}
A
SECOND DEFENCE
Againft the
BISHOP of CONDO M
Imprimatur,
Liber cui titulus [ A Second Defence
of the Expofition of the Church of
England, &c Part I ]
Novemb. 16.
1687-
H. Maurice, Reverendiſſimo in
Chrifto P. D. Wilhelmo
Archiepifcopo Cant. à Sacris.
wake, William, abp of Canterbury
A
SECOND DEFENCE
OF THE
EXPOSITION of the DOCTRINE
OF THE
Church of England:
Againſt the New
EXCEPTIONS
O F
Monfieur de MEAUX,
Late Biſhop of CONDOM,
AND HIS
VINDICATO R
The First Part.
W. Wake. MA.
In which the ACCOUNT that has been given of the Biſhop
of MEAUX's Expofition, is fully vindicated; the Diftin-
dion of OLD and NEW POPERY Hiftorically afferted;
and the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in point of
IMAGE-WORSHIP more particularly confider'd.
LONDON, Printed for Richard Chilwell, at the Rofe
and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard. MDCLXXXVII.
C
BX
1750
8753
WISI
English
H
3.30 43
47622
THE
TABLE
OF THIS
FIRST PART.
A
3
N ADDRESS to the Vindicator ན་
laying down the Method of the follow-
ing Defence.
II. The PREFA CE; in which is contain'd,
1. An Hiſtorical Vindication of the
Diſtinction of D and New Pope
ry.
P. iii
2. An Enquiry, how far we may judge
of the Doctrine of the Church of
Rome, from the PRACTICES
and OPINIONS of the Parti-
cular Members of it.
p. xii.
III. The DEFENCE: divided into Three.
General SECTIONS.
a
་
P. E.
SEC.T.
Res
The TABLE.
SECT. I
After a fhort Introduction, confiders the Biſhop of
MEAUX's fecond Letter, in an Addreſs to the
faid Bishop.
P. 5
The Bishop of MEAUX's Expofition written for the Con-
verfion of the 'Marefball de Turenne.
1
The ſeveral parts of the Letter examined.
་
p. 8
P. 9
1. That there was an Edition of the Expofi-
tion ſuppreſsd, different from what we now
See.
P. 9
2. That thefe Differences were in Points con-
fiderable, and not only for the greater neatneſs
of the Stile, as the Bishop pretends.
P. 15
3. Of St. Chryfoftom's Epistle to Cæfarius. p. 20
4.
"That MONSIEUR M
5.
did anſwer
the Bifhop of CONDO M's Expofition. ib.
1. That Father CRASSET's Principles
are not to be reconciled with the Bishop of
CONDOM's Expofition, as is preten-
ded.
P. 21
2. Concerning the Perfecution in the Dioceſs
of ME AUX, and the Biſhop's repeated
DENIAL of it ſhem to be a wretched
Prevarication.
P. 24
6. Car-
The TABLE
P. 31
6. Cardinal CAPISUCCHI's Doctrine in
point of Image-wohin utterly inconfiftent
with the Bishop of CONDOM's Expo-
firion.
His Opinion at large confidered, and com-
pared with the Principles of Monfieur
de MEAUX and his VINDICA-
TOR.
P. 34
7. Monfieur IMBERT's Cafe examined.
That he was profecuted by the Archbishop
of BOURDEAUX, for maintaining the
Doctrine of the Bishop of CONDOM
and the VINDICATOR.
P. 39
8. Of Cardinal BONA
P. 45
Monfieur de WITTE, and
P. 46
The POPE's Brief.
ibid.
The CLOSE.
P. 47
SECT. II.
Being an Anſwer to thoſe falle Imputations which
the VINDICATOR has caft upon me, and
the rest of my Brethren of the Church of En-
gland.
The Reaſonableness of this Confideration.
P. 49
ib.
The Summ of this Section divided into Three Parts.
a 2
PART
The TABL E.
•
PART I
In which it is fhewn with what Spirit and De-
fign the VINDICATOR took this Courſe
to defame us.
P. 51
1. That the Principles of many of the Ca-
fuifts of the Roman Church do allow the
defaming of an Adverſary by fuch Accufa-
tions as they K NOW to be FALSE. p.51
2. That we have just Cauſe to believe, that the
VINDICATOR has proceeded accord-
ing to theſe Principles, Shewn.
•
f1. From the Accufations themselves.
which he brings against me; of
which feveral Inftances are collect-
ed by way of Specimen, whereby to
judge of the reſt.
P. 54
2. From his laying hold on the lighteſt,
and most pitiful occafions to run out
into the most grievous Accufations
against me.
P. 56
3. For that the Allegations he advan-
ces, are many of them fuch as he can
never be fure are TRUE.
P. 59
4. And ſome fuch as he certainly knew
were FALSE.
P. 61
PART
The TABLE.
PART II.
In which his Reflections are particularly confider'd,
and refuted: in Two Points.
P. 62
1. A Refutation of thofe fcandalous Reflecti-
ons which he has caft upon the Generality of
the Church of England.
A Summary of them.
P. 63
1. That we have mifrepreſented the Do-
&trines of the Church of Rome, reviled,
blackened, and calumniated its Mem-
bers, and ridicul'd its Ceremonies.
Answered.
p. 65
2. That we have done this out of Malice and
Intereſt, and kept the People by Igno-
rance to our Party..
P. 66
This Calumny answer'd, in its feveral
parts, of
Malice
!
Intereft
Ignorance.
p. 67
ibid.
p. 69
3. That we have been eſtranged from De-
votion, and are therefore ſcandaliz'd at
their Ceremonies, because we have not
the Zeal that thofe of their Church have.
Answered.
P. 70
4. That
The TABLE.
}
4. That many of our Church are ſo byaffed
in their Affections to us, that they will
Scarce allow themſelves their common
Senfes in the Examen of things, but pafs
their Votes against any thing that tends
towards Popery, tho againſt JUS-
TICE, EQUITY, and ČON-
SCIENCE Anfwered.
P. 74
5. That fome factious Spirits have animated
the Pulpits Zeal, and that by this means the
Parliament was hindred from proceeding
in its Loyalty as it began. Answered.p.75
6. That we manage things against them up-
on politick Motives; that we have De-
figns, and leading-men, and certain
perfons to gratifie by what we do; and
that this will bring ill CONSE-
QUENCES upon the KINGDOM,
&.c.
P. 76
II. An Answer to thofe Imputations that he has
laid upon my ſelf in particular.
P. 78
1. To the ill Names that he gives me. ib.
2. To his charges of wilful Faults committed
by me in the Defence.
P. 79
3. To his Reflections that have no manner of
reference to the Subject of our Dispute ;
but were brought in meerly for Re-
flection-fake.
As to my Preaching.
Popularity.
P. 80
p. 80
81
4. To
The TABLE.
Į
4. To His CATALOGUE of Faults
drawn up againſt Me at the beginning of
His Reply.
5.
p. 82
To His Charge of Ill Language, with re-
ference
1.To the Bishop of ME AUX. p.84
2. To Others, in which are Juftified
thoſe 3 Expreffions ſo much ca-
vill'd at; of
1. St. Thomas's Reveries. p. 86
2. Of fome of their new Saints
Horrid Blafphemies. p. 89
3. Of fome of their Churches Ad-
dreſſes, being more like Dagi-
cal Incantations, than Chrifti-
an Prayers.
PART III.
P. 92
In which is fhewn by above XL Inftances of
Books yet unanſwered, that we have fully ob-
viated all their Arguments beyond the poffibility
of a fair Reply; which might juftly excufe me
from entring any more on a particular review of
the feveral Articles in debate; tho' I fhall never-
theleſs in a SECOND PART of my DE FENCE,
paſs through All again with him.
P.94
}
ΤΟ
The Reverend the AUTHOR
OF THE
VINDICATION
Of the Biſhop of MEAUX's
EXPOSITION, &c.
SIR,
A
p.
FTER two fuch obliging Addreſſes, vindication
as I have now had the honour to re- the Reply,
ceive from you, I ſhould be very p. 171.
much wanting in my Reſpects to a
Perſon who has fhewn fo near a Concern for my
Salvation, ſhould I any longer neglect my Re-
turn to you; and might reaſonably expect to
have my Rudeness and Incivility mufter'd up to in-
creaſe
The Dedication.
Reply at the
Preface.
Vindic.p. 120.
creaſe my Damnation in the next Catalogue your
end of the Charity fhall prompt you to publifh of my Sins.
I cannot indeed tell whether I may not be de-
fective in my Gratitude, by ſending my Thanks
to your felf alone; and your great Caution in the
Clofe of your Vindication made me once think that
I ought to have return'd you your own Infcrip-
Vindic. p.120. tion, "To the Author, or Authors of thofe excel-
lent Pieces you have been pleaſed to oblige the
World with on my account. For I have ſome
reaſon to believe, that whatever you were as to
the first, yet you are not the only Perfon concern'd
in the fecond Reply. But yet fince your Books
run altogether in the fingular Number, and that
whoever gather'd your Materials firſt, or ſuper-
viſed them after, yet I doubt not but you were
the only Architect your felf, and alone concern'd
in thoſe immediate Addreffes to Me; I am confi-
dent I ſhall not be much miſtaken in my particu
lar Return to you, or at leaſt that you will have
the goodneſs to excuſe ſo eafie, and ſo involun-
tary an Error.
And firft, Sir, I defire to return you my Ac-
Reply p. 171. knowledgments for your great Care of my future
State. I do befeech you to believe, that it is ex-
ceeding dear to Me; and that I am fenfible that
your
The Dedication
your
Advice is very juſt and reaſonable that you
give Me for it. And tho' I fhall fhew
you in
what follows, that for what concerns either your
felf or your Church, I had no great need of it;
yet it pleafes me very much to hope that when I
fhall have fully proved by Gods Grace, where the
Fault lies, one who is fo forward to preach to others, 1 Cor IX. 27.
will certainly take great heed that he does not in
the mean time himſelf become a CAST-AWAY,
It were perhaps too much to expect that Con-
defcenfion from you, which you are pleaſed to
recommend to Me, viz. "To make a publick Ac- Reply p. 172.
knowledgment of the Calumnies you have thrown, not
<<
upon my felf alone, but upon the Generality of our
ર
Church, and " to retract the false witness you have b. p. 173.
"born against your Neighbours; efpecially fince this,
Sir, cannot, you know, be done without acknow-
ledging the Infincerity (for I am willing to give,
all things the fofteſt Names I am able) of your
late Attempts in the new Methods of Converfion.
And indeed ſome Experience makes me think I
may without uncharitableneſs prefume, that “the
"Pride of Nature is as powerful on your fide to b. p. 1.74-
hinder Perfons from retracting what they have once.
advanced, as it is on ours: And the Principles
of your
Church do much more indifpofe you to
confefs your Errors, than, God be thanked, ours.
do
The Dedication.
1
do us.
(C
CC
(c
But fure, if any one, you, Sir, who fo
much confider that "Eternity is at stake, and that
Ibid. an Injuſtice which will render us miferable for that E
"ternity, cannot be expiated without making fatisfaction,
"will not find it ſo difficult to acknowledge your miſtake;
ແ no,not tho it fhould have been WILFUL ; (which I
"dare not yet fay of yours, however you, in Cha-
rity no doubt to my Soul, judge mine to be
fo;) rather than run into inevitable Damnation. And I
pray God give you this ferious Thought and Refolution.
Having thus perform'd this firft Duty, I muft
in the next place, Sir, thank you for what, next
to my Salvation, has always been moft dear to Me,
the Care you have had of my REPUTATION. It may
perhaps be thought by fome that are not fenfible
how great my Obligations in this particular are to
you, that I might well enough have ſpared this
Reply p. 4. Complement; eſpecially fince your Modeſty makes
you utterly diſavow any fuch Tenderness of it.
Indeed, Sir, as to your Expreffions, it must be
confefs d you are very
you are very free with Me. You not
only ſtill adhere to your firft Charge of Calumnies,
Mifreprefentations, unfincère Dealings, Falfifications,
every thing that you could think of that might
ferve to befpatter Me, but only falfe Quotations,
which I do not now find you fo ready to infilt up-
on; but that your Reader might be fure to take
172. &c.
vindic. p 22.
Reply p. 172.
notice
The Dedication.
end of the
notice of them, you draw them up into a Cata
logue at the beginning of your Reply, and all a-Reply at the
long in your Margin you put him in mind to re-Preface.
mark them: But yet, Sir, after all this, I cannot
but own to you, that your Books have done more
to ſecure my Reputation among all thoſe whoſe
Efteem I value, viz. the honest and judicious Rea
ders, than any thing my beſt Friends could have
done for Me.
I need not, Sir, tell you, that my Expoſition firſt,
and then my Defence, made fome noiſe among
very great numbers of both Churches. I had dif
covered fuch Secrets as perhaps few could have
done befides; fuch as ftartled many worthy Per-
fons of your own Communion; and which ſome even
of our own fide, who did not know what Evidence
I had ready to produce for them, could hardly al-
moft believe. Whilft great enquiry was made a-
bout them, fome of your Religion knew not what
to think, others flatly deny'd all that had been faid;
you, Sir, more kind, procure Me a Letter from
that worthy Perſon the Bishop of Meaux himſelf;
pretending indeed to difavow, but really acknow-
ledging all that I had faid with reference to his
Expofition. A Favour for which, now I am diſcharg-
ing theſe kind of Debts, I fhall not fail to publiſh
to the World my Engagements to him.
B
It
The Dedication.
Reply, p.173.
It was not long before my Defence made a new
noiſe, and but little inferiour to that of my Ex-
pofition. For befides that, it confirm'd all my
former Allegations with new Proofs; it
gave me
opportunity moreover to make ſome further Difca-
veries, both of your Church's Worship, and of your
own Sincerity.
