrary all Christians through the whole world agree that they have received a Tradition that our Saviour was the true Messiah promised and that he wrought all those true miracles by the power of God and for confirmation of his divine doctrine In this case these two Traditions being in respect of the partyes respectively universall must necessarily be true though in some sort contradicting yet not in that wherein they contradict For it is as certain that the Jewes received and have continually propagated such a Tradition though false in the root as that the Christians have received the contrary Notwithstanding reason may judge infallibly between them concerning the root of these Traditions namely by demonstrating that such miracles acknowledged by both sides to have been wrought were many of them of such a nature as that they did exceed all created power and that the doctrine was so divine so destructive to the divell as that he was obliged in interest to endeavour the annibilation of it and lastly that nothing was either done or taught by our Saviour but what was agreeable to the antient Prophecies received by the Jews concerning the Messiah c. upon which grounds it will evidenly appear that the Jews who first received such a Tradition were abused by the malice and perfidiousnesse of their ancestours c. And this is the only proper way of determining and deciding the controversie between these two Traditions But of this more hereafter 5. In generall therefore I found that a full unquestionable certitude might be had of some Traditious as to give one example more that there was such a man as William Duke of Normandy who conquered England is most certain not any Englishman or other that ever heard of it but believes it and would impute frenzy to any man that should call it in question Now the reason why this is so certain to every one is this because all men living at this time who either are inquisitive into times past or câ—pable of information do agree that this particular was told them by their Predecessors as a thing come to them by Tradition and so the men of the former age of that before them thus ascending till we come to the age wherein he lived and was personally known and seen by his Subjects Now it is impossible that all men of any age should both agree together and actually effect that complot to deceive their children with a lye under the notion of Tradition Add to this that the present age affords us books and Records descending from hand to hand and written in severall ages between that time and us which testifie the same thing As likewise there are in the generall practise of England Lawes Customes Priviledges c. all which are acknowledged to have had their Originall from the same Author This is an example of one of the highest degrees
of Traditionary certitude that may be of a thing passed so many ages since being confirmed by Orall Tradition Universality Records language and practises or customes 6. An inferiour degree of certainty in Tradition yet certainty however is for example that there was such a man as Alexander the Great This is a thing most certain and yet it wants many of those arguments of assurance in the former example There is indeed a kind of Orall Tradition of this likewise yet not arriving unto this age and climate of the world by such a generall succession as the former by reason that Alexander having lived in a quarter of the world remote from us we are not descended from the men of his age who knew him yet it may be some of them or their children coming to Rome delivered this and so some Romanes conveighed it among these Western parts of the world There are no customes or practises among us relating to Alexander so that the main arguments of certainty are 1. Positive that is writings dispersed abroad made by antient Grecians and Romans all testifying the same thing 2. Negative not one man appearing in this age nor to be heard of in the former that denied it or so much as called it in question 7. A yet inferior degree of certainty in Tradition may be exemplified in some writings as in S. Clements first Epistle to the Corinthians lately published and printed in England For that there was such an Epistle written is testified by all Antiquity and was assuredly believed by all learned men in this age before the publishing of it But it is now near eight hundred years that it ha's been missing in the world for Photius I think is the last writer that takes notice to have read it Of late this Epistle was found in an ancient Manuscript in the King of England's Library sent him for a present out of the Eastern countries Now the certitude that this is the same Epistle anciently acknowledged and read in the Church appears in this 1. That the characters of the Manuscript are very ancient yet I do not believe it to have been written by that glorious Virgin Martyr S. Tecla as the credulous Grecians would pretend so that if it had been counterfeited it was done in times when the falsity might have been discovered by unquestioned copies 2. That the stile is agreeing with the ancient simplicity and gravity of Apostolique writings 3. That the subject is the very same that those ancient Fathers who speak of it do mention 4. That all the extraits and passages which the Fathers of the Church do quote out of S. Clements true Epistle are found in this Upon which grounds it may be truly said and I believe no man will contradict it that this is certainly S. Clements Epistle 8. It is likely that besides these degrees of certainty more upon consideration might be found out but these I esteemed enough for my present purpose Now by certainty I intend not certitudinem rei for so nothing that is or hath been is in it self more certain then another for even a thing that ha's its existence from free or casuall causes when it is is as certain as any other thing produced by causes never so determinate efficacious or necessary But certitudinem quoad nos that is our assurance that it hath been And a thing I call more certain in this notion not which ha's less doubt or suspition of not being for if there be any rationall suspition there is no certainty no not in the lowest degree but that which ha's more wayes to prove it self to be certain then another CHAP. XXIV Divine revelations proved to be certain beyond humane story 1. I Will now proceed by way of comparison to demonstrate the high degree of certitude which we may have of divine Revelations testified by the present Church considered as a simple proponent setting aside the authority which she challenges to oblige all men to submit to In which discourse we are to consider four things especially in Christian Religion coming to us by Tradition but in subordinate degrees of certitude viz. 1. Doctrines meerly speculative and which hardly could be testified in the practise of the church 2. Books of Scripture 3. Ceremonies and externall practises not mentioned expresly in Scripture 4. Doctrines and customes shining in the practise of the Church and likewise more or losse clearly express'd in Scripture 2. First for speculative doctrines which could hardly be express'd in the practise of the Church the Tradition of them seems to be very difficult and the certainty not so demonstrable As for example there are in the Catalogue of Heresies made by S. Epiphanius S Augustine and Philastrius certain opinions called Heresies in a large notion which seem not to have been in themselves of any dangerous consequence but yet have been condemned by Popes c. and ever since by a tacit consent of the Universall Church avoided as the opininions of the Millenaries Melchisedechians c. Now whether these Heresies were condemned as contrary to a Tradition or only by a judgement of discretion by shewing that the grounds pretended for such opinions out of Scripture are not concluding but rather the contrary as the second Councell of Orange seems to condemn some doctrines of the Semipelagians is not very certain However they rest condemned and more probably the former way as contrary to Tradition which may rather be believed of the Millenaries because they pretended for their doctrine a Tradition derived from Papias a scholler of the Apostles and it was very far spread in the church and maintained by great Saints and Doctors as S Irenaus S. Justin Martyr c. It might very possible be that the Traditionary doctrines contrary to these Heresies however speculative and which could not be conveighed by any outward practise of the church might have continued in mens memories to the times when these opinions were confuted For no doubt can be made but that the Apostolique churches together with the books of Scripture received the true sense and interpretation of the most difficult passages which might continue by a successive instruction but of which by reason they were no necessary doctrines of Christian Religion many are lost as I exemplified in the former conclusion So that the certainty of such Traditionary speculative doctrines is very hardly demonstrable and thereupon many learned Catholiques conceive that severall lately controverted opinions in the church as concerning Grace and Freewill the immaculate Conception of our blessed Lady c. have been so much agitated without any decision of the church and it ever any of the said opinions come to be decided by a Councell that the decision will at least oblige to obedience and non-contradiction but not perhaps as an article de fide that is as a divine revelation delivered by universall Tradition Since it is generally confess'd that they want such a Tradition See above in this Section 1 Cha. 9.
3. As concerning books of Scripture the Tradition of them may appear certaine in a high degree at least for the substance of the books For though at first they were written for the use and necessity of particular Churches and persons and no Obligation appears expressely to have been imposed to disperse them through the whole Church Notwithstanding the infinite reverence which all Christians bore to the Apostles made every church desirous to possesse themselves of whatsoever writings proceeded from them Yet this not out of any extreme necessity for from their first foundation all churches were instructed in all points and doctrines of Christianity as likewise the same orders of government publique worship c. and this after an uniform manner as appeared to me evident not only from the antient Liturgies but severall testimonies out of Tertullian S. Epiphanius S. Augustine c. But there was required a long time e're such writings could be universally spread yea several ages were passed before they were all of them received even at Rome it self as appears out of S. Hierome For before they were admitted into the Canon we may be sure that great caution and exact information was used So that after all this they having been now many ages acknowledged by the whole church for divine writings we may have a greater assurance of them then of the books of Aristotle Cicero c. which by reason men were not much concerned whether they were legitimate or supposititious have not been examined with so much advice and caution and yet that man that should pretend to a doubt of them would be suspected of all men to be tainted in his understanding But this high degree of certitude we have only of the divine books considered in gross not of the true reading of particular Texts as appears by the infinite variety of readings in Manuscripts yet even in this respect also we may assure our selves that there is no corruption very considerable or of very dangerous consequence by considering not only Gods providence and promises to his church but likewise by comparing the originall Texts with such a world of Translations Syriake Arabick AEthiopian Latin c. many of which were made in the very infancy of the church long before the Archetype or Original copies were lost some of which Tertullian sayes remained in his dayes 4. In the third place reason told me that such ceremonies as were universally practised through the whole church from the first times though not mentioned in Scripture might justifie themselves to be derived from the Apostles with a greater certainty then even the books of Scripture themselves according to that saying of S. Augustine Ep. 118. Those things which we observe and are not written but delivered and are practised all the world over are to be understood to have been commanded and appointed either by the Apostles themselves or by Generall Councells the authority whereof is most healthfull in the Church Which Tertullian before him thus expressed de Praesor This custome certainly proceeded from Apostolique Tradition for how could that come into generall practise which was not delivered by Tradition Now of such kind of rites many examples are extant in antient Liturgies and many more mentioned as universally received by Tertullian S. Cyprian c. who wrote before there had been in the church any plenary Councell and therefore by S. Augustines rule argue such rites to have come from the Apostles The reason is because it is not imagineable how it could be possible that such rites should be received by all churches through the world and that so immediately after the Apostles times and in such a season when there had never been any generall meeting of Bishops yea when by reason of the horriblenesse of the persecutions it was extremely difficult for the Bishops of one Province to meet together to settle particular necessary affairs in none of which Synods notwithstanding is the least mention made of ordaining such ceremonies if together with Christian Religion they had not been introduced by the Apostles Let now any reasonable man judge if the books of Scripture which he acknowledges only upon the ground of generall Tradition however certainly and unquestionably divine yet do not want some of these arguments of demonstration and enjoy some of the rest in an inferiour degree 5. But fourthly Doctrines or customes shining in the generall practise of the Church and withall more or Lesse clearly expressed in Scripture that is indeed the whole substance and and frame of Christian Religion as was shewed before and therein many points now in controversie between Catholiques and Protestants c. and above all other this point of the Churches authority may prove themselves certain in a degree beyond all these and with as much assurance as Tradition is capable of I am confidently perswaded beyond the highest degree that I mentioned for secular Tradition in the example of King William the Conqueror of England For first all the persons living in the time of Luthers Apostacy in all Provinces not of one Kingdome but of the whole Catholique Church agreed in testifying that their ancestours had delivered such things to them as of Tradition Apostolicall and by consequence since the contrary cannot be made apparent we are to judge the same of all precedent ages ascending upwards till the first times not one Catholique expressely dissenting and much lesse any one age So that unlesse in some one age of the church all Catholiques should should have conspired to tell a lye to their children and not only so but should have been able to have seduced them not one appearing that would have the honesty to discover the deceit I could not conceive it possible that a Tradition of such a nature could be false Add to the confirmation of the same doctrines the testimonies of Histories and Records yea even of enemies for many doctrines and practises Moreover the laws continually in force through the Catholike Church lastly the publike forms of Devotions Feasts times of mortifications c. All these arguments of certainty conspire in a far more eminent manner to prove these kind of doctrines and rites then in the example of William the Conquerour 5. But beyond all these something may be added to which that secular example doth in no visible distance approach For did William the Conqueror ever appoint any persons about him to write all the considerable particulars of his story supplying them with all things for the enabling them to that purpose Did he work miracles himself for the confirming his authority and give power to his servants and their successors for severall ages to do the like Did he appoint a succession of Teachers to the worlds end sufficiently instructed commanding them to keep warily the depositum of that Religion both from mixture and perishing and so to deliver it to their successors and this upon great penalties of disobeying Did he besides solemn dayes for severall uses institute outward rites
