to assent to evident Truth Nay if we compare them with supernatural Truths as to their Perspicuity and Verity in order to us the Advantage seems greater on the side of natural Truths 1. For no Man ever doubted of the Truth of these having once understood their terms and many have and do doubt of Faith altho sufficiently propos'd And 2ly no Man ever dissented from those Principles when he had once admitted them and many have Apostatized from their Faith. So that all the Praises you give to Faith belong more to natural Sciences then to it such a stranger are you to its true Prerogatives The reason of this stupendious Blindness in searching the Scriptures is that you read them as a Master not as a Disciple you intend not to learn from them what to believe but to shape them to what you think you have the Word but reject the Sence which is to the Word what the Soul is to the Body it gives it Life and Motion The (a) 1 Cor. 2.14 natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned You see Sir that some may read or have the Word of God and yet not comprehend its meaning nay that it may seem folly unto them The words may be words of (a) John 6.61 life everlasting and yet they cry Durus est hic sermo this word is hard and who can hear him The Divine Scriptures are high and majestical in the Sense simple and without Affectation in Word they are plain yet in them are high Hills which no natural Wit can surmount They are perspicuous yet full of mysterious clouds which baffle the most piercing eye They are all true Yet St. Augustin (b) l. 2. cont Faust c. 2. Piè cogitantes tantae auctoritatis eminentiam latêre ibi aliquid crediderunt quod petentibus daretur oblatrantibus negaretur takes notice of some seeming contradictions which cannot be reconciled without recourse to God the Author of Scriptures Less is learnt by Study than by Prayer if Prayer be accompanied with Humility The (c) Psal 18. or 19. 7. testimony of God is faithfull giving wisdom to little ones or making wise the simple as the English hath it And the Author of our Faith glorifies his Father (d) Matt. 11.25 for concealing his mysteries from the learned and wise and revealing them to little ones St. Gregory furnishes us with a fit comparison (e) Greg. ep ad Leandrum c. 4. Instar fluminis alti plani in quo Agnus ambulet Elephas natet of a shallow and deep river in which a Lamb may wade and an Elephant swim That is in it the simple and humble find ground to stand upon which the Proud loose and by it are lost The words are plain and easie but the sence sublime and hard not to be reach'd by humane Industry but by Divine Inspiration which is denied to those who rely on their own abilities and given to such as recur to God. No Books of the Sybills nor Oracles of the Devils or other humane Writing can equal Divine Scripture in this point Another Character of Divine Scriptures is the force which accompanies them and works upon the heart of those who are well disposed which insinuates it self into the Will and enflames it with the Love of God breaking in pieces the stony heart of Sinners Are (a) Jerem. 23.29 not my words like fire and like a hammer that breaks a rock No Precepts of Pagan Philosophers had this Energy I will not assure you ever perceiv'd either of these two qualities in reading of Scripture in your Works there appears little signs of either or of the Disposition which they suppose CHAP. VI. Scriptures Supprest G. B. P. 13. SCriptures being the Revelation of the whole Councel of God and written by plain and simple men and as first directed to the use of the rude illiterate Vulgar for teaching them the Mystery of Godliness and the Path of Life It is a shrewd Indication that if any study to hide this light under a candlestick and to keep it in an unknown Tongue or forbid the Body of Christians the use of it that those must be conscious to themselves of great deformity to that Rule Answer Here you begin your Charge of Antichristianism against your Mother-Church and as the Charge is false so in your managing it you mingle many Errors with some few Truths A bad Cause is not capable of a better Defence I will take notice of some of your most considerable slips and leave the Reader to judg of the rest That the Scriptures were written by plain and simple men is not true was Moses such who was learned in all the Learning of the Egyptians Was David the sweet singer of Israel a plain and simple man What shall we say of Solomon to whose wonderful knowledge the Scripture it self bears witness Amos it is true was but Esaias was not nor Daniel nor Samuel And whoever was Author of the Book of Job he was certainly far from being plain and simple For in him are found in perfection Philosophy Astrology and Divinity as a Queen governing them and if Caussinus the Jesuit may be believ'd as compleat Rhetorick as in any whosoever And as to the Authors of the new Testament as long as St. Paul St. Luke and St. John are amongst them you will never perswade the learned part of the World that your Speech is not rash and inconsiderate But suppose it true that they were all plain and simple men what then Doth it follow that what they writ is easie to the meanest capacity for that you intend if you intend any thing Do you not know that these Men were only the Scribes of the Holy Ghost and that in a Scribe Capacity of Understanding is not necessary but only Fidelity in writing No great Science is necessary in a Printer who only Prints what is given him by an Author the same of a Scribe who writes what is dictated unto him Now all Authors of Canonical books are the Scribes of the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so their Doctrin is to be calculated according to the meridian of that Divine Spirit not of their Qualities Take the most plain and simple of them all (a) Amos. 1.1 the herdman of Thecue read him over and if you say you understand him quite through I will say you have cofidence to say any thing G. B. Pag. 14. The hardest parts of Scripture are the Writings of the Old Testament and yet those were communicated to all Answer Some parts of the New are as hard as any of the Old viz. The Apocalypse and some parts of St. Pauls Epistles are hard to be understood (a) 2 Pet. 3.16 Likewise is it not true that all the Writings of the Old Testament were made common to all the Israelites The King (b) Deut. 17.18 was
