our Church Gratitude to such Benefactors may teach you to Judge lesse severely to suspend your Judgment til you have more convincing arguments to ground it on then your owne bare bold Assertion CHAPTER III. Tru the Designes of Christian Religion THe Designe of God in establishing Religion was that Men should serve him in this world enjoy him in the next that they (a) Psal 12◠3 here sow with teares there reape with Ioy now run (b) 2. Tim. 4.7 8. their race fyght their battle then receive their Crowne Rivers (c) Eccles 1.7 receive their waters from the sea returne to it againe Religion receives its beginning from God runs through all ages to returne to God againe Each man before his creation is Creatrix essentia says S. Anselme from which by creation he is separated by Regeneration the good workes which follow it he returnes to him againe never more to be separated from him The first Action is of God alone the rest are of God man for God (a) Aug. Quite creavit sine te non te salvabit sine te will not compleate the work of our salvation with out the cooperation of man God (b) Subest tibi cùm volueris posse can doe all with out man but will not man (c) Sine me nihil potestis facere 10.15.5 can doe nothing without God from whome he must expect prevenient concomitant subsequent Graces for all every meritorious action That blisse which God prepares for us in the next life containes God himself when enjoyed renders the thrice happy soul like (d) Similes ei erimus 1.10.3 ◠unto God we must attaine to it by meanes proportionable which partake of the resemblance Wherefore our understanding must be like that of God beleiving him our will Loving him the first is Faith the second Charity To which adde Hope to keepe our soul steedy amidst the difficultyes of this life as an anker (e) Heb. 6.19 fixes a ship you have the three vertues called Theologicall because they rely immediatly on Almyghty God Faith on his Veracity or Truth in affirming Hope on his Fidelity in promising Goodnesse as he is our Cheife Good Charity on his Goodnesse in its selfe Which three Virtues containe what is required of us in this life Whatsoever is required to a good life is knowne is we know what to beleive to hope to love Says (a) Aug. Ench. c. 4. Omnia quae requiris proculdubio scies diligenter sciendo quid credi quid sperari debeat quid amari Haec enim maximè imò verò sola in Religione sequenda sunt S. Austin Which are the only things Religion regards as being designed only for these three vertues But are we not oblidged to keepe the commandments Or doe not they advauce towards Heaven who run (b) Psal 119.32 in the paths which God hath traced out And how come these to be omitted ANSWER They are not omitted but are contained in Charity (c) Rom. 13.8.9 He that loveth an other bath fullfilled the law our whole duty to our neyghbour the commandments relating to him being breifly comprehended in this saying Love thy neyghbour as thy selfe As our whole duty to God is contained in that other saying Love God above all things (d) Mat. 22.40 On these two commandments hang all the law the Prophets These are the two rootes (e) Mat. 7.17 of the good tree which brings forth good fruite As love of our selves is the roote of the bad tree which brings forth bad fruite The (f) Aug. serm 44. de temp Radix omnium bonorum est Charitas sicut radix omnium malorum est cupiditas roote of all good is Charity as the roote of all evill is concupiscence Againe (g) Aug. l. de moribus Eccl. c. 25. Nihil aliud est benè vivere quam toto corde totâ animâ totâ mente Deum diligere To live well is to love God with all our hart with all our soul with all our mind I should as easily write out the whole new testament as endeavour to cite all the passages which directly or indirectly commend Charity seing all tend to extinguish in us selfe love to kindle Divine love In it Divine love sometimes is preferred before (a) 1. Cor. 13. the tongues of men Angells before Faith working miracles before knowledge of the greatest mysteryes Almes giving c. It is called (b) Col. 3.14 the bond of perfection the end (c) 1. Tim. 5. or intent of the commandments c. I end with the words of the beloved loving disciple (d) 10.4.16 God is love he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God God in him Wherefore with reason S. Austin (e) Aug. l. de laudibus Charitatis sayd Ille tenet quicquid latet quicquid patet in divinis sermonibus qui servat Charitatem in moribus I should not have beene so long uppon a point of which I thought none could be ignorant who reades the Scriptures or knows the Rudiments of Christianity did I not perceive that you ether never knew it or have forgotten And When (f) Heb. 5.12 for the time your vocation you should be a teacher you have neede that one should teach you which be the first principles af the Oracles of God For how happens it that in relating the designes of Christian Religion there is not one cleere word of the love of God which is the maine designe of it you speake of Purity Ingenuity Patience Generosity some thing of the love of our neyghbour But why are you silent of the love of God which gives vertu to all the rest which without it avayle us nothing (a) 1. Cor. 13. how perfect soever they be in their kind Doe you intend to make that fall under the notion of AntiChristianisme as being with you no part of the Designes of Christianity I shall expect a satisfactory answer to these doubts proceede to CHAPTER IV. G. B. His explication of the Designes of Christianity G. B. pag. 4. The first designe of Christian Religion is to give us ryght apprehensions of the Nature Attributes of God Pag. 5. The second branch is to hold forth the method of mans reconciliation with his Maker You meane that the intent of Christian Religion is to teach us that there is One God One Mediator which are objects of our Faith Pag. 7. The third is to teach the perfectest cleerest most divine rules for advancing of the souls of men to the hyghest perfection of their natures it giving cleerer rules fuller directions then ether morall Philosophers or the old teflament The lessons of Purity chastity ingenuity humility meekenesse patience generosity No◠one word of charity but Generosity I know not whence comes in to take its place Pag. 8. The fourth is to unite
Mankind 〈◊〉 the closest bonds of Peace freindship charity which it doth tempering our Passions forgiving injuries loving our enemyes teaching obediencâ— to those in authority over us by associating 〈◊〉 into one body called the Church ANSWER This is in deed a designe worthy of Christian Religion but imperfectly explicated by you seing you omite the love of God the God (a) â— Cor. 13.11 of Peace who alone can give us perfect Peace Humane wills are naturally oppoâ—â— to one another they cannot meete but iâ—â— their naturall center God And the love 〈◊〉 our neyghbour is never sincere lasting buâ— when it is grounded on the love of God Thâ— first effect of selfe love is to seperate us from God The second to divide us amongst oâ—â— selves Both are the effects of sin nothing can prevent them linck us together in the bonds of charity but he who can remit sins That Peace then which Christian Religion teaches which the Church recomend to her children which in her Prayers shee demands of God is not an effect of human industry but of Grace It proceedes from the mercy of God it is a sequel of Purity of conscience the Crowne of reall tru Iustice In fine it is the work of the unspotted Lambe (a) 1. Petr. 1.19 at whose birth Peace (b) Luk. 2.14 was announced in his name to the world by the Angells who left Peace (c) 10.14.27 as a legacy to his disciples before his Death who was sacrificed on the Altar of the Crosse to reconcile us to his Heavenly father restore Peace betwixt Heaven Earth which the sin Rebellion of Men had banisht You see sir how insufficient your explication of Peace is for the ends you propose You leave out the Cheife most necessary ingredient for purging our dissensions to use a Prophets comparison (d) Ezeh c. 13.10 you build with untempered Mortar You (e) Ierem. 6.14 heale the hurt of the people slyghtly saying Peace Peace when there is no Peace You hint indeed at a good humane meanes to Peace Obedience to those in Authority It was to prevent schisme (f) Inter Apostolos unus eligitur ut capite consâ—ituto schismatis toll retur occasio Hieron l. 1. adversus Vigilantium c. 54. that God establisht one Apostle over the rest But your endlesse Divisions subdivisions amongst your selves Shew how inefficacious this meanes is in your Reformation And how can it be otherwise when all your People have before their eyes the example of your first Patriarkes who began your Reformation by rejecting all Authority over them breaking the rules of divine worship setled al over the world till that time acknowledged by themselves Cur non licebit Valentiniano quod licuit Valentino de arbitrio suo fidem innovare Tert. l. de praescript Why may not a Lutheran doe what was lawfull to Luther your first Reformers rejected some articles of Faith then universally beleived because they seemed not to be contained in Scripture why may not the same motive authorize their followers to reject some others which you would retaine althô they are as little to be found in Scriptures Why may not a moderne Protestant retrench some unnecessary ceremony used by you at present seing you have cut off soe many others Let others live by that law which you publish think not soe hyghly of your onne authority as to make your dictamens not only the Rule of Actions but of the laws themselves It shall be lawfull to dissent from this article of Faith but not from that other to quit this ceremony not that when the same rule is applicable to both Is not this properly (a) 