and practises to be by all men in all times and places solemnly either seen or practised and these with prescribed formes postures and actions on purpose that the weightiest passages of his acts or sufferings should continually be celebrated in the world leaving an impossibility of their being forgotten without a deluge Nay lastly to secuâ—e all men from the least apprehension did he ingage an omnipotent power to perform a promise that those orders ceremonies and laws should continue to the worlds end in despight of the gates of hell it self Not any of these things have been done by Will. the Conquerour or any other but our Lord to propagate his memory and yet notwithstanding all these defects we are most assured of the Tradition that such a person there was that he conquered England brought in new lawes customes c. What shall we then say of the testimony of the present church for the substance of Christian Religion even while we consider the church only as a bare witnesse or proponent of such things to us Is any confirmation stronger then all this requisite to beget an assurance in us Yea is it possible that more secure order could have been taken then that which the Son of God ha's used to make that which was past now above sixteen ages to remain alwayes as it were visible before our eyes CHAP. XXV The reason of considering this double capacity in the Church Certainty of belief compared with certainty of knowledge 1. THe reason why I enquired into the proofs of the certainty of universall Tradition proposed by the Church considered antecedently to her authority was because I found it necessary as to my self for a distinct understanding the Resolution of Catholique Faith that grounds of certainty of Tradition should first be laid before the authority of the church interpose to oblige us to believe Christian doctrine for the prime authors sake finally which is God 2. Since then Tradition in generall is in it self credible and some Traditions certaine and above all others that ever were or I believe can possibly be the Tradition of the church especially in necessary doctrines of Faith universally believed and all rites universally practised and among them this particular Tradition of an obliging authority in the Church is the most certain we may conclude that the beliefe and assent thereto approaches the neerest to knowledge of sense that beliefe possibly can do But it is impossible ordinarily speaking that it should arrive to all the degrees of assurance that sense cum debitis circumstantiis may have by which means it becomes meritorious that is capable of a reward which I conceive experimentall immediate knowledge is not And hereupon it was that our Saviour told S. Thomas who would not give credit to any reports concerning his Resurrection till his eyes saw him and hands felt him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed John 20. 29. But it may be objected if manifest vision take away meritoriousnesse by reason of such an apparent certitude as inforces the understanding to assent why should Faith which is or may be built upon grounds demonstrably certain though indeed not in the utmost degree of experimentall knowledge have blessednesse annexed to it I answer the reason seems to be 1 Because before a man arrive to an assurance in Faith there is required a great exercise of his understanding to search all the arguments conducing to a firm grounding of his belief which cannot be done unlesse there be in those persons inquiring some degree of love to the things inquired after which travell proceeding from love is a thing proper to be rewarded 2. Add to this that such persons after such a love and inquiry proceeding from that love will be forced to submit and captivate their understanding to the belief of many mysteries infinitely beyond the naturall capacity of their comprehensions a thing extremely acceptable to God 3. And this is the state requisite in Christians endued with abilities and learning in the Church especially the teachers and governors And however it is most necessary in generall for the setling of a Church that there should be means of assurance of Tradition praerequired to supernaturall Faith because discoursing men especially if they be propossessed with prejudice or a contrary belief would hardly or never be brought without it to captivate their understandings in such a manner But as for silly ignorant Christians to whom God is pleased to give a certainty of adherence beyond a certainty of evidence as M. Chillingworth sayes and who seem rather to believe with their wills then their understandings an immediate and simple captivating of their minds to Christian Verities without searching arguments of assurance may be conceived acceptable to God supposing notwithstanding that they live in a Church where it may be made appear that what they believe is not a lye nor a doubtfull truth but on the contrary certain and infallible To which purpose S. Augustine cont Ep. Fund c. 4 saith As for the other râ—ut of common people it is not the sharpness of their understandings but the simplicity of believing that makes them secure And again If Christ be dead only for those who are inabled by a certain comprehension to discern these things we do labour in the Church almost to no purpose And therefore the Calvinist Ministers c. who profess an undervaluing of Tradition in comparison of pretended inward revelations and assurances from God's Spirit and who teach their followers to hate the very name of Tradition may do well to consider what will becom of them and their faith of Scriptures in generall when they shall begin to doubt that such pretentions are either apparently false or at least impossible to be proved or however no arguments at all to perswade a third person 4. Lastly it is observeableâ— that such Traditions as we now speak of are alwayes capable of being proved to be certain yet are evidently so the neerer they come to their founâ—aine or times whence they take their originall And therefore for example though at the beginning the whole Nation of the Jews were eye-witnesses of the stupendious manneâ— of delivering the law in the wildernesse yet their successors immediately after that generation was dead fell into Idolatry and infidelity the reason whereof was not because they wanted means assuring themselves of the divine authority of their law and the curses attending the breach of it but because of this there was requisite some meditation and exercise of their understanding and besides those curses were future and therefore present temptations of fleshly and secular lusts presently enjoyed by them had so much power over them as to keep them in negligence or busying their understandings and in a presumpâ—â—ion that those curses which were future might perhaps never happen or not upon themselves in person or however by a â—epentance some time or other might be
prevented In like manner and upon the same grounds the Christians of the first times were more holy more unmoved in their faith more zealous for the glory of God then in following ages because the grounds of assurance and other motives did more immediately and so more strongly make an impression upon their minds Notwithstanding the faith and holinesse of the times further distant from the Apostles caeteris paâ—ibus is perhaps more acceptable to God and more meritori us as having more of the will in it as our Saviour implyes in the forecited speech to S. Thomas CHAP. XXVI Grounds pre-required to the Churches Authority 1. HAving shewed the certainty of Tradition in generall and some severall degrees of it and withall the incomparable advantage which the Church as a simple proponent ha's to prove the certainty of her Tradition of those doctrines which concern the substance of Christian Religion In the next place I proceeded to make some neerer approaches to the consideration of the Authority which she challenges to her self and whereby she obliges all in her Communion to believe receive and embrace whatsoever she thus proposeth that is to â—cknowledge the Verity and divine originall of all those Christian revelations deposited in her hands and severall wayes both by orall instruction practise or writing delivered by her to all Christians to be by them believed practised and obeyed The Church as a simple proponent only tells us that such doctrines books and rites were antiently delivered as divine and attested by divine miracles believed most assuredly to be such by all Christians And in respect of this way of proposing even her enemies may joyn with her to confirm this Tradition proofes thereof we find in Jewish and Heathen Authors The Jewes all confesse that the Religion by Christ and his Apostles preached in the world was at least pretended to be of divine authority That strange wonders pretended likewise to be wrought by a divine omnipotence gave testimony hereto But yet neither Jews nor Heathens assent to what Christians infer from hence namely that these were indeed divine miracles and by consequence the Doctrine confirmed by them divine also 2. This being so the Church before she can interpose and make use of her authority to oblige any to submit to the particular doctrines and practises by her proposed and by her likewise where need is explained and interpreted must give a firm unquestionable assurance of these two things 1. That the Religion in grosse which Tradition on all hands agrees to have been delivered is divine and hath been more then sufficiently proved to be so 2. That one of the speciall doctrines of this Religion is her authority so far extended I say this assurance must be firm and unquestionable in both these points for if it be only probable though in never so high a degree I was not able to comprehend how that which is built upon such a ground could be absolutely firm and unquestionable 3. To demonstrate therefore the former point viz. concerning our assurance of the divine originall of Christian Religion I suppose this for a ground That from sufficient principles reason can conclude certainly and necessarily which not being to be denyed by rrason I adde that the principles to be laid by reason as a ground of this our assurance are 1. The consideration of what a nature those miracles were which that they have been wrought we have from Traditâ—on not only assurance but the highest degree of assurance that Tradition can almost afford 2 Of what a nature Christian Religion delivered by an equally assured Tradition is for the confirmation whereof such miracles were wrought These two principles as they give mutual vertue each to other and both of them together do necessarily conclude all that we desire to demonstrate so they ought not easily be disjoyned For first some of the same effects which in Christianity we call true miracles no doubt have been wrought in places where a false Religion hath been professed And on the other side every Religion wherein there is no impiety is not necessary to be esteemed of divine originall But when can it be demonstrated that true miracles have been wrought for the asserting of a Religion and that that Religion teacheth supernaturall doctrines of holynesse piety justice c. then nothing can in reason be objected against it 4. In the present case therefore 1. Concerning Miracles wrought by Christ and his Apostles c. to the end that I may only point at these things since it is not my present purpose to speake of this argument but only as a preparation to my information concerning the churches authority and Resolution of Faith we may consider as in this number of miracles 1. Propeecies in the Old Testament brought to us by most assured Tradition wherein we find expressely foretold that the Messiah should come before the Scepter was departed from Judah that is before the particular Commonwealth of the Jews was destroyed that he should teach a new Covenant to be written not in Tables of Stone but in the hearts of Gods people that he should confirm this Covenant by the same Miracles which our Saviour actually wrought that the Gentiles after the death and glorification of the Messiah should be received into this Covenant and the Jews for their infidelity rejected c. 2. Stupendious miracles apparently wrought by Christ and his Apostles to which because they were but a few persons end therefore lest the narrownesse of the scene should prejudice their authority we may ad a continuance of the like miracles performed by the successors of the Apostles in all the parts of the Roman Empire and by a world of persons learned and unlearned men and women c. None of which could have been performed by any inferiour naturall agent known of us and therefore either by God himself immediately or by good supernaturall spirits at least 5. In the second place for the doctrines and precepts of Christianity the former are indeed many of them above the reach of naturall reason but not directly against it conducing very much to the glory of the divine incomprehensible Majesty and the latter directing mankind in the most perfect manner imagineable to glorifie God to renounce deâ—ie and contemn wicked Spirits teaching men to performe all duties of justice and charity to all manner of persons respectively to preserve peace and tranquility in the world and lastly to perfectionate every single person in sobriety chastity c. after a manner more then humane so that if man be capable of being elevated to a â—elicity beyond nature this is the onely Religion worthy to bring him to it 6. From these principles reason may conclude most assuredly 1. That such miracles were certainly wrought many of them immediately by an omnipotent power and the rest at least by good Angells as Gods Ministers since it is impossible that wicked Spirits should be willing to strain themselves so far on purpose to
the universall Christian world Again The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed And again We should not have the boldnesse to affirm any such thing were it not that we are confirm'd by the most unanimous authority of the universall Church Now I suppose their intention is not to refund all authority finally upon the ignorant people but upon the whole Body of the Prelates admitting and attesting what was decreed by a few in Councells by which means the universall Government of the Church sets their seal to the Doctrine of Faith and vertually or by consequence in and with them all Christians universally in their communion and under their charge By this means indeed all possible objections will be taken away and the Decisions of Councells will be the Acts not of ten Bishops representing a hundred and perhaps giving suffrages to Doctrines never questioned or debated by them but of all the Bishops of the Christian world Now it is not necessary according to these Authors grounds that there must be such a Reception of conciliary acts by particular Pâ—â—â—â—â—s â—â—prossely fâ—â—mally and directly it being sufficient â—hat it be done interpretatively that is when such Doctrines are known and permitted to be published â—emine reclamante And till this be done shy they the Councell though in it self it be very legitimate and deserving the â—itle of Oecumonicall yet it does not sufficiently and evidently appear to be so whereas a Provinciall Councell yea a Private Fathers or Doctours opinion so received ha's in it the vertue of a Generall Councell 4. Now this opinion maintained by such considerable learned Catholikes and not apparently contrary to any decision of the Church though I did not intend to subscribe to as undoubtedly true for my resolution alwaies was not to engage my self in any private Sects or topicall opinions and least of all in such as appeared to be exotick and suspitious notwithstanding I was very well contented to perceive that it was at least an allowable opinion For I found it of great convenience to my self to free me from many difficulties For thereby 1. Here is no entrenching on the points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants since they are all not only decided by the authority of Councells but likewise actually assented to and imbraced by all particular Catholique Churches neither as matters of controversie do now stand is it necessary to require any more from Protestants then what ha's been so both decided and received 2. Hereby all the objections which Protestants make from certain reall or imaginary contradictions which may be found in decrees of Councells about other points not now in controversie are apparently rendred ineffectuall for if that be to be only necessarily accounted an article of Catholique Faith which is actually acknowledged and received by Catholiques and since contradictions cannot be actually assented to it will follow that whatsoever decisions of Councells may seem to oppose such articles are not necessarily to be accounted Catholique Doctrines and by consequence not obligatory 3. That so much objected speech of S. Augustine de Bapt. Dom. l 2. c. 3. viz. The letters of Bishops may be corrected by Nationall Councells and Nationall Councells by Plenary ones and former Plenary Councells may be corrected by others that succeed though it be understood of points of Doctrine as it seems to require such a sense because S. Augustine speaks it upon occasion of rebaptization yet makes nothing against Catholiques who upon the forementioned grounds and authorities need account that only to be Catholique Doctaine which is actually imbraced by Catholiques Yea upon the same grounds the like may be said of that yet more bold speech of Cardinall Cusanus viz. It may be observed by all experience that an Universall Councell may fail Cusan concord l. 2. c. 14. 5. But to proceed to the severall grounds upon which I conceived Stapleton determined this question with a greater latitude and indulgence then most other Writers and yet notwithstanding he hath escaped the censure of any being commended even by those who use much more rigor in it then he has done The first is That no Doctrine can be called an Article of Faith but what was in the beginning revealed and delivered to the Church by Christ and his Apostles 2. That these doctrines have been preserved and continued to these times by Tradition that is not only in books approved and delivered Traditionally but rather in an orall practicall Tradition from one age to another For the Church pretends not to any new immediate revelation though she enjoys an effectuall assistance of Gods holy Spirit 3. That there is a double obligation from decisions of Generall Councells the first an obligation of Christian belief in respect of doctrines delivered by Generall Councells as of universall Tradition the second only of Canonicall obedience to orders and constitutions for practise by which men are not bound to believe that these are inforced as from divine authority but only to submit to them as acts of a lawfull Ecclesiasticall power however not to censure them as unjust much lesse to oppose and contradict them 4. That many I may say most constitutions of Councells in order to practise do yet vertually include some degree of belief as that of Communion under one kind of the use of Images in Churches and upon Altars c. of residence of Bishops of authorised Translations of Scripture c. And that in such cases we are not obliged to believe that Christ or his Apostles gave order that such practises should follow but only that considering Christs continuall care over his Church so clearly promised neither these nor any other orders universally established and practised are destructive to any substantiall doctrine or practise of Christianity and that the authority left by Christ in his church was so large and ample as that when she shall judge it fit considering the various dispositions of succeeding timesâ— she may alter externall practises and formes not essentiall orâ— of the substance of Christian Religion even in the Sacraments themselves as we see acknowledged in some cases by all Christian churches as about the altering of the time and posture of receiving the Eucharist the triple immersion in Baptisme abstaining from things strangled and from bloud c. 5. That doctrines determined by Nationall Councells lay no obligation at all upon any other churches but only those whose Bishops meet together and all the obligation even of those Christians who live within such Provinces is only not to contradict they are not bound to receive such decisions as Articles of Faith the reason being evident because one Nation cannot be a competent judge of Catholique Tradition and there neither is nor can be any Article of Faith but what is delivered that way 6. That the authority of the Pastours of the present Church is not of