do you give us to return upon you all your Declamations G. B. pag. 134. We cannot really doubt but things are as they appear to us for we cannot believe it Midnight when we see clearly the Sun in our Meridian Answ We should not doubt of what God says who we are sure cannot tell a Lye. We perceive daily the Hallucinations of our Understanding I am sure sometimes my Senses are mistaken and my Reason corrects them All Man is a Lyar every knowing Faculty in him is subject to Deceit God cannot tell me it is Midnight when it is Noon-day because he cannot tell a Lye But if God should tell me it is Midnight and my Eyes should represent to me a luminous Body in the Meridian perfectly like the Sun I should suspect my Eyes or guess I saw a Meteor or that I Dreamed or Raved or were yet in a worse Condition The least and last of my thoughts would be that God told a Lye which is the first thought you suggest G. B. pag. 135. Senses unvitiated fixing on a proper Object through a due Mean are infallible Answ Are they more infallible than God Are we infallibly certain all those Conditions concur May there not be more ways to delude our Senses than are discovered May there not be some latent defect in the Organ unperceived by us Or some want in the Mean Answer to these Questions and withall tell me whether you have as great certainty of your Answer to these Queries as you have of the Veracity of God. With more colour another may say that Faith cannot be against Reason and with Socinus refuse to believe any thing contrary to Discourse and so turn Antitrinitarian I think my self as assuredly certain of that Metaphysical Principle Eadem uni tertio sunt idem inter se as of any thing I know by Senses yet knowing what Christ hath taught concerning the Blessed Trinity I believe that and explicate that Principle as I can Why should we not proceed in like manner with our Senses when they seem to contradict what Christ hath taught We are commanded to put out an Eye cut off a Hand or foot Mat. 18.8 9. if it draws us to sin What shall we do if they draw us to Infidelity Or do you think it unlawful to keep them yet lawful to follow their suggestions and deny our Faith in obedience to their Depositions Heap up then your Absurdities your Impossibilities your Incredibilities your Sophisms against Transubstantiation to as great a bulk as your little Studies and less Discretion will permit you will only multiply Proofs of the Insolency and Folly of the Reason of Man which dares enter the Lists against the Truth of God. G. B. pag. 136. It is little less unconceivable to imagin that a Man of no eximious Sanctity nor extraordinary skill in Divinity should have the Holy Ghost at his command that his Decrees must be the Dictates of the Spirit Answ I pass that disrespectful Expression Having the Holy Ghost at his command no Catholic ever spoke so Do you think the Assistance of the Holy Ghost whence flows all Jurisdiction both Spiritual and Temporal is restrained to only Saints and Learned Clerks Doth Prelate and Prince lose their Jurisdiction by every mortal Sin Was Amos the Shepherd a great Divine Were Salomon and Caiaphas great Saints Were the Scribes and Pharisees such whose words all Mat. 23.2 were commanded to obey at the same time that they were warned to avoid their Actions And that I may give you an Instance proportionable to your Objection of an irrational Creature to an unreasonable Doubt what say you to Balaam's Ass Was he either Saint or Divine He rebuked his Master for his iniquity speaking with man's voice and forbad the madness of the Prophet 2 Pet. 2.16 God grant he cure all amiss in you Know Sir that Jurisdiction Gift of Miracles Tongues Prophecy and all those Graces which are called Gratis datae and regard the sanctification of others not of the Person to whom they are given have no connection with any Personal Sanctity in their Subject S. Thom. 1.2 q. 111. a. 1. CHAP. XXXIV Mr. G. B. his Intention in his Books and his Meekness to Catholics G. B. p. 140. THVS far I have pursued my Design in the Tract whereof I have not been void of a great deal of Pain and Sorrow for what Pleasure can any find by discovering so much Wickedness God is my witness how these thoughts have entertained me with horror and regret all the while I have considered them And it is not without the greatest antipathy to my Nature imaginable that I have paid this Duty to Truth Answ Here you give a very artificial Confirmation of all you had said before That you undertook this Task with great Reluctance and carried it on with Grief and Sorrow Vouch God as Witness of the truth of this suspecting I suppose as you had reason your bare Word would scarce be received whilst so many pregnant Proofs stand for the contrary For First Your Religion doth not inspire such a Spirit of Mortification as to engage her Children in painful and sorrowful Actions for any time at all much less for so long a time as is necessary for composing a Book of so various Matter And for your Person I do not hear that you seek so much occasions of Grief Secondly Those who with sorrow and unwillingness think of others Faults avoid those usually and entertain others of their Vertues Content is the thing all Men commonly seek even in their Grief They decline contristating Objects and sometime seek a freedom from them by a cessation from all rational Operations preferring the sottish stupid sensless Condition of a Beast before the rational but irksom thoughts of displeasing Objects as is too common in England if I am not mistaken But that a Man who may divertise himself or find Employments pleasing should trouble himself with what passes in Jamaica or China or Rome which concerns him not is very unusual and almost incredible Thirdly Those who are truly sorry for their Neighbors Faults do not easily entertain false Reports of them Are unwilling without pregnant Proofs to harbor any bad Opinion of them or give credit to bad Reports concerning them In fine shew in their Actions the truth of that saying Charitas non cogitat malum 1 Cor. 13.5 Charty thinks no evil You on the contrary take all malicious Reports against us as true althô you either knew already or with a little labor might have known the wrong done us in them for as for the greatest part of your Difficulties they are such as have been Answered over and over Fourthly You feign things your self which no body ever dreamt of and are in themselves most untrue As what you say pag. 133. The Subject of our Sermons and Studies are Matters of Interest and not the Laws of God. Nay when the things themselves are not blame-worthy you calumniate our Intentions seeking into our Hearts
