the generall Character given of himselfe and his booke is That he has had better luck in pulling down buildings than raising new ones and that he has managed his sword much more dexterously than his buckler And yet as if there were no need either of house or buckler or as if Protestants did thinke themselves secure from weather and danger if Catholiques were expulsed and wounded No man appeares with any designe to provide himselfe of any safer way of defence then that which Mr. Chillingworth hath afforded Yea Mr. Chillingworth himselfe his friends know the reason of it â—utterly refused to answer those unconquerable confutations of his positive grounds and those fearefull consequences charged upon them being satisfied or at least making a countenance before those that knew him not inwardly that he was satisfied of the firmenesse of his Rule of Faith as long as an exact particular answer to all his objections against the Churches infallibility was not published Those who have had a particular acquaintance with that extraordinary sublime wit and judgement will or at least can witnesse with me that thus much as I have said in a seeming censure of him is true Considering the long and inward friendship and the many obligations I had to him I had absteined from this but that the cause in hand obliged me thereto and but that his book alone had the principall influence upon me to shut up my entrance into Catholique unity I shall therefore have frequent occasion hereafter in this Narration to weigh both his proofes and objections at least such of them as were most powerfull with me yet resolving to be extreamely tender of his reputation But to returne to the Story of my selfe CHAP. IIII. Inconveniences following Protestants Position of only-Only-Scripture Fathers refuse to dispute with Haeretiques from only Scripture 1. VVHen I was forced to weigh with circumspection and fidelity this maine fundamentall Position of Protestantisme viz. That the Scripture is the only Rule of Faith or That all things necessary to be believed are conteined expresly in Scripture what a world of unavoidable inconveences did presently throng into my understandiog and upon how meere sand did it appeare to be laid For the inconveniences 1. It is impossible upon this ground that ever there should be found a way to end any controversies as shall be demonstrated in the next Conclusion 2. There can scarce be named one Haeretique but tooke the same for a ground of his Haeresy and generally the Fathers protest against this ground reducing them to Ecclesiasticall Tradition and the authority of the present Church 2. For a proofe whereof we may consider the particular Treatises and bookes of the ancient Fathers which they wrought directly for this purpose namely to shew what method and grounds their Ancestors and reason it selfe dictated to be used and proceeded upon in disputing with any Haeretique whatsoever and we shall finde that the Catholiques of these dayes doe shew themselves indeed sons of those Catholique Fathers exactly treading their steps in appealing to Scripture and generall Tradition from which there lyes no prescription or appeale And on the contrary that the Haeretiques and Schismatiques of our times have been as exact in pursuing the traces of their Ancestors pretending only Scripture but relying upon the Pride of their owne hearts and thinking that their interpretations and wrestings of Scripture ought to prevaile against all present and past authority how universall soever for place and how uninterrupted soever for succession The treatises anciently written for this purpose are S. Irenaeus against Haeresies Tertullian de Praescriptionibus S. Cyprian de unitate Ecclesiae S. Augustin de unitate Ecclesiae contra Epistolam Fundamenti de utilitate credendi c. S. Vincentius Lerinensis his Commonitorium c. 3. In particular may be witnesse of this Tertullian Tert. de Praescrip cap. 19. There is no good got by disputing out of Texts the Scripture but either to make a man sick or mad And againe There ought therefore to be no appealing to Scripture nor disputing out of them since by that meanes either neither side will be victorious or it is a hazard whether And againe But hitherto we have in generall proceeded against all Heresies proving by assured reasonable and necessary prescriptions against all Heresies that they are to be excluded from all disputation out of Scripture Witnesse likewise S. Augustine Haeresies and doctrines of perversenesse ensnaring soules and sinking them into Hell have risen from no other fountaine but this that Scriptures which are good are understood not well and that which is not well understood in them is rashly and impudently maintained Againe the same Father brings in the Arian Bishop Maximinus thus challenging a Catholique id con Maximin Ar. Episcopum lib. 1. If thou wilt produce any thing out of divine Scriptures which are common to all it is necessary we should hearken to thee But these speeches which are not in Scripture are in no case receivable by us The same Father in the conclusion of the same books brings in another Heretique using these words I desire and wish to be a Disciple of the Holy Scriptures c. If thou shalt affirme any thing out of the Scriptures if thon shalt produce a quotation of any thing written there in any place We desire to be found disciples of the Holy Scriptures Againe severall other passages to the same purpose may be seen in severall other parts of his workes as in Epist 222. and in lib. de Gen. ad lit lib. 7. cap. 9. and de fide Symb. cap. 9. and in Joan. Tract 18. Lastly the same Father disputing against Cresconius the Grammarian saith id lib. 1. con Cresc Gram. cap. 33. Yet notwithstanding although there is produced no example of this out of Scriptures Canonicall we doe neverthelesse observe the truth of the same Scriptures when we doe that which is approved by the Church whose authority the Scriptures recommend See suitable passages in l. 5. de Bap. cont Donat. cap. 23. and de Unit. Eccl. cap. 19. Witnesse againe S. Hierom S. Hieron dialog cont Lucifer Neither let them please themselves if sometimes they seem to make good their assertions out of some Texts of Scripture for the Devill likewise sometimes quoted Scripture for Scriptures consist not in the bare words but in sence It is true indeed the Fathers sometimes commend the fulnesse of Scripture as S. Basil saying whatsoever is without the Scripture is sinne but withall he gives us a Rule to know his meaning shewing that according to the last quotation out of S. Augustin against Crescoâ—â—us the Grammarian that may be said to be virtually conteined in Scripture which is delivered by the Church whose authority is recommended to us in Scripture so sayes S. Basil likewise id lib. de Spiritu sancto It is an Apostolique thing to persist constantly in Traditions not written for saith the Apostle I praise you in that you are mindfull of
same Tradition was so constant in the antient Christian Church that Origen asks who doubts but that the Saints do aid us by their prayers Add hereto that the antient Liturgies of S. Basile c. have the same prayers to Saints in the same form as they are found in the Misfall and Breviaries at this day And that not any Father condemns the practise of it either as a novelty or supersticion which in all other cases upon all occasions they have done 13. To shew the innocence of the church far from deserving such behaviour from her children as she ha's found in this regard Consider first that all that the church decides in this point is that they may be pray'd to 2. That by the church no man is obliged or constrained to pray to them or to any but to God 3. That this is onely that they would intercede for us a thing which we sinners desire at the hands of other sinners greater perhaps then our selves 4. That excepting only the Litanies which are rather ejaculations and wishes then formed prayers and excepting some few Poeticall Hymnes to which a greater license hath alwayes beene allowed the Church both in the Missall and Breviary directs the prayers which she makes with reâ—pect to Saints immediately to God himself desiring him to hearken to the intercession which his Saints make for us and by their ministery to aid us And therefore whereas Protestants make their chief difficulty in this matter to be their uncertainty whether our prayers can arrive to the Saints hearing though it may be resolved out of expresse Scripture even out of those words There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repeurs â—ot certainly when the prayers are directed immediately to God as the church does no man will doubt but they may arrive thither I cannot chuse but on this occasion to publish the ingenuity of the Socinians once more who deal with Religion as they would do with an Astronomicall Hypothesis framing and changeing heaven and earth according to their phaenonema And therefore they to take away the trouble of examining either Scripture of Fathers dissolve the whole controversie with framing a new point of Philosophy viz. that separated souls have no apprehension nor parception at all but are indeed as sencelesse as the bodies contrary to millions of stories which are surely not every one false contrary to expresse Scripture This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise and S. Pauls judgement Whether it was in the body or out of the body that I was wrap'd into Paradice I cannot tell God knows by which words though he knew not which of these two wayes it was yet he gives to understand that he might have been rap'd in Spirit without the body Of Veneration of Images 3. Concerning Images we may consider 1. That they had them in the antient church Tertullian puts it out of all doubt who makes mention of the lâ—st sheep generally graven upon the Chalices And S. Ambrose saith That a person appeared to him which seemed like to S. Paul the features of whose countenance I had learned sayes he from his picture The profession and practise of S. Paulinus is so clear in this behalfe and so confessed by Protestants that it is lost labour to quote him 2. No man can deny but that the sight of holy stories in picture do both more easily represent to weak capacities and put even the best men in mind of good things then the reading them in a book 3. The Councell of Trent Sess. 25. expressely professeth that the ground of Catholiques Veneration of them is not that it is believed that there is any divinity or vertue in them for which they ought to be venerated So that all occasion of superstition is evidently cut off 4. That things which have any regard to Religion are to be respected and treated with reverence this nature teaches and the Calvinists acknowledge as I took notice before out of Monsieur Daillé 5. That by reason we have not words enough to expresse all our conceptions nor variety enough of outward actions and postures to expresse our inward intentions and notions hence all the trouble and contradiction among Christians in this point hath proceeded And therefore as the antient Jewes applied the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the posture thereby represented viz. prostration both to the supreme degree of adoration due only to God and to the reverence of honorable persons So likewise the second Councell of Nice for want of words applying the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which imports the same to images therefore it was that till the misunderstanding was cleared the Westerne Church in the Councell of Francford rejected their decision But those who love Schisme will needs most unjustly reassume a voluntary misapprehension of the churches intention in this point which clearly distinguishes and makes an infinite distance betweene the respect which they give to Images and that which they render to God and gives little more to Images then Protestants themselves confesse to be due to all holy things pertaining to Religion The Jewes at this day the greatest enemies certainly of Idolatry that ever were yet will not unfold the volume of their law til after many humble declinations of their bodies and kissings of their hands neither will any sober Christian enter into a church though he do not pray without uncovering his head to shew that he makes a difference between that place and an ordinary prophane house The ground of the lawfulnesse and fitnesse of these outward expressions is this because since we cannot chuse but in our minds and thoughts make a a difference betweene holy and prophane objects it is as fitting to expresse that difference by outward shews So that if Catholiques be to be suspected of superstition and idolatry in this behalf certainly the Calvinists are much more guilty for exhibiting an outward reverence to the Bread and Wine in their Cene seeing they will not allow a distinction between the severall respects which Catholiques acknowledge 6. That the church obligeth no man hîc nunc to exhibit any veneration to Images c. Only they must not condemne it in those that allow and practise it Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory 4. The denyall of this made Arrius a Heretique and besides him I do not find since Christianity begun til the last age any one single person that denyed or questioned it never was there found any Liturgy without it nothing so frequent in Fathers and Ecclesiasticall histories as the recommendation of it In a word I am confident there is not one doctrine or practise of Christianity delivered with so full unquestionable a Tradition So that a man may as wel make an Apology for being a Christian or believing the Gospells to be the word of God as for this The truth is the more sober and learned sort of English Protestants do confesse the immemorial antiquity of iâ—
authority against Heretiques Thereupon I betook my self to the rending of the Ancient-Church History and besides others I perused exactly Tertullians Praescriptions against Haeretiques c. S. Cyprian S. Epiphanius S. Augustines Epistles and treatises against the Donatists Manichaeans c. Vincentius Lyrinensis S. Hieroms Bookes against the Luciferians Iovinian and Vigilantius I had recourse likewise upon occasion to certaine treatises of Saint Basil and S. Athanasius S. Hilary S. Pacian c. And lastly I judged it an effectuall way of atteining to the understanding the opinion of Antiquity concerning the Church to select the speciall Texts of Scripture wherein mention is made of the Church and to examine how the Fathers interpreted those Texts and what inferences they drew from them in their Sermons and Commentaries in which I might be sure they spoke without interest and passion as having no adversary in sight to combat withall and therefore were not likely to streine themselves in their expressions Such Texts of Scripture were these and the like Die Ecclesiae c. Tell the Church and if he will not beare the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And Tu es Pertus c. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it And Ecclesiae quae est firmamentum fidei c. The Church which is the ground of Faith and Pillar of truth c. CHAP. XIX What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches Authority express'd in School-language Successe of his enquiry into Councels and ancient Fathers 1. THe answering of the Questions and especially the perusing of those bookes was the businesse of a good space of time above twelve moneths or more The excessive paines and diligence employed by mee which otherwise would have brene tedious was much sweetned by the discovery every day of new light And I could not but observe the strange effects of education and prejudice which made me believe my selfe to be saparated in my beliefe from the Catholique Church at a distance unmeasurable when indeed I was even at the doores and I am certaine I had been much sooner a Catholique if I had thought or rather indeed if I had considered for if I had considered it well I might have found sufficient ground to think so that the beliefe of the Churches doctrines nakedly as she proposeth them and in the latitude allowed by her had beene sufficient to have gained that title But I tooke those to be the necessary doctrines of the Catholique Church which were onely the private opinions and expressions of particular Doctors And the simplicity of the Articles of Christian Faith was clowded by Scholasticall Metaphysicall tearms which being abstruse nice and unknown to Antiquity rendred the doctrines themselves obscure and withall new and suspected to me 2. And all this by a very pardonable fault of mine For from whom should I receive the doctrines of the Roman Church when a Controversie is raised but from the learnedst Masters of Controversie And how few among them propose the points to be disputed between them and the Protestants in the language of the Church Besides how few among them are there who in disputing will allow that latitude which the Church apparently does There is scarce any Point of Controversie which is not severally interpreted streitned or enlarged by severall Catholiques of severall Orders and education and most of them in confuting the Protestants seeme very earnest and make it almost their whole designe to impose their particular interpretations and expressions for Catholique doctrines But with very little or no successe For a Protestant will be very ready and may with good reason say Though by being perswaded by you I shall become a Roman Catholique yet I might deny all that you maintaine and yet be a Roman Catholique too for I can produce Authors which you dare not deny to be good Catholiques that will not receive nor subscribe to your expression and stating of this Point Therefore seek to convert them first and then come and dispute with me Dispute like a Catholique for the question is not now whether I shall be a Dominican Jesuite Scotist c. But whethe I ought to be a Catholique or no. The truth is by these meanes disputations are endlesse Catholiques themselves affording answers and objections to Protestants against Catholiques Whereas if particular Controvertists as were indulgent as the Church is would be content to thinke that the termes wherein Shee expressed her minde were the most proper their adversaries would quickly be silenced Controversies abated and by Gods assistance union in a short time happily restored 3. The great haâ—me which I received by judging of the Churches Faith by particular new expressions of it puts me into this fit of liberty in censuring thus far the method of those men by whom I have been so long a time so far from being perswaded that I was rather hindred from my reunion to the Church And on the contrary this happy successe in following the direction of some few Catholique authours who separating particular opinions of Doctors from necessary Catholique Doctrines and urging nothing upon me but without assenting to which I could not be a Catholique makes me judge by mine own experience as well as reason that that which healed me of my errours and Schism would not by Gods blessing want the same effect in others also especially among English Protestants â—nd the rather if following the advice of the most Reverend the Lord Archbishop of Roven Protestants in stead of wearying themselves with perticular debates would resolve this in the first place why they made the Schism at first and continue in it still What dispensation they have from the authority and unity of the Church so unanimously and affectionately reverenced and obeyed by the ancient Fathers 4. I cannot without ingratitude in this place and occasion omit a profession of that great obligation I have with thankfulnesse to almighty God and respect to his happy instrument to acknowledge the efficacious influence that one Treatise in speciall manner had to the furtherance and facilitating of my Conversion written in French by that skilfull and authorized Controvertist Francis Veron Doctor of Divinity and entituled by him Reiglè generale de la foy Catholique In which he delivers the pure Catholique Doctrine in the words of the Councells streined and separated from all particular opinions or authorities not absolutely obliging And this exemplified throughout almost all the considerable points of Controversie bewteen Catholiques and the severall Sects of Protestants Which method of proceeding is approved by several learned Doctors of the Faculty of Pâ—â—is and the generall designe of it by his late Holinesse Gregory the fifth as was signified to the Author by his Nephew Cardinall Ludovisiâ— yea God himself hath approved and recommended the same Method by his numerous blessings on it in the Conversion
whatsoever thing came from me and observe the Traditions which I have given you Besides in some cases there may be controversies about points which are not grounded upon Orall Tradition but only Scripture 4. A third inconvenience following the Protestants position is this That since undoubtedly there were in the Primitive Church Traditions in great number besides what is expressed in Scripture I could not imagine what was become of them or how it should be possible they should come to be lost having been received generally through the whole Church and most of them shining in the practise of it To salve this inconvenience Protestants either impudently give the lye to all the Fathers and say without the least proofe that there were none at all Or in England there being under-Sects which by Scripture alone could not be confuted as Puritans Anabaptists Sabbatarians c. they are forced to acknowledge some few Traditions of such a nature although thereby they destroy their maine foundation of Only-Scripture For by the Traditionary doctrine of Non-rebaptization they conclude the Anabaptists to be Heretiques that is erring in a necessary point of doctrine Yet themselves renounce doctrines and practises delivered by a far more full Tradition So great effect hath interest in that Church But what will become of S. Basils saying before quoted That the day would faile him if he should undertake to enumerate all the Traditions left by the Apostles in the Church not mentioned in Scripture For all that even the most condescending Protestants will allow for such may be reckoned five times over in a minute of an hower Considering therefore that such Traditions being visibly manifest for the most part in the practise of the Church are far more easily preserved then any writing can be it will necessarily follow that the rest of that great number are extant in the Roman Church as may be proved of most of them before reckoned by testimonies of Ancient Fathers Vid. sup c. 3. 5. A fourth inconvenience to my understanding unavoidable by Protestants and a great proofe of the truth of the Doctrine of the Roman Church is this Though Protestants generally deny that the points of Controversie debated between them and the Roman Church were universally received by the Ancient Church as Invocation of Saints adoration of Christ as present in the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the dead c. Yet they cannot deny but that in many of the Fathers proofes of these doctrines may be found to shew that such was at least their particular opinions Now if generally the Ancient Church had agreed with Protestants both in denying such doctrines and practise received now in the Roman Church and likewise in making only-expresse-only-expresse-Scripture the Rule to judge by it could not be avoided but that some Synods or Fathers would have taken notice of such pretended errours in the writings of other Fathers and likewise would have produced some of those Texts of Scriptures now made use of by Protestants for that purpose a thing they are so far from that on the contrary we find that many of the Fathers infer the same doctrines from the same Texts that Catholiques now do And Protestants though they alledge some passages of Fathers by which they may seem consequently to destroy such doctrines and to contradict their owne formall assertions in other places yet are not able to produce so much as one Text of Scripture interpreted by any Father to confute any one such pretended errour Which is a thing very remarkable and will argue either that no man in the Ancient Church took notice of such pretended dangerous speeches of so many Fathers or that they understood not the plaine Texts of Scripture if Protestants grounds be true or upon Catholiques grounds since it was impossible but they must have taken notice of such opinions and since they certainly did understand plaine Texts of Scripture that therefore not disputing out of Scripture as Protestants doe they were so far from believing such opinions to be errours deserving a Schisme that they all of them agreed in receiving them as Catholique Truths Other inconveniences which without hope or possibility of remedy do arise from making Scripture alone secluding not only Traditions but likewise any visible obliging interpreter to be the only Rule and Judge of Controversies shall be reserved to be examined in the next Conclusion concerning the Authority of the Church in this businesse CHAP. V. Weaknesse of Protestants proofs for only-Scripture Texts of Scripture alleadged by Catholiques vainly eluded by Protestants 1. AS I said before since Protestants and all other Sects doe against their nature and custome so unanimously conspire to forsake the oldâ— and good wayes by travelling wherein even themselves being judges so many glorious Saints Confessors Martyrs Bishops c. were renowned not onely in their owne but all succeeding times dissipated armies of Haeretiques propagated the Kingdome of Christ over the world subdued Idolatry and made it utterly to vanish though supported with the force of the whole Roman world and in fine arrived to a supereminent degree of glory in Paradice And since in stead of this so successefull a way they have chosen to walke every man in a severall path through those narrow crooked and at least very dangerous because new wayes of a proud selfe-assuming presumption in interpreting only-Scripture each man according to his own fancy interest following the example of no antiquity but only ancient Heretiques in all reason they should have taken order to have justified themselves herein after a more then ordinary manner they ought to have contributed all the invention and skill of all the best wits in each Sect to fortifie this common foundation of only Scripture and no visible judge beyond all other points of difference 2. And so no doubt they have to the utmost capacity of the subject But no skill can serve to build a firme secure edifice upon sand and private reason or fancies of inspiration are more weake and sandy then even sand it selfe For proofe hereof let us consider the pretended proofes and reasons which they alleadge to assert this their fundamentall position viz. that the entire Rule of Faith is the written word of God of which there is not extant any visible authoritative interpreter Proofes hereof produced by them are 1. Negative invalidating such Texts of Scripture as are alledged by Catholiques and expounded by Fathers to prove Traditions unwritten and 2. Positive drawne from other Texts expressing the sufficiency and perfection of Scripture 3. Some Texts by Catholiques produced to prove Traditions and those concerning points of Doctrine as well as practise or ceremonies besides what is written in the Evangelicall books are among others these following out of S. Paul 2 Thes. cap. 1. ver 15. Observe the Tradititions which you have received from us whether by word or by Epistle And againe 2 Tim. c. 2. ver 13. Have before thine eyes the patterne of sound words which thou hast heard
of the Old Testament giving testimony to the Gospell being inspired by God are very profitable not entirely of themselves sufficient for teaching arguing reproving instructing in righteousnesse And that by them the man of God even a Christian Bishop may be made perfect or enabled to every good worke that is as he expresseth the same sence in the former verse wise unto Salvation but upon condition that they be joyned with the Faith or Gospell of Christ Iesus and perseverance therein This to my understanding seems to be the proper naturall importance of this Text of S. Paul so far from evincing what the Protestants would collect from it that it confirmes the quite contrary 4. But let it be supposed which is impossible to be evinced that the Apostle speakes here by way of Prophecy of Evangelicall Scriptures not yet written but with respect to the time when they should be perfectly compleated he sayes onely they are profitable not sufficient to produce the mentioned effects and end He excludes not the Church interpreting them in a word He referres expresly to orall Tradition And by consequence he is far from saying any thing that may warrant the Protestants upon pretence from these words to relinquish the way which all ancient Christians and Fathers of the Church walked in and to walke in that which as hath been shewed by irrefragable testimonies has beene traced by all and onely Heretiques So far is he from saying or giving warrant to any to say Reject all things that you finde not expresly conteined in Scriptures though the whole world upon whose only testimony you receive Scriptures affirme that they received other things from the same authority Keep your selves close to that sence of Scriptures which your own fancies or interests shall suggest unto you and admit neither fathers nor Church to interpret them to you believe your own understandings onely which you may call the inspirations of the Holy Ghost if you please And content not your selves with deceiving your selves alone with such fancies take authority upon your selves to destroy all publique authority and toâ— obtrude per sas nefas your interpretations and glosses upon the consciences of others This S. Paul ought to have said if he had purposed to justifie the grounds of Protestantisme But this I could not conceive to be his meaning and therefore I tooke it to be my best course to be misled by Fathers Councells and the whole Catholique Church 5. A second proofe for the sufficiency of Scripture alone to be an entire Rule of Faith and of great moment among many Protestants is that speech in the end of the Revelation Rev. c. 22. v. 18. 19. Contestor enim omni audienti c. I doe protest to every one that hears the words of the Prophecy of this book If any one shall adde unto these God shall adde unto him the plagues written in this booke And if any one shall diminish from the words of this Prophecy God shall take away his part out of the booke of life and out of the Holy City and out of those things which are written in this book The weight of this Text is much more pressing in their opinion by reason of the situation of it in the close of the whole body of Evangelicall writings and likewise by the advantage of a Parallel place in the end of Moyses his law 6. Hereto it is answered that this Text is so far from obliging us to understand it in generall of Evangelicall doctrines that expresly and in terminis terminantibus it restreines it selfe onely to the Prophecies conteined in this particular booke for bidding any one to presume to make any change in it either by addition and interpolation of other Prophecies pretended to be written by the same Divine Author a thing practised by Heretiques in other Evangelicall writings when this booke was published or by razing out any Prophecies herein conteined as some Heretiques likewise had done in other Apostolicall bookes So that this author is so farre from forbidding any other revelations of divine doctrines besides those already published that notwithstanding any thing here said Agabus and Saint Philips daughters might if they had pleased have set forth their Prophecies so they had done it without injury or disparagement to the Apocalypse Even as Moyses by such like words signified that in his writings were conteined the summe of that law delivered by God on Mount Sinai at least as much of it as was fit to communicate for the present to the people and therefore forbad any man to change his writings any way Yet notwithstanding it is apparent that not onely the Jewes but likewise the Ancient Fathers believed that besides this written law Moyses himselfe delivered to the Preists and Sanedrim many unwritten Traditions relating to the law it selfe some of which are mentioned in Evangelicall Scripture as the institution of the order of Exorcists the mingling of water with the blood of the Testament wherewith Moyses sprinckled the people Skarlet wooll and hyssope to be used in all aspertions the sprinkling the booke of the Covenant with blood The names of Jannes and Mambres the antagonists of Moyses and the combat betweene an Angell and the Devill about Moyses his body c. Besides many Holy men published bookes among the Jewes acknowledged of divine authority wherein were many Mysteries of Faith not onely more expresly but de novo conteined and not at all declared by Moyses many writings of devotion Precepts of Piety and manners c. Onely Moyses his bookes have beene received to this day under the notion of the fundamentall law of the Jewish Common-wealth a title that other writings never challenged 7. As concerning the advantage taken from the position of the forementioned Text in the close of the Evangelicall writings it will be of no force at all to any man that shall consider how it came to passe that the severall bookes were placed in the order as wee at this day finde them viz. That certaine men unknown to us now but followed by a tacit agreement of the Church when after the decease of the Apostles they had sought out all the writings that remained and had beene occasionally published by them compiled them in one volumne in this order They begun with the Gospels or history of our Saviours life and death as reason was placing them it may be in the order as they were written however assigning the first place to S. Mathew because he having written his Gospel in Hebrew for the use of the Jewes and Jewish Christians to whom Christ commanded his Gospel should first be preached and upon their refusall to the Gentiles even for that reason alone his Gospel might be thought to have deserved the first place the rest following in the order as they were written Then followes the Story of the Apostles especially S. Paul written by his companion S. Luke and continued till their separation by S. Pauls voyage to Rome After bookes of