so absolute and sublime a nature as that of the Apostles was though it be sufficient to require obedience from every man as likewise consequently that they are not in all degrees so powerfully assisted in their determinations as the Apostles were so that some difference is to be made between Canons of Councells â—â— Apostolike writings as hath been shewed before out of S. Augustine Beltarmine and other Authors 7. That some difference may likewise be made between the present and primitive Churches For they having received Christian doctrines more immediately and purely and besides the true sense of particular passages of Scripture which are difficult which is now in a great measure utterly lost they were able to speak more fully of many particular not necessary points in Christian Religion then the present church now can though perhaps the advantage of tongues and sciences the benefit of so many writings both ancient and modern long study and meditation c. may in some sort recompense those disadvantages of the present church 3 yet however these are but acquired and humane perfections whereas the former were Apostolique Tradition 8. That even of points of doctrine decided by Councells a difference may be made between such as are of universall Tradition and others for those former being capable to be made evidently certain as I proved before such decisions are to be the objects of our Christian Faith and no more to be rejected then any other divine revelations But other points of doctrine there are sometimes decided in Councells rather by the judgement and learning of the Bishops considering Texts of Scripture wherein such points seem to be included And weighing together the doctrines of antient Fathers and modern Doctors an example whereof I gave before in the Councell of Vienna touching inherent grace infused into Infants in Baptism and in the Councell of Bazil concerning the immaculate conception of our B. Lady NOw such decisions many Catholiques conceive are not in so eminent a manner the necessary objects of Christian Faith because not delivered as of universall Tradition But however an extreme temerity it would be in any particular man to make any doubt of the truth of them and unpardonable disobedience to reject them I mean the conclusions themselves though if the Texts of Scripture be set down from whence such conclusions are deduced or the said authorities produced it may perhaps not be so great a fault to enquire and dispute whether from such a Text or such authorities such a conclusion will necessarily follow 9. If in such decisions as these later are there should happen to be any errour which yet we may piously believe the assistance of Gods holy Spirit promised to the Church will prevent but if this should happen since it must necessarily be in a point not pertinent to the substance of Christian Religion for all substanciall points are univâ—rsall Tradition as we shewed before it were far better such an error should passe till as S. Augustine saith some later Councell amended it then that unity should be dissolved for an unnecessary truth since as Irenaeus saith There is no reformation so important to the Church as Schism upon any pretence whatsoever is pernicious 5. Upon such grounds as these I supposed it was that our learned Stapleton stated this question of the churches authority or as he calls it infallibility with so much latitude and condescendence And him I have quoted not with any intention to prefeâ— him with the disparagement of any other but to shew that thereby I perceived my self not to have sufficiently considered the necessary doctrine of the Roman Church in this so fundamentall a point of faith and likewise how when I heard the Church speaking in her own language and moderately interpreted by Catholique Doctors I found what she said so just so reasonable so impossible to be contradicted by any thing but passion or interest or pride or hatred of unity that there was no resisting the attraits of it Then at last I found what I had all my life time in vain sought after namely a firm foundation whereon I might safely and without any scruple rely and more glad then of all worldly treasures to see my soul taken out of mine own hands and placed under the conduct of her whom Christ had appointed to be my guide and conductresse to whom he had made so many rich promises and with whom it is his pleasure to dwel then I took up a Psalm of Thanksgiving and said Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi in domum Domini ibimus Stantes erant pedes nostri in atriis tuis Jerusalem Jerusalem quae aedificatur ut civitas cujus participatio ejus in id ipsum Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus tribus Domini c. Psal. 121. CHAP. XXXIV Unsatisfactory grounds of the English Church concerning the Ecclesiasticall authority Calvinists Doctrine concerning the Spirit 's being judge of controversies c. answered 1. BEing thus satisfied of the firm grounds of the Churches authority the only bullwark against all Heresie and Schisme a sure preserver of unity without which no Commonwealth no society of men can possibly subsist much lesse of churches in a word so necessary so consonant to reason that even all sorts of sects and congregations whilst they deny it to the Catholique Church usurp it to their own conventicles to which yet they have not assurance enough to apply our Saviours promises in contradiction to other Seets with whom they will not communicate yea even those who make a liberty of prophecying a differencing mark of their Sect yet will not allow their own partizans this liberty of prophecying unlesse they prophecy by their rule and against their enemies In the next place I took into consideration the unspeakably happy effects of this authority which immediately represented themselves to my mind 2. I will notwithstanding a while defer an account of those effects till I have briefly set down and examined the grounds which Protestants lay for interpreting Scripture and judging controversies in Religion in opposition to this authority of the Church and her Generall Councells as likewise their principall objections against the said authority For then comparing both these doctrines together and the consequences together it will be more easie and commodious to decide whether of them is the more advantagious and whether or no I have made a prudent choice in forsaking a Church where all unity was impossible but only such an outward unity as worldly hopes and fears can produce and in betaking my selfe to a church where Schisme is impossible 3. All Protestants and other Sects agree in this against the Catholique Church for Schismaeest unitâ—s ipsis as Tertullian de Prascripâ— c. 42. saith Their unity is an agreement in Schisme that the Scripture is the only sufficient Rule of Faith and that there is no visible Judge of the sense of it But yet to the end that Gods church may not become a very
the true way to eternall happinesse These are the directions which he professeth that he would give to any man desirous to save his soule and requiring whose instructions to rely upon for that purpose and this in opposition to a Catholique that would advise such a man to have recourse to the Catholique Church c. 3. Now for a more orderly examining of Mr. Chillingworth's direction for finding out the true sense of Scripture and judging controversies I will yet more distinctly set down his grounds in severall propositions collected out of his book in such a method as may shew the respect and dependence of the one on the other together with the chief reasons which he alledges for the proof of them and afterward I will subjoyn thereto the reasons which moved me to judge such grounds of his insufficient and his reasons unconcluding and in conclusion I will declare how I satisfied mine own reason that all the severall objections which he makes against the Churches authority under the notion of infallibility have not that force that both he and I my self once imagined 4. The abridgement of Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse I conceived might be reduced to these Propositions following viz 1. That Christian Religion having been planted so many ages since the only ordinary way that we can arrive to the knowledge of it is Tradition and the only assured way universall Tradition of all ages and Churches which is of it selfe credible and admits not of any proof 2. That for himself he could find nothing delivered by such an universall Tradition as of divine authority but only books of Scripture for if he had he would have imbraced it with equal submission since the being written makes not any thing more credible 3. That the Scripture is a most sufficient and the only rule of Faith most sufficient because it self sayes so the only rule because nothing else can be proved to be of universall Tradition 4. That by consequence the Scripture contains in it all things necessary to be believed and practised by all sorts of persons and this so plainly and expressely that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense thereof much â—esse be mistaken for otherwise God would not have provided sufficiently for the salvation of mankind 5. That concerning those passages of Scripture wherein are contained doctrines of Christianity but not so plainly men are not obliged necessarily to understand or believe them since it cannot consist with the goodnesse of God that men should be bound to have an expresse knowledge or belief of that which God himself ha's purposely delivered obscurely 6. That since no proof can be made either out of Scripture or universall Tradition that there is any authoritative visible Judge of the sense of the Scripture and since each mans understanding or reason is the only faculty capable of judging that therefore it only is to judge of the sense of the Scripture as far as concerns each mans particular 7. That fince every mans reason may possibly be deceived especially proceeding upon objects not immediately offered to sense therefore an infallible faith is not required such a probability will serve tqe turn as is sufficient to produce in a man obedience to the precepts of holinesse commanded in the Gospell 8. That since all Christians cannot but agree in necessary doctrines which are expresse they ought not to deny communion to one another for other doctrines not expressely contained in Scripture And that this is the only affectuall means of reducingâ— and preserving unity among Christians 5. These are in brief the grounds of Christian Faith and of the means afforded us to attain to the true sense of as much of it as is necessary and likewise to beget charity and unity among Christians as they lye dispersed up and down in Mr. Chillingworths book and which I have set down faithfully and ingenuously in the most rationall method that I could devise I will now with as convenient dispatch as I can adjoyn likewise in the same order respectively the reasons why I could not content my self with them but was forced to relinquish them to abase mine owne reason and to have recourse to a foundation as I thought more firme and rationall and I am confident farre more safe viz. the Catholique Church CHAP. XXXVI An answer to the three first grounds of Mr. Chillingworth 1. TO the first ground therefore viz. That there is no other way to be assured of a Religion established many ages since but universall Tradition I grant it But whereas it is added A Tradition of all ages If the meaning be that it is required to such an assurance that a man should have precisely from every age a sufficient testimony of this universal Tradition this is uâ—terly impossible any other way then as including the testimony of former ages in that of the present for though there may be preserved a few writings in every age all which may contur in this testimony and so make it indeed very probable yet the testimony of three or four Writers is not equivalent to the testimony of the age Add to this that such a way of proof though it may give good satisfaction to learned persons and is practised more by Catholiques then any other who yet rest upon the present Church for the certainty of Tradition yet it is very laborious and uncertain and whereof very few persons are capable and therfore not to be made a ground for all men to build all Religion upon The testimony therefore of all former ages is alwaies most safely included as to particular men in the testimony of the present age if that be universall for place and grounded upon Tradition as I shewed before and made the proofe of the assurance of it to be because it was impossible it should be false unless some one whole age should conspire to deliver a thing as of Tradition which was not so and not only conspire but should actually deceive their children no man discovering the imposture a thing beyond all imagination of possibility I will therefore add no more here but only the confession of a learned Protestant in his own words viz. When a Doctrine is in any age constantly delivered as a matter of Faith and as received from â—â— ancestors in such sort as the contradictors thereof were in the beginning noted for novelty and if they persisted in contradiction in the end charged with heresie it is impossible but such a doctrine should come by succession from the Apostles 2. To the second where he sayes That he could find nothing as of divine authority delivered by universall Tradition of all ages but only books of Scripture I answer that any one that will search with a willingnesse to find shall doubtlesse have better fortune then Mr. Chillingworth For I desire any one to consider with himself â—â— Whether the Apostles did not in all churches established by them settle the whole doctrine and form of Christian Discipline