strike good Purposes deeper into our Hearts why should it be misliked The wiser of your Brethren in France acknowledge and bewail the want of them so will you if you consider it well Catholics have an unquestionable Ordination for if we have none yours must fall to the ground you having received yours from us Yours is not only questionable but questioned actually and with seeming probability denied by Catholics 1. For want of a due Minister a Bishop 2. For want of due Matter and Form. 3. For want of due Intention for your Bishops owning no Sacrifice of the new Law could not intend to confer a Power to offer Sacrifice which is essential to Priesthood They were confirmed in their opinions of your want of Ordination by your owning Communion with those Reformed Churches in France and Holland which have no lawful Ordination according to your Principles your directing yours to their Churches advising them to receive the Sacraments from them and admitting those Ministers to the Ministry among you without any new Ordination This is confirmed by the constant Practice of the Church of Rome to Ordain all such Ministers of the Church of England as being admitted to the Communion of the Catholic Church desire to enter into Holy Orders She the Church of Rome condemns Re-ordination as a Sacrilege and never practised it Hence the Priests of the Greek Armenian and Cophtic Communion renouncing their several Errors are admitted to Officiate without any new Imposition of Hands in the Church of Rome because Orders are validly conferred in those several Churches The Protestants would be in a like manner admitted had there not been a certainty from the beginning of the invalidity or nullity of their Orders To conclude they had those same Motives to continue in the Communion of the Catholic Church which S. Austin had which he relates lib. contra Epist Fundam cap. 4. Tenet consensio populorum gentium tenet auctoritas miraculis inchoata spe nutrita charitate aucta vetustate firmata tenet ab ipsa Sede Petri cui pascendas oves post Resurrectionem Dominus commendavit usque ad praesentem Episcopatum successio Sacerdotum Tenet postremò ipsum Catholicae nomen quod non sine causâ inter tam multas haereses sic ista Ecclesia sola obtinuit ut Apud vos autem ubi nihil horum est sola personat veritatis pollicitatio I am retained in the Catholic Church by the Consent of Nations by an Authority begun with Miracles nourished with Hope encreased by Charity established by Antiquity I am retained by a Succession of Priests beginning from S. Peter to whom our Lord after his Resurrection commended the Feeding of his Sheep until this present Pope Innocent XI Lastly I am retained by the very Name of Catholic which with great reason amongst so many Sects this Church alone obtains What have you to oppose against such strong Motives Scripture and the Gospel which if clear for you ought without doubt to be preferred before all those other Motives But they found this very Gospel this Scripture pronounce in their favor and against you This is my Body says the Scripture It is not Christ's Body say you The Commandments of God are not heavy says the Scripture The Commandments of God are impossible say you A reward is due to our good works says the Scripture No works of ours are meritorious nay the best are sins say you Faith without works is dead says the Scripture and you commend Faith so as to make all good works be neglected I grant some amongst you of late do not so crudely teach some of these Doctrins being ashamed of their deformity But you cannot deny but that they were taught by the first Reformers Which was sufficient to convince the World that Scripture gave no evident Verdict for them and make all afraid of their Reformation who had a care of their Souls CHAP. XXXVI Greater Exercise of Piety amongst Catholics than Protestants BAptism is given validly in both Churches but with this difference that we retain the ancient significant Ceremonies instituted by the Apostles or at least in Apostolical Times which may be proved out of Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Jerom S. Austin and S. Denys you have retrenched all save only the Sign of the Cross And O judicium This is the Finger of God Exod. 8.19 the peevish refractory stubborn Children of your Church have wrangled with her about that and with the same Reasons as she had done with her Mother the Roman Catholic Church so visibly hath God meted unto you your measure Mat. 7.2 and punished you by your sin Sap. 11.17 As ours come to the use of Reason a new Sacrament expects them Confirmation which is the same mentioned so frequently in the Acts of giving the Holy Ghost by Imposition of the Apostles Hands Acts 8.17 which arms them against visible and invisible Enemies with the Spirit of Fortitude to profess their Faith. Of this Protestants We find in every Church Malachy's Prophecy fulfilled Mal. 1.11 a pure Offering made to God Mass said And in Catholic Countries Rich and Poor even the meanest Artisans and Laborers as Porters Water-carriers c. will steal so much time from their almost necessary Rest as to give half an hour to adore God and his Son Jesus in the Morning hoping they will bless their Labors all the Day the better for it O that you did but see with what Attention and Respect they assist at those Divine Mysteries how with their Knees on the Ground their Eyes on the Altar their Heart in Heaven they accompany the Priest and with him jointly make that Oblation to God with what Sentiments they adore Christ present and desire him to appease his Father's Wrath for their Sins by the Merits of his Passion and preserve them from offending anew that Day and to bless that Days Actions What do Protestants As soon as they are up they have their Hand in the Cupbord in the Cup their Nose Have any by mortal Sins shut against themselves the Gates of Heaven which the Passion of Christ opened they stir up a real Sorrow for that Offence of God purpose Amendment and with these Dispositions address themselves to a Priest with a Resolution to follow his Advice and perform what he shall enjoyn They discover to him all the wounds of their Soul their most secret and most reproachful Sins as to God himself whose Vicegerent he is being assured of an inviolable Secret and it is doubtless a perpetual Miracle that amongst so many thousands of Priests not one should be found faulty in this Point They hearken to his Advice accept his Penance to Fast Pray give Alms visit Prisoners serve Poor in Hospitals or the like according as the Condition of the Penitent permits Then receive Absolution in vertue of the Power given by our Saviour to Priests Joh. 20.23 The Effects of this Sacrament are Remission of Sins past avoiding others making Restitution if
