as a good Consciâ—nce obliges me revoke since they are built only on suspicions not sufficient to warrant me to be a Iudge of his Intentions And this satisfaction I hope will deserve to be esteemed cordial and becoming a Christian because it is thus publickly made by me being at too great a distance to apprehend any danger from his resentment whereas the sharp language I then used towards him when I was obnoxious to the effects of his Choler To conclude this present argument I desire you Honoured Sir to reflect on that well known saying better becoming the Wise Laelius than a Comical Poet â— Omnes quibus res sunt minùs secundae magis sunt nescio quo modâ— suspiciosi Ad Contumeliam omâ—iâ— accipiunt magis Propter suam impotentiam se semper credunt negligi ¶ 4. A Religious Profession pretended to be inconsistent with my Fidelity to His Majesty 46. AFter you had so generously laid an eternal Obligation on Dr. Stillingfleet by so publick a condemnation of me for my incivilities towards him you proceed to a charge against me of a far higher nature accusing I should say arraigning me for having renounced my Subjection to the King by being a Benedictin and consequently chusing other Superiours to my self with Obedience to whâ—m my Obedience to the King you say is inconsistent so that I am so obnoxious to the Laws that I cannot securely live one day or set my foot in England c. 47. Sir if by my professing my self a Benedictin and moreover that I am obliged by Vow to obey my Superiours all which I cannot deny your inference be concluding that I am a Traytor to His Majesty God have mercy on my Soul I do not pretend to have any skill in our Statute Laws notwithstanding I never yet heard any one say that the meer being of a Religious Order was declared Treason in England for upon that account a Benedictin Lay brother would be as obnoxious to the Title and punishment of a Traytor as a Priest Besides this the French Benedictins of whose Fidelity to their King you have a good opinion mâ—ke the same Profession of Obedience to their Superiâ—urs without the least jealousie conceived by that State But however the matter stands as to the Dâ—claration of Law I â—eâ—e protest in the presence of God that if I had any suspition that my Vow of Obedience to Regular Superiâ—urs did in any degree prejudice my Obligation of Fidelity to the King either by Nature or Religion nâ—y if I were not certain of the contrary the next Line here to be added should be a renunciation of the Title of a Benedictin and a râ—vocation of the Vow of Regular Obedience 48. I will add further if I had not been assured that by the Profession of being a Member of the Roman Catholick Church I should continue as dutiful and obedient a Subject to His Majesty as ever I had been I had never before my Conversion so much as enquired into the Truth of other Cathâ—lick Doctrines 49. Nay yet farther Sir since I am fallen almost unawares into the humour of protesting though no Protestant I will be yet more bold to protest sincerely That if I were not entirely satisfied yea assured that noâ— the least Obligation of acknowledging any Temporal Authority in the Pope over this Kingdom was imposed on English Catholick Priests Secular or Regular by vertue of their receiving Ordination in and from the Church of Rome and likewise that the spiritual Jurisdiction exercised by them in vertue of such Ordination did in no measure prejudice or abridge the Civil Authority justly inherent in Monarchs of what Religion soever I should esteem them very unfit and dangerous Directors of the Souls of His Majesties Subjects and deservedly obnoxious to the utmost penalty of the Laws here enacted against them 50. Now what greater assurance can any one have of this than from a Consideration First That in all Catholick Kingdoms and States where the Supreme Magistrates are jealous enough of their Temporal Rights such Ordinations are not only pâ—rmitted but allowed and enjoined And Secondly That all the same Acts of Spiritual Iurisdiction exercised by Catholick Priests are also exercised by Pâ—otestant Ministers over His Majesties Subjects For these also by vertue of their Ordination do lawfully and validly as they absolutely perswade themselves administer Sacraments absolve Penitent Sinners and I direct Souls in the way to Heaven c. Which Functions you will not surely say to be conferred on them by the King but only that the King permits them to receive them from the Bishop who only can communicate to others the Spiritual Faculties which himself has received from His Superiour the Archbishop 51. Truly Sir the innocence of Catholick Priests in this matter is to me so evident that I believe not any of them but durst commit themselves to the judgment of Dr. Stillingfleet himself but upon this condition that by the great interest you now certainly have in him you could obtain from him a sincere resolution of these few Proposals which I am sure he is able to give viz. 1. Whether among the several Sects with whom he received his Education and Learning the respective Ministers do not exercise all the foresaid Spiritual Faculties and Iurisdictions 