And this, Sir, you tell me " did induce many others
to an imitation of thofe Calumnies I there threw up-
on you; but I muft beg leave to mind you of
another Inducement too, and that is, That it did
induce the Generality of your fide to calumniate
Me, as one who had uttered nothing but down-
right Untruths, and charged you with fuch things
as were not to be found either in your Books, or in
your Practice. But I may now reaſonably prefume
that they will from henceforth retract this Calumny
too, (if at least you will allow it to be a Ca
lumny to accufe falfely one of our Religion;) fince you
have here fatisfied the World, that theſe things you
do write and practife, tho' indeed for want of an
Infallible Interpreter, we who judge according to the
Principles of Reafon, are not able rightly to under-
Stand the meaning of them. And therefore, Sir, tho'
your Words ftill ftile me Criminal, yet your Alle-
gations every where protest against them; and I de
fire no other Advocate than your felf to plead my
There
Innocence.
1
The Dedication.
There is, Sir, yet a Favour which I ought not
to pass by, tho' I could not a long time divine
the meaning of it; and it is your great Self-denial,
which prompted you, I fuppofe, through all your
Book, as well as in that fingle place, where you
your felf have been pleaſed to remark it, not to Reply, p. 172.
"take too much fatisfaction in having your Adverſary
at an Advantage. It was indeed generouſly done
of you; tho' fome (confidering the Nature of your
Church,) will be apt to think it was not merely an
Excess of Charity that made you treat your Adver
fary with fo much Favour, but either the infuper-
able ilnefs of the Cauſe you had to maintain, or
fome other Defect, which I fhall beg leave not to
name.
However it puts me in mind of the fuper-
errogating Merits of many of your Saints, to whoſe
Honour the prudent VVriters of their Lives, have re-
member'd it, that they were wont to counterfeit
themfelves mad or foolish, and do a thouſand ridi-
culous and extravagant things, that being laught at,
and defpifed by all the World for them, they
might thereby have the better Opportunity of ex-
ercifing their Chriftian Humility and Self-denial. But,
Sir, I fear by this time my Civility may begin to
grow more troubleſome to you than my Rudeness
would have been, fhould I have difpenfed with
my ſelf, as to this Point of Ceremony. And indeed
I have
B 2
The Dedication.
Reply,p. I.
I have ſo much to fay in order to yours and the
Worlds fatisfaction, that I ought not to ſpend
too much time in unneceffary Preliminaries.. Three
things there are, which I would willingly do in the
following Defence, and which I think will compriſe
all that can reaſonably be defired of Me, viz.
I. To diſcharge my Obligations to the Biſhop of
Meaux.
II. To vindicate my ſelf againſt fuch Imputations
as do immediately concern my own particular,
but do not at all affect the Caufe. I am to
maintain.
III. To confider what you have further offer'd
to clear your Church of thofe great Excep
tions I had brought againſt it.
And in all theſe I fhould be heartily glad I
might acquit my ſelf to yours; but however I
hope I fhall do it to my Readers Satisfaction, and
to whom therefore I muſt now beg leave to ad-
dreſs my ſelf, as to whofe Examen (if Imay pre-
fume to borrow your own Phrafe) I freely com
mit it to judge betwixt us.
THE
THE
PREFACE.
W
HEN I confider the Nature of thoſe.
Methods that have of late been made·
uſe of by many of the Church of Rome
to propagate their Errors; with what
Industry they conceal the Real Doctrine
of their Church, and by complaining loudly against others
for mifreprefenting their Opinions, endeavour to keep
Men from fufpecting that the Juggle indeed lies at their·
own Doors. I cannot but call to mind the Complaint of
an ancient Father against the Heathen Philoſophers,
and in Apology for the Chriftian
Religion: "Would to God, fays
"he, we could but look into your
"own Opinions, into the fecret
"Receffes of your Mind in which
you turn and devife various and
"hidden Thoughts. We should find
"that you your felves think the
.. very fame with us. But what
cr
66
'
"a Caufe?
* Arnob. adv. Gent. lib. vi. p. 197. Uti- -
nam liceret introfpicere fenfus veftros, -
recefufque ipfos mentis, quibus varias
volvitis atque initis obfcuriffimas cogitati-
ones! Reperiremus & vos ipfos eadem fen-
tire, quæ nos- Sed ftudiis facere quid
pervicacibus poffumus? Quid intentanti-
1
bus Gladios, novafque excogitantibus ipœ- -
nas? [Animantis. ]
lam fcientiff x
"can be done to Men that are obftinately bent to ſerve
- || Te know that ye maintain an ill Caufe, Afferitis ma-
mi Caufam, & quod femel fine ratione feciftis, ne videamini aliquando nefciffe, defenditis ;
meliufque putatis non vinci, quàm confeffæ cedere atque annuere veritati.--Lugd. Batav. 165.
« and.
11
The PREFACE.
Rep. p. 43.
* Vind. p. 40.
Repl. p. 39,
..
" and what ye have once done without reaſon, that ye defend,
left je fhould otherwife feem to have been once miſtaken,
" and think it better not to be overcome, than to affent to
"that which you cannot but confefs to be the Truth.
I shall perhaps be thought by fome to affume too great a Li-
berty, in applying this to those with whom I have now to do.
But yet when I fee Men fo induftrious in expounding the
Doctrine of their Church into a Senfe that may come as
near the Reformation as is poffible; when for the doing
of this they are forced to fo many Shifts as plainly fhew
there is fomething of Violence in the Undertaking:
* Bp. Meaux's Words forced from their natural Signification to fpeak
Expof. p. 5. that which they call the Church's Senfe; the Order of
||
II Vind. p. 42. Sentences inverted; * Figures pretended that were never
heard of in the World; the Irrefragable, Angelical, Subtil,
Seraphical, Invincible, Illuminate, Illuftrious Doctors,
whofe Sentences and Summs our Fathers fo much admired,
now laid afide, as containing only. Scholaftick Opinions,
and not the neceffary and univerfally received Doctrine
Reply,p. 3.29, of the Church; the rest of their Writers thrown off as pri-
vate Men, and for whofe Opinions the Church is not to
Reply, P. 3,4′ be reſponſible: I cannot then but think, that theſe Men
are certainly conscious to themselves, that they have been in
the wrong, and that there was reaſon in our Reformation;
tho' 'tis neither fafe nor convenient for the Members of a
Church that has fo long been used to damn us as Hereticks
on this account, and would be thought infallible in her De-
cifions, to own it to the World.
41.
.*.
• Vind. p.19,
38.
&c.
It is one of my chiefeft Crimes, and for which I perceive
there is no Indulgence to be expected, that I have in fome
meaſure endeavoured to bring thefe Designs to light; to fhew
that all this is indeed but a Lure to draw Men in, and that
when once they are enfnared, they will then find things to
be far otherwiſe than they are made at firft to believe: Or
that
The PREFACE.
111
that if they are in good earnest in their prefent Pretences,
then they herein plainly depart from what their Church
once held, and are upon that very account efteem'd by others
of their Communion at this day, to be little better than Pro-
teſtant Hereticks.
How far the Allegations I have heretofore brought to
prove this, have been invalidated by what our Author bas
endeavour'd this fecond time to return to them, I shall then
confider, when I come particularly to examine the feveral
Articles of his Reply. In the mean time I cannot but ob-
ferve, that how much foever the Vindicator may diflike Reply,p. 171.
the diftinction I made of OLD and NEW POPERY, it is
yet no other than what I found in effect made to my hand
in fome of the Bishop of Meaux's own Converts, and in
Books which are faid to have undergone his particular per-
ufal before they were permitted to come into the World.
Tis this which we find in plain terms avow'd by
Monfieur Brueys, in his * Examina-
*
Examen des raiſons qui ont donnè
tion of the Reaſons which occafion'd lieu à la Separation des Proteftants.
the Separation of the Proteftants from A la Haye, 1683.
the Church of Rome. For having
expounded his new Faith fo fcrupulously acccording to Mon-
fieur de Meaux's Principles, that as
himſelf tells us, " He fays nothing but
"what that Bishop had infpired into
"him; fo that he did in a manner but
copy his Sentiments, and repeat in
publick what he had learnt in private
from him; he finally exhorts the Pro-
CC
CC
.
Auffi je ne dis rien dans cet Exa-
Meaux) ne m'ait infpirè: je ne fais
men qu'il (Monfieur l'Evêque de
prefque que copier fes Sentimens, &
redire au public ce qu'il m'a dit en
particulier, ou ce que ces Ouvrages
m'ont perfuade. Avertiſſement.
teſtants to return now from their odious Separation, fince
the Doctrine of the Church was fo expounded, as none
of their Forefathers had ever understood it;
if they had, would ever have ſeparated from it.
66
nor
• I say
iv
The PREFACE.
La Raifon, la Charitè, la Gloire de
Dieu, la Paix de l'Eglife, le Bien de
l'Etat, & l'Intereft de leur Salut de-
mandent qu'ils reviennent aujourd'-
huy de cette Separation odieufe, en re-
mettant les choſes en l'Eftat ou elles
eftoient auparavant. Je dis aujourd'-
huy: car on doit avouer fincerement
qu'on n'avoit jamais fi nettement ex-
posè les dogmes & les cultes de l' E-
glife Catholique qu'on l'a fait de nos
jours. Et je ne fçaurois m'empefcher
de croire que fi nos Peres avoient crû
*
les chofes telles qu'elles font en Effet,
& qu' on nous les propofe aujourd'huy,
ils ne fe feroient jamais feparez de ſa
Communion. Ibid. p. 106.
"I fay return now, they are Mon-
"fieur Brueys's own words) for it must
"be fincerely confefs'd that the Do-
"&rine and Worſhip of the Roman
"Church was never fo cleanly ex-
c pounded as in thefe our days. And I
"cannot but think, that had our Fathers
"believed things to be, as in Effect
«
they are, and as they are now propofed
"to us, they would never have ſeparated
"from its Communion.
I do not at all question, but that our
Fathers, who undoubtedly understood the
Doctrine and Worſhip of a Church in which they had been
born and bred, and were many of them admitted to Places
of chiefeft. Honour and Dignity in it, could they now rise
up from their Graves, would stand amazed to fee with what
Infincerity it is now expounded to us in these days. And
tho' it has been fo fully shewn, that no one has cared to give
I Firſt Anſwer us an Anſwer to it, that even taking the || Roman Doctrine
to the Papift according to their own Expofition, we are not yet able to
misrepref.
embrace it; yet it must be acknowledged we should have
Concluf. But much leſs to ſay to justifie our Separation, had it been al-
especially in ways fuch us 'tis now reprefented to us.
Anſwer to the
the Anſwer to
the Papifts
ftant Popery.
But this is not the only Perfon that has given us grounds
protefting a for this Diftinction; for however we confess that Popery
gainft Prote- is more cleanly expounded now than it was heretofore;
yet even in theſe happy expounding days of ours, there are
Still Some who repine to fee the good Old Popery fo much
run down, and give us very different Interpretations both of
the Doctrine and Worship of their pretended Catholick
Church.
And of this the Author of the wholeſome Advices of
the
The PREFACE.
V
the bleſſed Virgin to her indiſcreet Worſhippers will
afford us a notable Example; who having given fuch a
cleanly Expofition of the Church's Doctrine in the Points
of the Invocation of Saints, and Worſhip of Images, as
the Biſhop of Meaux, and his Vindicator now do; tho
approved with all the Solemnity I have heretofore fhewn, and Expof. of the
may now more fully be ſeen in the Edition that has fince C. E. Pref.
been made of it in our own Language, was nevertheless con- pag. VI, VII.
demn'd in the most violent manner that can well be ima-
gined, and that by the Authority of the Pope himself; and
drew the Zeal of Father Craffet to overwhelm him with a
whole Volume of Doctors and Saints that lived in the former
days of Superftition and Sincerity, before thefe new Ex-
pofitors had by pretending to interpret, indeed corrupted
their Faith.
*
*
||
vers. 1682.
Father Craffet having thus defended the Honour of the
Bleſſed Virgin, and juſtified the Old Popery to be the
true and fſtanding Doctrine of his Church, his Authority
was foon alledged by the Proteftants in Oppofition to the * Preſervatif.
Biſhop of Condom's Expofition. Monfieur Arnaud, P. 97, &c.
who undertook the Defence of the Biſhop, and it feems could fur le Prefer-
not foreſee how by the metamorphofing Power of a clean- vatif. A An-
ly Expofition, even this Father's Book fhould come one
day to be perfectly reconciled to Monfieur de Meaux's,
freely gives up the Author for a pitiful Jefuit, and * P. 19. V.
whofe Authotity was not fit to be compared with that of d'un pitoiable
a Biſhop, Supported with the Approbations of fo many other Jefuite, nom-
Biſhops and Cardinals, and in short, of the Pope himſelf. mè le Pere
It is not then only in our Calumnies that this reflecting
Diſtinction of Old and New Popery is to be found, but Reply, p. 171.
in the real Disagreement of those of their own Communion,
who all equally pretend to understand the Doctrine of their
Church, and the Decifions of the Council of Trent. But
to put this matter, if it be poſſible, out of all doubt, I will
C
here
Reflex. le livre
Craſſet.
vi
The PREFACE.
here ſubjoyn the Copy of a Letter written by an eminent Con-
vert upon his Change, in which this Diftinction is plainly
express'd, and the Bishop of Condom's Popery evidently
diftinguish'd from that of the People, and of the Bigots,.
or (as he calls them) the Tartuffes of that Church.
The Perfon who wrote it was MonfieurRanchin,a Counſel-
lor of the Parliament of Tholoufe, to Monfieur Ranchin
his Kinſman, and Counsellor in the Court of Accounts,
Aids, and Finances of Montpellier.