Opinion hath so much ground in Scripture that I do not apprehend all Mr. G. B. can say to disprove it Josue 5.15 an Angel is said to be the Captain of the Lords host He seems the same who Dan. 12.1 is called Michael And Dan. 10.20 there are others mentioned viz. the Princes of Persia and Greece And why may not these be the Angels who presided over those Countries we are sure that all Angels are ministring spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of Salvation Heb. 1.14 and The little ones have Angels who in Heaven always see the face of God. Matt. 18.10 And that several Angels ascended and descended on Jacobs ladder Gen. 28.12 was to shew they mediated betwixt God who was at the top and man who lay at the bottom of the Ladder Now if particular Angels have a care or charge of particular persons why may not some others have a larger district and a more extended Charge This you will say is taken from Paganism And I will answer the Pagans took it from the Israelites not these from them And it seems very probable that when the Arch-divel who took the Name of Jupiter had so far prevailed with Men as to be by them advanced to the Throne of God his next Attempt was to get his wicked Spirits acknowledged for Governours of the World under him in lieu of those Blessed Spirits who were the lawful Governours appointed by God himself That Order of God was not to be abrogated with the Old Law of which it was no part it being an Establishment for the more connatural Government of the World from the beginning to the end of it I know God can govern all things by himself immediately without the Assistance of Men or Angels that neither the greatness of Business can mate him nor its number confound him nor its variety distract him nor its intricacy deceive him nor its obscurity hide it from his all seeing Eye That having created the whole World with a word he can govern it so too yet he uses Men (a) Rom. 13.1 and he can call all to believe in him as he did Saul (b) Act. 9. yet he employed an Angel to convert the Centurion (c) Act. 10. and vouchsafes to be Fellow Labourer (d) Mar. 16.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with Men whom he honors with that Employment and he can justifie those whom he calls without the concourse of any creature yet he will have us use water And as to the work of the first day the Creation of all things visible and invisible God required the Asistance of no Creature so the whole work of the last day might be performed by him alone yet he will use the voice of an Archangel to proclaim it (e) 1 Thessal 4.16 the Angels shall gather together those who are raised again to life (f) Mat. 24.31 they shall sever the wicked from the just and cast them into the furnace of fire (g) Matt. 13.49.50 Thus the Law and Prophets Christ and his Apostles the Old and New Testament attest this Truth that Angels concur to carrying on the work of our Salvation and have a Commission from God to direct us Now for believing this Truth Papists are accused of Superstition and agreeing with Idolaters and why we more than Jacob or Daniel Josue or Jesus who taught the same Blame them if you dare or absolve us for their sakes whom we follow G. B. pag. 24. This kind of Idolatry was first begun at Babilon where Ninus made a statue of Belus from him all these lesser gods were called Belim or Baalim Answer It is not true that Baal was held to be a lesser God he was adored as the supreme God as you may see 3 Reg. 18.21 G. B. Ibid. From this hint we may guess why the Apostacy of Rome is shadowed forth under the name of Babilon Answer This is to enlighten one night with another and wash a spot of dirt out of linnen with Ink. You dwell and converse much in obscure places which is proper to those who hate the light (a) Joan. 3.20 because it disco vers their deform features or more deformed actions We have already shewed you that Baal or Bel was held to be the living God which you may see also Dan. 14.5 now we never held any man Saint to be God except the fountain of Sanctity Christ Jesus CHAP. X. Of the Intercession of Saints G. B. p. 25. IF we compare with this Idolatry the worship of Angels and Saints in the Roman Church we shall find the parity just and exact Answer It is neither just nor exact it differs in many things For 1. the Pagans held those men they honored to be true gods we believe the greatest Saints to be our fellow-servants 2. Even those who owned a Deity above them believed it to do nothing in human Affairs Job 22.14 we believe his Providence reaching all things 3. They stopt in those Spirits we with them make our Addresses to God. And 4. They offered Sacrifices to them we offer none but to God. This Objection is not new it was made against the Catholic Church above 1300 years ago to which S. Austin answered l. 20. cont Faust cap. 21. and l. 8. de Civit. Dei. c. 27. in the latter place he hath these words Quis audivit Sacerdotem stantem ad altare etiam super sanctum corpus Martyris dicere in precibus Offero tibi Sacrificium O Petre vel Paule vel Cypriane cùm apud eorum memorias offeratur Deo Ista non esse Sacrificia Martyrum novit qui novit unum quod Deo offertur Sacrificum Christianorum Nos itaque Martyres nostros divinis honoribus non colimus nec Sacrificia illis offerimus Who ever heard a Priest at the Altar say I offer Sacrifice to thee O Peter Paul or Cyprian when upon their Sepulchers it is offered to God Those are not Sacrifices of Martyrs as all know who know that one Sacrifice of Christians which is there offered to God. Wherefore we do not worship Martyrs with divine Adorations nor offer Sacrifice unto them Out of which words you may learn 1. that Martyrs were worship'd in the primitive Church 2. Their Tombs were turned into Altars 3. That the Sacrifice of Christians was offered upon those tombs And 4. That that Sacrifice was offered only to the living God and not to the Martyrs All which things to this day the Roman Catholic Church doth very religiously observe By which appears the conformity of the ancient and modern Church in doctrin and practice As also the deformity betwixt the ancient Church and the Protestant Reformation in which there are neither Martyrs worship'd nor their tombs regarded nor Altars nor Sacrifice You still roul stones which fall on your own head G. B. pag. 25. There was a Saint appointed for every Nation S. Andrew for Scotland S. George for England S. Denis for France and many more