2. Since it is certain that such Faculties have been conferred on thâ—m neither by the King nor Bishop but on the contrary are absolutely forbidden by all our Laws both Ecclesiastical and Temporal Whether he esteems the said Ministers to deserve therefore the name and punishment of Traytors 3. With what confidence they can take the Oath of the Kings Supremacy in all Causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil 4. Whether he can demonstrate and if he can he is earnestly desired that he would do it that the difference in these regards between Catholick Priests and Dissenting Ministers is so great that the former deserve only the name of Traytors 5. This if he affirm he ought also to demonstrate that it is incomparably more dangerous to the King that Spiritual Functions should be received and this not immediately from one Person a thousand miles distant than from God knows how many in the Bowels of the Kingdom 52 If you will still oppose to poor Cathâ—licks alone the Laws of the Kingdâ—m which allow these Acts of Spiritual Iurisdictiâ—n in Prâ—testant Ministers and scarce punish them in Presbyterians but make them Treâ—sâ—n only in Catholick Priests To this terrible Objection what Answer can be given but either a silent patience or the same which the Apostles gave when convened before the Sanedrim And truly Honoured Sir if I were so happy as to see such a person as your self sitting in a high Place of Iudicature and were also a Priest arraigned before you for receiving and exercising such a Iurisdiction I should not be much apprehensive of a black Sentence from a Iudge in his own disposition compassionate and who by many years experience has
hence you being perswaded that it is more do wish that all English Catholicks who you think have a Religion different from that in other Catholick States would give an evidence and security of and for their Fidelity to his Majesty by disclaiming all kind of subjection to another Spiritual Sovereign as their fellow Subjects do yea as hath been done lately even by Catholick Subjects in France 101. These noble Sir are the Proposals at least as many of them as concern me at present which you have thought fit to make to the end to oblige me by my resolution of them to discover whether the suspicions you seem to have of the defect in Loyalty not of my self only but of my Superiours and Brethren also be not justly grounded I am willing to give you herein the best satisfactâ—on I am able And truly Sir were it not for the first Proposal I should heartily wish that as I do not at all doubt but that you are indeed a Person of Honour I could also be assured that you were of Great Authority in Publick Counsels for then I might hope that God would make an instrument of his great goodness to us such a Person who has generously in such circumstances as we are at the present declared his judgment that in case we could justifie our Loyalty we should not for our dissenting otherways from the Religion of the State be the only persons excluded from his Majesties gracious Indulgence and the rights of Free-born Subjects 102. In order now to the satisfaction I desire to give you Sir I will in the first place consider the first proposal which I conceive you intended for a foundation on which you build a perswasion that we ought to renounce an acknowledgment of any authority at all though purely spiritual assumed by the Pope over his Majesties Subjects 103. Hereto therefore I say that as to the distinction you have framed between a Religion of State and Christianity considered according to its essentials which last only you seem to affirm to be unalterable it being a distinction never before heard of by me and now aâ—so not perfectly understood I know not wâ—ll what Answer to make In discoursing on this subject you seem to make your State-Religion to regard external discipline Ceremonies Solemnities c. And for such matters it will be easily granted that the Sovereign Temporal Prince may if need be interpose himself in the ordering of them for the convenience of his people in case this may be done without endangering a Schism from the Body of Christianity But you extend your State-Religion yet farther so as to contain Doctrines also such as are not essential to a Christian Profession which you say may be altered by the Prince with Advice of his National Clergy and errors removed how long soever continued and how largely soever dispersed This may also pass upon condition first that neither the Prince nor his Clergy take upon them to judge those Doctrines to be errors which the Vniversal or Patriarchal Church of which they are subordinate members doth teach and hath Synodically established And next that they will submit their decisions to a future judgment of the Vniversal or Patriarchal Church For otherwise all Vnity all Authority Ecclesiastical and all Order in Gods Church will be utterly dissolved 104. And whereas you demand of Catholicks that they explain what is the full extent of that Spiritual Power which they acknowledge in the Pope over England c. you must permit me to say that to give an account exactly of all the