·
&*
66
I
Tholouſe, April 27. 1680.
Am not much concern'd, my dear Coufin, to think
that my Converfion has cauſed fo general a Foy, as
you are willing to make me believe it has. It is fufficient.
"to me that our Family, and particularly your felf, has
“taken ſome part in my Change: And I moſt humbly
"thank you for the obliging Teftimony you have given me.
"of it in the Letter which you have done me the Honour
"to write to me. But, Sir, I ought a little to complain of ·
your accusing me to have tarried ſo long out of Intereſt in
"the P. R. Religion. This might indeed be ſaid in Eng-
"gland or in Holland, but that in France one should be of
"the P. R. Religion out of Intereft, is what I never heard
"before. As for my own particular, I can truly ſay, that my
( profeffing that Religion has been the ruine of my Family…….
"But I am become a Catholick, because I thought that I
"might obtain Salvation in that Communion.
.
"It is the Book of Monfieur the Bishop of Condom that.
“has convinced me; that admirable Book approv'd of late by
"the Pope, If you have not yet seen it, I advise you to get it,
" and read it all your life. I do alfo in part owe my Con-
“verfion to another little Book compofed by one in Flanders,
"intituled, Wholefome Advices of the bleffed Virgin to
her
The PREFACE.
vii
..
CC
" her indiſcreet Worshippers; and to the Paſtoral Letter
"of the Biſhop of Tournay, in form of an Apology, de-
"dicated to the People of his Diocefs, and which is also
truly a Golden Book. For were the Faith of the Church
fuch as the People and the Tartuffes practiſe it, I would
"never have gone where I am; and I have learnt from theſe
Books, that the pure Belief of the Church is quite diffe-
"rent from their practife. You will comprehend by this, my
"dear Coufin, that thefe Books are no less neceffary to the
"Catholicks, than to the P. R. But I confider too late, that
"instead of a Letter I am writing a Treatife of Religion.
Ihaften to conclude, and to affure you that I am, &c.
cc
૬.
Were I minded to indulge my felf the liberty of comment-
ing upon this Letter, I should not want Occafions from a
piece so very extraordinary,to make fome rare and useful Re-
marks. But I fhall confine my felf to the particular for which
I alledged it. Monfieur Ranchin was one of the Counsellors
«of the Chamber of the Edict of Languedoc, whilst it ſub-
fifted. The King having fupprefs'd that Chamber, and in-
corporated the Officers into the Parliament, Monfieur Ran-
chin foon perceived that things would not stop there, but that
thofe of the reform'd Religion must expect in a little time
to be turn'd out of all their Places. He had a great Family,
and but a ſmall Eſtate for a Perſon of his Quality. And now
it was that the Expoſition of the Biſhop of Meaux began
first to open his Eyes: He perceived the Roman Religion
to be quite different from what he had hitherto thought it ;
infomuch that from henceforth he became difpofed to embrace
it, not by way of AB JURATION of what he held before, but
by way of ADDITION, i.e. by adding the Roman Super-
titions to it.
This was easily confented to by thofe of the other Par-
ty; he infifted upon having the Communion in both
kinds,
Ce
viii
The PREFACE.
}
kinds, but that was deny'd him ; but the principal matters
were agreed to, viz. That for the Change he was to make, he
Should have 10000 Crowns in hand, and a Penfion of a
1000 more per Annum, together with the affurance of his
Place to himſelf and his Son after him, befides the hopes of
higher Advancement.
And thus our new Convert enters into the Bofom of the
Catholick Church, not that he disliked his own Religion,
or thought the other better ; no, his Letter evidently implies
the contrary; but he thought that by the help of the Bishop
of Meaux's Expofition he might make a shift to be faved in
it. He faw the Abuſes that were in that Church, and he loud-
ly declares against them: He profeffes he was fo far from be-
ing of the Religion of the People, and of the Tartuffes of
the Church of Rome, that nothing, no not ready money
in hand, and a good Place and Penfion for the future,
Should have been able to carry him to it. He advises his Kinf-
man to read thofe golden Books(He had indeed reafon to call.
them fo, for fo they were to Him) that had fo well expound-
ed the Doctrine of the Catholick Church; and were no
less neceſſary for the Roman Catholicks than for the Prote-
ſtants inftruction: that according to theſe he did hope he
might be faved in the Church of Rome; but for the People
and the Tartuffes, that are not yet so happy as to understand
thefe Expofitions, there is no Salvation to be had for them.
A
And here at least I think it cannot be deny'd, but that we
have two forts of Popery very openly and freely avow'd: One
fuch as that a man may be faved in the profeffion of it, viz.
That of the Bifhops of Meaux and Tournay, and of the
wholeſome Advices of the bleffed Virgin to her indi-
fcreet Worshippers: the other of the People and the Tar-
tuffes, or Zealots of that Church, and for whom Monfieur
Ranchin it ſeems had no great hopes. Nor let it be thought
So very extraordinary in this Perfon that he entred into the
Roman
The PREFACE.
1X
*
"neè. A May-
ii. pag. 105:
Roman Communion at the fame time that he faw and con-
demn'd the Exceffes of it. This has been but too common in
thoſe parts. And my Author from whom I have borrowed * Dial. entre
the foregoing Account, gives us a notable inſtance of another, Photin & Ire-
one Monfieur Pawlet,a Miniſter of his own Acquaintance; ence. 1685.
how being convicted in one of their Synods of fuch Crimes as | Part. 2. Dial.
rendred him unworthy of his Charge, he endeavour'd to
cover his Infamy by changing his Religion; and was wont
afterwards frequently to declare, when he came among those of
his former Profeffion, "That he could not but very much
"blame fuch as follow'd his Example; that for his own part,
" he knew the Secret how to fave himſelf, notwithstanding
"his Change; but for the other Revolters who were igno-
"rant of it, they would all infallibly be damned.
Ibid. part. 2.
But the Reſolution of the Inhabitants of Montauban is yet
more extraordinary; who being by the miffionary Dragoons
convinced that it was their Duty to obey their Prince in
changing their Religion, did it with this Declaration ;
"We acknowledge that the Abuſes which are imputed to the
Church, were not sufficient to oblige our Anceſtors to fe- page 352.
parate from it: Wherefore we do now reunite our felves to noiffons, que
"the Church, but yet so as not to prejudice thereby those les Abus qu'on
'Remonstrances which we shall be permitted to make to the
Clergy to purge the Roman Church from many Abuſes. ent pas pour
tr
66
CC
.
"Nous recon--
impute à l'E-
glife,ne fufifoi--
obliger nos
Peres à s'en feparer : C'eft pourquoi nous nous reüniffons à l' Eglife; fans prejudice de Re-
monftrances qu'il nous fera permis de faire au Clergé pour repurger l'Eglife Romaine de beau-
coup d' Abus.
I need not fure repeat what I have already ſaid with re-
ference to Monfieur Imbert's Cafe. For however the Biſhop
of Meaux may endeavour to leffen the Reputation of that
Man, yet fince he cannot deny the truth of my relation (which
is indeed no other than what he himſelf publiſh'd both in his
Letter and Factum of it) we may thereby plainly fee how
his Expoſition of the Faith agreed neither with the Miffio-
naries.
X
The PREFACE.
*Reply, P.35,
35, 37. See
||
+
naries Preaching, nor with the Peoples Practice. And let
the Vindicator cry out * CALUMNY as much as he
pleafes in his Anfwer to my Account of their Good-Friday-
in the Margin.
Defence of Service, and tell the World that I FALSIFY their
the Expof. of Words, because Irender their Venite Adoremus, Behold
the C. E. pag. the Wood of the Crofs, come let us adore IT; the
121, 124. Ap-
pend.
Dispute between that unfortunate Man and the Curate upon
that very occafion, Monfieur Imbert infifting upon the fame
Expofition the Vindicator does now; whilst the other cry'd
out, THE WOOD, THE WOOD, Come let us adore
IT, fufficiently fhews that all were not agreed on the New
Popery Interpretation: and the hard ufage he has met with
from his Diocefan fince, for fupporting that Expofition the
Vindicator fo much contends for, may fatisfie the World,
that not only the Curè, but even the Archbishop of Bour-
deaux himself thought there was neither CALUMNY
nor FALSIFICATION in the Application I made
of that day's Service. I am ſure poor Monfieur Imbert has
been made but too fenfible of it, and I shall rather be content
the Vindicator ſhould ſtill esteem me a Falfifier and a Ca-
lumniator, than be fo uncharitable as to wifh him the like
Conviction.
•
...
.
It may perhaps be thought a little too late, fince the new
Alliance ftruck up between Father Craffet and the Biſhop of
Meaux, to remember the Quarrel between the Wholeſome
"Advices of the Bleffed Virgin to her indifcreet Wor-
ſhippers, and the true Devotion towards the Bleſſed
Virgin eſtabliſh'd and defended; that is to fay in other
Words, between the New Popery and the Old. But thờ
Father Craffet be now become an Expounder too, yet may
I not beg leave to remark from the Subject of thofe Advices
against which he wrote, That there are, it seems, fome in the
See the Advi- Church of Rome, "Who perfwade themselves that tho' they
"live finful lives, yet they may be affured of their Sal-
ces of the E.
Virgin. Adv.I.
vation,
1
The PREFACE.
xi
"vation, if they do but perform fome Devotion to the Blef-
"ſed Virgin ?— nay, that think that tho they have no´Advice V.
"love for God, yet they may be saved by fupplicating our
«Lady:
Who pray to the holy Virgin, as if she had Advice VII.
"more Goodness and Mercy than Jefus Chrift, and fo put
"more confidence in her Interceffion, than in the Merits
of her Son:
66
66
Who pay their homage to the holy Virgin, Advice VIII.
as to fome inferiour Divinity, and believe that without
"her there is no approaching God, even through Jefus
« Chriſt himſelf:
(પ
Who make the Virgin Mary Media Advice LX.
"trix between Men and Jefus Chrift, as if she had fome
"Merit in her felf which fhe had not received from her
"Son: Who give the fame Titles of Honour to the Advice X;
Virgin Mary, which ought to be given to God only;
..
"nay,and even make her equal with God and Jefus Chrift:-- Advice XI.
"Who depend fo much on the Virgin Mary, that they never Advice XII.
" have recourſe to Jefus Chrift; preferring their De- Advice XIV.
"votion to the Virgin, before their love to God: Who as
to the point of Images "put their traft in them, as if there Advice XVII.
"were fome divine Power in them; imagining that there
" is a great difference between fome of the Images of the Vir-
(
gin, and that fome are better than others; and that it
*
la Sainte Vier-
1679.
"is no longer ago than 1679. that it was thought a Crime * See Father
"to be condemn'd, not only by a Pope and a King, but by the Craffer's De-
"Learned of all Nations, a Crime worthy of Banishment votion, envers
" in this Life, and of Damnation in the other, but only to ge. Pref. Paris -
"adviſe them better.
“That theſe Reply. p. 3• -
It may be the Vindicator will here cry out, "That theſe
"are only private men, and that the Church is not to answer 29.
"for their Extravagancies: but yet ſtill this at least fhews that
there is an Old and New Popery amongſt them, and that
'twas none of my fiction to oppose them to one another..
But however, becauſe he is concern'd that I'took no notice
、
of his Admonition, and may otherwise in his next Reply Reply, P 3,4
clap.
་
xii
The PREFACE.
clap a new Note of CALUMNY in his Margin, to
prevent, if it may be, not fo much my own Defamation s
his Sin, may I humbly beg leave to enquire what at last this
thing called the Church's Senfe is, and how we may come to
the Knowledge of it.
If the Pope and all the States of the Church, if the large
Dominions of his Catholick Majeſty, ifthe Learned of all
Nations, if not the fimple People only, but the moſt holy Bi-
fhops and most learned Doctors, nay, and even the Fathers
See his Pre- themſelves be fufficient to declare a Doctrine of the Church,
all thefe Father Craffet has affured us do maintain that Ho-
nour of the Bleffed Virgin, which this Adviſer writes a-
gainst, and which is utterly destructive of the Bishop of
Meaux's Pretences.
face.
But if all theſe be but private mens Opinions, and the
Church is not concern'd to answer for them, how then comes
the Biſhop of Condom to be fo Catholick an Expofitor,that
whatſoever he delivers, muſt preſently pafs for the Senfe of
the Church, but what all others fay, only for Scholaftick
Niceties, or the Doctrines of particular Perfons, and which
the Church is not obliged to maintain?
Now this I fo much the rather defire to be inform'd of for
that,
I. As to Number; 'tis certain that the Patrons of Old Po-
pery in Italy, Spain, Flanders, and Germany, among the
Tartuffes and common People in general, as Monfieur Ran-
chin is pleaſed to affure us, do very much exceed both the
French Expofitors, and their late Difciples, the Engliſh
Repreſenters and Vindicators.
II. As to the Expreffions, not only of the publick Service
and Rituals of their Church, but even of the Council of
Trent its felf; they are ſo plain on their fide, that it needs
great deal of Artifice in these new Undertakers to reduce them
to what they call the Church's,but is indeed their own Senſe.
a
The
The PREFACE.
xüi
*
* Seff. XXV.
-ad eorum
The Council of Trent directs them with reference to the
Saints themſelves, to fly not only to their Prayers, but to
their Aid and Affiftance too; that is, fays our || Infallible Orationes,
Expofitor and his * Vindicator, to the Aid and "Affiftance Opem, Auxi-
of their Prayers: But others, with lefs Art indeed, but liumq; confu-
with more Sincerity, and in the very words of the Council, || Advertiſe-
to their Prayers, Aid, and Affiftance.
ment, pag. II.
