is true that in his Book of Prescriptions from the 15th Chapter to the 22th he proves that we may not dispute against Hereticks by the Scripture but by the Tradition of the Churches And he returns to it again in the 37th and 38th Chapters thereof But if the new Converts which have written to us and do send us to that Book had read it with some wisdom and attention of mind they would have seen that it neither doth nor can concern us 1. The Hereticks concerning whom the question is there were no Christians they were Magicians Disciples of Simon Magus who retained the Name of Christian and no mâ—â—â— Besides Tertullian says plainly * Chap. 37. That we must 〈◊〉 them at a distance from the Scriptures because being no Christians they did not belong to them 2. These Hereticks did not acknowledg the Authority of the Scriptures they rejected them or received only some pieces of them cut off from the rest and which were wholly corrupt and falsified And when the Catholicks quoted to them the Holy Scripture they derided it as a fabulous Writing How then could any man dispute with them from a Book whose Authority they did not acknowledge there was a necessity of having recourse to another sort of proofs 2. That which was good in the time of Tertullian is not good at this time of day I do maintain that it was then very easie and very convenient to dispute against Hereticks by Tradition It was then not above an hundred years since the last of the Apostles died There was nothing more easie than to learn what had been their Doctrine by their Successors It is about a hundred and fifty years since the Reformed Church of Geneva had its existence If the Doctrin of Calvin were now under dispute nothing were more easie than to prove without Book that his Doctrine passed without alteration even to those that now teach in that Church and School But is it the same thing when there are 1200 1500 and 2000 years past By what way can we search so far and ascend so high through an infinite number of Men of whom not one hath retained the Doctrine that he did receive in the same estate in which it was delivered to him Behold a very fine Comparison 3. Add to this that Tertullian sends us to the Testimony of those Churches which were founded by the Apostles because those Churches had the Authentick Letters as he calls them that is to say the Original Writings of the Apostles so that to send the Hereticks to the Churches and to their Testimony by reason of those Authentick Letters was to sâ—â—d them to the Scripture it self 4. Besides let thes◠〈◊〉 â—nd She Converts which have been seduced by the reading of this Book read it from the 22 to the 32 Chap. and they will see that the Doctrine which Tertullian would have us search in Tradition is the same which was contained in the Writings of the Apostles and not an unwritten Word and certain Doctrines which the Apostles did commit to the Ears and the Memories of their Successors The Hereticks would not acknowledge the Authority of the sacred Volumes Go to says Tertullian to them lay by the Holy Bocks and let us lay hold of Tradition let us see what the Bishops have taught since the Apostles and I will prove that 't is precisely the same Doctrine with that which is written in our Books which you reject Read you that have suffered your selves to be abused read I say the 22 Chap. and those that follow to the 27 and you will see that the Hereticks spake exactly the same Language which your Converters do that we must not apply to nor support our selves by the Writings of the Apostles * Tertull. de Prescrip c. 25. That the Apostles indeed might know all and agree in the things which they did preach but they did not reveal all things to all that they said certain things publickly and to all but that there were other things which they said in secret and to a few and that is it which St. Paul means when he saith to Timothy O Timothy keep that good thing which was committed to thee Behold exactly the Doctrine of your Converters and that of the ancient Hereticks 'T is that which Tertullian opposes proving that the Apostles delivered nothing by Tradition but that which is written 5. Poor silly Fools which have suffered your selves to be seduced by I know not what shadows and appearances and who put your selves to judge of Antiquity without knowing any thing thereof If you knew against what Hereticks Tertullian disputed you would see that the Contrversie was not about things that were not in the Holy Scriptures These Hereticks denied that Jesus Christ was God and that he was a true Man They said that he had no true Flesh and that his Passion was nothing but a Tragedy and an appearance of a great many Phantoms they denied the Resurrection of the Flesh Was there any need to recur to Tradition to prove such things as these Doth not the Scripture contain those Truths that are opposite to these wicked Imaginations as clearly as Tradition And do you not see that Tertullian forsakes the Scriptures on this Subject only because the Enemies against which he disputed had forsaken them and had no reverence for their Authority 6. To conclude If there be any hard terms in this Book attribute them in the first place to the heat of Dispute which always carries Men too far secondly to the Genius and African manner of Tertullian's Expressions and learn that according to the same Author * Lib. Prescrip c. 15. One cannot prove any thing which respects the Faith but by those Letters and Writings which are the Rule thereof Learn by this excellent Passage of Tatian who was then the Judge of Controversies and the Source and Fountain of Instruction 't is to that he refers the manner of his becoming a Christian †Tatian Orat. in Graec. As I sought every where with care I happened on some Books of the Barbarians so the Pagans call the Books of Christians and Jews and I sound them as to time much more ancient than the Philosophy of the Greeks and much more venerable if we consider the Errors which are in the Grecian Books I gave credit to these Books because their style was simple and yet magnificent because there was nothing affected in them because the Discourses were not obscure and many things to come were predicted in them I was affected with them because of the greatness of the Promises and because they learn'd me that there was but one Moâ—â—rch in the Vniverse This Ancient knew not as yet the Divinity of Monsieur de Meaux that the first Article of Faith is I believe the Church and that we ought not to believe that the Scripture is Divine but because the Church says so And as to Tradition you which suffer your selves to be dazled by the
Sollicitations of those who have the conduct of his Conscience See a new Systeme on the Apocalypse p. 224 225. They are the Priests and Clergy which have raised this Holy War against the Reformed 't is they that have blown the fire and sounded the Alarm to this Persecution and 't were a wonder that there should be a Persecution and superstitious Priests and Clergy have no hand therein One of the sharpest Persecutions that was ever raised against the Primitive Christians was promoted and encouraged by the Pagan Priests as Sozomen I think relates The best things corrupted are the worst profane Priests and Clergy-men without Conscience perpetrate and encourage the greatest Villanies in the World. 9. Though this Persecution be mostly if not wholly owing to the Clergy of France yet I do not think them all equally guilty therein Mr. Arnold in his Preface to the Defence of the Perpetuity of the Faith of the Church against Mr. Claude speaks more humanely concerning those of the Reformed Religion in France Vid. Preface in the beginning and professes a great unwillingness to disturb their outward Tranquillity and Peace or to diminish any thing of their temporal Enjoyments and Advantages He desires which all his heart he says that they might be won over to the Church by all sorts of Charity Softness and Goodness but abhors all violent means and endeavours for their Conversion And I am willing to hope that there may be others of the same spirit and temper of this learned Man. 10. But Mens Sentiments alter and what is sound Doctrine at one time is hardly so at another The same learned Man since the Persecution grew high in France hath written sundry piqued Books with bitterness and gall enough against the Reformed and thereby hath sufficiently countenanced and encouraged their Enemies against them The Bishop of Meaux late of Condum is a gentile Man a florid Orator and usually smooth in his Discourses and Conversation Vid. Serm. but has been a great Zealot though more secretly than others in promoting the ruine of what he calls Heresie and no man needs farther proof thereof than to read that fulsome Sermon of his preach'd at the Funeral of the late Queen of France insomuch that I am sometimes under a temptation to say of them all in the words of the Prophet The best of them is as a briar Mich. 7.4 the most upright is sharper than a thorn-hedge 11. I speak not these things with desire to exasperate the Government against the Roman Catholicks in England Let us but be secured that we may enjoy our own Religion in Peace and I am content that they have the private Liberty of their own If they will hear what the Learned Men of our Church have to say for the Doctrine of the Reformation and against the Doctrines which are properly and peculiarly Popish and can be argued out of the one into a belief of the other I should very much rejoyce therein 12. Those Doctrines which are peculiar to the Church of Rome are evidently Novel and by degrees introduced upon primitive and simple Christianity This hath been irrefragably proved by the Divines of our own Church against the late Pamphlets and Pretences of the Romanists See the Council of Trent examined by Catholic Tradition by D. Stilling fleet as well as by the Famous and Learned Monsieur Jurieu in his Pastoral Letters Christianity is invariable what it was in the days of the Apostles and Primitive Churches it is at this day all Additions that have been made thereunto are either needless or false and such are all the Novelties of the ROMAN Church 13. But if those of the Church of Rome cannot be argued out of their Religion and become Proselytes to the Protestant Doctrine and Discipline they must remain where they are The Churches of the Reformation have not learned from their great Master to Dragoon Men into their Communion and it seems to them to be utterly contrary to the Gentleness Softness and Kindness of Christianity It accords well enough with Mahometanism and the Alcoran to proselyte Men by drawn Swords and Pistols for there is but little Argument See Memoirs of P. Mornay vol. 1. pag. 25 26. Reason or Demonstration can be produced to persuade a Faith therein and where Men cannot be converted by Arguments they must make use of Clubs if they will gain any Proselytes Christianity is furnished with so many of the one that it has no need of the other 14. Whatever Provocations those of the Church of Rome may have given to the Church of England to treat them with Severity and Rigor I would by no means that they should use them They are Men and partake with us in the same common Nature and I would not have them treated like Beasts If care be taken that they do us no hurt I should never desire that any Violence be offered unto them let them sit under their Vines and their Fig-trees and let no man make them afraâ—d 15. I should be sorry that the Church of England should repay the measure to the Roman Catholicks that the Reformed have suffered in France The great Author of our Religion has learn'd us other Doctrine and I hope we shall never depart from the Faith and Practice thereof He hath taught us to do good for evil to pray for them that curse us Matth. 5.44 and bless them that persecute and despitefully use us We are willing to live peaceably with all men as much as in us lies Roman 12.18 19 20. we will not avenge our selves we will leave that to God to whom Vengeance belongs If they hunger we will feed them if they thirst we will give them drink and by doing thus heap coals of fire upon their heads 16. I am as jealous and suspicious of the Gentlemen of the Roman Persuasion as any Man and hope that all care will be taken that it shall not be in their power to do us hurt and when that is secure I wish they may be treated with all the kindness that Christianity requires of us I am sure the Christian Religion is most full of Love Sweetness and Obligations and there is nothing in the World that commends it more to the Acceptation of Men and none do it more Honor and more advance its Reputation than those that delight in Kindness and scatter their Obligations upon all sorts of Men herein they do like the Majesty of Heaven Matth. 5.45 who causes his Sun to rise upon the good and the bad and his rain to descend upon the just and unjust 'T is a thing of no great difficulty to treat those with Kindness that oblige us but to shew Love to our Enemies and an Affection for those that hate and destroy us is a more difficult Lesson and worthy of the Christian Religion which teaches Men those heights of Perfection which cannot be learn'd any where else 17. The Author of these following Letters