several Acts of Spiritual Iurisdiction belonging to the Pope over all within his Patriarchate would require perhaps several months study But I suppose the intent of this demand may more easily be satisfied by saying in the first place That since even the greatest Princes are not Spiritual Pastors â— but subject as to their souls to the Iurisdiction of their lawful Pastors an exemption from which would not be a priviledge but a misery And again since the Pope considered but even as a Patriarch has of right belonging to him a Spiritual Iurisdiction and power to inflict Spiritual Censures on all persons subâ—ect to him even Princes also according to their demerits we therefore conceiving it an unquestionable Truth that England is comprehended within the Western Patriarchate must also affirm that the Pope's Spiritual Iurisdiction extends to us also But then in the next place we also confidently affirm that by Virtue of this Spiritual Iurisdiction inherent in the Pope the Temporal Rights and Power of the King or even of the meanest of his Subjects are not at all abridged or prejudiced This assertion Sir you cannot but know has always been maintaine in France the Pope not contradicting it Hence it follows that it is agreeable to Catholick Religion And why English Catholicks should be suspected not to be as tender of the just Rights and precious Lives also of their Sovereign as the Catholick Subjects of any other Kingdom and why they should be thought to be willing to acknowledge any Temporal power Direct or Indirect to be inherent in the Pope over the King or Kingdom to which not any Catholick Gentleman or Nobleman would submit I cannot imagine And truly Honoured Sir I do extremely wonder upon what grounds you should suspect any Catholicks disposed to betray the Rights and Honour of our Sovereign or our Ecclesiasticks unwilling to touch upon this Point concerning the Popes Temporal Power which you say is the Hinge upon which all other Controversies between Protestants and English Catholicks do so entirely hang and depend that if that only were taken off all the rest would quickly fall to the ground 105. Noble Sir if ever you read this Apology you will find that it is published permissu Superiorum and therefore what I shall now write on this special subject you may please to consider not as the inconsiderable opinion of one particular person only I do now therefore assure you that there is not any one Point of Controversie upon which we more earnestly desire to be summoned to give an account before equal Iudges than this But withal permit me I beseech you to say that though in many regards none could be more fit to sit on that Tribunal than your self yet one Principle you seem to have imbibed which would undo us all For you will not be content with our justifying our selves to be Loyal Subjects unless we will be Herodians also you will not be content that we should give to Caesar the things which belong to Caesar unless we give him those things which belong to God too We do willingly acknowledge that all Christian Kings not of England only have in some sense a kind of Spiritual Authority â— that they ought to be Nursing Fathers to God's Church that God expects from them that they should promote true Christian Doctrine both touching Faith and Manners that they should employ their Kingly Power when occasion
seen how far the Catholick Clergies Iurisdiction reaches and how little jealousie it gives to other great Kings exceedingly tender of their Royal Authority And in case I were condemned I should say within my self The Iudge who has according to the Laws condemned me for a supposed Crime called of late Treason in England and no where else in the World being forced to pronounce the sentence of Death against me upon the verdict of a dozen silly ignorant Mechanicks or Peasants yet I verily believe he knows or might know very well that the same sentence was as justly that is very unjustly pronounced by Nero Domitian Dioclecian c. Roman Emperours against the Apostles and their Successours S. Ignatius S. Policarp S. Cyprian c. For all these and hundreds more such assumed and exercised a far greater Spiritual Iurisdiction in their judgment doubtless without any wrong to Princes For they administred Sacraments congregated Churches prâ—ached and converted yea empower'd others to preach and convert thousands to a Religion expresly contrary to and by many Sanguinary Laws condemned in all the Countries where they travelled yet â—e esteems them glorious Martyrs and me an infamous Traytor Deo gratias ¶ 5. Reviling Reproaches of the Church and Clergy of England objected against me 53. ANother heavy Charge against me often repeated with great Indignation by you Noble Sir is as you term it My defying the Laws of the Kingdâ—m traducing the Government treating the Bishopsâ— and the Reverend Clergy and the Christian Religion that is estâ—blished there by Law and all the Profâ—ssors of it with those scoffs and derision and contempt as if they weâ—e Turks and Pagans c. Further by pretending to prâ—ve that the very nature and essence of the English Church it self and its