either denyed or affirmed they being of a contrary opinion would break Communion from and deny it to other Churches for Schisme about unnecessary things is by all Christians acknowledged a sin almost unpardonable 2. That rationally to affirm a doctrine to be expressed plainly in Scripture it is not sufficient to say it appeares so to me for so almost every one will be forward to say of all his Opinions which he pretends to be grounded on Scripture But that is to be called plain and expresse which ha's not been controverted by men of reason pretending to piety and impaertiality especially if they be in any considerable number so that it will not be satisfactory to say this appears plainly to me and I am sure I am not led by interest or faction as others are for this may be every ones plea against another 3. That where two senses are given of any passage of Scripture the one extremely probable and naturall the other not wholly absurd and whereof the words may possibly be capable in this case one Protestant cannot upon their own grounds condemn or impute heresie to another 3. These positions thus premised in the next place I conceived it very just that before any Sect of Christians did build upon this foundation of the Scriptures containing expressely and evidently all things necessary that they should all conspire to make a Catalogue of points necessary and this with relation to severall states of persons or at least to Communions and Churches I add this limitation because to multiply severall distinct Catalogues for all persons would be of extreme labour and on the other side to make one Catalogue for all men would as Mr. Chillingworth Cap. 3. parag 13. sayes be like the making a coat for the Moon which is continually in the wain or encrease 4. Now to shew the reasonablenesse of this and that Mr. Chillingworths adversary required most justly such a Catalogue from Protestants let but any man consider with himself what satisfaction any man can have from a Protestant Minister when he shall tell him You have the Bible of our Translation in which we affirm all necessary truths to be contained but mixed with a world of unnecessary you are not absolutely bound to study or to be able to read this Bible yet you shall be damned if you be ignorant of those necessary truths dispersed here and there in it to say definitively how many and which are those especiall necessary truths we are not able neither have we authority therefore at your own perill be sure you mistake neither in the number nor sense of those truths we can indeed afford you Articles and Catechismes to which as long as you live with us you must be forced to subscribe but we have no authority for there is none visible upon earth to propose our collections or determinations as obliging in conscience c. In what a miserable case would that Protestant be that should give himself leave to examine upon how meer a quicksand all his pretentions to eternity are built 5. And whereas Mr. Chillingworth would seem to conceive himself secure in the midst of these uncertainties because as he thinks Catholiques also are encumbred with the like I found that conceit of his altogether groundlesse for the promises of Christ remaining firm and appropriated to the Catholique Church it will follow 1. That in the Catholique Church shall be taught to the worlds end all necessary and profitable truths to all sorts of persons so that every man respectively receiving and believeing what the church appoints to be proposed to him cannot fail of being instructed with things necessary c. 2. The same Church being endued with authority to determine the true sense of divine truths a Catholique submitting to the Church cannot be in danger through mistakes or errours so that he who hearkens to the Church ha's his catalogue of fundamentalls made to his hand the Church like the wise Steward in the Gospell out of that store of provisions given her by Christ proportioning to every man his dimensum panis quotidiani his own befitting allowance 6. And here by the way will appear 1. The vanity of that ordinary calumny which Protestants impute to the Catholique Church as if she taught that it were sufficient to ignorant men only implicitly to believe what the Church believes without an explicite belief of any thing for there is none so ignorant but is obliged to know and assent to what the Church teacheth him by his Pastour suitable to his estate and education And secondly an usuall mistake among Protestants who think that all the credenda in Catholique Religion are comprised in the definitions of Councells for before ever any Generall Councell sate the Church was furnished with her full measure of divine truths necessary to be believed which were by her publiquely professed and proposed which have been occasionally declared and distinctly expounded in her Councells But to return to Mr. Chillingworth 7. He by his sharp understanding and long meditation coming to perceive those inconveniences and considering that no Protestant or other Church could upon their generally acknowledged grounds authoritatively define either the number or sense of Articles of Faith so as to oblige any man even within her Communion in conscience to assent and submission For for example if an Englishman would not subscribe to the sense of any Article of the Church of England all the penalty would be he should not partake of the priviledges and preferments of that Church but he might go over into Denmark or Holland whose sense in such an Article he liked better and still be acknowledged even by the English Church to be orthodox enough He therefore was forced to introduce two Novelties among English Protestants which find great approbation the first is to alter the old manner and notion of subscription to the English Articles for whereas before the Protestants there by their subscription testified their belief of all the 39. Articles in the sense imported in the words yea whereas there was a Canon which denounced Excommunication ipso facto to all that should say that any of them were not true Mr. Chillingworth thus expresseth his mind in subscribing I am perswaded that the constant doctrine of the Church of England is so pure and Orthodox that whosoever believes it and lives according to it undoubtedly he shall be saved and that there is no error in it which may necessitate or warrant any man to distrub the peace or renounce the Communion of it This in my opinion saith he is all intended by subscription 8. His second novelty is that whereas the Protestants alwaies professed that the publiqua Confessions of their Churches Faith was indeed their own faith that is such expressions plain and indubitable as are in holy Scripture concerning such points or at least irrefragable consequences from Scripture and therfore were to them as Scripture because their sence of Scripture and whereas they respectively
whole churches in which are and have been found persons of great learning subtilty and as far as the eys of men could judge piety and vertue as S. Augustine witnesseth of Pelagius and S. Vincentius Lirinensis of other Heretiques Now if they say they will not believe such testimonies of their adversaries probity then the controversies between Sects will become not disputations but calumniations and impleadments 12. To Mr. Chillingworth's fifth ground viz. That it cannot consist with the goodness of God to oblige any man as of necessity to believe explicitly or to interpret clearly those places of Scripture which are obscure and ambiguous I acknowledge all this and from their own grounds desire Protestants to consider whether any knowledge or distinct belief can justly be required to be yeelded to any speciall points of Christiantty since there are scarce any that have not been controverted CHAP. XXXVIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 1. TO the sixth ground viz. That since no proof can be made out of Scripture nor out of universall Tradition that there is any visible Judge of the sense of Scripture and since a mans reason is the only faculty and principle capable of judging therefore Reason is the only judge of the sense of Scripture but this only for each mans own self c. I answer 1. That his supposition of no visible Judge is so far from being true that the contrary ha's all the proofs imagineable and in the highest degree of assurance imagineable if Tradition universall for time and place plain Texts of Scripture interpreted by all Fathers that have written upon them the continuall practise of the Church in Councells c. can give a certain proof as I have shewed before 2. For private reason being a judge I will shew the impossibility for it to attain the ends for which Christ appointed a government in his Church viz. unity of minds and wills among Christians together with the unavoidable absurdities attending such a Judge and this after I have considered briefly the rest of his grounds 3. In this place I will take into consideration the generall foundation of this his foundation viz. That no other judge as to a mans own self besides his own reason can be imagined chap. 2. 11. 2. This foundation Mr. Chillingworth esteems so firm that upon all occasion he objects it to his adversary and places his chiefe confidence in it both as a sword to wound his enemy and a buckler to defend himself for thus and in this order he argues 1. Whatsoever I do in matter of Religion I do it by mine own particular reason and resolve it finally into mine own reason And this is not only my method but the same is done likewise by all sorts of men even those that deny private reason to be judge deny this by their reason and because their reason tells them that it is more reasonable to rely upon authority then upon their private judgement or reason c. 2. The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is not that the one judges and the other does not judge but that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest 3. To speak properly saith he The Scripture is not a judge of controversies but a rule only and the only rule for Christians to judge them by every man is to judge for himself by the judgment of discretion and to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say Or as you his Church first and then his Religion but by the consent of both sides every man is to judge and chuse This appeared to me to be the substance of Mr. Chillingworth's discourses severally dispersed in his book upon this argument 3. I confesse this way of arguing of Mr. Chillingworth had a long time great effect with me and after considering it more attentively I found that of necessity there must be some Sophisme in it because it makes all parties most contradictory to one another yet to resolve their beliefs into the same point which notwithstanding they utterly deny it was long before to mine own satisfaction I could discover the secret and now after all I find not the least difficulty how to expresse my self distinctly and intelligibly in my answer to it notwithstanding I will endeavour to do it as perspicuously as I can 4. For preparation therefore hereto I will first shew what faith or belief is and the severall kinds and manners of it together with the order how it is begotten in the soul c. Now I only speak of a rationall and well grounded faith not such an one as with which many ignorant or interessed persons assent that is rather with their wills and passions then their reason or understanding 1. Beliefe therefore in generall is an assent of the understanding to any thing related to us and this for the authority of the relator So S. Augustin de util cred c. 2. That we believe any thing we owe it to authority that we understand any thing to reason 2. Belief is immediate or mediate immediate when the prime relatour reveals it immediately to the believer mediate when by the intervention of others 3. Beliefe certain or probable is either when we have a certainty or probability of the prime relators authority or fidelity or else though we be assured of the prime authors fidelity when we have a certainty or probability of the authority fidelity and information of the subordinate relator 4. Belief supernaturall is when the prime relator is supernaturall and also when the object is supernaturall I might add and which is begotten in the soul by a supernaturall vertue but that is not debated here 5. The order an manner whereby an assured firm supernaturall faith is begotten in the soul is first in immediate divine revelations the prime relator reveals any thing to the believers understanding by the intervention of his outward or inward senses in mediate divine revelations when this is done by means of some persons indued with authority and ability so that before firm faith in the thing revealed there must necessarily precede a certain knowledge that such a thing ha's been revealed 6. Discourse of reason may and ordinarily does precede belief but belief it self is not discourse but a simple assent of the understanding 7. In beliefe we are to distinguish between the causes and the motives of it and when men speak of the last resolution of faith they intend to consider the last motive or authority into which it is resolved not the primary efficient cause of it Therefore though faith be an act of reason yet it is not said to be resolved into reason though produced by it but into authority 8. It is a meer tantology to say the act of faith is terminated in reason because reason judges that it is reasonable to believe God For that seems all one as if a man should say
an act of reason is an act of reason or a reasonable act and indeed otherwise it would be impossible to terminate faith ultimately in God but a man should believe God not for Gods authorities sake but his own 9. The use of reason antecedent to faith and act of the understanding in assenting to a thing revealed for the authority of God the revealer do not prejudice neither the supernaturalnesse nor certainty of Faith because the same things have place in any revelation though made immediately by God for it is with my senses that I receive the thing revealed and convey it to my understanding it is with my understanding that I assent to it and the reason why I assent to it is because it is most reasonable to believe God yet none of these things diminish either the supernaturality or absolute certainty of this belief 5. But to come to a more particular examination of Mr. Chillingworth's Positions 1. He argues that private reason ought to be acknowledged the Judge of controversies and interpreter of Scripture because whatsoever we do in Religion we do it by our particular reason yea even those that deny private reason to be a Judge do this because their reason tells them this is more reasonable c. It is confessed that Faith is an act of reason that is of the reasonable faculty of the soule and that it is the same faculty of reason which submits and captivates it self to divine or Ecclesiasticall authority for as to be Gods slave is the greatest liberty so to renounce carnall reason when God commands it is most reasonable It is moreover confessed that in such a case when reason with submission to God captivates it self and renounces all discourses of reason that would oppose such an a bnegation of it self that it does this from a rationall principle viz. that it is most reasonable to believe and submit to God who is veracity it self But what will follow from hence Will any one therefore either be so unreasonable as to conclude that divine faith is ultimately resolved into reason as into the motive of assenting it is indeed the efficient cause producing the act of assent but the last and principall motive is divine authority or that divine revelations are to be examined and exacted according to the rule and principles of naturall reason thereby either to stand or fall Or lastly that when reason judges it reasonable to receive the sense of divine Revelations from the Church endewed with authority for that purpose Reason in that case shall be called the interpreter or judge 6. In the second place where he sayes The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is this not that the one judges and the other judges not Thus far I grant But that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest To this I answer that here are two judges 1. a Catholique and his judgement is that his guide is infallible or rather speaking in his guides language that she ha's authority to direct him This is true but not all that is true for he judges of his way too namely that that way and rule by which and in which his guide sets and directs him is manifest And he judges of this more rationally then a Protestant can because the same that God appointed to be his guide is both entrusted with this rule and an explainer of it likewise to him having not only words but sense delivered to her 2. A Protestant Judge and his judgement is that his way is manifest it is true he judges so but how injudiciously hath been already shewn But does he not judge of his guide or ha's he no guide to judge of Yes that is himself or his own reason and that he judges to be all sufficient both for authority and prudence He that in interpreting an Heathen Orator or Poet would not trust his own judgment or adventure his reputation to the world without alledging authorities by which he might justifie his judgment and much more he that in a tenure of land would willingly submit his judgment to the authority of those judges whom the Law ha's deputed will notwithstanding trample upon all authority upon the traditionary interpretation of many ages he will despise Fathers and Councells and adventure eternall happinesse or misery upon his own single judgment and when all this is done will call it a judgment of reason and discretion 7. In the third place To speak properly saith he the Scripture is not a Judge of Controversies but only a rule c. This I grant to Mr. Chillingworth and withall that he is the first Protestant that I know of that ha's spoken properly in this point But he adds and the only rule to judge them by But the contrary I think I have already proved Yet before I leave this passage I desire to be informed what controversies are here spoken of namely whether concerning points necessary or unnecessary surely not of necessary for how can there be controversies about such points as according to his belief are set down in Scripture so plainly that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them and if of unnecessary why will they confesse that they quarrell unnecessarily It follows Every man is to judge for himself with the judgement of discretion This is true if the sense be that it is by the faculty of reason that he embraces and assents to divine revelations not that such revelations are to be admitted or refused according as they are consonant or repugnant to the principles of discourse of naturall reason It follows And to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say But what Church do Protestants chuse since though in effect there are infinite Churches among them separating from and damning one another Yet if the grounds of Protestantisme be true and reasonable viz. 1. That the belief of necessary fundamentall doctrines is sufficient to make a true Church 2. Since all such points are so plainly contained in Scripture that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them much lesse disbelieve them And 3. Since no Protestants will deny but that in all Churches even the Catholique also there are reasonable men it will follow that they must say that indeed there is but one Religion and one Church and so no choice at all It follows Or as you Catholiques his Church first and then his Religion For my part I know no Catholique sayes so nor any reason that should move Mr. Chillingworth to put such words in their mouths For if we speak of one that is yet to chuse Christianity and is in pain to find a Congregation to joyn himself to the difference between such a Director as Mr. Chillingworth and a Catholique would be this Mr. Chillingworth would tell him Search the Scriptures attested by universall Tradition as will appear if you peruse all the Records since Christs time there you will find
