read and believe the Scripture as most true and the infallible Word of God But Men of mature Learning and Judgment should dive into the profound Mystery and meaning of the Scripture you may read his words in the first Page of that Book The same Eusebius wrote three Books as Jerome reports of the Life of Pamphilus his great Friend which are not extant But c Lib. 1. Apol. adversus Ruffinum Script Sanctas non ad leg sed ad habendum tribuebat non solum viris sed feminis Jerome cites this Passage out of the third Book in commendation of Pamphilus Who is vertuous and not a Friend of Pamphilus who supplied food and necessaries to the poor and distributed the Holy Scriptures not only to Men but Women who were desirous to read them for which end he purchased many Bibles d In Psal 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Basil the Great tells us All Scripture is written by Divine Inspiration and profitable and therefore given by the Holy Ghost that every one of us might choose a proper remedy for his disease as out of a common Apothecaries shop f r his Soul Phil. As the Holy Scriptures have Physic for all Diseases so the Application should be well made by our Spiritual Physicians otherwise the Patient may miscarry and therefore we hold the People should hear and receive the Scripture from the Priests mouth Theoph. This gloss contradicts the Text for the Father saith e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every one should choose his proper remedy out of the common Tresury Again f Lib. de Parad. c. 12. Gentiles aut c. Ambrose directs a Gentile who would believe or a Catechumen who would receive farther Instruction unto the living Waters of the Holy Scripture without the corrupt Channels of Interpreters You see the Holy Scripture ought not to be with-held from Unbelievers and Unbaptized But Jerome for the Latine Church and Chrysostom for the Greek speak so fully to this Point that we may supersede all other Testimonies Jerome writes many Epistles to Virgins to Women concerning themselves and the Institution of their Children the Government of their Families and above all commends to them the diligent reading of the Scripture In his Epistle to Laeta a Noble Dame g De Instit filiae nec alibi reperiant nisi in adyto script Prophet Apostolos de spiritualibus sciscitantem c. He gives in charge to inure her beloved Daughter to the study of the Scripture That none should find her in the way of the World amidst the throng and tumult of Play-fellows and Kins-folk but in the recesses of the Holy Scripture consulting the Prophets and Apostles about Spiritual concerns Instead of fine Clothes and Jewels let her love the Book of God let her learn the Psalter and divert her self with those Songs In the Proverbs of Solomon let her learn Morals In the Ecclesiastes to despise the World In Job Patience and Vertue Let her proceed to the Evangelists and never lay them out of her hands so to the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles and having enrich'd her heart with these Divine Tresures let her commit to memory the Prophets and the Pentateuch c. And at last without danger let her learn the Canticles In another Epistle to a Virgin a Al Demetriadem de Virg. servandâ Spendeounum illud tibi nata deo praeque dominibus unum praedicam repetens c. O thou that art born of God saith he This one thing above all I must give in charge repeating it over and over again That thou possess thy heart with the love of reading the Holy Scripture Love the Bible and wisdom will assuredly love thee In an Epistle to Salvina perswading her to keep her self a Widow he faith b Semper in manibus sit divina Lectio Let the Bible be always in thy hand to read it In an Epistle to Celautia concerning the government of her Family he presseth the same Exhortation c Semper in manibus jugiter in mente volvantur Let the Holy Scripture be always in thy hand and in thy mind In Marcella's Epitaph d Epistola ad Principiam div Script ardor erat incredib semper que cantabat In 〈…〉 rde meo abscondo eloq tua ut non peccem c. he gives this commendation of her She had an incredible thirst after the Holy Scripture and ever sang I have hid thy word within my heart that I might not sin against thee c. and that she became an Oracle to resolve doubts concerning the Scripture I might collect many more such passages out of this Author but I will content my self with one general Exhortation to read the Scripture instead of all e Praefatione in Epistelam ad Ephesies si quiequam est quod in hac vita c. If there be any thing saith the good Father which should make a wise man choose to live and weather out the storms and troubles of our present state it is the knowledge and meditation of the Scripture For whereas as he goes on herein we chiefly differ from other living Creatures that we are rational and can speak and all Reason and Language is contain'd in the Holy Scripture whereby we know God and are not ignorant wherefore we were created I marvel any there should be who either out of sloth and negligence will not learn themselves these excellent things or think others worthy reprehension who do study them And now tell me Have you not enough of Jerome Would he not marvel think you at your new Doctors who as much discourage the People from reading the Scripture as he with all his excellency of Grace and Eloquence doth excite them Phil. I must confess I never look'd to hear so much to this purpose Theoph. Have a little patience and you will find Chrysostom as full and emphatical Like advice he gives to Gaudentius for the Education of Pacatula his Daughter f Let her learn the Psalter by heart and before she f Discat Psalterium memoriter c. comes to maturity of age let her make the Books of Solomon the Evangelists the Apostles and Prophets her chief tresure In his first Tome he tells his hearers a Hom. 10. in Genesin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We may at home before and after meals taking into our hands the Holy Bible feed our Souls for as the Body doth want corporal nurishment so doth the Soul spiritual we being thereby strengthned against the assaults of the flesh and our restless enemy who sets upon us to captivate our Souls And therefore saith he the Prophet David calls him Blessed who meditates in the Law of the Lord day and night And then he adds This is our salvation this our spiritual wealth this our security If we arm our selves daily by spiritual bearing and reading and discourse we shall never be over come but frustrate all the