Religion is pure putid Fanaticism In a word I am accused of a constant reviling and malice towards the Church in which I received my Baptism Now the guilt of this crime you extend to all the Books published by me The least faulty in your opinion was my first stiled Exomologesis but that also in a second Edition was enlarged you say with additions â—specially of reproaches against the Church of England and virulent Expressions against the Clergy of that Church 54. Sir I should despair of being able to make any tolerable Apology for my self against this heinous imputation but that I hope you will think it just that I should divide my Plea which regards my last Book against Doctor Stillingfleet from all the rest Now an account of the necessity of making such a Separation and the reasonableness of it I will not long defer 55. First then touching my Exomologesis take whether Impression of it you please excepting one most highly honoured Friend whose Name I must take leave to conceal you are the only person who has condemned me for my acrimony in it yet without selecting any detâ—rminate guilty passage in it I had many other Friends of the Protestant Clergy whose friendship and kindness to me never received the least abatement upon that account on the contrary they comparing my stile with that of several other Catholick Controvertists expressed their satisfaction in my moderation I will only name two very knowing and in a singular manner intimate Friendsâ— the first is Doctor Earles lately Lord Bishop of Salisbury all the tender effects of whose friendshipâ— I may add of his bounty also I enjoyed till God took him away a person certainly of the sweetest most obliging nature that lived in our Aâ—e 56. The second whom I may securely name bâ—cause he is also dead for out of due respect to some worthy Prelates alive I must â—â—me them only in my Prayers is Doctor Hammond To whom I being at Paris caused my Exomologesis as soon as printed to be sent and presented He in a short kind Letter gave me thanks and without the least exception against the stile gave this judgment of it That an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that was his expression did privily run through the whole contexture of the Book He did not further interpret wherein that fallacy confâ—ted But added We are Friends and I do not purpose to be your Antagonist Alas how happy had we been if Catholick Religion since it must be opposed had been combated only by such Antagonists as he was Indâ—ed it would cause not only wonder but indignation in any ingenuous man to see such a person as Doctor Hammond treated with scorn contempt and virulence 57. One clause more there was in Doctor Hammond's Letter which I judge expedient to add partly in gratitude to his memory and also upon occasion of your telling the world that it was not devotion but necessity and a want of subsistence which drove me first out of the Church of England and then into a Monastery He at the end of his Letter kindly invited me into England assuring me I should be provided of a convenient place to dwell in and a sufficient subsistence to live comfortably and withal that not any one should molest me about my Religion and Conscience I had reason to believe that this invitation was an effect of a cordial friendship and I was also informed that he was well enabled to make good his promise as having the disposal of great Charities and being the most zealous Promoter of Alms-giving that lived in England since the Change of Religion Yet rendring such thanks as gratitude required of me I told him that I could not accept of so very kind an offer being engaged almost by vow to leave all pretensions to the world and to embrace poverty for my portion Now besides such a Friend as this I had many more several near His Majesty among whom one especially there was of the highest rank to whom formerly upon the Rebellion in Ireland I being destitute of a present subsistence must acknowledge all gratitude due for by his care alone I was provided of a condition both honourable and comfortable So that if I had lost all other Friends I had reason to assure my self he would have freely contributed rather than extremity of want should have forced me to quit the world Moreover at the same time I received great Testimonies of favour from Her late Gracious Majesty the Queen-Mother of happy memory an indifferent Recommendation from whom to the Court of France could not fail to have procured me a convenient subsistence But truly I never sollicited her or any other for such Liberality True it is that meerly of her own accord she was pleased at my leaving Paris to assign me an hundred Crowns to furnish me in my journey towards a Monastery But this by the way 58. Whereas Sir you affirm that in the second Edition of my Exâ—mologesis there are many Additions especially of reproaches against the Church of England c. And moreover that to a person expostulating with me Why I left out the Protestation of Obedience and a Discourse touching