some cases it is within the power of the Church to invent de novo some word or phrase proper to signifie and express a Traditionary doctrine namely in contradiction to any Haeresie arising and opposing Apostolique Revelations shining in the publique profession and practise of the Church So to condemn the Arians denying the Divinity of our Saviour the Fathers of the Councell of Nice made choice of the terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though new yet answerable to the sense and notion of that mystery which was received by Tradition in the Church a terme directly and specifically opposite to the Arian Position In like manner the Church of late devised a new or rather borrowed of some particular ancient Father the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Transubstantiation as most proper to expresse the notion which in all ages has been received in the Church concerning the Reall Presence of the body of Christ in Blessed Sacrament a terme which like the flaming two-edged waving sword of the Cherub cuts assunder on all sides whatsoever new Heresies do or probably ever shall devise to oppose that Mystery 5. Notwithstanding some certaine Traditions there were which in the Primitive times were kept secret among the principall Ecclesiasticall Governours as certaine sublime Doctrines the ceremonious formes of conferring some Sacraments of making the holy Chrismes Oyle c. which seemes to have been done partly to gaine a reverence to the Clergy as more neerly approaching to the Divine Light But principally not to expose such Mysteries to the scornfull and profane interpretation of the Heathens or to the weak understandings of the ignorant and not yet sufficiently instructed Christians according to the practise of S. Paul himselfe 1 Cor c. 2. who saith Sapientiam loquimur inter perfectos Wee spèake sublime wisedome among those that are perfect Hence those earnest adjurations in the writings of some very ancient Bishops whereby they conjured others of their own rank when they communicated to them certaine sublime mysteries to preserve in a deep secrecy what they so received a memorable instance we have of this caution in the Books of S. Denis Areopagite Hier. Eccl. c 1. Hence those disguisings of other Mysteries in Books which were to passe publiquely abroad Hence those sudden interruptions when they were ready to discover unawares somewhat above the capacity of their hearers Pagans or Catechumens Frequent examples I could alledge out of S. Epiphanius S. Chrysostome S. Augustine end others But Cuiâ— bono in this placed Since Paganisme has been utterly abolished and meanes of instruction more common and promiscuous especially since the invention of Printing whether happy or not it is doubtfull this cautelous reservednesse has beene out of use perhaps with no little prejudice to the Church in so much as nothing is reserved now in the brests of the Church-Governours even the anciently most secret Ceremonies are divuled to all Mens knowledge So that now Tradition is far more loud and visible then ever it was before and no ground for Protestants to pretend to any suspition that under a shew of Tradition the Church has a mind to exercise either Tyranny or cunning to gaine authority to her determinations 6. Now from this generall Traditionary way of conveying Christian Doctrines c. it came to passe that many Fathers being assured of the truth and authenticknesse of such Traditions and willing to assert them out of Scripture also have interpreted many Texts as conteining such Doctrines which either did not at all afford such a sence or at least not necessarily though perhaps the outward sound of the words might put a man in mind of such Doctrines Examples of this are not a few particularly in the points of Purgatory Prayer to Saints c. So that whereas Protestants cry Victory when they can prove or at least make probable that such Fathers have been mistaken in such interpretations as if the doctrines thence deduced were confuted in my opinion it is without any ground since on the contrary the lesse force that such Texts of Scripture have to evince such doctrines the greater and stronger proofe have such Traditions seeing the Fathers prepossessed with a beliefe of them from the publique practise of the Church accounted them so apparent that they thought they saw them even where they were not at all And therefore when the Church commands us not to oppose the interpretations which the greatest part of Fathers unanimously make of Scripture I conceive she does not a waies oblige Catholiques thereby to give the same sense to Texts which the greatest part of Fathers doe but rather not so to interpret any Text as to contradict the Traditionary doctrines believed generally by the Fathers upon this safe ground of Tradition though perhaps not Logically enough deduced from such speciall passages of Scripture so that though perhaps their commentaries there may be questioned the doctrine in the commentaries ought to be embraced CHAP. X. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospells c. 1. IT may now be demanded if this way of conveying Christian doctrines be so much clearer and safer than writing books or any other way of transmitting recordes to what purpose were the Evangelicall bookes written and why were the necessary points of faith reduced into such a prescribed form in the Apostles Creed 2. To say something for answer and first concerning the Creed The end why that was compiled seemes to have been to bring into a short and cleare abridgement the principall points of Christian Religion to be repeated at any ones initiation into Christianity by Baptisme being as it were an enlargement of that forme of Baptising prescribed by our Saviour viz. Baptizo te in nomine Patris Filii Spiritus sancti Now in what senseâ— and in respect of what Persons in what State or Order the Creed may be said to contein all points of faith necessary to Salvation shall be shewd hereafter As to our present purpose we may observe 1. That the Creed seemes to be of a middle nature betweene written bookes and Orall Tradition as a prescribed forme of words so it approaches to the former but as committed by all to memory and actually repeated at Baptisme and other publique Devotions so it partakes much of the latter 2. What extreame advantage Tradition has for its preservation beyond any writing seeing the Creed after it was enlarged by partaking thereof has preserved it selfe from any variety or corruption all the Church over to this day It is true indeed that insome Churches viz in Afâ—ica in the first beginning of Christianity there was a small difference their Creed wanting these words Communion of Saints the sense whereof notwithstanding may probably be supposed to have been included in the Article concerning the holy Catholique Church as may be observed in the Creeds extant in the African Fathers Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Optatus and S. Augustin Which difference it is not imaginable should have come by
I believe necessary to be believed and I do not begin to believe so now I was taught so when I lived in England CHAP. XVI The second Conclusion out of the Fathers concerning a Iudge of Controversies The Authours confession of his willingnes that his opinion against the Churches infallibility might appeare to have been groundlesse II. Conclusion The second Conclusion out of the Fathers c. was this viz. That it belongs alone to the Catholique Church which is the onely depositary of Divine Revelations authoritatively and with obligation to propose those revelations to all Christians c. to interpret the Holy Scriptures and to determine all emergent Controversies and this to the end of the world in as much as the Church by vertue of Christs promises and assistance is not onely indefectible but continually preserved in all truth 1. IN this conclusion there are severall parts as 1. That the Catholique Church is the depositary of all Divine Revelations written and unwritten 2. By consequence that it belongs to her to propound them to all persons 3. That she has authority and that such as requires submission from all not only to propound but also to expound these Revelations and finally to determine all emergent controversies And 4. That this authority is sufficiently grounded upon the great promises of our Saviour made unto his Church Now of these severall Propositions the two former not being questioned by me when I was in England I conceived it not suitable to my designe which was a narration especially of mine owne doubts and resolution with as much brevity as possibly I could to fill paper with quotations of Fathers or other proofes to resolve that of which I was resolved before My only scruple was concerning the third and fourth Propositions Or to speake properly it was not a scruple for I was on the contrary fully resolved and to my thinking satisfied that there was not upon earth any visible authority that could so interpret Scriptures or determine Controversies is that all men should be obliged necessarily to embrace her interpretations and determinations And therefore my purpose is to insist principally upon his Architectonirall controversie not neglecting in the meane time to examine likewise the other propositions but briefly and quasi aliud agens 2. It may be believed and since this treatise is intended by mee for an Exomologesis or publique Confession I will not forbeare to confess it that when the progress of my enquiry after a Church led me at last to take into debate even those grounds of which before I had not the least scruple at all namely Whether as the Roman Church professed there were extant in the world visible any such authority I could not free my selfe from so much partiality against my owne understanding as to wish that it could be made appeare unto me that there were to be found any tribunall whose decisions I might believe my selfe obliged to follow without any scruple or â—ergiversation For then I should not onely in a moment be free from all scruples and doubts in particular points proposed by that authority in which they would all be swallowed up but likewise from a world of inconveniencies inevitably attending upon my position viz. That in doubts of Religion we had onely a Rule of it selfe indeed infallible but challenged by all Sects and no Judge to apply that Rule when necessity required every man being left to his own reason at his own perill to take heed that he wrested not that Rule according to his owne interests or prejudices CHAP. XVII The Calvinists c. presumtuous renouncing of the Churches authority even in proposing of Scripture And pretending to an immediate Revelation 1. BUt before I proceed further to shew how and upon what grounds I found satisfaction in this point of the Churches authority after which I could not long remaine unsatisfyed in all other points beside I have somewhat though not much to say concerning the first part of this Conclusion namely of the Churches being depositary of divine Revelation I do not remember that the Church of England hath said any thing of it more then what may be inferred from those words in the 6. Article In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those Canonicall bookes of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church By which expression She seemes to make the Churches authority the onely ground that may ordinarily be relyed upon for the discerning which books are Canonicall and which not And this Mr. Chillingworth acknowledges in severall passages of his booke 2. But as for the Calvinist Churches in France whether the Lutherans agree with them or no I had not meanes to informe my selfe I could not without both indignation and shame read how they have declared their mindes touching this Point in their publique Confession of Faith Where after the premising what particular bookes of Scripture they received as Canonicall they adde these words Nous recognoissons c. that is We acknowledge these books to be Canonicall and a most certaine Rule of Faith not so much for the commune agreement and consent of the Church as for the Testimony and inward perswasion of the Holy Spirit which makes us able to discerne them from the other Ecclesiasticall books upon which although they be profitable cannot be grounded an Article of Faith By which expression they do clearly tell the world that their meaning is not to ascribe to the assistance of the Holy Spirit this their beliefe for generally all Christians doe acknowledge a necessity of such an influence upon the soule whereby the understanding is perswaded to captivate it selfe to the beliefe and the will inclined to the love and acceptation of all divine revelations proposed by the Church But that they have a new immediate distinct revelation and testimony of the Holy Ghost inwardly informing them what bookes are Canonicall and what not And this not only more certaine then the testimony of the present Church but likewise contrary thereto inasmuch as thereby they renounce severall books which the Church proposes as divine and Canonicall 3. Was it possible that reasonable men could write such things and ever hope to finde any other men foolish enough to believe them There seems to have been many persons conspiring to the writing or at least the signing of this Confession Had all these this testimony of Gods Spirit revealing to them and so enabling them to judge and discerne which particular writings are Canonicall and which not And does this testimony which certainly if not falsely pretended to is infallible extend to all the particular passages and Texts in these books without which the believing of the books in grosse would be uselesse VVell since they may say what they please without feare of being silenced and so may all their Off-spring For what other way is left to silence him that sayes he has the Spirit but only Exorcismes Yet for
those that wrote this Confession to say this both for themselves and in the name of all their faction to the worlds end and this without consulting any of them to know whether they had received such an immediate revelation or testimony and without pretending to such an eminent gift of Prophecy as never was example of the like since the world began this exceedes all wonder Good Lord to what strange times are we reserved to see a Sect so numerous so powerfull as they have shewed themselves upon many sad occasions and not one of them but is a Prophet What a stupendious thing is this that there should not be found one Calvinist destitute of this so certeine so divine a testimony beyond the assurance of all Churches since Christ and yet not one Englishman or Frenchman unlesse of that faction nor any Christian that I know of besides that knowes any such thing of himselfe or dares pretend to it For surely if any one had it some would professe it since a man cannot have a Testimony but he knowes he has it This is a miracle beyond all that Christ and all his Apostles ever wrought in the Church But is it not more probable nay is it not beyond all probability most certaine most palpable that all these men knowingly and wilfully deceive themselves and would fain but cannot deceive others Is not this apparently a lying against the Holy Ghost Why may it not as well be expected that in their next Confession or rather their Presumption they should pretend as at least most particular writers among them doe for themselves and their heires a discerning infallible Spirit to judge of the sense of Scripture as well as the books Indeed what may not be expected from such as having had a hatred to charity and therefore no true love to the truth God has justly given over to strong delusions to believe such palpable lyes 4. But leaving these men miserably pleasing themselves in pretended inspirations and by that meanes attributing to the Holy Ghost not only all their errours but likewise their renouncing of Christian Charity Unity which is impossible as long as they take upon them to believe that it is from the Spirit that they have divided themselves from Gods Church both in opinion and practise I will returne to my enquiry concerning the authority of the Church CHAP. XVIII Importance of the Controversie concerning the Churches authority Meanes for satisfaction in it abundantly sufficient in Antiquity This Controversie before all others ought to be most diligently studyed by Protestants 1. PRoceeding therefore for mine owne satisfaction to read the Fathers upon this argument and resolving to read them as unpartially as possibly I could that is silencing mine owne understanding when it would interpose that no discourse or Rhetorique ought to have force against those demonstrations which I thought I had against the Churches infallibility or when it would invent forced senses to that world of passages which I found in the Fathers inconsistent with my pre-assumed assurance Proceeding I say in the best manner I could to the reading of the Fathers upon this point I found that as this controversie was of so infinite importance that upon the decision thereof eternall peace or warre in Religion among Christians depended the most wise and mercifull Providence had suitably furnished us with meanes of satisfaction in so important a point infinitely more copious evident and powerfull then in any other besides For in other speciall points of Controversie we must be content to informe our selves of the minde of Antiquity therein onely by particular dispersed passages of the Fathers commonly spoken en passant they having no occasion ordinarily to combate with Heretiques about them But in this businesse of the Churches authority I found Epistles Treatises Bookes yea volumnes full of almost no other subject I found that I may here before the proper season declare the successe of so many moneths labour that the maintaining of the authority of the Church against Heretiques alledging onely Scripture as a Rule and disclaiming all Judges of that Rule but themselves as to themselves had beene the businesse of many Ages the principall employment of many the learnedst holiest Fathers of the Church I found that such an authority of the Church had been a Tradition of all others most Universall not any one booke of Scripture being so often testified of in Antiquity as this I found that if this authority of the Church were not to be preserved inviolable all Synods and Councels that ever were in the Church fell to the ground yea more became not only of no validity but were to be esteemed the most unjust Tyrannicall conspiracies that ever were as presuming without sufficient warrant to accuse and anathematize whosoever opposed or accepted not their determinations even in such points as were not in Scripture at all or at most onely there in consequence to their interpretation Lastly I found to my infinite satisfaction and for which I thinke my selfe obliged to spend the greatest part of my life in glorifying Almighty God for it a full effectuall and experimentall satisfaction by acknowledging this authority and suffering my selfe to be taken out of my owne hands to be conducted by her that Christ had appointed for that office in a word I found that that saying of S. Hierome was most true viz. That the Sun of the Church presently dryes up all the streames of errour and Schisme 2. For these reasons I cannot chuse but adjure all Protestants especially English who think satisfaction and repose of mind upon earth and glory to be revealed in heaven to be things desirable that omitting or at least deferring all particular disputes with Catholiques they would in the first place without prejudice and partiallity examine what the present Catholique Church sayes and in what words Shee sayes it when Shee comes to declare her necessary doctrine concerning this her authority and that having found what it is that Shee requires to be believed they would without altering her expression and without applying thereto any particular Schoole-man's or Doctours interpretations as by an obliging necessity to be subscribed to or received compare what the Church defines with what the Fathers Councels do generally and purposely agree in And if this method produce not in them the same effect which by the blessing of God it did in mee yet at least they will have this contentment after an ingenuous and to my knowledge not-much by them-practised way of examination to conclude that they finde that their owne single judgement and interpretation of Scripture deserves rather to be relyed upon and to be preferr'd above all manner of visible authority of all persons and ages how sacred soever esteemed by others they will either become Catholiques or remaine in their own then not very unreasonable opinion Protestants still but persons meriting from themselves the highest esteem for infallibility that the Church ever enjoyed since the Apostles times CHAP.
XIX Passages out of Fathers concerning the Churches Authority 1. BUt I will no longer defer the testimonies which Antiquity affords to the third Proposition conteined in the second Conclusion forementioned viz. of the Churches authority to intepret Scriptures and define Controversies I confesse I might have contented my selfe considering the superabundance to omit single passages when so many Fathers have written whole books to witnesse it as Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Augustine S. Hierome S. Vercentius Lirinensis c. mentioned before and whereas all Councells in whatsoever they have determined have virtually determined this otherwise their determinations were to be esteemed any thing else but determinations Notwithstanding I will not refuse the trouble of selecting a few passages more expresly declaring what at large most of the bookes wherein they are found endeavour generally to prove whether Logically and rationally or no let the world judge I am sure they proved it so effectually that they have thereby utterly destroyed the Heresies that opposed them Let the first witnesse therefore be S. Irenaeus lib. 3. c. 4. Where the Church is there is the Spirit of God and where the Spirit of God is there is the Church and all grace The same Father againe lib. 4. c. 43. We must obey those Priests that are in the Church those that have succession from the Apostles who together with Episcopall power have according to the good pleasure of the Father received the certain gift of Truth And all the rest who depart from the originall succession wheresoever they be assembled to have suspected either as Haeretiques or Schismatiques or Hypocrites and all these do fall from the truth Againe lib 4. c. 62. The spirituall man shall judge them that be out of the Church Which Church shall be under no mans judgement For to the Church all things are known in which is perfect faith of the Father and of the dispensation of Christ and firme knowledge of the Holy Ghost teacheth al truth Again l. 5. c. 4. What if the Apostles had not left Scriptures ought we not to have followed the Order of Tradition which they delivered to those to whom they committed the Churches To which order many yeild assent who believe in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit of God without letters or ink and diligently keeping ancient Tradition It is easy to receive the truth from God's Church seeing the Apostles have most fully deposited in her as in a rich Store-house all thinges belonging to truth For what if there should arise any contention of some small questions ought we not to have recourse to the most ancient Churches and from them to receive what is certaine and cleare concerning the present question 3. Witness Tert. de Preser Therefore we must not appeale to Scriptures neither is the controversy to be settled upon them in the which there will be either no victory at all or very uncertaine c. Againe Order did require that that should be proposed in the first place which ought now to be onely debated viz. Which of the parties is possessed of that faith to which the Scriptures agree from whom and by whom and when and to whom that discipline was delivered by which men are named Christians For wheresoever it shall appeare that the truth of the Christian discipline or Faith is there will also be found the truth of Scriptures and expositions and all Christian Traditions Witnesse Origen Since there be many who thinke they believe the things which are of Christ and some are of different opinion from those who went before them let the doctrine of the Church be kept which is delivered from the Apostles by order of succession and remaines in the Church to this very day That onely is to be believed for truth which in nothing disagrees from the Tradition of the Church And again in our understanding of Scriptures we must not depart from the first Ecclesiasticall Tradition nor believe otherwise then as the Church of God hath by succession delivered to us 4. Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccl. There is one head one Source one Mother by the Issue of her fruitfulnesse copious by her encrease we are born we are nourished with her milk with her Spirit we are quickned The Spouse of Christ cannot be defiled with adultery Shee is pure and chast Shee knoweth one house and with chast bashfulness keepeth the sanctity of one bed This preserveth us in God This advanceth to the Kingdome the Children that shee hath brought forth Whosoever divideth from the Church and cleaveth to the adultresse hee is separated from the promises of the Church He cannot have God to his Father that hath not the Church to his Mother Witnesse Lactantius l. 4. c. ult It is onely the Catholique Church that hath the true worship and service of God this is the wel-spring of truth the dwelling-place of Faith the temple of God into which whosever entreth not and from which whosoever departeth is without all hope of life and eternall salvation Witnesse S. Basile and S. Gregory Naz. who as Ruffinus Hist. Eccl. l. 2. c. 29. relateth took the interpretation of Scripture not of their own sense but from the Tradition of the Fathers Witness S. Cyril of Jerusalem lat 18. The Church is called Catholique because it is spread over the universall world from one end to the other and because it teacheth Catholiquely and entirely all doctrine which are to be known Witnesse S. Ambrose Faith is the foundation of the Church for it was not spoken of the flesh of Peter but of his faith That the gates of Hell should not prevaile His Confession overcame Hell and this Confession excludes many Haeresies for seeing the Church like a good Ship is beat upon by many waves the Foundation of the Church must prevail against all Haeresies L. de incarn dâ—â— 5. Witnesse Dom. in Psalm 37. In the Church the truth resids Whosoever is seperated from it it is necessary that he speak false things Againe Ep. 54. The heighth of all authority all the light of reason for the reparation and reformation of mankinde consists only in the saving name of Christ and in his only Church Again Ep. 56 The supream Emperour of our Faith hath fortified his Church with the cittadell of authority and by meanes of a few persons piously learned hath armed it with copious provisions of unconquerable reason That therefore to him is the most right discipline that especially the weak should retire into this cittadell of Faith to the end that for their defence being placed most securely others should combat with most strong reasons Again de util Cred. c. 16 if the Providence of God doth not precide over humane affairs no care is to be had concerning Religion But if the severall variety of creatures which ought be believed to have flowed from some fountain of most perfect beauty and by certain inward instinct doth exhort both publiquely and privately those
Fathers And Vincentius Lyrinensis cap. 16. gives us a proper character of their Spirit and language bringing them in thus speaking Vâ—nite ô insapientes miseri qui vulgò Catholici vocitamini c. Come now O ye foolish and miserable wretches who are commonly called Catholiques and learn the true faith which besides us no man understands which has lien hid for many ages past but hath bin of late discovered made known But you must learne it by stealth and in secret for it will be delightfull unto you So of old spake the Heretiques Whether of late they have changed this stile or no yea how much they have changed this to be accounted modest language into a new one full of arrogance pride and fury will sufficiently appeare in the treatises Polemicall of Luther Calvin c. CHAP. XXI The doctrine of the Roman Church concerning the Churches authority The great and apparent reasonablenesse of it 1. I will now subjoyn to the doctrine of the antient Church that of the present Roman Church that being set in view the one of the other we may better judge how well they resemble or what unlikenesse there is between them The substance of what the Church has defin'd concerning this point is conteined in this decision of the Councel of Trent Sess. 4. viz. Praetercà ad coercenda petulantia ingenia decrevit Synodus Ut nemo c. that is Moreover to the end to restrein petulant witts this Synod decrees That no man relying upon his own skill and wresting Holy Scripture to his own sences shall presume to interpret the Holy Scriptures in matters of Faith and manners pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine against that sence which hath been and is held by our holy Mother the Church to whom it appertains to judge of the true sence and interpretation of Holy Scriptures and against the unanimous consent of Fathers although such interpretations were never at any time to be published abroad The substance of this decree is repeated in the Bull published by Pius IV. concerning the Oath of the Profession of Faith 2. This decision considered simply as the words import in their plaine direct sence seemed to me so strangely reasonable and equall requiring only due reverence to the present Church and implying with a strange ingenuity and assurance a conformity with the doctrine unanimously maintained in the antient Church that I could not believe but that some where or other I should find a far greater burden laid by her upon her childrens shoulders for according to that information which I received from the learnedst Doctours of Controversie among Catholiques who for the most part doe dresse this point in School-language and exalt that language to the utmost importance deducing likewise the most rigid consequences from it I thought the bonds fetters wherein the Roman Church restâ—eined all in her Communion were far more stringent and painfull cutting even to the very bones So that this newly discovered great equity of the Church made me suspicious and thereupon inquisitive therefore I searched my selfe and begg'd of others to search for me into former Councells for somewhat more rigorous and unreasonable and after all I could not find in any declaration or Canon in any Councell universally received any higher or more hardly-to be digested expression of the Churches authority then what is set downe in this decree of the Councell of Trent 3. Then I perceived that it was that as it fell out through mine own unwarinesse to me unfortunate word of infallibility and that word understood by me in the most rigorous sence that the terme could import that above all other things made me despaire of ever being able with a good conscience to enter into the Communion of the Catholique Church And yet no such word could I find in any Councell no necessity appeared to me that either I or any other Protestant should ever have heard that word named and much lesse pressed upon us with so much earnestnesse and rigour as of late it hath generally been in disputations and bookes of Controversie Against this word of infallibility that so much by all English Protestants exalted booke of Mr. Chillingworth especially combats and this with too too great success by reason that the Author makes his advantage of that word affixing thereto a sense far more strein'd and exilted then I am sure Catholique doctrine yea or even his learned Antagonist doe require Truly if Mr. Chillingworth would have thought it for his purpose to have proceeded with the ingenuity he professeth and have examined how much latitude might have been allowed him in this point concerning this expression of the Churches infallibility in her Conciliary decisions he would have found that he had much lesse cause to triumph in the furious batteries that he pretends to make against it For first of all the forecited Doctor Veron saith expresly That no mention is found of the word Infallibility in the decrees of the Councell of Trent nor any other received Councell and by consequence according to the designe of his Method that word cannot be as of necessity imposed upon any one A Method commended authorized by three Generall assemblies of the Cleargy of France without contradiction insisted on and prosecuted more then 40. years together by him both in Sermons Disputations and writings and the Author of it enabled to pursue it both by letters Patents of the King of France by the quality of a Catholique Doctour and by Episcopall Mission Againe Bellarmine treating of the comparison between the Infallibility of a Generall Councell and that of Scripture gives the preeminence to Scripture in five severall respects among which the third is That in Scripture there can be no errour neither in points of Faith nor manners nor likewise whether any thing be affirmed pertaining to the whole Church or onely to some few or one particular person whereas Councells may erre in particular judgements And the fowrth That in Scripture not only all sentences but al and every single word belong to Faith whereas in Councells neither the disputations premised nor the reasons added nor illustrations nor explications adjoyned doe belong to Faith but only the simple naked Decrees and not all those neither but only such as are proposed as of Faith c. Hereto may be added that even those naked decrees also are not alwayes necessarily to be understood according to the latitude of the significations of the words and expressions in themselves but onely so far as they are intended to contradict the speciall Heresie condemned by them Hence that famous Carmelite who modestly disguises himselfe under the common title Salmanticensis the miracle of this age both for subtility perspicuity and profound solidity of judgement in that part of his Theological discourse where he treats largely of Angels being to answer an Objection out of the Councel of Lateran hath these words Ad dignoscenduÌ„ an aliquid sit desinituÌ„ ab Ecclesia c.