* Reply, p. 22.
2
gere.
As to their Reliques; the Council of Trent declares
That "thoſe who affirm that Veneration and Honour is not
"due to the Reliques of Saints, or that the faid Reliques,
"and other facred Monuments are unprofitably honour-
"ed by the faithful; or that for the imploring of their Aid,
"the Memories of the Saints are in vain frequented, are to
be condemned. This the Council decrees; and the Old Po-
pery men accordingly do go to thefe Reliques, thefe facred
Monuments, to receive the benefit of them: Some, to fancti-
fie their Handkerchiefs, or Beads, or Rings; fome to pro-
cure Health and Strength by Virtue of them; others for
other benefits which they hope to obtain by them: All which
is fo undoubtedly their Practice, that the Repreſenter Papiſt re-
himſelf is content to allow of it: "Since, as he expreffes it, pref. &c.
"God has made them the Inftruments of many evident Part. I.ch. IV.
"Miracles which he has viſibly work'd by them, as is ma-
"nifeſt upon undeniable Record: But this, fays the || Vin- || Reply, P.42.
"dicator, is a FALSE TRANSLATION; for
..
..
*
we do not ſeek to thoſe facred Monuments for the obtaining
*
of their Help and Affiftance, no, that's not the Council's Ibid.
"meaning; but we feek for the help of the Saints at their
Monuments: and be either the Words of the Council, or
the Practice and Belief of the People never fo against it, yet
our Infallible Interpreter affures us upon his word, that the
SENSE OF THE CHURCH is what he expounds to us.
Concerning Images ; || The Council of Trent determines,
"That the Images of Chrift, the bleſſed Virgin, and the Seff. 25.
"Saints, fhould be had, and retain'd in Temples, and that
D
due
|| Conc.Trent.
xiv
The PREFACE.
"due Honour and Veneration be given to them. Upon
this the Old Popery-men difpute what this due Honour
and Veneration is: Some will have it only an inferiour
Cult, but more to be the fame, whatever it is, that's given
to the Proto-type: And thefe are ſo poſitive, that theirs is
the Church's Senſe, that Cardinal Capifucchi however ap-
proving Monfieur de Meaux's Expofition, yet can hardly
forbear paſſing very fevere Cenfures on thofe who deny it. I
Shall hereafter more fully fhew his Opinion as to this Point;
* Capilucchi Suffice it to add here that Inftance which he gives us of* Æ-
gidius Magiftralis, Canon of Sevil in Spain, who was forced
Theol. p. 649. to abjure, among others, thefe two Propofitions as Hereti-
Controv.
66
cal, viz. Ift. "That the Images of Saints are not to be ado-
"red with the fame Adoration with which the Proto-types
"are adored. 2ly. That the Cross is to be worshipped only
"with an inferior Worship; which Propofition, fays he, is
heretical, and I retract it. Then he declares with S. Tho-
"mas, that the Crofs is to be worshipped with a fupreme
Adoration. So that this, it feems, is not thought a meer
Reply, p. 29. Scholaftick Nicety in Spain, whatever it be in France or
England; but fo much the Church's Senſe, that it was de-
clared to be Herefie to oppofe it.
Meaux's Ex- cc
..
But what now does our Catholick Expofitor fay to all this?
why,truly,that theſe men quarrel with one another to very little
Bishop of purpoſe, ſeeing that after all their Difputings, "to ſpeak
preciſely, and according to the Ecclefiaftical ftile, when
poſ. §. V. p.8. c. we honour the Image of an Apostle or Martyr, our in-
"tention is not fo much to honour the Image, as to ho-
nour the Apostle or Martyr in prefence of the Image.
Vindic. p. 32.Which his Reverend Vindicator thus paraphraſes:
Cross, whether taken as Wood or Stone, or moreover as
"the Image of Jefus Chrift crucified, is not properly the
Object of our Worfhip, but is a help to recal our wandring
Thoughts back to a Confideratirn of the benefits we have re-
«ceived by his dying for us and whilst we have thefe good
ፈር
66
<
"The
Thoughts
The PREFACE.
XV
{
Thoughts in our minds, our Affections are inflamed, and
"we in prefence of that Image,which occafion'd theſe pious
..
Affections, fhew by fome exteriour act what are our inward
"Sentiments, and pay our Adorations to our Redeemer,
"but NOT TO THE IMAGE that reprefents him.
"This is the pure and innocent Doctrine of the Church,
“without the mixture of Scholaſtick Niceties.
*
That here are two very different Expofitions of the fame
Council, is not to be deny'd; and whether is most agreeable
to its decifion, and by confequence to be efteem'd the Church's
Senſe; whether that due Honour is to be given them, as
St. Thomas and the Schools fay; or that none at all, as * See before.
the Vindicator, or none in effect, as Monfieur de Meaux And Reply.
Preface.
fays, 'tis, I think, eafie to determine. And the Abjuration of
Ægidius Magiftralis who favour'd this new Doctrine,but was
forced to retract it as heretical; not to remember the hard
fortune of poor Monfieur Imbert any more, may in Car- Ib. p. 649.
dinal Capifucchi's Phrafe, be at once both a Caution and a
Conviction to them.
As to the Service of the Church; and which one would
think ſhould certainly speak the Church's Senfe,that is fo clear
against our new Expofitors, that the Vindicator is put to
great shifts to reconcile its Offices to their Interpretations.
In thofe the Saints are pray'd to, to help and deliver them,
66
ત્
ad Art. 3.
"to open to them the Gates of Heaven; to command that See the De-
they be loofed from their fins; to looſe their polluted fence of my
Lips,that they may pray as they ought to do; to receive Expof. App.
ર them at the dreadful hour of death, and by their Merits
"to pardon their Tranfgreffions. And all this the People
and the Tartuffes, i. e. the falfe Zealots of their Church in
"the Simplicity of their hearts believe that they do for them.
But our new Expofitors affure us they are all grofly mistaken;
for however the words do indeed in their own natures fig-
nifie all this, yet the Senſe of the Church is but one ; and be
the Expreffions what they will, yet after all, we must under-
D 2
Stand
xvi
The PREFACE.
ftand by them no more than this, PRAY FOR US. Bur
wherefore this extravagamt Expofition must pass for the
Church's Senſe, or how their Declaration makes it become ſo,
when that of so many others that interpret all thefe Phrafes ac--
cording to their proper meaning, is to be look'd upon only as ·
the Opinion of private men, we are yet to learn.
In their Addrelles to the CROSS, they cry out, "We a--
"dore thy Crofs, O Lord; they fall down before it, and
adore it ; and this,not only the People and the whole Church
does, but for endeavouring to mollifie the deſign of it, one man
is impriſon'd, another baniſh'd, a third recants and ab-
jures his Opinion as heretical; yet ftill 'tis CALUMNY, 'tis
Reply, p. 37. FALSIFICATION, MISINTERPRETATION, and what
not, for us to prefume to fay that they do adore the Croſs, or
that the Church's Senfe is any other than to adore, not the
Cross, but Jefus Chrift reprefented by that Image. Let
us add to all this,
་
III. That not only the Expreffions of their Councils and·
Rituals more vifibly favour the Old Popery, but the allow'd
Practice of the Church, most evidently confirms it. 'Tis well.
known that a great part of the Devotion of Italy and fome
other Countries, confifts in these things. With what Zeal they
enrol themselves under the more immediate Protection of the
bleſſed Virgin, to love, honour, and ferve her all their
lives; and what Confidence they repoſe in her, as I have be- -
fore obferved; how every Place, and Perfon, and Trade,
and Company, have their tutelary Saints to guard, and to
defend them; every Diſeaſe for Man and Beaſt, its proper
Phyfician above to cure it. How they flock to fuch Images as
have been eminent, whether for fome pretended Miracles, or
any other Vertues above others; and with what ardor they
accompany them, if they chance at any time to be carried a--
broad in Proceffion; what a Value extraordinary they put·
upon any thing that has but touch'd the Shrines in which are.
kept the Reliques of their Saints, as being fanctified thereby
and
¿
The PREFACE.
xvii
}
and how much Devotion they esteem it to go to the places
where they are kept to vifit and adore them: How many ex-
cellent things they are taught an Agnus Dei is good for, not
only to fecure them against Thunder and Lightning at land,
against Storms and Tempeſts at Sea, but if Pope Urban the
Vh, may be believed, even to break fin, as if it were the
Blood of Chrift; not to mention any more of their Super-
ftitions. Now as this cannot be deny'd to be their Practice,
So we deſire to be informed how it comes to pass, That if the
Church's Senfe be indeed fo contrary to it, these things are
not only thus univerfally tolerated, but encouraged, and
there especially where one would think the Roman Religion
Should best be underſtood; I mean in those places where there
has been the least mixture of Proteftant Hereffe to corrupt
it; where the vigilant Eye of Chriſt's Vicar does more imme-
diately watch over it; and above all, the facred Authority
of the holy Inquifition, that Rock upon which the Church is
built, has hitherto defended it against fuch reforming Ex-
pofitors as we have here to do with.
It may, I think, by this time appear how unwarrantable a
Prefumption it is in theſe upstart Interpreters to run down
all others of their Church that do differ from them as only
private men, and at the fame time to forget that themselves
are no more. And he muſt certainly be very willing to be de-
ceived, who knows any thing ofthefe matters, that can believe
that after all the Difputes of fo many learned Men on both
fides, as have heretofore labour'd in this Controverfie, ne-
vertheless the true Doctrine of the Church of Rome was
never rightly understood till these new Cato's dropp'd down
from Heaven to publiſh to the World their Expofitions of it.
It is, doubtless, much more reaſonable to expound the Do-
&rine of any Church according to the general and allow'd
Practice of it, than according to the fingular notions of a
few private men, tho pretending to deliver nothing but the
Church's Senfe. Aneat Turn, and a happy Invention may
palliate
xviii
The PREFACE.
palliate the fouleft things, and make them appear in the Idea
exceeding innocent; but what a general Practice confirms,
no Colour can diſguiſe; and let men say never so many fine
things in their defence, yet all reaſonable Perſons will ſtill
believe, that the Church of Rome does certainly approve
that which its most zealous Votaries fo univerfally follow.
1
And indeed after all, Monfieur de Meaux himſelf muſt
acknowledge this to be moſt reaſonable: So that ifhis Expo-
fition does differ from what is generally practis'd in his
Church, all his Pretences of its agreement with the Council
of Trent, will not ſuffice to justifie his fincerity. It is upon
this very Principle, that himſelf in his Diſcourſe of univer-
fal Hiſtory attacks the Heathens. He preffes them with the
publick Practice of the People towards their Gods, and
values not what the Poets or Philofophers faid with great
pomp of words concerning the Divine Nature, whilst he faw
the others involved in fuch grofs Superftitions. Nor is this
my Reflection, it was made by one of his own Communion,
not long fince, upon this very Occafion. And becauſe it may
Serve at once, both to clear what I am now fhewing, and more
fully fatisfe the World, that this Bishop's Expofition, how
much foever pretending to deliver to us the true Doctrine of
the Catholick Church, yet was not thought at all conform-
able, even by thofe of his own Religion, to the general Pra-
&tice of it, I will beg leave to offer it in his own Words.
"As for what I have ſaid, that we muſt judge of the Pa-
D.C. touchanţ gan Religion not from the Impertinencies of the Poets, or
les Cometes. "the fpecious Difcourfes of the Philofophers, but from the
feqq. de l'Edi- " Worſhip which was practiſed by publick Authority, I do
tion de Rot- "not fee what any one can reasonably except against it. For
terdam, 1683. « it is most certain, that 'tis this alone which must justifie or
fiderations "condemn any Religion. And 'tis from this that the ancient
fur le livre de « Fathers heretofore run down the Heathens. Monfieur de
eys. pag. 65, "Condom himſelf, who feems not to approve this Method,
&c. Rotter- "but pretends that we ought to impute nothing to the Ca-
Lettre a Mon-
fieur L. A.
66
pag. 372. & ૮.
And in con-
Monfieur Bri-
dam. 1684.
૮૮
(
tholick
The PREFACE.
xix
..
66
r
tholick Religion, but the meer decifions of Councils, has
nevertheleſs thought fit to impute to the Pagan Religion
those Abuſes that were publickly committed amongst them.
“He decries it upon this Principle, That its Myfteries, its
"Feaſts, its Sacrifices, the Hymns which they fung to
“their Gods, their Paintings,which they confecrated in their
Temples; all thefe had relation to the Loves, and Cruel-
"ties, and Jealoufies of their Gods.
*.
(
"The fame Monfieur de Condom (fays he) decries
Paganiſm upon this account, That they confecrated to their
"Gods the Impurities of the Theatres,and the bloody Spe-
"ctacles of their Gladiators; that is to fay, whatever can
"be imagined most corrupt, and moſt barbarous ; and he
"laughs at the EXPOSITIONS and SOFT-
"NINGS which the Philofophers brought to all this, when
they were to encounter the Objections of the Chriſtians.
66
..
GC
GC
CC
"He has reafon (continues our Author)fo to do; but
yet this fhews, that the Method which himself has taken to
"render the Catholick Religion fair and agreeable to the
« Proteſtants, is not to be maintain d. For what is it to us,
may they fay, whether the Abuſes and Superftitions that
"offend us in the Church of Rome, be to be found in the
" Decifions of their Councils,or not? As long as we fee them
publickly and folemnly authorized by it, and that their
"Worſhip confifts in them, it is enough for us to keep our
felves from its Communion. For might not the Heathens
"have defended themselves the very fame way? Might they
"not have faid, that those things which we reproach'd them
"with, were indeed Abufes into which the People was inſenſt-
bly fallen by the connivance of the Magiftrates, and by the
'Ignorance or Avarice of the Prieſts; but that we could
never be able to prove, that the College of Pontifs, and
of the Church duly affembled, had decided these things?