Novelty and by consequence the Authors thereof of boldness and temerity seeing it is an opinion that hath always prevailed that it is a Criminal enterprise to Innovate in Religion And so the Superstitions of the fifth Age were well content to suffer posterity to believe that the Invocation of Saints and the Adoration of Relicks were more ancient than the preceding Age. To conclude about insensible changes whereof the possibility is denied I beseech you my Brethren observe the spirit and temper of your Converters and tell me what name ought to be given to them We prove to them the changes that are happened in the Church by proofs more clear and evident than the light of the Sun. For example we shew them that in such an Age there was no Invocation of Saints or Angels We shew it them I say not only by negative proofs as we use to speak that is to say by the silence of the Writers of such an Age but by positive proofs and because the opinions of the Writers and the practice of the Church then were wholly opposite thereunto Afterwards we shew them the first beginnings the original and the progress of Error Superstition and Idolatry In one Age we see plainly that such worship was not practised in the Age following it is as plain that it was practised I do maintain that a Man must have renounced all shame to say as these Gentlemen that from such an Age to the following there was no change and the foundation of this impudence is because no single person is found whose name is known that did arise and laboured to introduce such or such an Error or Superstition which met with great opposition but at length surmounted them all They that please to make use of their understandings and consult with History may find that this affirmation hath no truth nor place but in changes that happen at a push and all together the Novelty whereof doth affright and stir up opposition but in Customs and Opinions that prevail gradually and by little and little it is not so The Invocation of Saints and the Worship of Images were not established by one single person nor at one single heat A whole people by a false Devotion permitted themselves insensibly to fall into certain practices that seemed very Innocent and it may be they were not very Criminal They which came after thrust forward this Superstition and in fine it came to Idolatry I will say yet once more I know not how a Mans mind and spirit must be made to say that such manner of changes are impossible These Gentlemen cannot deny that the Worship of the Church of Rome at this day is very much different from that of the Apostolick Church Take it for granted my Brethren that there is no Roman Catholick Doctor who will not acknowledge that the Liturgy of the Mass at this day is more compounded and less simple than it was in the days of St. Paul. Were these additions made in a sensible manner Were not these changes introduced by little and little The more sincere of these Gentlemen as Monsieur Baluzius and the Author of the Dialogues against the Iconoclasts of the Sr Maimbourg do acknowledge that in the first three Ages of the Church there were no Images and we do affirm that in the fifth and sixth Age there were many We cannot name the first Author of this attempt and of the introduction of Images into Churches Will Monsieur Baluzius therefore affirm that from the time of the Apostles there were Images in Churches But What It is to small purpose to speak these Gentlemen persevere to maintain that no change hath been made in the Doctrine and Worship of the Church and that none can be made and we do maintain it can be made because it hath been made We have precisely the same thing to say which we said concerning the infallibility of the Church the Papists say it hath not erred for it is infallible and we say it is not infallible for it hath erred Also they say there has been no change made in the Doctrine of the Church for it was impossible any should be made there and we say it is very possible changes should happen there for so it is come to pass Who is it that reasons best That depends only on the question in matter of Fact. We must see whether changes have actually happened in the Doctrine and Worship of the Church Now it is my design to make it apparent that changes have arrived there this is necessary for the dissipation of an unhappy illusion wherewith they serve themselves to blind you It is Antiquity Tradition Conformity with the Religion of St. Augustin St. Chrysostom and St. Ambrose I shall therefore undertake to give you a short History of the changes which have happened in the Church at least for the first five Ages thereof It is the surest method to shew you how false the impossibility of insensible changes is and this will be the surest remedy to lessen the charm of false Antiquity by which they endeavour to deceive you This shall be the matter of our following Letters where we will set before your Eyes the State of Christianity and the changes which are arrived there during the space of five hundred years ☜ To finish this Letter my dear Brethren I will set before your Eyes an example which ought to shame the most of you If you confess God it is in secret if you sigh it is in your own Bosom the most part of you dare not give any publick mark though never so little bright and shining of the Sentiments that are in the bottom of your Soul. Learn the Conduct of our poor Brethren the Inhabitants of Cevennes The Edict of Nantes was made void the year past on the month of October the Pastors were chased away and all exercise of Religion forbidden upon great penalties expressed by the Declaration But these Inhabitants of the Mountains began their private Assemblies from the month of November following And God raised up from among them persons that without Study and without Learning put themselves at the head of these Assemblies for their Edification I will not tell your their names lest I should put them in hazard and danger There was a private person of the place called V. to whose word God gave so much efficacy that after some Assemblies where there were but a few persons one night he had the pleasure of comforting many hundreds And these Assemblies continuing almost every day one day a little before night there were found more than eight hundred persons upon the Mountain of Brion near to Caderles They had there the consolation of hearing two excellent Prayers and one Sermon after all those that had the courage to resist temptation did partake in the Sacrament of the Supper of our Lord. Many of those which had fallen with a great many fears desired the Communion among others a Woman of Quality was
very desirous thereof weeping and professing that she would never go to Mass but it was refused her until they should receive greater marks of the sincerity of her return and repentance A few days after there was another Assembly in a Desart under the covert of a Barn in the Parish of St. Martin de Carcones where there were full out sixteen hundred persons It was in the night and continued until two hours before day Two days after there was another Assembly in the Parish of St. John de Gardoningue where there were seven or eight hundred persons The day after on the Lords day in the Parish of St. Cross de Caderles there was another where there were about fourteen hundred persons from all the Neighbouring Villages They had knowledge of this Assembly The Intendant and Judges sent an Advocate named Joly to inform them concerning it all their diligence went no further than to discover three or four persons there was so much fidelity among those that made up these Assemblies They took one which they threatned with death he seemed to comply and promised to tell what he knew But whether indeed he knew no body or was not willing to name them he discovered at first but two persons Nevertheless those of the Village of St. John who believed that they had been all discovered by the persons that had been taken fled and saved themselves in the Woods This flight discovered them and the way with which they serve themselves to force confessions learnt the Persecutors almost all those which had assisted at these Assemblies But they found the number of them so great that it forced them and also constrained them to cease these Persecutions seeing that they must depopulate the Country if they proceeded rigorously against the accused They therefore resolved to send them back upon promise that they would return thither no more reserving nevertheless liberty to themselves of chastising those which they called Heads of these undertakings These threatnings and these Persecutions could not oblige the faithful to give over and a few days after without more delay they had another Assembly in a Meadow in the same Parish of St. John where there were near two thousand persons There was Prayer Preaching and the Communion As they were in the middle of this exercise a voice was heard to say that the Dragoons drew near upon which he that performed the Office of a Pastor cryed out La those that fear depart but not one person stirred every one prepared himself to suffer Martyrdom The Dragoons came not on the place until the day after They saw the Grass trodden and thereupon the Priest which accompanied them said that the Devil had kept his Sabbath there the day before They made Prisoners some of the Peasants of the neighbouring Villages and carried them to Montpellier where they took their Depositions and released them These methods of proceeding were designed to affrighten them but they prevailed nothing for the Monday following there was another Meeting or Assembly of two thousand persons in another place of the same Parish An unhappy Apostate of the Town of Caderles named Mazel went and accused and discovered them to the Curate of the Village of St. John who went thither the day after with some Officers of Justice that he might repair to Bebe which was the place where the Assembly was held they must pass over Precipices and Rocks which made them think it was impossible that they should pass that way by night and the Curate said in a Language common enough with those honest Men I do not know how these Devils could pass here in the night I would my Brethren that you should compare your tenderness with this unwearied Zeal This is nothing to what you will see afterward but it is nevertheless enough to shew you that God hath chosen the weak things of the World to confound the strong These poor Inhabitants of the Mountains with their ignorance and rusticity will rise up in judgment agaiest you We hear that you run in troops to the Popish Churches to hear their Sermons It is not there that you ought to seek the word of God. You will not find it there but corrupt and mingled with human Traditions and although some Preachers should affect and chuse to Preach nothing but Morality unto you nevertheless there will be danger in going to hear them But we intend to discourse you more at large on this subject till when we recommend you to the Grace of God. October 1. 1687. The FOURTH PASTORAL LETTER TO THOSE That frequent the Popish Churches Assemblies of Christians in Cevennes The Martyrdom of many Christians of that Country and particularly of Sr Fulcran Rey Student in Theology My dearly beloved Brethren in our Lord Jesus Christ Grace and Peace be given to you from our God. WE will begin our Letter where we ended the precedent We have learn'd that those among you which have not yet been prevailed on to go to Mass do nevertheless fill the Popish Churches at the hours of Service and worship particularly in great Cities as Paris You intend thereby to satisfie your Persecutors in part you think by this means to turn away or at least delay the violence wherewith they threaten you that they may force you to go to Mass and communicate And besides you imagine that yon do no evil because you go to hear Men that preach the Word of God tho not in a manner so pure as you desire it and you think your selves sufficiently able to separate the good from the bad Moreover among Preachers you chuse those that out of complaisance and kindness to you speak little of Controversie and with very much moderation and entertain you for the most part of the time with Truths which are common to us with the Church of Rome and Duties of Morality the necessity whereof is acknowledged by all Christians It is better say you to hear the Word of God in this manner than not to hear it at all Behold these are your Excuses But I pray my Brethren give heed to what I am about to say You do not perceive whither this conduct will lead you 1. In frequenting constantly the exercises of Devotion of the Romish Religion and being often in the Popish Churches you will insensibly abate in the aversion you ought to have for those places of Devotion which Superstition hath rendred entirely profane You enter without indignation into those places in which the great God jealous of his Honor is provoked to jealousie by Idolatry You accustom your selves to see Images before which men prostrate themselves and to which they give Religious Honor contrary to the express Commandment of that Law which was given in the midst of Thunders to signifie that the Transgressors thereof should be smitten with the just Thunders of the Divine Vengeance You behold without emotion those Altars where that unhappy Sacrifice is offered which is so great a shame to the