to exhort Catholiques treating with them especially in such times as these that the fields are even white unto the Harvest and that very many more may probably be won by a charitable complyance yet still without wrong to necessary Catholique doctrine God forbid else then perhaps by the most convincing arguments of reason That they would condescend so far either to the misunderstandings prejudices or infirmity of Protestants as since the Church her self obliges no man to those very expresse termes for a while either to abstain from them in disputes or using them to do it with a qualifying preface urging and fastning no stricter a sense on them then the Churches own Decision of her authority doth require Certainly the receiving of a soul from Heresie and Schisme is a work so infinitely precious and meritorious before Almighty God that it will deserve that we should employ in it not only all our strength of wit and learning but all our charity likwise so imitating the great example of that great Conductor of souls S. Paul who told the Corinthians Astutus dolo vos cepi that is being crafty I caught you with guile namely by instilling Christian Doctrines into their minds leisurely and seasonably neither out of time enforcing unnecessary truths upon them nor hastily and abruptly urging even necessary but perhaps unwelcome ones till he had prudently prepared a way for them Now if we entreating with well minded but seduced souls would imitating S. Paul only propose to them at the first necessary doctrines and those represented with all the lawfull inviting advantages and most easie constructions we should no doubt make many points from which for the present through misapprehension they have a strong aversion very receiveable and very easily digestable to them And by these meanes having been happy instruments of restoring them to the Church we may at leasure if we have a mind seek to induce them to adhere unto and declare themselves for our particular opinions and distinctive interpretations of common points 7. But to return from this digression I most affectionately entreat the Protestants that they would heedfully cast their eyes upon this decree of the Councell of Trent that they would peruse and turn it as they please and when they have done this let them consider if a Synod of Charenton or Dort or Gap do not even while they renounce all visible obliging authority usurp notwithstanding more then the Catholike Church here challenges Would any of them give leave to any among them to interpret Scriptures against their sense established by them Nay do not they command men to interpret Scriptures against doctrines unanimously consented to by Fathers Lastly would they suffer a French Protestant to interpret Scriptures but even as their brethren Protestants in in England heretofore during their prosperity graced by them with that title do ordinarily interpret them for example about Episcopacy reall Presence c If therefore such fragments of churches do allow themselves so much let Protestants try if they can be unreasonable enough to impute tyranny to the Catholique Church for forbidding any in her communion to invent new senses of Scripture contrary not onely to the doctrine universally embraced through the whole Catholike world but to this doctrine as professed to be the same which all Churches before and all Fathers unanimously consent in CHAP. XXII The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 1. I Will now proceed in my narration how and by what meanes after I had informed my selfe of the Roman Churches established doctrine concerning her authority and after I had been assured by very learned Catholiques that I was not obliged to build upon any other expression of this doctrine but that of the Church it selfe I in ashort time arrived to a full satisfaction of all the difficulties and prejudices that before I was incombred withall 2. The objections and difficulties by education and many yeares study setled in my mind against the Churches infallibility or authority and which were not suddainly cleared after I knew that the Church was more moderate and condescending then I had before believed respected not only the substance of this doctrine but likewise many particulars and circumstances of it as likewise the immediate consequences of it forexample How it could be justifyed with certainty sufficient to support a supernaturall faith that the Church was legally possessed of this authority Where this authority was scated whether in the whole Church or some speciall members of it Upon what grounds it was challenged How far it was extended And after all these what might appeare to me to be the most rationall way for a Catholique to expresse his resolution of faith so confidently by all Protestants charged with circles and absurdities 3. To gaine satisfaction in these points as for the foundation I resolved only to consider what the Church her selfe sayd so for an information more particular since the church had not descended to so punctuall an expression of her mind conceived it my best way to have recourse either to the writings or verball resolutions of such Catholiques of unsuspected Opinions as had expressed themselves the most moderately intelligibly with allowing the greatest latitude and lastly most approaching to the grounds which I thought before to be most reasonable The particular persons whose speeches or writings contributed most to my satisfaction I shall occasionally name or reflect upon in the pursuance of this Narration 4. Now I do not vainly pretend to or so much as trouble my self with wishing that any man Catholique or other should believe that the method according to which I proceeded or the grounds which in mine own reasoning I laid were more rationall then others for my intent is only to make an Exomologesis or account of that particular order and progresse whereby I attained repose of mind in the authority of the Church and great contentment in abasing and captivating my reason It will be sufficient for me if the grounds by me laid and inferences from them deserve not to be condemned by Catholiques to prevent which I may with confidence say that I took very good advice and used very great circumspâ—â—â—ion Let them be accounted as imperfect as any man shall please I am very well contented that others should tell me that they could have furnished me with better This only I have to say that purposing to write mine own story and not directions for others I am resolved to tell it freely and ingenuously without concealing whatsoever defaults or wickednesses may by others be imputed to it CHAP. XXIII Grounds laid to prove a certainty of Tradition Severall degrees of it 1. SOme of the grounds laid by me in preparation to a distinct conception and satisfaction concerning the Churches authority founded upon Tradition and the certainty thereof have been already occasionally though somwhat before their due season mentioned in the former conclusion cap. 8. and 9. The substance
return that shall return which was before Again Mat. 6. Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And again Joh. 14. The Spirit of truth shall remain with you for ever And again Let both grow together unto the harvest And againe Mat. 18. If any man will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican Upon which S. Augustine lib. 5. de Bapt. thus descants the which house likewise hath received the keyes and a power of loosing and binding Whosoever shall contemne this house reproving and correcting him let him saith he be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican And lastly The Church which is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 4. CHAP. XXVIII The validity of such Texts c. 1. UPon these and other such Texts of Scripture joyn'd with Tradition and uninterrupted practise the antient Church grounded upon her authority the antient Councells their power of anathematizing all gain-sayers and the antient Fathers all their arguments and discourses against all sorts of Heretiques arguing thus That if the promises of Christ were true that his Church should continue for ever and so continue as that she should alwaies be preserved in all truth so that the gates of hell should never prevail against her then whatsoever Heretiques opposed or Schismatiques separated themselves from the present Church either gave Christ the lye or acknowledged themselves to be a Congregation exempted from these promises concluding that no pretence could be sufficient to warrant any man at any time to separate from the Church to which such promises have been made Hence that great Alexander Bishop of Alexandria Theod. Hist. Eccl. l. 1. c. 4. We acknowledge one onely Church Catholique and Apostolique which as she can never be rooted out although the whole world should attempt to fight against her so she surmounts and dissipates all the impious assaults of Heretiques Hence likewise S. Athanasius The Church is invincible although hell it selfe should oppose her Hence lastly Theophilusâ— God at all times affords the same grace unto his Church namely that the body should be preserved entire and that the poysons of hereticall doctrines should have no power over her V. S. Hierom. Ep. 67. 2. Now if these promises of Christ be not both infallible and likewise absolute and unlesse the Church to which such promises belong be not only visible but by the weakest understandings discernable from all other factions and Congregations and lastly unlesse upon the same grounds that all the Fathers took advantage from such promises to condemn all Schismes and Heresies against the Catholique Church of their times all succeeding Catholiques might with as much reason and justice from the same promises conclude as efficatiously against all following Heresies and Schismes whatsoever hath been said by all these Fathers especially the writings of S. Augustine against the Donatists will prove to be the most foolish impertinent jugling discourses that ever were yea that were too mild a censure I should say the most blasphemous and pernicious to Christianity For by ascribing to the present Church respectively such sanctity authority and indefectibility if such titles could not be warranted from Scripture and Tradition all possible means of taking away scandalls and errours among Christians would be utterly lost it would be unlawfull for any men to preach truth and piety or reform vice in a word that fearfull comminatory curse in the Revelation would be converted into an Evangelicall precept Qui nocet noceat adhuc qui in sordibus est sordescat adhuc Let him that doth mischiefe proceed to do more mischiefe still and let hiâ— that is filthy be filthy stil Apoc. 22. I might ad Et qui incredulus est incredulus maneat Let him that is a disbeliever take care that he continue a disbeliever still for whosoever reforms these things are Heretiques and Schismatiques 3. But such promises are too expresse in Scripture the Tradition of them too constant and universall the Fathers too good Christians to leave any suspition in mens minds that they should either lightly imprudently or wickedly make use of arguments to destroy heresies which in future times would be as proper yea far more efficacious to destroy truth Therefore if all antiquity conspired to argue thus Christ has expressely promised and foretold that his Church shall be as a City set upon the top of a hill and that he by his Spirit will be with this his Church to the end of the world in which Church notwithstanding there shall be a mixture of good and bad till the day of Judgement but however the Church it self is without spot or wrinckle Therefore it is a blasphemy in you Manicheans Donatists Pelagians c. to say the Church of Christ was perished or invisible or a harlot till you revived reformed and purified it I say if the Fathers had reason from such promises to argue thus in the second third and fourth Centuries their Successours had as good reason to make the same deductions from the same principles in the fifth and sixth ages and so downward till these very times For as Christ is the same yesterday and to day and for ever so likewise are his promises and by consequence so likewise is his Church since he ha's engaged his omnipotence to make good such his promises to his Church untill the worlds end 4. If not Let those that forbid such a method of arguing name how long a time and how far those promises are to be extended Let them name the Climactericall year when the effect of them is to cease or what constellation ha's over-ruled the operation of Gods holy Spirit To conclude let them give some reason why the Donatists who though in all points of Christian Doctrine agreed with the Catholique Church yet because for I know not what pretended misdemeanour of one Bishop they separated from his Communion and afterward from all those that communicated with him that is the whole Church are therefore so highly condemned by the Fathers for this their Schisme that they professed the same heaven could not hold them both yea that Martyrdome it selfe could not blot out that crime What priviledge can all those Sects of this age alledge for themselves that the same arguments and judgements of the Fathers should not be applied to them who to their Schisme from charity have added a division from and contradiction to not only the Catholique Church but all manner of Congregations praeexistent in so many points of doctrine and faith of so high importance 5. I confesse I could not imagine what could be opposed to this and therefore I could not but conclude that the antient Fathers Logick was concluding yea that such unanswerable arguments of theirs were powerfull means preordained by Christ for the accomplishing of his good promises to his Church inasmuch as by them the gates of Hell that is as severall Fathers
Babel since a Judge visible or invisible must needs be had some disagreement there is among among them what invisible judge to pitch upon 4. All that I can collect from the sense of the English Church in this point is that which results from these articles of hers compared together viz. Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for salvation so that whatsoever is not read therein is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an Article of Faith or be thought requisite necessary to salvation Again The three Creeds c. ought throughly to be received c. For they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture Again The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithfull men in which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly administred c. As the Church of Hierusalem c. so also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their living and manner of ceremonies but also in matters of Faith Again The Church hath power to decree rites or ceremonies and authority in controversies of Faith and yet it is not lawful for the church to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another wherefore although the church be a witnesse and a keeper of Holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the fame so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation Again Generall Councells may not be gathered together without the commandement and will of Princes And when they be gathered together forasmâ—â—h as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of God they may â—rre and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God wherefore things ordained by them as necessary unto salvation have neither strength nor authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scriptures From which Articles it is apparent that the Church of England though in words she seemes to ascribe some kind of power to the Church and Generall Councells yet in very deed since she makes her selfe at least if not each particular man a judge whether the Catholique Church proceeds according to Scriptures or no the thereby utterly deprives the Church of all manner of authority yea de facto the Supremest authority which is in the Church is actually censured as a Delinquent both in having made decisions beyond and against the Word of God But after these destructive determinations the English Church names no other visible or invisible authority not laying her selfe any claime thereto although in effect she takes upon her to do more then she claimes So that à primo ad ultimum all the judgement that I could make of the English Church was that since worldly interests constrained her to separate from the Catholike Church by the just judgement of God she had only a power given her to destroy the Temple of God but not so much as to lay one stone towards the raising up another in the place of it 5. As for the Calvinist party in England they follow the example of Calvin and most of his followers that I had read as likewise the Lutherans c. all which make the Holy Ghost testifying to every mans conscience the infallible interpreter of Scripture Now concerning this their pretence to such a Judge all I had to say upon it during that very small time that I had the patience to take it into debate was 1. That I could not believe that they believed themselves when they laid claim each man or each Sect to such an infallible Iudge 2. That if they did indeed believe it as I could not hinder them so till I had some good experience I durst not pretend to the like infallibility 3. Since all those Sects pretend to so more-then-miraculous an infallibility and yet not any of them work any other miracles it proves of no effect to end controversies which is the proper office of a Judge especially such a Judge as the Holy Ghost which is the Spirit of unity 4. That if such a pretence was indeed false as it must be in all Sects differing betweene themselves but only one it is in all the rest a most horrible presumptuous lying against the Holy Ghost and most justly punished by him with implacable and eternall divisions both among themselves and from Catholique unity divisions I say impossible to be remedied till all but one Sect agree in the same confession or acknowledge since a Judge is requisite and the invisible one will not serve the turne that therefore they are to have recourse to the onely visible one viz. The present Catholique Church which in Spirits so envonomed against the Church as those Sects are how without a miracle it cannot be expected fearfull experience shewes 5. That since this pretending to the Spirit is effectuall onely so far as by a seeming divine warrant to make them hate one the other but not to oblige one the other to submit to their so eanonized interpretations it is of no use at all in this businesse of finding out a Judge to end controversies among dissenting Christians Lastly That that rule of Tertullian de Praser being unquestionable viz. That whatsoever is new is Religion praejudges it selfe to be false it will undoubtedly follow that this ground of so many Sects is of all others most apparently untrue since no example can be found for it in all Antiquity Here the Tradition from the antient Patriarchs of Merefies failes them for excepting some fanaticall Heretiques as the Montanists c. none ever pretended to the Spirit against the church CHAP. XXXV Mr. Chillingworth's newâ— found Judge of Controversies viz. Private reason His grounds for the asserting such a Judge 1. SInce the publishing of Mr. Chillingworth's book there ha's appeared in England a new Judge of controversies and much defer'd unto there which is every man's private reason interpreting of Scripture From what countrey this new Judge came is very well known and I willingly forbear to discover The truth is if Christ had made no promises to his church if it had not by God's own Spirit been called the Pillar and ground of truth if universall Tradition were a fable if all Councello conspiracies of Tyrants and lastly if unity in the church were unnecessary or unprofitable reason might have much to alledge for it self that it should be raised into this tribunall 2. But before I examine particularly the pretentions of reason to this Office I will set down the State of this controversie as Mr. Chillingworth c. 4. parag 93. ha's very perspicuously and yet very briefly expressed it in these words Believe the Scripture to be the word of God use your true endeavour to find the true sense of it and live according to it and then you may rest securely that you are in
whole churches in which are and have been found persons of great learning subtilty and as far as the eys of men could judge piety and vertue as S. Augustine witnesseth of Pelagius and S. Vincentius Lirinensis of other Heretiques Now if they say they will not believe such testimonies of their adversaries probity then the controversies between Sects will become not disputations but calumniations and impleadments 12. To Mr. Chillingworth's fifth ground viz. That it cannot consist with the goodness of God to oblige any man as of necessity to believe explicitly or to interpret clearly those places of Scripture which are obscure and ambiguous I acknowledge all this and from their own grounds desire Protestants to consider whether any knowledge or distinct belief can justly be required to be yeelded to any speciall points of Christiantty since there are scarce any that have not been controverted CHAP. XXXVIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 1. TO the sixth ground viz. That since no proof can be made out of Scripture nor out of universall Tradition that there is any visible Judge of the sense of Scripture and since a mans reason is the only faculty and principle capable of judging therefore Reason is the only judge of the sense of Scripture but this only for each mans own self c. I answer 1. That his supposition of no visible Judge is so far from being true that the contrary ha's all the proofs imagineable and in the highest degree of assurance imagineable if Tradition universall for time and place plain Texts of Scripture interpreted by all Fathers that have written upon them the continuall practise of the Church in Councells c. can give a certain proof as I have shewed before 2. For private reason being a judge I will shew the impossibility for it to attain the ends for which Christ appointed a government in his Church viz. unity of minds and wills among Christians together with the unavoidable absurdities attending such a Judge and this after I have considered briefly the rest of his grounds 3. In this place I will take into consideration the generall foundation of this his foundation viz. That no other judge as to a mans own self besides his own reason can be imagined chap. 2. 11. 2. This foundation Mr. Chillingworth esteems so firm that upon all occasion he objects it to his adversary and places his chiefe confidence in it both as a sword to wound his enemy and a buckler to defend himself for thus and in this order he argues 1. Whatsoever I do in matter of Religion I do it by mine own particular reason and resolve it finally into mine own reason And this is not only my method but the same is done likewise by all sorts of men even those that deny private reason to be judge deny this by their reason and because their reason tells them that it is more reasonable to rely upon authority then upon their private judgement or reason c. 2. The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is not that the one judges and the other does not judge but that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest 3. To speak properly saith he The Scripture is not a judge of controversies but a rule only and the only rule for Christians to judge them by every man is to judge for himself by the judgment of discretion and to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say Or as you his Church first and then his Religion but by the consent of both sides every man is to judge and chuse This appeared to me to be the substance of Mr. Chillingworth's discourses severally dispersed in his book upon this argument 3. I confesse this way of arguing of Mr. Chillingworth had a long time great effect with me and after considering it more attentively I found that of necessity there must be some Sophisme in it because it makes all parties most contradictory to one another yet to resolve their beliefs into the same point which notwithstanding they utterly deny it was long before to mine own satisfaction I could discover the secret and now after all I find not the least difficulty how to expresse my self distinctly and intelligibly in my answer to it notwithstanding I will endeavour to do it as perspicuously as I can 4. For preparation therefore hereto I will first shew what faith or belief is and the severall kinds and manners of it together with the order how it is begotten in the soul c. Now I only speak of a rationall and well grounded faith not such an one as with which many ignorant or interessed persons assent that is rather with their wills and passions then their reason or understanding 1. Beliefe therefore in generall is an assent of the understanding to any thing related to us and this for the authority of the relator So S. Augustin de util cred c. 2. That we believe any thing we owe it to authority that we understand any thing to reason 2. Belief is immediate or mediate immediate when the prime relatour reveals it immediately to the believer mediate when by the intervention of others 3. Beliefe certain or probable is either when we have a certainty or probability of the prime relators authority or fidelity or else though we be assured of the prime authors fidelity when we have a certainty or probability of the authority fidelity and information of the subordinate relator 4. Belief supernaturall is when the prime relator is supernaturall and also when the object is supernaturall I might add and which is begotten in the soul by a supernaturall vertue but that is not debated here 5. The order an manner whereby an assured firm supernaturall faith is begotten in the soul is first in immediate divine revelations the prime relator reveals any thing to the believers understanding by the intervention of his outward or inward senses in mediate divine revelations when this is done by means of some persons indued with authority and ability so that before firm faith in the thing revealed there must necessarily precede a certain knowledge that such a thing ha's been revealed 6. Discourse of reason may and ordinarily does precede belief but belief it self is not discourse but a simple assent of the understanding 7. In beliefe we are to distinguish between the causes and the motives of it and when men speak of the last resolution of faith they intend to consider the last motive or authority into which it is resolved not the primary efficient cause of it Therefore though faith be an act of reason yet it is not said to be resolved into reason though produced by it but into authority 8. It is a meer tantology to say the act of faith is terminated in reason because reason judges that it is reasonable to believe God For that seems all one as if a man should say
in it all things necessary to be believed and practised but which and how many such things there are we cannot tell you besides they are dispersed up and down in Gospells Acts Epistles and Revelation so that it will cost you much trouble to collect all that are of the substance of the new Covenant in yours and our opinions but to make short work be sure to believe all in grosse and then you shall be sure to believe all that is necessary and then chuse what Church you will for there can be no danger since all cannot but agree in necessaries only there is some danger in the Catholique Church for she will oblige you to believe other things as well as Scripture for universall Traditions sake and besides she will not permit you to think your own self wiser then the whole world Or if you have the curiosity to live in the purest Church of all then you must study all the obscure unnecessary passages of Scripture likewise for such only can be controverted among reasonable men and examine what every party ha's to say for himself and then descend from your tribunall of judging and associate your self with them that you think the wisest that is those that agree with you in all your opinions if there be any such and there stay till either they or you change opinions But as for Catholiques to such a man that was to chuse both Christianity and a Church they would first tell him that by his reason he might most certainly judge that this Religion was taught by Christ and his Apostles since besides Records the universall agreement of the present age was that they received it from an universall Tradition of former ages which is a testimony beyond all others most irrefragable 2. They would by the same way assure him that this Religion was by the first teachers confirm'd with miracles and his reason upon examination both of those miracles and the sanctity of this Religion in generall would most assuredly conclude that the miracles were divine and by consequence the Religion too and therefore necessary to be embraced since it self said so 3. They would upon the same undeniable grounds of universall Tradition assure him that among others one necessary duty of this Religion was to live in the Communion and under the authority of such a Church as Christ had promised should be Catholique for place and never to fail untill his coming to judgement which Church was one body consisting of a subordination of parts among which by consequence one must needs be supreme and from which to separate was to be divided from Christ himself in this Church therefore he was to fix himself inseparably And here is to be an end of his judging and chusing For 4. being in this Church his Reason had no more to do but to submit it self to the beliefe and practise of the speciall doctrines and precepts which this Church should teach him Liberty indeed he might have to search out interpretations of Scripture yet so as that he must not contradict any traditionary doctrines And he might draw consequences from doctrines so that he would give leave to the church to judge whether such consequences were rationall and fit to be received abstaining from others that would not assent to his consequences And this is the method according to which a Catholike would advise such a man to proceed thus much liberty of judging he would allow to his reason before he did make choice of a church and only so much afterward 8. To these discourses Mr. Chillingworth adds some proofs out of Scripture to justifie Private Reason's pretention to judge of the sense of Scripture as first those words of S. Paul 1 Thes. 1. 5. v. 20 21. Try all things hold fast that which is good But I answer here is no mention either of Scripture or church much lesse of interpreting Scripture against the church the truth is there were extant scarce any books of the New Testament when S. Paul wrote that Epistle But the words before speak of Prophecyings in the church which perhaps S. Paul would have to be tryed whether they were consonant to the doctrine which he had delivered to the church Now who was to be the Judge of Prophets he shews in another place 1 Cor. 14. 32. where he sayes The spirits of the Prophets are subject to the Prophets not to the ignorant people A second proof is Believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they be of God or no 1. Joh. 4. 1. To which the former answer will suffice A third Be ye ready to render a reason of the hope that is in you 1 Pet. 3. 15â— I cannot imagine how from this Text this conclusion can be infer'd Ergo it belongs to all Christians to judge of the sense of Scripture even against the authority of the Church A fourth If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch All the inference that I could possibly draw from this Text would be therefore if men will not believe their teachers but either will rush forward themselves or follow others that neither have authority nor ability to teach they are likely to fall into the Ditch For surely by blind are not meant the lawfull Pastours of the Church which on the contrary are in the Old Testament called Videntes or Seers and by S. Paul eyes when speaking of such persons as Mr. Chillingworth here gives the office of judging to he saith If the ear shall say because I am not the eye I am not of the body is it therefore not of the body If all the body were the eye where were the hearing 1 Cor. 12. 16. Whereby S. Paul shews expressely that the hearers ought not to usurp the teachers office expressely contrary to Mr. Chillingworths Position 9. I will conclude this discourse of Protestants exalting private reason against Catholique authority with those memorable words of S. Augustine Ep. 56. Those saith he who not being in Catholique Unity and Communion yet notwithstanding do boastingly usurp the name of Christians are constrained to contradict the true Believers and have the boldnesse to seduce as it were by reasons the ignorant and unskilfull although that our Lord is come with this preservative to ordain faith unto the people But this they are constrained to do as I said because they perceive well that without this there is nothing more vile and base then they are if their authority be compared with Catholique authority They endeavour therefore as it were to surmount the most firmly setled and most stable authority of the most surely founded Church by the name and promising of Reason for this is as it were an uniform and universall temerity of all Heretiques But the most clement Commander and Generall of our Faith hath strengthened his Church with this bulwark of Authority by the most famous Assemblies of Peoples and Nations and by the proper Sees Episcopall of the Apostles aâ—d by a