of Prague no longer to neglect or be content without the Communion of the Cup without which they could not be saved and so multitudes were promted to receive in both kinds and importunate with the Council of Basil to have it allow'd Many Heretics as he saith rejoicing that they had found an Article grounded upon Scripture whereby either the ignorance or impiety of the Church of Rome might be discover'd I have given in this Story to shew of how great consequence in the judgment of the Bohemians this Text was to prove even the necessity of receiving the Sacrament in both kinds and therefore let me hear your Answer Phil. Bellarmin takes notice of all these Circumstances and gives three Answers to that Text Except ye eat the flesh c. His first Answer is this a Lib. 4. De Sacram Euch. c. 25. vim hujus praecepti in re quae sumitur non in modo sunendi consistere Sumuntur tam corpus quam sanguis sub qualibet specie The weight of this Precept doth lie in the receiving the flesh and blood of Christ and not in the manner of receiving it Now the body and blood of Christ are truly receiv'd in either kind whole Christ being communicated in the bread as also in the Cup and therefore the People are not depriv'd of the vertue of the Sacrament and shall live by it Theoph. The Text expresly speaks of drinking his Blood and that you cannot pretend to do by receiving and eating his Flesh only in the Sacrament altho his Blood and Soul be there also according to your Opinion by concomitancy Of which we shall say more hereafter Phil. If you stand so much upon the letter of the Text which seems to imply the receiving of Christs Flesh and Blood distinctly one by eating and the other by drinking then we answer ou another way That in Holy Scripture many times b In Script conjunctio accipitur pro disjunctiva the copulative is put for a disjunctive as when Peter said to the impotent Man at Solomons Porch Acts 3. 6. Silver and Gold have I none the meaning is he had neither Silver nor Gold for either would have suffic'd for an Alms. And if the Text be so Interpreted it will not hurt us Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man or drink his blood c. Theoph. This is to make of Gods Word a Nose of Wax to put the Holy Scripture out of Joint to help a broken Cause This way would serve a Jesuit in another case of Conscience Is any one scrupulous of rebelling against his Prince The Father will satisfie him with that of Solomon Fear God or honor the King if you do one you may omit the other But what God hath join'd let not Man put asunder saith our Blessed Savior Never turn a Copulative into a Disjunctive Phil. Well If these two Answers do not please Bellarmin will sit you with a third There are many Precepts in Holy Scripture which are given to all and yet are design'd to be observ'd only by some as that Blessing upon Mankind at first Encrease and multiply and yet all Men are not oblig'd to Marry and get Children And so this saying of our Savior If ye eat not the flesh of the Son of Man c. it is spoken to the Church Universal and yet if observ'd by some it sufficeth The Priest taking the Sacrament in both kinds shall convey Life thro Christ unto his whole Church Theoph. This Answer is not unlike the two former if twisted together all are not worth a rush they only publish to the World the Objection is unanswerable and so rather then they would be silent they would put their Ciphers together without one tittle of sense and reason to make them significant Phil. This is a quick way to answer an Argument or Reply by saying it is insignificant and so dismiss it Theoph. If I omit any thing that is material I desire no favor I know I shall hear of it with both Ears for those of your side are used to give no Quarter Mean while I will follow my intended course and shew in the next place how your half Communion is against the end of Christs Instituting the Sacrament Phil. Christ instituted these Holy Mysteries to confer Grace to the worthy Receivers to feed them with the Celestial Food of his pretious Body and Blood to convey unto their Souls remission of sins So much the words of Institution imply Take eat This is my Body which is given for you and drink ye all of this for this is my Blood of the New Testament which was shed for many for remission of sins Now all this is communicated as well under one kind as under both for whole Christ his Body and Blood and his Divinity is exhibited under the Species of Bread For Christ expresly saith It is my Body and if so it is his Blood and Life and Divine Nature also For Christ now liveth for ever and the Union between his Soul and Body is indissoluble wheresoever one is the other must be by a necessary concomitancy And then for the God-head of Christ since the great Mystery of his Incarnation that can never be separated from the humane Soul and Body which he assumed into one Person and subsistence with Himself So the Council of Trent hath determin'd a Sess 13 c. 3. Statim post Consecrationem verum Domini nostri corpus verumque sang una cum Divinit existere sub specie panis vini c. Immediatly after the Consecration the very Body and Blood of our Lord do exist under the Species of Bread and wine together with his Soul and Divinity The Body indeed subsists under the Species of Bread and the Blood under the Species of Wine by vertue of the words of Consecration but by virtue of a Natural Connexion whereby the parts of Christs humane Nature are since his Resurrection for ever inseparably united under the Species of Bread there is likewise the Blood of Christ and under the Species of Wine his Body and his Soul under both as also his Divinity by reason of the Hypostatical Vnion And therefore the Council concludes b Veriss est tantundem sub alterutra specie atque sub utraque contineri totus integer Christus That as much is contain'd under either Species as under both even whole Christ intirely Theoph. This is a new Model of Divinity which was about two hundred Years in fashioning and preparing by their sworn Servants the School-men for the Fathers of Trent to make use of to under-prop the declining State of the Church of Rome But I pray tell me Why did our Blessed Savior so distinctly say of the Bread This is my Body and of the Cup This is my Blood c. if in either kind both Body and Blood are included and receiv'd Phil. The Council as you have heard before answers this exactly a Ibid. Corpus