in it all things necessary to be believed and practised but which and how many such things there are we cannot tell you besides they are dispersed up and down in Gospells Acts Epistles and Revelation so that it will cost you much trouble to collect all that are of the substance of the new Covenant in yours and our opinions but to make short work be sure to believe all in grosse and then you shall be sure to believe all that is necessary and then chuse what Church you will for there can be no danger since all cannot but agree in necessaries only there is some danger in the Catholique Church for she will oblige you to believe other things as well as Scripture for universall Traditions sake and besides she will not permit you to think your own self wiser then the whole world Or if you have the curiosity to live in the purest Church of all then you must study all the obscure unnecessary passages of Scripture likewise for such only can be controverted among reasonable men and examine what every party ha's to say for himself and then descend from your tribunall of judging and associate your self with them that you think the wisest that is those that agree with you in all your opinions if there be any such and there stay till either they or you change opinions But as for Catholiques to such a man that was to chuse both Christianity and a Church they would first tell him that by his reason he might most certainly judge that this Religion was taught by Christ and his Apostles since besides Records the universall agreement of the present age was that they received it from an universall Tradition of former ages which is a testimony beyond all others most irrefragable 2. They would by the same way assure him that this Religion was by the first teachers confirm'd with miracles and his reason upon examination both of those miracles and the sanctity of this Religion in generall would most assuredly conclude that the miracles were divine and by consequence the Religion too and therefore necessary to be embraced since it self said so 3. They would upon the same undeniable grounds of universall Tradition assure him that among others one necessary duty of this Religion was to live in the Communion and under the authority of such a Church as Christ had promised should be Catholique for place and never to fail untill his coming to judgement which Church was one body consisting of a subordination of parts among which by consequence one must needs be supreme and from which to separate was to be divided from Christ himself in this Church therefore he was to fix himself inseparably And here is to be an end of his judging and chusing For 4. being in this Church his Reason had no more to do but to submit it self to the beliefe and practise of the speciall doctrines and precepts which this Church should teach him Liberty indeed he might have to search out interpretations of Scripture yet so as that he must not contradict any traditionary doctrines And he might draw consequences from doctrines so that he would give leave to the church to judge whether such consequences were rationall and fit to be received abstaining from others that would not assent to his consequences And this is the method according to which a Catholike would advise such a man to proceed thus much liberty of judging he would allow to his reason before he did make choice of a church and only so much afterward 8. To these discourses Mr. Chillingworth adds some proofs out of Scripture to justifie Private Reason's pretention to judge of the sense of Scripture as first those words of S. Paul 1 Thes. 1. 5. v. 20 21. Try all things hold fast that which is good But I answer here is no mention either of Scripture or church much lesse of interpreting Scripture against the church the truth is there were extant scarce any books of the New Testament when S. Paul wrote that Epistle But the words before speak of Prophecyings in the church which perhaps S. Paul would have to be tryed whether they were consonant to the doctrine which he had delivered to the church Now who was to be the Judge of Prophets he shews in another place 1 Cor. 14. 32. where he sayes The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets not to the ignorant people A second proof is Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Joh. 4. 1. To which the former answer will suffice A third Be ye ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3. 15â— I cannot imagine how from this Text this conclusion can be infer'd Ergo it belongs to all Christians to judge of the sense of Scripture even against the authority of the Church A fourth If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch All the inference that I could possibly draw from this Text would be therefore if men will not believe their teachers but either will rush forward themselves or follow others that neither have authority nor ability to teach they are likely to fall into the Ditch For surely by blind are not meant the lawfull Pastours of the Church which on the contrary are in the Old Testament called Videntes or Seers and by S. Paul eyes when speaking of such persons as Mr. Chillingworth here gives the office of judging to he saith If the ear shall say because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If all the body were the eye where were the hearing 1 Cor. 12. 16. Whereby S. Paul shews expressely that the hearers ought not to usurp the teachers office expressely contrary to Mr. Chillingworths Position 9. I will conclude this discourse of Protestants exalting private reason against Catholique authority with those memorable words of S. Augustine Ep. 56. Those saith he who not being in Catholique Unity and Communion yet notwithstanding do boastingly usurp the name of Christians are constrained to contradict the true Believers and have the boldnesse to seduce as it were by reasons the ignorant and unskilfull although that our Lord is come with this preservative to ordain faith unto the people But this they are constrained to do as I said because they perceive well that without this there is nothing more vile and base then they are if their authority be compared with Catholique authority They endeavour therefore as it were to surmount the most firmly setled and most stable authority of the most surely founded Church by the name and promising of Reason for this is as it were an uniform and universall temerity of all Heretiques But the most clement Commander and Generall of our Faith hath strengthened his Church with this bulwark of Authority by the most famous Assemblies of Peoples and Nations and by the proper Sees Episcopall of the Apostles aâ—d by a
natures for some proceed directly against it others only against some consequences from it I will therefore weigh first his objections grounded upon the different opinions of Catholikes concerning that point 2. His reasons directly proving as he believes that no church of one denomination can be infallible and therefore not the Catholique Church 3. His proofs that Catholiques in their resolution of Faith are entangled in circles and absurdities 4. His arguments to demonstrate that Catholiques can have no assurance either of the authority of the church or the validity of any acts performed by the Pastors thereof c. But before I attempt a discussion of these particulars I may in generall say of all his objections that since they proceed only against the word Infallibility and that word extended to the utmost height and latitude that it can possibly bear Catholiques as such are not at all concerned in them seeing neither is that expression to be found in any received Councell nor did ever the Church enlarge her authority to so vast a widenesse as Mr. Chillingworth either conceived or at least for his particular advantage against his adversary thought good to make show as if he conceived so 2. But come we to consider his arguments against Catholiques grounded upon the different opinions among them in what subject this Infallibility or authority is to be placed The most pressing and pertinent passage in his book concerning this subject is this which follows viz. What shall we say now if you be not agreed touching your pretended means of agreement How can you pretend to unity either actuall or potentiall more then Protestants may Some of you say the Pope alone without a Councell may determine all controversies but others deny it Some that a Generall Councell without a Pope may do so others deny this Some both inconjunction are infallible determiners others againe deny this Lastly some among you hold the acceptation of the decrees of Councells by the universall Church to be the only way to decide controversies which others deny by denying the Church to be infallible And indeed what way of ending controversies can this be when either part may pretend that they are part of the Church and they receive not the decree therefore the whole Church hath not received it Mr. Chil. c. 3. parag 6. 3. Hereto I answer 1. That there is indeed no need at all of an answer since the very objection answers it self for by saying there are variety of opinions among Catholiques acknowledged for such even while they differ it follows that the objector is not obliged to submit to that Judge which any Catholique refuses 2. None of these will deny that decision of the Councell of Trent viz. Ecclesiae est judiâ—are de vero sensu sacrae Scripturae that is It belongs to the Church to judge of the true sense of holy Scripture And Protestants will not be urged to submit to any more rigid or higher expression 3. Yea moreover this indulgence I am confident will be granted them namely That no man will endeavour to oblige them further then to doctrines and practises determined by one or more Councells universall confirmed by the Pope and actually received and accepted by all Catholiques that is as much as to say to believe that there is indeed an obliging authority in the Catholike Church to impose upon her children a belief of all doctrines proposed in her Oecumenicall Councells let this authority be limited and streightned with as many Proviso's and the sense of these doctrines enlarged and qualified with as many mollifying interpretations as any approved Catholike Doctor hath thought good that is indeed as any reasonable man remaining so can desire only upon condition that they do not prejudice nor grate upon the pure simple language wherein the Church expresses her self Christians are at liberty what particular Doctors sense they like to embrace or whether none at all but will content themselves with the naked decisions of the Church as they lye without making inferences or building thereon further conclusions CHAP. XLI His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered 1. IN the second place we will weigh his reasons to prove that no Church of one denomination is infallible and by consequence no Church at all His words are after he had said that he was willing upon courtesie to grant that Christ made a promise absolute of indefectibility to his Church but be interprets it only in this sense viz. That true Religion shall never be so far driven out of the world but that it shall alwaies have some where or other some that believe and professe it in all things necessary to salvation and that such believers shall never erre in fundamentalls for if they did they were not a Church But he denyes utterly that there is any Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls because no Church is fit to be a Guide but onely a Church of some certaine denomination as the Greek the Roman the Abyssine c. For sayes he otherwise no man can possibly know which is the true Church but by a pre-examination of the doctrine controverted and that were not to be guided by the Church to the true doctrine but by the true doctrine to the Church Now sayes he that there is not any Church of one denomination infallible in fundamnntalls is evident for 1. If it were an infallible guide in fundamentalls she would be infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed 2. That being a point of so mâ—â—n consequence certainly the Scripture would have named that Church 3. Because Catholiques themselves build the assurance of the churches infallibility onely upon motives very credible but not certain Lastly beeause it is evident and even to impudence it selfe undeniable that upon this ground of believing all things taught by the present church as taught by Christ errour was held For example the necessity of giving the Eucharist to Infants and that in S. Augustines time and that by S. Augustine himself and therefore without controversie this is no certain ground for truth which may support falshood as well as truth The same may be said of the doctrine of the Chiliasts which S. Irenaeus and S. Justin Martyr say was a traditionary doctrine from the Apostles times c. 2. To answer this discourse by parcells And first concerning his exposition of Christ's promise of indefectibility to his Church it ha's been answered in more then one place already 2. Where he sayes that there is no Church fit to be a guide in fundamentalls I desire to know whether those whom Christ ha's appointed in his church to be Overseers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Teachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Governors Assistants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. be not fit to be accounted guides at least in Fundamentalls Againe whether an agreement of all these Governours meeting in a Generall Councell be not the supremest authority Thirdly
same Tradition was so constant in the antient Christian Church that Origen asks who doubts but that the Saints do aid us by their prayers Add hereto that the antient Liturgies of S. Basile c. have the same prayers to Saints in the same form as they are found in the Misfall and Breviaries at this day And that not any Father condemns the practise of it either as a novelty or supersticion which in all other cases upon all occasions they have done 13. To shew the innocence of the church far from deserving such behaviour from her children as she ha's found in this regard Consider first that all that the church decides in this point is that they may be pray'd to 2. That by the church no man is obliged or constrained to pray to them or to any but to God 3. That this is onely that they would intercede for us a thing which we sinners desire at the hands of other sinners greater perhaps then our selves 4. That excepting only the Litanies which are rather ejaculations and wishes then formed prayers and excepting some few Poeticall Hymnes to which a greater license hath alwayes beene allowed the Church both in the Missall and Breviary directs the prayers which she makes with reâ—pect to Saints immediately to God himself desiring him to hearken to the intercession which his Saints make for us and by their ministery to aid us And therefore whereas Protestants make their chief difficulty in this matter to be their uncertainty whether our prayers can arrive to the Saints hearing though it may be resolved out of expresse Scripture even out of those words There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repeurs â—ot certainly when the prayers are directed immediately to God as the church does no man will doubt but they may arrive thither I cannot chuse but on this occasion to publish the ingenuity of the Socinians once more who deal with Religion as they would do with an Astronomicall Hypothesis framing and changeing heaven and earth according to their phaenonema And therefore they to take away the trouble of examining either Scripture of Fathers dissolve the whole controversie with framing a new point of Philosophy viz. that separated souls have no apprehension nor parception at all but are indeed as sencelesse as the bodies contrary to millions of stories which are surely not every one false contrary to expresse Scripture This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and S. Pauls judgement Whether it was in the body or out of the body that I was wrap'd into Paradice I cannot tell God knows by which words though he knew not which of these two wayes it was yet he gives to understand that he might have been rap'd in Spirit without the body Of Veneration of Images 3. Concerning Images we may consider 1. That they had them in the antient church Tertullian puts it out of all doubt who makes mention of the lâ—st sheep generally graven upon the Chalices And