promises to his Church So that the Church even when she does upon supposition erre yet she does not even then lead any man out of the way to heaven or within the danger of hell gates seeing the promises of Christ are infallible that his Spirit shall conduct or rather preserve his Church in the belief and profession of all truths at least necessary and as for points supernumerary or unnecessary neither unwilfull ignorance nor unavoidable mistake shall be imputed as sinfull to any man 6. To the second proof viz. That if the promise of infallibility had been made to any Church of one denomination certainly the Scripture would have named that Church and have directed all Christians to have recourse unto her it being a point of so main importance I answer 1. The inference is not at all concluding as I shewed before in the first conclusion 2. The Scripture ha's expressely mentioned such promises made to the Church and if we will follow either reason or Catholique Tradition interpreting Scripture we must at least apply those promises to the whole body and succession of the Catholique Church united under one Head since no particular man or Church considered only as a distinct member of the whole can pretend to these promises as peculiarly applicable to themselves Now this whole body was as apparent and distinguishable from particular sects in the times of S. Augustine and S. Gregory as if it had been a Church of one denomination since they framed all their arguments and discourses from the apparent visibility of it and surely to any one that would not shut his eyes would have appeared as clear and demonstrable in Luthers time also 7. To the third proof of Mr. Chillingworth viz. That Catholiques build their assurance of the infallibility of the Church only upon fallible and uncertain grounds and marks I answer that I have made the contrary appear in severall places before demonstrating that it is grounded upon the most firm unshaken foundation that reason can have viz. Universall Tradition by which it is more effectually proved then any particular book of Scripture hath been 8. To his last proof against the Churches infallibility from his two examples wherein the Church is said to have erred universally in points pretended to be of Tradition as namely about the giving the blessed Sacrament to Infants mentioned by S. Augustine and the doctrine of the Millenaries by S. Justin Martyr and S. Irenaeus For the first example I refer my self to the satisfactory answer given by Cardinall Perron to the same objection made by King James Perr repl l. 2. obs 3. c. 11. 2. Concerning the other example of the doctrine of the Millenaries c. I answer that S. Justin Martyr dial cum Trypho saith not that it was a Catholique Tradition nor received by the whole Church but only of himself and many other Christians but withall that there were many also who were of a pure and pious Christian beliefe which did not acknowledge it And when all that could be alledged to prove that doctrine to have been an Apostolique Tradition was said the proof ended upon the report of Papias a very credulous man one that loved to tell stories many of which could not find belief in the Church a man meanely learned and by consequence one that might very probably mistake what he sayes S. John told him concerning that point CHAP. XLII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of circles and absurdities to the resolution of Faith of Catholiques 1. A Third rank of arguments with which Mr. Chillingworth combats the infallibility of the Church is grounded upon the absurdities Meanders and circles which he sayes most unavoidably follow the resolution of the faith of Catholiques Let us hear the sum of his allegations in his own words cap. 2. 118. 119. For Gods sake Sir tell me plainly in those Texts of Scripture which you alledge for the infallibility of your Church do not you allow what sense you think true and disallow the contrary and do you not this by the direction of your private reason if you do why do you condemn it in others If you do not I pray what direction do you follow Or whether you follow none at all If none at all this is like drawing Lots or throwing dice for the choice of a Religion If any other I beseech you tell me what it is Perhaps you will say the churches authority and that will be to dance finely in a round thus To believe the Churches infallible authority because the Scriptures avouch it and to believe that Scriptures say and mean so because they are so expounded by the Church Is not this for a Father to beget his son and the son to beget his Father For a foundation c. The Church you say is infallible I am very doubtfull of it How shall I know it The Scripture you say affirmes it as in the 59. of Esay My Spirit that is in thee c. Well I confesse I find there these words but I am still doubtfull whether they be spoken of the Church of Christ and if they be whether they meane as you pretend You say the Church sayes so which is infallible Yea but that is the question and therefore not to be begged but proved neither is it so evident as to need no proof otherwise why brought you this Text to prove it Nor is it of such a strange quality above all other Propositions as to be able to prove it self What then remains c. But Universal Tradition you say and so do I too is of it self credible and that ha's in all ages taught the churches infallibility with full consent But that it ha's I hope you would not have me take upon your word for that were to build my self upon the Church and the Church upon you Let then the Tradition appear for a secret Tradition is somewhat like a silent Thunder You will perhaps produce c. 2. For answer hereto 1. If Mr. Chillingworth's adversary had grounded the doctrine of the Churches authority meerly and only upon Texts of Scripture capable of contrary senses there might have been just ground for Mr. Chillingworth to have pleased himself as he oft does in insulting thus on him and intangling him thus in his circles But Mr. Chillingworth himself absolves him toward the latter end of the former passage where he sayes But universall Tradition you say and so do I too is of it selfe credible and that ha's in all ages taught the Churches infallibility c. Whereby he shews clearly that his adversary though he serves himself as reasonably he may and ought of some Texts of Scripture to fortifie the Traditionary doctrine of the Churches authority yet makes not those Texts understood in his own sense his onely foundation but universall Tradition which is the proper foundation even of the credibility of Scripture it self and therefore all Mr. Chillingworth's inferences and retortions do not even in his own opinion
church as a doctrine Traditionary and moreover it is attested by all antient Records of the Fathers of the church nemine explicite contradicente and it ha's been practised by Councells in all ages not one Catholique renouncing his obedience In so much as to my understanding there is not one Christian doctrine delivered with so full an assurance nor in the sense and meaning whereof it is lesse possible for a man to be mistaken Now by vertue of this speciall truth of the churches authority Universall Tradition which of it self is most credible and certain being believed and attested by the present church becomes most necessary to be believed by us the Church supplying the place not only of a witnesse but of an Embassadour likewise instructed and employed by Christ himself as S. Augustine most effectually maintains so that in believing and obeying her we believe and obey Christ himself according to Christs own expression He that heareth you heareth me and If any one heareth not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican And therefore they that believe Christian doctrines only because they think they find them in the Scripture and believe the Scripture only because their reason or fancy which they miscall the testimony of Gods Spirit tells them that it is the Word of God though the doctrines themselves believed by them be true yet it is a hazard as to them whether they be so or no or however whether that be the sense of them or no it being all one as if a man by some casualty had found a transcribed copy of some part of an Embassadors Pattent or instructions Whereas Catholiques receive the commands of their heavenly King and Master from his Embassadours own hands which not only will not conceale any thing necessary or requisite from them but likewise will be able upon occasion to cleare all manner of difficulties that may arise about the sense of the said instructions or Patent having received glorious promises of continuall residence among us and of divine assistance to preserve him from any at least dangerous error 8. These things thus supposed Mr. Chillingworth's pretended circles and absurdities in the Resolution of Catholique Faith doe clearly and evidently vanish For a Catholique does not only or chiefly believe the Churches authority because to his privaâ—e understanding and reason the Scripture seems to say so but because he knows that the present Catholique Church teacheth so both by profession and practise and that she teacheth this as a Catholike Tradition believed and practised in all ages then which it is impossible there should be any testimony more assured and infallible so that if a man can be sure of any thing done before his own times as all reasonable men do agree that one may he cannot avoid being most sure of this if his passion or interests do not hinder him from searching into the grounds of it I need not therefore particularly give an answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse before produced since it wholly proceeds upon a mistake of his adversaries and other Catholiques grounds and since himself in the close of it seemes to confesse by objecting to himselfe Universall Tradition that if this doctrine of the Churches authority could be made appear to be grounded upon Catholike Tradition it would be as much credible as if the Scripture had expresly testified it since in his opinion the Scripture it selfe and nothing besides enjoyes its authority because it is delivered by Universall Tradition and by consequence would not be lyable to any circles or absurdities So that truly I wonder why seeing Mr. Chillingworth could not be ignorant that Catholiques do generally pretend that this doctrine comes from Tradition besides the proofs of it out of Scripture he should notwithstanding dispute against it as if there were no other ground for it but two or three questionable passages of Scriptâ—re CHAP. XLIII An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 1. THere is in Mr. Chillingworth's book another rank of objections which though they do not directly combat the churches infallibility or authority yet they had great effect upon me because they seemed to infer that the faith and salvation likewise of Catholiques depended upon extreme uncertainties and casualties and by consequence that a Catholique could not give any assurance that his faith was safely grounded For thus he argues c. 2. parag 63. ad 68. The salvation of many millions of Papists as they suppose and teath depends upon their having the Sacrament of Penance duly administred to them This again upon the Ministers being a true Priest which is a thing that depends upon many uncertain and very contingent supposalls As 1. That he was baptized with due matter 2. With due forme 3. With due intention 4. That the Bishop which ordained him Priest ordained him likewise with due form intention c. 5. That that Bishop himselfe was a person fitly qualified to give orders that is was no Simoniake c. 6. That all that Bishops Progenitors were fitly qualified and so till he arrive to the fountain of Priesthood Now he that shall put together and maturely consider all the possible wayes of lapsing and nullifying a Priesthood in the Church of Rome I believe saith he will be very inclinable to believe that in an hundred seeming Priests there is not one true one But suppose this inconvenience assoyled yet still the difficulty will remain whether he will pronounce the absolving words with intent to absolve you for perhaps he may be a secret Jew Moor or Antitrinitarian which if he be then his intention which is necessary to the validity of a Sacrament will be wanting c. 2. Hereto I answer 1 That such kind of pretended uncertainties or nullities in particulars do not prejudice the authority and stability of the church in generall but that if it be true which ha's alwayes been believed in the church viz. That Christ ha's promised to continue till the worlds end a church governed by lawfull Pastors and preserved in all truth he will engage his omnipotency to make good his fidelity and by consequence he will take care to prevent or remedy all obstacles that can be imagined to be otherwise able to evacuate such his promises and I suppose two such Attributes of Christ are a foundation strong enough to build a faith not obnoxious to such a world of casualties as Mr. Chillingworth suspects 2. That Mr. Chillingworth's whole discourse proceeds upon a mistake of the established doctrine of the Catholique Church which ha's not declared all those things to be nullities nor any of them in the sense that he alledges It is true in the Canon law and among Câ—suists there are mentioned many nullities of Orders and other Sacraments as Simony or Heresie or Schisme are said to nullifie the Ordination of a Bishop or Priest But how to nullifie it by taking away the
Allelujah He may answer Amen He may keep the Gospell He may have the Faith and preach it only salvation he cannot have Again l. 3. cont Petil. c. 5. No man preaching the name of Christ and carrying or ministring the Sacrament of Christ is to be followed against the Unity of Christ. Again cont adv Le. Proph. l. 1. 6. 17. If he hear not the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican which is more grievous then if he was strucken through with a sword consumed by flames exposed to wilde beasts Again l. de Past. c. 12. The Divel saith not let them be Donatists and not Arians for whether they be here or there they belong to him that gathers without making a difference Let him adore Idolls saith the Divell he is mine Let him remain in the superstition of the Jewes he is mine Let him quit Unity and passe over to this or that or any Heresie he is mine 4. Witnesse likewise S. Fulgentius de rem pec cap. 22. Out of this Church neither the title of Christian secures any man neither doth Baptisme conferre salvation neither doth any man offer a sacrifice agreeable to God neither doth any man receive Remission of sinnes neither doth any man attain to eternall life for there is one onely Church one onely Dove one onely well-beloved one only Spouse Again de Fid. ad Pet. D. c. 39. Hold this most firmly and doubt not of it in any wise that every Heretique and Schismatique whatsoever baptized in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost if before the end of his life he be not reunited to the Catholike Church let him bestow never so many almes yea though he should shed his bloud for the name of Christ he cannot obtain salvation Witnesse lastly S. Prosper He who does not communicate with the Universall Church is a Heretique and Antichrist de prom praed Dei p. 4. c. 5. 5. Surely no man can justly blame if a serious consideration of such testimonies of Scripture such a conspiracy of all the Saints almost of the antient Church agreeing to condemne Schisme as the most heinous inexcuseable sin that a Christian was capable of committing not to be redeemed with Faith Sacraments Almes Miracles no nor Martyrdome it selfe awakened me from the Lethargy I was in and from the presumption which I had viz. that since I my selfe had no influence upon the beginnings of the Separation but on the contrary approached as neere in my beliefe to the Catholique Church as Truth in my opinion would permit me and lastly since I judged charitably of the state of Cutholiques that therefore the guilt of Schisme should never be imputed to me Not content therefore to rest upon these imaginations in a matter upon which my eternall happinesse inseparably depended if the expresse words of Scripture and unanimous consent of Antiquity were to be believed I proceeded to examine the present state of Protestant c. Churches in separation from the Romane by the markes which the antient Fathers afforded me to judge by whether of the two parties were guilty and to which of them this so heynous low viz. 1. They all agreed that Schisme was a thing of it self evident whereof the most ignorant understandings might inform themselves For this being the foundation of all their disputes of the Catholike Church that it is a congregation so visible and illustrious that it cannot be hidden from the eys of any man that does not willingly shut them it does necessarily follow that they who are not in visible communion with that visible church are apparently Schismatikes 5. Secondly and by consequence that the mark of Schisme and Heresie was not a separation from the true faith simply but from that faith which is openly professed by the Church For otherwise if they had defined Schisme with respect onely to the true Faith all the evidence of Schisme would be utterly taken away since it would be alwayes ambiguous and disputable which of the parties in a Schisme held the true doctrine of which ignorant people could not be Judges and the learned would never acknowledge themselves guilty Besides the parties evidently in Schisme would be sure either not at all to acknowledge or at least to excuse and extenuate their fault by saying that though they were in some sort divided from the Catholique Church yet this was not so unpardonable since they left the Church only in points not fundamentall for in such they agree with Catholiques and by consequence remain the same church still in substantialls This is at this day the plea of many Protestants as it was anciently of the Pelagians according to that of S. Augustine de Pec. Orig. l. 2. c. 22. Pelagius and Goelestius saith he desirous cunningly to avoid the odious name of Heresie affirme that the question concerning Originall finne may be disputed without endangering Faith But this assertion of theirs he confuted particularly in his fourteenth Sermon De Verbis Apostoli and in generall against both Heretiques and Schismatiques proves that whatsoever in particular their opinions are yet since they professe otherwise then the church does and requires of them to doe they are in a damnable estate because thereby they vertually renounce one fundamentall Article of faith viz. of the authority and unity of the Catholique Church and therefore if they break communion though but for one doctrine and that of it self of no great importance their orthodoxnesse in all other points will not avail them wanting truth and especially renouncing charity and obedience to the Universall Church Hereupon the same Father in Psal. 54. saith of the Donatists We have each of us one Baptisme in this they were with me We celebrated the Feasts of the Martyrs in this they were with me We frequented the solemnity of Easter in this they were with me But they were not in all things with me In Schisme they were not with me In Heresie they were not with me In many things they were with me and in some few things they were not with me But in those few things in which they were not with me those many things do not profit them in which they were with me So again the same Father Ep. 48. Speaking to the same Donatists You are with us in Baptism in the Creed in other Sacraments of the Lord but in the Spirit of unity in the bond of peace and finally in the Catholike Church you are not with us 6. Thirdly that the proper to all eys visible and essentiall mark of Schisme for what cause soever it matters not is a wilfull separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church So S. Augustine de unit c. 4. Those who do so dissent from the body of Christ which is the Church that their Communion is not with the whole wheresoever it is spread but are fouud in some party separated it is manifest that they are not in the Catholike Church And
that the pretended proofs out of Scripture alledged by Protestants proceed either because no mention is made of Scripture of such points a way of arguing generally renounced by the Fathers who condemn many Heretiques by Tradition alone without Scripture or because they by drawing consequences out of Texts of Scripture say they can confute such doctrines of the Roman Church which yet upon their own grounds will not suffice to call the contrary opinions so pretended to be confuted hereticall and much lesse will they be a sufficient warrant to make such mortall divisions in the church as are in these dayes 8. From all which considerations it seemed likewise to my weak understanding that this plea made use of by Protestants to excuse their Schisme upon pretence of so many dangerous errours and heresies crept into the Catholique Church necessary to be reformed was a plea of all others the most unreasonable the most unjust that ever was a plea so far from excusing them that above all other things it will make them most unpardonable before God and man a plea formally evacuating the promises of Christ inevitably ruining all Ecclesiasticall authority rendring uselesse and ridiculous all the marks that Antiquity gives us whereby to judge of Schisme and Heresie Lastly a plea which English Protestants by the just judgement of God have to their owne ruine put into the mouths of Calvinists and all other Sects for as they served the Catholiques so have the Calvinists used them upon pretence of reformation and Scripture and the antient Apostolique Church they see themselves rob'd of their church of their faith of their liberty of their livings and many thousands of their lives and yet they that were the destroyers of all lawfull authority and exercisers of too much unlawfull complain of injustice they that pluckâ—d downe the hedges of Gods vineyard wonder to see so many severall kinds of beasts rush in and eat their grapes in a word to use the expression of S. Augustine Et tamen nec serâ— saltem toties divisâ— atque conscissi sentiunâ— quod feccrunt i. e. and yet for all this seeing so many divisions among them seeing themselves so torn in pieces do they not yet perceive the fault that themselves have done Cont. Parm. lib. 1. CHAP. L. A continuation of the former arguments viz. that the guilt of Schisme lies only and wholly upon Protestants Catholiques not uncharitable for saying That Protestancy unrepented is damnable 1. THese Principles laid by the Fathers with unanimous consent of the execrable nature and extremest dangerousnesse of the crime of Schisme together with the severall descriptions and marks which they give to understand it by seemed to me so reasonable and these deductions which I made from the aforesaid principles together with the application of those marks to the present state of controversie between the Roman and Protestant churches seemed so unrefutable Lastly the conclusion and result of the whole matter viz. That the crime of heresie and Schism cannot with the least shew of reason be imputed to the Roman Catholike Church nor with the least shew of reason avoided by Protestant Churches since the Fathers being Judges there is not one mark of Schisme which can be found in the Romane nor one mark but is evidently found in Protestant churches All this seemed to me so unanswerable that unlesse I did resolve to put out mine owne eyes I could not but see that I had all my life hitherto continued in this fearful state of Schismâ— And unlesse I did resolve to proceed to that desperate contempt of Scripture of consent of Antiquity and of all Ecclesiasticall authority as to think Heresie and Schisme to be no other then counterfeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or bugbeares invented to fright such foolish Christians as would submit to any authority Divine or Ecclesiasticall I could not but think it more then time to avoid the precipice into which I was ready to fall and and for that purpose to range my selfe to that Communion which both by testimony of Scripture and all Antiquity and by visible experience could demonstrate that a full effect of all Christs promises had been accomplished in her which priviledge not any other congregation in our Western parts at least did pretend to any other way then by calling themselves a part of her whom yet at the same time they called an Idolatresse and a Strumpet divorced from her coelestiall Bridegroom or at least communicated with them that were guilty of such blasphemies 2. I do professe in the presence of God and all his blessed Saints and Angells that I could could not my self imagine nor find in any Protestant writer any exception or objection that came home to the point this one essentiall mark of Schisme viz. forsaking the externall publike Communion of the Catholike Church being impossible to be avoided by them since both all the world sees it and they themselves confesse it though indeed under another and more plausible name 3. I may therefore spare my pains of examining particularly what Mr. Chillingworth and other Protestants alledge for their excuse all which are evidently answered with applying to them that one saying of S. Augustine in his first book to Petilian the Donatist I object to you the crime of Schism which you wil deny And I wil presently prove because you do not communicate with all Nations I may add speaking to Protestants Not with any one Nation or church pre-existent to Luther Calvin confesseth that he divided à toto orbe terrarum from the whole world and so do other Protestants And impudence it self cannot deny but that in respect of externall communion they have to this day relinquished the whole world attempts have indeed beene made to get an entrance into the Greek church but in vain for they have beene rejected and remitted to the obedience of their own Patriarch as appears by the letter of Hieremias Patriarcha c. And therefore for a proof unanswerable that the Schisme of Protestants is a separation not from a particular church as they call the Roman but from all Christian Churches all the world over let them suppose the same question proposed to them which the Emperor Basilius made to Photius the Pseudo-Patriarch of Constantinople With which of the four Patriarchs do you communicate So that as the same S. Augustine saith in the same book Hoc scelus maximum manifestum omnium vestrum est i. e. This crime of forsaking Universall communion is both of all other the greatest and a manifest one and belongs to all the sorts of you 4. If they say they preserve the bond of charity allowing a possibility of salvation to Catholiques onely they separate from Catholique errors which would be damnable to them being so perswaded What is this to Externall Communion Adde hereto that though English Protestants for their own interests to justifie the lawfulnesse of their Succession doe allow such a degree of charity to Catholiques yet it
of late begin to challenge to the end to excuse their church from the title of Schisme for withdrawing it selfe from the Popes Jurisdiction were just and legal yet they will never be able to justifie themselves for disbelieving what they together with all the other Western churches so many ages agreed to have been true or for denying the title of Oecumenicall Head to the Pope Let it be supposed therefore what some of them alledge that it is in the power of such a King of England as Henry the VIII with the forced consent of his Clergy to erect the English church into a Patriarchate as Justinian the Emperour did Justinianaea Prima Or that England being an Island like Cyprus might have the priviledge to be independent of any Patriarch all that will follow thereon will be only that the Pope as Patriarch of the West shall by this meanes be deprived of some Patriarchall Jurisdictions Investitures Rights of Appeals c. which have antiently been endeavoured to be withdrawn from him by the African Churches c. Yet what is this to his title of S. Peters Successor and Head of the Church Or was Justinianaea or the Isle of Cyprus so independent in matters of point of Faith or publique practise on the Pope or other Patriarchs or however on a Generall Councell as that they could dejure alter any thing established by Universall Authority Could they renverse decisions of Oecumenicall Councells Or did they ever usurp such an authority to themselves as to impute superstition idolatry prophaneness heresies c. to all other churches under a shew of Reformation ruining the whole order of Discipline and Belief confessedly continued in the whole church for above a thousand years Till they can produce examples of an authority of Reformation of such a nature assumed by any Catholique Prince or particular Kingdome the other pretended right of exemption from Jurisdiction will be so far from excusing them that it will make it apparent to the world that it was meerly their Princes lusts ambition and unquenchable thirst after ecclesiasticall revenewes that first put the thought of Reformation into their heads and that upon as just grounds they may expect from others a Reformation of their Reformation which will perhaps prove more durable when those baits shall be utterly taken away which first whetned their wits to contrive that project of a Reformation 11. For my own part therefore seeing these severall conclusions concerning the Catholique Churches indefectibility authority unity and Visibility so unanimously attested confirmed and made use of by all Antiquity with so good successe against all manner of antient Heresies and Schismes And on the contrary perceiving no such method practised by Protestants disputing with one another no mention in any of their writings or arguments from Christs promises to the church but onely presumptuous boastings of greater sagacity and cunning to wrest Scripture to their severall purposes without the least successe of unity with one another yea to the utter despair thereof Having shut mine eyes to all manner of worldly ends and designes yea resolving to follow truth whither soever it would lead me though quite out of sight of countrey friends or estate at length by the mercifull goodnesse of God I found my self in inward safety and repose in the midst of that City set â—pon an hill whose builder and maker is God whose foundations are Emerauds and Saphirs and Jesus Christ himself the chief Corner Stone a City that is at unity within it selfe as being ordered and polished by the Spirit of Unity it selfe a City not enlightened with the Meteors or Comets of a private Spirit or changeable humane reason but with the glory of God and light of the Lamb Lastly a City that for above sixteen hundred years together hath resisted all the tempests that the fury of men or malice of hell could raise against it and if Christs promises may be trusted to and his Omnipotence be râ—lyed upon shall continue so till his second coming To him be glory for ever and ever Amen SECT III. Containing a brief stating of certain particular points of Controversie c. CHAP. I. The Question of the Church being decided decides all other controversies How it is almost impossible that errour should have crept into the publike doctrine of the Church Of what force objections out of Scripture or Fathers are against the Church 1. AFter that Almighty God had changed that which was to me a stone of offence into a rock of foundation making me to find repose of mind in submitting to the authority of his church which by reason of my former misapprehensions I carefully avoided as if the greatest danger that a Christian could be capable of had beene to be a member of Christs mysticall body which is his Church or as if the hearkning to the Church had been the way to make a man worse then a Heathen and a Publican I then found an experimentall knowledge of the truth of that speech of S. Hierome cont Lucifer viz. that the Sun of the Church presently dryes up all rivelets of errors and dispells all the mists of naturall reason as likewise of that of the Prophet Quicredit intelliget i. e. He that believes shall understand For being arrived to the top of that mountaine upon which God had built his church I found clear weather on all hands I found that there remained nothing for me to do afterwards but to hearken to and obey her that both Scripture and Fathers and now mine own reason taught me was only worthy to be obeyed And therefore the truth is here should be an end of my Exomologesis or account of my inward disputes about controversies concerning Religion which quickly ceased after that I left off to be mine own Guide and Teacher 2. Notwithstanding among the particular controversies in debate between the Romane Catholiques and other Sects I will select especially six of the most principall on purpose to shew that if any regard had been had either to the authority or peace of Gods church there would never have been any differences about them and that in the judgement even of moderate Protestants the differences are indeed of so small weight that if there had been amongst them but the least measure of charity or if Schisme had not been esteemed by them a vertue they would never have made such fatall and deadly divisions upon pretences so unconsiderable 3. They indeed lay to the charge of the Catholique church novelties in doctrines and practises and yet Catholiques even out of those few that remain of the most antient Ecclesiasticall Authors shew clear proofes of these doctrines and practises and desire no more of them then that they would speak in the language of the antient church They accuse her of impieties and idolatries and superstitions yet Catholiques shew them that the most holy learned Saints and Martyrs that ever were in Gods church practised and maintained such pretended superstitions c. They