existit sub specie panis sang sub specie vini vi verborum a 〈…〉 vi naturalis connexionis concomitantiae c. By the words of Consecration the Bread is chang'd only into the Body of Christ and so the Wine into his Blood but then by a natural connexion and concomitancy each kind includes the other The Body and Blood and Soul and God head of Christ are inseparable Theoph. But why did Christ Institute the Sacrament in both kinde if to receive in one kind be as beneficial to the Soul Phil. The Essence of the Sacrament b Lib. 4. de Euchar. c. 22. Species panis vini nâ—n tam essentiales quam integrales partes sunt as Bellarmin shews is communicated in one kind to wit the Body and Blood of Christ but as to the integrity both are necessary Theoph. You shall never find a School-man without a nice Distinction to salve the matter However hereby you acknowledg the Sacrament in one kind to be maim'd and imperfect wanting one of the integral parts But I will not intangle the Discourse with such Niceties You know our Blessed Savior expresseth one end of the Sacrament That in remembrance of him it should be given and received And Paul shews in what regard chiefly Christ is commemorated in the Sacrament as he was Crucified For as often as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lords death till he come 1 Cor. 11. 26. Now you all grant that the representation of Christs death is made by both kinds in the Sacrament The Bread and Wine apart represents Christ Blood separated from his Body Breaking of Bread signifies how Christs Body was wounded and bruis'd and broken So Paul renders the words of Christs Institution 1 Cor. 11. 24. This is my Body which is broken for you and therefore the Sacrament should be given in both kinds for a sensible representation of Christs death Phil. The Church holds the commemoration of Christs death exactly in the Sacrifice of the Mass and this belongs only to the Priest who of necessity must consecrate Bread and Wine and receive both for this very reason That he may so represent Christs death and offer up his Body and Blood in Sacrifice his Body as crucified and his Blood shed So a great Doctor of our Church c Lib. 6. Advers haereses Mem. Dominicae mortis agit Sacerdes in altari non pop quaprop Sacerd. quoties celebrat non consecrat unam si eciem sine alterâ c. Alphonsus de Casiro The Priest commemorates Christ death upon the Altar and not the People receiving the Sacrament And therefore saith he the Priest of necessity must consecrate both kinds and receive them because altho Christ is wholy contain'd in one kind yet by one he is not signified and represented for the Species of Bread only signifies and represents his Body and that of Wine his Blood c. Theoph. We will not examine this new Doctrine of Alphonsus and the Schools touching whole Christ in each Species c. but we will take his Concession That one kind doth not signifie or represent whole Christ and his Death and Passion and therefore such as are bound to remember and shew the death of Christ his Sacrifice upon the Cross and the Work of our Redemtion by his Blood shedding they must of necessity receive the Sacrament in both kinds apart Phil. What will you conclude thence seeing he hath told you that the Priest is concern'd and not the People to hold the remembrance of Christs death in the Sacrament which he daily performs in the Office of the Mass Theoph. But what care we what Alphonsus hath told us or any of your New Doctors seeing S t Paul affirms the contrary For writing to all the Saints of the Church of Corinth he expresly tells them As oft as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shew the Lords death till he come And doubtless as all Christians are concern'd to keep a thankful remembrance of Christ and of his Passion so we must do it as he hath appointed by receiving the Sacrament in both kinds for only so as you have heard his Death and Blood-shedding is represented to the Life The Elements apart shewing how his Blood was separated from his Body breaking of Bread shewing how his Body was bruis'd and broken In this respect we may believe S t Paul said to the Galathians That even before their eyes Jesus Christ had been evidently set forth crucified among them Gal. 3. 1. Phil. This suits Bellarmines Observation well that the People may see Christs Death represented in both kinds upon the Altar and one separate from the other and so hold the commemoration of his Passion altho they do not communicate in both kinds and he observes the Eye is the quicker sense to affect and raise our Meditation rather then the Touch or Tast Theoph. Notwithstanding the subtle Observation of your Doctors you shall give us leave to follow Christs direction to receive the Sacraments in both kinds in remembrance of him and we will believe the Apostle That by eating this Bread and drinking this Cup we shew the Lords death and not by seeing the Wafers and the Cup upon the Altar And withal the Sacrament is call'd the Lords Supper wherein he Feasts our Souls with his Flesh that is Meat indeed and with his Blood which is Drink indeed Now to complete a Feast there must be Meat and Drink Esculenta Poculenta And one of your Doctors saith a Franciscus à Victoria de Euch. qu 87. Non est perfecta refectio sub unica specie Vnder one kind of the Sacrament is no perfect refection Phil. These things hold in Natural Food and Refections but not in Spiritual Hunger and thirst in Grace are not distinct Appetites but have the same Objects as Blessed are they which do bunger and thrist after righteousness Matth. 5. 6. And we read how our Blessed Savior entertain'd the multitudes in the Wilderness with the Loaves without Wine or Water Theoph. Those are pretty subtleties for Jesuits but our Blessed Savior Instituting his Sacraments for all Believers as well Idiots as Learned design'd to confirm their Faith in Spiritual Truths by sensible Signs and therefore chose those two Elements of Bread and Wine to represent unto us that as these naturally nurish the Body so should his Body and Blood exhibited in the Sacrament in a Spiritual manner nurish the Soul And therefore you would do well to leave the Signs and the Sacrament complete and not deprive your ignorant People of such Helps Representations Your own School-men acknowledg the Sacrament to be maim'd and imperfect as to the Sacramental part and the signification without both kinds a Part. 3. qu. 80. Art 12. Exparte Sacramenti convenit quod utrum que sumi 〈…〉 in utroque perfectio c. Nullo modo debet corpus sumi sine sane Tho. Aquinus determines That in regard to