S. Ambrose saith That a person appeared to him which seemed like to S. Paul the features of whose countenance I had learned sayes he from his picture The profession and practise of S. Paulinus is so clear in this behalfe and so confessed by Protestants that it is lost labour to quote him 2. No man can deny but that the sight of holy stories in picture do both more easily represent to weak capacities and put even the best men in mind of good things then the reading them in a book 3. The Councell of Trent Sess. 25. expressely professeth that the ground of Catholiques Veneration of them is not that it is believed that there is any divinity or vertue in them for which they ought to be venerated So that all occasion of superstition is evidently cut off 4. That things which have any regard to Religion are to be respected and treated with reverence this nature teaches and the Calvinists acknowledge as I took notice before out of Monsieur Daillé 5. That by reason we have not words enough to expresse all our conceptions nor variety enough of outward actions and postures to expresse our inward intentions and notions hence all the trouble and contradiction among Christians in this point hath proceeded And therefore as the antient Jewes applied the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the posture thereby represented viz. prostration both to the supreme degree of adoration due only to God and to the reverence of honorable persons So likewise the second Councell of Nice for want of words applying the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports the same to images therefore it was that till the misunderstanding was cleared the Westerne Church in the Councell of Francford rejected their decision But those who love Schisme will needs most unjustly reassume a voluntary misapprehension of the churches intention in this point which clearly distinguishes and makes an infinite distance betweene the respect which they give to Images and that which they render to God and gives little more to Images then Protestants themselves confesse to be due to all holy things pertaining to Religion The Jewes at this day the greatest enemies certainly of Idolatry that ever were yet will not unfold the volume of their law til after many humble declinations of their bodies and kissings of their hands neither will any sober Christian enter into a church though he do not pray without uncovering his head to shew that he makes a difference between that place and an ordinary prophane house The ground of the lawfulnesse and fitnesse of these outward expressions is this because since we cannot chuse but in our minds and thoughts make a a difference betweene holy and prophane objects it is as fitting to expresse that difference by outward shews So that if Catholiques be to be suspected of superstition and idolatry in this behalf certainly the Calvinists are much more guilty for exhibiting an outward reverence to the Bread and Wine in their Cene seeing they will not allow a distinction between the severall respects which Catholiques acknowledge 6. That the church obligeth no man hîc nunc to exhibit any veneration to Images c. Only they must not condemne it in those that allow and practise it Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory 4. The denyall of this made Arrius a Heretique and besides him I do not find since Christianity begun til the last age any one single person that denyed or questioned it never was there found any Liturgy without it nothing so frequent in Fathers and Ecclesiasticall histories as the recommendation of it In a word I am confident there is not one doctrine or practise of Christianity delivered with so full unquestionable a Tradition So that a man may as wel make an Apology for being a Christian or believing the Gospells to be the word of God as for this The truth is the more sober and learned sort of English Protestants do confesse the immemorial antiquity of iâ—
most perfect will of God by which in time there is made a perfect denudation mortification and annihilation of a mans own private will and a suffering ones self to be inacted and moved immediately by Almighty God and at last a contemplation of the divine essence without any medium without all help of grosser imaginary forms an absorption of all operations called by them a divine idlenesse whereby the soul reposeth securely and with unspeakable pleasure in the bosome of her heavenly Bridegroom I speak not now of strange effects outward and respecting the body as Elevations Extasies c. which though admired at by others yet are neglected and even pray'd against by spirituall persons themselves 6. Now to prove that these are neither dreams of ignorant souls nor sublime extravagances of soaring spirits we may consider that 1. The greatest understandings that many of the last ages have brought forth as S. Bernard S. Thomas Aquinas S. Bonaventure and I. Picus Count of Mirandula c. have all written uniformly upon the same subject and have shewed clearly that what they wrote was not meer speculation but comprehended practised and felt by them 2. That even the meanest capacities have arrived to the perfection of contemplation as S. Isidore a plain husband-man in Spain S. Teresa S. Catherine of Siena and of Genoa silly ignorant women that unparallel'd young Heremite Gregorio Lopez Insomuch as whosoever shal with a true resignation pure intention enter into this life of the Spirit though his understanding be not able to give him entertainment for meditation yea though he be not able to help himself with reading others yet if being informed of the necessary points of Catholike Faith he humbly constantly move his wil to frame cordially acts of love and resignation c. to God even such a man or woman shall not fail to arrive it may be to a higher degree of union then the most learned and skilfull Doctors even to that perfection of which S. Paul speaks Crucifigor cum Christo vivo jaem non ego sed vivit in me Christus i. e. I am crucified with Christ and I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me 3. To the end to be secure of delusions it is observeable that whereas in other Sects â—â—â—re are certain counterfeitings of such a mysticall familiarity with God joyned with strange motions and effects as awong the Anabaptists Famulists Quakers Ranvers c. strange examples whereof in the last age we may read in Florimundus Raemundus yet now daily out-done by those Sects in England as at Malton in Yorkshire London and other places where they abound yet such illuminations discover their black Author in that the persons are far from being cleansed of their carnall lusts pride malice c. and the design appeares commonly to be the troubling the world with some new pretended Revelation and Reformation c. Whereas among spirituall persons in the Catholique Church the inseparable qualification for contemplation is a deep humility a most tender charity and love of Catholique unity 4. Lest a suspition should arise that this mysticall Theology and doctrine of contemplation should be an invention of Religious Orders to magnifie themselves in the worlds opinion as having means to a neerer approach to Almighty God then the rest of the world We may consider both that the same rules for substance are found in the writings of the antient Fathers as S. Dâ—onisius Aroopagita S Augustine S. Basil Joannes Cassianus S. Hierome c. and that even those most active Fathers and Bishops of the church have notwithstanding attained to a great perfection of contemplation yea that in this last age there have not appeared any more perfect therein then those two famous Bishops viz. B. Francis de Sales Bishop of Geneva and S. Charles Barromée that most unwearied sollicitous Arch-Bishop of Milan and Cardinal and Antonio de Roias a Spanish secular Priest Though withall it cannot be denyed but that a retreat and disengagement from the world solitude silence and other austerities be very powerfull and effectuall dispositions thereto But concerning Mysticall Theology I shall refer those that desire further information to the writings of Thaulerus Harphius Rusbrochius the Bishop of Geneva S. Teresa and many others Particularly the severall Treatises as yet Manuscripts of that late very sublime contemplatiue F. Augustine Baker a Monke of our English Congregation of the Holy Order of S. BENET The yet imperfect sum of whose methodicall instructions concerning Internall Prayer having happily met withall at Rome I found my self pressed to hasten my reconcilement to the Church because I thirsted to become capable of practising those heavenly instructions And afterward in France but especially in my passage through Cambray having seen many more of the same Authors writings the Spirit of which did eminently shew it selfe in the lives of those excellently devout and perfectly religious Benedictine Dames there and being by them informed which within a few dayes mine own eyes assured me of that the same doctrine was received and practised by their Fathers at Doway I presently contrary to all my former resolutions to dispose my selfe only among strangers in a religious life determined to fix my self at Doway I forbore in the former Impression to mention this Author among the rest because I thought his books were confin'd to Cambray where they were written or to his own Convent at Dowvy But being since assured that they were largely dispersed even among the secular Clergy I could not without ingratitude now omit his name and I hope that e're long a ful account of his spiritual instructions concerning the severall Degrees of Internall Prayer shal be happily communicated to the world methodically digested authoritatively published to the glory of God great advancement of devout souls in his divine love 7. For my present purpose it will suffice that by that short enquiry I made I satisfied my self that in no other Congregation but the Catholique Church only were to be found either rules in writing or living directors for a true spirituall life in any comparison approaching to those before named Insomuch as I have often wondred why Protestants would not at least borrow and transcribe such writings for their own use and practise and all that I could say for answer to my self was 1. That according to that saying of the Fathers Spiritus sanctus non est extra Ecclesiam i. e. The Holy Spirit resides not any where out of the Church that is disperses not his extraordinary favours and sublimer gifts any where else 2. Because Protestant Religion c. renouncing all Evangelicall Counsells of perfection as voluntary poverty chastity c. and their avarice having swallowed all the revenews which nourished men in a solitary life of meditation and contemplation they both want such effectuall helps thereto and dare not for fear of being censured as half-Catholiques commend or practise the means proper and conducing to it
be doubtful that he is wrong A Guide that the Scripture never mentioned and the Church never heard of but supposed by being called a Chruch that it never should be hearkned to so that whether Scripture or Tradition or Church or all of them be followed such a Guide ought to be deserted and renounced A Guide that two persons cannot possibly follow together because no two persons that ever followed any other Guide beside Authority did or could think all things to be reasonable that any other thought so And lastly by consequence such a Guide that as long as he continues in the office there cannot possibly be any Church any where And is not this an infallible Eviction that this is an imaginary seducing Guide since it is impossible that that should be a Guide appointed for any Christian which neither Christ nor his Apostles nor any of their followers ever mentioned yea which does formally destroy one of our twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed Credo Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam 12. And yet when all this is said even this is a less unreasonable and less unsafe Guide then any divided particular Church can be For this hood-wink'd Guide inquiring into Scripture and searching after Tradition may possibly stumble upon the way to Unity and Truth that is the true Catholick Church for private Reason professes the exclusion of partiallity and will not refuse to take into consideration whether it self ought not to be renounced and Authority submitted to and if it chance to finde Reason for Authority it will resign its Office and cease to be a Guide any longer or private Reason any longer whereas particular Churches being founded upon the renouncing of Universal Authority in practise and yet usurping that Authority which they renounce doe not onely mis-lead their followers but having seised on them do chain and fasten them in that Dunge on CHAP. VII A concluding Exhortation wherein all are invited to Catholique UNITY 1. FOR a farewell to I. P. and all his Brethren and to all my dear mislead Countrymen of what Religion Sect or Faction soever but principally the Protestants Presbyterians and Independents I beseech them all to suffer a word of Exhortation made by St Paul to the Philippians Phil. 2. Si quae ergo consolatio in Christo si quod solatium c. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Charity if any society of the spirit if any bâ—â—els of Compassion fulfill the joy of St Paul and all Saints that you be of the same Judgement having the same charity being of one mind thinking the same thing That is Think Catholique Unity a desirable thing and pursue the ways to attain it 2. Now the Sun shines not clearer at Noon then this Truth That there is no possible Unity without Authority nor no Christian Unity without an Infallible Authority all other Authority is meer Faction and Rebellion an Authority that reaches to the outward appearance or that bindes onely the purse If there were any true Spiritual Authority lately in England or now at Geneva c. it would engage the consciences of those that are under it and that not as English men or French but as Christians And by consequence all Christians should be obliged to submit to it a thing that themselves do not so much as pretend to Therefore by all those passionate exhortations of St. Paul I conjure you be no longer averse from Catholick Unity and Catholick Authority for be assured without such Unity and Authority submitted to you will finde no consolation no not in Christ himself no comfort in the charity of the Father nor society with the â—â— Spirit c. 3. Do not according to your mistaken custom account us uncharitable in professing that salvation cannot belong to any that are estranged from our Catholick Communion we could not be Catholicks if we said not so Thereby we approve our selves to be the lawful children of the Ancient Saints Martyrs Confessors c. all which out of their burning charity not pride or malice protested damnation to all out of their Communion For how could they or we be the true Church unless we excluded false Churches St. Augustin was the benignest humblest charitablest soul in his Age yet who thunders so loudly and so terribly against Schismaticks as he And his enemies the Donatists pretending to be the Catholick Church to the end to justifie seemingly their false plea were forced to denounce damnation to all from whom they were divided otherwise they would not have had so much as the shew of Catholicks 4. More particularly addressing my self to my most dear friends the English Protestants of whose communion I once was a seduced Member consider I beseech you that that which at the first composing of this Book I onely suspected might possibly happen is now abundantly effected God has in part visited on you the persecution and injustice you laid upon us Now do you not see that your Church was the meer creature of State-Policy If it had had the power of Religion the decay of your Ecclestical estates or imprisonment of your Bishops would not have destroyed Authority among you The censures of a captive Pope or Excommunication of a Synod meeting in a Grot were as terrible to irregular disobedient Catholicks as if they had thundred from the Capitol or the Emperial Pallace in Constantinople Where are the proofs now of your Spiritual Power Why do not you thunder out your Excommunications against the Subverters of your Religion or against your own daily revolting subjects Alas who would be frighted with such Anathema's Or what subjects have you now after the loss of your temporal Lordships And which way shall those Lordships be regained that you may become a Church again Those that were once content you should enjoy them will not adventure their own estates to recover them for you the Lutherans are too far off and the Calvinists too neer you may comfort your selves with your Liturgy and perhaps your Surplices worne in private Conventicles But as for a succession of Priests or Bishops that is not to be hoped much less a restauration of your Religion which is now quite out of date 5. To what Church will you now apply your selves To the Scotish Kirk or your own Presbyterians the first incendiaries of all these troubles the Idumaeans that cried Exinanite Exinanite usque ad fundamentum in ea Or to their successors of a thousand names and shapes and all of them frighrful What is it that holds you from returning to Catholick Communion What other injuries have we done you except that we have forced you to blush to see how patiently we suffred your injustices oppressions and persecutions But the Truth is you were not so much our Persecutors as that poysonous generation of Calvinists among you they were those who instill'd fury into our Kings and Parliaments and poison into the laws against us Which very lawes are still kept in force against Catholicks