"There is no doubt but the Heathens might have made
“thefe Excufes, had they been as fubtile and ingenious as:
66
66
..
Monfieur
XX
The PREFACE.
..
"Monfieur de Condom, But what should we have answer-
"ed? that certainly they must take us to be very Fools to de-
"fend themselves after fuch a manner. Suppofe a man should
"invite another to ſettle himſelf in a City where Robbery
"and Murder ſhould be evidently and publickly tolerated,
by fhewing him that there was not to be found among all
"the Laws of that City, any one Statute that order'd men'
« sither to kill or rob, would he not have reason to laugh at
" him? What is it to me, would he ſay, whether there be any
"Law that commands you to murder or rob, or no? Tis
"Sufficient to me to keep me from dwelling there, that they do
"without Contradiction rob and kill. Confefs we then (fays
"he) that the Hereticks may make the fame anſwer to Mon-
"fieur de Condom, and that therefore the true and only
means to free our Religion from their Exceptions, is to
fhew that it does not tolerate any thing but what is good:
"And that not only the Decifions of its Councils are ortho-
“dox, but alſo that the publick Worſhip, the Cuſtoms and
"Doctrines authorized in it, are juſt and holy.
(
..
66
tr
And herethen let us fix our felves: Upon this Principle
be it refolved, whether I have FALSIFIED and CALUM-
NIAT ED; or whether Monfieur de Meaux and his Vindi-
cator,have not rather palliated and prevaricated the Do-
&rine of the Church of Rome. If what thefe men EX POUND
to us be indeed, in our Vindicator's Phrafe," the univer-
fally RECEIVED Doctrine of that Communion ; if
'tis according to thefe Softnings, not that a few Converts,
whofe very Character carries a defign in it; but the Pope
himself proceeds; the Inquifition judges; the most Catho-
lick Countries (where there is no defign to be ferved by
theſe Mollifyings) Italy and Spain believe, the People pra-
&tife, and their chiefeft Saints have gone to Heaven, and
are now honour'd there: If this be the Expofition which
their Books of Controverfie follow in ftating of the Points
in difference between us (and where one would think they
Should
The PREFACE.
xxi
1
Thould certainly deliver the Church's Senſe againſt us )
which their publick Rituals in their natural and most pro-
per meaning ſpeak; which their Treatifes of Devotion re-
commend; and which by all these feveral ways the Church
publickly authoriſes; be it then confefs'd that we do indeed
mifrepreſent them to the World.
But if otherwife thefe Softnings' be only the Inventions
of Some few Perfons, who, 'tis much to be feared, fee well
enough the Errors of their Church, but want either the Cou-
rage or the Honeſty to avom it ; if they are ſo far from being
univerfally received, that as we have feen they are openly
oppofed, nay, condemned; and those who have endeavour'd
to Support them, imprifon'd, baniſh'd, forced to recant,
and abjuretheir Opinions as Heretical, I hope it will not
be thought at all unreasonable in us to let the World know
wherefore we ſuſpect thefe Expofitors, who, by whatsoever
Name we ſhall diftinguish them, whether they be Condomiſts,
Repreſenters, or what else you will, they are indeed all of
them but a fort of Half-Reformers, feeing the others have fo
much a more just pretence both for Number and Authority,
to be eſteem'd, what in truth they are, the Old Romanifts.
I ſhall cloſe all with that Reflection which Monfieur
Maimbourg makes in general upon thefe kind of Expofiti-
ons, on the occafion of that Paper which Monfieur Gran-
velle, by order of the Emperor Charles the Vth, did pre-
fent to Cardinal Contarini, the Pope's Legate in the
Diet of Ratisbone,1541. and which was by him afterwards,
with ſome little Alterations, fent to Rome, as a Model of
Union between the Romanifts and Proteftants. "It may
"be obferved, fays he, that in all times thefe pretended Ac-
"commodations and Managements of Religion, which
"have been contrived to re-unite the Hereticks with the Ca- Hiftoire de
tholicks, in thefe PRETENDED EXPOSITIONS OF Luthera-
THE FAITH, which either fupprefs, or diffemble, or pag. 253.
E
exprefs
nifme, liv. III.
The PREFACE.
"exprefs in doubtful terms, or too much foften fome
tr
part of the Doctrine of the Church, have never ſatisfied
"either the one or other Party: But they have both equally
"complain'd, that men should not deal fincerely in a mat-
"ter fo delicate as the Faith is, where 'tis impoſſible to fail in
"one Point, without being defective in the whole.
How far not only I may beg leave to apply all this to the
Biſhop of Meaux's Expofition, but even Monfieur Maim-
bourg himself defigned hereby to reflect upon it, I ſhall leave
it to thofe to judge, who know how far that Author took
all occafions, under the pretence of writing the Hiftories of
paſt-times, to make particular Reflections upon the Men and
Actions of the prefent. I am perfwaded that at least, it
is the true Character of it; and I hope, before I have done,
to ſatisfie the unprejudiced Reader, that I have good rea-
Son to think fo. But if after all, fome there fhall be, whom
no Reaſon can prevail with, who in Monfieur de Meaux's
own Phraſe, "take pains to blind themſelves, and will
"not fee the light at Noon-day; I shall only say to them,
what Tertullian once did to fome Hereticks in his time;
That 'tis not so much for want of Evidence that they are
not ſatisfied, as becauſe their Cauſe requires that they
fhould not: For if men once refolve not to be perfwaded,
" 'tis then neceffary for them not to acknowledge thoſe
nolunt agno- 66 things by which they are confuted.
Reply,p. 178.
Neceffariò
fcere ea per
quæ revin-
cuntur. Tertull.de Præfcrip. Hær. cap. XVII. pag. 208. Ed. Pariſ. 1675.
A
A
SECOND DEFENCE
OF THE
EXPOSITION of the DOCTRINE
OF THE
CHURCH of ENGLAND,
AGAINST
The New Exceptions of Monfieur de Meaux and his
VINDICATOR.
Addreffed to the Reverend Vindicator.
A
ND thus far have I cleared the way to
my Defence, and fhewn both that there is
at this day an Old and New Popery in the
Church of Rome, and how we are to pro-
ceed in order to the finding out which is
the true and genuine Senfe of that Church. I must now
remember the Method I before laid down, and fhall
from henceforth carefully purſue.
Two things there are, which I fhall chiefly aim at in
this Undertaking, viz. Clearness and Sincerity; and in
either of which, but especially in the latter, if I prove
defective, I ſhall neither be able to fatisfie my own Con-
fcience, nor my Reader's Expectation.
As for the former of thefe, I have made fuch a Divi-
fion of my Difcourfe, as feem'd to me moſt proper for
this end. I have reſolved to give every thing its due
weight,
E 2
A fecond Defence
weight, by feparating what belongs to my felf alone,
from what concerns the Cauſe I am to maintain. And to
the end that nothing of Paffion or Frowardness may a-
rife to hinder me from weighing all things with that in-
difference I defire, I fhall firft diftinctly confider what
is fit to be replied to thofe fevere, for I will not yet call
them unjust, Reflections you have fo induſtriouſly made
upon me, that fo I may afterwards have nothing to
do, but freely to examine the force of your Arguments,
without being diverted by the Reproaches that accom-
pany them.
And for the latter, I do here promiſe you to make it
fincerely my Endeavour, not only that what I defend
be the Truth, but to defend it only with Truth. You
may think of me as hardly as you pleafe, or as your fu-
rious Zeal fhall prompt you to do; but I affure you I
never will endeavour to perfwade that to others, of Truth,
of which I am not first my self convinced. So that, if
then you have indeed difcover'd in my Book any of
thoſe ill Things you charge me with in your Reply, you
fhall not fail to find me as ready to acknowledge my
Faults, as, I blefs God, I always have been; and if I may
be allow'd to know my own Heart, ftill am unwilling to
commit them: Or if this will not fatisfie you, I will add,
As you have been to discover them. Believe me, good Sir,
my defire is to go the right way to Eternal Happineſs: but
Mr. Chill.Pref. whether this Way lie on the right-hand,or on the left,or
ftraight-forward, to me it is indifferent. And however
you have thought fit, according to your ufual Charity
towards thoſe that differ from you, to affume to your
ſelf the Prerogative of God in judging the Secrets of my
Soul, and to affirm, as you moſt rafhly and unchriſti-
anly do, what you can never be fure is true, and what
I am fure is undoubtedly otherwiſe, "That if I would
Reply, p. 21.
Speak
against the Bishop of Condom.
..
"Speak my Confcience, I KNOW that what I say is falfez
yet give me leave to tell you that my Confcience is fo far
from accufing me in this matter, that I have hitherto
felt no other motions at the reading of theſe bitter
Reproaches, than what fill me with Wonder and In-
dignation at your Prefumption; at the fame time that
they engage me not only to forgive you my felf, but
earneſtly to beſeech God to forgive you too.
And for your other Reflections, wherein you feem
to have taken a particular fatisfaction to blacken me all
you can; (you being, as I fhall hereafter fhew, much
more follicitous about your Calumnies than your Ar-
guments:) Tho' you have been ſo ſcrupuloufły care-
ful not to allow, no, not for the finalleft Errors, that
you have often taken the liberty to invent there
where you could not otherwiſe find whereof to ac-
cufe me; yet fo far fhall I be from returning any thing
of this upon you, that on the contrary, I will fhew
you that your Example is not contagious where your
Principles do not prevail; and that I am therefore as
far from being moved by your Calumnies, as I hitherto
fee any reaſon to be convinced by your Arguments.
T
But of theſe things more particularly hereafter.
muſt now paſs to the first thing I propofed to do
which was to discharge my Obligations to the Bishop of
Meaux, whom, you tell me, "I have endeavoured to Reply, Pref.
"expofe, by my contemptible Raillery, to my own Confu-
"fion among thinking Men. To which all that I fhall
fay at prefent, is, That for the contemptible Raillery
'
you fpeak of, it is none of my Talent. I have here- Defence,p.855 ·
tofore fhewn you fome of your own Friends, who have 86.
indeed attain'd to a Perfection in it, and 'tis pity they
fhould lofe that Reputation, feeing they have fo very
little to pretend to befides. I have treated the Bishop
of
4
A Second Defence against the Bishop of Condom.
of Meaux, and by the help of God always will treat
him as his Character requires me to do. I have nei-
ther laugh'd at him, nor mocked him, nor sharpened what
I have faid with any light, Satyrical Pleaſantry, to ren-
der either his Perfon, or his Expofition ridiculous :
And theſe are the only Notions of Raillery that I know
of, or that I believe your better Attainments in the
French Language will be able to diſcover. No, Sir,
be affured that what I have faid, was ſerious Truth,
and deliver'd in fuch a manner, as I believe no one
but your felf ever miſtook it for Raillery. And if
from what I fhall now further remark it does appear,
that even by that Bishop's own Confeffion I have ſpoken
nothing without good grounds for it, I fhall then
leave it to any of your thinking Men, be their Faith
what it will, freely to judge where the Confufion ought
to lie.
SECT.
SECT. I.
An Anſwer to the Bishop of Meaux's Second
Letter; addreſſed to the faid Bifhop.
My Lord;
TH
HOI do not fee any fuch great Difference be-
tween your former Letter and this, I am now
about to confider, but that the Answer I had given to
that, might have excufed me from faying any thing to
this ; yet my reſpect to your Character, which I can-
not but reverence, be the Perfon what he will that
bears it, engages me to pay that to the Dignity of your
Place, which I fhould not have thought due to the
weight of your Arguments.
I could wiſh that our Controverfie had been fo ma-
naged from the beginning, that I might have addref-
fed my ſelf to you without an Interpreter, either in
your own Tongue, or in the Language of the Church:
But it being now become the Subject of a popular
Debate, I muſt leave it to thofe from whom you
received the former, to ſend yoù an Account of my
preſent Defence; tho' I cannot but apprehend that
they who have committed fo many Mistakes in com-
municating your Letter to the World, will not be in-
fallible Interpreters of mine to you.
Your Vindicator accufes me in his Reply to my De- Reply, Pref.
fence, of having endeavour'd to expose you by my
66
..
contemptible Raillery. It is not improbable but that
he who has the Confidence to lay fo unfeemly a Be-
haviour to my charge, in the face of fo many Per-
fons
6
The Answer to the
fons as have read my Books, and muſt therefore know
it to be a falfe and groundless Imputation, may al-
fo have reprefented my Demeanour to your Lordſhip,
much otherwife than indeed it has been. But , my
Lord, I know better what I owe to your Chara-
cer, than to fail in any due Reverence towards it ;
and if I may be permitted to add it, am too fenfible
how you ought to have refpected it your felf, to
be guilty of any Rudeness that may feem farther to
leffen it.
I believe indeed, I may have faid things
that have been very ungrateful to you, but I am per-
fwaded I have done it in fuch a manner, that you
your felf cannot juſtly complain of any want of Ci-
vility in me. And I will now, as I have hitherto done,
be by fo much the more careful not to offend you
in my Expreſſions, by how much the more I apprehend
that I muſt diſpleaſe you in my Allegations.
+
to
It is indeed a thing to be lamented, that one,
whom God has called to fo high a Dignity in his
Church; whom he has endow'd with all the Accom-
pliſhments of Nature and Art, that might fit him
to do fome eminent Good in his Generation
whom he has given Favour in the fight of one of
the greateſt Princes of Christendom, and whofe Eyes
he has opened to fee many of thoſe Errors, to which
others of his Communion are ftill blind, fhould not
attempt fomething worthy both his own Character,
and all theſe great Opportunities: That the Know-
ledge he has of fome at leaſt of thofe Superftitions
which his Church is involved in, fhould not yet pro-
voke his Zeal to do fomewhat that might effectually
deliver it from them.