2. Cor. 1.24 to Lord it over the Faith of the People What wonder you find your layty refractory to your ordinances they are in this directed by your rule encouraged by your example Wherefore Looke no where abroade for the roote of these tares your Reformers planted them they layd the Egge out of which this cockatrice is hatched They eate the sower grapes which set all your Teeth an Edge Nether appeares there any possibility of a remedy while your reformation subsists this principle of Discorde Schisme being sayd in its very foundation consequently it cannot be removed with out the ruin of the whole structure nor retained without perpetuall danger of renting it in Pieces I wish these troublesome schismes endlesse discordes amongst your selves may make you seeke a proper Remedy by a Reunion to the center of union God his Church CHAPTER V. Of the Characters of Christian Doctrine G.B. p. 8. I shall add to this the main distinguishing Characters of our Religion which are four Pag. 8. First its verity Pag. 10. The second its genuine simplicity perspicuity The third its Reasonablenesse the fourth its easinesse Thus you ANSWER Are these the only or even the Cheife Characters of Divine Truths whither you take them as they are delivered in holy writ or as taught in the Church Can you find no other quality peculiar to them not common to others Then humane learning may equall if not surpasse Divine Take for example some principles naturally knowne as Two two make four or The whole body is greater then any part of it These are Tru it is impossible they should be false They are Perspicuous Easy no man can doubt of them who understands the termes They are Reasonable for what more reasonable then to assent to Evident Truth Nay of we compare then with supernaturall Truths as to their Perspicuity Verity in order to us the advantage seemes greater on the side of naturall Truths 1. o For no man ever doubted of the Truth of these having once understood their termes many have doe doubt of faith althô sufficiently proposed And 2. o no man ever dissented from those Principles when he had once admitted them many have Apostatized from their Faith Soe that all the Prayses you give to Faith belong more to naturall Sciences then to it Such a stranger are you to its tru Prerogatives The reason of this stupendious blindnesse in searching the scriptures is that you reade them as a master not as a disciple you intend not to learne from them what to beleive but to shape them to what you think you have the word but reject the sense which is to the word what the soul is to the body it gives it life motion The (a) 1. Cor. 2.14 naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him nether can be know them because they are spiritually discerned You see fir that some may reade or have the word of God yet not comprehend its meaning nay that it may seeme folly unto them The words may be words of (b) Iohn 6.61 lise everlasting yet they cry Durus est hic sermo this word is hard who
so deepely imprinted in it that no ignorance no want of education no bad instruction can weare it out or entirely deface it Hence it is that altnô severall barbarous nations adore as Gods things which are not God as hath been e seene of the Pagans yet there never were any without some object of Adoration which they thought to be God Yet Reason left to its selfe taking the freedome of discourse about it will cover it with Errors which may darken its lineaments without destroying it as Rubbidge throwne on an excellent Statu will bide its beaty from the spectator's eye althô it nether alters the situation of its parts nor destroys their proportion One greate advantage we have by Faith is that it fixeth in our souls a ryght Idea of God excludes those imaginations which are inconsistent with it The whole created world is left to the disputations of men's barts Eccles 3.11 for the exercise of their intellectualls in which they are often mistaken for they shall not find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to theend yet their errours are without prejudice to the maine chance their salvation as long as they containe themselves within their bounds nor endeavour to know more of God them they should or have learnr of him nor labour to mesure Immensity with a span Otherwise by lamentable experience they will find the truth of those words Scrutator Majestatis opprimetur à gloria Of which we have as many examples as Philosophers who attempted it The wisest of them all in this was Simonides who sayd ingenuously to Hiero that the more he studyed it the lesse he understood of it Hence S. Austin l. 8. de Trinit c. 2. having savd that God is Truth gives us a warning to sticke in the thought of that terme Noli quaerere quidsit veritas statim enim se oppoent caligines imaginum corporalium nubila phantasmatum pertubabunt serenitatem quae primo ictu quo velut coruscatione perstringeris cùm dicitur veritas mane si potes sed non potes Relaberis in istasolita atque terrena When I say Truth examin not what it is I meane otherwise mists of Phancys cloud of corporeall Images will interpose bereave you of the lyght which appeared at first stop if possible in the first limpse of the lyght but you cannot doe it for you will always slide into other thoughts And in the following chapter he discourses in alike manner of the thought of Good Bonum hoc bonum illud Tolle hoc illud vide ipsum bonum si potes ita Deum videbis non alio bono bonum sed bonum omnis boni Speake not of this good or that good take away this that see if possible goodnesse it selfe you will see God not good by any other goodnesse distinct from him but the goodnesse of all good things Thus whither we conceive God as the prime Truth or as the soveraigne good our first Thoughts are Orthodox as coming from God the Auth or of nature our misery proceedes from our not stopping in them This was the reason why Tertullian l. de Testim animae c. 1. being desirous to shew for the confusion of Pagans that naturall Image of one God which all souls ever had examins only such a soul as retaines its native simplicity without any adscititious knowledge Non eam te advoco sayth he quae scholis formata bibliothecis exercitata academicis porticibus partam sapientiam ructas Te simplicem rudem impolitam idioticam compello qualem habent qui te solam habent illam impsam de compito trivio de textrino totam Imperitiâ tuâ mihi opus est quoniam aliquantulae peritiae tuae nemo credit Ea expostulo quae tecum in hominem infers quae aut ex temetipsâ aut ex quocunque authore tuo didicisti I would not have thee o soul framed in schooles conversant in librarys filled with the learning of Platonicks or Stoicks I desire thee rude simple impolisht an idiot Such as thou art in the poorest meanest Artisam I have neede of thy Ignorance for thy learning is suspected I would know what sentiment thou broughtest with thee into thy body whither thou hadst it of thy selfe or receivedst it of thy Creator He says the same in substance in his Apologetick cap. 17. p. 43. 48. only he extends this testimony of the unlearned to the learned soul in suddain occurrences when acquired learning is uselesse nature alone worketh And he gives another reason why our understanding retaines not as it should do the first Idea of God the greatenesse of the object surpassing its capacity Deum vis magnitudinis notum hominibus objecit ignotum Which you may find likewise in S. Cyp. de Idol van p. 206 Out of what I have sayd you may see that our question is not whither we have all a naturall opinion of one God But whither the Religion of the Pagans did teach that there was but one God or whither the unity of God was a principle of their Religion an article of their Faith Our Answer to this question is negative so that we say Politheisme was an essentiall point of Paganisme one maine question debated betwint Christians Pagans was whither there was only one God This I gather first out of Scripture Psal 75. or 76. Notus in Iudaeâ Deus in Israel magnum nomen ejus In Iudah God is knowne his name is greate in Israel As if out of the people of Israel he had not beene knowne S. Hierome says that is to be understood before the Crosse of Christ had enlyght ned the world Antequam illuminaret Crux mundum antequam viderctur Dominus in terrâ quando autem venit Salvator in omnem terram exivit sonus eorum But when our B. Saviour came the name of God was spreade to the extremity's of the earth amongst the beleivers or Christians And S. Austin Solent inimici Domini Iesu-Christi omnibus noti Iudaei gloriari in isto Psalmo quem cantavimus dicentes Notus in Iudaeâ Deus insult are gentibus quibus non est notus Deus dicere quia sibi solis not us est Deus alibi ergò ignotus Not us est autem revera in Iudaeâ Deus si intelligant quid sit Iudaea Name verè non est notus Deus nisi in Iudaeâ Ecce nos hoc dicimus The knowne ennemys of our Lord Iesus-Christus glory in this Psalme insult over the Gentils saying that God is knowne to them the Jews wherefore he must be unknowne to the Nations Now we grant that God is knowne only to Iews or in Iewry then he shews that the Christians circuncision of the hart spirit of which Rom. 2.29 doth entirle them to the knowledge of God restrained in that Psalme to Iuda Secondly out of Testimony of the Pagan Gods taken