or S. Paul composing his Epistles nor so much neither seeing these were so assisted as to Compose Holy Scripture when the Church only pretends to Expound the Word of God. How doth such an Assistance of the Divine Spirit derogate from the Infallibility of God from which it is derived But Her Exposition must be admitted say you though contrary to the Sense As if Infallibility did not exclude all possibility of such a wrested Exposition The Infallibility of the Church may slight your Attempts whilst you are armed only with such Straws We have seen your Arguments let us see your Answers to ours G. B. pag. 44. The Gates of Hell not prevailing against the Church Mat. 16.18 proves not the pretence of Infallibility Why not Learned Sir Not a word of that but as if you had forgotten what you were about you fall upon the English Translation of that Text which you say deserves amendment and I will leave you to be taught better Manners by your Fellow Ministers or your Mother the Kirk of Scotland G. B. pag. 45. The Spirit leading into all truth Joan. 16.13 advances not the Cause a whit since that Promise relates to all Believers Here is another Assertion without Proof as if we were bound to take your word Those words are part of the Sermon after the last Supper at which only the Apostles were present and which was directed immediately to them You should then give some Reason why they relate to all Believers althô spoken only to the Apostles G. B. The Church's being built on the Rock Peter proves nothing for a Series of Bishops of Rome seeing the other Apostles were also Foundations Answ If it prove all Bishops together Infallible firm in Faith as a Rock it confounds your Reformation which is condemned by them all G. B. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 16.19 import no more than that Peter was to open the Gospel When you shall give in a Proof we will consider it till then I will believe not you but Christ who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adds the Office of the Keys to open and shut not the Gospel but Heaven by loosing and binding Sins G. B. pag. 46. It is certain that Vice as well as Error is destructive of Religion If then there be no Authority for suppressing of Vice but that same of the Discipline of the Church it is not incongruous there be no other Authority for suppressing of Error but that same of the Discipline of the Church Answ It is certain that both in the old and new Law several Persons have been secured against Error who were subject to Sin. S. Peter was truly reprehensible (a) Gal. 2.11 for a thing he did not for any thing he writ or preached The same of David of Salomon c. For this reason our Blessed Saviour commanded (b) Mat. 23.23 all to follow the Doctrin of the Scribes and Pharisees because they sat on the Chair of Moyses but not their Example So your Question why God should provide more against Error in Faith than against Vice in Manners can find no place amongst Catholics who are taught to adore God's holy Will even when they understand it not and to (c) 2 Cor. 10.5 Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ To you who think it absurd to deny a Man the use of his Reason in Judging and Diseerning all things and submit even Divinely revealed Truths to its Tribunal to you I say we leave the search of those Depths and discovery of those Mysteries G. B. pag. 48. I could prove from History that General Councils have erred that Popes have been Heretics Answ By what you have done we may guess what you can do Your Learning appears by your Writings as also your Judgment in using it We have seen many Proofs of it and shall see more in this small Tract I will add to them one Instance out of another Work of yours Observations on the First Canon of the Apostles pag. 66. You prove that anciently Priests could Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation out of the First Canon of the First Council of Orange When it is evident that That Canon doth not give Priests power to Administer the Sacrament of Confirmation but commands them to use Chrism in Baptism since when every Divine of the First Year knows that Vertical Chrismation hath been a Ceremony of that First and mysterious Sacrament Such Mistakes as these are incident to such as are bred in a Congregation where Ceremonies are abrogated G. B. pag. 49. We are not the Servants of Men nor bound to their Authority for none can be a Judge but where he hath Power to Try and to Coerce Now none but God can search our Hearts so none but he can be Judge Answ The Independent and Quaker and all who endure with regret Prince and Prelate Canon and Civil Law under pretence of Evangelical Liberty will thank you for this CHAP. XIV Of Merits G. B. p. 50. IF any have derogated from the value of the Satisfaction of that Lamb of God they have offered the utmost Indignity to the highest Love and committed the Crime of the greatest Ingratitude imaginable Answ Transeat totum what then G. B. Who would requite the most unconceivable Love with such a sacrilegious Attempt Answ None that I know of But say you how guilty are they of this who would set the Merits and Works of Men in an equality with the Blood of God Answ I know none such if you do point them out for Punishment no Catholic is concerned in them G. B. pag. 51. It is true this Doctrin of Merit is so explained by some of that Church that there remains no ground of quarrelling it except for the Terms sake which is indeed odious and improper thô early used by the Ancients in an innocent Sense But many of that Church acknowledge there can be no Obligation on God by our Works but that which his own Promise binds upon him Answ Here is one of the malicious Sleights of you and your Brethren when you cannot with any colour accuse the Doctrin of our Church to pretend it is only the Doctrin of some few Persons that you may persuade your Disciples the generality of Catholics hold the contrary The Council of Trent contains what all Catholics Subscribe to and this is the Doctrin of that Council in this Point Concil Trid. Sess 6. cap. 16. Benè operantibus usque in finem in Deo sperantibus proponenda est vita aeterna tanquam gratia filiis Dei per Christum Jesum misericorditer promissa tanquem merces ex ipsius Dei promissione bonis ipsorum operibus meritis fideliter reddenda To those who persevere in good Works even to the end of this Life and who hope in God Life everlasting is proposed both as Grace mercifully promised to the adopted Children of God through Jesus Christ our Lord as also as a Reward due in vertue