accuse her of Schisme for not separating from her selfe and and the whole world and for not being able to hinder them from committing that most sacrilegious crime and they impute Heresie to her for being constant in maintaining the decisions of all Councells and the profession of all churches and ages 4. But before I examine the vanity of these imputations by stating those six particular controversies I shall desire our English Protestants to meditate sadly upon two subjects especially The first is Which way they can imagine it to be possible that an errour should imperceptibly creep into the belief and practise of the whole church even setting aside the security we have against any such mischiefe by the meanes of Christs promises For was it not true which antiquity testifies yea and S. Paul himself expressely that the Apostles and Apostolicall men were instant in season and out of season to make known to the primitive Christians and to inculcate diligently and laboriously into their minds the whole sum of Christian doctrine not forbearing both publiquely and from house to house to reveal to them the whole will of God not suppressing any thing that was profitable Act 20. 20. 27. And this so fully and effectually as that if an Angell from heaven could be supposed to teach any thing not only contrary but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. besides that which they had taught he was to be accursed Galat. 1. 8. Then do not the Fathers tell us and what proof can Protestants produce to make them appear to be lyars when they tell us that at least for five hundred years all caution imagineable was used to prevent and exclude any novelties that any Heretiques yea or any Christians though as learned as Origen or as holy as S. Cyprian should attempt to introduce May we not adde hereto that whatsoever novelties of the least moment should be obtruded by any would discover themselves to be novelties by thwarting the publique profession and practised devotions of the church as S. Cyprians Rebaptization would oblige all men to practise that which they had alwayes forborne and the Arian and Pelagian c. impieties would constrain the church to alter the formes of prayers to the Sonne of God and for Gods Grace to cure the impotence and perversenesse of nature acknowledged in the daily publique confessions Upon which grounds S. Cyril against Nestorius and S. Leo against Eutyches disprove the errours and impieties of their Heresies by producing the profession and practise of the church in administring the holy Eucharist whereby she restified her beliefe of a reall presence of the very body and bloud of Christ there which could not consist with their Novelties So that upon the same ground if Invocation of Saints Prayer and offering the most holy Sacrifice for remission of sinnes to the dead Veneration of Images c. had been novelties would not such practises have more directly thwarted the publique devotions of the church then the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches How was it possible then that such doctrines should have been taught by any particular Father as confessedly they have been and not any one appeare that should discover and protest against such innovations what charme was there in these doctrines above all others to cast the church into a sleep that she should not perceive them or to silence the Fathers that against their custome in all other innovations they should not open their mouths against them And much more how was it possible that the publique Liturgies and devotions of the church should come to be changed by admitting such pretended novelties and superstitions and yet no signes or footsteps be left that such a wonderfull change ha's been made not one writer to be found that can tell us of any one that opposed it 5. The second thing that I desire them to consider is That since it is at this day and ha's been for many ages the universall belief of the church that all such pretended Novelties were indeed Catholique and Apostolique Traditions what arguments Protestants can reasonably esteeme sufficient to disprove this beliefe and to dispossesse the church of her renure Will the silence of one or two Fathers think they be of force enough to such a purpose If so I doubt whether the church would then be able to maintaine any one Article of Faith Would a few seeming difficulties and obscure seemingly opposite quotations out of some writings of a few Fathers serve their turn It did not so in the cause of the Arians of the Pelagians of the Novatians c. and why only in the present controversies Will quotations of Scripture decide the questions against the present church Indeed if it could be imagineable that the whole Catholique church could at the same time and with the same hand deliver us Scripture and doctrines contrary to expresse Scripture if she could be supposed either so foolish as not to see that which no body could be ignorant of or so wicked as clearly seeing what God said to command us not to believe him but rather the quite contrary then she might deserve to be stiled Schismaticall because she continues in such a wicked unity and Hereticall because she would not submit her judgement and aushority to the passions and lust of an Apostate Monke But even Protestants themselves will absolve her from such a high degree of guilt as to contradict expresse and formall Scripture And as for Texts of Scripture either obscure or ambiguous or â—ationally admitting severall interpretations though to some prejudicate ears they may seem to sound otherwise then the church teaches in all reason and honesty the churches interpretation of them ought to prevail against any private mans I am sure all sorts of Sects will either submit their judgements to the sense of their particular churches or at least will conceal their opinions when they cannot submit them this civility and duty teaches all men But as for the children of the Catholike church they have an obligation binding them in conscience to trust the same church for the sense of Scripture especially in points which she sayes are of Universall Tradition which they have trusted for the Scripture it selfe and therefore S. Augustine said well and like a perfectly good Christian and Catholique The words of Scripture are so to be understood as the world hath believed them which that it should believe the Scripture hath foretold And surely he that will duely consider of what weight the universal testimony of a whole age of the church is to prove a Tradition will never think that a few objections or obscure passages either in Scriptures or two or three Fathers who are apt to speak unwarily when the matter is not in controversie should decide the cause against it especially considering that it is almost impossible to receive absolute satisfaction of the doctrine of former ages any other way or at least any other way so well as by the universall agreement of the
not true because they find no satisfaction in the discourses and answers which the Schoole-writers endeavour to give to a thousand foolish objections which they conjute up out of Aristotles Philosophy against this Mystery to be adored and trembled at It is onely Scripture testimonies of Faâ—hers Ecclesiasticall Tradition Generall Councells and the Profession of the present Catholique Church which are the proper Judges of this controversie and whose authority when it is employed as it ought will assert this divine truth of the Reality of Christs presence by way of conversion in the blessed Sacrament to the confusion of all Novelties and all Blasphemies of Heretiques The antient both Latin and Grecian Fathers who certainly were of wits as subtill and pierceing as any that have succeeded them yet never thought upon such nice enquiries as now every young Philosopher can prattle of and therefore I professe since I am far from finding any obligation at all lying upon me to the contrary yea since the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. c. I. hath defined this point in the language of Antiquity and not of the Schools saying that Christ is present in the Sacrament Sacramentaliter i. e. mysteriously inexplicably I will never endeavour to answer any Philosophicall arguments any other way then with such words as these of S. John Damascene The Bread and Wine is changed into the Body and Blood of our Lord but this after an unsearchable manner For of this matter we know no further but only that the word of God is true and efficacious and omnipotent Damasc. de Orthod Fide lib. 4. cap. 14. Of the Adoration of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the holy Eucharist 9â— Let us now consider to what the church obliges all Catholiques in this point If any one saith the Councell of Trent Sess. 13. Can. 6. saith that Jesus Christ the only Son of God ought not to be adored with the exteriour worship of Latria it self in the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist and that for that end it ought not to be proposed publikely to the people to be adored and that those who adore him are Idolaters let him be Anaâ—hema Which worship of Latria is not given to the outward Symbolls of the Eucharist but only to Jesus Christ himself there present A certaine degree of respect even by the confession of the Calvinists is due to all outward instruments of Religion as to Chalices to the books of Scripture to the water of Baptisme and to the Species of Bread and Wine in the Holy Eucharist And Catholiques allow no more But the true object which a Catholique adores with this sublime act of adoration or Latria is in the case in hand Jesus Christ himself who is to be adored every where wheresoever he is present and therefore likewise in the holy Eucharist in the which the Catholique church knows and acknowledgeth no other substance as the Calvinists desire to impose on them but only Jesus Christ. And if they be Idolaters for this the Lutherans are so too who teach the same doctrine though they expresse themselves in the point of the Reall Presence after another new-invented manner yet notwithstanding the Calvinists when their worldly interests obliged them could be content to comunicate with the Lutherans and could swallow their pretended Idolatry but out of fear and hatred of Catholique union make even the church her self a prejudice against her doctrine 10. For mine own part whilest I was a Protestant I professe I could never answer to mine own reason why we should condemn the worshipping of Christ whom we professed to be present in very truth without figures or fancies If he had not been there after a peculiar Sacramentall manner I might lawfully notwithstanding have worshipped him there because I may and ought to worship him every where as being God omnipresent yea though his humane nature be locally present only at the right hand of the Father in glory yet I may worship the man Jesus Christ every where because that person which is God and Man is every where present viz. according to his divine not humane nature and yet it seems when a new accâ—ssion of another kind of Sacramentall truly reall presence is added to the former though I acknowledge this later presence to be as reall as the former I must be forbidden to expresse that I acknowledge and believe it any other way then by saying with my lips that I do so I must then deny unto him in that place at his owne table and altar and at that time whilest are celebrated those mysteries adorable even to Angells themselves that worship and respect which I would have given him at mine own table or whilest I was doing the ordinary works of my calling But it will be said perhaps you are not forbidden to worship him but you must not worship him as present there And why for Gods sake Bid me rather believe that he is not after an epseciall manner present But this is tyranny and injustice in the highest degree to command me to believe that he is as truly though after another manner present there as at the right hand of his Father and at the same time to command me by my works to belye my belief No no. Quà m magis ingenuè Peribonius How much more ingenuous are the Socinians then all other Sects for whereas the rest would gladly pretend Antiquity and take much unprofitable pains to make a Father now and then speak a word in their favour The Socinians instead of puzling themselves to untye cut asunder all such knots and difficulties they with an impudent resolutenesse break through all obstacles Let the antient church determine what it please and let the antient Fathers agree to speak as they have a mind if what is spoken and decreed either suit not with what they fancy that the Holy Ghost does mean or naturall reason being Judge ought to mean or if the Holy Ghost in their opinions hath been silent in it without more aâ—o they presently reject and condemn it upon which grounds they strein not to alter all the language almost of the church they know no such thing as a Sacrament they acknowledge no promises to nor no â—ffects of such ceremonious actions as the church and all Christians call Sacraments they scoffe at the Reall Presence and abominate the adoration of Christ in his Mysteries Let S. Ambrose de Sp. 5. l. 3. say By his footstool is meant the earth and by the earth the body of Christ which every day we adore in the mysteries and which the Apostles adored in our Lord Jesus Let S. Augustine in Psa. 48. say For he took earth from earth both because be conversed here in very flesh and gave us likewise very flesh to eat for our salvation Now no man eats that flesh but that he adores it first And thus a way is found how the Lords footstoole is adored And again Epist 120. expounding that of the Psalmist All
the substance of the three first of which is this Because we ought to believe that the Indulgences now in use in the church are the same that were antiently practised as the Councell of Trent expressely sayes Now saith he we find no other Indulgences in the antient church and Councells but such as we have mentioned Again It was the custome of the church to add this Particle to the Indulgences given De Pooeitentiis injunctis since therefore saith he the church hath so warily expressed her self it would be temerarious to interpret her meaning otherwise The same doctrine is strongly maintained likewise by Estius in 4. Sent. dist 20. ◠10. 9. In the next place concerning the conditions required to receive benefit by Indulgences all Catholiques agree that these three are necessary 1. Authority in him that grants them 2. A just reason for the granting them 3. Due dispositions in the party receiving them Now for this last point Card. Cajetan as he is quoted by Bellarmine l. 1. de Indulg c. 12. maintains That besides the conditions of being in the state of Grace and of accomplishing the actions ordained for the gaining of Indulgences there is a third condition necessary to him that would receive fruit by them which is that he have a will to satisfie God by his own labours as much as he can and that Indulgences are of no profit to those who will not satisfie for themselves when they can From whence he concludes That in such an infinite number of persons that visit the churches in the times of the solemn Stations and the like Indulgences there are but very few that reap the profit of them iudeed This opinion saith Bellarmine is profitable and pious though perhaps it is not true But since Card Bellarmine the learned Estius Chancellor of Doway professes his belief that this opinion is not only profitable and pious but very true See his Comment in 2. Ep. ad Cor. cap. 2. v. 11. as likewise in 4. Sent. dist 20. Sect. 10. The like is strongly maintained by Comitolus a learned Jesuit in Resp. Moral q. 36. who confirmes his opinion by the testimonies of Antisiodorensis Henricus à Gandavo Adrian VI. Boniface VIII Sylvester c. Now the aforesaid Authors who teach that Indulgences are onely relaxations from Penances enjoyned vel ab homine vel à . Canone do not therefore believe that they are satisfactions only to the Church and not to God for Maldonate expressely declares the contrary in these words in the forecited place Cùm injungitur poenitentia ab Ecclesia c. when the Church enjoynes any Penance she enjoynes it not only to the end that by such a Penance we should satisfie the Church but God also Now the Indulgence is answerable unto the Penance enjoyned and by consequence it is granted us not onely to the end that this penalty should be remitted us before the Tribunall of the Church but before Gods Tribunall likewise And from thence he concludes that though Indulgences do regard directly onely Penances which are enjoyned to be accomplished in this world notwithstanding they do consequently deliver from the paines of Purgatory likewise For saith he since God does not punish the same fault twice and since the penalty which men pay in Purgatory is the same with that which they ought to have paid in this world if the Church by the means of Indulgences does remit the penalty which in this life is due to the Justice of God it follows that she remits likewise that which shall be due in Purgatory that is to say that which those living persons to whom such Indulgences are granted ought otherwise to suffer in Purgatory Now whether this Doctrine deserve a separation let all reasonable moderate Christians judge Of Publique service in the Latin tongue 8. This is a matter which concerns only the outward order and decorum of the church an whereof Ecclesiasticall Governours are only to be judges and disposers so that if there be any excesse or inconvenience they only are answerable before Almighty God particular persons are not at all concerned in it Indeed if the Church had appointed her service in the Latin tongue on purpose that the people should not understand it Or if she had decreed that it was a thing unlawfull that any body should praise God with the understanding but onely Priests and Bishops and learned men Protestants might have some pretence for their clamor in this regard But 1. since the Church found her Liturgies in the same tongue through all the Westerne world from the beginning of Christianity 2. Since no example can be found in any antient churches Jewish or Christian Eastern or Westerne that the languages of Publique Service have beene altered though those of the Countryes have beene insomuch as in our Saviours time the Jewish Devotions were performed in Hebrew when the people only understood the Syrian tongue so the Cophtites so the AEthiopians and so the Jewes to this day 3. Since it is apparently both of great comelinesse and benefit that there should be an uniformity in Gods publike worship so as that wheresoever a Christian travels he may as well joyne himself with other Christians in the service of God as when he staid at home 4. Since particularly for the Masse the greatest part of it from all Antiquity was performed in a low voice by the Bishop or Priest the people neither hearing nor in the antient Church seeing him by reason of a vail or curtain which was drawn between the Altar the people excepting only at some certain peculiar times as at the Elevation c. 5. Since the church permits the translating and publishing of her Liturgies since she commands the Priests to explain and inculcate unto the people the meaning of all mysteries and since she furnishes even the most ignorant persons with devotions suitable to their capacities and far more beneficiall to them then the hearing the Psalms and other parts of Scripture read so difficult and abstruse that even the most learned must confesse their inability to comprehend them Lastly since an indiscreet promiscuous exposing of Scriptures hath beene the occasions of so many inconveniences a better though sadder proof whereof cannot be given then in the present state of England where every one reading Scripture and all visible authority of interpreting it so as to oblige others to receive such interpretations being disclaimed every one of those infinite numbers of Sects believe that they find in Scripture sufficient warrant for all such horrible seditions and murders as have lately been committed there Therefore the Catholique church hath esteemed it a thing befitting her wisdome to continue an uniformity in her publike worship received from our Fathers and her care and charity to appoint respectively to every condition and state of Christians their proper allowance and dimensum of spirituall food and to imitate our Saviour who would not reveale even to his Apostles themselves all the mysteries of the
by the Church though there is not any one point of controversie in debate between us and them for which we have not all this authority as being proved ex superabundanti in what I shall say hereafter 9. That therefore which I undertake to make evident to I. P. is That the Church speaking by a general Councel confirmed by the Pope is an infallible Guide and that with greater evidence then he can bring for any contradiction pretended betwixt any decision of such a Councel and the Scripture yea with more evidence then he can produce for the Scripture it self which he owns for his Guide which truly to an impartial hearer is no difficult matter even going upon his own grounds For if I should ask I. P. Why do you acknowledge the Scripture to be an infallible Rule as far as it is a Rule He would answer me Because it is delivered unto us as such by an infallible Catholick Tradition for if he talks of any other proof as a private spirit or natural reason it will be ridiculous He may as well say he can judge and demonstrate it to be such by smelling with his nose If I should further ask him how it appears evident to him that the Scriptures have been delivered by an infaâ—ible Catholick Tradition He could not deny but that many Hereticks have denied many books of Scripture yea that there is not any one book in the Old or New Testament but has been renounced by some Hereticks and their followers yet because some Councels have decided and Fathers witnessed and the Catholick Church in all ages since have received them as such therefore it is evident that they have been delivered by the Church by Catholick Tradition And this is most rational and convincing Upon these grounds therefore I proceed and ask any discreet indifferent man Whether an authority that shall after this manner propose any doctrine This we have received from Christ and his Apostles that such and such a doctrine proposed is a divine infallible truth and we command all Christians whatsoever under the pain of anathema and eternal damnation to beleeve it for such whether I say such an authority does not assume to it self the office of a Guide and of an infallible Guide Certainly he that should speak in this stile and yet have a guilt or be in a possibility of seducing were the most impious abhorred tyrant in the world What an attentat an usurpation upon Gods Scepter and Throne would this be if God had not derived this authority upon the Church represented in a Councel What a cruelty to souls What a blaspheming of the Holy-Ghost Now that this hath been the stile of all General Councels is evident and that Councels speaking in that stile have been submitted to by the Fathers and accepted by the Church with all veneration as the Oracles of God is equally apparent nay I do not know that ever any Heretick before these daies did expresly contradict this in the Thesis though in Hypothesi they have renounced such particular Councels as themselves were Anathematized by Therefore not onely all Councels but every Decision of every Councel to which an Anathema is annexed decides this question and proclaims to all the ends of the world this truth That the Church speaking in General approved Councels is an infallible Guide to all Christians Against this not a passage or word in any Father can be produced but infinite passages for it Hence it is that the Fathers unanimously profess That out of the Church there is no possible salvation because there is no Guide to Heaven but in the Church If therefore it be a proof evident enough to I. P. of an universal infallible tradition of Scripture that one or two not General Councels did with some variety set down the number and names of the books and that generally speaking the Fathers have amongst them given attestation to them some to some books and some to others few to all and that the Church in after ages hath universally accepted them as such How short comes that tradition of this concerning the infallible Guidance of the Church that is vertually decided in all Councels and every decision of all attested by all Fathers not one in one passage contradicting or condemning that stile but unanimously in all ages since Councels were accepted by the Church approved and submitted to how opposite is this truth to the main design of his following discourse which attempts to prove that there is in the Church no infallible Guide at all And how contradictory to that Article of his Church concerning not onely the fallibility but actual erring of Councels And again how conformable is this way of proceeding to the authority given upon Record in Scripture by our blessed Saviour to his Church I say to his Church for the Fathers assembled in Councel speak not thus in their own persons nor as so many learned men but in the person of the whole Church which they represent and do no more but subsume particulars under that General Anathema pronounced by our blessed Saviour when he said If he refuse to here the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen and a Publican 11. I conjure therefore I. P. and all his and my friends that he and they would produce or at least set before their own eyes those Decisions of Councels which seem to them evidently false because clearly contradictory to Scripture and compare his evidence of a seeming contradiction with this evidence that it is impossible there should be such a contradiction and if they do this with a serious minde and desire to finde the truth that they may embrace it and with hearts lifted up to God to free them from all respects of the world and to enlighten their souls with the love of his truth then perhaps they may see that which as yet it seems is invisible to them it is most certain there is not one express formal text of Scripture contradictory to any Catholick Doctrine this they confess themselves And indeed even abstracting from the promises made by Christ to his Church it is morally impossible that so many wise and vertuous men should with the one hand give the Scripture as Gods word and with the other present Doctrines expresly and directly contradictory to it and none be able to observe the contradiction though their daily study was to meditate upon and interpret the Scripture Now whether any consequence from obscure texts can be more forcible then that which I have named from the stile of General Councels I leave not to their wits but consciences to judge 12. Matters therefore being impartially weighed that triumphing Epiphonema of his in the fourth and fifth Sections vanishes in which himself with admiration exposeth to the admiration of others those great conquering defenders of the doctrine of the late Church of England that with such excellent conduct and valour and such admirable success have combated and defeated this our Darling
Universal Church But they are not satisfied that they ow that submission to the Roman and if not to the Roman they know not to what Church Sol. 16. To say somthing for the clearing this difficulty I shall desire them to consider 1. That whilst the Eastern and Western Churches were joyned in one External communion it is apparent that that Body was the Catholick Church to which the Promises of Christ were made and to which Protestants themselves would not have refused submission 2. That a breach hapning between these Churches is not mortal to the whole Body but onely to that Member that did unlawfully separate 3. By consequence that both the Title and real Authority of the Catholick Church remains in the innocent Part that is either in the Roman or Eastern Church 4. That whethersoever of these two be the Catholick Church English Protestants are Schismaticks since they are divided from both and the pretended grounds of their Divisions are Doctrines received by them both 5. That in case English Protestants would now take into debate to whether of these two parties they should re-adjoyn themselves by that means to become Catholicks again they must be forced to quit both a greater number of their Topical Doctrines and more fundamental ones to fit themselves to an union with the Eastern then with the Roman Church 6. That if they will needs out of Passion prefer the Eastern their Passion will be evident since that whensoever either remorse of conscience or the approaches of death made them see their unsafe condition thousands of them have fled to the Roman Church for shelter but never any to the Grecian or any other but the Roman 7. That as long as they are out of the Roman Church they are in a headless trunck divided from the successor of St. Pèter whom St. Cyprian St. Hierome Optatus c. acknowledged to be the foundation of Unity Order c. Ob. 17. Now if among Protestants any out of a perverse condescendence shal grant that the grounds alledged for the separation of the Eastern Western Churches are not in themselves of such main importance as to hinder them from being really one Catholick Church And therefore that before the present controversies can be decided a general Assembly of them all must be expected Sol. 18. to this they must give me leave to say 1. That they make the Promises of Christ to be casual temporary and obnoxious to critical daies and seasons if they think that the changes of Kingdoms or that the humors of an earthly Tyrant can either evacuate or suspend the force of those promises by which our Lord hath obliged himself to provide that the Gates of Hell that is heresies shall not prevail against his Church The effect of which promise in the opinion of such Objectors must be delayed till the Grand Signior will allow the Grecian Bishops to meet with the Western to consult of and procure the peace and union of Christendom 2. In case they should be permitted to meet Protestants may without the spirit of prophesie foretel their own most solemn condemnation For since both the Eastern and Western Churches do already agree in most doctrines renounced by Protestants viz. Transubstantiation Adoration of the blessed Sacrament Prayer for the Dead and by consequence a Purgatory in which souls are capable of refreshment by such Prayers Veneration of Images Relicks c. Invocation of Saints Indulgences Merit of good works c. In which Doctrines they do agree as acknowledging them to be Traditionary It is impossible they should ever be perswaded to revoke any of them being met in an Assembly unless they will renounce all order and manner of proceeding in former General Councels which is not according to the Method of Protestants Viz. Endlessly to dispute every controverted Point by Texts of Scripture but to judge of the Truth of Points and the sense of Scripture by Traditien In such Assemblies therefore Bishops will ask one another Have your Fathers delivered to you that Bread after consecration becomes the Body of Christ That this body in the Sacrament is to be adored That we ought to pray for Souls departed in the Faith of Christ c. If so Servetur quod traditum est Now it being apparent that at the present all agree that such Doctrines both in the East and West have been delivered by Tradition and that their meeting together in a Councel will not help to make a contrary Tradition possible It will follow that whether divided or united whether alone or in Assembly they are and ever will be at least so far united as to joyn in the condemnation of Protestants CHAP. V. An Answer to the Remainder of the Preface 1. THe rest of the Preface of I. P. touches my self onely and pretends to shew what success the writings of those great Defenders of the Church of England have had against me in particular forcing me to confess That Infallibility is an unfortunate word That Mr. Chillingworth hath combated it with too great success so that I would wish the word were forgotten or at least laid by c. Now since the Church is not at all concern'd in this but my self onely who am charged with writing an incongruous impertinent Book a Book that deserves no answer but answers it self since it maintains that which its Adversary did not combat c. Truly were it not for I. P. and his friends sake more then mine own I would not answer for my self But since I perceive that the word Infallibility is as unfortunate a word to them as it was to me I will endeavour to take order that it shall be so no more 2. First therfore I say with Mr. Veron that the word Infallibility has been found out by the Schools that love to find out as short waies to express their notions as possibly can be And the world finds very great convenience by it Therefore with reference to the Church Schoolmen and from them Controvertists desirous to express the great veracity of the Church considered as a Judge or witness of Divine Truths deposed by God with her and withal the utmost obligation that all Christians have to beleeve truths so determined and witnessed by her found out this single word Infallibility to express both these by But yet the Church her self hath not as yet assumed or borrowed this word in any of her Decisions from the Schools and therefore being none of the Churches word we are not oblig'd to make her to speak it and the truth is though it comprehends al that they intend by it yet it is no adaequate measure of those conceptions because Infallibility may comprehend a great deal more for truth and our obligation to beleeve it is yet in a higher degree in Scripture then in the Decisions of the Church as Bellarmine acknowledges For the Scripture in all points both of Doctrine and Story and all circumstances is infallibly true not so the Decisions of the