Benefices or perferments establisht for such as invent storyes without any ground I know none in a fayrer way to them then your selfe You cannot but know that we hold Contrition to be an essentiall part of the Sacrament that he who confesses without sorrow is soe far from obtaining Pardon for the the sins past that we judge him guilty of a new sacriledge Consider a little what you say if not for conscience the feare of God which you seeme not to regard as least for your credit G. B. pag. 61.62 What can take off more from the value of the Death of Christ then to beleive it in the power of a Preist to absolve from sin ANS That cannot take from the value of that sacred Passion uppon which it is built By Baptisme sins are remitted without derogating from the value of the death of Christ The same of Absolution Because in both these Sacraments the merits of the Passion are applyed to cleanse our souls in such a manner as Christ hath ordained by authority derived from him In civill matters as no man can lawfully take uppon himself the authority exercise the function of a Judge without a commission from the King Soe it is no lesse unlawfull to refuse due obedience to Judges Lawfully commissionated We have a lawfull commission in the Ghospel we stick to that till wet see better grounds to vacate it then such frivolous reasons as you bring CHAPTER XVIII Of Pennances Fasting Prayer Pilgrimages G. B. pag. 62. Adde the soorne put on Religion by the Pennances enjoyned for sin abstaining from flesh Pattering over Prayers repeating the Penitentiall Psalmes going to such Churchs Altars with other ridiculous observances like these which cannot but kill the vitalls of tru Religion And who can have any sad apprehensions of sin who is taught such an easy way of escaping punishment ANSWER Experience shews us whither practice preserves more the vitals of Religion yours or ours I am perswaded I shall have occasion before we part to give you a prospect not very pleasing of the piety of your Proselits who as S. Paul sayd 2. Tim. 3.13 Proficiunt in pejus have waxed worse worse ever since your Brethren have had the direction of them But what are these Observances which move you to laughter Fastings Prayers Pilgrimages so much recommended even commanded in both old new law sometimes in scripture often in Councils Fathers coÌ„firmed by the practice of the Church through all ages These things seeme ridiculous to this Democritus a new man as much a stranger to tru Piety as his Education hath beene to Prayers Fasting Pilgrimages as far as appeares by his workes That he should thus deride all Penitentiall workes designed ether to punish our past offences or prevent those to come to reconcile us to our Creator or rivette us to him when S. Paul the chosen vessell the Temple of the Holy Ghost the Doctor of the Gentils separated from his mothers womb called unto Grace (a) Galat. 1.15 when he I say chastised his Body brought it under subjection (b) 1. Cor. 9.27 least preaching to others he became himselfe a Reprobate What meanes did he use for his security to mortify his body but those this good man Counts Ridiculous ObservaÌ„ces viz Fasting Prayer the like we are sure he was animated with the Spirit of God what Spirit animates you SECTION I. Fasting AS for Fasting our B. Saviour (c) Mat. 4.1 Fasted forty days forty nyghts He foretells his Disciples (a) Mar. 2.20 fasting when the Bridegroome should be taken from them That is after his Ascension He directs us how to fast promises a Reward (b) Mat. 6.17 to our fastings when duly performed He teaches that Fasting (c) Mat. 17.20 Marc. 9.29 gives us a Power over the Divils When any worke of greate moment was to be done Fasting was used (d) Act. 13.2 As the Disciples or Apostles ministred to the Lord Fasted the Holy Ghost sayd with fasting (e) Act. 14.23 Prayer S. Paul S. Barnabas were consecrated Apostles These with Fasting Prayers (f) 2. Cor. 6.5 ordained Bishops in every Church And S. Paul severall time speakes of his Fastings (e) Act. 14.23 In Watchings in Fastings (g) 2. Cor. 11.27 Again In hunger thrist in fastings often What was the practice of the Christians of the second age Tertullian will teach us Apolog c. 40. pag. 71. where having reproached the Pagans with their Feastings in times of publick calamitys he represents the contrary life of Christians Nos verò jejuniis aridi omni continentiâ expressi ab omni vitae fruge delati in sacco cinere volutantes invidiâ coelum tundimus Deum tangimus cùm misericordiam extorserimus Iupiter honoratur You Feast says he but we dryed up with fasting living in perfect continency abstainning from all contents of this life prostrate in sackcloth ashes charge Heaven with the odium of afflicting Persons already soe much afflicted when we have by these Penitentiall workes forced God to take pitty of the world Iupiter is honoured by you For the third age see what Moses a Maximus other Confessors required of Penitents Iejunio extenuari That they should grow leane with fasting All the subsequent ages give as many testimonyes to the duty advantages of Fasting as there are of any work of Piety This the Fathers teach in their sermons the Bishops command in their Canons the faithfull practice in their lives all recommend by their example Nay Protestants themselves owne this Truth The Authour of the Duty of man Sunday 5. n. 34. To this duty of Repentance Says he Fasting is very proper to be annexed The Scripture usually joynes them together If you desire to know the fruites of fasting S. Thom. 2.2 q. 147. a. 1. names three 1. to mortifye curbe our bodyes 2. To rayse our mind to Heavenly things 3. To punish in our selves the ill use of some creatures by depriving our selves of the use of others A fourth reason is to encrease merit Grace Glory Virtutem largiâ—is praemia says the Church in Praef. Quad. SECTION II. Prayer PRayer being a raysing of our souls to God it exposes our understanding to the Divine lyght places our will in the warmth of Divine love Wherefore nothing can be more efficacious to cleere our mind from its ignorance darknesse nor to purge our will from its depraved affections passions It is a key which opens the Treasure of God's Mercy opens our hart to receive its effets It is a River of Benediction whose waters cleanse our soul from its imperfections moisten our hart make our good put poses budde forth flourish fill our will with the fruites of vertues It is often recommended in scripture See (a) mar 13.33 watch Pray Pray (b) Mat. 26.45 that
lent with breade water before that time falls sicke continues soe why may not the Church declare his vow not to oblidge or change it into something else Item he vows a Pilgrimage his wife family affayres require his presence at home If this doth not satisfy you call to mind the procedings of your first Reformers who opened all Cloisters dispensed with soe many vows at one time Is it not strange that you should charge us with dispensing with some vows when you annull all Secondly disolving wedlock bond I know none who practice dissolving consummated marriages If you doe accuse them if you doe not aske pardon for this false accusation Thirdly allowing marriages in for fidden degrees The degrees hindring marriage were contained in the ceremoniall law which expired with Christ the end of that law Those which now bind are establisht by canon law which was made doth depend on the Church Fourthly the communion under one kind or the Chalice taken from the people contrary to the command of Christ You can never prove that command to all to drink of the Cup. G. B. pag. 71. Another invasion of the Regall Power is the Popes pretence to be universall Bishop which is termed by S. Gregory the greate to be Antichristian ANS I know no Pope who pretends to it I know none who give it them If there be any such let them answer for themselves Now I desire you to make good sense of something you say first p. 67. Christ hath delivered us from the bondage of corruption How is this done already when the Apostle whose words those are Rom. 8.21 promises it only after the Resurrection Secondly pag. 68. Anathema is the mildest of the spirituall censures we thunder against such as comply not with our tyranny What spirituall censure Is more severe I think that the severest of all as we beleive after Tertul. Apolog. cap. 39. p. 68. Thirdly pag. 69. No authority besides Christ can reach the conscience S. Paul was of a different opinion when he enjoines obedience to the commands of Princes not only for wrath but for Conscience CHAPTER XXI Of love its two species Repentance mortall veniall sins Attrition Contrition G. B. p. 75. I proceede to the third part of my Inquiry which is the opposition made to the greate designe of Christian Religion for elevating souls of men into a participation of the Divine nature ANSWER I never knew a man promise more performe lesse then you Your words phrases are greate hygh your Reason sense low little yet that delivered with soe much considence as may perswade your Ignorant Credulous Reader you have reason on your side when you are to seeke in the first principles of the matter you discourse on You may with a homely yet a very proper metaphore be compared to a flying Oxe whose wings stretcht out promise a flyght but his heavy body keepes him on the ground his dull spirits serve only for a slow motion there For let a man reade your booke observe your disesteeme of others your insulting over them he shall think you Eagle like to be to wring above the clouds whence you with disdaine looke downe on us poore Ignoramuses Yet your heygth is discernable without the helpe of a Telescope for after all your striving straining endeavours we still find you on the ground equall nay inferiour to many whome you insult over without any thing extraordinary but your boldnesse to print in soe learned an Age as this is of things you understand not If what I have written already what I shall write doth not make this cleere I will give you leave to apply that comarison to me I have already spoken Chap. 3. 