younger years enjoyed in Oxford That which he esteemed both most false and injurious was my saying That the Presbyterians had constrained the whole Kingdom to forswear the Religion in which they had been bred But truly under favour I do not understand wherein this Expression was either false or injurious to Loyal Protestants For certain it is that at the time to which that Speech had relation the King's Enemies were de facto Masters of the Kingdom and that all the Authority and Power both at Westminster and in the Field were employed most unjustly to constrain all men to swear to the Scottish Covenant In which they so far prevailed that the whole face of the Kingdom both as to Doctrine and Discipline was entirely changed and become Presbyterian And this was all that I did or could mean by that expression the truth whereof was too too manifest To whom therefore any injury was done by me in that passage I cannot yet imagine For though it was too true that the whole Kingdom as to the publick profession and practise had forsworn the former established Religion yet it does not hence follow neither had I the least thought of inferring such a consâ—quence that all yea or that any considerable number of English Protestants had subscribed and sworn to the Covenant no more than that Roman Catholicks had done so On the contrary I knew that both the English Clergy and Protestant Gentry had generally suffered the loss of their Churches and Estates for refusing to take the Covenant and to acknowledge the Vsurpers Authority â— Neither had I the least thought that â—he foresaid publick Change introduced by Violence and Tyranny had diminished the Right which the Protestant Religion had to be justly esteemed the Religion of the Kingdom no more than thâ— Vsurpers invading the Regal Throne could any way prejudice His Majesties Title thereto 63. But a second passage there is offensive to the said Venerable Prelate which I do acknowledge more difficult to be deâ—enâ—ed or excused It is my saying That several of the wisest and learnedst of the Clergy had been content to buy their security with a vâ—luntary degrading of themselves from their Offices and Titles Now in some degree to qualifie a resentment which the English Clergy may not unreasonably conceive from this passage that which I have to represent is That when I wrote the Book I was in a Foreign Country so that whatsoever I could write touching our own Affairs I must have received from Information by Letters or Friends And by such Information I wrote this particular passage 'T is true before I left this Kingdom the unworthy miscarriage of that ungrateful perfidious Prelate D. Williams Archbishop of York was publickly known and abominated And too credulous I was of some few Examples of something alike though far less heinous a nature which were written or brought out of England to the place where I then resided which I afterwards found to have been groundless but till now too late for me thus publickly to disavow 64. Before I quit this trouble some Book my Exomologesis I conceive my self obliged to do right to a learned Doctor of the Church of England Dr. Tillotson who in a Book written against another Catholick Adâ—eâ—saâ—y takes occasion quasi aliud agens to produce a passage in my Exomologesis changed in the second Impression and as he affirms changed with great disingenuity A Copy of his Book I have not at present and therefore I cannot cite his words but to my best remembrance they regarded a saying of mine in the 40. Chapter of my Exomologesis of the first Impression wherein I had called the word Infallible a word to me unfortunate and I had also said that Mr. Chillingworth combaâ—ed with that word with too much success Whereas in the second Impression that same passage which by a new division of the parts of the Book fâ—ll to be in the 20. Chapter of the second Section was so changed as to impute the said success and unfortunateness not with regard to Catholicks but himself only and has followers who to their great harm took advantage unnecessarily of the utmost importance of the said word beyond what his Adversary would have required And as for Catholick Controvertists â— I endeavoured to excuse their employing that word to signifie thereby alone the unappealable Authority of the Cathâ—lick Church I câ—nnot with any confidence affirm that I have given an exact account of the particular proofs alledged by Doctor Tillotson â— to justifie his impuâ—ing to me a very mis-becoming disingeruity in the alteration madâ— Neiâ—her is it needful the fault being manifest But I am willing that my Pen should here publickly acknowledge the justice of that imputation and I will not give cause a second time to have the same disingenuity laid to my charge for I will very simply and ingenuously relate the occasion and motive of the said disingenuous change which was this A certain ancient Vâ—nâ—rable Religious Father who for School-Learning and skill in the Canon-Law was the most eminent pâ—rson in all these Provinces knowing my intention to râ—print my Exomologesis and beingâ— I conceive not well pleased that a dis-reputation should be cast on that sort of Learning in which he excelled earnestly suggested to me a qualification of the said