109. Sect. 2. Cap. 8. Preparatory grounds for the answering of these reasons and Quotations That Christian Religion was settled in the Church by Tradition especially The advantage of that way beyound writing p 112. Sect. 2. Cap. 9. A further demonstration of the firmness of Tradition Certain objections answered p 123. Sect. 2. Cap. 10. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospels c.p. 130. Sect. 2. Cap. 11. The third preparatory ground viz. The clearing of the ambiguity of these words necessary to salvation p. 136. Sect. 2. Cap. 12. After what manner I judged it necessary for my purpose to examine Mr. Chillingworth's reasonings and arguments p 139. Sect. 2. Cap. 13. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse premised before his proofs out of Scripture p 146. Sect. 2. Cap. 14. An Answer to the Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth out of the Gospels of S. John and S. Luke c.p. 152. Sect. 2. Cap. 15. An answer to twelve Questions of Mr. Chillingworth in pursuance of the former Quotations p 154. Sect. 2. Cap. 16. The second Conclusion out of the Fathers concerning a Judge of Controversies The Authors confession of his willingness that his opinion against the Churches Infallibility might appear to have been groundless p 160. Sect. 2. Cap. 17. Calvinists presumptuous renouncing of the Churches Authority even in proposing of Scripture And pretentions to immediate Revelation p 163. Sect. 2. Cap. 18. Importance of the controversy concerning the Churches Authority Means for satisfaction in it abundantly sufficient in Antiquity This Controversie beyond all others ought to be diligently studied by Protestants 167 Sect. 2. Ca. 19. Passages out of the Fathers concerning the Churches authority,170 Sect. 2. Ca. 20. Quotations out of Antiquity for the authority of Councells A contrary Character of antient Heretiques c. 181 Sect. 2. Ca. 21. The doctrine of the Romane Church concerning the Churches authority The great and apparent reasonablenesse of it,185 Sect. 2. Ca. 22. The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 236 Sect. 2. Ca. 23. Grounds laid to prove the certainty of Iâ—radition Severall degrees of it 238 Sect. 2. Cha 24. Divine Revelations proved beyond any certaine humane story,246 Sect. 2. Ca. 25. The reason of considering a double capacity in the Church Certainty of Belief compared with certainty of knowledge,254 Sect. 2. Ca. 26. Grounds pre-required to the demonstrating of the Churches authority Sect. 2. Ca. 27. Proofs out of Scripture c. for the Churches authority Sect. 2. Ca. 28. The validity of such Texts c. 241 Sect. 2. Ca. 29. The objection from the overflowing of Arianisme in the Church answered,246 Sect. 2. Cha. 30. The generall ground of the Churches authority viz. Christs Promises The severall subjects and acts thereof,250 Sect. 2. Ca. 31. Authority of the Christian Church compared with that of the Jewish,258 Sect. 2. Ca. 32. Enquiry concerning the extent of the Churches authority How Stapleton states this point,261 Sect. 2. Ca 33. Upon what grounds Stapleton may be conceived to have stated this question with more then ordinary latitude,266 Sect. 2. Ca. 34. Unsatisfactory grounds of the English Church concerning Ecclesiasticall authority Calvinists doctrine concerning the Spirit being Judge of Controversies exploded,277 Sect. 2. Ca 35. Mr. Chillingworth's new-found Judge of Controversies viz. Private reason His grounds for asserting such a Judge,283 Sect. 2. Ca. 36. An answer to the three first grounds of Mr. Chillingworth,287 Sect. 2. Ca. 37. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's fourth and fifth grounds Severall Novelties introduced by him292 Sect. 2. Ca. 38. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 303 Sect. 2. Ca. 39. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's seventh and eighth grounds,316 Sect. 2. Ca. 40. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection concerning difference among Catholiques about the Judge of Controversies 320 Sect. 2. Ca. 41. His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered,323 Sect. 2. Ca. 42. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of Circles and absurdities to the Resolution of Faith of Catholiques 332 Sect. 2. Ca. 43. An answer to Mr. Chillingworths allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 342 Sect. 2. Ca. 44. Dangerous consequences of Protestants Doctrine against the authority of the Church 350 Sect. 2. Ca. 45. The third Conclusion concerning Schisme The point of Schisme sleightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly studied 357 Sect. 2. Ca. 46. Quotations out of Fathers to shew the sinfulness danger of Schism,36 Sect. 2. Ca. 47. The nature and marks of Schisme according to the antient Fathers 366 Sect. 2. Ca. 48. An application of the former marks of Schisme to the present Controversie And a demonstration that they doe not suit to the Roman but only Protestant Churches 375 Sect. 2. Ca. 49. A continuation of the same demonstration with proofs c. Sect. 2. Ca. 50. A further continuation of the same arguments,380 Catholikes not uncharitable for saying That Protestancy unrepented is damnable,387 Sect. 2. Ca. 51. The fourth Conclusion concerning the perpetuall visibility of the church Proofs of it out of Fathers,398 Sect. 2. Ca. 52. Application of these proofs to the advantage of the Roman Catholique Church and against Protestants c. 401 Sect. 3. Ca. 1. The Question of the Church being decided decides all other Controverversies How it is almost impossible that errours should crep'd into the publique doctrine of the Church Of what force objections out of Scripture or Fathers are against the Church,413 Sect. 3. Ca. 2. Of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation Of the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament And of Communion under one species 420 Sect. 3. Ca. 3. Of Iâ—vocation of Saints Of Veneration of Images Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory Of Indulgences And of publike service in the Latin tongue With what charity and modesty the doctrines of the Church are to be examined,431 Sect. 3. Ca. 4. The Holinesse taught and practised by the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the doctrines The Authors former exceptions against certain practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of mysticall Theology 453 Sect. 3. Ca. 5. The Conclusion wherein the imputation of inconstancy charged upon the Author is answered as likewise of forsaking a Religion because it was persecuted The Appendix Cha. 1. A Brief Recapitulation of the Designe and Contents of the whole Book pag 476 Cha. 2. Grounds upon which certain passages in this Book hâ—ve been misunderstood by some Catholiques and those mistakings cleared 483 Cha. 3. Misinterpretation of my book by Protestants particularly by J. P. the Author of the Preface to my Lord Falklands Discourse of Infallibility An answer to that Preface 490 Cha. 4. An answer to the four first Paragraphs of the Preface 496 Cha. 5. An answer to the
expound Heresies have been so far from prevailing against the Church that they are utterly vanished and the Church built upon that Rock which gave Peter that his new name continues firm and unmoveable and no doubt will do so to the end of the world whatsoever engines of cunning malice or rebellion the Calvinists and other bloudy Sects do raise against it to batter it with greater violence then ever before 6. I am the more confirmed in joyning thus with the Fathers because I perceive that they yea that one single Father of the first magnitude S. Augustine ha's already answered all the most considerable arguments which the Protestants of these times are ready to borrow of their Fathers the Donatists c. to destroy the authority of the Church He ha's already cleared the objection from the example of the Jewish Church reduced to such an almost invisible estate that there were left no more then seven thousand men and those hidden which had not bowed the knee to Baal And from that speech When the â—on of Man comes shall he find faith upon earth and Come out of Babylon my people and from the example of that great Eclipse in the Catholique Church during the interregnum of Arianisme S. Aug. collat post con Don. cap. 20. id l. 81. quaest qu. 61. id dâ— Un. Eccl. S. Hier. con Lucif S. Aug. Ep. 48. CHAP. XXIX The Objection from the overflowing of Arianisme in the Church answered Mr. Chillingworth's objection That Christs promises are conditionall answered 1. THis last objection concerning Arianisme because even the-now-English-Protestants think they have great advantage from it I am not in so much hast to draw towards an end of this conclusion but I can be content to set down S. Augustin's answer to it with a short Appendix It seems the Donatists took the advantage from some hyperbolicall language of S. Hilary concerning the great deluge of Arianisme upon the Church to enervate the promises of Christ concerning the extension and duration of it To this S. Augustine Ep. 48. thus answers That time concerning which Hilary wrote was such that thou hast thought that thou mightst privily assault such a number of divine testimonies as if the Church were perished out of the world c. Hilary therefore either blames only the tares which were in the ten Asian Provinces and not the wheat or he thought fit therefore the more profitably by how much the more vehemently to blame the wheat which by some default was in danger For even the Canonicall Scriptures have this customâ— in reprehensions that the word seems to be addressed to all when it reaches home only to some few 2. For confirmation of this answer of S. Augustine it may be observed 1. That the violent brunt of that Persecution of the Catholiques by the Arrians lasted scarce four years namely from the Councell of Ariminum to the death of the Emperour Constantius 2. That during that time the Western Churches felt little change by that Persecution 3. That those who subscribed the cunningly contrived Creed at Ariminum did not intend to prejudice thereby the faith of the Councell of Nice since the new Creed was capable of a Catholique sense 4. That even in the East very many glorious Catholique Bishops survived the fury of the Arrians 5. That the succession of Catholique Bishops was so far from being interrupted thereby that S. Hierome who lived neer those times professeth that in his daies there was not one Bishop in the Catholique Church that was not a legitimate successor of those glorious Prelates of the Councell of Nice From all which considerations we may rationally collect that our Lord in this example gave a warning to the Rulers of his Church to be vigilant to prevent the like dangerous Heresies for the future but withall to be confident in his promises since he had been so carefull to perform them that when Heresie had all imagineable advantages yet he provided so for his Church by putting an end to those tentations that the succession of lawfull Bishops was not at all interrupted by them 3. Beside these Mr. Chillingworth produceth an engine his friends know from what forge to invalidate as he believed all manner of advantage which Catholiques reap from the promises of Christ concerning a perpetuall succession of his Church by saying that those promises are onely conditionall viz. If Christians would make use of and improve those meanes that Christ had left for the propagation of his Church otherwise not 4. But hereto the answer is very ready For 1. All that is alledged is spoken meerly gratis there being no warrant from any circumstance in those Texts wherein such promises are contained for such an interpretation and therefore when plain Texts are and have been interpreted in a sense absolute by all Catholiques of all times a new unnecessary interpretation will certainly find no entertainment with any unlesse it be such as make antiquity a prejudice to truth 2. M. Chillingworth applies this interpretation to future times onely not to passed or present so that thereby it shakes onely our hope for succeeding times not our faith for the passed or present and therefore it is not availeable in the dispute in hand concerning the Roman Catholique Church which all English Protestants acknowledge to be a true Church of Christ defective in no necessary truths all the fault being her superabundance 5. And for this reason it was that generally he was blamed and I my selfe have often taxed him for serving himself of so scandalous and as we thought so uselesse an interpretation But upon more serious consideration I judged not him unreasonable for it but my selfe and others not quick-sighted enough to perceive the necessity he had though he never discovered himselfe plainly to any man as far as I know to make use of so desperate a glosse For doubtless he saw clearly that if there were such absolute Promises of indefectibility and divine assistance to the Catholique Church none could with any justice challenge them but the Roman Church since she only appropriates them to her present Communion all others laying down their claim The speciall allegations which she may produce to prove her self in a speciall manner interessed in these promises I shall take notice of in the last conclusion Lastly S. Augustine will afford us a satisfactory answer who to the like objection of the Donatists viz. Men would not persevere and therefore Christian Religion hath failed out of all Nations except only the party of Donatus Answers him As if the Holy Ghost was ignorant what would be the future wills of men which yet foreseeing notwithstanding foretold that the Church of Christ should endure for ever De unit Eccl. c. 12. CHAP. XXX The generall ground of the Churches authority viz. Christs promises The severall subjects and acts thereof 1. TO return therefore to the authority of the present Catholique Church by vertue of which she obligeth all men in her communion
not only to receive the Scriptures from her as a depositary of them but the true interpretation likewise of them preserved by her together with all other Traditions as much as concerns the substance of Christian Religion This authority seems to be grounded especially upon the promise of indefectibility an indefectibility I mean of the Church considered as one body composed of parts ruling and obeying teachers and persons instructed as S. Paul describes the Church as it is to continue to the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4. Not as Mr. Chillingworth who would make our Saviours meaning to be no more but that till his second coming his Gospell should not be so utterly rooted out of the world but that somewhere or other there should be some that should professe it 2. By vertue of this promise the Church is assured 1. not to be deprived neither of any necessary truths nor of lawfull Pastors to teach those necessary truths when I say necessary I mean not absolutely necessary to every single person considered in any circumstance exigence or extremity as Mr. Chillingworth and Doctor Potter c. through their whole books understand it whether mistaking their adversaries or no I thought it unnecessary to trouble my self to examine but I am sure without any prejudice to the established doctrine of the Church which remains untouched though all the inferences which they would make from such a notion of the word necessary were allowed them but I mean truths necessary to the constitution of a glorious visible Church which must be furnished with a world of Doctrines and Orders which to all single persons are far from being necessary to be believed or known much lesse to persons wanting abilities or means or time to be instructed 2. She is secured from Schisme or Heresie for remaining to the worlds end one holy Catholique Church as we professe in the Creed how can she be divided from her self either in Faith or Charity For unlesse all Bishops in Councells Oecumenicall and indeed all Christians should conspire to renounce that truth to day which they believed yesterday how can novelty or heresie enter universally into the Church under the notion of Tradition 3. Concerning the subject of this authority the principall subjects are indeed the Governours and Pastours of the Church with whom Christ hath promised that he will be to the end of the world But the adequate subject are all Catholique Christians as well instructers as instructed since Tradition is continued by them both shining in the doctrines taught and received in devotions exercised and in outward practises and ceremonies celebrated by all Christians 4 Now of this authority of the Church there are generally speaking two acts 1. An Obligation lying upon all Christians to acknowledge that doctrine to be true and necessarily to be believed and those practises necessarily to be conformed to which are taught and received by the whole Church and all this upon penalty of being accounted Heretiques that is no members of the Church and therefore by consequence divided from Christ the head of the Church which inspires life into it here and will glorifie it hereafter 2. A coërzion or infliction of spirituall penalties and censures as suspensions deprivations excommunications c. on those that persist stubbornly in opposing those truths and practises And this belongs to the Teachers and Governours of the Church more or lesse according to