cap. 1 pag. 411. thought it a sign of a good Conscience to speak ill of every body You may with the ignorant Multitude much easier obtain the esteem of Piety and Zeal by speaking ill of others than doing well your self and by blaming others Lives than correcting your own A secret malignity in Nature prompts some to detract from the Good-name of their Neighbors and disposes the Hearers to receive with pleasure the Detractions Both Calumniator and his Hearers follow in this the vicious Inclinations of corrupt Nature But these must be overcome when true Vertue is aimed at and that is hard You follow the easier course and the most taking with Men whom you affect to please But how your Conscience at present and God hereafter will approve of this I leave to your more serious consideration Maledicimur benedicimus says the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.12 We are spoken ill of and we speak well or being reviled we bless Truly I had rather find matter for a Panegyrick than for a Satyr and should be more willing to write some good of you than otherwise if there were any such belonging to you as Protestants But knowing no such thing I will supply that part by Prayers that God will put you into a way of being so by bringing you to his Faith which now you impugn I wish it were Ignorans in incredulitate 1 Tim. 1.13 through Ignorance or meer want of Instruction your sin would be less and your Conversion not so desperate CHAP. XXVI Riches and Pride of Churchmen FROM pag. 91. till 100. we have a long enumeration of the Riches and Pride and Ambition of Popes Cardinals Bishops Abbots and all Churchmen You blame the sumptuousness of our Church Ornaments the Solemnity of our Processions the Majesty of our Ceremomonies c. which things being not of Faith I think my self not obliged to Answer farther than by shewing a good use may be made of them I grant that Christ founded his Church in real Poverty he sent his Apostles Luc. 10.8 to Preach with order to live upon what they found in the Places whither they went and be content with what was given them He gave them a Right to a Subsistence declaring Mat. 10.10 that a Workman deserves his Diet. And that he who serves the Altar ought to live of it 1 Cor. 9.13 And althô S. Paul was pleased not to make use of this Right commonly for a very good Reason yet the rest did and he might lawfully have done every where and actually did it at Philippi Phil. 4.15 Yet I do not find that ever our B. Saviour stinted the Apostles so as if any thing were freely given beyond what was meerly necessary they should be obliged to refuse it or restore the overplus to the Donors Neither do I find your Brethren in the Ministry commend very much your first Reformers for retrenching some of your Bishops Lands althô they left enough for not only a competent but a noble Subsistence nay your modern Writers W. L. and Heylin accuse them of Sacrilege And I do not hear that your other Bishops do break their Shins with haste to restore the surplus of their Revenues to the Heirs of the Donors which they were bound to restore if it were not lawful for Churchmen to enjoy more than what is necessary Since the fall of Religion indeed the Protestant Church hath not much encreased her Revenues which rather proceeds from lack of Charity in your Laity who give you nothing or because the Wife and Children sweep away what remains by each Incumbent at his Death than to your love of Poverty for which Vertue you have refused it when offered I have heard at least of none who would refuse a Mannor or other considerable Boon when freely given and the hard usage which some of your Tenants complain of from their Ecclesiastical Landlords proves sufficiently that you are not insensible to the Allurements of the attractive Metal Were Churchmen such as they ought to be the Laity would have little reason to repine at their Riches althô much greater than they are If they were Treasurers of the Poor Fathers to the Orphans Helps to Widows Hosts to Strangers Protectors to the Oppressed and common Sanctuaries to all necessitous Persons such as some are in the Catholic Church whom I know and many of whom we read To such as these Riches are no hindrance to their Function they give them only occasion of doing much good and practising their Charity If you think this to be blame-worthy althô Riches be so employed prove what you say out of Scripture and excuse your own Bishops from that Crime eris mihi magnus Apollo Voluntary real Poverty is much commended in the Gospel Mat. 19.21 and we have thousands in our Church who profess it and live in it and you could never get ten of your Communion to embrace it There is another Poverty called of Spirit commended Mat. 5.3 nay and commanded in Scripture Mat. 19.24 and how great soever a stranger you are to Spiritual things yet you will not say that this Poverty of Heart is inconsistent with effectual Riches otherwise it would be impossible for a rich Man to be saved A Man may be a Begger and yet be far from that Poverty of Spirit which gives a right to the Kingdom of Heaven because his Heart is fixed upon things he hath not And on the contrary another Man may be Master of a great part of the World and yet have his Heart as free from it as if he was not in the World and to use the Apostles Phrase 1 Cor. 7.31 use the World as thô he used it not Of this sort of poor of spirit there are many in the Church and always have been Hear S. Austin lib. de moribus Ecclesiae cap. 35. Sunt in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ innumerabiles fideles qui hoc mundo non utuntur sunt qui utuntur tanquam non utentes There are innumerable Faithful in the Church who make no use of the World there are others who use it as if they used it not What hath the Protestant Church to say here Pride and Ambition are personal Vices so belong not to this Treatise Yet I will say that there have been both ancient and modern Popes who have given greater Examples of Humility than any your Church can shew and who have made appear that their Title Servant of the Servants of God is no Complement Sixtus V. would not own his Mother when she was brought to him in rich Clothes saying His Mother was a poor Woman who never wore Silks in her life she was a Shepherds Wife The next day she being brought to him in Rags he presently acknowledged her Some of them have asserted the Privileges of their Chair against such as intrenched on their Rights which may be done without any Pride at all seeing they require it as due not to their own Persons but to their Chair to its Founders S. Peter and to