Holy Scripture or Fathers speak of receiving Christs pretious Body and Blood for remission of Sins and the nurishment of our Souls you answer In one kind whole Christ is received and all his Benefits by a Concomitancy If we go further and prove the Elements were receiv'd distinctly by the People in the Apostles time and for so many Ages after You answer Vsu non praecepto they receiv'd it so by Custom and not by Precept Phil. Yes And upon this account we are not troubled with all your proofs of both kinds administred to the People so many Ages of the Church seeing afterwards that Custom generally ceas'd in the Western Church and the contrary Custom was introduc'd and confirm'd by three General Councils Constance Basil and Trent Theoph. 'T is truth in the 13 th Century giving the Cup unto the Laity began to grow out of use a Part. 3. Quaest 80. Art 12. Ex parte Sacramenti convenit ut utrumque sumutur c. Aquinas moves the Question Whether it be lawful to receive Christs Body without the Blood And concludes That in regard unto the Sacrament it self it was convenient that both kinds should be received because the perfection of the Sacrament consists in both but in regard unto the Receivers reverence and caution was required and that therefore in some Churches it was well observ'd not to give the Cup unto the People And yet before the same Aquinas had determin'd b Quaest 74. Art 1. Quantum ad effect in unoquoque sumentium Saeâ—â—mentum hoc vales ad tuicionem c. As to the effect of every Receiver the Sacrament secures both Body and Soul and therefore the Body of Christ is offer'd for the salvation of the Body and the Blood under the Species of Wine for the Soul Phil. He saith 't is offer'd to wit by the Priest but not communicated to the People Theoph. Put the Proposition together it is this Bread and Wine are the Materials of the Sacrament requir'd in regard of the benefit and effect in every Communicate for the preservation of his Body and Soul by the Body and Blood of Christ Well Aquinas he starts the Question Whether it was lawful to receive in one kind and determins the Point very tenderly But after this Angelical Doctor as they call him the School-men follow the Cry with full Mouth That there is no Precept to receive in both and no prohibition to receive in one kind That upon many Considerations it is expedient to with-hold the Cup from the Laity That the Church hath power to order things of this nature and That after the express determination of the Church in some General Councils it is even become necessary to with-hold the Cup and an Heresie to dispute against it Now to prepare the World for this new practice of receiving only in one kind that so it might be entertain'd in some places and get ground and afford some plea of a Custom in the Church the School-men started some preliminary Questions and concluded That whole Christ was received under each kind and he that received only the Body of Christ received likewise his Blood and Soul and Divinity by a concomitancy 2 sy That the whole intent of the Sacrament as to the People all the Essentials thereof were communicated under the Species of Bread with the Body of Christ. 3 sy That he who received in both kinds had no advantage of those who receiv'd only in one kind Altho we find this last Thesis not so generally admitted among themselves yet such as oppose must not be peremtory least the People should be sensible of some injury don them in being depriv'd of that benefit which should be exhibited more in both kinds then in one Phil. By your own relation you give us opportunity to observe how they proceeded upon good grounds and in a rational way to make good their Thesis and their practice of the Communion in one kind Theoph. It was necessary they should say somthing to endere the People unto a compliance designing to cheat them of one half of the Sacrament they would impose upon their credulity and tell them the other half which they receiv'd was as beneficial as the whole Phil. You are not ignorant how they shew many good Causes and Considerations for their with-holding the Cup and notwithstanding your pretensions and claim to the practice of the Church for so many Ages on your side our Doctors shew it was always free to communicate in one kind or in both and shew the early practice of the Church for this half Communion as you call it and I hope you will now give me leave to put in their Plea Theoph. Content And if you can ballance those Autorities which I have brought I will yield the Cause Phil. I am glad to see in you some hopes of Moderation and that you will be rul'd by Reason and Autority Theoph. Taking Christs Institution and the Holy Scripture along with us Phil. 'T is suppos'd there is no express Precept of Christ to determine the Church in all Ages to give the Communion in both kinds and where the Church is left free she may use her liberty and determin as occasion serves Theoph. You beg the Question and we have urg'd Christs Institution and Example in giving the Sacrament in both kinds and his Command to them to do likewise We have urg'd the Traditions of St. Paul the practice of the Apostolical Tunes Phil. You have urged and we have answered and let the impartial Reader judg between us but besides these Instances of the Sacrament in one kind out of the Holy Scripture Luke 24. Acts 2. 42. and 20. 7. we have also Testimonies of the Primitive Church which speak on our side Theoph. We have prov'd our way abundantly by the practice of so many Ages do you so yours and then I will grant we are left free in this case every one to do as seemeth good in his eyes Phil. Not so neither when the Church hath restrain'd this liberty and forbid the Cup. Theoph. Whether your Church hath done better in the restraint then the Church for so many Ages before in allowing that Christian Liberty which you pretend for to receive in one or both kinds let the World judg but we deny any such liberty taken by the Church or allow'd by Christ to communicate in one or both kinds as the Church should please and we desire your proof Phil. First Bellarmin proves it lawful to communicate in one kind because the Church never condemn'd it Theoph. You should prove that they allow'd it But how should they condemn that which was not practic'd Could they divine a new Generation of Monks and Fryars should arise and perswade the People by subtlety and craft to lose their Spiritual Birth-right half the Legacy of Christ or rather the whole in a maim'd and undue Administration And moreover you have heard when the Manichees and other Heretics would have brought up this