I have
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
*
T
?
I have heard, my Lord, of the Endeavours you ufe
to reform theſe things in your own Diocefs; and I
am perfwaded you would be glad to fee your Expo-
fition eſtabliſh'd, not by a few vain Complements, which
you know fignifie nothing; but by the effectual Pra-
Etice and Decifion of your Church to become indeed an
Expofition of the Faith of it. And though, were it as
Authentically ratified as it is now pompously approved, we
ſhould not even fo be in a Condition of returning to
you; yet we ſhould then deſpair, but that being once
fenfible you could Err, God Almighty who difpofed you
to go thus far, He would not fuffer you to ftop there;
but would incline your Hearts totally to embrace that
truly Catholick Faith, from whence you have departed,
and to which you now feem willing again to return.
Think I beseech you what an Honour it would be
to your See, if as the laft Reformation in France began
there, ſo now a new and more lafting One might ſpring
up, not from a poor Trades-man as before, but from
whence it ought to come; the fupream Paftour of it.
And if any fecular Hopes or Fears have hitherto kept
you from employing thoſe Advantages, I before men-
tioned, to this great End; and for which perhaps it
was that God has given them to you; be perfwaded
at leaſt yet to confider your Dignity; and what your
People, your Religion, your own Soul requires of you?,
'Tis yet in your power to redeem all, and by your
Courage and fincerity now at the laft, not only to blot
out all that Scandal you have hitherto given us; but
if it ſhall pleaſe God to bleſs your Endeavours, to ren-
der your Name Honourable to the prefent, and your
Memory precious to all future Generations.
•
But if none of thefe Confiderations fhall be able to
fir you up to fo glorious an enterprize; If you are
F
ftill
8
An Anſwer to the
ſtill ſo tender of the Credit of your Expofition, that you
will not be perfwaded to purfue any Reformation, but
by a Method which you ought by this time to fee will
never accompliſh it: You must then excufe us if we
endeavour to lay open your Designs to the World; and
keep you from doing any hurt, if you will not be per-
fwaded to do all the Good that you ought.
Expof. C.E.II.;
C
The firſt thing I ſaid concerning your Expofition was,
That it was defigned either to fatisfie or to feduce the Ma
'refchal de Turenne. This your Vindicator confirms
with an Authority which fhall to me remain unqueſtio-
Reply, pref. nable. And though when I confider how many Points
were wanting to that firft draught which appear'd of
Expof.C.E.ib. it, I muſt ſtill believe that either 'your perfonal Confe-
rences with Him, or fome other Papers to us unknown
'did perfect his Converfion; yet I will not doubt, but
that it was the Expofition that prepared the way to it.
Nor do I hereby at all pretend to undervalue the Effi-
сасу of your Book
Book: It is certainly neither for your
Lordship's nor the Marefchal's Reputation, to have it
thought that He parted fo eaſily with His Religion, as He
muſt have done, if the meer reading of an Expofition of
fome few matters, and thoſe none of the moft confide-
rable in debate betwixt us, were all the care that He
took about it. But it may be the Vindicator judges of
your Lordship's pains in converting Heretisks, by the little
they take who now labour in this deſign among us :
and which I cannot more nearly compare with any thing
than that. Method whereby Tertullian
tells us, the Valentinians were wont here-
tofore to make Profelytes to their Facti-
on: They trust not, fays he, their own
Difciples, before they have made fure
of them: They have an Artifice by which
† Tertul Adv. Valent. c. II. p. 250.
Ne difcipulis quidem propriis ante
conmittunt, quàm fuos fecerint. H2-
bent Artificium quo prius perfuadent
quim edoceant. Veritas autem do-
cendo perfuadet, non fuadendo do
cet. C.
6
• they
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
9
"they perfwade them before they inftruct them: But
Truth perfwades by teaching, not teaches by per-
fwading.
I. But I return to your Lordship's Letter: Where the Reply p. 185.
first thing you except againſt is what I mentioned in my Expof.C.E.
Expofition, Concerning a private Edition of your Book p.III.
which was fupprefs'd, because the Sorbonne Doctors, to
.
whom it was fent for their Approbation, excepted against
Some things in it.
* Defence of
Now this, as it was none of my Invention, but com-
municated to me by a Perſon of undoubted integrity,
and who came to the knowledge of it by the means
*I have heretofore faid; fo I thought I had the more the Expof. p.
reaſon to credit the Relation, becauſe in your Adver- XI.
tifement wherein you take notice of the other Objeti
ons of Monfieur de la B---, you pafs over in profound fi-
lence all that he had charged you with concerning this
fuppreſſed Edition; though a Point certainly confidera-
ble enough to have had ſome notice taken of it, had it
not been a little too hazardous, eſpecially in your own
Countrey, fo foon to deny it. And I must confefs I was in-
clined to conclude, as I formerly told you, that you Expof. C. E.
therefore took no notice of it, becauſe you were fenfi- p.III, IV.
ble it would not have then been fafe to difown it.
But now it ſeems you thought you might ſecurely dif
avow it. And therefore in your former Letter you folemn-
ly declare, that you never did publish nor caufe to be prin- vindic.p. 9.
ted any other Edition than that which is in the hands of 12, 13.
،
[
6
every One, to which you never added nor diminish'd one
Syllable.
In return to which I have alfo declared, 'that there was Def. p. VIII.
an Edition, fuch as Ifpake of, differing in many particu
'lars from what we now fee; that a Copy of this Edi-
F 2
tion
10
An Anſwer to the
#
tion was in my own Hands, and free for any One that
"pleafed to examine it..
But it ſeems you durft not truft to your firft Denyal,.
and therefore you were pleafed upon fecond thoughts to
Vindie. p. 13. confefs in effect what you had twice before deny'd; That
tis true indeed there was fuch an Impreffion, as I ſaid ;
'but that it was made without your Order or Know-
"ledge..
Def. p. X, XI.
6
'
To this I anfwered, "That it was Printed by your own-
Bookfeller, a Perſon of great Credit and Estate; with
the King's permiffion and Approbation; all which could
not well be done without your knowledge, nor would Mon-
fieur Cramoify have prefumed to do it without your
Order.
A
your
And what has your Lordship now to except againſt
this? Can you fay that thefe Prefumptions are not rea
fonable againſt you? No, that you do not pretend. Can
you deny the Fact? Neither dare you put it upon that
iffue. But how then will
you clear
felf? Why,
you perfift to affirm, that there never was any fuch
Reply, p.185. Edition own'd and avow'd by you: No, my Lord, that we
know; you were fo far from owning and avowing it,
that you endeavoured with all poffible Care to fupprefs-
it. But did you never make ſuch an impreffion, though
did not, nor do not yet care to own it? And if
you
Some-body (you fay) has been pleafed to tack the King's
Approbation and priviledge with the Name of Cra-
moify to fome other Edition, it is but a weak Argument
to give the lie to what you say.
Ibid.
6
<
'
Behold the vain prefumption that is brought to op-
poſe ſo plain a matter of Fact. Here is a Book printed,
Cramoify's name, and the King's Approbation to it: This
Edition is collected from Monfieur Cramoify's own Prin-
ting Houſe; collated with another of Monfieur de Tu-
renne's
>
Biſhop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
IT
renne's that cannot be doubted to be Authentick; attefted by
the perſon that compared them,to be the very fame; and if
this be fo, the Bishop of Meaux remains actually con-
vinced of being privy to the Impreffion which he con-
feffes was made, but, as he pretends, without his Order
or Knowledge; and to all this, he has only this to ſay,
That it may be fome body has tack'd Cramoify's name,
and the King's Approbation to an Edition that they do
not of right belong to.
Judge, my Lord, your felf, if you can but for one mo--
ment fequefter your thoughts from your own concern in
this matter, whether ſo poor a fuppofal be fufficient to over-
throw fuch pofitive evidence against you and do not
force me to appeal to any other to judge betwixt us
I. fhall be thought perhaps to undervalue my better Au- -
thorities in this matter, fhould I fay that thoſe who are
acquainted with Monfieur Cramoify's Letter,will foon dif- -
cern whether my Book came not out of his Imprimerie. But
if it be not ſufficient to confound your fuppofal, that it
was gathered up from your own Printers; Collated with
Monfieur de Turenne's Copy; to which I am fure you will
not ſay theſe things were fally tack'd; and Attested to
be the fame: I will then add only this more; "That
whenever your Lordship will help us to a Copy of that
"Impreffion you speak of, made without your Knowledge ·
For Order; that we may compare it with what we have;
and give us. Some good Aſſurance, that neither did Cra- -
'moily Print it, nor any other with your Conſent; if it
does upon collation appear that ours is one of that ftollen
"Edition, I will no longer infiſt upon the Authority of it.
•
In the mean time, your Lordship, fubjoyns two
fuppofitions, which very much confirm me in all that
I have faid of this matter.. But what if I had Reply, p.185.
‘taken out fome Leaves and put in others in the room
of.
1-2
An Answer to the
j'aurois ad-
* Mais quand of them (for fo the French fignifies) after the Book
jouté des Car-was printed, before it was made publick; what if I had
tons à une im-corrected in it what I thought fit, or if they pleafe al
preffion deja
faite? p. 179. together changed it? What confequence can they draw
from thence against me upon account of thofe Altera-
p. 185. "tions? Let us put the cafe alfo, if they please, that
I had made fome body should have been fo vainly curious as to take
fome Additi-the trouble to find out THIS IMPRESSION, before I
' had thus Corrected it?
Tranflated,
But what if
ons to a prin-
ted Impres
fions?
+
<
O, my Lord! may I not here at leaſt beg leave to
think, that out of the abundance of your heart, , your
hand wrote this? Would your Lordship have made fuch
fuppofals in our favour, had not your Confcience, here
the better of your Reafon? Suppofe, you fay, be-
got
fore the Book was publish'd, fome Leaves had been cut
out, and you had corrected what you thought fit, or it
may
be altogether changed it. Is not this the very thing
we charge you with, and which you have been fo weak-
ly endeavouring to perfwade the World you did not
do? And if I may be allow'd to anſwer one fuppofal
with another; "What if you did do this upon the Cor-
'rections that were made by thofe Sorbonne Doctors, to
'whom it was fent for their Approbation? Again:
Suppofe, you fay, fome one was fo vainly curious, as
to take the trouble to find out THIS IMPRESSION be-
"fore you had Corrected it. I reply, That then 'tis
very poffible, that the perfon from whom I obtain'd
my Copy was One of thefe; and if fo, then both Mon-
fieur Cramoify's name, and the King's Priviledge may
honeftly belong to it; and my Book be one of thoſe that
was FIRST PRINTED, and that with your Knowledge
and Approbation; before thefe Leaves you ſpeak of were
changed in it.
You
Biſhop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
13
You fee, my Lord, of what advantage theſe ſuppoſals
are to us; and I doubt not but this will make you
hereafter affure us that they were only Cafes put, for
diſcourſe fake, not that you really did this. And to
this you may be fure there is no Reply; all I fhall defire
is, that if you intended no more by them than fo,
why you could not have as well made the fuppofal in
the very terms of our Charge; which would have been
much more proper than to alter them to another very
like it; For my part I cannot but think, that as I
faid before, your Heart here guided your Hand, and
the confcience of what you knew you had done, led
you to make this fuppofal of it.
тер
But here the Vindicator defires to come in with his
Suppofal too; and that is yet nearer to what we fay.
Suppofe, fays he, the Bishop had permitted an Impref Reply,Pref.
'fion to be made, or (WHICH IT MAY BE WAS ALL
HE DID) had caufed a dozen or fourteen Copies to be
'printed off; to fhew them to his Friends, before he would
put the last hand to his Book: nay (if you will:) let us
"Suppofe, that fome of the Doctors of the Sorbonne were
*
the number of thoſe. Friends to whom he communi-
cated thefe Copies, and that they had made fome Cor-
"rections, Obfervations, or Additions. Why truly,
Sir, I fay then, that fuppofing you had the Bijbop's Au
his-
thority to write this, you have fairly given away
Cauſe and Credit together; by confeffing that there was,.
as we affirm, a private Edition made, that it was com
municated to ſome of the Doctors of the Sorbonne; that
thefe Doctors did Correct it, and that then it was reprin-
ted as we now ſee it.
But I have more to obferve from this paffage, and
it
be that which will unriddle this whole Intrigue.
1. Whereas the Vindicator having fuppofed that the Bi-
may
Bop;
∙14
An Answer to the
Ibid.
.6
1
2. He
Shop caufed a few Copies to be printed for his Friends,
he then immediately changes his itile from a fuppofal to
a kind of affirmation of it; 'Which, fays he,” it may
be WAS ALL THAT THE BISHOP DID.
Suppoſes that ſome of the Sorbonne Doctors might be
of the number of thofe Friends, and might have made
fome Corrections and Obfervations in it. 3. He doubts,
whether a few fuch Copies could be PROPERLY CALLED
AN IMPRESSION : And now to add my Suppofal
to all the reſt, What if this were the Cafe? The Bishop
prints a few Copies of his Book; but they being but
a very few, and defigned only for his Friends, not the
publick; He does not think that this could PROPERLY
be called an IMPRESSION: And therefore whereas we
charge him with a private Impreffion, he readily denys
that he had made any. For fo few Copies cannot
PROPERLY BE CALLED AN IMPRESSION.
He fends it to fome Doctors of the Sorbonne, and
they make Corrections in it. But thefe Doctors he fent
it to as Friends not Doctors, and therefore when wè
charge him with fending it to the Sorbonne for their
Approbation; He affures us he never did any fuch thing,
becauſe he defigned only their private judgment as his
Friends, not to prefix their publick Approbation as Do-
ctors to it.