passage in my Book and withal assured me that the Censure I had given of an expression or Term for so many agâ—s in general use among Catholick Controvertists and Schoolmen would every where givâ— great offence And therefore though he would by no means counsel me to prejudice Truth yet that it was not always necessary to discover every thing that is true Therefore his advice was that in the new Impression I should retrench so much in that Chapter as reflected with disadvantage on those Catholick Writers who made use of the word Infallibility Thus he advised me and thus out Reverence to the person I complyâ—d with his desire For which I cannot as I said before blame Dr. Tillotson for charging me with disingenuity 65. The next Book which I justly pretend to be guiltless of the crime of reviâ—ing the Church of England is a short Treatise named an Appendix in which are cleared câ—rtain mis-constructions of my Exomologists â— published by I. P. Author of the Preface bâ—fore my Lord Falklandâ—s Discourse of Infallibility which is annexed at the end of the second Impression of my Exomologesis The said Author I. P. I never had the happiness to know but I wish if Catholick Religion must be opposed it may always find such â—dâ—ersaries that is persons endowed with very considerable parts of learning and acuteness enabling them with as much advantage as their cause will afford to maintain it and in maintaining it not to wander into unnecessary excursions and to use a stile though not void of sharpness yet such a sharpness as will not be ungrateful even to their opponents much less expose them and all
is to oblige even Ecclesiastical persons to perform their Duties yea even Bishops also to govern Christ â—s flock according to the Orders prescribed them and all their Subjects to live in all Christian Piety and Virtue We sincerely acknowledge all this and that in executing this they are God's Substitutes But we dare not acknowledge them to be the Successors of Christ's Apostles We receive Christian Doctrines and the Orthodox sence of Scripture not from Princes but from such Pastors and Teachers only as God has appointed by a Lineal Succession to continue in his Church to the end of the World for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the Body of Christ that we be not children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men c. These divinely authorized Teachers and Pastors by the assistance of God's Spirit promised to them do preserve the Church one Body consisting of several distinct Members united in the same Catholick and Apostolick Faith and Charity which Faith is unalterable both as to the Foundation and Superstructure We do not understand your State-Religion We never till now heard of such a Position as this That all Churches in case they preserve entire only the Fundamental Articles of the Creed though the Supreme Power respectively in them took liberty to change any other Doctrines were sufficiently Orthodox And I confess when I had read such a Discourse in your Animadversions touching a State-Religion I then exceedingly wondred at the Approbation 107. But Sir does this concern only Roman Catholicks in England Are they the only persons obnoxious to a suspicion of Disloyalty and to all the most horrible punishments threatned in our Laws against Traytors because they dare not profess the State-Religion You seem to be perfectly acquainted with the State of France and you are well satisfied with the Profession of Fidelity made by the Hugonots But have they any reverence for the state-State-Religion there Do not they freely justifie their own Religion against it even that Religion the Profession whereof they extorted by shedding the blood of many Myriads of their Kings faithful Subjects Yet notwithstanding all this they are now in your opinion very faithful Subjects too and no man thinks of obliging them to the State Religion Doubtless also you know England better than France How many thousand Dissenters are there from the State Religion besides Roman Catholicks yet the terrible Laws are made only against Roman Catholicks From Roman Catholicks only care is taken of exacting Oaths both of Fidelity and Supremacy as being esteemed the only dangerous Subjects in the Kingdom and this for the Treasonable Actions or scarce one score of persons abhorred by all the rest For the discovery and prevention of such personal Treasons Thanksgivings must solemnly every year be paid to God and Devotion at such times is expressed by renewing malice against innocent persons Whereas a delivery of the whole Kingdom and Church from almost an Vniversal Rebellion designing the extinction of Monarchy and Prelacy both yea and executing the Murder of the lawful Sovereign is not esteemed a motive for a publick Engagement to pay thanks to God or to preserve in mens minds a memory of his wonderful Blessing to the Nation neither it seems is there at all a necessity of requiring from any a Retraction of the Principles of Rebellion or a promise that it shall never be renewed Noble Sir I beseech you not to interpret this to be spoken out of a malignant envy against any or a