4. of the designes of God in delivering Christian Religion that it was to teach men to serve God in this life enjoy him in the next That this service consisted cheifely in Faith Hope Charity yet soe as Charity gives a value to the other In sine that the end of the Ghospel was to unite us to God by Charity in this world by Glory which is the last perfection of Charity in the other Love is the roote of all our Actions As weyght (a) Aug. l. 13. confess c. 9. Amor meus pondus meum eò feror quocumque feror Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Sicut corpus pondere ita animus amore fertur quocumque fertur in Bodyes gives them their motion towards their center soe love in men but with this difference that weyght is restrained to locall motion an action of one species but love as partaking of the nature of the soul whose it is reaches to severall those of an opposit nature for all we doe proceedes from some love All our Passions are only love in a severall disguise (b) Aug. l. 14. de Civ Dei c. 7. Is the thing we love absent the love of it is called Desire Is it in danger to be post it is feare are we in aprobability of attaining it it is Hope it is looked on as irrevocable it is despayre are we stirred up to overcome th difficultyes opposing us is it Anger Doe we possesse it it is Joy doe we loose it love is changed into Greife or sadnesse c. The same love putting on these severall dresses and transforming it selfe Proteus like conformable to the nature condition of its object Soe that it would be impossible to reekon all its species Which are reduced to some heads both by Philosophers Divines Philosophers draw it to three species according to three sorts of Good Honour Profit Pleasure But much more the our purpose is the distinction of love used by Divines which in order to a morall life in this world eternall life in the next divides all mankind viz the love of God the love of our selves commonly called selfe-love We received the love of ourselves from Adam the love of God from Christ that is an effect of corrupt nature this of repayring Grace from that spring out the workes of the flesh from this grow those of the spirit That ends in death this is the seede of life By these two loves two cittyes are built (a) Aug. l. 14. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Fecerunt Civitates duas amores duo terrenam scilicet amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei caelestem verò amor Dei usque ad contemptum sui Hierusalem Babylon Heaven Hell In the next world these loves are pure for in Heaven raygnes the love of God without any selfe-love in Hell selfe-love rages without any curbe from the love of God In this life they are commonly mingled nether soe absolutely possessing the hart of man as to suppresse all motion of its corrivall For ever the greatest sinners feele some motions to good the greatest Saints must say Dimitte nobis Forgive us our sins are
or other considerable Boone when freely given the hard usage which some of your tenants complaine of from their Ecclesiasticall landlords proves sufficiently that you are not insensible to the allurements of the attractive metall Were Church men such as they ought to be the layty would have little reason to repine at their riches althô much greater then they are If they were Treasurers of the Poore Fathers to the Orphans Helps to widdows Hosts to strangers Protectors to the Oppressed common Sanctuaryes to all necessitous persons such as some are in Catholick Church s whome I know many of whome we reade To such as these Riches are no hindrance to their function they give them only occasion of doing much good practicing their Charity If you think this to be blame worthy althô Riches be soe imployed prove what you say out of Scripture excuse your owne Bishops from that crime eris mihi magnus Apollo Voluntary reall Poverty is much commended in the (a) Mat. 19.21 Ghospel we have thousands in our Church who professe it live in it you could never get ten of your communion to embrace it There is another Poverty called of Spirit commended (b) Mat. 5.3 nay (c) Mat. 19.24 commanded in the Scripture how greate soever a stranger you are to spirituall things yet you will not say that this Poverty of hart is inconsistant with effectuall riches otherwise it would be impossible for arich man to be saved A man may be a begger yet be far from that Poverty of Spirit which gives him a ryght to the kingdome of Heaven because his hart is fixt uppon things he hath not And on the contrary another man may be master of agreate part of the world yet have his hart as free from it as if he was not in the world to use the Apostles phrayse (d) 1. Cor. 7.31 use the world as if he used it not Of this sort of poore of spirit there are many in the Church always have beene Heare S. Austin l. de moribus Ecclesiae c. 35. Sunt in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ innumer abiles fideles qui hoc mundo non utuntur sunt qui utuntur tanquam non utentes there are innumerable faithfull in the Church who make no use of the world there are others who use it of if they used it not What hath the Protestant Church to say here Pride Ambition are personall vices soe belong not to this treatise Yet I will say that there have beene both Ancient Moderne Popes who have given greater examples of humility then any your Church can shew who have made appeare that their title servant of the servants of God is no compliment Sixtus V. would not owne his mother when she was brought to him in rich clothes sayng his mothers was a poore woman who never wore silkes in her life shee was ashepe heards wife The next day she being brought to him in Rags he presently acknowledged her Some of them have asserted the Priviledges of their chaire against such as in trenched on their Ryghts which may be done without any Pride at all seing they require it as due not to their owne persons but to their chair to its founders S. Peter to his superiour Christ Iesus I never heard S. Ambrose suspected of Pride for refusing to admit Theodosius the greate into the Church before his Pennance for the slaughter at Thessalonica or for excluding him the cancells after it It was a Zeale of the glory of God the good of the Church which moved him the Emperour him selfe understood it so As for precious ornaments of the Church I will owne ours to be too costly when you shall have proved that any thing is too good for God's service not till then The infinite Majesty of God is ground sufficient to oblidge us to beare him the greatest respect interiourly expresse our duty to our Creator our gratitude to soe greate a benefactour by returning to him in the best manner we can an acknowledgement of his most bountifull gifts This serves also to stirre up in the auditory submission respect adoration which otherwise would fayle CHAPTER XXVII Vnity of the Church in Faith Sacraments G.B. ownes that Protestants are Schismaticks of severity against dissenters of Hugo Grotius G.B. pag. 100. A fourth designe of Christian Religion was to unite man kind under one head into one body not by love pardoning injurys only but also by associating the faithfull into one body the Church which was to be united by bonds of love Governed by Pastors Teachers cemented with the ligaments of the Sacraments ANSWER You say something though discorderly but not all for 1. you omit Faith by which we are inserted into the body of Christ 2. You put Charity which doth not make us parts but living parts of that body whose parts we are by Faith 3. You adde Sacraments which are only exteriour signes of interiour communication 4. You confound Charity Sacraments as equally concurring to the Vnity of the Church yet there is a vast difference betwixt them the one formally quickning the members of the Church interiourly the other only effecting it interiourly testifying it exteriourly 5. Betwixt the Sacraments there is a vast difference as to this you confound them for Baptisme being our Regeneration in Christ is an efficient cause of our union with him makes us his members the others are designed only to nourish those who are already united to in him When you speake of being governed by Pastors I hope the Pope may find place amongst them he being the prime Pastor G. B. pag. 101. The Ghospel pronounceth us free no more servants of men but of God ANSW Free from the ceremoniall law of Moyses not from that of the Ghospel obedience to the Governours of the Church How changeable are your sentiments In the forgoing page 100. the Church was to be governed by Pastors Teachers now she is to obey none but God if any man pretend to command he changeth the authority of the Church into a tyrancall yoke Soe we must have Governours without authority to command subjects without any duty to obey A new model of Government G. B. pag. 101. Those things for which we withdrew from the Church are additions to our Faith Shee added to Scriptures Traditions to God Images to Christ Saints to Heaven Hell Purgatory to two Sacrament five more to the spirituall presence of Christ his corporall presence ANS Never man spake more proved lesse then you who offer not one word in proofe of these disputed points which we declare to be evident untruths Is not this a poore begging of the thing in question But they are say you additions to your Faith Did we adde to your Faith or you cut off from ours that of the whole Christian world before your deformation How