I do not ſay that this is the Cafe; but however I
thought I might make fuch a fuppofal of it upon the
grounds that were fo fairly offered to me; and I fhall fub
mit it to the Reader to think what probability there may
be in it.
But to return from this digreffion, to the Vindicator:
You will tell me, it may be, that you did not intend I
fhould make this Ufe of your Suppofitions; that which
Reply, Pref. you would know, is, 'What all this fignifies to the Book
· as
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
is
"as it is at prefent? And this, my Lord, is
Ships Queftion too.
your Lord-
Expof. C. E.
I anfwer; That this fhews, as I faid in that place
where I firſt produced this Allegation, that thofe Prote-
ftants were not mistaken, who thought the Doctrine of p. H.
your Expofition as it was first drawn up by you, would ne-
ver pass among thefe of your own party. And when
your Lordship confiders how you infult over them in
your Advertiſement for this belief, you will fee fome
reaſon to own that it was neither to * cavil with Ceux qui de
you, as you expreſs your felf; nor to juggle and per- tant de foin
plex the World with tricks, as your Tranflator makes des Chofes fi
you fpeak, that I mentioned theſe things; but to feek chent des chi-
and fhew the Truth, and let the World fee how this canes & non
new Mystery wrought. And this, my Lord, to the pas la Verite.
Reply, p. 175.
firſt point: I go on with you to the
1.
'
bitent avec
vaines, cher-
II. Second; where you fay, 'You do really acknow- Reply, p.185.
ledge, that the Edition of your Book which you publiſh'd,
differs in fome things from your MS. And for the
Same reason you doubt not but we may find in the Edi-
tion (or as the Bishop's Letter has it, the * Editions;
❝ for I know not whether the Vindicator has corrupted the Reply, p.179.
"One, or falfe-tranſlated the Other;) which
you
did not
approve, fome things not agreeing word for word with
"the true One: But that a little justice must needs
• make us acknowledge the difference to regard only the
Beauty or Conciſeneſs of the ſtile, and not at all the ſub-
"ftance of the Faith.
* Dans les
Editions.
In all which I find nothing more than what you had
before faid, in your former Letter; and the Examples of
fome of your Changes which I offered in anſwer to this Defence, p.
pretence then, may fill ferve to fatisfie the World what IX, X.
Credit is to be given to the fame Affertion now.
G
But
16
An Anfwer to the
Reply, ibid.
B.--
Avertiffement,
P. S.
C
But becauſe you defire your Reverend Father to re-
member the Occafion of this Difference, we ought not by
any means to forget it: Viz. That it was made for the
inftruction of fome particular Perfons, and NOT TO
BE PRINTED: I fhall take it for granted,that theſe par-
ticular Perfons for whom it was made, were either your
new Converts, or fuch as you defired to have fo. Now
the Expofition being framed for their Inftruction, and
NOT TO BE PRINTED; is it not very natural to be-
lieve that you might have foften'd things in it to ſerve
that defign, fomewhat more than you could afterwards.
juftifie when you came to publish it; and that the
Alterations therefore might be fuch as our Copy fhews
in things that "concern the fubftance of the Faith as well
as the Beauty and Concifeness of the ftile ?
And for this I have yet another prefumption. The
Rep. de Mon† MS. Copy which at firft went abroad, and was that
fieur de la B which I fuppofe you drew up for the particular Perfons
you fpeak of, ended at the Article of the Eucharift..
Now I cannot but obferve that the moſt conſiderable
Alterations do end there too: For however indeed in
the point of the Eucharift you had omitted the name
of Tranfubftantiation, yet in effect you afferted the.
thing; In the Adoration of the Hoft, Communion in
One kind, and the following Articles, we find Changes
indeed, but rather in the file, than, as you fay, in the
fubftance of the Faith: The bufinefs of the Mafs was
the only confiderable inftance in which you prevari-
cated. From whence I conclude, that thofe firft Ar-
ticles were written, as you fay, for the inftruction of
particular Perfons, and NOT TO BE PRINTED; and
therefore you thought you might take the liberty to
write them as you pleafed, and as your defign led you
to do: but when you came to add the others in order
to.
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
17
to the publiſhing your Expofition, though you were ftill
exceedingly careful to mollific things all you could, and
fometimes more than was thought fitting, yet you were
forced to proceed with greater Circumfpection
‹
;
But your Lordship, defires to have our pretended Reply, p. 186.
• Edition put into the hands of fome Perfon of Credit
where you may have it feen by fome of your Friends;
and you do then engage your felf either to shew the
manifeft falfity of it, or if it has been truly printed
after your MS. to make appear as clear as the day, that
"the differences we ſo much magnifie deſerve not even to
* be thought upon.
This indeed, my Lord, is an extraordinary favour, con-
fidering that you have fuffered an Extract made out of this
very Book by Monfieur de la B of twenty Changes
to paſs now almoft this xv. years without any Re-
ply. And becauſe I would not be too importunate, be
pleafed only at your leiſure to fhew us in them, whe-
ther it may be worth our while to put you to the
trouble of Confidering any more. But if you fucceed no
better in the other xix. than you have done in this
One, wherein you have firft made the Experiment, it
will be neither for your Credit nor our Satisfaction to
diſturb your ſelf about it. The point is, concerning
the Honouring the Bleffed Virgin and the Saints: The
Cafe lies thus,
арск
In both your Editions you lay down this Principle;
That all Religious Worship ought to terminate apcn
*God, as its neceſſary End.
From this you infer:
C
L. Edit.
<
Therefore the Honour which the Church Expof. c. E.
'gives to the Belfed Virgin and the Saints IS P. XXII.
RELIGIOUS, becauſe it gives them that Honour
with relation to God, and for the love of Him;
G 2
And
}
18
An Answer to the
Ibid,p.XXIII.
:
Reply, p. 186.
And therefore again,
I. Edit. So far ought one to be from blaming the
"Honour which we give to the Saints, as our
Adverfaries do, because it Is RELIGIOUS, that
on the contrary, it ought to be blamed if it were
'NOT RELIGIOUS.
I am not now to queftion the reaſonableneſs of this
Confequence; but to obferve the New turn that you give
it in your Second Edition: where the Principle remain-
ing the fame, you infer thus, directly Oppofite to the
former Conclufion.
.
'
?
II. Edit. Therefore IF the Honour which it (the
Church) renders to the Bleffed Virgin and the
"Saints may in fome fenfe be called RELIGI
C
ous, it is for its neceſſary Relation to God.
This is the Cafe; let us fee how you Anfwer it.
You tell us that at the bottom what you faid at firft
was true: Very likely, but that is not our Question:
that which we expect is that you fhew us, as clear as
the day, that the difference is only in the Stile, not the
Subſtance of Faith. You add therefore; That if after-
"wards you gave it. Another turn, it was only that you
might Speak with more Brevity, and avoid the pittiful
Equivocations which are every day made upon the Word
Religious. And this is all you have to fay to it.
To which I anfwer: Firſt, Though it be not Mate-
rial, yet that it is not true, that your New turn was that
you might ſpeak with more Brevity; for whereas you
had before faid, that this Honour was Religious, you now
put in a few other words, which do not indeed add
much to the length, but makes a great deal of difference
as
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
19
as to the Senfe, If it may in fome Senſe be called Reli-
gious. But, 2dly, The reafon you give do's not at all fa-
tisfie us: We come not now to hear the diftinctions of
the Schools, but to read an Expofition of the neceffary
Doctrine of the Church; and in which you tell us, that
One word ill rendred would ſpoil all.
Advertiſe
What then is the Churches fenfe concerning that Ho- ment to your
nour which it renders to the Saints departed? You pro- Expol. p. 5,6.
nounce Dogmatically: Firſt, It is A RELIGIOUS HO-
NOUR, and were to BE BLAMED if it were NOT
RELIGIOUS. Then comes out a new Edition, and ha-
ving confidered better of the matter, you doubt whether
it may even in SOME SENSE be called a RELIGIOUS
HONOUR. † Your Vindicator comes after
you, and
† Reply, p. 9.
with another Turn fets all right again, that it cannot be
called a Civil Honour, and therefore it must be a Religi
ons. And which of thefe, or whether they be all of them
the Churches fenfe, we are yet to learn.
Had you, my Lord, diftinguiſh'd in your Expofition·
as you would be thought to do now: Had you told us,
that this Honour as it refers to God, and is done out of
Love to Him, is Religious, but in any Other refpect (if
there be any other) you could not well tell what it was;
we had then understood yours, if we had not the Churches
fenſe of it. But to tell us without any distinction in-
One Edition that it is Religious, and in Another to·
doubt, whether it may in any Senfe be called Religious,
this is fuch a kind of turn as He once gave to the
Canon Law, who being to Expound a certain Decree
which began WE COMMAND; that is, fays the Glofs,
WE FORBID: and I think plainly fhews, that either
here did not well know the Senfe of your Church, or
you did not care that we should..
you
:
And
20
An Anſwer to the
Reply, p. 186
And thus much to your Second Remark. As for the
III. Point; I fhall not need to infift upon it. It nei
ther belongs to your Lordship, nor is there any difference
between us concerning it. Since you freely confefs that
the Epistle of St. Chryfoftome ought not to have been
+ See this E- Stifled; and † Monfieur de le Faure himself, who gave the
piftle reprint- Advice by which it was fuppreffed, afterwards repen-
ed by Monfieur ted of it. As to the
Bafnage, Rot-
xerdam, 1687.
P. 34.
IV. Objection; concerning Monfieur M- --s writing
Reply, p. 187. against your Expofition, I am not at all concerned whe
ther your Lordship will believe it or no Though for
the fake of truth I will add thus much, that Monfieur
M---- has again own'd it, fince the publiſhing of my
Defence, to a Perfon of great worth, who at my desire
enquired about it. And for the Conclufion we would
draw from it, your Lordship muft needs have ſeen it,
had the Perſon who inform'd you of theſe things given
you ſo full an account of theſe things as He ought to
have done; viz. to fhew that all even of your own Com-
munion were not fatisfied with your Expofition; and to
confirm by the Teftimony of a fecond Witness what
Monfieur Conrart had before declared concerning it.
And now I mention the Name of your old Friend
Monfieur Conrart, I could wish for the fake of that good
Monfieur de Opinion you have fo worthily teftified of Him in your
Meaux's ex- Advertiſement, you had given fome other character of
preffion is, en- Him in your Letter. For however I am perfwaded
ligion: Hot- meant no more by your † Expreffion than to fignifie that
headed of his firm perfwafion He had of the truth of his Religion; yer
ply, p. 181. your Tranflator has from thence taken Occafion to re-
187. prefent Him to the World as a Hot-headed Man, which
tefté de la Re-
Religion: Re
you
you
Bishop of Meaux's Second Letter..
21
you
know to have been far from the true Character of a-
Perfon fo Sober, however opiniated of his Faith, as Mon-
feur Congart was. The
V.. Objection is this. In the Preface to my Expofiti- Reply, p. 184% -
an, I had obferved, How Father Craffet in his Anſwer
to the Wholefome Advices of the Bleffed Virgin to Her
indifcreet Worshippers, had in that oppofed your Lord-Expl. C.E:
fbip's Expofition. To this you return this Anfwer in your
<
former Letter. I have not read that Book, but neither Vindicat.p.10-
"did LEVER HEAR IT MENTIONED, there was
any thing in it contrary to mine.
મ
& 114
This in my Defence, I told you was very ftrange, con- Def.p. XIII.
fidering that not only Monfieur de la B--- in his Anfwer
to your Advertiſement, and Monfieur Arnauld in Defence
of
your Expofition, had taken notice of it; but even
Monfieur Furieux in his Prefervative had Objected it to
you : Which Book. I fuppoſed you muſt have read, be-
caufe you Anfwer a part of it in your Treatife of Com-
munion in One Kind.
What do's your Lordship now offer to excuſe
your Pre-
varication in fo clear a matter? **Iftill continue to fay *Reply, 1875.
*that I never read Father Craffet's Book which they bring
against Me. I KNOW well indeed that Monfieur Ju--
"rieux objected it to Me. So your Tranflator renders you;
I fuppofe that the Charitable Reader might believe, that
you do now know it, fince I put you in mind of it; and
not believe a Perfon of your Lordship's Character, would
fo openly confeſs that you did know that, which you ſo
utterly deny'd to have ever heard mention'd before. But
alas! This is no fuch great matter with your Lordſhip
and therefore to fet things right as they ought to be, and
fhew at once both yours and your Tranflator's finceritys
I muſt defire the Reader to caft his Eye upon the French:
3
Original,,
་
22
$
An Anſwer to the
*
Reply, p. 181. Original, where he will find your Words to be thefe;
*Fay bien feu, Tis true, indeed, I KNEW WELL ENOUGH
à la Verite, que that Monfieur Jurieux objected it to Me: And therefore
Mr. Jurieux in Confcience, my Lord, what did you do when you
L'opposoit.
Reply, p. 181. told us in your Other Letter, that
you
NEVER
HEARD IT MENTION'D, that there was anything
in it Contrary to your Expofition.
Ibid.
Ibid.
* Le Pere Craf
fet touché
de ce, &c.