aequivocatio nam etiam indigni possunt esse fideles verùm hoc dico ad majorem cautelam De reliquo nemo tenetúr jurare in verba Scholasticorum sufficit te contra communem Patrum Ecclesiae consensum nunquà m modum istum velle interpretari nec determinate Cavendum tamen est ne sub terminis tuis oppositum aliquid transubstantiationi inhaereat animo Qu. 4. Utrùm ille dici possit admittere Canonem 2. siss 21. Concil Trident. de communione sub una specie qui quamvis ipse nullas videat sufficientes rationes negandi communioneâ— utriusque speciei tamen profitetur se piè credere fuisse aliquas quae proculdubio Concilio videbantur justae sufficientes canonicè submittit se iste alterationi Resp. Affirmativè Inquirat tamen hic Christianus si doctus sir corde recto motiva Concilii in hâ—c parte justiâ—sima statim inveniet Qu. 5. An fit de fide licitum esse coërcere punire vel tradeâ—e puniendos morte exilio vel aliis civilibus poenis haereticos convictos Resp. Subjectum quaestionis non esse materiam fidei ac proinde nihil esse de fide in illâ materia Veruntamen ceâ—â—â—ssimum esse rebelles à side ab Ecclesia coërceri punâ—â—i posse poenis nimirùm spiritualibus id est censuris Ecclesiasticis à superioribus suis Ecclesiasticis Et poenis temporalibus id est incarceratione exilio similibus à superioribus suis temporalibus Morte verò puniri posse haereticos etiam convictos immò relapsoâ— vel obstinatissimos modò à seditionis rebellionis in Remp. defuerit omne periculum nunquam fuir totius Ecclesiae dogma Catholicum Quicquid autem sit de praxi Inquisitionis jam receptaÌ„ Catholici plurimi immò doctissimi praecipuè in Gallia nostra hoc semper improbarunt sed haec quaestio facti est seu prudentiae non doctrinae Qu. 6. Utrùm quatenùs liceat Catholico optare suadere concessionem utriusque speciei Reformationem abusuum in Reliquiis Imaginibus Indulgentiis c. Liturgiam Preces in linguâ notâ intellectâ c. Sciticet tanquam media admodùm efficacia ad reünionem Eoâ—lesiarum Resp. Cùm subditorum non sit superiorum suorâ—m leges ad libitum interpretari immò nec sub reformationis specie quamcunque praxim authoritato stabilitam corrigere hâ—ec enim propria seditionis ratio est nemini Catholicorum licet publicè repraehendere nec verbo nec scripto Ecclesiae diseiplinam canonicè erectam Labefactatam verò restaurare dummodò prudenter fiat poterit unusquisque suo modo conari Cum autem Episcoporum ac pastorum sit quos posuit Spiritus sanctus regere Ecclesiam Dei imposturas omnes authoritate publicâ prohibere ac tollere his omnium est sobriè indicare quos manifestè perceperint Religionis abusus tùm in Clero tùm in populo Verùm nec licet nec convenit privato cuicunque suadere mutationem praxis cujuscunque quam vel ab Ecclesia sancitam vel in Ecclesia consuetudinâ— generali antiquâ usurpatam novimus De communione sub utraque specie ac liturgiâ seu precibus Ecclesiasticis in linguâ vulgari habendis si qua spes esset illud obtinendi apud haereticos parùm valeâ—et De reliquiis Indulgentiis Imaginibus c. multa forsà n modò caurè fieret monenda suadenda forent Quicquid sit Ecclesiarum ut vocas reünionem sperare nequaquà m fas est nisi priùs rebelles in sponsam Christi submissis cervicibus potestati à Deo ordinâtâ— cordatum jurent obsequium Vale. A Table of the Contents of the several Chapters Sect. 1. Cap. 1. THe occasion of the Authors departing out of England Bloody commotions of Calvinists there The horribleness and strangeness of them p. 1. Sect. 1. Cap. 2. Sacriledge and Perjury acknowledged even by Heathens to be principal causes of publick calamities p. 4. Sect. 1. Cap. 3. England prodigiously guilty of sacriledge since the schism Visible judgments have continually pursued this crime there p. 7. Sect. 1. Cap. 4. Perjury how frequently and how heinously committed in England since the Schism p. 12. Sect. 1. Cap. 5. The sanguinary Laws and cruel execution of them upon Catholick Priests in England p. 16. Sect. 1. Cap. 6. The Authors sadness for the sins and miseries of his Country What remedies and lenitives he found for this sorrow p. 18. Sect. 1. Cap. 7. A scruple suggested to my minde viz. To the Communion of what Church I should adhere upon supposition that the Church of England should fail p. 20. Sect. 1. Cap. 8. A Reflection upon several Sects And first upon the Socinians p. 22. Sect. 1. Cap. 9. A Reflection upon the Calvinists and Lutheran Churches Their first disadvantage in comparison with the English Church p. 27. Sect. 1. Cap. 10. Apparent want yea renouncing of a lawful succession of Ecclesiastical Governors among Lutherans and Calvinists p. 29. Sect. 1. Cap. 11. Consent of Fathers against Lutherans and Calvinists p. 34. Sect. 1. Cap. 12. Seditious doctrines universally taught by Calvinists c. p. 37. Sect. 1. Cap. 13. Protestants recriminating Catholicks for Rebellion answered p. 44. Sect. 1. Cap. 14. A fourth scandal among Calvinists viz. their aversion from unity p. 47. Sect. 1. Cap. 15. The scandalous personal qualities of Luther and Calvin p 51. Sect. 1. Cap. 16. The Authors unquietness not being able to communicate with Calvinists c. Reflection upon the several Eastern Churches p 57. Sect. 1. Cap. 17. Necessity of the Authors examining the grounds of the Roman Church Several advantages acknowledged to be in that Church p 59. Sect. 1. Cap. 18. Preparations to the examining of the grounds of the Roman Churches Authority p 66. Sect. 1. Cap. 19. What prejudice the Author received by receiving the doctrine of the Roman Churches authority expressed in School language p 70. Sect. 2. Cap. 1. The first conclusion concerning the Rule of Faith Testimonies of Fathers acknowledging Doctrines Traditionary as well as Scripture to be a Rule of Faith p 77. Sect. 2. Cap. 2. The Roman Church agreeing with Fathers in the same rule of Faith All Sects of Protestants disagree with the Fathers p 82. Sect. 2. Cap. 3. English Protestants unwilling to justifie this Position and why Mr. Chillingworth's late book against the Catholick Church and the Character given of it.p. 85. Sect. 2. Cap. 4. Inconveniences following Protestants Position of onely Scripture Fathers refuse to dispute with Hereticks from onely Scriptures p 90. Sect. 2. Cap. 5. Weakness of Protestants proofs for onely Scripture Texts of Scripture alledged by Catholicks vainly eluded by Protestants p 97. Sect. 2. Cap. 6. Two principal Texts of Scripture alledged by Protestants to prove its sufficiency and against Traditions answered p 101 Sect. 2. Cap. 7. Reasons and Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth to prove onely Scripture to be the rule of Faith p
such a provisionary enquiry because I remembred that M. Hooker one of the most learned judicious writers that ever that Church had upon such grounds as are before mentioned especially having an eye unto the sacrilegious spirit of Calvinisme his great and almost Propheticall prudence for Prudentia est quaedam divinatio Corn. Nep. in vit Pompou Attice In those very bookes which he wrote to defend the Church said that the English Church was in probability a Church not to continue above fourescore yeares at most Hooker Eccl. Pol. lib. 5. Sect. 79. CHAP. VIII A Reflection upon severall Sects And first upon the Socinians 1. NOw in pursuing this inquiry it scarce entred into my thoughts to admit into debate the Roman Church because the maine foundation thereof namely infallibility I verily beleeved I could powerfully arm'd with Mr. Chillingworths reason evidently and demonstratively destroy 2. Of Sects in separation from the Catholique Church those which I thought most considerable and therefore represented them to my understanding to examine which of them would best approve it selfe to my choyce were 1. the Lutheran 2. the Calvinist 3. the Socinian For as for those fanaticall Sects of Auabaptists Famulists c. they being only confused troops of ignorant dreaming spirits which hitherto have never been able to convert one Parish or Village entirely to themselves and the very dregs of all other Sects where those that were discontented or craised in their understanding ordinarily setled I could not obtaine from my selfe the patience to examine seriously their grounds or to put it to the question whether I should adjoyne my selfe unto them or no. Adde hereto that I could not hitherto understand all their grounds distinctly by reason that I could never meet with any of their writings so obscure they are and afraid of the light 3. Concerning the other three Sects the temper and morallity of the Socinians was much more agreeable to mee then that of the other two But their inexcusable boldnesse of trampling under foot all authority of Fathers and Councells and their licentious introducing blasphemous and long-since-buried Heresies against the fundamentall Mysteries of Faith was to me intollerable Besides neither France nor Italy being able to afford me bookes of Socinian doctrines I was forced to content my selfe with that curiosity which I had had a few yeares before in England where such bookes were but too frequent notwithstanding the care of the late Archbishop of Cant. to hinder the importing them at which time I read over almost all the considerable treatises of that Sect both of controversy and exposition of Scripture The effect of which my curiosity was only an esteeme of the excellency of their naturall parts both for the subtilty and clearnesse of disputation and an acknowledgment that though their principles were of all others most fallacious and their peculiar distinctive doctrines most horrible and intollerable to Christian eares yet they were far more constant to such their principles and lesse incumbred with difficulties and contradictions then the other two In a word that the frame of their building was with all its deformity more uniforme then that of other Hâ—retiques of these times as strong as a building could be that had no better foundation then the moving sand of naturall reason Whereas the other two Sects of Calvinists and Lutherans to whom I had some jealousie that the English Protestants might be joyned relying principally indeed upon private interpretation of Scripture but challenging likewise the suffâ—ages of the Ancient Fathers especially in some doctrines of meere Tradition as Baptising of Infants c. by reason of the inequality in the foundation the building could not choose but have many rents and declinations in the walls some parts continuing stable and others sinking by reason of the yeilding of the Foundation which difformities and inequalities the Socinans avoyded This was all the change that the reading of those Haereticall blasphemies wrought in me none of their subtile wrestings and Chymicall extractions of new sences from fundamentall Texts of Scripture prevailing against the constant universall authority of Gods Church interpreting the same Texts 4. I conceive it unnecessary if not very inconvenient to set downe here the exceptions I had against the severall peculiar doctrines proper to the Socinians for feare lest by undertaking to confute I should endanger to distill the infectious poyson of them in a countrey where God be blessed they are utterly unknowne remembring how subtilly and maliciously the Schollars of Sibrandus Lubbertus in Holland are reported to have abnsed their unwary Master for they having an extreame itch of reading one of the most pernicious Treatises of Socinus which was forbidden to be dispersed knew no better a meanes to satisfy their unlawfull and dangerous curiosity then by perswading their credâ—lous Master that it was expected from his eminent abilities to confute so pernicious a booke which he having as he thought sufficiently performed they further told him that it would be injustice and a kind of confession of guilt to publish his confutation without the adversaries Text and by that meanes they made their Master a sower of Haeresy for every one almost bought up the booke for Socinus his sake only scarce any vouchsafing to cast their eyes upon the heavy unskillful confutation 5. Thus I make but a small stay upon the Socinians on whom I looked rather with pitty then resentment Considering withall that they were the almost only Sect which made profession against violence and active disobedience condemning warre absolutely and upon whatsoever pretences Notwithstanding observing that one essentiall marke of that Sect was resolutely to hold no opinion but in every Synod to give leave to the questioning or altering of whatsoever Articles of Faith had been before decided I found that seemingly calm and quiet spirit of theirs lesse alluring because from their owne peculiar complexion and grounds I thus Argued Who can tell whether if they encrease in numbers and power they may not thinke fit to begin with the alteration of that doctrine For I have known when even the Calvinists in Holland and the Puritans in England being in low estate have preached liberty of Prophesying pretended only to desire a freedome of injoying their Consciences in particular promising never to molest any others As by their first published writings and by severall Remonstrances and Petitions by Q. Eliz. to K. Iames in the beginning of hisreigne and to Parliaments in those times And yet the same men being afterwards become numerous powerfull enough to gaine the effect of their Petitions by force never yet allowed any moderate qualification or tolleration to any other CHAP. IX Reflection upon the Calvinists and Lutheran Churches Their first disadvantage in comparison with the English Church 1. HAving passed with so much speed the Socinian Churches I fixed my thoughts more seriously upon the Lutherans and Calvinists to the end to resolve my selfe whether those points of doctrine discipline or
and after I saw it I did not hastily suffer my selfe to be received into it till I saw there was no other way to escape drowning left me 2. My first thoughts after so successelesse a search of a Church were not doubtingly but sollicitously expostulating in my mind where is the effect of that promise of Christ that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against his Church And Behold I am with you till the end of the world I wondered that the Fathers should so unanimously interpret the Church to be that City seated on the top of a mountaine For I had in vaine sought both mountaines and Valleyes and could not get a sight of it But I concluded that certainly the fault was in mine owne eyes which some mist or disease had blinded and not in want of visibility in the Church since all the Promises of God in Christ are in him YEA and in him AMEM. And therefore that no preconceits of assurance or demonstrations ought to hinder me from examining the pretentions of the Roman Church as well as the rest That it was utterly impossible that the Promises of Christ should faile but that it was very possible that both my selfe and Mr. Chillingworth might be mistaken in beleiving those arguments to be demonstrations which were not That perhaps he did not understand fully the minde of his adversary M. Knot Or perhaps that the opinion and expression of Infallibility combated by Mr. Chillingworth was but an interpretation given by a private Doctour of his sence of the Churches doctrine so the arguments against it not proceeding directly against the Church However that it was very reasonable just and requisite seriously and diligently to examine the true state of that question which if the Roman Church could to my understanding justifie that she had not err'd in there would presently be an end of all my travells and doubts about other particular controversies For who will question or suspect the truth of that Witnesse or Judge in particular speeches or assertions that has once in grosse approved himselfe to be Infallible 3. Had it not been for this point of the Churches Infallibility and some Philosophicall Objections against the Reall Presence c. I had not lived thus long out of the communion of the Roman Church for I alwayes acknowledged that there were in it very many advantages and excellencies to which no other Church had the confidence to pretend As 1. I could not deny having withall the Confession of the most learned Protestants that the Religion of the present Roman Church is the very same Religion which Saint Augustin the English Apostle by the Mission of Saint Gregory the Great planted in England when he converted it from Paganisme so that me thought it was somewhat an extravagant thing to separate now from Rome for those very points by the embracing of which England became Christian Especially considering what persons Saint Gregory and Saint Augustine were of what sublime holinesse and profound learning and how that Religion was confessedly conffirmed by Divine Miracles 2. I could not but admire and infinitely approve the ingenuity of the Roman Church in obliging all her children to interpret Scriptures and to conforme their beleife to the generall consent of Fathers Indeed the Protestants in England especially made honourable mention of the Fathers but none but Roman Catholiques proceed thus farre 3. That if we defined Haeresie and Schisme according to the generall notion of the Fathers viz. that Haeresie is a misbeleife innovated in points of Faith contrary to the Doctrine universally received in the Church and Schisme an uncharitable division of one part from the externall Communion of the whole Of all Churches in the world the Roman could with least reason and justice be accused of these two sinnes for first She only receives and preserves the ancient practise and all the Councells and Synods of the Church Secondly all other Sects apparently broke from her Communion and all Haeretiques were of her Religion before they innovated and introduced new opinions 4. That the method by which the Roman Church decided all emergent controversies namely by the authority of the present Church however I was then perswaded there was some usuâ— pation in it yet de facto ended all disputes and produced an admirable unity in that Church A blessing which not only reason but manifest experience showes to be impossible to be aâ—ceiued in Protestant Churches where scripture interpreted by private judgement is the Rule and Iudge for hitherto never has there been made an agreement in any one controversie among them In so much as the proper difference between Catholiques and Protestants is that if two Catholiques be in debate about any question both of them will agree to bee judged by a third namely the Church and till that be done they breake not Communion But if two Protestants quarrell each of them will interpret and judge both for himselfe and his adversary too there being no umpire between them nor any thing to oblige them to Communion 5. That the sobrâ—st Protestants sometimes are not without some suspicion of guilt in matter of Schisme acknowledging at least that worldly interests had influence upon those Princes that begun separation first a case never to be found among Catholiques And when any such scruples arise in the mindes of Protestants they never trouble themselves with seeing themselves divided from the Greek or Abissine Churches but only the Roman And very many among them on their death beds at least when all secular respects are silent desire reconciliation with the Roman Churches Whereas I believe there never was heard any one example of a Roman Catholique which on his death-bed desired to forsake that Communion to be incorporated into a Protestant Church And 6. There was a sixth advantage far more prevailing with me then all the former though at the first I had but an imperfect view of it namely the eminent rules of sanctity and spirituallity taught by most prudent and pious directors and practised after a manner that nothing in any of the Protestant Churches approacheth neere unto it The story and Order of my information in this particular I will reserve till the Conclusion of this Narration For the present I will content my selfe with avowing that every day the more neare and faire a prospect I had of the beauty of Holinesse my prejudices and objections against that Church in which onely such a jewell was to be found diminished till in the end I could not free my selfe from partiallity at least so farre as to wish that Truth might not be found separated from so heavenly a Companion This Treatise being a Story rather than a controversie I thought my selfe obliged not to conceale my actions though they might be obnoxious to be esteemed imperfect or faulty and am content to heare and thanke whosoever will vouchsafe to reprove mee for them 4. I will not deny but that these seemed to me very specious
of a world of wandering perverted souls From his ground it is especially that I in this book both take this fashion and Latitude of stating doctrines of faith recommend it to others when they treat with Protestants And particularly from him did I receive Information that the very expresse terme of Infallibility was not of obligation to be made use of in Disputation concerning the Churches Authority As likewise that the Doctrines of Faith promulgated by the said Authority in the Decrees of generall Councells did admit of many more qualifications and restrictions then popular Controvertists do think good to make use of So that if in this or any other point any expressions found in this book shall seem new or not so relishing to any I must refer them to the said Author and his Approvers who no doubt will ease me of the trouble of making Apologies 5. But leaving this digression I will at last relate the successe I found in reading the Canons of the Church the forementioned books and treatises of the Fathers c. Which was that I thereby gained a distinct knowledge both of the faith of the present Church and what those Ancients believed concerning the Churches Authority and this not by relying upon a few select passages and Texts pick'd out by late Controvertists but by observing the maine designe and intention of those Fathers when the very like Controversies in their times constreined them to consider and unanimously declare what they themselves thought and what they had received from their predecessours concerning the Church Haeresie and Schisme 6. That therefore which I learned from them pertinent to my present purpose I will set downe in foure Conclusions relating to foure principall heads of controversie namely 1. Of the Rule of Faith that is Scripture and Traditions unwritten 2. Of the Judge of Controversies that is the Catholique Church 3. Of the unity of the Church and the danger of Heresy Schisme 4. Of the perpetuall Visibility of the Church To all which Propositions respectively I will adjoyne the doctrine of the present Roman Church conteined especially in the Councell of Trent And likewise the beliefe of Protestants Concluding with an examination whether the Roman or Protestant Churches do best conform themselves to the universal Ancient Traditiō cōcerning the Church her authority c. 7. When all this is done at their perill be it if any imputing to me sinister intentions of which they cannot be judges shall say it was either worldly discontent or ambition and not an evident conviction of truth and resolution to save my soule that moved me finally to declare my selfe rather a follower of that part which to my understanding followes an universall and uninterrupted agreement of such Teachers as both sides agree not only to have approached neerest to the fountaine of truth Christ and his Apostles therefore to have had meanes of informing themselves in Apostolicall Tradition incomparably beyond us But also to have been extreamly cautelous and learned and so not easily obnoxious to be mistaken or deceived And likewise unquestionably pious and vertuous and therefore abhorring any intention of seducing others for temporall respects Rather then three or foure new teachers in whom there is not only a visible want of all these good qualities but on the contrary such as have not been able to forbeare to declare themselves to be worse men more polluted with Lust Gluttony Sacriledge Pride Malice Envie c. then without their own confession their adversaries could with a good conscience have accused or but suspected them And the effect of whose innovations ha's manifestly been nothing but Atheisme profanenesse bloodshed confusion and ruine The second Section Conteining a stating of foure fundamentall points of Controversie in foure Conclusions CHAP. I. The first Conclusion concerning the Rule of Faith Testimonies of Fathers acknowledging Doctrines Traditionary as well as Scripture to be a Rule of Faith 1. ACcording to my promise in the last Chapter of the former Section I will consequently set downe the fundamentall truths of Catholique Religion in foure Conclusions respecting foure generall points of Controversie The sense of which Conclusions I found evidently and uniformly delivered by the ancient Fathers and by the light of the said truths through Gods grace and goodnesse I became entirely undeceived and by their direction I was led as it were by the hand into the Gates of that City which is set on a hill the holy Catholique Church of Christ. Now of those this is the I. CONCLUSION The entire Rule of Faith comprised in the Doctrines delivered by Christ and his Apostles immediately to the Church is conteyned not only in Scripture but likewise in unwritten Traditions 2. FOr the former part of this Conclusion viz. That the Rule of Christian Faith obedience is no other then the Doctrines and Praecepts delivered immediately by Christ and his Apostles to the Church And by consequence that the present Church pretends not to any new Revelations or Power to make any new Articles of Christian Faith or to propose any Doctrines under that title other then such as Shee has received by Catholique Tradition it will be unnecessary paines to prove out of the Fathers since I doe not know any Christians who deserve that title that doubt of it Indeed the Calvinists earnest to find all occasions to heighten their Schisme charge the Catholique Church as if she admitted within this compasse other Doctrines Decrees and Decretalls c. But most unjustly since there is no warrant or ground given them to lay this aspersion upon the Church and all Catholiques generally renounce it 3. But as for that which followes in the Conclusion viz. That this Rule of Faith is not conteined entirely and expresly in Scripture alone but likewise in unwritten Traditions In this lyes the maine difference betweeen the Catholique Church and all other Sects both ancient and moderne They all and alwaies conspiring in this that the Scripture is to be the only Rule and themselves judges and interpreters of the sence of it at least for themselves or if not they no body however not the present Church and on the contrary Catholiques in all ages unanimously joyning in the contradiction of that ground and affirming that all Doctrines of Faith were not indeed no◠ever were intended to be entirely express'd in Scripture And that Scriptures ought not to be interpreted by any private spirit or reason any other way then according to the line of Ecclesiasticall Tradition 4. Concerning the Rule of Faith therefore let us aske our Fathers that were before us how they were instructed in this point and among them the first testimony will be afforded us by S. Ignatius to this effect quoted by Eusebiu◠Hist. Eccl. l. 3. c. 35. Ignatius saith he exhorted the Churches to hold themselves inseparably to the Tradition of the Apostles which Tradition for surenesse sake he thought good to reduce into writing Againe S. Polycarpus saith the
deceive persons or blinde their eyes after they had been visible spectators as it were of the passion of Christ. 5. This admirable way of conveying saving truths as it is say more expresse than words alone the naturall sence of the Mysteries being as it were construed and interpreted to the people thereby or according to the Prophets expression foretelling this way of Tradition of the Gospel being not written with inke and on paper but by the Spirit in mens hearts by which meanes the sence sunke into their soules farre more effectually than if words only had swom in their braines So seemes it to me also farre more lasting then bookes being scarce possibly obnoxious to be either extinguished or adulterated The rage of Persecutors without an extraordinary vigilance of Divine Providence had failed but little of abolishing the whole Bible I am sure it made them very scarce and precious and not every ordinary Christians penniworth for severall ages together and effectively destroyed many most usefull precious monuments of the Ancient Church The same rage or negligence or some other misfortune have actually beene the losse of an Epistle of S. Paul to Laodicea and other Apostolique writings And some meerely speculative not very necessary Traditions have perished because not apted to be conveyed by practise as What that was which hindered the revelation of the man of sinne which S. Paul sayes he told the Church of the Thessalonians that world of miracles which S. John sayes our blessed Saviour wrought and likewise the true sence of all obscure passages in the New Testament which the Primitive Churches no doubt understood Yea moreover many ancient Liturgies and Missals are now wanting by reason that the particular Churches in which they were in use have fayled But to take out of the way or adulterate the Mysteries of Faith through the whole Church which have been thus continued and daily every where preached not so much in Sermons though so too as in visible practise and not so much written in bookes though so too as in the hearts of all Professors of Christianity This is beyond the reach of either secular or infernall Powers for to effect this Persecutours must first have dostroyed all Congregations of Christian mankinde and by some impossible charme all men must have agreed together to forget to day what they said and did yesterday here neither transcribers negligence nor particular innovating fancies of Heretiques neither adulter sensus nor corruptor stilus could obstrepere veritate Tert. de Prescript none of such either negligences or cunnings could interrupt or out-clamour the truth 6. Now what hath been here exemplified in two particular points namely the Mystery of Christs Passion and of the Blessed Sacrament may and ought rationally to be extended likewise to the whole body of Divine Revelations pertaining to the substance of Christian Religion how abstruse sublime yea how seeming a speculative soever What points more sublime more speculative then those of the Blessed Trinity the equality and consubstantiallity of the Son with the eternall Father the union and yet distinction of the two Natures in one person c. And yet all these might and were continued in the Church not so much by writings delivered or Sermons reiterated as by the outward Practises of the Faithfull in their publique uniforme Devotions Hereupon when troubles and contestations arose in the Church about those Mysteries and thereupon Synods assembled the severall Bishops being demanded how they had been instructed in them each one respectively in their Diocesses they had no need of stroining their wits to find out the sence of obscure passages of Scripture concerning such Mysteries or to invent wayes of reconciling Texts seemingly clashing together they might say for example concerning the article of the Blessed Trinity we following the instructions and practises of our Predecessors do baptize in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and in our Devotions we pray unto give thanks glorifie each of these three persons in the same language with equall expressions of duty without preferring one before the other thereby acknowledging their glory to be equall their Majesty coeternall So likewise for the Consubstantiality of the Son with the Father the union and distinction of the two Natures they might say We adore onely one God and yet we adore the Son with adoration equall to the Father by which we acknowledge them both to be one onely God We doe likewise celebrate and give thanks to the same Son of God for vouchsafing being God to take our Nature upon him in that to dye by his death redeeming us from sin and death eternall Therefore we confesse two distinct Natures united in one Person c. 7. Now if such sublime Revelations might and indeed were really conveyed not in formall expressions of words and phrases but which was farre more efficacious in the true naturall sence and importance of them uncapable of ambiguities by such a way of Tradition so impossible to be interrupted as long as Christians begot Christians and so free from danger of corruptions that they could not be feared unlesse all Churches would conspire to alter their whole frame of Devotions A thing they have been so far from intending that at this day if wee compare all the Liturgies extant from S. Jame's which ha's received testimony from above 600. Bishops in the second Councell of Nice to S Basil'â— S. Chrysostome's S. Gregorie's even to the present Roman Liturgy adjoyning the Ethiopian Maronite Cophâ—ite c. wee shall finde an admirable uniformity in all the substantiall parts yea in many manners of expressions to the very circumstances of Crossings and postures c. although these Churches have had no communication together of many ages How much more easily and perspicuously might other points of Doctrine relating to practise be continued in the Church as Invocation of Saints to be our Intercessours Veneration of Reliques Images c. Prayer and Sacrifice for the Dead a beliefe of a capacity in them to be eased and benefitted by such Prayers c. How was it possible that such Doctrines once delivered should be forgotten being so visibly every Day by all persons acted in the Church And if no such Doctrines were at first consigned and deposited in the Church how was it possible they should so chance to meeâ—e in the Publique Devotions of so many Churches and ages among Persons not only strangers but for a long time enemies to one another yea enemies to such a point that if they had not had irrefragable testimonies of the universall Tradition of such doctrines and Practises the conformity of their adversary Churches would have beene an argument sufficient to have made them to relinquish such Practises and condemne them Could the Heathen-Graecians ever forget their pretended Deities Baccus or Ceres or the benefits supposed to have beene received by their means though they had had nothing else to put them in mind of them but their Dionysiaca or Eleusinian