desire that others should share in our sufferings Perhaps there is a necessity considering the Constitution of the present Age that some party should remain for ever in a state of suffering And this being so it is certainly agreeable to Prudence that those should suffer whose Religion teaches them to suffer and who have been so long enured thereto who most certainly will meekly suffer without resisting and who do sincerely profess that according to their perswasion it is absolutely unlawful to defend their Religion persecuted by Sovereign Magistrates by any other way but suffering Notwithstanding it is probable that these Statesmen may find small cause to boast who have thought fit to continue the last Ages policy when for the gaining of a present advantage or preventing an inconsiderable incommodity it was judged expedient to have always in a readiness this mean of giving contentment to the Vulgar by complying with their clamours Christianâ—s ad Leâ—nes For they might have done well to have some apprehensions least those Lions after they had devoured their destined prey might perhaps next with more security and a fiâ—rcer appetite turn upon their Masters 108. It is now at length time to say something to your Principal Proposal in which I am most nearly concern'd which is your wish that English Catholicks ' would give an evidence and security of and for their Fidelity to His Majesty c. that so they may shew themselves as good Subject's as those of France who by occasion of a seditious Book have you say Sir in a Declaration of the Sorbon concerning the King's Independency thus certified their resolution in the year 1663. Quâ—d Subdâ—ri fidem c. That Subâ—ects do so entirely owe Faith and Obedience to their most Christian King that upon no pretext whatsoever they can be dispenced therefrom For this you commend the French But as for English Catholicks they in your judgment do depend on the Pope so entirely that they have a Religion quite different from that which is professed and established in any other Cathâ—lick Country in Europe 109. Honoured Sir it cannot indeed be denied but that English Catholicks I mean Ecclesiasticks have a peculiar dependance on the See of Rome more than Catholicks generally have in other Countries For without in Authority thence derived they cannot come into England to sacrifice their lives for the Spiritual assistance which Charity requires from them to their Brethren here But Sir it such a dependance be a crime to whom 〈◊〉 to be imputed It is câ—rtain they themselves would much rather live under such Orâ—inary Superiours as govern in all Catholick Countries But this will not be allowed them to their great griâ—f It cannot therefore be help'd but they must either râ—nounce Châ—istian Charity and suffer their poor Country-men to starve for want of Spiritual Nourishment or apply themselves to 〈◊〉 who alone as the case now stands can give them a Mission and Authority to die for Faith and Charity 110. But Sir I cannot conceive how such a special dependance as this should move you to think that we are of a Religion quite different from that of other Catholicks abroad For whatsoever Iurisdiction our Priests do exercise it is the very same which in case there were any Catholick Bishops in England would have been conferred by them No other Commission have they no particular engagement to
then we all have in our whole body The Protector indeed was the great Apostle of the Kingdom but his Mission he must have receivâ—d from his Pupil both to preach a new Faith and to consummate former Sacriledge In the mean time the humble Archbishop remained in expectation what he was to believe and in an uncertainty whether his Ordination weâ—e valid or not I will end tâ—is matter with the Character of Cranmer given by Duditius an eminâ—nt Protestant Cranmâ—r â— says he seems to have been bâ—rn and framed for dissimulation which quality he made use of in all things through his whole life ¶ 10. Of the Re-Ordination imputed to Catholicks 96. THis word Ordination puts me in mind of a dangerous Question which you thought fit to propose How Mr. Cressy and the rest who have received Orders in the Church of England can justifie or excuse their being Re-ordained after they change their Religion since so many Councils have declared against it and no one for it and since the succession of Bishops is as plainly manifest in one Church as in the other And what difference can there be assigned why such as the Greek Church who come to them are not Re-ordained but thâ—se of the Church of England are compelled to be 87. Noble Sir for any thing that appears in your Animadversions you may be one of the honourable Iudges and perhaps possessed of the highest Office of Iudiâ—â—ture and therefore I humbly take leave in answering this Question to leave out Mr. Cressy's name since he is loth to write and publish any thing that may pass absolutely for an evidence under his own hand against his own life in case he be suspected to be concerned in this matter as you say absolutely he is Indefinitely speaking therefore and without a dangerous reflâ—ction on any one those of