Elevate nor Adore we should have nothing to do but to produce a hundred places where it is clear that they gave the Communion under both Kinds without ever speaking of Elevation or Adoration This Communicating of Infants which is not disputed and by consequence we have no need to prove it is a thing worthy of observation for it is an addition of the third Age which makes it appear 1. That the Church is not Infallible by the confession of our Adversaries For the Church of the third Age and those that followed it hath erred according to them in judging that the Eucharist was necessary to little Children as well as Baptism therefore she is not Infallible in the interpretation of the Holy Scripture for the hath misinterpreted those Words If any one eat not my flesh and drink not my blood he cannot have everlasting life Since she hath believed that Children could not be Saved without Communicating 2. That Custom makes it appear that the Church is capable of introducing considerable Innovations and those Universal and of long duration Your Converters grant that it was no Apostolick Tradition that at the beginning it was not so nevertheless it was an important Innovation as it is clear for according to us It is no less than to prophane a Sacrament which requires self examination by giving it to persons that cannot prepare themselves and according to the Roman Doctors it is to expose the true Body of Jesus Christ to horrible indignities by putting it in the mouth of an Infant of some few days or months old And that which cannot fail to happen is that the Body of Jesus Christ was oftentimes spit out upon the floor For Children do not fail to reject whatsoever does not please their Palat. Moreover this important Innovation was so Universal that the whole Church embraced and entertained it and of so long duration that we find examples thereof many Ages after the fourth 3. Learn from this Custom that in those Ages they were not obliged to Adore the Sacrament before they cat it for Children could not perform any act of Adoration Therefore press your Converters vigorously with this Example and ask them if the Church cannot Innovate in other Articles of importance since it hath plainly Innovated in this and if we may not Correct Ancient and Universal Customs since the Church of Rome hath rescinded practices where were introduced but one Age after the Apostles Behold thus much for Worship and Practice As to Opinion do not suffer your selves to be persuaded that any change in Doctrine touching the Sacrament of the Eucharist did happen during the third Age. The proofs that your Converters bring thereof unto you are very pittiful For they are passages where the Fathers of that Age called the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist The Body the Flesh and the Blood of the Lord. Behold verifying proofs What is to be said concerning them since it is the language of Jesus Christ himself and of his Apostles The question is not what they said but that we are to know is in what sence and after what manner the Fathers of the third Age understood that the Bread of the Eucharist was the Flesh of Jesus Christ Now I do maintain that your Converters must be either Fools or Knaves beyond all imagination that dare to say that according to the Fathers of the third Age that the Bread of the Eucharist was the Body of Jesus Christ by way of Reality and Transubstantiation for the Fathers of that Age spoke as plainly and clearly concerning it as we do Hear then Tertullian who lived in the beginning of that Age among other Hereticks with a sort of impious Villains who said that our Lord Jesus Christ had no true Body Thus he reasons against them Our Lord having taken Bread and distributed to his Disciples made it his Body saying this is my Body that is to say the figure of my Body Now this had not been a Figure if he had not had a true Body That is to say if the Figure had no relation to the true Body For an empty thing as is a Phantasm is not capable of having a Figure Another Author of the same Age whose Work is ascribed to Origen Disputing against the same Hereticks called Marcionites says If as these pretend our Lord were destitute of Flesh and Blood of what Body of what Flesh of what Blood has he given us the Signs and the Images viz. The Bread and the Cup by which he has commanded his Disciples to preserve and renew his memory These Men had lost their Reason to speak in this manner if they believed the Real Presence above all in disputing against those which denyed that Jesus Christ had a true Body They say Jesus Christ was no Phantasm he had a true Body for he gave us in the Eucharist the figure and Image thereof Now Phantasms have no Images they themselves being Images and no more These Men say I had lost their wits for they should have said Jesus Christ was no Phantasm he had a true Body for he gives this true Body to us to eat every day Since at this day he has a Body and we eat thereof with great reason it may be affirmed he had one when he was upon Earth The first Reason taken from the Image and Figure is of some weight I do acknowledge But this taken from the Reality in the Eucharist had been a hundred time better and according to the Opinion of the Church of Rome is an argument altogether invincible So that we must suppose these Authors did betray and abandoned the Cause of the Church by making use of feeble Arguments against the Marcionites when she had furnished them with one that was utterly impregnable For after all it is not wholly true that Phantasms can have no Figures or Images It is a reflection that you ought to make to discover the vanity of the Sophistry wherewith your Converters serve themselves to answer to those passages and an hundred others without Hyperbole where the Fathers of the seven first Ages called the Eucharist the Figure the Type the Image the Symbols the Signs the Antitypes of the Body and Blood of the Lord it is say they because there are two things in the Eucharist There is Figure and Reality Figure because of the Accidents of Bread and Wine which are the Figures of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ Truth and Reality because of the Real Presence of the Flesh inwardly contained under the Species Now the Fathers sometimes respected the Sacrament on its external part that is to say by the Species in this respect they have called it Figure It it be so at least the Ancients ought not to consider the Sacraments on the side of the Figure when it was necessary for the Cause which they defended to consider it on the side of the Reality as it was in the disputes against the Marcionites Hear yet the same Tertullian to the end
Converters are not men of Fidelity to press you by Principles the falseness whereof they themselves confess for in the Pastoral letter of Monsieur de Meaux in his Catholick Exposition and every where else to hear him speak of the centre of Unity you would say that the Pope possessed this Title by divine Right and behold these Gentlemen profess to us That 't is by a handsome Usurpation tolerated and by the concession of Councils That which Councils have given him they may take away from him This makes it apparent how little of honesty there is in the Quotations which these Monsieurs make from St. Câ—prian who without doubt had a false Idea of the Unity of the Church so false and so ill formed that your Converters themselves will not dare to warrant it We have treated this matter at large in our Answer to Monsieur Nicholas where we have made it apparent that this false Idea of the Unity of the Church which St. Cyprian did communicate to St. Augustine did put the latter to that perplexity and confusion from which he could not withdraw himself on the subject of the validity of the Baptism of Hereticks In the following Letter we must say something as well on the point of Antiquity as that of Controversie and we will make it evident also in the same Letter that supposing this Roman Idea of Unity to be false all their Arguments and Sophisms vanish and come to nothing 15. January 1687. The ELEVENTH PASTORAL LETTER AN Article of Antiquity the end of the History of the Christianity of the Third Age concerning Tradition and the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome An Article of Controversie Reflections upon a Writing lately addressed to the Reformed of France A Continuation of the matter concerning the Unity of the Church Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given to you from our God and Saviour Jesus Christ I Have not obliged my self to acquaint you with all the sad Accidents that do betide us in our Exile and Persecution but the death of the excellent Mr. Claud is an event so grievous that I cannot forbear speaking one word concerning it God hath taken him to himself since our last Letter He was the Father of our Prophets and we may well cry after him My Father my Father the Chariot of Israel and the Horseman thereof God had formerly affixed him in a particular manner to the conduct of the most considerable of your Congregations but Providence made him become in a manner your universal Pastor by the care that he took to defend you from the dangerous Sophistry of those that endeavoured to seduce you and he was herein successful in â—uch a manner as might cover all our Enemies with shame and confusion I acquaint you with the loss that you have sustained that you may lament and look on it as a mark of the continuation of God's displeasure against you His Justice was not yet satisfied the Arrows of his Quiver were not all drawn forth this stroke was still owing to us I pray God this may be the last If you be grieved your Enemies you may be sure rejoyce at it but they must know that if the Ashes and Blood of the Martyrs hath been the seed of the Church the Tombs of the Prophets do preserve their Spirit which passeth to their Disciples If the Grave inclose the Flesh and Bones of this great Man his Writings will preserve his Wit Knowledge and Illuminations and God will not suffer a failure of Persons which shall prophesie on his Tomb for the maintenance of those Victories that he hath gained for the Truth God will do his work in your fight and you shall see this Church which is dead rise again after four days but it may be he will do this work himself and when you see those fall and drop away one after another whose Writings and Discourses might be of use to ruine the success and triumph of Lyes be persuaded that God will derive his Praise from the mouths of Children and that he that laid the Foundation of the Kingdom of his Son by Fishermen will re-establish the Ruines thereof by earthen Vessels into which he will pour his Treasures He whose loss we lament was whilst he lived one of those Instruments which God served himself of for your Edification and Defence Whilst you pour out tears upon his Grave and throw your showers there you may gather sweetness thence Out of the Eater came forth meat and out of the strong came