testimony of his greate Patriark W.L. who in his Relatiâ—â— pag. 77. cites with greate esteeme of them thâ— words of Minutius Felix very judiciousâ— observes that it is not credible the tru Goâ— should be forced out of his possession Mud lesse that he be constrained to utter alye owne himself to be a foule seducing Dive Can any man think that God can deny himself to such a degree Credat Iudaeus Appelld non ego I scarce wonder at the extravagâ—â— opinions of the Pagans seing E. S. G. B. can believe that Were there not some other more powerfull tye then only imaginary or pretended incredibility I should hope to see both believe Transubstantiation seing they can beleive that God can deny himselfe tell a lye professe himselfe a Divel O Blasphemy But althô in a bad humour E. S. should refuse to subscribe to his quondam Primate yet I can have recourse to a person very neere unto him even his owne deare selfe for he Orig. Sac. l. 1. c. 2. p. 32. speaking of SaÌ„coniathon says That which of all seemes the clearest in this Theology is the open owning the Originall of Idolatry to have beene from the consecration of some eminent persons after their Death who had found out some use full things for the world whilst they were living which the subtiller Greekes would not admit of viz that the Persons they worshipped were once men which made them turne all into Allegoryes mysticall senses to blind that Idolatry they were quilty of the better amongst the IgnoraÌ„t And l. 3. c. 5. he says that Saturne Iupiter Mercury Neptune Vulcan Iuno Minerva Ceres Bacchus others had beene men women He could not have given a cleerer fuller testimony of the truth of what we say the fals hood of what he delivers then is contained in those two places To what can we attribute this change in E.S. that what was before the certaine position of Idolatry should now be fals but to a desire to charge that hainouâ—sin uppon the Roman Cat. Church which falls of it selfe to the ground if Pagans Idolatry be ryghtly represented Tantae molis eratâ—â— to make Rome seeme Idolater in the eyes of his ignorant admirers Philo Biblius had reason to blame those Allegoryes to which the subtiller Greekes had recourse which made a cleere new Religion by changing the object Adored as God from some man eminent for power or vertu to Elements much inferiour to the least ost men or any living Creatures for this yeilded the cause condemned the whole Idolatrous world So Minutius Felix in Octavio pag. 16. Zenon interpretando Iunonem Area Iovem Coelum Neptunum mare ignem esse Vulcanum coeteros similiter vulgi Deos Elementaesse monstrando publicum arguit graviter revincit arrorem SECTION IV. That the Iupiter O.M. of the Greekes Romans was not the tru God MY first cheife proofe is taken from what is already sayd out of H. Scripture Fathers Protestants Pagans For those universall Propositions containe all every God of Paganisme v. C. What are the Propositions of Scripture All the Gods of the Gentils are Divels And. The Pagans sacrificed to Divels not to God What are the Propositions of E.S. One God of the Pagans was the tru God no Divel Item The sacrifices of the Pagans were offred to the tru God not to the Divel If the Logicke of E. S. can reconcile with truth two contradictions it is a rare one Till he teach us how they can stand together we will stick to the common received Axiome of Sophistes that both cannot be tru So one of these propositions must befals ether that of Scripture or that of E. S. now I desire him to declare whither he takes to be tru and whither the Lyar God or himselfe Againe Gal. 4.8 the Galatians knowing not God served those who by nature were not Gods Which are the words of the Apostle And E.S. says The Galatians knew Iupiter served him who was the tru God Wherein he directly contradicts the Scripture The like arguments myght be brought from the authoritys cited out of Fathers Protestants Pagans who assuring universally that all the Pagan Deityes were raysed from men exclude all possibility of Iupiter's being otherwise he being one of them Indeed no body ever reproached the Catholick Roman Church that it did not adore the tru God althô many pretended the adoration of the Saints to be like to that of the Pagan Idolaters adoring of their secundary Gods why then should the Pagans be absolutely sayd not to adore the tru God if they did adore him althô they joined others in alike degree of worship with him But seing E. S. G.B. pretend Iupiter to be the name of the tru God Blessed for ever more amongst the Pagans I will shew that Iupiter according to Fathers Poets Protestants was a man as well as the rest I will confirme all with E.S. his owne testimony My next proofe is taken from those who confound iupiter with the rest of the Gods Saturne Neptune Pluto c. as well as of the other Gods We have heard Tertullian assure that Saturne was the ancientest of their Gods that the rest ought their being to him thence inferred that he being a man all the rest must have beenesoe too See also Lactan. Firm. who says l. 1. c. 15. It is evident all the gods were men See Tertul. c. 10. p. 39. His words are cited above sec 3. note that Vossiusl 1. Idol c. 18 p. 139 thinks this an invincible argument to prove that by Saturne the Pagans understond Adam Now if Saturne was the ancientest of all the Pagans Gods Iupiter who is on of them is not ab aeterno eternall consequently not the tru God See Minutius Felix p 23. where Iupiter is sayd to be cast out of possest body as well as Saturne Serapis as having nothing peculiar above the rest W.L. indeed puts an emphasis uppon his name Iupiter himselfe when he translates those words which is not in the Authour at least as we have him which shews only that the Pagans had a greater veneration for Jupiter then for the rest yet without taking him out of the number of those Heathen Gods who were subject to Christians exorcismes My third proofe is from such fathers who relate his country birth death Minutius Felix pag. 17. The birth Countryes sepulchers of the Gods are shewne Dictaei Iovis Of Iupiter on the mountaine Dicte S. Cyp. l. de Idol vanit p. 204. Antrum Iovis in Creta visitur sepulchrum ejus ostenditur ab eo Saturnum fugatum esse emanifestum est You many see Iupiter's cave in Candy his sepulcher is there shewne it is undeniable that he chaced thence Saturne his father Lactantius Firmianus l. 1. div instit cap. 11. p. 39. says this Epitaph was written on his tombe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iupiter Saturni S. Cyril of
none at all Cornelius Iansenius was a Bishop soe his case is different from the rest for he had jurisdiction Yet why he should be cited amonst the Reformers I know not He hath written severall workes Mars Gallicus Annotations on the Pentateucke the Ghospels Alexipharmacum his Augnstinus His Mars Gallicus is an invective against the french designes His Annotations Augustinus doe not touch the discipline of the Church He contradicts in them some points of the doctrine of the Church defined in the Councill of Trent which drew the censure of Rome on the later worke of his yet without touching his persō who by his will submitted his Augustinus to the censure of Rome in whose communion he always lived did then dye as an obedient son of it To know the opinion he had of your faction reade his Alexipharmacum which he writ against your Brethren at Boyleduc you will see it What reason have you to complaine of sevetity used towards him I know of none His person was never toucht by any censure As for the Disciples of S. Cyran Iansenius I grant there is amongst them a spirit of independantisme And what assembly of men is entirely free from such Yet you cannot glory in them if what Mr. Brevint says in his Preface to Saul Samuel at Endor be tru that they are more dangerous to a Protestant then even Missioners or Iesuits therefore warnes all to avoyde their company Soe that even those who dislike something in us condemne you CHAPTER XXIX Other small objections G.B. pag. 112. Papists make children Bishops allow of pluralityes non-Residences commendams c. which are every day granted at Rome ANSWER Here are acompany of hard words to fryght your Reader from Rome as Birds are fryghte from corne with a rattle there is likewise more noyse then substance in both I have lived in the greatest Catholicks Princes dominions never saw nor heard of what you say is dayly done Our Canons require 30. yeares for a bishop few are made soe young most are promoted to that dignity very ancient Yet this age being determined only by Ecclesiasticall law I will not deny but that on some extraordinary motive some have beene dispensed with If you blame this see how you will excuse S. Paul who made S. Timothy Bishop of Ephesus in his youth 1. Tim. 4.12 If you condemne pluralityes in our Church how will you excuse your owne in which they are practised must the canon law be a cablerop to us a cob web to you If you dislike pluralityes begin with reforming your owne brethren his majestyes Chapplins in ordinary who can find a conscience to keepe two Benefices if they meete with a Prince who will bestow them As for non Residencys (a) Vide Aug. epist 138. I demand whither it be not lawfull for a Bishop to be absent from his Diocese in the circumstances following 1. For the good of the Church as in generall or particular Councils 2. For the good of the nation as in our Parliaments 3. For the good of their Dioceses as when Flavianus Patriarck of Antioch went to Constantinople to preserve his Episcopal seate from being ruined by appeasing Theodosius the greate offended for the throwing downe of this statues 4. For any other reason soe weyghty that evidently it may be equivalent to the good which his residence myght bring No Papists thinks them lawfull but only on such occasions for as for such who do absent themselves ether for ambition or Enuy or pleasure or friend ship or any other unlawfull designe or for some good but soe little as not to countervayle that of their duty to their flock we no lesse blame them then you our cannons for Residence are as severe as can be those often executed with the utmost rigour What doe you more Commendams offend you that is the recommending the meanes of Abbyes to those who are not monks