not doubt but stedfastly believe That whole Christ his Body and Blood is contain'd under either Species of the Sacrament And therefore such a custom of giving the Sacrament in one kind introduc'd by the Church and the Holy Fathers and observ'd for a most long time let it be taken for a Law Theoph. The first part is warily penn'd c Tam sub Specie panis quam sub specie vini veraciter contineri We must stedfastly believe that whole Christ is verily contain'd as well under one Species as the other So it may be if it be in neither and so we hold Christ is contain'd in neither singly but he is signified and Sacramentally represented and really and spiritually exhibited by the Sacrament in both kinds unto the Faithful Receiver His Body that was broken for us is signified by breaking of Bread and his Blood shed by the Wine poured out of the Cup and separated from the Bread in the Sacrament and therefore at present we will dismiss this School nicety and by the Councils leave not take it for granted That whole Christ Body and Soul is in either Species Quod nullus Presbyter sub poena Excommunicat communicet Populum sub utraque Specie But the principal motive follows Seeing such a custom of giving the Sacrament in one kind hath been introduc'd and most long observ'd by the Church and Fathers we Decree it shall be taken for a Law which shall not be changed or reprobated without the Autority of the Church b Bin. Tom. 8. Concil Basil Sess 30. Sub qualibet Specie est integer totus Christus landab quoque consuet commun Laices c. The Council of Basil makes and confirms the same Decree upon the same Motives Whole and intire Christ is under either kind and the laudable custom of Communicating the Laity under one kind induc'd by Church and Fathers and hither to most long observ'd and approv'd by Doctors skilful in Gods Law and in the Holy Scripture and in Church Canons long since Let it be a Law c. Phil. Yes The Custom and Practice of the Church should prevail with sober Men not given to Faction especially when confirm'd by General Conncils Theoph. Why should not then the Custom and Practice of the Church which we have prov'd for so many Ages prevail for administring the Sacrament in both kinds especially being exactly conformable unto Christs Institution and Command and Apostolical Tradition Phil. Stay there We absolutely deny any command of Christ or of his Apostles or of the Church representative in a General Council to administer the Sacrament in both kinds and we shew two Councils forbidding it Theoph. You deny but the Scriptures affirm And the reason why no General Council determin'd the Sacrament to be in both kinds was because the Institution of Christ and the Tradition of the Apostles and the practice of the whole Church was so full and express for it It was never put to the Question as I can find until the 13 th Century and from that time when the School-men began to swarm most of them being sworn Champions of the See of Rome The laudable Custom as the Council speaks approv'd by Holy Fathers viz. Monks and Friers crept insensibly into the Church And this must be made a ground of Canons to establish the Communion in one kind and forbid the Cup and declare a Curse upon all those that shall dispute it And now when I shall declare the reason I hope your goodness will excuse that great trouble to my self and you in those numerous Quotations and Testimonies I have brought to prove the practice of the Church for 1200 Years in giving the Sacrament unto the People in both kinds It was chiefly upon this design to manifest the gross absurdity of those two Councils Constance and Basil who as you have heard do ground their Decree for one kind upon the laudable custom of the Church taken up not above 100 Years before against the Institution of Christ and the conformable practice of the Church for 1200 Years And withal to manifest their impudence in calling that a custom rationally introduc'd when such a Diutissime obs trifling Motives are brought to establish it And in saying it was diutissime observata for a long time observ'd when they cannot shew one clear Instance save in the Age immediatly before That the Sacrament was administred in public in one kind in any Christian Church Phil. It doth not become your Prudence and Moderation so to undervalue General Councils Theoph. Alass Those two pitiful Councils of Constance and Easil you may call them Oecumenical but you give no more Autority to them then you think fit As far as their Decrees suit the Genius of the Court of Rome they are confirm'd and no farther a Part. 2. Tom. 7. pag. 1134. Exparte Approbatum in iis quae consra Wicclesum c. Binius in his Notes upon the Council of Constance tells us It was approv'd in part in those Decrees against Wicliff Husse and Jerome of Prague But in the determination of the Autority of a General Council above the Pope it was abrogated by two General Councils of Florence and the Lateran b Bin. Tom. 8. Sâ—ss 34. Câ—nâ— Basil Tan suum Simâ—niacum perjurum incorig Scismaticum fide devium injurium bonarum Ecclesiâ—e pâ—â—ditorâ—m So the Council of Basil deposing Eugenius the 4 th from his Papacy As a Simoniacal and perâ— jur'd Man an incorrigible Schismatic erring from the Faith injurious and betraying the Goods of the Church And choosing Amadeus Duke of Savoy Pope called Felix the fifth and Declaring That a Council is above the Pope and hath its Power immediatly from Christ Alas for these things this poor Council is hist off the Stage of the World c Sess 11. Bin in notis in Concil â—asil p. 526. Conciliabulum Schismat c. And in the Lateran General Council under Leo the 10 th It is call'd a Schismatical and Seditious Conventicle and altogether of no Autority And yet these are the Councils upon whose Aurority you so much depend to establish your half Communion and pronounce us all Heretical and Contumacious for not submitting our Reason and our Consciences thereunto even against the Scripture and against the Fathers of the Church Phil. But the General Council of Trent hath no Exception being held 18 years and confirm'd by Pope Pius the fourth and subscrib'd by his Cardinals as appears by the Bull of Confirmation See the Council of Trent set forth in Latin by John Gallemart D. D. and Professor at Douey Theoph. Of the Council of Trent read the History of Father Paul a Frier at Venice a Man of Learning Judgment and Piety beyond compare and there you will find what just cause the World â—ath to decline the Autority and Decrees of that Cabal That great Ecclesiastical Body whose Soul and Spirit was at Rome receiving day by day Orders and Directions and