forth sweetness Death that devours and takes all things from us cannot hinder us from searching and finding our Edification in the Remains of this great Man. His last Words will serve as a Support to our Faith. It was not the pleasure of God that he should shed his Blood for the defence of his Truth but he hath made his last Words which are the effusion of his Spirit and of his Soul give Testimony to those Truths which he had preach'd and defended I have says he laboured all my life in the search of the best Religion and being now about to give up my Soul to God I do declare That I have not found any but our own which I have so often defended and in which I am now about to dye which is the true way to Heaven The Words of dying men are the proper Voice of Conscience for in that last moment Dissimulation has no place so that they are the Seal of all the Truths which he hath so gloriously defended My design will not permit me to speak all on this Subject which it were necessary you should know I shall leave it to some other Person and return to the matter of our preceding Letters This shall consist of one point of Antiquity and another of Controversie We are to finish the History of the Christianity of the Third Age. And after we have fortified you against the Illusions which your Seducers frame upon some Passages of the Writings of St. Cyprian and Tertullian on the Subject of Repentance Auricular Confession and Satisfaction I must also fortifie you against the Snares that they compose for you from the Writings of the same Tertullian on the Subject of Tradition for they do not fail to tell you That the Fathers nearest the Apostles had a great respect for the unwritten Word that they did often dispute against Hereticks by Tradition and that Tertullian himself did maintain That there was no other way of disputing against them But to secure you from this Snare Learn First That when Tertullian disputes and proves that which he advances by Tradition it is almost alway about indifferent Ceremonies and matters of practice As in the Book concerning the Soldiers Crown where he proves by Tradition the bearing of no Crown upon the Head of Dipping three times in Baptism of giving Milk and Honey to be eaten by the newly baptized of giving Alms and Oblations for the Dead of not Washing seven days after Baptism 'T
Words of Tertullian ill understood learn from the Example of St. Cyprian who lived in the same Age That Tradition was at that time a proof whereof Men made use according to the diversity of their Apprehensions and their Interests Tertullian seems to make great account of it and St. Cyprian laughs at it when on the subject of Hereticks which he would re-baptize contrary to the Practice of the Church they objected to him Tradition Custom ancient Usage and antique Practice he rejected these Proofs with Contempt and Scorn Stephen had written to him Let nothing be innovated in Tradition Where is this Tradition answers he ‖ Epist 74. is it in the Gospels in the Acts or in the Epistles An ancient Custom without truth is nothing but an old Error And in another Epistle he saith * Epist 63. Since we must hear none but Jesus Christ we need not examine what those that went before us have done but that which Jesus Christ hath done before all for we must not follow the Custom of Men but the Truth of God. To conclude they endeavour to put Scruples in your minds on the Question of the pretended Primacy of the Bishop of Rome and the Roman Church by certain Passages of Tertullian and St. Cyprian either corrupted or ill expounded But that is a business the discussion whereof is too long to be handled at this time yea 't is above the capacity of most of you only know that 't is so far from truth that they did acknowledge the Sovereign Authority of the Pope in that Age that Tertullian makes no scruple to scoff at the Pretensions of the Bishop of Rome and to call him in Raillery the Bishop of Bishops because of some kind of Primacy which he began to pretend to For even in that time the Mystery of Iniquity began to work St. Cyprian despises the Excommunications of Stephen Bishop of Rome and opposes himself to the attempt of those who would appeal to Rome about matters determined in the Provinces of Africa This is that St. Cyprian to whom some Persons attribute the Acknowledgment of the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome who said on the Question of the Baptism of Hereticks and of the Admission of Bishops which had lapsed and fallen †Epist 72. In which case we will do violence to no man nor will we give Law to others observing that every Bishop may use the Power given him according to his Will in the Government of the Church being under no Obligation to give an account thereof to any one but the Lord. 'T was to Stephen Bishop of Rome that he spake thus Judge you whether he acknowledged him for his Superior Hear how the same Cyprian speaks in the face of a Council assembled at Carthage in the Year 258. Let none of us call himself Bishop of Bishops or endeavour to force his Collegues to a necessity of Obedience by a tyrannical fear and terror seeeng every Bishop is Master of himself and cannot be judged by another Bishop nor can he judge other Bishops 'T was also with respect to Stephen Bishop of Rome that he spake thus Has any one the front to say That speaking thus he acknowledged him for his Superior Observe that it was no small Affair that was now under debate 't was about the Baptism of Hereticks a Question which had made a great noise and which Stephen would have decided with too much Authority The Bishop of Meaux after a hundred others of his Communion to prove the Primacy of the Pope by S. Cyprian quotes a Passage from his fifty second Epistle which proves that these Gentlemen do not fear to make themselves ridiculous provided they may seem to say somewhat 'T is a Passage where he pretends S. Cyprian says That the Roman Emperor did suffer in Rome a Priest which was his Rival with more impatience than he suffer'd a Caefar in his Armies which disputed the Empire with him That is to say that the Roman Emperors did impatiently suffer that the Bishop of Rome should be called High Priest to the prejudice of that Dignity which the Emperors assumed unto themselves So that according to this reckoning they were jealous of the Bishops of Rome and look'd upon them as their Rivals in the High Priesthood In truth this is more ridiculous than if one should say The King of England who calls himself Head of the English Church were jealous of the Curate of the Parish of St. Martin in London The Christians certainly were not above one in a hundred in Rome and the Bishops of Rome at that time made less Figure in the World than an Incumbent of five hundred Crowns per annum makes at this day for besides that they were Poor they were also humble What Agreement could the Emperor in quality of a Pagan High-Priest have with this pretended High-Priest of the Christians To be his Rival he must aspire to the same thing I should rather have chosen to have said That the Mufâ—i looks on the Patriarch of Constantinople as his Rival The meanest Scholar knows that the Word Aemulus which signifies Rival signifies also Enemy and 't is clear that S. Cyprian means that that cruel Persecutor the Emperor Decius beheld with more Indignation a Priest that opposed his Religion than he would have look'd upon an Enemy that had disputed the Empire with him To conclude although St. Cyprian should have intended to compare the Bishop of Rome with the Pagan High-Priest it would not follow that the Bishop of Rome was Head of all the Christians in the World for the Roman Priest was not Head but of the Religion of the City of Rome and not of the whole Empire 'T is true that St. Cyprian corrupted the Idea of the Church and opened a door to the most cruel Doctrine that ever was advanced he made a false Idea of the Unity of the Church which he encloses in one only external Communion And because the Unity of one visible Head was not yet invented he imagined I know not what Unity of Episcopacy which all the Bishops did individually possess whereof nevertheless they all administred but a part This inconsistent Imagination gave place afterwards for the Substitution of one single Head to the end that a visible Head might be given to the Unity of the visible Communion which might be the centre thereof This suffices to give you an Idea of the Christianity of the Third Age and by this History you may observe what was altered in Doctrine or Worship 1. They introduced the use of the Sign of the Cross at least in private for we find it not as yet in the publick Acts of Religion We have said nothing to you concerning it as yet because it is a little thing about which we should never make Complaints against any one provided they be not superstitious in the use of it 2. The Liturgy of the Sacrament of the Eucharist was augmented and increased exceedingly by many Prayers
of the Fourth and Fifth Ages The Original of Oecumenical Councils Seven Reasons against their Infallibility drawn from their Original An Article of Controversie The true Idea of Schism All those which are called Schismaticks are not out of the Church Dear Brethren in our Lord Grace and Peace be given to you from our god and Saviour Jesus Christ IN our preceding Letter we began the History of the Novelties which appeared in Christianity during the Fourth and Fifth Ages and the first which we found there was the Original of the Monastick Life The Second thing considerable to the Original whereof we ought to give attention in the Fourth and Fifth Ages are the Councils called General or Oecumenical Not as to the Original of a thing evil in it self but as to a thing of which ill use hath been made and of which they make a snare at this day for ignorant and feeble Minds The pretended Infallibility of the Church is the great Illusion by which they endeavour to deceive the new Converts They know not where to fix this Infallibility sometimes they fix it in the Pope and sometimes in a Council But the French Church by the Authority of the King hath declared her self boldly a little while since for the Infallibility of Councils against the Infallibility of the Pope for which reason 't is expedient that you here learn in a few words the History of the Birth of General Councils that you may understand the absurdity of the Principle upon which your Converters build You must therefore know my Brethren that the French Church not knowing assuredly where to place the Infallibility of the Church distinguisheth Councils into Diocesan Provincial National Oecumenick or General Diocesan Councils are those which the Bishop assembles where he reads his Ordinances to his Curates Provincial Councils are Assemblies of the Suffragan Bishops of one and the same Metropolitan National Councils are those where the Bishops of one or more Nations are Assembled They have not been so bold as to ascribe Infallibility to any one of these Assemblies but there are Councils of an higher Order which it pleases these Gentlemen to call Oecumenical or General Councils to which they ascribe Infallibility they are say they those in which the whole Vniversal Church is assembled When we ask them where is the Institution of these Assemblies in the Holy Scripture they cannot find the least foot-steps thereof I say the least 't is true they there find Assemblies of Believers of Pastors and Elders who considered Matters that were disputed We see one among others in the 15th Chapter of the Acts Some of the Apostles Elders and Brethren which were at Jerusalem assembled to advise about means to determin the Controversie which the Pharisees had raised in the Church concerning the necessity of observing the Law of Moses But it would be ridiculous to call a very small Assembly and very private a General Council where there appeared but three Apostles of thirteen and only the Clergy which happened to be then at Jerusalem When we continue to ask these Gentlemen where we must then take the Original of Oecumenical Councils they answer us in the Fourth and Fifth Ages of the Church and indeed they have reason for it The First of those Councils which bears this Name is that of Nice assembled by the Authority of Constantine in the year 325 to determine the Controversie of the Divinity of the Son against Arrius The Second was assembled by Theodosius the Elder in the year 381 to determine against Macedonius who denied the Divinity of the Holy Spirit The Third was called together at Ephesus under the