the English Clergy returning to the Catholick Church are not permitted to exercise the Sacerdotal Office without being â—as you stile it Re-ordained but in Catholick language simply Ordained and of this several reasons are given I will only name one but such an one against which I cannot imagine a possible Reply and that is a consideration how the Form of Ordination and Consecration was purposely and studiously changed by the Church of England to shew that she renounced that Function which by the Catholick Church yea by the Greekish and all ancient Churches was esteemed formally essential to Priesthood which is Confâ—cereâ— offerre Corpus Domini She will have Priests but she will have no Sacrifice which two I believeâ— have never been divided by any Christian Church before the last Aâ—e So that though the present new Form considered simply in it self did not invalidate Ordination for the Greek Church also Ordains in a Form different from the Roman yet the declaring such to have been the Motive and ground of the change most certainly does And that this was the Motive seems to me evidently collected from the 31. Article of the Church of England The words are these The Offering of Christ once madeâ— is that perfect Redemption Propiâ—iation and Satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world both original and actualâ— and there is none other satisfaction for sin but that alone Wherefore the Sacrifices of Masses in the which it was commonly said that the Priests did offer Christ for the quick and the dead to have remission of pain or guilt were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits Hence it is plain that the Church of England renounces that Function which the Catholick Church esteems essential to Priesthood and consequently in England Priesthood seems to be a new quite different Order and far from being the same which is conâ—erred in and by the Roman Church Therefore I conceive Sir you had noâ— much cause to wonder or blame Catholick Churches for not admitting such persons to exercise the Functions of Priesthood since neither their Ordainers nor they themselves ever had nor intended to have such Functions or Faculties conferred on them but on the contrary esteemed them in a high measure injurious to our Saviour's Priesthood ¶ 11. Of several speculative Pâ—ints of Controverted Doctrines Of a State-Religion And of Professions of Loyalty â—8 THâ—se Noble Sir are the several Crimes laid to my charge I mean such as personally regard my self alone And thâ—se are my respective Answers There may possibly be some more besides these in your Animadversions which have escaped my Observation though I think there are none so considerable as would much oblige me to lengthen this Apology a work God willing which shall be the last of this nature There is another great Crime far more hainous than all thâ—se of which not my self alone but many others better than my self are eithâ—r accused by you or rendred shrewdly suspâ—cted which is a want or perhaps a disability of giving satisfaction to the State of our Fidelity to his Majesty This is in several places repeated by you and most accurately descanted on among your nine Questions near the conclusion of your Book 99. This is indeed a subject of great concern and therefore deserves a more serious application it being also the last ground of reprehension with an Answer whereto my purpose is to conclude this Apology For honoured Sir I beseech you not to take it ill or interpret it a neglect that I am silent with regard to several passages in your Animadversions since the whole design of this Apology is the endeavouring to qualifie the Indignation which you have conceived against me and I doubt imprinted in the minds of too many besides Whereas therefore you have inserted Reflections and Censures on several speculative Points of Catholick Doctrine I may justly be dispensed with for interesting my self in such a subject especially considering that I do not find that you have a purpose to make Controversie your serious employment It any professed Protestant Controvertist shall borrow from you any arguments against Catholick Tenents which he knew noâ— before as truly Doctor Stillingfleet may from your Discourse touching the nature of a Church which is far less irrational than his own he may then begin to speak de tribus Capellis 100. The sum of what you write Sir on this subject seems to me to be this 1. You lay a certain new ground of your Discourse which is that besides Christian Religion considered according to its essentials which are exceedingly few and which are absolutely unchangeable there ought to be acknowledged another Christian State-Religion containing other Doctrines not essential both regarding belief and discipline which may be altered approved or rejected by a National Church though never so far spread or never so long continued 2. In consequence hereunto you require me to explain what is the full intent of that spiritual Power which we acknowledge in the Pope over England and whether it be more than is granted by the Sovereign Power and Municipal Laws of the Kingdom 3. And from