Stories and Fables whereof the Reader may give himself an account in reading the History of that Council given by Binius in his 5 th Tome and there they pretend to shew how the former Council of Constantinople did impose upon many of the Bishops then present by corrupting Books and Testimonies and forcing their Votes to concur with them and this by the confession forsooth of those who had recanted and now sate in this Council to condemn and pronounce the other Accursed In the sixth Session they come close to the Point and examine the definition of that Conventicle as they are pleased to call it against Images but not in the usual way of Councils by debating particulars among them but referring all to a malapert Deacon one Epiphanius The Representative of the Arch-Bishop of Sardinia and he answers every Paragraph with Exclamation and Railing as the impartial Reader may observe To give one Instance the Council of Constantinople instead of the Picture of Christ sends us to the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper in commemoration of Christ and his Passion and calls the Eucharist Christ Image wherein he was best represented to his Church Here the Deacon wonderfully insults and triumphs over them and calls this fancy of theirs a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An extreme apoplectical Madness He declares unto all the World That never any of the Apostles or Fathers of the Church before them call'd the Holy Sacrament an Image Now when we shall consider that the use of Images and Pictures is chiefly for representation and that in the Sacrament Christs death is represented and himself commemorated this Assertion of the former Council might have well pass'd without such an outragious Censure and yet withal to see how confident men will soon be over-taken in their presumtions we read in Baronius that great Darling of the Church of Rome an account given of one Stephanus a Confessor and Martyr for Images who expostulating with Leo Isaurus for his Image-breaking b Bar. Tom. 9. Anno 765. num 9. Audi corp sang Christi Antitypa proscrib ab Ecclesiâ ut quae Imag. veram fig. tenent quae adoramus c. bids him likewise if he thought good proscribe the Antitypes of Christs Body and Blood which contain'd the true Image and Figure of Christ and were also worshipped That which was memorable in Stephanus to call the Eucharist The Image of Christ in the Council of Constantinople was abominable so partial are Men who swerve from Truth they have Mens Persons and Arguments in admiration or contemt meerly for the advantage of their Cause however the insolent Deacon was no tell-troth in saying The Council had no president for their Assertion when Stephanus one of his Martyrs for Images had before asserted the same Now the Council of Constantinople which this Deacon under the Patronage of the Council of Nice fain would baffle into a Conventicle as far as we can discern by their Definition which their Adversaries have set forth only to be confuted we given them thanks for it this Council I say designs in the Definition to lead Men from sensible things unto Spiritual shewing that in this World we must walk by Faith not by sight and if we have known Christ after the Flesh from henceforth to know him so no more That Christians thoughts should not be drawn outward and distracted with visible representations from Spiritual intendments They quote a saying of Gregory Nazianzen c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. It is an injury to have our Faith in colours not in the Heart And he adds That Picture which is engraven in the depth of the Heart is amiable to me Pictures made in colours will wash away They quote Chrysostom saying d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We enjoy the presence of the Saints in glory by their Writings having the Images not of their Bodies but of their Souls for those things which were done by them are the representations of their noble mind They quote a saying of Amphilochius Bishop of Ieonium e We take no care to represent in Tables the fleshly visage of the Saints by colours but to imitate their virtuous conversation We 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. have no need of Pictures They shew how Eusebius Pamphilus when Consiantia Augusta desired him to send an Image of Christ to her disswaded her from it What Image saith he would you have of his God-bead that 's impossible no man hath seen God at any time of his Man-hood We believe the humane Nature of Christ to be glorified and mortality swallowed up in life and how shall we express his Glorious Body with liveless colours and shadows The Disciples being in the Mount could not behold his transfigur'd Body whilst he was in the Flesh much less can we now represent or behâ—ld him after his Ascension into the highest Heavens Other Testimonies they bring but the Deacon excepts against them as spurious but these he allows as legitimate and sets himself to answer them but with very little satisfaction to the Reader Now I pray judg whether these are not more significant Testimonies against Images then the Council of Nice or any others yet have produc'd for them Now the determination of the Council of Constantinople after their confession of Faith upon the whole matter is this a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We unanimously determin That every Image of whatsoever matter or colour made by the wicked Art of Painters or Carvers be cast out of Christian Churches as alien and abominable And in the next words they condemn the Art of Carving or Painting as an ungodly and wicked Profession and forbid every one to keep a Picture in his House The Definition of the Council of Nice follows in the seventh Action After profession of the Faith of the six general Councils before them and Anathema's denounc'd against Heresies and Heretics they declare to hold uncorrupt all Traditions of the Church written and unwritten b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. whereof they say One Tradition is the making of Images suited to the History of the Gospel for confirmation of the Faith of Christs taking flesh and therefore say they With all diligence and exactness we define That Images of the Life-giving Cross and of Christ and of the Virgin Mary and of the blessed Angels and all the Saints shall be set up in Churches and Houses and High-ways and wrought in Copes and Vestments because the oftner these Images are seen the more they bring into remembrance and imitation such as are represented by them c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We also Decree To give Honor Salvation and Adoration to these Images not that true worship of Latria which belongs only to the Divine Nature but as to the Image of the Cross and to the Holy Gospels and that the Oblations of Incense and Tapers should be made for their honor And in the