their severall qualities For every Parish Priest ha's some degree of this coercive power over his stock every Bishop over both Priests and severall congregations within his Diocesse ha's more every Metropolitan a yet larger power A Provinciall Synod above a single Bishop or Metropolitan c. And in conclusion the supreme Ecclesiasticall tribunall is a Synod Occumenicall lawfully called confirmed and some adde universally received by all Catholique Churches that is by their Prelates from which there is no appealing for if there were all authority would be vain enjoying the name but without any effect or use at all as shall be shewed hereafter 5. Concerning the former act of Ecclesiasticall authority viz. an Obligation lying upon all Christians under pain of Heresie to receive the doctrines and practises of the universall Church that it is in the Church antecedently to a generall Councell appears by this namely that there were in the Church very many Heresies taken notice of acknowledged for such by all Catholikes and dissipated before any generall Councell had been called as the Ecclesiasticall history S. Epiphanius will assure us And this is grounded ◠Upon evident reason for what is heresie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a relinquishing of a former received opinion or practise and the choice of a particular new one an act this is which implies an extreme contempt of the whole mysticall body of Christ and a preferring ones own single judgment or wilfullnesse before whatsoever els is prudent or sacred in the world 2 Upon expresse Scripture for S. Paul commands the Thessalonians and S. John all Christians to abstain from the conversation of and not so much as to bid God speed to all disordinate walkers swerving from the rule established and all introducers of novelties in the Church Yea S. Paul sayes that an Heretique even before the Bishops censure is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned by himself that is as severall Fathers expound it voluntarily and by himselfe separated from the body of the faithfull so that the solemn excommunication of the Bishop against him may seem to be onely a ratifying of that mans censure against himselfe For I conceive it can hardly be affirmed of all Heretiques in generall that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned that is professing and maintaining errors against their own conscience and knowledge 6. Now this authority residing in the whole body of the Catholique Church I must adde of the present Catholique Church has been in all times preserved so inviolable that besides the fore-cited testimonies of the Fathers this observation will sufficiently justifie it viz. That there was never in any age of the Church as far as I have been able to inform my selfe any one single person esteemed a Catholique that ever either spoke against or in the least degree censured or seemed to render suspitious any doctrine or practise universally believed or received by the Catholique Church during the time that he lived Many Fathers have been very bold and eager against abuses and errours particular some of them perhaps too largely dispersed but never any of them whether private person or Governour learned or unlearned taxed the Church either of errour in doctrine or of superstition prophanenesse or any other enormity in practise Many of them have earnestly called for a free Councell to reform particular disorders and errours in the lives and writings of both Clergy and Laity sometimes not sparing Popes themselves but never to have the Church it self to alter any of her doctrines or to change any of her practises
Kingdome of God during the times of their infirmity when they were not able to bear them 9. These being the principall points of controversie between Catholiques and Protestants I judged fit to signifie how when I considered what the church had declared to be her sense of them separating them from private opinions to which no man is obliged they appeared so reasonable and so consonant to antiquity that if I should have continued in a separation from her for their cause I must at the same time have professed to have renounced all interest in the most glorious Saints and Martyrs that ever the church enjoyed And if it were Gods good pleasure that all other Protestants lovers of unity would think fit not to judge of the Catholike church by the character given of her by Calvinist Controvertists who lay to her charge whatsoever imprudent or erroneous positions they find in any particular Catholike author insomuch as I am confident not one objection among twenty in their writings proceeds directly against the church but that if they would be perswaded to hear her testifying of her self in her publike doctrine they would find that they have been cousened into the guilt of this pernicious exterminating crime of Schisme by the passions and iuterests af men enemies to peace and Christian charity and that they have been enemies to Gods church for telling them the truth that perhaps themselves believed in the sense and latitude that she proposeth it Lastly if they would but think the judgement of their own Bucer in Mat. c. 26. worthy to be hearkned to who tells them Nihil esse damnandum quod ull ◠ratione bonum esse queat i. e. That nothing is to be condemned especially in the Church the Spouse of Christ and Mother of us all that by any way or in any sense or respect can be good they would think themselves obliged to consider the doctrines of the church with all possible caution modesty humility and charitable construction and not ruine their souls by forsaking her Communion till they found that charity her self which covers a multitude of sins could not excuse her that is till they found that notwithstanding the promises of Christ the gates of bell had actually prevailed against her CHAP. IV. The Holinesse taught and practised in the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the Doctrines The Authors former exceptious against certaine practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of Mysticall Theology c 1. I Will now discharge the promise which I made in the XVII chap. of the first Section which was to give a narration what effect the eminent rules of holinesse and true solid devotion which contrary to my expectation I found in the Catholike Church had upon me and that not onely to incline my will to love them and desire the practise of them but to dispose my understanding also to be more docible and more easily perswaded of the truth of speculative points which were professed in a Church so enriched and by persons whose whole employment was to love serve glorifie and admire the goodnesse wisdome and all other perfections of Almighty God to meditate day and night upon the holy Mysteries of our Salvation and to mortifie all manner of vice passions and lusts farre more intrinsecally spiritually and perfectly then any thing that I had seen or read before could give me a notion of I hope I need not be ashamed to professe this and however I will not forbeare to publish mine own shame by professing that the life and Councells of S. Charles Borromée and the truly Christian Spirit of humility and meeknesse shining in the writings of Monfieur Sales Bishop of Geneva gave more satisfactory answers to all the objections of Protestants then any I had hitherto found in all the volumes of those famous Cardinalls Baronius Bellarmin and Perron or at least that the former gave a point and a pierceing vertue to the discourses of the later which in former times I had often and without much effect perused 2. That way of satisfying doubts and controversies was the stranger to me because it came directly contrary to my expectation for I must professe I had in former times a far stronger aversion from the Catholike Church considered by me as an enemy to Holinesse then as an enemy to truth I had observed 1. In generall that most of the points in controversie betweene Catholiques and Protestants were such as contributed either to avarice or ambition 2. I saw that rich men to whom our Saviour said it was impossible that they should enter into the Kingdome of heaven were the easiliest admitted of all others by the prostitution of pardons and Indulgences 3. I saw that many Casuists had handled the sins of great men Usury and Simony so tenderly and favourably allowing so many qualifications that it was become almost impossible to deprehend them 4. I saw the antient discipline of the church almost quite vanished and absolution given upon a small penance for such sins adultery blasphemy and that most horrible and atheisticall gallantry of Duelling which the antient church would scarce have pardoned after ten years macerating of the body and soule with fastings weepings and yet greater austerities and for which she would not have received to peace the persons guilty by recidivation by admitting them to the Communion no not in Articulo mortis See the annotation of Petavius upon S. Epiphanius ad Haeres 59. 5. I saw me thought that absolutions were given as of course and that persons though habitually addicted to mortall sins yet upon an outward profession of sorrow expected and challenged pardon and admission to the blessed Sacrament and all this toties quoties 6. I saw that attrition i. e. sorrow for sin meerly out of fear of being damned with the Sacrament was counted a sufficient qualification to remission of sins whereby in my opinion charity it self became unnecessary Such prejudices as these was I possessed withall all which I imputed to the church her self insomuch as though I suspected that my understanding might be over-reached by subtill Disputants to excuse the errours which I believed to be in the Roman church yet I was resolved that it was impossible my will should be seduced so far as to approve such enormous practises 3. Now the occasion and manner how I came to be satisfied of the eminent sanctity taught and practised in the Catholique Church and concerning those practises not that they were excuseable but that they were not to be imputed to the church which was most innocent of them was as follows It hap'ned not long after my arrivall at Paris that my curiosity led me among other places to visit the Monastery of the Carthusians whom we deprehended in their ordinary employment of prayers and in the place of their almost continuall residence the church A sight that was which made a strange impression upon my mind being at that time also in some
unquietnesse by reason of certaine scruples already entertained concerning Religion For there I saw persons so utterly secluded from the world that they never visited other men and rarely and with unwillingnesse admit-other mens visits yea excepting a few houres weekly renounced the conversation and sight of one another but only in the church where their conversation was only with God Persons so mortified in their looks so immoveable in their postures with countenances so intent upon their present devotions as if they onely lived with their rationall faculties and so far from observing that they were observed by others that truly I believe they knew it not persons as after enquiry I was informed that through the whole course of their lives practise a strict abstinence and for a greater part a rigorous fast persons that every day allow neer eight houres to vocall prayers and laborious singing in the church and almost all the hours besides in their private cells to meditation and contemplation persons that no incommodity of weather hinders from their midnight watches and devotions in the church for severall hours together persons whose inseparable cloathing is hair-cloth and whose other more private mortifications and austerities they do most sollicitously conâ—â—al from the world and account it of all other the most rude mortification if they should come to be discovered persons who are so far from desiring the esteem of the world that they never would publish any miracles done in their solitude nor seek the canonization of any of their Saints no not their Founder S. Brunâ— himself persons who notwithstanding all these austerities expresse in their conversation the greatest repose and contentment and chearfulnesse of mind imagineable the greatest compassion toward others that would seem to compassionate them and protestations that if there were no happinesse to be expected in another world yet that the inward ravishings of soule the spirituall embraces which their coelestiall Bridegroom affords them many times deserve to be purchased with far greater worldly losses and with far greater austerities then any that they have or can suffer Lastly persons whose order ha's continued now without interruption for about six hundred years without the least scandall without the least need of Reformation growing the more perfect according to the declination of the rest of mankind as if God intended it in an especiall manner to be the defence and security the chariots and horses of Israel An order whose encrease of revenews are perceived not by themselves but the poor only who are accordingly more amply and frequently sustained insomuch as that which ha's been the corruption of other orders is the purifier and refiner of this and I may add this observation with respect to England an order that Almighty God did principally chuse by which to condemn Schisme at it's first entrance there viz. by suffering them that is piety and innocence it self to be the first victimes and sacrifices offered to it 4. I must confesse that as I could not consider these things without astonishment and admiration so I could not free my self from some degree of envy and indignation that I could not find any thing in any of our Churches to oppose to such a spectacle I was willing enough to suspect that there might be some mixture of a secret hypocrisie and pride and ostentation even in such renouncings of pride and ostentation But then I confuted my own suspition by this most sure observation that Almighty God did not usually of all other vices suffer hypocrisie even in a single person to be long undiscovered much less in a whole order and for six hundred years together Therefore I began to discourse thus within my self Is it possible if the Roman church be so deeply guilty and so intolerably depraved as I have hitherto believed that Almighty God should suffer such servants of his to lye in those dregs and pollutions exposed to eternall perdition so many years together Ha's their continuall meditation been in the holy Scriptures and yet never one beam of divine light be sent from heaven to irradiate any of their understandings and to convince them that their whole Religion is apparently contradictory to the same Scriptures Is it likely that if the Faith of the Church was of necessity to be changed and the practises to be reformed that God should make choice of such Apostles as a debauched perjured sacrilegious Apostate Monk of Germany or a seditious uncharitable malicious Picard or a furious Gladiatour of Switzerland and in the mean time leave such persons enflamed with his love still lying in their deadly ignorances and impieties never suffering one of that order to be converted yea leaving Heresie more confirmed in them now then ever before that such a pretended new Evangelicall light discovered it self 5. Some time I spent in such meditations which I could neither hinder nor satisfie my self in yet because it seemed dangerous to me to build resolutions upon the manner and method of Gods Providence which is inscrutable therefore I thought it as necessary for me to examine not the outward shewes but the Rules of Holinesse practised in the Romane church as the doctrines therein professed for if the former appeared to be according to the Spirit of Christ they would strongly argue for the truth of the later Having this designe I provided my self of the best Methods of Devotion and Spirituality that I could meet with and upon all occasions I made conversation with such Religious persons as were in opinion eminent for a spirituall life The successe whereof was strange and incredible For whereas I had alwayes been of opinion that that which in the Roman church was called mysticall Theology was if compar'd with the ordinary Practicall Divinity as I took the Morall Philosophy of the Platonists to have been compared with that of other Philosophers viz. the same ordinary doctrines and precepts of vertue but only cloathed in abstruse sublime and Metaphoricall termes rendring the professors thereof not more vertuous then other men but more phantasticall and self conceited But I found that the notion I had of it had no affinity with the thing it self Mysticall Theology being nothing else in generall but certain Rules by the practise whereof a vertuous Christian might attain to a neerer a more familiar and beyond all expression comfortable conversation with God by arriving unto not only a belief but also an experimentall knowledge and perception of his divine presence after an inexpressible manner in the soul wherein he is taught first to purge himself of all pollutions of sin and worldly lusts to possesse himself of all Christian vertues and by such meanes to prepare himself for an union with the heavenly Majesty the generall instrument of all these blessings being a constant exercise of Mentall Prayer that is meditating with the understanding upon heavenly mysteries but especially inward ejaculations aspirations and immediate acts of the will loving praising adoring and perfectly resigning it selfe to the