Empire of Theodosius the Younger in the year 431 against Nestorius who affirmed two Persons in Jesus Christ The Fourth was assembled in the year 451 by the Authority of the Emperour Martian against the Heresie of Eutyches who confounded the two Natures Behold four in 125 years or little more before this Men knew not what a General Council meant Now I intreat you my Brethren give attention to six or seven short Reflections which I shall make thereon that you may understand the great absurdity of affixing Infallibility to these kind of Assemblies this is at this time of the greatest importance to you You must throw to the ground this Phantome of Infallibility which serves as a support to all the Errors of Popery Now this Phantome knows not where to fix its foot and when you shall have forced it out of this last Entrenchment where your Converters have placed it you will see it vanish and disappear 1. Make reflection upon the silence of the Holy Scripture concerning it and see if there be any probability that the design of God was to establish a seat of Infallibility in certain Assemblies and that he should never speak a word thereof It must be granted that there is nothing in the World more important in Religion than this It is not enough that the Scripture hath established the Infallibility of the Church in general as they pretend for it would be in vain for God to say the Church is Infallible if we know not what this Church is where the seat of this Infallibility is placed and by what Mouth she ought to give her Oracles 'T is true they send you to Tradition for all that whereof the Scripture says nothing But this cannot be a Point for which we are to be sent to Tradition for this is the Foundation of Tradition it self Tradition is the consent of the Ancients and this consent is found in Councils All the Authority of Tradition is nothing at least before the Infallibility of Councils is established The Infallibility of Tradition is not in the testimony of single Persons of S. Austin S. Chrysostom c. for these single Persons were not infallible and as yet it has not been thought advisable to make them so 'T is therefore the Infallibility of Councils which alone can make Tradition certain Now Tradition is the second Rule of Faith equal in Authority to the Holy Scripture 't is therefore necessary at least that the Scripture hath given credential Letters to these Oecumenical Councils that their Authority and that of Tradition may be confessed and acknowledged This is not say I an Affair for which we are to be sent to Tradition as well because it is the most important Point of Christianity on which the Faith of the rest depends as because this were to send to Tradition to prove the Authority of Tradition it self which is absurd it is not absurd in the Scripture to have recourse to the Scripture it self to prove the Authority of the Scripture because it is the highest Principle and because there is nothing beyond it it must be that it prove it self But the Scripture is above Councils and Tradition and by consequence it is necessary that the Scriptures establish the Authority both of Tradition and Councils 2. I intreat you to observe that the Church continued three Hundred
that though even the Church should fall into Idolatry we cannot be saved if we separate from it And I say although even the Church of Rome should have Reason at the bottom and were not Idolatrous and that we were out in our Separation we should not hazard our Salvation by continuing as we are Men are every where well where they have Christianity and the marrow and substance of it and 't is a folly to imagine that the Salvation of men depends upon the humor of their Guides It may be therefore that Luther and Calvin were mistaken i. e. That the corruption of the Church of Rome was not great enough to oblige the Faithful to go out of her let us suppose they had done better to leave things as they were I do nevertheless maintain that at this day you do not in any wise hazard your Salvation by continuing where they have placed you because however it be you have Christianity in its integrity you have it wholly pure and uncorrupt In every Society where that is found a man may be saved after whatsoever manner it be formed The Idea which men have formed of Schism for many Ages past is the most false that can be imagined but besides the falshood of it 't is the most dangerous and cruel Chimera that could be found Every Society would be Catholick Church to the exclusion of all others The Church of Rome pretends thus far for her self The Greek Church makes no less pretence thereto He that goes out of this Church breaks the Unity and he that breaks it is no longer in the Church Now he who is no longer in the Church is no longer in a state and way of Salvation whatever he say and whatever he do Behold what they say behold the Chimera We must therefore rectifie this Idea of Schism according to the Unity which we have given you The Unity of the Universal Church does not subsist within the bounds of one certain Communion nor in adherence to certain Pastors to the exclusion of all others but in the Unity of Spirit Doctrine Sacraments and Evangelical Ministry in general i. e. of Pastors declaring the Truth of the Gospel What must be done then to make a Schism with respect to the Church Universal He must renounce the Christian Doctrine the Sacraments of the Church and the Gospel Ministry that is to say He must be an Apostate or an Heretick But every Society that goes out of another and greater Society of which it was a part makes no Schism with respect to the Church Universal whilst it retains the Doctrine the Sacraments and the Ministry of the Gospel it goes not out of the Church because it carries the Church with it and it carries the Church with it because it carries Christianity with it It carries say I the Church with it in such a manner nevertheless that it leaves it in the Society which it leaves for leaving true Christianity there it leaves the true Church there also And the advantage of being the Church and of having Christianity is a Privilege which may be possessed intire and without prejudice to other Christian Societies We must therefore know that there is an Vniversal and Particular Schism Particular Schism is a Separation from a particular Church a Universal Schism is a Separation from the Universal Church Universal Schism consists in the Renunciation of the Universal Church by renouncing her Doctrine Sacraments and Ministry For example If the one half of Christians should separate from the other and set up a new Gospel according to which Moses should be set side by side with Jesus Christ the legal Ceremonies re-established the Evangelical Ministry should be changed into the Ministry of Priests after the Order of Aaron the Sacraments of the Church should be joyned to the Sacraments of the Old Testament it were certain that this would be a true Schism for these Men would renounce the Doctrine the Sacraments and the Ministry of the Gospel The Mahometans without renouncing Jesus Christ and calling him false Prophet have set up a Prophet superior to him and receive the Impostures of Mahomet admit Circumcision and reject Baptism have made a Religion truly and essentially different from that of Christ's 'T is therefore a true universal Schism The Socinians who have renounced almost all the Fundamentals of the Christian Religion who despise and neglect the Sacraments by going out of the Church are become Schismaticks and true Schismaticks with respect to the Church Universal for they have not carried the Church with them because they have not carried Christianity with them According to this Idea Universal Schism or Schism with respect to the Universal Church doth not essentially differ from Heresie and Apostacy Particular Schism is when a Man separates from a particular Church be it for some Point of Doctrine be it for some quarrel about Discipline be it for some personal Differences of the Guides among themselves Of this sort of Schisms there is an infinite number of Examples In the Second Age there was a Schism between the Church of Rome and the Church of Asia about a controversie of Ceremonies about the day on which Easter ought to be observed The Churches of Asia maintained that the Christian Passover ought to be observed on the same day that the Jews observed theirs and they said they held it as a Tradition from St. John. The Church of Rome on the contrary said that Christians ought to observe Easter on the Lord's-day following the Jewish Passover And for the sake of this goodly Controversie Victor Bishop of Rome was so rash as to separate the Churches of Asia from his Communion This Schism continued not only until the Council of Nice but a very long time after for mention is made of the Quartodecimani in the General Council of Ephesus against Nestorius in the year 431. So they called those who celebrated Easter with the Jews on the 14th day of the Month of March. In the Third Age Novatian formed a considerable Schism about a Point of Discipline viz. Whether we ought to receive those who fell in times of Persecution to the Peace of the Church This Schism continued a long time We find this Schism continuing amidst all the great troubles that were betwixt the Arrians and the Orthodox the union of Opinions that was between the Novatians and the Catholicks with respect to the Doctrine of Arrius did not put a period unto it In the same Age the Donatists made another Schism in Africa about the choice of a Bishop of Carthage Two Parties being formed about it a Division was made it spread through all Africa and continued many Ages There happened another in the beginning of the Fifth Age by one named Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople who taught there were two Persons as well as two Natures in Christ Another was made a little while after by Eutyches Abbot of a Monastery in Constantinople who desiring to oppose Nestorius who distinguished two Persons
same place or in another 'T is a matter of Fact which our Adversaries cannot deny In the 20th of the Acts the Apostle speaking to the Presbyters or Elders of the Church of Ephesus calls them Bishops and in his Epistles to Timothy and Titus where he speaks sometimes of a Bishop he speaks more frequently of Elders and by Elders he understands the very same which he had called Bishops In the Cities where the Churches were great there were many Presbyters one of them did preside over the rest not by turn but by a privilege which did always appertain to him St. Paul speaks of this President The Elder which rules well is worthy of double honor This presiding Presbyter in the beginning of the second Age arrogates to himself the name of Bishop which before was common to his Collegues so that there was no other but the President of the Presbytery who call'd himself Bishop He attributed to himself also the right of imposing hands as well on those which were received as Pastors as on the Penitents and those which were received to the Communion of the Mysteries In all this there was as yet no Hierarchy no Dependence no Appeals no Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Every Bishop with his College of Presbyters was Sovereign in his District and in his Church and this Church was not dependent of any other You may remember how S. Cyprian in our Eleventh Pastoral Letter hath told us in express words * Epist 74. Every Bishop may use his Authority in the Government of his Church according to his own Will being under no obligation to give an account thereof to any but the Lord. And elsewhere †Concil Carth. Anno 258. That every Bishop is Master of himself and cannot be judged by another Bishop as he also cannot judge other Bishops All honest men are agreed at this day therein The Divines themselves of the Gallican Church maintain it and at this time they lend us their Studies and Illuminations to refute the Flatterers of the Papal Tyranny who would find in the three first Ages of the Church Proofs of the Primacy i. e. of the Principality of the Bishop of Rome over all the Churches of the World. The Defenders of this Antichristian Power quote to us the Action of Victor Bishop of Rome who about the end of the Second Age excommunicated the Churches of Asia because they would not keep Easter precisely the same day that he did and from thence they conclude That the Pope was even then the Prince of all Churches But to this your own Converters do answer for us that in this Victor exercised no Right but what was common to all