b Eodem Deo invocato in auxilium The same Lord being call'd upon for our assistance Mark it God being call'd upon for his assistance that we may imitate the Martyrs Virtues c Lib. 20. Centra faustum Manich. c. 21. Quod offertur Deo offertur c. Again he tells us That which is offer'd at the Shrines and Memories of the Martyrs is offered to God Phil. This is true as to Sacrifices which belong only to God but not as to our Praiers Theoph. Our Praiers are Christian Sacrifices ascending up like the Incense and the Evening Sacrifice Psal 142. 2. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy Vows unto the most highest and call upon me in the time of trouble saith the Prophet David Psal 50. 14 15. So Tertullian Phraseth it d Lib. Ad Scapulam Sacrificamus Deo pro salute Imperat. sed prece pura We sacrifice unto God for the health of the Emperor but with pure Praier And in his Apology for Christians Chap. 30. e Offero opimam majorem Hostiam orationem de carne pudica c. I offer to God saith he a more excellent Sacrifice even Praier proceeding out of pure lips and an innocent heart and from the Holy Ghost So Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 7. Stromatum f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We honor God by Praier and send up this best and most holy Sacrifice Our Praiers therefore are the most acceptable Sacrifices from us to God Of your transcendent Sacrifice of the Mass we may God willing treat hereafter Again in his first Tom. Lib. De ver a Relig cap. ult he tells us That the service of the Body may be due to Princes the service of the Soul to God He tells us farther g Ecce unum Deum colo quisquis Angel diligit hunc Deum certus sum c. Behold I worship one God the Fountain of all things and the Angels that love God I am sure they love me Whosoever abides in him and can hear the Praiers of Men in him he heareth me and in him he helps me h Religat ergo nos Religio uni Omnipotenti Deo Religion therefore binds me to one Omnipotent God The good Father often tells us That the Blessed Saints and Angels expect no such service from us but expresly saith he they direct us to pray to God i Psal 96. Tom. 8. Omnes Sancti Angeli c. Ad ejus cultum c. All the Saints and Angels seek his glory whom they love and they study to draw all whom they love to his Worship and to his Contemplation and to pray to him To this effect elsewhere he tells us a Lib. de Pastoribus c. 8. Sunt montes boni sc autores divin script The Authors of Holy Scripture are good hills and when we look unto them they will send you back to God in whom standeth your help b Si in iis spem posueris contristabuntur If you put confidence in them they will grieve The Angel saith he that related many Mysteries to John being worship'd by him he calls him back to God c Tanquam levantem oculos ad Montem revocat ad Deum as one that did lift up his eyes to the hills saying See thou do it not worship God I am thy Fellow-servant d Enar. upon Psal 64. 3. Solus ibi ex his qui carnem c. Again he sheweth How Christ is our High Priest enter'd within the veil who only of all that lived in the flesh there doth make Intercession for us And this saith he was shadowed under the Law for in the first Temple only the High Priest enter'd into the Holiest of all and offer'd Sacrifice for the People standing without Once more in the 10 th Book of his Confessions chap. 42. S t Augustin speaks fully against Invocation of Angels e Quem invenirem qui me reconciliaret Tibi Whom may I find saith he to reconcile me to thee O God! Shall I go to the Angels With what Praier with what Sacraments Many desirous to return to Thee and distrusting themselves as I hear have tried this way and have fallen into the curiosity of Visions and became meet for Delusions And now after all that you have heard out of S t Augustin I pray judg whether Bellarmin had reason to appeal to him for the confirmation of the Invocation of Saints Phil. Notwithstanding all your insulting Triumphs what hath bin brought by Bellarmin out of S t Augustin hath not bin impertinent But you forget one notable passage which Bellarmin quotes out of S t Augustin in his 18 th Chapter of this Book and Controversie you promis'd to take these Testimonies into consideration in your own season but you have forgotten it f Aljuvet nos Cypr. Orationibus suis Lib. 7. de Baptism Contra Donatist c. 10. It is a formal Invocation Let Cyprian help us with his Praiers Theoph. 'T is no Invocation of Cyprian but S t Augustins desire put up to God That the Blessed Martyr Cyprians Praiers might benefit him It implies the Supplication of the Saints in Heaven for the People of God in general and his Praier to God That he with others might reap the fruit of their Praiers Phil. I will conclude with Bellarmins last Argument the Miracles that have attested this Doctrine whereby the Saints and Martyrs have demonstrated That they do hear our Praiers and can help us Theoph. For a general Answer hereunto we have already shew'd out of S t Augustin That Miracles may be done at the Monuments of the Saints and themselves may appear unto Votaries in their Temples and yet know nothing neither of the Miracle or the Apparition God by the ministery of Angels working Miracles and Cures at their Shrines for a Testimony unto the Faith for which these Martyrs died Phil. This general Answer will not serve For the Learned Cardinal proves out of the 3 d Book of S t Bernard's Life That the Holy Father Preaching at Tholouse against such who denied the Invocation of Saints before all the Congregation blessed Loaves of Bread with the Sign of the Cross and offer'd this trial of his Doctrine That if it were true all who had Diseases in the great City eating of these Loaves should be healed And so multitudes were healed of their Infirmities Here you see God did attest the Doctrine of Invocation of Saints by Miracle Theoph. Bernard liv'd in the 12 th Century and so the Testimony runs low But withal the Abbot who wrote those four Books as a Legend of Bernards Life suited the fabulous credulous humors of these Times he makes him a Wonder-worker thro-out I well remember That above 30 Years since being a Novice in the University and reading this account of S t Bernards Life I could not choose but abhor the notorious Forgeries of the Writer I pray read and judg Phil. I see you will not be convinc'd and therefore