Yet we give them only to clergy-youto mere lay men Secondly we give them only for their lives you give them to their heyres executors administrators assignes 3. We leave the Abby its legall superiors a competent subsistance for othe monks You turne them a begging out of God's Blessing into the warme sun When you have proved that it is more lawfull for you Church to steale a Goose then forours to pluck a quill I shall beleive your procedure legall outs illegall G.B. pag. 112. They struggled hard against the honest attempt of those who laboured to have had residence declared to be of Divine Ryght in the Concil of Trent ANS What myght the Catholick Church doe to please you Had she past that declaration you would have clamoured at your ordinary rate against new definitions of faith now she rejected that Definition she opposed the honest attempt to premote it she must be in the wrong those who oppose her in the ryght what ever shee or they doe because shee is the Church they a discontented paty in her In fine as the Iews proceeded with our Saviour the Bridgroome soe do you with the Bride the Catholick Church her Actions what ever they are are blamed To (a) Luke 7.32 what are the men of this generation like They are like unto children sitting in the market place saying we have piped unto you you have not danced we have mourned unto you you have not wept For doth the Church make a decree you blame her for it doth she not make it you blame her for that too But Wisdome is justifed by all her children A Conclusion of the first Beginning of the second Part. G.B. pag. 116. I have run around that greate circle I proposed to my selfe have examined the designes of Christian Religion have found greate contradiction given to them by the Dodrines of that Church ANSWER You have indeed run a round that so long that you are giddy with it as appeares by your frequent greate falls so evidently against common sense as I have all a long observed yet I have not observed all for that would have been too tedious to the Reader have taken up more time then I can bestow uppon trifles You have skewne no contradiction betwixt doctrine of the Catholick Church the designes of Christianity I have thewne their conformity But your Booke discovers a designe against Charity which is the Hart of Religion it being a heape of rash Judgments evident calumnyes or uncharitable surmizes I say nothing of your faults against reason your incoherentnotions groundlesse Judgments perpetuall sophismes because althô these are greate faults in themselves yet not considerable in presence of those others against Charity And these faults are the greater for being brought to up hold a schisme a designe contrary to Christianity it being a most certaine Truth that noman can have the love of God who withstands the union of all men in one Church Non habet
Gregory What swimmes on the surface of the mind is far different from what lyes hiddeÌ„ at the bottoÌ„ of the hart which hath the maine part in our actions some are entirely possest with the love of the vanity of this world who think they love God Soe that God alone knows amongst all those Affections we have in our wills which is predominant as for our selves we are often mistaken as Thomas à Kempis says think we are moved with zeale it is ouly passion which transports us Saep passione movemur zelum putamus You had then two Passions in your soul when you writ this booke the one swimming on the surface of your mind as S. Gregory speakes of greife for the supposed errours of the Cutholick Church The other hidden at the bottome of your hart of Hatred of Papists The first enabled you to make your protestation the second except in some very few places governed your intention Now to your Meekenesse G. B. Pag. 141. I am none of those who justify rage or bitternesse against those in errours And p. 155. We abhor the doctrine of cruel persecuting of any for their consciences The outmost we allow â—if or desire of that nature being the driving from us those who doe so disturb us ANS Wonderfull meeke sweete charitable As if BannisbmeÌ„t from our native Country Ingland of such a number as embrace the communion of the Catholick Church of all conditions wore an inconsiderable Punishment If you deale soe with those whome you pitty what will you doe with those for whome you have some Bitternesse But why must all who professe the Catholick Religion be banisht Because say you they disturbe you It seemes a dangerous businesse to disturbe a Scottish Minister which deserves banishment of all yeomans Gentlemen Squires Knyghts Baronets Barous Vicounts Earles others who are Catholicks What will be your verdict against me in case you think this booke disturbe your what tormeÌ„ts will be sharpe enough what gibet hygh enough to satisfy for this crime on an obscure man when for the like so many illustrious persons are sentenced to banishment G.B. pag. 142. My designe is to provoke pitty rather then wrath teares more then flames towards those deceived multitudes that we may pray for them rather then rayle at them ANSWER If soe never was designe worse handled G. B. p. 143. I shall not search into the depths of the mercys of God how far they may reach any of that CoÌ„munion None alive is more willing to stretch his invention for sinding out grounds to fix his Charity on then my self But all I can devise falls short ANS Your meekenesse discovers it selfe more more Before you proposed our Banishment from the Country which God appointed us for this life by ordring in it our birth now you banish us from Heaven our tru Country Soe that in the midst of your kindnesse you designe us the Punishment of Cain in this world that of the Devils in the next Is this all the effect of your stretched invention to find grounds for you Charity what destiny would you have reade us if you had not stretched it out Seing you give this occasion if your protetestation be sincere you cannot be offended that I helpe your invention by shewing a ground for your Charity to fix on by alleadging those vere probable reasons why Catholicks doe not embrace your communion CHAPTER XXXV Reasons why Catholicks doe not embrace the communion of the Protestant Church OUr B. Saviour (a) Mat. 7.15 warnes us to beware of those who come to us in sheepes clothing but are interiourly ravenous wolues gives us a signe to know them by their workes Catholickes considered the workes of the first Reformers by them Judged of their persons whither they were sheepe or wolues Imprimis they had a greate motive to suspect the whole Reformation because the occasion opf it was evidently reprochfull In Germany Luther's motive was emulation betwixt his order the Dominicans Enuy that these later should have the preaching of the Jubily In Ingland lust begun it under Henry VIII Avarice Pride compleated it under Edward VI. By whome was is most hotly embraced promoted By Apostatas in whome the flesh prevailed over the spirit the first step they made was shaking of the yoke of obedience to their lawfull superiors to become independants This is one sacriledge which was accompanyed with two others breaking their vows of Chastity Poverty What motives did they use to draw People to joyne with them Propose Liberty from all Ecclesiasticall laws that were any way burthersome or contrary to sensuality as fasting praying on certaine days Pennances c. freeing men from the obligation of Divine laws by teaching they were impossible rejecting some of them in particular as that for Confession Indulging sensualitys trampling on all that seemed burthensome under pretence of Christian liberty What effects followed the Reformation A neglect of god's counsels an insensibility of his Inspirations a contempt of Religion an unwillingnesse to be ruled Rebellion in Church state a loosing of the spirit of Prayer a slyghting of all good workes anentire abandoning theÌ„selves to bad ones The lyght of the Ghospel promist that darkned with irreligious interpretations the word of God held forth a greate part of it cut off A Reformation pretended in the Church the Church robbed of its revenues the Church worship purged the cheife action of it Sacrifice abolisht the glory of God promist his sacred name by blasphemy prophaned Faith soe commended as by it Hope was destroyed by Presumption Charity by Schisme In fine if any thing like zeale appeared in the first times of Reformation it shewed it selfe by Avarice Rapine Sacriledge Pride Dissensions Schismes Rebellious Incontinences Drunkennesse in a word Libertinisme Which the sincerer part of your communion deplore with tru teares not with such as you shee l for our errours If these are the workes of sheepe what are the workes of wolues And if by workes we must Iudge of men what could they say of these Reformers Letus lay aside what is past looke on what is present Is it not tru that though you talke much of Christianity yet all markes of it seeme blotted out of the lives of your flock That therenever was more impurity in marriages more corruption in familyes more debauchery in youth more ambition amongst the rich more Pride amongst the Gentry more Dishonesty in commerce more sophistication in marchandises more deceipt amongst tradesmeÌ„ more intemperance amongst all That fornication is thought a peccadillo adultery good fortune Chastity a reproach te the sex cheating treachery court vertu Impiety libertinisme strength of wit Oathes blasphemys or naments of our language perpetuall gaming a lawfull divertisment for men contempt of their husbands neglect of the Education of their children of the care of their familys a