Bishops and that the Bishops of Asia might exercise it on Victor as he had exercised it on them that this Excommunication of Victor was a separation from his Communion that the Bishops did communicate one with another by Letters which they called Letters of Communion formed Letters c. When they were angry or discontented one with another they did no longer write these Letters of Communion to those of whom they believed the Church had reason to complain and they received no more from them that this is it which Victor then did and that all Bishops have Right by custom to do the same thing The Flatterers of Popes quote to us also the Words of Irenaeus who speaking of the Church of Rome says * Lib. 3. cap. 3. That it was necessary all other Churches should have recourse to this Church because it was the principal and the most potent But the French Roman Catholick Doctors answer for us that the sense is That the Roman Church because the City of Rome was the Capital City of the Empire and because of its grandeur might be a sufficient Witness of Apostolical Tradition because Christians came thither upon business from all Parts of the World and that coming thither they might there be Witnesses of the Faith of all Churches scattered throughout all the Empire and that so the Roman Church made up and formed of all Nations might be a Witness of the Faith of all the Churches in the World. They object to us also That it appears by the Works of St. Cyprian that Bishops condemned and deposed in Africa had recourse to the Bishop of Rome for their re-establishment But the French Doctors answer with us That by the same Letters of St. Cyprian it appears also that these Attempts were disallowed and condemned and that they gave the Bishop of Rome to understand that he had nothing to do to receive the Complaints of any of the Ecclesiasticks of the African Church So that these Gentlemen acknowledge with us that in the three first Ages of Christianity there was no Principality no subordinate Jurisdiction nor no dependence of one Church upon another not excepting the Church of Rome it self But we do also maintain unto them That from the Third Age the Churches that had their Seats in those Cities which are called Metropoles i. e. Heads of the Provinces did obtain a certain Superiority upon the lesser Churches that were in the little Villages of the Neighbourhood because of the need they had of them The Metropolitan Cities were the dwelling places of the Governors of the Provinces the Courts of Justice were there 't was thither they carried their Tributes so that all the Provinces had business there besides the Bishops of these Cities were ordinarily more able than those of little Cities for it has always been the ordinary custom to choose the ablest men for the conduct of the most important Churches and such as were most exposed to the Temptations of human Authority Besides this there were in these Cities many Presbyters which assisted the Bishop and who with him made a Senate able and knowing in matters of Faith and Discipline For these Reasons the Churches of the Country and such as were Provincial addressed themselves to the Churches of the Metropolitan Cities in all their doubts and in all their necessities sometimes to obtain Pastors sometimes to know how they should suppress Hereticks and those which were scandalous and sometimes in other cases and on other occasions This was the reason that the Churches of the Metropolitan Cities obtained by consent a kind of Superintendence over others They confirmed by imposition of hands Pastors in vacant Churches after the People of those Churches had made an Election of them This is the estate in which the Government was found in the beginning of the Fourth Age. Before that time the Names of Arch-Bishops Primates Exarchs Patriarchs and every other Name of Power and Dignity were wholly unknown in the Church But the Emperors becoming Christians Pride introduced it self into the Ecclesiastical Government and in the space of an 150 years or thereabout that Hierarchy was seen to be born and to establish it self which certainly made way for the birth of the Antichristian Empire of Rome and behold how it came to pass Constantine the Great
more plainly that the Eucharist is nothing but a Sacrifice of Commemoration And if it be a simple Commemoration where is the Real Presence where is the Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Living and the Dead They are the same Authors which say That Jesus Christ by his Servants f In Epist ad Heb. cap. 8. vers 4. hath accomplished among men that which respects Sacrifice representing by Bread and Wine the Misteries of his Body and of his Saving Blood. The Author of the imperfect Work upon St. Matthew under the name of Chrysostome sâ—â—â—h That the Christian g Homil. 19. ib. offers the Sacrifice of Bread and Wine And St. Jerome h Jer. lib. 2. Advers Jovin That Melchizedeck did not offer the Victims of Flesh and Blood but that he did dedicate the Sacrament of Jesus Christ with Bread and Wine which is a simple and pure Sacrifice And St. Austine i Lib. 16. de Civit. Dei. c. 22. lib. 17. c. 5. 17. That to eat Bread under the New Testament is the Sacrifice of Christians and that men offer every-where under the High-Priest Jesus Christ that which Melchizedeck brought when he blessed Abraham That is to say Bread and Wine And Isidore of Pelusium k Lib. 1. Ep. 401. That the Oblation of Christians is an Oblation of Bread. And St. Fulgentius l Ad Petrum de Fide cap. 19. That the Catholick Church does not cease to offer throughout all the Earth an Oblation of Bread and Wine And Eucherius Bishop of Lions m In Genes lib. 2. cap. 18. That Jesus Christ hath commanded Christians to offer in Sacrifice not Victims of Beasts as did Aaron but the Sacrifice of Bread and Wine I would willingly know how an Oblation of Bread and Wine can be a true Sacrifice of Humane Flesh propitiatory for the sins of Men They have not spoken otherwise even until the establishment of the Opinion of the Real Presence for venerable Bede in the eighth Age saith n In Psal 133. That the Lord hath changed the Sacrifices of the Law into the Sacrifices of Bread and Wine And Isidore of Seville in the seventh Age o Lib. de Alleg. That the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ i. e. the Oblation of Bread and Wine is offered through all the World. The same Fathers have also said with one consent That the Christian hath no other true Sacrifice but that of the Cross Origen in the third Age did say p Homil. 17. in Numb That when the perfect Oblation and Lamb without spot came to take away the Sins of the World the Sacrifices which were offered to God one after another did seem superfluous seeing that by one only Sacrifice all the Worship of Demons was destroyed It had been natural to say that the Worship of the Sacrifice of the Mass was put in the place of the Worship of Devils And St. Chrysostome a Homil. 17. in Johan That Jesus Christ hath offered one only Sacrifice for Sins and that he always cleanseth us by this Sacrifice alone And elsewhere b Hom. 13. in Heb. There is no other Sacrifice one Sacrifice alone hath purified and cleansed us To speak thus is indeed to forget ones self seeing we have a daily and continual Sacrifice which is that of the Mass It would be to no purpose to quote more Authors for they all speak after the same manner An Article of Controversie A Conclusion of the Matter of Schism the extream Corruption of Popery hath forced us to a Separation IN the preceding Letter we began to make for you a Picture of Popery to convince you of the Justice and Necessity of our Reformation This Corruption of Popery may be either considered in its Guides its Head and principal Members or in its Doctrine We did consider this Corruption in its Head i. e. the Pope in its Guides i. e. the Cardinals Primates Archbishops and Bishops in its principal Members such are the Priests the Monks and the Nuns and in all this we have seen the Characters of the Conductors of Babel and the Emissaries of Antichrist These are the Mouths of Popery but what can proceed out of such Mouths 'T is easie to judge They appoint for you at this day Preachers which speak good things There have been for some time past a number of persons raised up to obtain the use of the Word of God and the Holy Scripture for the people But this is neither ancient nor general you must know the Popish Ministery by what it was not long since and by what it is in all places where 't is regnant hear those which tell you the Holy Scripture is a dangerous Book an obscure Book all full of Traps Snares and Precipieces that an infinite number of men have ruined themselves thereby that 't is from thence that Hereticks have drawn their Heresies that 't is imperfect that it contains not half the Christian Religion that to understand the true sence of this half there needs another which is called the Unwritten Word Tradition the infallible Voice of the Church And a man knows not where to find this Voice However it be they do assure you that the Scripture has no Authority without Tradition that without the Testimony of the Church we were no more obliged to believe the Gospel than Titus Livius or the Fables of Homer Moreover at this day the Jansenists great Defenders of the Holy Scriptures tell you plainly and without scruple or hesitation That by the Holy Scripture we cannot prove the Divinity of Jesus Christ and that it were a Folly more clear than the day to go about to prove the Divinity of the Holy Scriptures by the Scripture itself There is nothing that Popery doth not do to decry this sacred Book Not only 't is insufficient obscure it has no authority by itself but it is maimed imperfect many Books thereof are lost those which remain are corrupt either by the Jews or by the negligence of Transcribers we cannot know with any certainty what is intire or what is not the Translations thereof are spoiled there are none of them conformable to the Original Good God what a Prodigy is this And how great must the patience of God be to tollerate a Religion which makes it its business to annihilate to vilifie and abase those Oracles which ought to be so venerable among all Christians What Christianity is this but that in which for the space of more than a thousand years the Scripture was an unknown Book almost to all Christians and is so yet at this day in all those places where Popery domineers without contradiction Observe also the profound Ignorance in which those people live that are subject to the Popish Inquisition To find among them the Figures of Aretine or some other infamous Work is no fault but to find there a Bible in the Vulgar Language is a crime not to be forgiven for which reason