teach mankind to love and glorifie God so hated by them to encourage them in the learning and practise of vertue and holynesse and in a word to induce them to hate renounce and destroy the Kingdome of Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 2. That such a Religion which most assuredly ha's been attested by such miracles is most true 3. That by consequence since this Religion expressely sayes so it is most necessarily to be embraced being proposed by such a witnesse and proponent as God in that Religion ha's declared to have received commission from him and authority for that purpose And this Proponent is as after the spending of many thoughts and much time before I could free my selfe from many prejudices and misinformations caused by education c. by the goodnesse and mercy of God I came at last evidently to perceive to be the present Catholike Church CHAP. XXVII Proofes â—ut of Scriptâ—ure c. for the Churches auâ—hority 1. THe speciall grounds from whence to mine own full satisfaction J collected this assuâ—ance That the Church alone was that divinely authorised proponent from whom I was to receive divine Revelations and these in the sense that she received and proposeth them as likewise the method and manner according to which as distinctly as I could I first gave an account to mine own understanding and now to others were as follows 2. It having been before declared and conformably testified by all kinds of antient Ecclesiasticall writers 1. That the doctrines and formes of practise of Christian Religion were by the Apostles with great care and assiduous inculeations firmly setled in all Churches by them founded and established To which form other Churches by their successors converted generally conformed themselves as Tertullian de Prescrip saith The Apostles founded Churches in every City from which Churches other Churches afterward did borrow the Faith delivered and the seeds of doctrine 2. That Religion was thus setled chiefly and indeed only by Tradition the books of Scripture having been written only occasionally and though they comprehend in generall the principall points of Christianity yet it is very briefly obscurely with seeming contradictions and dispersedly whereupon it is that they do often refer us to the profession and practise of the church Hence in evidence of reason it will follow that he that would inform himself of Christian Religion must have recourse thither where it â—a's been dâ—posited and that not simply in words but withall the sense of those words and the very life of them in practise and this depositary is by all acknowledged more or less to be the Catholike church For even those who make it a part of their Religion to oppose the authority of the Catholike church yet acknowledge that they have received the Scripture that is all the Religion which they have from her and her authority 3. Hence it will follow that that man that should either look for Christian religion where it is not or expect to find it entire where there was no intention to include it in its whole latitude or hope to â—ssure himself of the clear sense of it where it is set down often obscurely almost every where obnoxious to variety of interpretations would certainly not follow the conduct of his reason 4. Notwithstanding if the imputation of unreasonableness were the only effect of such an indiscreet way of information there is no proud man and pride or impatience to submit to authority is the root of all heresie and Schism but would easily perswade himself to despise such an imputation yea he would take a pleasure in opposing himself and his own reason single not only to one but many ages of men that should it more reasonable to relye upon authority for that which cannot be believed but upon the only motive of authority There is therefore another effect far more considerable then point of reputation which is the utmost danger of eternall perdition in renouncing one main doctrinall foundation of Christian Faith which is the authority of the one holy Catholique Church of Christ which authority consists not only in delivering books of Scripture or Traditionary doctrines but in obliging all men to unity both in fâ—ith and love which is impossible to be had except all men be obliged to the sense and interpretation which she proposeth as received from her by the same authority from which she received the books or doctrines themselves 5. A doctrine this is the most expresse in Scriptures the most constantly asserted by Fathers the only businesse of all Councells the most freely without any contradiction embraced by all Christians before these times excepting only those whom even the Sectaries of these times will call Heretiques or Schismatikes and in these times by all that enjoy the name of Catholikes In a word a doctrine this is beyond all other traditionary doctrines propagated from the Apostles to these times with the fullest universall consent of all Catholikes in all places and of all times of any one point in Christian Religion or any one book of Scripture 6. Among proofs out of Scripture we will begin with the Old Testament concerning which S. Augustine in Psal. 3. ch 2. professeth that the Prophets foretold more often more plainly of the Catholike Church then of Christ himself and the reason he sayes was because many Heretiques would arise that would perhaps spare the person of Christ but none could be a heretike without withdrawing himselfe from the authority and unity of the Church Now the particular Texts which especially S. Augustine makes use of to assert the churches Authority are these In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be on the top of all mountains and all hills shall flow unto her And she shall judge every tongue that resists her in judgement And Kings shall walk in the light of the Church and people in the splendour of her East Again That every Kingdome and Nation which doth not serve her shall perish Isa. c. 2. 54. and 60. That of the Kingly Prophet David Glorious things are spoken of thee thou City of God That of the Canticles Thou art faire and there is no spot in thee And that of the Prophet Ezechiel Thou shalt no more be called forsaken Psa. 86. Cant. 4. Ezech. 37. 7. Proofs out of the New Testament are Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world Mat. 8. upon which S. Augustine in Psa. 70. 10. thus infers The Church shall be here unto the end of the world For if it shall not be here unto the end of the world to whom was it that our Lord said Behold I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And what was the reason that it was necessary that there should be such speeches in the Scripture Because there would in times to come arise enemies of the Christian Faith which would say Christians will continue for a certain space after that they will vanish and Idollâ— shall
so absolute and sublime a nature as that of the Apostles was though it be sufficient to require obedience from every man as likewise consequently that they are not in all degrees so powerfully assisted in their determinations as the Apostles were so that some difference is to be made between Canons of Councells â—â— Apostolike writings as hath been shewed before out of S. Augustine Beltarmine and other Authors 7. That some difference may likewise be made between the present and primitive Churches For they having received Christian doctrines more immediately and purely and besides the true sense of particular passages of Scripture which are difficult which is now in a great measure utterly lost they were able to speak more fully of many particular not necessary points in Christian Religion then the present church now can though perhaps the advantage of tongues and sciences the benefit of so many writings both ancient and modern long study and meditation c. may in some sort recompense those disadvantages of the present church 3 yet however these are but acquired and humane perfections whereas the former were Apostolique Tradition 8. That even of points of doctrine decided by Councells a difference may be made between such as are of universall Tradition and others for those former being capable to be made evidently certain as I proved before such decisions are to be the objects of our Christian Faith and no more to be rejected then any other divine revelations But other points of doctrine there are sometimes decided in Councells rather by the judgement and learning of the Bishops considering Texts of Scripture wherein such points seem to be included And weighing together the doctrines of antient Fathers and modern Doctors an example whereof I gave before in the Councell of Vienna touching inherent grace infused into Infants in Baptism and in the Councell of Bazil concerning the immaculate conception of our B. Lady NOw such decisions many Catholiques conceive are not in so eminent a manner the necessary objects of Christian Faith because not delivered as of universall Tradition But however an extreme temerity it would be in any particular man to make any doubt of the truth of them and unpardonable disobedience to reject them I mean the conclusions themselves though if the Texts of Scripture be set down from whence such conclusions are deduced or the said authorities produced it may perhaps not be so great a fault to enquire and dispute whether from such a Text or such authorities such a conclusion will necessarily follow 9. If in such decisions as these later are there should happen to be any errour which yet we may piously believe the assistance of Gods holy Spirit promised to the Church will prevent but if this should happen since it must necessarily be in a point not pertinent to the substance of Christian Religion for all substanciall points are univâ—rsall Tradition as we shewed before it were far better such an error should passe till as S. Augustine saith some later Councell amended it then that unity should be dissolved for an unnecessary truth since as Irenaeus saith There is no reformation so important to the Church as Schism upon any pretence whatsoever is pernicious 5. Upon such grounds as these I supposed it was that our learned Stapleton stated this question of the churches authority or as he calls it infallibility with so much latitude and condescendence And him I have quoted not with any intention to prefeâ— him with the disparagement of any other but to shew that thereby I perceived my self not to have sufficiently considered the necessary doctrine of the Roman Church in this so fundamentall a point of faith and likewise how when I heard the Church speaking in her own language and moderately interpreted by Catholique Doctors I found what she said so just so reasonable so impossible to be contradicted by any thing but passion or interest or pride or hatred of unity that there was no resisting the attraits of it Then at last I found what I had all my life time in vain sought after namely a firm foundation whereon I might safely and without any scruple rely and more glad then of all worldly treasures to see my soul taken out of mine own hands and placed under the conduct of her whom Christ had appointed to be my guide and conductresse to whom he had made so many rich promises and with whom it is his pleasure to dwel then I took up a Psalm of Thanksgiving and said Laetatus sum in his quae dicta sunt mihi in domum Domini ibimus Stantes erant pedes nostri in atriis tuis Jerusalem Jerusalem quae aedificatur ut civitas cujus participatio ejus in id ipsum Illuc enim ascenderunt tribus tribus Domini c. Psal. 121. CHAP. XXXIV Unsatisfactory grounds of the English Church concerning the Ecclesiasticall authority Calvinists Doctrine concerning the Spirit 's being judge of controversies c. answered 1. BEing thus satisfied of the firm grounds of the Churches authority the only bullwark against all Heresie and Schisme a sure preserver of unity without which no Commonwealth no society of men can possibly subsist much lesse of churches in a word so necessary so consonant to reason that even all sorts of sects and congregations whilst they deny it to the Catholique Church usurp it to their own conventicles to which yet they have not assurance enough to apply our Saviours promises in contradiction to other Seets with whom they will not communicate yea even those who make a liberty of prophecying a differencing mark of their Sect yet will not allow their own partizans this liberty of prophecying unlesse they prophecy by their rule and against their enemies In the next place I took into consideration the unspeakably happy effects of this authority which immediately represented themselves to my mind 2. I will notwithstanding a while defer an account of those effects till I have briefly set down and examined the grounds which Protestants lay for interpreting Scripture and judging controversies in Religion in opposition to this authority of the Church and her Generall Councells as likewise their principall objections against the said authority For then comparing both these doctrines together and the consequences together it will be more easie and commodious to decide whether of them is the more advantagious and whether or no I have made a prudent choice in forsaking a Church where all unity was impossible but only such an outward unity as worldly hopes and fears can produce and in betaking my selfe to a church where Schisme is impossible 3. All Protestants and other Sects agree in this against the Catholique Church for Schismaeest unitâ—s ipsis as Tertullian de Prascripâ— c. 42. saith Their unity is an agreement in Schisme that the Scripture is the only sufficient Rule of Faith and that there is no visible Judge of the sense of it But yet to the end that Gods church may not become a very
uniformly and whether this doctrine and discipline was not carefully preserved in the Primitive churches all the world over if these things be granted as plaine Texts of Scripture for the former and an agreement of most of the Fathers within the time of the four first Generall Councells will testifie for both Then I desire to know whether from the fourth Councell till S. Gregory the Great 's days any substantial part of either ha's perished If any one say it ha's he will find it a labour beyond Hercules his forces to prove it for to this hour I could never see one pressing testimony out of any Ecclesiasticall Writer Then from S. Gregories dayes to these it is visible that not any the least substantiall part of either is lost and this by the confession of severall learned Protestants by the agreement of all Catholique Writers by S. Gregories own writings and which is a proof irrefragable by comparing the Gregorian Liturgy and Missall with those of the present age In the next place let him consider that most of the books of the New Testament were written by the Apostles and Evangelists for the use of particular churches some to particular persons sent by single messengers Besides that severall ages were passed before all the books were communicated and dispersed and accepted as Canonicall by the whole Catholike Church Now after a comparing of these two Traditions together let any man judge whether of them is the more universall either for time or place 3. To the third viz. Of Scriptures being an entire Rule of Faith c. It is already answered cap. 31 32. c. Whereto I shall for the present only add this viz. That Mr. Chillingworth cap. 1. parag 5. 6. 7. takes great advantage from a speech as he sayes of his adversaries namely That the Scripture is a perfect rule forasmuch as a writing can be a rule I am confident his learned adversary never intended to allow him all this in the sense and extent that Mr. Chillingworth presseth it as if all points of Faith were as fully set down in Scripture as they could be in any writing But I have no commission to interpose between them two and therefore all I have to say is that there appeared to me no kind of necessity nor any probability that it was his Antagonists intention that such a large allowance should be made to Protestants for I would fain know since evidence is one necessary condition to make a rule perfect could Mr. Chillingworth believe that the meaning of his learned adversary should be that for example the doctrine of Faith concerning the blessed Trinity is as evidently and intelligibly stated in Scripture as in the first Councell of Nice or all points in controversie now adayes as in the Councell of Trent or that all Texts of Scripture are so unquestionably evident that no interpretations or Commentaries could make them plainer his meaning therefore surely was that Scripture in regard of evidence and with relation to fundamentall Doctrines chiefly intended to be published in it is as evident as can be expected from any one single writing standing alone Not but that one writing explained by a second and those explanations further cleared by a third may be plainer Or though it might have been possible that for example the Doctrine of the Trinity might have been declared so manifestly that Photinianisme or Arianisme might have been prevented notwithstanding no plainnesse of writing can prevent malitious spirits from extracting novelties of some kinds of senses or heresies either those or others as pernicious since as our blessed Lord sayes Necosse est ut veniant scandala that is It is necessary that scandalls must come Mat. 19. 9 And S. Paul Oportet haereses esse that is It is needfull that there should be heresies 1 Cor. 11. 19. both for the tryall of those that love God and discovery of those that hate him For unlesse God should quite change the nature of mankind it is impossible that any one writing should be so plain but that either the curiosity or pride or interests or malice or at least the debility of mens wits may and doubtlesse will find or extract obscurities and difficulties out of it especially such a writing as the Scripture is which being composed by men of severall dispositions and spirits moreover belongs to all mankind of all conditions and dispositions so that if they be let alone every one will be forward yea even take a glory to dig and search into the treasures of it and challenge an equall right to maintain his own and disparage the discoveries of any other every Sect and Sectary will think they see and read therein all their owne distinctive opinions clearly shining and a confutation of all opposite tenents Yea perhaps the blind sensuall Passions worldly interests and proud fancies of vain man will have recourse thither and not want the impudence to seek for nor blush to pretend that they have found a covert and protection for the works of Satan in the divine Word of God In vain therefore doth Mr. Chillingworth triumphantly boast of his inferences to his seeming advantagious to himself since they are all extracted meerly from his own misunderstanding of that most reasonable and prudent saying of his worthy Antagonist 4. Yea this one consideration that the necessary mysteries of Faith are not nor could be so evidently set down in any one place of Scripture but that other places may be found which may afford ground even to an understanding man to raise objections will make any man conclude that either there are no mysteries necessary to be believed or that something besides Scripture must be made use of to clear all difficulties CHAP. XXXVII An answer to M. Chillingworth's fourth and fifth grounds Severall Novelties introduced by him 1. To the fourth where it is said That all things necessary to salvation are contained in Scripture so plainly that no reasonable man desirous to find the true sense can doubt or be mistaken in the sense of them so that for such matters there is no need of any interpreter An assertion this is which is one of the main foundations upon which all manner of Sects that withdraw themselves from the Churches authority do and must relye therefore I thought it necessary to spend more thoughts in examining the firmnesse of it and after all I professe I found it of all others most weak most contrary to reason and every daies experience 2. For demonstrating the justice of this censure of it and that I may expresse my self more clearly I will lay down certain positions to which I conceive all rationall men will assent As first touching the word necessary besides what hath already been spoken of the ambiguousnesse of that word which is relative and variable according to it's application to severall objects and subjects which I will not now repeat I suppose that all men will call that necessary for which being
an act of reason is an act of reason or a reasonable act and indeed otherwise it would be impossible to terminate faith ultimately in God but a man should believe God not for Gods authorities sake but his own 9. The use of reason antecedent to faith and act of the understanding in assenting to a thing revealed for the authority of God the revealer do not prejudice neither the supernaturalnesse nor certainty of Faith because the same things have place in any revelation though made immediately by God for it is with my senses that I receive the thing revealed and convey it to my understanding it is with my understanding that I assent to it and the reason why I assent to it is because it is most reasonable to believe God yet none of these things diminish either the supernaturality or absolute certainty of this belief 5. But to come to a more particular examination of Mr. Chillingworth's Positions 1. He argues that private reason ought to be acknowledged the Judge of controversies and interpreter of Scripture because whatsoever we do in Religion we do it by our particular reason yea even those that deny private reason to be a Judge do this because their reason tells them this is more reasonable c. It is confessed that Faith is an act of reason that is of the reasonable faculty of the soule and that it is the same faculty of reason which submits and captivates it self to divine or Ecclesiasticall authority for as to be Gods slave is the greatest liberty so to renounce carnall reason when God commands it is most reasonable It is moreover confessed that in such a case when reason with submission to God captivates it self and renounces all discourses of reason that would oppose such an a bnegation of it self that it does this from a rationall principle viz. that it is most reasonable to believe and submit to God who is veracity it self But what will follow from hence Will any one therefore either be so unreasonable as to conclude that divine faith is ultimately resolved into reason as into the motive of assenting it is indeed the efficient cause producing the act of assent but the last and principall motive is divine authority or that divine revelations are to be examined and exacted according to the rule and principles of naturall reason thereby either to stand or fall Or lastly that when reason judges it reasonable to receive the sense of divine Revelations from the Church endewed with authority for that purpose Reason in that case shall be called the interpreter or judge 6. In the second place where he sayes The difference between a Papist and a Protestant is this not that the one judges and the other judges not Thus far I grant But that the one judges his guide to be infallible the other his way to be manifest To this I answer that here are two judges 1. a Catholique and his judgement is that his guide is infallible or rather speaking in his guides language that she ha's authority to direct him This is true but not all that is true for he judges of his way too namely that that way and rule by which and in which his guide sets and directs him is manifest And he judges of this more rationally then a Protestant can because the same that God appointed to be his guide is both entrusted with this rule and an explainer of it likewise to him having not only words but sense delivered to her 2. A Protestant Judge and his judgement is that his way is manifest it is true he judges so but how injudiciously hath been already shewn But does he not judge of his guide or ha's he no guide to judge of Yes that is himself or his own reason and that he judges to be all sufficient both for authority and prudence He that in interpreting an Heathen Orator or Poet would not trust his own judgment or adventure his reputation to the world without alledging authorities by which he might justifie his judgment and much more he that in a tenure of land would willingly submit his judgment to the authority of those judges whom the Law ha's deputed will notwithstanding trample upon all authority upon the traditionary interpretation of many ages he will despise Fathers and Councells and adventure eternall happinesse or misery upon his own single judgment and when all this is done will call it a judgment of reason and discretion 7. In the third place To speak properly saith he the Scripture is not a Judge of Controversies but only a rule c. This I grant to Mr. Chillingworth and withall that he is the first Protestant that I know of that ha's spoken properly in this point But he adds and the only rule to judge them by But the contrary I think I have already proved Yet before I leave this passage I desire to be informed what controversies are here spoken of namely whether concerning points necessary or unnecessary surely not of necessary for how can there be controversies about such points as according to his belief are set down in Scripture so plainly that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them and if of unnecessary why will they confesse that they quarrell unnecessarily It follows Every man is to judge for himself with the judgement of discretion This is true if the sense be that it is by the faculty of reason that he embraces and assents to divine revelations not that such revelations are to be admitted or refused according as they are consonant or repugnant to the principles of discourse of naturall reason It follows And to chuse either his Religion first and then his Church as we say But what Church do Protestants chuse since though in effect there are infinite Churches among them separating from and damning one another Yet if the grounds of Protestantisme be true and reasonable viz. 1. That the belief of necessary fundamentall doctrines is sufficient to make a true Church 2. Since all such points are so plainly contained in Scripture that no reasonable man can doubt of the sense of them much lesse disbelieve them And 3. Since no Protestants will deny but that in all Churches even the Catholique also there are reasonable men it will follow that they must say that indeed there is but one Religion and one Church and so no choice at all It follows Or as you Catholiques his Church first and then his Religion For my part I know no Catholique sayes so nor any reason that should move Mr. Chillingworth to put such words in their mouths For if we speak of one that is yet to chuse Christianity and is in pain to find a Congregation to joyn himself to the difference between such a Director as Mr. Chillingworth and a Catholique would be this Mr. Chillingworth would tell him Search the Scriptures attested by universall Tradition as will appear if you peruse all the Records since Christs time there you will find
of Minori declared openly this sense of that Article against certain disputing Schoolmen and during the sitting of the Councell published a book to the same effect no man censuring or condemning him Although indeed his manner of expression was far more unwary and more approaching to the sense of the Lutherans and Calvinists then the forecited Authors Salmeron and Scribonius Marius the further fitnesse of which opinion I leave to the judgement of the Catholique Reader my intention being only to make a Narration of what I was told or did read in others 3. And these are the principall arguments produced by Mr. Chillingworth against the infallibility as he loves to call it of the Church at least such of them as had the greatest effect upon me during my time of Protestancy to hinder me from submitting my selfe to the authority of the Catholique Church or indeed to any authority at all as obliging in conscience which arguments when I came to examine them appeared to me in generall not to touch the established doctrine thereof at all Whether they were of greater force against his particular aduersary it concerned not me neither had I commission or authority to examine 4. It is not my purpose in this Narration to give particular answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all his objections Onely this I professe that I doe neither remember any one through his whole book which formerly had any strong influence upon me nor since my becoming a Catholique after not a perfunctory per-usuall of it have I met with any which to mine own understanding upon the grounds by me formerly laid doe not seeme to me easily answerable And I am confident that if any Protestant shall apply Mr. Chillingworth's discourses to the established doctrine and expressions of the Catholike Church he will acknowledge that notwithstanding any thing said by him this may remain true That the Catholique Church hath authority to propose points of Faith and to interpret Scriptures and that no particular Churches or Christians may or ought to contradict or refuse to submit to her determinations and interpretations Insomuch as if Mr. Chillingworth had been so fortunate as to have undertaken no more then to examine the doctrine of the church he would scarce have made use of and much lesse would he have relyed so confidently upon the strength of any of those arguments which he ha's produced against his adversaries Positions He must have been forced either to acknowledge the truth of the churches doctrine or have put himself to the trouble of inventing other kind of arguments then any I could yet meet with either in his or any other Protestants writings CHAP. XLIV Dangerous consequences of Protestants doctrine against the authority of the Church 1. I Will at length put an end to this tedious but that it is so necessary discourse upon this second conclusion concerning the Judge of Controversies and authoritative interpreter of Scripture by shewing among many some speciall enormous and unavoidable consequences of the doctrine of Protestants concerning this point who refuse yea oppose the consent of the present and antient Catholique Church propounding doctrines of Faith and interpreting Scripture and submit to their own particular reason or private Spirit 2. The first is an impossibility of Unity yea though reason were suffered to proceed simply without mixture of passion and interest as experience and reason it self shews and it hath been already proved 3. The second an evident contradiction to Universall Antiquity which will not afford one example of any Catholique Writer that either hath affirmed that in interpreting Scripture every man is to follow the guidance of his own reason or private Spirit against the authority of the present church or that hath himself refused or taught others to refuse upon any pretence to submit to the determinations of the present Catholique Church 4. The third is that if the universall testimony of the present church either by her publique profession and practise or in her decisions in a Generall Councel do not indispensably oblige all Christians to obedience upon this pretended exception that no expresse mention is made in Scripture of such an unlimited power given to any church of one denomination then it will follow that those churches and Councells which have assumed to themselves this authority to exact subscription to any decisions of any doctrines other then expresse quotations of Scripture to be understood by every one according to his own fancy and that hath accursed all gainsayers are guilty of insupportable uncharitablenesse injustice and tyranny Upon which grounds all Protestants are obliged to anathematize the four first Generall Councells as well as all the rest which follow yea above all other the Councell of Nice since therein were anathematized all those that did not subscribe to an expression of one Article of Faith which notwithstanding those Fathers acknowledged to be so far from being contained expressely in Scripture that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which occasioned so many Tragedies was not so much as of Tradition but only invented by them as proper to oppose the Heresie of the Arians and to expresse the sense of the Traditionary doctrine of Christs eternall Divinity and equality with the Father 5. The fourth is that upon Protestants grounds it is impossible they should rationally call any doctrine Heresie or any separation Schisme without condemning themselves For concerning Heresie if they following the antient Church define Heresie to be a relinquishing or opposing the belief of any doctrine generally professed in the Catholique Church or defined by a lawfull Couucell they will include themselves within the lists of Heretiques since if for severall ages before Luther there were either any Churches Catholique or any authority to make a lawfull assembly they have done apparently the same But defining as they do Heresie to be a contradiction of a Fundamentall Article of the Christian Faith expressely contained in Scripture and not naming but rather explicitly renouncing any visible Judge authorized to determine whether such or such an Article be to be accounted to be expressely contained therein against those who deny it it is impossible to come to an issue between parties contradicting one the other 6. I will give only two instances in two points acknowledged in England the first in that great point controverted between the English Protestants and the Socinians The English Protestants call the Socinians Heretiques because they deny the eternall Divinity of the second Person in the blessed Trinity because this is say they a fundamentall Article of Christian Faith and expressely contained in Scripture But this the Socinians confidently deny yea they professe that the contrary rather is expressely contained in Scripture for say they Neither the word Trinity nor Personality nor Consubstantiality c. are to be found in Scripture neither can any Texts be produced which witnesse in formal words that the Son is equall to the Father in respect of the Godhead yea many Texts expressely