ravenous wolves and gives us a sign to know them by their works Catholics considered the Works of the first Reformers and by them judged of their Persons whether they were Sheep or Wolves Imprimis They had a great Motive to suspect the whole Reformation because the occasion of it was evidently reproachful In Germany Luther's Motive was Emulation betwixt his Order and the Dominicans and Envy that these later should have the Preaching of the Jubilee In England Lust began it under Henry VIII and Avarice and Pride compleated it under Edward VI. By whom was it most hotly embraced and promoted By Apostates in whom the Flesh prevailed over the Spirit and the first Step they made was shaking off the Yoke of Obedience to their lawful Superiors to become Independant This is one Sacrilege which was accompanied with two others breaking their Vows of Chastity and Poverty What Motives did they use to draw People to joyn with them Propose Liberty from all Ecclesiastical Laws that were any way burdensom or contrary to Sensuality as Fasting Praying on certain Days Penances c. freeing Men from the Obligation of Divine Laws by teaching they were impossible and rejecting some of them in particular as that for Confession Indulging Sensualities trampling on all that seemed burthensome under pretence of Christian Liberty What Effects followed the Reformation A neglect of God's Counsels an insensibility of his Inspirations a contempt of Religion an unwillingness to be Ruled Rebellion in Church and State a losing of the Spirit of Prayer a slighting of all good Works and an entire abandoning themselves to bad ones The Light of the Gospel promised and that darkned with irreligious Interpretations The Word of God held forth and a great part of it cut off A Reformation pretended in the Church and the Church robbed of its Revenues The Church-Worship purged and the chief Action of it Sacrifice abolished The Glory of God promised and his Sacred Name by Blasphemy prophaned Faith so commended as by it Hope was destroyed by Presumption and Charity by Schism In fine if any thing like Zeal appeared in the first Times of Reformation it shewed it self by Avarice Rapine Sacrilege Pride Dissensions Schisms Rebellions Incontinences Drunkenness in a word Libertinism Which the sincerer part of your Communion deplore with true Tears not with such as you shed for our Errors If these are works of sheep what are the works of wolves And if by works we must judge of men what could they say of these Reformers Let us lay aside what is past and look on what is present Is it not true that thô you talk much of Christianity yet all Marks of it seem blotted out of the Lives of your Flock That there never was more Impurity in Marriages more Corruption in Families more Debauchery in Youth more Ambition amongst the Rich more Pride amongst the Gentry more Dishonesty in Commerce more Sophistication in Merchandises more Deceit amongst Tradesmen more Intemperance amongst all That Fornication is thought a Peccadillo Adultery good Fortune Chastity a Reproach to the Sex Cheating and Treachery Court Vertue Impiety and Libertinism Strength of Wit Oaths and Blasphemies Ornaments of our Language Perpetual Gaming a lawful Divertisement for Men Contempt of their Husbands Neglect of the Education of their Children and of the Care of their Families a Privilege of Women who have some advantage of Birth and Fortune And Drunkenness for all who have Time and Mony to cast away The prodigious numbers of Houses designed for Tipling is a sufficient convicton of the greatness of this Vice there be more in London alone than in any ten Catholic Towns in Europe and probably more than served the whole Kingdom in Catholic Times which are so many Nurseries of Idleness whence all Vices flow and the thriving Condition they all live in shews which way the Riches of the Nation go and on what their Hearts are setled You will say these are Faults of the Reformers but not of the Reformation But in this you are mistaken for it comes from the very substantial Parts of your Reformation so that if any do well it is to be attributed to the goodness of their Nature if ill it is to be charged upon your Religion which hath retrenched on several Pretences almost all Helps of Devotion Christ to apply to us the Merits of his Passion instituted seven Sacraments which are Administred in the Catholic Church To regenerate us Baptism To strengthen us in Faith Confirmation To nourish our Souls Eucharist To restore us to God's Grace if by frailty we have lost it Penance To prepare us for a Passage to the other World Extreme Vnction To confer Grace necessary for a Churchman or a Married Man Order and Matrimony Of those you have cut off five and of the two remaining that of the Eucharist which Christ said was his Body and Blood you make only a bit of Bread and a Spoon-ful of Wine The Catholics have every day the unbloody Sacrifice of the Altar offered at which they can assist they are taught that Mass is composed out of the Law and Prophets the Gospel and Canonical Epistles That it is a Summary of the Life of Christ and Commemoration of his Death That when they see the Sacred Host elevated they must call to mind his Elevation on the Cross for their sakes and that they must offer him and themselves with him to God the Father as S. Austin teaches us lib. 10. de Civit. Dei cap. 20. This daily Sacrifice you have cut off having something in Cathedrals on Sundays in other Churches seldom So the whole Week in all Places and a great part of the Year in most Places passes with out that great Exercise for your Devotion Ceremonies in Divine Service are necessary to fix our Fancy on the things in hand and to help to raise our Soul to God. This they do first by their Signification as knocking our Breast is a sign of Grief and Contrition Kneeling and Bowing of our Adoration of God Lifting up our Hands and Eyes to Heaven of raising our Wills to God c. They likewise increase within us those Dispositions they signifie by a sympathy betwixt the Soul and Body These you have retrenched as Superstitious which hath opened a Door to the Contempt of your Holy Service and Places where it is celebrated to which many of you shew little more Respect than at other Civil Actions nay many would not enter into a Friend's House with so little Respect as they shew entring into the House of God. G. B. pag. 135. Religion consists in few things Ans T is true nay it consists in one thing as to its perfection The Love of God above all things But what then Are helps to stir up that Love of God to be neglected It is Pharisaical to place our Confidence in the Ceremonies or consider them as the Substance of Religion but to look on them as its Ornaments and Means to stir up and