with a Spirit of Giddiness To conclude their own Authors have been quoted to them who in these last times on the subject of some Disputes about Grace have spoken against each other a thousand and a thousand heinous Calumnies Therefore if eagerness and transport against Brethren be always a mark of Reprobation 't is unavoidably that St. Epiphanius Jerome Cyril Chrysostome as well as all the Hero's of Popery be esteemed Reprobates This is enough to make it evident that instead of drawing prejudices against Doctrine from the faults of those who teach it we ought to admire the profound Wisdom of God who serves himself of weak Instruments to execute great things who leaves in men the faults of their temper and nevertheless fails not to use them profitably in his great Work of building up Jerusalem to the end that all the glory may be of God and not of us and that we may have reason to say We have this Treasure in earthen Vessels To conclude the last Accusation is founded on the difference of sentiments in which the Authors of our Separation were found with respect to some points I consider writes the Lady of whom we have spoken I consider says she three men which appeared almost in the same time who attempting to reform the Church in the mean while could not agree among themselves in the most essential points If a person had a mind well formed and fashioned as it ought to be instead of being scandalized at this that the Reformers were at a difference about some Articles he would be edified by this that they were at an agreement in so many I am troubled at this that they were not at an agreement in all but I much more admire this that without consultation as it appears by their Controversies with each other they agreed in so many points and I look on it as an evident proof that God guided them in this great Work. For 't is certain that if they had been inspired by a spirit purely Humane as all the Patrons of Heresies have been they would have agreed in nothing but in the general design of troubling the Peace of the Church Let a man read the History of Heresies and Hereticks and he will see that they made Sects and Parties that differed in every thing the Gnosticks the Manichees the Arrians the Entychians the Nestorians and a hundred others They might agree in certain points as the Gnosticks and the Manichees might agree in the Heresie of two Principles but it was with such enormous differences that it was visible they could not be guided by one and the same Spirit But I intreat you by what accident did the Authors of our Separation agree to condemn in Popery the Sacrifice of the Mass the taking away of the Cup Transubstantiation the Adoration of the Eucharist the Procession of the Sacrament private Masses Purgatory Indulgencies Humane Satisfactions the Adoration of Images the Invocation of Saints the Worship of Reliques Monastick Vows the Pope and Antichristian Tyranny a barbarous Language in the Worship of God Prayers for the Dead false Sacraments the abuse of Ecclesiastical Power the Merit of Works Works of Supererrogation Pilgrimages Idolatrous Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Legends Institution of divers Orders of Monks Miracles the Infallibility of the Church the supreme Authority of the Pope or Councils over Consciences Traditions the pretended imperfection obscurity and insufficiency of the Holy Scripture and the prohibition to read it This is the object to which we ought to give attention that we may admire and say it must be that all this be false wicked vicious and of such corruption as is plain and obvious since men that were at no agreement or correspondence among themselves yea who divided and oftentimes evil intreated each other should agree and be at good accord therein Indeed 't is a thing which we can never admire enough that men who were no Prophets nor inspired persons nor led by an infallible Spirit should condemn in Popery not that which continues of Christianity there viz. the Fundamental Doctrines contained in the Creed but precisely and only all the pernicious Additions yea and that one and the same Additions Wherefore did not one of them take one part of Popery and reject another Why without any correspondence did they treat as Abominations all these pieces patched on to Christianity Why did they agree that we ought to receive only the Word of God for the Rule of our Faith Why and how did they agree so admirably in the Interpretation of this Word of God If a man does not acknowledge something Divine therein he must be smitten with a spirit of Astonishment But they are not at an agreement about the manner how the Bread in the Eucharist is the Body of Jesus Christ Behold a thing very amazing that among a hundred and a hundred points in which they are agreed there should be one in which they could not come to an accord Moreover Popery cannot reasonably draw any advantage from this dissention for if they be not at an agreement among themselves they agree to condemn the Opinion of the Roman Church therein The Lutherans have nothing in this point in common with the Papists 't is a thing which we shall make plain to you one day This is therefore but one point against a hundred Is this worthy of consideration and thereof to make a Stumbling-block and a Scandal But however it be some will say how little considerable soever it may appear 't is the Foundation of a Schism the Lutherans and the Reformed make two different Communions On this subject and in general of all the Faults which are observed in the Authors of the Separation such as passion excess of heat quarrels divisions controversies too too warmly managed injuries and calumnies and to conclude the Schism which their Successours live in among themselves 'T is fit to admire the providence of God and to bring hither the excellent Reflections of Mr. Paschal saying with him A man will never understand any thing in the Works of God if he do not lay down this as a Principle That He does illuminate some and blind others Hear the Comment on this Maxim given by himself * Thoughts of Mr. Paschal cap. 17. God hath been willing to Redeem Men and to open the Door of Salvation to those that search it but Men make themselves so unworthy that it 's just that He refuse to some because of their Hardness and Impenitency that which He grants to others by a Mercy that is not due unto them If He had pleased to surmount the Obstinacy of the most hardned He could have done it by discovering himself so manifestly unto them that they should not have doubted of the truth of his Existence and so will appear at the last day even with such a lusture and brightness that the most blind shall see him It was not his pleasure to appear after this manner in estates of
prove the Church to the weakest by Scripture In the second That a man may prove the Church to the most weak by Tradition And in the third That the Church of Rome is not unfurnished with exterior marks which make her known to be the true Church to the weak Behold three Sources of visibility for the Roman Church 1. Tradition 2. Exterior Marks 3. The Scripture As this is one of the Books which your Converters put into your hands I do intreat you to give attention to what I have to say to you thereon I begin with Tradition They understand by Tradition the Testimony of the Fathers Councils and Authors of all Ages therefore the meaning is they can prove the Church of Rome is the true Church by the testimony of the Greek and Latin Fathers and by the Councils of the Greek and Latin Church And at first this is a contradiction that stares you in the face It may be proved says he to the weak by the Fathers and the Greek and Latin Councils that the Church of Rome is the true Church And how can a man prove to the weak a truth by the testimonies of the Greek and Latin Fathers To those which understand neither Latin nor Greek or who have neither means nor time to turn over the Leaves or read and examine these great Volumes Behold the way nothing more remains than to employ these two means the first is a Principle founded on a Rule of St. Austin that all Customs that are found universally established whose original and beginning we know not may be very justly ascribed to the Apostles The second means is included in this Syllogism which Mr. Nicholas makes The Scripture and Tradition teach that there hath been always in the World one Church visible and successive and that this Church is infallible for the instruction of believers in the truths of Faith. Now the Church of Rome is this only visible Church Therefore the Church of Rome is the infallible Church and to her alone it belongs to instruct men in the truths of Faith. And behold how Mr. Nicholas forms a light upon the first medium which makes the Church of Rome visible to the weak All the Traditions which the Hereticks dispute saye he have their certain Epoche's or beginnings which are not disputed by them The Calvinists agree that in the fourth Age men called upon Saints adored Reliques and observed Lent that in the seventh Age they worshipped Images in the eleventh they believed Transubstantiation The weak have no need to assure themselves of this matter of fact by way of examination for 't is confessed on both sides Apply the Principle of St. Austin that all Customs found universally established in one Age and whose beginning we know not may be justly attributed to the Apostles Now the customs of invoking Saints adoring Images observing Lent and worshipping the Sacrament are found generally established in some Ages as the Calvinists confess and we know not where to find the original of them therefore they ought to be referred to the Apostles A man cannot tell how many Illusions there are therein which are unworthy of an honest man yea a man of a good understanding First 't is to scoff at mankind to say 't is a light proper to make the Church visible to the weak For this method of reasoning doth necessarily suppose 1. That a person must know that this pretended Rule on which they support themselves is St. Austin's 2. That the Ministers consent to the truth of this rule 3. That they confess that upon certain times the customs of adoring Images praying to Saints c. were generally received 4. That from thence it follows that these customs generally established in some Ages ought to be referred to the Apostles All this is disputed and there are large Books written on the Subject which the weak cannot read and this requires an examination which is above the capacity of those which are not men of learning This is that which we have proved invincibly in our Answer to Mr. Nicholas * System of the Church l. 2. c. 16. Secondly It is to be observed that this fine Principle upon which this pretended Evidence is founded viz. the Rule of St. Austin is false especially if it be applied to all Ages It hath been observed that the Fathers of the fourth Age were very much inclined to support the Novelties crept into the Church upon the authorities of the Apostles and to make all things pass for Apostolick the beginning whereof the People were not then able to see It is therefore false that all Customs which are found establish'd in a certain Age although we be not able to find the beginning of them in a distinct manner ought to be ascribed to the Apostles For example The custom of adoring the Sacrament of the Eucharist was not generally established in the Latin. Church till the twelfth Age. Although we could not find the original of this Idolatry it were an impiety to attribute it to the Apostles There are certain Practices which are insensibly established by little and little the first point of whose original cannot be precisely observed It doth not follow therefore that we must ascribe the original to the Apostles We must attribute nothing to the Apostles but what is in their Writings 3. I observe that there is a faulty and shameful falseness in the application of the Rule Mr. Nicholas pretends that the Customs which are found generally established in certain Ages ought to be referred to the Apostles and that for this reason the custom of falling prostrate before Images must be referred to them because this custom is found generally established in the eighth Age. I do maintain that Mr. Nicholas does basely betray his conscience in this example for he is perswaded as well as I and all those Roman Catholicks in France which are men of knowledge and understanding do know that the Apostles did not establish Image-worship and these Gentlemen do not refuse to confess it when they are not in dispute Fourthly I say that this reasoning supposes a thing which is altogether false 't is that we are not able to find the original of those Customs which are generally established in certain Ages this is false the custom of praying to Saints is found established in the fifth Age. In our preceding Letters we have shewn the original and birth thereof In like manner we find in all the following Ages the birth of the Worship of Images of Purgatory the Sacrifice of the Mass the Real Presence and Transubstantiation They make a wrangling with us about it unworthy of honest men Shew us say they who was the first Heretick that taught either the Invocation of Saints or the Worship of Images or those other false Worships which you condemn I answer that I have no need to name their Author seeing I have shewn the Age of their birth I prove for example after a manner invincible that they did