say that he is inferiour But now what Texts are there to be found so evidently expressing the eternall Divinity of the Son of God as there are for appropriating the Divine Nature to the Father only Viz. these two Texts This is eternall life to know thee the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent And To us there is but one God even the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ. 7. The truth is if Tradition and the authority of the Church be not admitted to interpret Scripture the Socinians and other Antitrinitarians cannot by Protestants be condemned as Heretiques upon the pretence of denying expresse Scripture since if reason alone be judge those Texts cannot be called express which may be confronted with others seemingly contradicting or which are capable of a sense it may be lesse probable yet so as that without much racking the words will be able to bear a case which to have hap'ned in this controversie every reasonable man will confesse that shall cast his eyes upon the severall positive Texts alledged by Crellius in his book De uno vere Deo I may add further that if the universall Tradition of the present Church in the time of the Councell of Nice had not prevailed for the stating of that great controversie against the Arians so many objections those Heretiques heaped together not only out of Scripture but likewise out of the writings of such Fathers as preceded that Councell that perhaps they might have endangered the cause as will appear to any one that shall cast his eyes upon a world of passages quoted by Heretiques out of Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian S. Justin Martyr Origen Lactantius c. 8. The Second instance is the Heresie of Rebaptization renewed by the Anabaptists of these times and in conformity to Antiquity condemned by English Protestants it is more evident then the Sun that expresse Scripture alone being the Rule and private reason or Spirit the Judge the Anabaptists cannot upon Protestants grounds be accused either to erre in a point fundamentall or however in a point fundamentall contained expressely in Scripture 9. In the last place that upon Protestants grounds no separation among them can justly be called Schisme in the notion of Antiquity appears yet more evidently For among those â—â— of Sâ—â—â—â— now in England which abhor and renounce the Communion of one another 1. There is not any one of them that ha's the assurance to stile themselves the Catholique Church with exclusion of all others not in actuall Communion with them Now Schisme is only a separation from the externall Communion of the Catholique Church at least if universall antiquity may be allowed to be the judge 2. There is not any one of them which dares apply to themselves in particular those words of Christ Tell the Church and if he will not hear the Church let him be to thee as a Heathen and a Publican or those Promises of his Upon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it And I will send the Comforter which shall lead you into all truth And Behold I am with you to the end of the world Now there is no Schisme but from such a church to which those elogies and promises belong 3. All the means and remedies left them to deale with those they call Schismatiques or Heretiques are not to excommunicate them in a Generall Councell as the Catholique Church ha's continually upon occasion done for what a ridiculoâ—s affembly must that be to which they should presume to attribute the name of a Generall Councell And how more ridiculously would an Anathema sound being fulminated by a Synod of Charenton or Gappe or Dâ—rt c. But their proper course in such cases is to persecute imprison or perhaps burn one another as Calvin did Servetus and by this means the weaker and sufferer would be the only Heretique and Schismatique But of Schisme more in the following Conclusion CHAP. XLV The third Conclusion The point of Shisme slightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly considered THE 3d. CONCLUSION viz. That there is one only Church of Christ and that all Heretiques who believe not all Christian doctrines taught in her and all Schismatiques who breaking the bond of Charity divide themselves from her visible and externall Communion are separated from Christ himself 1. IN my discourse upon this Conclusion I need not separate Heresie from Schisme since I do not know any Sect in these times precisely Schismaticall that is without any mixture of Heresie as the Donatists were in the beginning who agreed in all doctrines with Catholiques but separated upon a quarrell grounded upon a matter of fact Therefore hereafter when I speak of Schisme and enquire upon what party it is to be charged it is to be supposed that Heresie must accompany it seeing the foundation of all the present separations among Christians is â—heir disagreeing in points of faith and doctrine 2. Now though this divine truth viz. That the true Church of Christ is only one and by consequence that an injustifiable separation from it is in a high degree damnable be acknowledged by all Christians that I know since it is an expresse article of our Creed Credo unam sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam that is I believe one holy Catholike Church and therefore there may seem to be no necessity to put ones selfe to the trouble of proving it Notwithstanding I will not refuse that trouble to make a collection of quotations both out of Scripture and Fathers to the end both to get a distinct notion of what was antiently understood by this word Schisme and to set forth according to their conceptions the abominablenesse and extreme sinfulnesse of that sin and this the rather because a sad meditation upon such passages enforced me to consider in what a state I had formerly lived and likewise made me wonder that heretofore above all other points I had not bent my thoughts and studies to enquire and determine since it is apparent that there is a Schism in the church upon which party the guilt of so horrible and exterminating a sinne did lye 3. But the truth is my wonder decreased when I considered that hitherto I had not met with any Protestant Writers that have throughly considered this point of Schisme which yet above all others ought to have been most exactly ventilated and examined as S. Augustine lib. 2. cont lit Petil. saith in the case of Schisme against the Donatists The whole question therefore is whether you do not ill you I say to whom the whole world objects the sacriledge of so geeat a Schisme the exact examination of which question whilest you neglect all that you say is superfluous and whereas you live like theeves you boast that you dye as Martyrs And again Ep. 164. ad Emer Don. Wherefore in the prime place this is to be enquired for what reason you made
a Schisme To the same effect said Optatus before him concerning the same Donatists lib. 1. The businesse in hand is concerning separation In Africa as in all other Provinces likewise there was but one church before it was divided by those who ordained Majorinus in the Chair upon which by succession thou art set The matter therefore to be considered is which of the two parties have remained in the root with the whole world which of them went out which of them is set upon a new Chair Episcopall which heretofore was not in being which of them ha's raised an Altar against a former Altar which of them made an Ordination during the life time of him who was before ordanied Lastly which of them is obnoxious to the sentence of S. John the Apostle who foretold that many Antichrists would go out of the Church 4. The almost onely considerable Author among Protestants who seems to have written largely and purposely upon this argument of Schisme was that unfortunate Apostate M. Antonius de Dominis Arch-Bishop of Spalato who as appears by the Index of the heads of his books and Sections allowed an entire book to this subject but by what means it came to passe whether through guilt or what other mystery I know not but in the publication of the three volumes of his works that book which he intended or had written de Schismate appears not there is an hiatus in that place not yet supplied But to proceed to the quotations CHAP. XLVI Quotations out of Scripture and Fathers to shew the sinfulnesse and danger of Schisme 1. THe passages of Scripture which I especially took notice of concerning the sinfulnesse and extreme danger of Schisme were these viz. those words of our Saviour Mat. 18. 7. Woe unto the world because of scandalls for it must needs be that scandalls come notwithstanding woe to that man by whom the scandall cometh Now the Fathers generally by scandalls understand Heresies and Schismes Which interpretation S. Paul seems to justifie joyning together Schismes and scandalls as Synonyma or words of the same importance when he sayes Rom. 16. 17. I beseech you brethren observe those who make Schismes and scandalls contrary to the doctrine which you have been taught and avoid them Forâ— such men serve not our Lord Iesus Christ but their own belly and by kind speeches and benedictions seduce the hearts of the simple Again saith our Saviour Hereby shall men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another Add to this his last legacy Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you As likewise that saying of his which S. Hierome quotes from Tradition Nunquam lâ—ti sitis nisi cùm fratres vestros in charitate videritis that is Be yet never joyfull but when you see your brethren in charity To all which I will subjoyn that passionate exhortation of S. Paul Philip. 2 1. If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowells of mercy fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded unanimous thinking the same things doing nothing through contention or vain-glory 2. The same affection and zeale did the antient Fathers and Doctors of the church expresse to Catholique Unity with incredible efficacy shewing their detestation against Schismes and Divisions Witnesse S. Irenaeus lib. 4. c. 62. God will judge those which make Schismes in the Church ambitious men who have not the honor of God before their eys but rather embracing their owne interest then the unity of the Church for small and light causes divide the great and glorious body of Christ c. For in the end they cannot make any Reformation so important as the evill of Schisme is pernicious Witnesse S. Dionysius of Alexandrina writing to Novatian A man ought rather to indure all things then to consent to division of the Church of God since Martyrdome to which men expose themselves to the end to hinder the dismembring of the Church are no lesse glorious then those which a man suffers for refusing to sacrifice to Idolls Witnesse S. Cyprian de unit Eccles. Do they think that Christ is amongst them when they are assembled I speak of those which make assemblies out of the Church of Christ No although they were drawnâ— to torments and execution for the confession of the name of Christ yet this pollution is not washed away no not with their bloud this inexplicable and inexcuseable crime of Schisme is not purged away even by death it self That man cannot be a Martyr that is not in the Church And again He shall not have God for his Father that would not have the Church for his Mother Witnesse S. Pacian ad Sympr cp 2. Although that Nova ian hath been put to death for Christ yet he ha's not received a crown And why Because he was separated from the peace of the Church from concord from that Mother of whom whosoever will be a Martyr must be a portion Witnesse S. Optatus lib. 1. Among other Precepts the divine injunction hath likewise forbidden these three Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not go after strange Gods and in capitibus mandatorum in the head of the Commandements Thou shalt not make a Schisme He means I suppose those words in the preface of the Decalogue The Lord thy God is One thou shalt have no other Gods but me Again lib. 2. The unity of the Episcopall Chaire is the prime endowment given to the Church Witnesse S. Chrysostome in Eph. hom 11. There is nothing doth so sharply provoke the wrath of God as the division of the Church insomuch as though we should have performed all other sorts of good things yet we shall incur a punishment no lesse cruell by dividing the unity and fulnesse of the Church then those have done who pierced and divided Christs owne body Witnesse the fourth Councell of Carthage Can 1. out of the Catholique Church there is no salvation 3. Witnesse S. Augustine de Symb. ad Catech l. 4. c. 10. For this cause the conclusion of this Sacrament he means the creed is terminated in the Article concerning the holy Church and the reason is because if any man be found separated from her he shall be excluded from the number of children neither shall he have God for his Father that would not have the Church for his Mother and it will nothing avail him to have rightly believed or to have done never so many good works without this conclusion of the soveraign good Again in Psa. 21. Whosoever ha's charity is assured But as for charity no man transports it out of the Church Againe de Bap. con Don. l. 1. c. 8. Those whom the Donatists heale of the wound of I dolatry and infidelity they themselves wound more dangerously with the wound of Schisme Again sup gest Emar Out of the Catholique Church a Heretique may have all things but salvation He may have the Sacraments He may sing
Let them chuse whether of these two they had rather believe They call themselves Christians we propose to them Jesus Christ and Donatus Let them consider what will become of them if they bestow only words upon Jesus Christ and their bearts upon Donatus So that this conclusion of his is unalterably tâ—ue not for his times only but til Christs second coming viz. That all separation which is made before the drawing the net on shore or before harvest i. e. the end of the world is a eamnable separation Being Sacrilegium Shismatis quod omnia scelera supergreditur i. e. being the sacriledge of Schisme which surpasses all other crimes Aug. con Ep. Parm l 2. 10. Therefore to shew the extreme in justice of English Protestants against the Catholique Church and the just judgement of God upon 〈◊〉 for it we may desire them to consider that in their owne congregations they are constrained to connive at both errours in doctrine and abuses in practise to support a Schismaticall Unity which they would not suffer for Catholique Unity So S. Augustine speakes to the Donatists lib. 2. Why do they saith he perniciously suffer such kind of men in the crime of a Sacrilegious Schisme which they might and ought to have tolerated profitably in the integrity of Catholique Unity Again let them consider with what justice they can condemne the other Sects Presbyterians and Separatists if they seek the same destructive way of reforming them which themselves practised upon the Catholiques For the Presbyterians will alledge Scripture as well as they they will pretend errours and superstitions as well as they And the Separatists beyond this will alledge for themselves that which it will be impossible for them to reply reasonably to for they will say Since you your selves have taken away all obliging humane authority in points of Religion give us leave to enjoy that liberty for our own consciences which you have purchased us we desire not to tyrannize over other men only we would not suffer that you should pretend by a shew of liberty to introduce tyranny If Protestants shall oppose secular power or multitude to such allegations that will be to confesse that their reformation was a meere worldly design If they shall say that it is not fit that a smal conventicle of Sectaries should prevail against a Nationall Synod of the English Clergy then they must not take it ill to have those efficacious words of S. Augustine applyed unto them Is the just weighing of matters come to this passe that a Councell of the Maximianenses who are an under-segment of your Sect shall have no force or consideration against you because in comparison of your numbers they are but a very few and shall a Councell of your own prevaile against Nations against the heritage of Christ and the ends of the earth his possession I wonder if that man have any bloud left in his body that should not blush at the mentioning of such a thing as this Aug. Ep. 154. ad Emer Don. 11. I will conclude this conclusion with a brief consideration of an accusation which Protestants lay against Catholiques whom they charge with extreme uncharitablenesse for affirming that Protestants dying in their Religion without repentance cannot be saved Hereto it is answered that Catholiques do not pretend to judge of the salvation or damnation of Protestants in particular yea they will not doubt to say that to many thousands of them neither their Heresie nor Schisme shall prove de facto damnable but that supposing they dye with an intention to renounce whatsoever their opinions should appear to them to have been erroneous their invincible ignorance caused by education misinformation of Catholique doctrines c. may probably find pardon from our mercifull Judge in case they be truly penitent for all other faults committed by them upon supposition that any such have been committed But surely it is no uncharitable judgement to say in generall That it is damnable to dye in a damnable or mortall sinne without repentance And therefore since even by Protestants confession Heresie and Schisme are in a high degree damnable sins and since Catholiques are verily perswaded that Protestants are guilty of these two crimes it may be called in them a mistake but it cannot be called uncharitablenesse in Catholiques upon such a supposition to make such a judgement Yea on the contrary I wonder how the English Protestants c. who pretend that Catholiques are guilty of these two crimes can notwithstanding contrary to the doctrine of all Antiquity affirm that such persons are not in a damable estate surely it is self-guilt and not charity that makes them so charitable CHAP. LI. The fourth Conclusion Proofes of it out of Fathers THE FOURTH CONCLUSION is That the Catholique Church ever after the times of the Apostles was is and shall be visible continuing in an uninterrupted succession of lawfull Pastors and true doctrine to the end of the world 1. FOr confirmation of this conclusion out of Scripture Texts sufficient both for number and perspicuity have already been produced both out of the Old and New Testament in the second conclusion 2. The same doctrine is no lesse conspicuous in the writings of the Fathers It is easier saith S. Chrysostome Hom. 4. in Esa. that the Sun should be extinguished then that the Church should be obscured And again The Sun is not more manifest nor the light proceeding from it theu the actions of the Church The Church saith S. Cyprian de Unit. Eccl. being cloathed with the light of our Lord spreads its beames through the whole world The Church saith S. Augustine hath this most certain mark that she cannot be hidden And again Do not these men grope at noone day as if it were midnight It is a quality common to all Heretiques not to see the thing of all things in the world most clear viz. the church which is placed in the light of all Nations out of the unity whereof whatsoever they do though it may seem to be done with great exactnesse and diligence yet can no more secure them from the wrath of God then the spiders webs from the rigour of the cold Hereupon the same Saint de unit Eccl. calls Christ the most true declarer of his body insomuch as be suffers us not to be mistaken neither in the Bridegroom nor in his Spouse Upon which grounds he makes severall exclamations to this purpose Id. cont cres l. 3. O the mad perversenesse of men Thou conceivest that thou deservest to be praised for believing Christ whom thou seest not and believest thou shalt not be damned for denying his Church which thou seest Since that Head is in heaven and this body is upon earth Thou acknowledgest Jesus Christ and that which is written of him O God be thou exalted above the heavens and doest not acknowledge the church in that which follows and let your glory be spread through all the earth The like expressions he
present age that so the former ages delivered to her What shall we say then when to the evident testimony of the present age for Catholike verities may be added a world of testimonies both of Scripture and antient writers beyond all comparison far more then for her enemies contradictory assertions even those enemies themselves being judges as will appeare undeniably to any man that will consult that one book of Brercley's Apology of Protestants for the Catholique church CHAP. II. Of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation Of the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament and of Communion under one Species 1. THe six speciall controversies which I shall briefly consider shall be 1. Concerning the Eucharist and therein of the Reall Presence of Christs body by way of Transubstantiation as likewise Of the Adoration of our Lord present in the Sacrament and communion under one Species 2. Of Invocation of Saints 3. Of Veneration of Images 4. Of Prayer for the Dead and Purgatory 5. Of Indulgences 6. Of the Publike Service in Latin The reason why I make choice of these is both because these are the especiall controversies wherein there is a reall and manifest difference between Catholiques and Protestants who make these points the principall causes of their separation For as concerning the debates about Grace and Free-will Predestination and Justification as likewise the merits of good works though ignorant-popular-preaching Protestants make a great clamour about them yet I was most assured that there was indeed a reall agreement when they came to explaine themselves sensibly about them As for the controversie concerning the Pope I have spoken sufficiently in the 52. chapter at the latter end of the fourth conclusion 2. First therefore concerning the Reall presence of Christs body in the Eucharist and that by way of Transubstantiation In discoursing upon which because my designe is not to write the controversie in generall but only in reference to the doctrine which following the church of England I was taught there it will be sufficient for me to signifie that by that church I was taught that in the blessed Sacrament the body and bloud of our Lord were really present exhibited and received by the Communicants really I say not onely as the objects of Faith or not onely as really exhibiting the effects of Christs suffering but as truly and properly as the Roman church professeth onely I was forbidden to say that there was any reall change made in the bread and Wine which remained after Consecration as they were before In a word I was taught to say what neither I nor any other was able to expresse save onely that the Romish doctrine was false which taught that that presence was made by a presence of Christs body under the Species which only remained of the visible elements 3. Now when I say that I was taught to expresse my belief thus by the church of England my intention is not that that church obligeth every one to believe thus For the truth is so a man will but renounce the two words of Transubstantion and Consubstantiation he may preserving the terme really interpret himself as if really signified only figuratively or as the object of the understanding as we see a world of writers allowed there to have expressed themselves Yea in the 28. and 29. Articles of that Church there are certain clauses which require only a figurative sense to be understood as when it is said The body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the supper only after an heavenly and spirituall manner and the mean whereby the body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper is Faith And again The wicked c. are in no wise partakers of Christ but rather to their condemnation do eat and drink the sign or Sacrament of so great a thing Which clauses being allowed those Articles do admit yea require not only the Calvinistical but even the Zuinglian sense concerning that point Yet notwithstanding this whether the Calvinisticall party there had with their usuall importunity extorted the inserting of those clauses into the Articles I know not yet those that followed the Prelaticall Governing Faction never considered those expressions but without any Calvinisticall hypscrisie professed that they believed the Reall Presence as truly and really and properly as the Catholiques did And so King James commanded Monsieur Casaubon to signifie his sense to Cardinall Perron in the words of Doctor Andrews then Bishop of Ely 4. Now what other reason can be imagined should move the most learned and prudent part of the English Clergy to expresse themselves so neer the Catholique sense but only a conviction that besides the formall words of Scripture the Ecclesiasticall Tradition and generall doctrine of the Fathers enforced such a sense But by what mystery it came to passe that they should dispense with themselves for following Tradition no further but that under a pretence that the Sacrament was a mystery inexplicable they should forsake the same Tradition and Fathers who generally professe that that presence is made by a reall transmutation of the visible elements into the very Body and Blood of Christ this I confesse I could never comprehend 5. Now that such was the Traditionary doctrine of the Catholique church besides the testimony of the present age which will be of infinite weight to any one that duly considers it and to omit a world of quotations out of Councells and Fathers wherein expressions to prove the same are as full yea perhaps more rigid then the Decision of the Councell of Trent it selfe I became convinced from these considerations viz. 1. Because in all the antient Liturgies that ever I saw there are expresse mention of the verity and reality of this change and not any the least intimation of a figurative sense there are expresse prayers that God would by his omnipotent power cause the Bread and Wine to become the Body and Bloud of our Lord and not the least intimation that the way of communicating of these mysteries should be only by Faith or by the operation of the understanding 2. Because in the form of communicating both in the Easterne and Westerne churches which form or Canon S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose S. Augustine S. Basile c. attribute to the Apostles themselves as authors there was required from the communicants a confession of their beliefe of the reality of this change or to expresse it in S. Ambrose his language de Sacr. l. 4. c. 3. The Priest viz. presenting to thee that which before consecration was bread saith unto thee This is the body of Christ and thou answerest Amen that is to say it is true That which the tongue confesseth let the heart believe 3. Because generally the Fathers when they speak of this argument have recourse to the omnipotence of the Word of Christ and to wonderfull operations exalted above all humane credibility as the cause of this change thereby leaving no doubt that they understood a
109. Sect. 2. Cap. 8. Preparatory grounds for the answering of these reasons and Quotations That Christian Religion was settled in the Church by Tradition especially The advantage of that way beyound writing p 112. Sect. 2. Cap. 9. A further demonstration of the firmness of Tradition Certain objections answered p 123. Sect. 2. Cap. 10. The second preparatory ground viz. Occasion of writing the Gospels c.p. 130. Sect. 2. Cap. 11. The third preparatory ground viz. The clearing of the ambiguity of these words necessary to salvation p. 136. Sect. 2. Cap. 12. After what manner I judged it necessary for my purpose to examine Mr. Chillingworth's reasonings and arguments p 139. Sect. 2. Cap. 13. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's discourse premised before his proofs out of Scripture p 146. Sect. 2. Cap. 14. An Answer to the Texts produced by Mr. Chillingworth out of the Gospels of S. John and S. Luke c.p. 152. Sect. 2. Cap. 15. An answer to twelve Questions of Mr. Chillingworth in pursuance of the former Quotations p 154. Sect. 2. Cap. 16. The second Conclusion out of the Fathers concerning a Judge of Controversies The Authors confession of his willingness that his opinion against the Churches Infallibility might appear to have been groundless p 160. Sect. 2. Cap. 17. Calvinists presumptuous renouncing of the Churches Authority even in proposing of Scripture And pretentions to immediate Revelation p 163. Sect. 2. Cap. 18. Importance of the controversy concerning the Churches Authority Means for satisfaction in it abundantly sufficient in Antiquity This Controversie beyond all others ought to be diligently studied by Protestants 167 Sect. 2. Ca. 19. Passages out of the Fathers concerning the Churches authority,170 Sect. 2. Ca. 20. Quotations out of Antiquity for the authority of Councells A contrary Character of antient Heretiques c. 181 Sect. 2. Ca. 21. The doctrine of the Romane Church concerning the Churches authority The great and apparent reasonablenesse of it,185 Sect. 2. Ca. 22. The method whereby the Author arrived to an entire satisfaction concerning the Churches authority 236 Sect. 2. Ca. 23. Grounds laid to prove the certainty of Iâ—radition Severall degrees of it 238 Sect. 2. Cha 24. Divine Revelations proved beyond any certaine humane story,246 Sect. 2. Ca. 25. The reason of considering a double capacity in the Church Certainty of Belief compared with certainty of knowledge,254 Sect. 2. Ca. 26. Grounds pre-required to the demonstrating of the Churches authority Sect. 2. Ca. 27. Proofs out of Scripture c. for the Churches authority Sect. 2. Ca. 28. The validity of such Texts c. 241 Sect. 2. Ca. 29. The objection from the overflowing of Arianisme in the Church answered,246 Sect. 2. Cha. 30. The generall ground of the Churches authority viz. Christs Promises The severall subjects and acts thereof,250 Sect. 2. Ca. 31. Authority of the Christian Church compared with that of the Jewish,258 Sect. 2. Ca. 32. Enquiry concerning the extent of the Churches authority How Stapleton states this point,261 Sect. 2. Ca 33. Upon what grounds Stapleton may be conceived to have stated this question with more then ordinary latitude,266 Sect. 2. Ca. 34. Unsatisfactory grounds of the English Church concerning Ecclesiasticall authority Calvinists doctrine concerning the Spirit being Judge of Controversies exploded,277 Sect. 2. Ca 35. Mr. Chillingworth's new-found Judge of Controversies viz. Private reason His grounds for asserting such a Judge,283 Sect. 2. Ca. 36. An answer to the three first grounds of Mr. Chillingworth,287 Sect. 2. Ca. 37. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's fourth and fifth grounds Severall Novelties introduced by him292 Sect. 2. Ca. 38. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's sixth ground Of the use of Reason in Faith 303 Sect. 2. Ca. 39. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's seventh and eighth grounds,316 Sect. 2. Ca. 40. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection concerning difference among Catholiques about the Judge of Controversies 320 Sect. 2. Ca. 41. His reasons proving no Church of one denomination to be infallible answered,323 Sect. 2. Ca. 42. An answer to Mr. Chillingworth's objection of Circles and absurdities to the Resolution of Faith of Catholiques 332 Sect. 2. Ca. 43. An answer to Mr. Chillingworths allegations of pretended uncertainties and casualties in the grounds of the faith and salvation of Catholiques 342 Sect. 2. Ca. 44. Dangerous consequences of Protestants Doctrine against the authority of the Church 350 Sect. 2. Ca. 45. The third Conclusion concerning Schisme The point of Schisme sleightly considered by Protestants which notwithstanding ought above all others to be chiefly studied 357 Sect. 2. Ca. 46. Quotations out of Fathers to shew the sinfulness danger of Schism,36 Sect. 2. Ca. 47. The nature and marks of Schisme according to the antient Fathers 366 Sect. 2. Ca. 48. An application of the former marks of Schisme to the present Controversie And a demonstration that they doe not suit to the Roman but only Protestant Churches 375 Sect. 2. Ca. 49. A continuation of the same demonstration with proofs c. Sect. 2. Ca. 50. A further continuation of the same arguments,380 Catholikes not uncharitable for saying That Protestancy unrepented is damnable,387 Sect. 2. Ca. 51. The fourth Conclusion concerning the perpetuall visibility of the church Proofs of it out of Fathers,398 Sect. 2. Ca. 52. Application of these proofs to the advantage of the Roman Catholique Church and against Protestants c. 401 Sect. 3. Ca. 1. The Question of the Church being decided decides all other Controverversies How it is almost impossible that errours should crep'd into the publique doctrine of the Church Of what force objections out of Scripture or Fathers are against the Church,413 Sect. 3. Ca. 2. Of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation Of the Adoration of Christ in the Sacrament And of Communion under one species 420 Sect. 3. Ca. 3. Of Iâ—vocation of Saints Of Veneration of Images Of Prayers and Offerings for the Dead and Purgatory Of Indulgences And of publike service in the Latin tongue With what charity and modesty the doctrines of the Church are to be examined,431 Sect. 3. Ca. 4. The Holinesse taught and practised by the Catholique Church a great motive to embrace the doctrines The Authors former exceptions against certain practises ascribed to the Church with their answers Of the Carthusians Of mysticall Theology 453 Sect. 3. Ca. 5. The Conclusion wherein the imputation of inconstancy charged upon the Author is answered as likewise of forsaking a Religion because it was persecuted The Appendix Cha. 1. A Brief Recapitulation of the Designe and Contents of the whole Book pag 476 Cha. 2. Grounds upon which certain passages in this Book hâ—ve been misunderstood by some Catholiques and those mistakings cleared 483 Cha. 3. Misinterpretation of my book by Protestants particularly by J. P. the Author of the Preface to my Lord Falklands Discourse of Infallibility An answer to that Preface 490 Cha. 4. An answer to the four first Paragraphs of the Preface 496 Cha. 5. An answer to the