deluded admirers is like those Nurses who wanting Milke entertaine their children with rattles bibs some insignificant nourriture In reality there seemes to be as much difference betwixt the spirituall food souls receive in the Catholick Church that of Protestants as there is betwixt the nourriture a child receives sucking a breast stretched with milke that he gets by sucking a moistned finger Which shall be further shewen in the CHAPTER XXXVII No Houses of devotion nor spirituall Bookes Amongst Protestants G. B. p. 145. A tentation to become Papists is the solitary retired houses among them for leading a devout strict life the excellent bookes of Devotion have beene publisht by many of that communion p. 147. I deny not that is the greatest defect of the reformation t at there are not in it such encouragements to a devout life p. 148. It is not to be denyed to be agreate defect that we want recluse houses But it fixeth no imputation on our Church her doctrine or worship that shee is soe poore as not to be able to mantaine such Seminarys ANSWER This is as pretty a sophisme of non causa pro causâ as I have seene As if the small number of Inglish Catholicks were richer then the whole body of Protestants for we have founded many geate familyes of Religious you with all your industry could never settle one There are reasons for your Churchs being soe unsuccessefull in these attempts without doubt as reall tru as that which you give is false it shall be my worke to lay them out before you The first cheifest reason is a Judgment of God Almyghty uppon you forbreaking up dispersing soe many houses of Piety God was served in those houses he was offended with that sacriledge there fore denyes you that Blessing of which you are unworthy A second each one had rather keepe his meanes to himself then see them passe against his will to another lay family for whome he hath nokindnesse If any give it to God Religion they designe it should continue there which cannot be expected in Ingland as long as the memory is fresh of Henry VIII Elizabeth A third the foundation of your Reformation is inconsistent with a superstructure of Religion or living in community together Men cannot live together without a setled rule or order establisht peculiar to that manner of life proper for it Your Reformation is inconsistent with this it teaching to reject all humane injunctions as contrary to Christian liberty When out of that principle you have taught men to despise all decrees even of generall counsils received by the whole Church confirmed by the practice of many ages how can you hope they should esteeme Rules given by moderne new men A fourth your doctrine denying all merits or Reward due to our actions Hopes of advantage encourages us to labour our industry is dulled assoone as those vanish S. Ambrose thinks the Novatians unreasonable who preacht Pennance denyed the fruit of it l. 1. de Poenit. c. 16. Frustra dicitis vos praedicare Poenitentiam qui tollitis lib. 2. c. 3. Merendi gratia Sacramenti ad precandum impellimur hoc auferre vultis propter quod agitur Poenitentia Tolle gubernatori perveniendi spem in mediis fluctibus incertus errabit Tolle luctatori coronam lentus jacebit in stadio Tolle piscatori capiendi essicaciam desinet jactare retia In hopes of arriving at his Heaven the Pilot steeres his ship the wrastler strives in hope to throw his adversary The fisher casts his nets in hope of catching some fish All these would relent were they perswaded the thing they aimed at were impossible How then doe you expect that men should practice good workes when you teach them to hope for no good from them It were indeede to be wisht that men would serve God for God without regarding any reward But that is a perfection all doe not arrive to And even the best are faine to use some other motives A fifth your clergy is utterly unfit to Direct Instruct such houses our workes have a greater influence on our neyghbour then our words S. Hierome thought it incongruous that a man with a full belly should preach fasting And how can a man preach chastity to others who comes himself from the embraces of his wife if he hath one or hath his head full of Amourettes designes to get one if he be a batchelour It is in vaine therefore that you seeke the advantage of those with-drawing places from the noyse trouble of the world to those Devout Solitudes your lives are not fit for them your doctrine is inconsistent with them your past actions have shut that dore of mercy unto you As for Bookes of Devotion The Authour of the Fiat Lux says you have printed severall such composed by ours under your owne names Soe you hang us cherish our writings as the Jews stoned the Prophets canonized their bookes You owne we have many excellent Bookes All the world sees you have scarce any nor can rationally hope for any For He who writes a spirituall Booke ought to aime at two things the first to instruct the understanding with divine eternall Truths The second to move the will to a hatred of sin a contempt of the world to the love of God above all things The first may be an effect of study but the second cannot be attained unto unlesse the Authour be such himself He must as S. John be (a) Io. 5.35 a Burning shining lyght Burne to God by a tru unfeigned love of him Shine to men by the cleere truths which he delivers He must feele with in himselfe those motions which he endeavours to communicate to his Reader Si vis me flere dolendum est primum ipsi tibi A soul possest with hope with feare with joy with greife with love with hatred in fine with any passion doth expresse not only the thoughts but the passion it selfe with tropes proper by which meanes it not only informes the understanding but also stirs the will of the hearer or reader to like inclinations Reade Seneca's epistles or other morall workes or Cicero's you shall find agreate many excellent Truths Yet I never knew any man the better in his morality for them As they themselves notwithstanding those lyghts were farre from being Good men as you may see in Lactantius l. 3. divin Instit from the 13. Chapter On the contrary the reading of Saint's workes hath a greate force to move us to Good S. Austin l. 8. Confess cap. 6. says some were converted by reading the life of S. Antony severall have have taken serious resolutions of leading a Christian life by reading those Confessions And I have knowne Several moved to love mentall Prayer by Reading S. Teresa's workes to the love of God by using those of S. Francis de Sales This is
in their hart mouth that is to say very neere or easy S. John 1. Jo 5.3 to the same intent sayd the Commandments were lyght with this motive we encourage ours Two things may be answered to this reason first that some of ours have taught that doctrine secondly that some of yours doe not teach it To the first I reply that I ansenius indeed did hold it but was immediatly condemned by the Pope the whole Church soe his doctrine doth not discourage ours And to the second your Church never made any solemne decree against it nay it ownes Communion with those who teach it soe the discouragement lyes with you Secondly your excessive exagerations of faith as all sufficient to salvation your neglect of other vertues good workes may encline to faith but stirres up to no labour for other vertues as being of no necessity no greate use now we place faith in the rank S. Paul assignes it (a) 1. Cor. 12. at the feete of Charity with S. James we teach that (b) Iac. 2.26 with out workes it is dead We owne with the Apostle that without Faith nothing can be done in order to eternall blisse because (c) Heb. 11.6 it impossible to please God without it with it alone nothing considerable is done Hence we teach our People too keepe their Faith as the Apple of their eye but withall to cherish Charity as their Hart. Thirdly Hope of advantage is a greate spurre to vertu this encourages the souldier in his battells the marchant is his voyages the Husband man in his labours whose endeavours would slacken was there no corne no gaine by marchandise nor victory to be hoped for Now we teach that through the Passion of Christ by the promise of God a reward is due to good workes you deny this pretending that nothing is due to the best of them but Hell damnation they being all sins Soe our doctrine encourages to good workes yours dishartens them Fourthly what soever doctrine diminishs the feare of the punishment due to sin is contrary to vertu because that feare is a greate curbe to our Passions Now your doctrine doth diminish that feare for you teach that faith secures to you your act of oblivion your full pardon soe that those who beleive soundly neede feare nothing Faith having a vertu to blot out all sins G. B. pag. 154. We cannot be charged for having taught our People to breake any one Commandment ANSWER You seeme charged for teaching them indirectly to breake them all saying the keeping them is impossible in it selfe fruitlesse if they should be kept their breach not prejudiciall G. B. pag. 160. Bad practices may furnish matter for regret but not for separation ANSWER It is tru when where principles of religion are contrary to such practices But when these bad customes are naturall sequels of the doctrine necessarily flow from it not only the practices are to be detested but likewise the doctrine whence they flow is to be abhorred as pernicious to souls the Church which teaches them as doctrine ether necessary to be beleived or even probable in practice what soever Church it be is to be forsaken as the Chaire of Pestilence Si quid de Tuo Deus meus dictum est agnoscant Tui Si quid de Meo tu ignosce tui Aug. AN INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS Chapt. 1. MR. G. B. his designe his disposition when be writ this booke of the Wickednesse of the world Pag. 1 Chapt. 2. Of Antichrist Pag. 6 Chapt. 3. The tru designes of Christian Religion Pag. 11 Chapt. 