not invocate Saints in the three first Ages of the Church I find afterwards the Invocation of Saints about the end of the fourth Age. Is not this to observe the point of its birth what does the name of the first Author signifie in this case Besides superstitious and idolatrous Practices had not one single Author they had many 't is the sottish and ill instructed people who introduce Superstitions and who introduce them insensibly and by little and little But for speculative Heresies 't is the learned which give them birth for which reason 't is easie to mark both their Authors and the precise time of their original Fifthly To conclude I observe in this light which Mr. Nicholas forms to us to make the Church of Rome visible there is no more of sound judgment than of honesty For although even all that he says were solid and his method would prove the Invocation of Saints the Adoration of Reliques Lent c. were Apostolical Traditions this would not prove that which ought to be proved here viz. that the Church of Rome is the only true Church For it must be known that the Greek Church which according to the Papists is schismatical and which a man cannot secure his salvation do also invocate Saints worship Images and observe Lent. 'T is therefore necessary to find in Tradition a proof which makes it evident that the Church of Rome is the true Church with exclusion to all other Sects and this is it which the reasoning of Mr. Nicholas doth not prove neither directly nor indirectly The other Source from whence Mr. Nicholas will draw a light by Tradition to make the Church of Rome visible to the weak is yet more dark and obscure 'T is a ratiocination which supposes 1. That Tradition teaches that there hath been a visible and infallible Church in the World. Tradition doth not teach it and although it should teach it a plain weak man which cannot read the Greek and Latin Fathers the Councils and the Opinions of the Doctors would not be in a condition to assure himself thereof 2. This reasoning supposes in its second Proposition that the Church of Rome is this only visible infallible Church And this is that which must be proved that is that which is obscure and must be made plain to the eyes of the weak Is it not therefore very absurd to pretend to make a light for the weak to render the Roman Church visible of that which is denied and contested by all the World yea although it should be true that there is one visible and infallible Church it would not follow that this were the Church of Rome for three fourth parts of Christians dispute this priviledge with her Mr. Nicholas hath found an admirable secret to draw the weak out of this difficulty It is not needful as he insinuates to make known to the weak that there be other Sects as ancient as the Church of Rome who pretend to be the Church Nothing more is necessary than to make them see the new Sects of Lutherans and Calvinists in opposition to the Church of Rome For they will easily see that this visible Church which ought always to be in the World cannot be that of Luther and Calvin and they will not be so much as tempted to search any other Church but that of Rome I think I have pressed Mr. Nicholas thereon after such a manner as to cover him with a confusion out of which he will never escape For I have made him see that it is properly to cheat the weak to let them believe there is no other Church in the World but the Roman and the Protestant The Protestant Church not having the marks of perpetual visibility since she was not till about two hundred years ago the weak without inquiring further believe that the Roman Church is the only true Church on supposition that she is the only ancient Church Mr. Nicholas confesses that this supposition is false for he acknowledges the Greek Church is as ancient as the Roman But nevertheless according to him 't is expedient to permit the weak to believe this false supposition as if it were true that they be not tempted to search any other Church but the Roman On this matter of fact and about all the rest of the Book against Mr. Nicholas we do declare to him that his silence is look'd upon as a conviction They write that he prepares an Answer to the first Part of the System of the Church where the Nature of the Church is spoken to If it be so we declare to him that that is not the capital Controversie between him and me 'T is about the impossibility of examination of particular Controversies 't is about the Authority of the Church which he ought to answer and to which he will never answer the 2d light which Mr. Nicholas forms to make the Church of Rome visible is drawn from the external marks which make her known for the true Church to the weak and ignorant These external marks according to him may be reduced to two they are Miracles and Sanctity Now this Sanctity and these Miracles which must make the Roma Church visible are either those of the present or those of past Ages Mr. Nicholas searches the visibility of the Church of Rome more in the Miracles of the first Ages than in those of this And behold how he reasons the Church of the two or three first Ages had marks sufficiently evident of the Divine Spirit wherewithal she was animated the miraculous Holiness of her Members and the Miracles which were done there made her sufficiently visible and sufficiently supported her authority If the Church of the three first Ages had this character both of authority and evidence we cannot refuse it to the Church of the fourth Age for 't was the same Church She possessed all the advantages of the three first Ages That is to say her Miracles and her Prodigies of Sanctity which appertained to her by right of succession and she had those which were her own and which were not inferiour to them For she had her Martyrs her Prodigies of Sanctity and her Miracles and these Miracles were done in that same Church where by the confession of the Ministers they prayed to Saints and worshipped Reliques These Prodigies of Sanctity and these Miracles did yet continue in those Ages in which the Ministers do confess that they had Images and believed Transubstantiation For example in the Age of St. Bernard which is the 12th This St. Bernard wrought Miracles and taught all that which is believed in the Church of Rome Follow on from Age to Age and you will come even to the Church of the present Age who hath right to attribute to her self not only the Miracles of the Apostles but all those which have been wrought since and above all those which were done by the Reliques of Saints in the fourth and fifth Ages As the Miracles which St. Austin reports
Martyrdom of M. Charpentier of Rufac in Angoulmois 16 Letter Concerning the Invocation of the Blessed Virgin It s Original and in what Age. An Answer to the New Converts about Schism The Martyrdom of M. Barbut at Nismes Confessours sent to the Western Isles A Letter of M. Guirant Confessor of Nismes The Martyrdom of M. Mollieres A false Alarm about a Massacre at Nismes 17 Letter Three Proofs of the Novelty of the Invocation of Saints An Answer to the New Converts about Schism The Martyrdom of M. du Cross Other Confessours M. Chantguion and Chemer Martyrs and Confessors of Vassey A Letter of Madam de V. The Confession of Jane Balle in the County of Charollois 18 Letter An Answer to Soulier the Priest about a pretended Conspiracy at Montpazier 19 Letter Concerning the Original of the Worship of Images The Corruption of the Head and Members in Popery did force and constrain our Separation M. Matthew de Durass a Confessor M. the Baron of Verliac and Madam his Wife sent to America and drowned A Letter from Cadez concerning the Confessours sent to the Islands 20 Letter Concerning the Sacrifice of the Mass in the fourth and fifth Ages A Description of the Corruption of Popery A Confession of M. de Cross his Doughters The famous Martyrdom of M. Menuret The Cruelties of Rapine The young Women Whipt 21 Letter The Faith of the fourth and fifth Ages about the Eucharist An Apology for our Reformers Father Paul the Venetian his Reasons why he did not break with the Church of Rome 22 Letter The Faith of the fourth and fifth Ages about the Eucharist Concerning the perpetual Visibility of the Church M. de Lalo M. de la Pierre M. de Saint Cross M. de Beauregard M. de Bardonnanche Confessors of Dauphine M. de Lis a Martyr of Dauphine 23 Letter The Sacrament was not Adored in the fourth and fifth Ages An Answer to the Confequences of the perpetual Visibility of the Church A Letter of the Vicar-General of St. Malo concerning the Effects of the Thunder which fell into the Church An Accident happening to the Host on Corpus Christi Day at Paris The Burning of the great Church at Rochel Thunder falling on divers Churches Confessours drowned at Martinique 24 Letter The Church of Rome hath neither Tradition nor Conformity with the Scripture which make it visible to the Vulgar Aug. 15th 1687. AN APPENDIX Containing A NARRATION OF THE WARS and SLAUGHTERS Occasioned by the Jesuits and Missionaries in Aethiopia FOR THE Promoting and Establishing their Religion there AND Some brief ACCOUNT OF THE Late Persecution in Hungary IN the beginning of the precedent Age James Alvarez a Priest of Portugal brought Letters from David the King of Aethiopia to Pope Clement the Seventh He found him at Bolonia with the Emperour Charles the Fifth and gave him those Letters which promised Obedience to him on the part of the King of Aethiopia This Promise of Homage coming from the South was very acceptably received by Clement the Seventh who saw all the West ready to revolt and shake off the Yoak of the Roman Church The Letters of King David to the Pope which are certainly very submissive are yet to be seen but at present the Aethiopians pretend that James Alvarez was an Impostor and a Cheat who falsified the Civilities of the Emperour and interpreted his Letters wholly otherwise than they signified in the Original because Obedience to the Pope and the Terms wherein they are expressed were utterly unknown in Aethiopia at that time John Bermudes came to Rome at the same time to desire assistance from the Pope against the Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Adel. The Pope received and treated him with great kindness and furnish'd the Abyssines which were at Rome with what was necessary for their entertainment and to imprint Bibles and Littanies in their own Language All these Civilities were so many Snares to make them fall by an intire submission to the Bishop of Rome and oblige them to embrace the Romish Religion Ignatius Loyola the Founder of the Order of Jesuits earnestly sollicited a Commission to go and labour in what they call the Conversion of this Great Empire He could not obtain it but it was given to John Barrett a Jesuit with the title of Patriarch of the Abyssines This Barrett took or received for a Companion Andrew Oviedo with the title of Bishop They both embarqued in Portugal for the Indies to the end that they might pass from thence into Aethiopia King Claudius had succeeded to David his Father The Patriarch and his Suffragan Bishop would not venture themselves with this new King without knowing of what spirit and humour he was They sent three Jesuits James Dias Goncal Rodrighes and Friar Fulgentius Freyra to get intelligence concerning him they came and were received with sufficient kindness by the King of Aethiopia But he learnt that the King of Portugal sent him these men and prepared others to instruct him and his people in the Roman Religion this affrighted him He stood in doubt a long time betwixt the fear that he had that these new Evangelists and Converters should trouble both Church and State and that of offending the King of Portugal of whose friendship he thought he had need He had divers Conferences with them the sum whereof on the part of the Portugese was That if the Abyssines would be saved they must acknowledge the Pope for the Vicar of Jesus Christ and submit to him under that Character and Title But the Abyssines answered That it was an Affair which could not be concluded without consulting the other Patriarchs At last King Claudius permitted that the other Priests of Portugal should come and promised to receive them kindly The Patriarch John Barrett nevertheless durst not hazard his Patriarchal Dignity upon the Word of the King. He continued in the Indies and sent the Bishop Andrew Oviedo accompanied with five Priests of that Society The King of Aethiopia received them very civilly and permitted them to perform Divine Offices according to the Roman Church yea it was permitted to all to joyn themselves to the Communion of the Church of Rome But Oviedo not content with that was very importunate with the King to oblige him to submit himself to the Pope He answered That his Ancestors had never acknowledged other Superiour in holy things than the Successors of St. Mark that is to say the Patriarch of Alexandria This is worthy of observation and makes it apparent that Alvarez exceeded his Commission when he came to yield obedience and submission to the Pope in the name of David the Father of Claudius For the Son could not have said that his Ancestors had never acknowledged any other than the Successors of St. Mark if very lately his Father had designed to submit to the Bishop of Rome and did actually do it Oviedo presses the business Claudias obstinately refuses At last he consented to Conferences in which the Jesuits had great