b Ibid. c. 17. Maria Matergratiae Mater misericordiae tu nos ab hoste c. Bellarmin tells us the Church Catholic in her Hymn to the Virgin Mary praies thus O Mary Mother of Grace Mother of Mercy Do thou defend us from the enimy and and receive us in the hour of death If we may judg of words by their signification doubtless this praier imports more then barely a desire of her assistance by her praiers Phil. Bellarmin in the same place gives you a general rule against such sinister constructions c Nos non agere de verbis at sensis verborum We dispute not of the words but of their sense Now the sense of our Church in all such petitions is that the Blessed Virgin and the Saints by their praiers and by their merits would procure these things for us Theoph. Altho this may be the sense of your Church yet it is not the signification of the words and methinks to avoid the just occasion of scandal given to your adversaries by them the occasion of errour and delusion given to your undiscerning votaries your Church should have exprest her self in more inoffensive and justifiable termes Bellarmine gives a 2 d instance in the Hymn of the Apostles he saith the Church praies thus d Quorum praecepto subditur salus languor omvium sanent aegros c. Let the Holy Apostles unto whose command both the welfare and languishings of all men are submited let them heal us who are morally sick and restore us unto a life of vertues If Command here must signify Intercession and supplication your Church would do well and wisely to set forth a new Dictionary to interpret words and sentences not after the common sense and signification of them but after the Roman glosse Mean while an impartial Judg must needs conclude these interpretations to be forc'd only to salve the inconveniencies and absurdities of such praiers and if your Church had design'd only to invocate the Saints in Heaven for their Intercession with God by their praiers she would have made use of more humble and suitable expressions but making the Intercession of Saints to consist as well in their merits as in their praiers calling upon them as well for their patronage as their Intercession This I say hath prepar'd the way for all those foremention'd presumtions and blasphemies in your addresses to them and Invocation of them If God be the Father of grace and mercy and Mary the Mother who would imagine otherwise but that these heavenly blessings flow originally and immediatly from them both Phil. It is obvious that the Blessed Virgin is call'd the Mother of mercy because she is the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the fountain of Grace and mercy Theoph. Your Doctors do not teach you so to understand it seeing they represent Christ as a severe Judge towards a poor sinner and Mary their Advocate for mercy You have heard how in the distribution of the Kingdom of Heaven the Province of Justice is allott'd to the Son and of Mercy to the Virgin Mother Your Florentin Archbishop tells us That upon the Assumtion of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven as your Doctors have carefully imprinted that belief in the hearts of the credulous people the whole person of the Virgin Mary both Body and Soul is taken up into Heaven I say we are told that when she was translated into Heaven the Seraphims attended upon her and earnestly sollicited her stay and society with their sublime Order But she deliberatly answer'd a Non est honum hominem esse solum It is not good the Man should be alone meaning her Son and that She must assist him in the Redemtion of Gods people by her Compassion and in their Glorification by her Intercession That when for the Iniquity of the world her Son should be ready to destory the Earth a second time with a floud she may appeare as the bow in the clouds to oppose his fury and mind him of his Covenant and promise These are the luxuriant fancies of your Archbishop suitable hereunto I read of b Vide Chemnit exam Trid. Concil p. 3. de Invoc Sanct. Pictures in your Temples representing Christ in his indignation casting darts and thunderbolts and the Blessed Virgin standing between his wrath and sinfull men and receiving the darts into her bosom Phil. Still you return to the fancies of private Doctors and Painters your promis'd more authentick proofs Theoph. What think you of that great promise made to uphold man immediatly after his fall concerning Christ the seed of the woman who should break the serpents head that is overcome the Devil and all infernal powers Your vulgar Translation which must be more authentick then the Original reads the Pronoun in the feminine c Ipsa conteret caput serpentis Gen. 3. She shall bruise his head instead of He shall bruise as the Hebrew and the Septuagint read it And hereupon your Doctors refer the promise unto the Virgin Mary as tho in all things she must have the preheminence Phil. Bellarmin shews how the vulgar Translation varies d Tom. 1. lib. 2. de Verbo Dei c. 12. He hath seen a Copy which reads it likewise in the masculine Theoph. What he hath searcht and found we know not but your Translation generally runs in the feminine And he acknowledgeth the Latin Fathers being misled by the vulgar Translation take it in the feminine And upon that same account your Doctors refer the Prophecyto the Virgin Phil. Bellarmin shews in the second place that he saw an Hebrew Copy which had the feminine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theoph. This observation is like the former upon some corrupt Copy against the general reading of the Hebrew Text. And he would leave the Scriptures altogether upon uncertainties that their Translation might not be lyable to reprehension Phil. He refers to Chrysostom a Father of the Greek Church who he saith reads it in the feminine Theoph. He doth so after his accustum'd manner to deceive his Reader For it is manifest the a Homil. 17. in Gen. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father reads it in the masculine perhaps here also the Cardinal consulted some Latin Translation of Chrysostom which might serve his turn He makes some other inconsiderable pleas to justify the vulgar reading chiefly because of this modern reference unto Our Lady Whereas some Fathers of the Latin Church being ignorant of the Hebrew and the Greek follow the vulgar translation and yet as I can find never reflected upon the Virgin Mary in that promise only your new Doctors who many of them have knowledg of the Tongues sufficient to discern the error of the translation yet please them selves much therewith and make their advantage of the error to improve the honor of the Lady and make her the prime subject of that grand Prophecy By this way they may justify the petition of