Acts 20.28 Before those Pastors and Doctors whom Christ gave to consummate the Saints that we might not be like children carried hither and thither with every blast of Doctrin Ephes 4.11 14. Before those to whom Christ said He that hears you hears me and he that despises you despises me Luk. 10.16 Before those in fine whom Christ sent to instruct all People promising he would be with them to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 What Pride what Presumption bating that of Lucifer greater than this What room for Humility in a Soul so full of it self so puffed up with vain Conceits of its own Capacity And what hopes of any real Vertue without it seeing it is the surest and only foundation of a pious Life This last Reason shews that in your Souls there is no Foundation for a Structure of Piety and the others shew you can hope for no Structure upon any Foundation Another Doctrin of yours as pernicious as any of the rest is That the best of our Actions are Sins even our Endeavors to serve God keep his Commandments and give to every one his due viz. paying a Debt or relieving the Poor Nay it seems a greater Sin to do it than not to do it Sins of Commission being more grievous and offensive than those of Omission G. B. pag. 154. We cannot be charged for having taught our People to break any one Commandment Answ You seem charged for teaching them indirectly to break them all saying the keeping them is impossible in it self fruitless if they should be kept aad their breach not prejudicial G. B. pag. 260. Bad Practices may furnish matter for Regret but not for Separation Answ It is true when and where Principles of Religion are contrary to such Practices But when these bad Customs are natural Sequels of the Doctin and necessarily flow from it not only the Practices are to be detested but likewise the Doctrin whence they flow is to be abhorred as pernicious to Souls and the Church which teaches them as Doctrins either necessary to be believed or even probable in practice whatsoever Church it be is to be forsaken as the Chair of Pestilence Si quid de Tuo Deus meus dictum est agnoscant Tui Si quid de Meo tu ignosce tui Aug. POSTSCRIPT TO Mr. CUDWORTH D. D. I Had ended the whole Answer to Dr. Burnet before I had the sight of your Learned great Book against Atheism which gives me occasion to clear and confirm some Points which I thought then and think still clear and strong enough notwithstanding all the Mist you and others have raised to hide them and their Endeavors to shake them But as the Apostle was so I am a debtor not only to the wise but to the unwise too Which Debt I hope to discharge in few Lines You own that some few Philosophers as Epicurus Strato c. thought God to be Corporeal but that the major part believed him to be a pure Spirit and adored the Only true God under the Names of Jupiter Minerva Osyrie Neith or Venus I said with the ancient Fathers and Primitive Christians that althô Pagans and indeed all Men had a natural knowledge of One God yet those the Pagans adored had been Men. The Proofs then produced I reduce to four Heads The First taken from the Diversity of their Sexes The Second from their Generation The Third from their Death The Fourth from their Sacred Rites 1. The different Sexes of the Pagan Gods is a convincing Proof that they were not Spirits but Men and Women at least Males and Females and by consequence Corporeal This Reason takes up a great part of Arnobius's Third Book from pag. 46. which he begins with these words Adduci primùm hoc ut credamus non possumus immortalem illam praestantissimamque Naturam divisam esse per sexus He acquaints us there that Cicero having ingenuously professed his dislike of this the Pagans endeavored to get his Works abolished by the Senate because they implied a dislike of Ancient Paganism and an approbation of Christian Doctrin Oportere statui per Senatum aboleantur ut haec scripta quibus Christiana Religlo comprobetur vetustatis opprimatur Auctoritas So essential were these Sexes to the Pagan Deities Which being designed only for carnal Propagation brings on my 2. Reason Those Gods received their Beings from Parents as Men do This is sufficiently evidenced out of Ovid. l. 4. Fast Illa Venus Deos omnes longum est numerare creavit You pag. 488. distinguish Venus Aphrodite from the Vulgar and pag. 489. you say that That Venus to whom all the Gods owed their Being was the One Supreme Deity Our Question is which Venus Ovid speaks of in that Verse You say it is the Divine or the true God I say it is the Vulgar and thus I prove it That Venus who makes Males Fight with one another and sport with the Females of their Kind for whom young Men break their Sleeps to give Serenades to their Misses who by Adultery with Anchises brought forth Aeneas who contended with Pallas and Juno for a Golden Apple and submitted to the Judgment of Paris who Fought in defence of Troy and was wounded She I say was the Vulgar Venus and not the True God which I suppose needs no Proof But of this Venus Ovid speaks for he says Quid genus omne creat volucrum nisi blanda voluptas Conveniunt pecudes si levis adsit amor Cùm Mare trux Aries cornu decertat idem Frontem dilectae laedere parcit ovis Primus amans carmen vigilatum nocte negatâ Dicitur ad clausas concinuisse fores Pro Trojâ Romane tuâ Venus arma ferebat Cùm gemuit teneram cuspide laesa manum Coelestesque duas Trojano Judice vicit Ah nolim victas hoc meminisse Deas Assaracique Nurus dicta est ut scilicet olin Magnus Julaeos Caesar haberet Avos Thus Ovid. Against all this for your Interpretation you bring Euripides in Stobaeus and Boetius who speak of the Celestial Love. What then The Divines the Fathers the Scripture speak of it too for they speak of the Holy Ghost But what is that to Ovid's Verse which they do not mention and of which alone is our Dispute Whence 't is evident that all Pagan Deities were born as others As also that 3. They died as other Men. This is also urged by Fathers against Pagans To those cited elsewhere add S. August l. 1. de Cons Evang. cap. 23. who having proved out of Cicero that all Pagan Gods had been Men and alledged that later Fiction of Caesar's being changed into a Star of which Virgil Ecce Dionaei procedit Cesaris Astrum He says Videatur ne fortè hystorica Veritas sepulchra falsorum Deorum ostendat in terra vanit as autem Poetica stellas eorum non figat sed fingat in coelo Neque enim revera stella illa Jovis est aut illa