4. G. B.'s explication of the Designes of Religion Pag. 15 Chapt. 5. Of the Characters of Christian Doctrine Pag. 19 Chapt. 6. Scriptures supprest Pag. 23 Chapt. 7. Idolatry of Pagans Pag. 30 Section 1. Pagans thought their Idols to be Gods Pag. 31 Sect. 2. The beginning occasion of Idolatry Pag. 41 Sect. 3. What were the Pagan Gods that the Pagan Gods had been men Pag. 52 Sect. 4. The Roman Grecian Jupiter was not the tru God Pag. 68 Sect. 5. Whither all Pagans beleived one God Pag. 84 Sect. 6. Of the unknowne God at Athens p. 98 Chapt. 8. How G. B. proves Catholicks Idolaters p. 104 Chapt. 9. Of Mediating Spirits p. 107 Chapt. 10. Of the Intercession of Saints p. 116 Chapt. 11. Pretended charmes of Holy-water wax-Candles Agnus Dei's p. 126 Chapt. 12. Of Ceremonyes p. 130 Chapt. 13. Scripture the Church of the Resolution of Faith p. 137 Chapt. 14. Of Merits p. 151 Chapt. 15. Punishments due to sin forgiven p. 153 Chapt. 16. Of Purgatory p. 157 Chapt. 17. Preistly Absolution p. 166 Chapt. 18. Of Pennances p. 171 Sect. 1. Fasting p. 172 Sect. 2. Prayer p. 175 Sect. 3. Pilgrimages p. 178 Sect. 4. Two Objections answered p. 182 Chapt. 19. Sacrifice of the Masse p. 183 Chapt. 20. Regall Office of Christ of Transubstantiation Dispensing in vows c. p. 188 Chapt. 21. Love its two species Repentance mortall veniall sins Attrition Contrition p. 192 Chapt. 22. Theologicall Vertues p. 200 Sect. 1. Of Faith Heresy p. 201 Sect. 2. Of Hope Presumption p. 206 Sect. 3. Of Charity p. 209 Sect. 4. Answer to what G. B. objects p. 212 Chapt. 23. Efficacy of Sacraments p. 215 Chapt. 24. Probable opinions good intentions of the Authour of the Provinciall Letters p. 217 Chapt. 25. Papists doe not allow to breake the commandments p. 225 Chapt. 26. Riches Pride of Churchmen p. 230 Chapt. 27. Vnity of the Church in Faith Sacraments G. B. owne Protestants to be Schisinaticks severity against dissoniers of Hugo Grotius p. 235 Chapt. 28. Zeale of souls in our Bishops Reformers of S. Cyran Arnaud Jansenius p. 241 Chapt. 29. Small Objections Residency commendams p. 254 Conclusion of the first beginning of the second part p. 257 Chapt. 30. Catholick Faith how delivered Rules to know Tradition Faith never changed The dispute betwixt Mr. Arnaud Mr. Claude p. 260 Chapt. 31. Revelations miracles p. 269 Chapt. 32. Whither all Mysterys of Faith Common p. 276 Chapt. 33. Faith not dependant on senses p. 283 Chapt. 34. Mr. G. B. Intention Meekenesse p. 289 Chapt. 35. Reasons why Cat. embrace not the communion of the Protestant Church p. 296 Chapt. 36. Greater exercise of Piety amongst Catholicks then amongst Protestants p. 304 Chapt. 37. No houses of devotion nor spirituall Bookes amongst Protestants p. 310 Chapt. 38. Protestant Doctrines contrary to Piety p. 318 A Catalogue of some Authors whose Pages are cited in this worke with the places where yeares when they where printed I name only those Authors whose Pages I cite by reason that their treatises being long or not divided into Chapters the places I use would not be otherwise easily found Authors Where Printed in what yeare Aristotle Parisiis 1619. Arnobius Parisiis 1666. Athenagoras
ptompts you to make such a map of the fargreatest part of Christianity This will appeare more cleerely when we come to consider your charge in retayle examin your proofes when we see you are forced to seeke them in the obscure withdrawing roomes of man's hart which are inaccessible to all but God of which neverthelesse you speake as confidently as if God had lead you by the hand into them made you partaker of his knowledge Purgatory was invented on designe to enrich the clergy Transubstantiation on designe to make it more esteemed The primacy of the Pope on designe of Grandeur c. And although we vouch Scripture for all these points yet you are pleased to say we doe not ground them on Scripture but on Ambition Avarice Nay you not only faine proofes for our Doctrines but fix on us Doctrines themselves which we disowne as that we teach to breake the Commandments Soe that we may professe that all that is ugly dismall in the Scene of Horrour Misery which you represent comes from your owne pincell is an effect of your owne brayne See what is your temper how much your Reader is oblidged to you CHAPTER II. Of Anti-Christ G. B. pag. 3. Being warned of so much danger to the Christian Religion it is a necessary enquiry to see if this AntiChrist be yet come or if we must looke for another ANSWER Doe you then think it as necessary to know AntiChrist as to know Christ That you expresse your earnestnesse in enquiring after AntiChrist in those words (a) Luk. 7.19 of S. John the Baptist's inquest after the Messias Nay yours are more pressing urgent then those of that greate Saint for he sayd only Art thou he that should come or Looke we for another But you say or must we Looke for another As if it were a more pressing duty to enquire after the AntiChrist then the Messias We are warned indeed of Anti-Christ we are also warned of the danger hanging over the Church from (b) Mar. 13.21.22 false Prophets false Christs Who should say Loe here is Christ Loe he is there All Sectarys pretend to him You will doubtlesse say he is in your Prelaticall Church the Presbyterian says he is in his Assemblyes The independant is for his conventicles the Quaker Claimes him also What shall a Roman Catholike doe what choice shall he make Our Blessed Saviour having forewarned us of the danger armes us against it Ne credideritis beleive none of them but sticke to the old Doctrine the Catholick Church Which I cite as more against you then any thing you can bring against us out of your contemplations on Anti-Christ or the Apocalypse to which you would never recurre had you any cleere grounds against us in Scripture I suspect the cause of any man which to decide a suite-in-law produces obscure dubious for that reason insignificant deedes I should on that score had others beene wanting suspect the cause of the sectaryes millenarians fift-monarky-men the like And that reason is sufficient to make me suspect you who recurre to those obscure Prophecyes of the AntiChrist which at best are extremely obscure as appeares by the errours grounded on it as you acknowledge For you say G.B. pag. 3. Some have stretched the notion of AntiChristiamisme so far that things harmlesse innocent come with in its compasse others have too much contracted it that they myght scape free ANSWER It seemes the limits of the notion of AntiChristianisme are very arbitrary soing they are extn ded or contracted according not to Scripture or Tradition but to the fancy caprichio of every pragmaticall Heade When you consider more impartially the things harmelesse Innocent which you blame in us as AntiChristian very probably you will find your selfe to be of the number of those who stretch its notion beyond its nature those limits which God hath designed for it G. B. pag. 3. AntiChristianisme is not only a bare contradiction to some branches or parts of the Ghospel but a designe entire complex of such opinions practices as are contradictory to subversive of the power life of Christianity ANSWER Never did Junior Sophister amongst illiterate Pesants deliver his sentiments or Apollo amongst his deluded Adorers speake his Oracles more magisterially then you deliver your Opinions in controverted matters of Faith for such is this point seing it is delivered in Scripture there are such variety of perswasions concerning it's tru meaning as you your selfe sayd even now You give us a new notion of it what Scripture what Tradition what decree of a Councill what father doe you alleadge for it None Not soe much as any reason offred Is not this to Lord it over the faith of your Reader To beg the thing in question to expect the world should be so stupid as to be taken with such a slyght That you should meete with beleife because you boldly assert To your bare assertion I will oppose my negation why should not my negation be be of as much weyght as your affirmation Especially seing I speake with all those whome you blame for enlarging or contracting too much the notion of AntiChristianisme you stand alone I confirme my negation with Scripture 1. Jo. 4.3 where those are sayd to be AntiChrist who deny Christ's coming in the flesh Which is only one article of Christianity how soever it be of the most fundamentall Yet let us grant what you soe confidently beg that Anti-Christianisme is acomplex of opinions opposed to the power life of Christianity I know none who hath better title to it then your Reformation for the life of Christianity is Faith Charity you have destroyed the first by Heresy the second by Schisme as shall be proved hereafter Children delyght in Edged tooles which serve only to cut their fingers you your brethren use weapons against us which wound your selves Fatall Experience myght have taught you more discretion then to be still mouing that stone which hath once crusht both your Church state to pieces And truly the reproch of Anti-Christian will fall on your Church if proved against ours For say what you please of the ancient Britans the first Apostles of the Inglish who brought us the light of Faith planted the Ghospel amongst us came from Rome The Hierarchy you pretend to came from thence By authority from the Pope my Lord of Canterbury is Primate my Lord of London is his Suffragan By the same authority the Country is divided into Dioceses your Deanes Chapters setled your universityes founded severall degrees instituted in them If the Pope be the AntiChrist both universitys Hierarchy amongst you is AntiChristian More over the Livings you enjoy were for the most part if not altogether given by the pious liberality of Persons who profest that Faith we professe lived dyed in the Communion of