C
O my Lord! think a little upon theſe things: and do
not imagine that a trifling flourish will fecure you ei-
ther againſt Gods judgment, or the Worlds Cenfure. For
what if Monfieur Jurieux were fuch a One as you pre-
tend? That was wont to mingle true, falſe, and doubt-
"ful things together: Yet fince you confefs you did read
in Him that Father Craffet had contradicted your Ex-
pofition, will that excufe you from being guilty of an
Offence against Truth, in faying that you had never
beard any fuch thing mention'd? But, my Lord, I muſt
go farther with you; He did not barely say it, He proved it
too, and that by a very large extract out of his Book :
And be Monfieur Furieux's credit never fo fmall with your
Lordship, yet your own reafon could not but tell you
when you read thoſe paffages, that in this at leaſt He
was certainly in the right. And I once more Appeal
to your own Confcience, whether you never read in
Monfieur de la B's? Answer to your Advertiſement, nor
in Monfieur Arnaud's Defence of your Expofition, the
very fame
fame: And whether theſe alfo will not One
day rife up in Judgment againft you, for fo pofitively
denying that you had ever heard of any fuch thing?
*
.
But you go on: Father Craffet Himself troubled
as for the Offended, that is a piece of the Tranfla-
Father Craffet tor's liberality) "That any One should report his Doctrine
'to be different from mine, has made his Complaints to me ;
troubled, &c.. and in a Preface to the fecond Edition of his Book, has
· Reply, p. 181.
touch'd or
declared
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
23
6
* Reflections
nommé le Pare
declared that he varied in nothing from Me, unless
perhaps in the manner of Expreffion : And this you
Say you leave to them to Examine, who shall please to
give themselves the trouble. The truth is you faw by fur le Preferva-
what Monfieur Jurieux had copied from Him, that fhould tif: le livre d'an
you read his Book you muſt give him up for a pitiful Fe- pitiable Jefuit
fuit and therefore thought it the bet way to ftand Craffet. V. Re-
Neuter, and not be engaged to fay any thing about Him. tex. p. 19. le
Think not, my Lord, the Expreffion too flighting: d'un Pere Craf
Your own Defender is my precedent for it; who find- fet, p. 44.
Pourquoy vent
ing it impoffible to reconcile the Extravagancies of his il que nous faf-
Book with the Doctrine of your Expofition, utterly dif- fions de diffi-
claims both it and the Author in the very terms I have culté de dire
mentioned, and with greater contempt than I am wil-
ling to tranſcribe from Him.
*
But fince you are refolved you will not intereſt your
felf in this matter, I muft here addreſs to Father Craffet
Himfelf; and fince his Doctrine is, He fays, the fame
with that of your Expofition, defire Him that he will
pleaſe to inform us wherein it is that that Heretical, ba-
nifb d, condemn'd Author of the Wholfome Advices, a-
gainſt whom he writes, differs from it. Is it that He
blames thofe who pay their Homage to the Bleffed Vir-
gin as to fome inferiour Divinity, and believe that with-
out Her there is no approaching to God even by Jefus
Chriſt? But this, Reverend Father, the Bishop of
Meaux blames no less than He.
t
¿
Is it that He advises the Worshippers of the Holy Virgin,
not to think that ſhe has any Merit but what she received
from her Son?--- that they ought not to give the fame Ti-
'tles to Her as to God ;--- nor make her Equal with God
and Jefus Chrift? Is it that He condemns Thofe who
depend fo much on the Bleſſed Virgin that they have no re-
'courfe to Chrift; and prefer their devotion to Her be-
H
'fire
q'un Pere Craf
fet feft trompé
P. 47.
24
An Answer to the
'fore the Love of God? * Is it that He advises the
"people not to put any truft in Images, as if there were
any Divine power in them, and it were not in Effect
all One to worship the Bleſſed Virgin in any place or be-
"fore any Image? This, my Father, is that Authors Do-
arine whom you oppofe, and if the Bishop of Meaux.
will difown all, or any part of this Doctrine as contra-
ry to his Expofition too, I fhall for my part be content
that then your True devotion toward the Bleffed Virgin
paſs as agreeable to the Principles of it.
you are.
You will, it may be, tell us, that though you oppofe
His Book, yet you are not his Enemy in Every One ·
of thefe Particulars: Nor will I affirm that
But yet fince you charge Him as an Enemy to the
Honour of the Blessed Virgin, and to the Worship of
Images, you ought to fhew us what thofe Principles.
are, in which you efteem Him as fuch; and then we
fhall foon fee whether the Bishop of Meaux's Expofi--
tion do's not maintain the very fame Doctrine.
Good God! To what a ftate are we arrived? That
men can prefume in the Face of the World to deliver
fuch falfities? Judge, Reader, whoever thou art, Are
theſe men fit to be trufted to deliver to us the Princi--
ples of Faith, that in the plaineft matters of Fat, fhew
fo little a concern for Truth; even when they know
'tis impoffible for them to hide their Confufion?
And here, my Lord, I could have wiſh'd I might have
finish'd thefe Remarks: Sorrow and Anguifh are in the
next Confideration, more than in all I have yet delivered ::
And I cannot without confufion repeat, what you would
be thought to have written without blushing. But I
muft follow whither your felf have led Me; and ſpeak
thoſe things which if you have yet any regard to your own.
Dignity, any Senfe even of common Christianity, it felf,
will
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
25
.
<
will certainly bring upon you the moft fenfible perplexity
of mind, and great confufion of Face.
In your Paftoral Letter to the New Converts of your Paſt. Letter,
Diocefs, you tell them, 'I do not marvel, my dearest p. 3, 4-
Brethren, that you are returned in Troops and with fo
'great Eafe to the Church where your Anceſtors ferved
God. NOT ONE OF YOU HATH SUFFER'D VIOLENCE EITHER IN
◄ HIS PERSON OR GOODS. Let them not bring you thefe de-
ceitful Letters which are Addrefs'd from Strangers tranf-
'form'd into Paftours, under the Title of Paftoral Let-
"ters to the Proteftants of France that are fallen by the
• force of Torments. So far have you been from ſuffer-
ing Torments, that you have not ſo much as heard them
Mention'd. YOU ARE RETURNED PEACEABLY TO US, YOU
<
KNOW IT.
•
188.
This you now again confirm, as to what has 'pass'd Reply, 187,
in the Dioceſs of Meaux, and ſeveral Others, as you
were informed by the Bishops your Brethren and your + Dont les E-
Friends: for fo your words are, not and Other veques,mesCon
• your Friends, as your Tranflator renders you.]
do again affert in the Prefence of God who is to
living and the dead, that YOU SPOKE NOTHING
"TRUTH.
amis, m'aroi-
And you freres & mes
judge the ent fait le re-
BUT THE cit, p. 181.
And believe Me, my Lord, that God whom you call
to Witness has heard you; and will One day bring you
to Judgment for it.
made by the
For tell me, Good my Lord; Have thofe Edicts which the see all this in
King has publiſh'd against the Proteftants of France; and in the Collection
which He involves not only his own Subjects, but as far as Kings Autho
He can all the Other Proteftants of Europe, made any rity,and dedi-
Exception for the Diocefs of Meaux? Have not their cated to Him
by Monfieur le
Fture Dr. of
Sorbox; Called Nouveau Recueil de tout ce qui s'est fait pour & contre les Proteſtants et
France. à Paris, 1686.
H 2
Churches
26
An Anſwer to the
Churches been pull'd down, their Minifters baniſh'd; their
Children raviſh'd out of their Bofoms; their Sick forced
into your Hofpitals, expoſed to the rudeness of the Ma-
giftrates and Clergy; their Shops fhut up; their Offices
and Employs taken from them; and all Opportunities of
the publick fervice of God been precluded there as well
as in Other places?
See, my Lord, that black Collection which Monfieur
le Fevre has lately publish'd with the King's Priviledge
of thofe Edicts, whereby, as he confeffes, the Reformed
have in effect been perfecuted for thefe xxx. years. Has
-your Diocefs efcaped the rigour but of any one of theſe?
Or is there nothing of Violence either to Mens Perfons or
Goods in them?
Your Lordship, I perceive by fome of your private
Letters, is nota ftranger to Monfieur le Suer, and to
whom I have had the Honour for fome Years to
be particularly known. Was not he driven from la
Ferté even before the Edict of Nantes was revoked?
And was there nothing of Violence in all this? Was
that poor Man forced to forfake all that he had, and
feek for refuge in foreign Countrys, firft in England,
then in Holland, and did he yet (with his numerous Fa-
mily) fuffer nothing neither in his Perfon nor Goods?
And might I not fay the fame of the other Minifters his
Brethren in your Diocefs, were I as well acquainted
with their Conditions?·
But it may be you will Expound your felf of thoſe who
remained behind, and changed their Religion. And
can you in Confcience fay that they RETURN'D PEACE-
ABLY TO YOU? Does a Town that holds out as
long as it can, and when it is juſt ready to be car-
ried by Storm, then capitulates, yield it felf up peace-
ably to the Will of the Conqueror? They faw. Defolati-
on
1
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
27
on every where furround them; the Fire was come
even to their very Doors. The Dragoons were arrived
at your own City of Meaux. Before they were quar-
ter'd upon the poor People, you call them for the laſt
Tryal to a Conference. Here you appear moderate
even beyond your own Expofition; and ready to re-
ceive them upon any terms. What fhould they now
do? Change they muft; the deliberation was only
whether they ſhould do it a few days fooner, and
prevent their ruine, or be expoſed to the mercilefs
fury of theſe new Converters. Upon this follows the
effect you mention; The Holy Spirit operated upon
・your preaching, as it heretofore wrought in the Coun-
cil of Trents Decifion. When the Courrier arrived from-
Rome, then preſently the Fathers became enlightned;
and It feemed good to the Holy Ghost and them. When
the Dragoons ftood arm'd to ruine them if they did not
yield; then they return'd in Troops, and WITH GREAT
EASE, to the Church, where their Anceſtors ferved
'God.
'
And yet after all, 'Has no one, my Lord, even of
'thefe, Suffered Violence either in his Perfon or Goods?
Judge, I pray you, by the Extract I will here give you
of a Letter which I received in Answer to my par-
ticular defires of being informed How things pafs'd in.
your Diocefs.
Ibids
cerning the
'It is true that the Dragoons were not lodged in Extract of a
"the Diocefs of Meaux; but they came to their Doors, Letter con-
and the People being juft ready to be ruined, yielded State of the
"to their fears. Infomuch that feeing afterwards the Proteftants in
"Paftoral Letter, they would not give any heed to it; M
the Diocess of 5
faying, That Seeing it was fo VISIBLY FALSE in
an Article of fuch importance, it did not deferve to be
believed by them in the rest. One only Gentleman
28
An Anfwer to the
Reponse à La
le de Monfieur
.6
of the Bishoprick of Means, Louis Segaier, Lord of
'Charmois, à Relation of the late Chancellors of the
'fame name; had the Dragoons. 'Tis true that after
'he had figned, he was repair'd in fome part of the
lofs he had fuftained. But it happened that he did
'not afterwards difcharge the part of a Good Catho-
lick. He was therefore put in Prifon, firft in his own
Country; but it being impoffible there to deprive him
of all fort of commerce, to take him abfolutely from
it, He has fince been transferr'd to the Tour of Guife,
"where he is at prefent. Two other Gentlemen of the
'fame Country, are alfo Prifoners on the fame Account.
But there is an answer to your Paftoral Letter
Lettre paftora- which goes yet farther. He tells you of Monfieur
de Meaux à Monceau, a Man of 77. Years of Age, fhut up in a
Amfterdam, Convent of the cruelties exercifed upon two Orphan
chez pierre Sa-
Children of Monfieur Mirat, the one but of 9. the other
1o. Years old, at la Ferté fous Jouarre Nay, my
Lord, he adds how even your Lordship who in
the Conference appear'd fo moderate, in the Vifitation
of your Diocefs, 3. Months after threat ned thoſe who
would not go to Mas; that continued to read their
Proteftant Books, or to fing their Pfalms. And will
you yet fay there has been nothing of Violence in your
Paftor. Letter. Diocefs? You are returned peaceably to us, you know it.
I muft then defcend to the laſt fort of conviction, and
eludeé ou Let- out of your own Mouth you shall be judged. Your Lord-
tres de Mon- fhip will eafily fee what it is I mean. The Copies of
fieur l'Eveque your own Letters to Monfieur V who was forced
voret. 1686.
pag. 20, &c.
Ibid.
La feduction
de Meaux àun
de fes Diocé- to flie from his Country, and out of your Dioceſs up-
Sains, qui eft on the account of the Perfecution you now deny, and
Sauvé de la which were Printed the laft year at Bearne in Switzer-
perfecution.
band, have fufficiently fatisfied the World of your fin-
cerity in this point.
Your
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter:
19
overs
Vous me trouverez toujours les bras
: Fe me cefferay de vous
rapeller par mes Vieux & par mes
pieres etant cardialement, arge
Esprit d'un Veritable pafteur, Vo-
tre, &c. p. 10.
Your firft Letter is dated at Meaux, October 17. 1685.
In this, after having exhorted him to return to you, by
affuring him, 'That he ſhould find your
"Arms open to receive him; and again,
"that he fhould meet in you the Spirit
"of a true Paftor; among other things
you tell him, That we ought not to
pleafe our felves that we fuffer perfe-
"cution, unless we are well affured that
it is for righteoufnefs fake. It was
too much to deny the perfecution to one
who was juſt eſcaped out of it, and therefore you thought
it better to flouriſh upon it.
Songez qu'il ne faut point fe com-
plaire quand on fouffre perfecution, fi
l'on n'est bien affeuré que ce soit pour
la justice. p.11.
* To this he replies, Jan. 28. 1685. That he plea- * Ibid. p. 16,
fed himself fo little in the Perfecution, that it was to 17.
avoid thofe places where it reigned, that according to
"the precept of the Gospel, he was fled into another...
And then goes on to teftifie the juft Scandal which
the Perfecution had given him against your Religion.
A
Your Anfwer to this was of April 3. 1686. or rather
not ſo much to this, as to one he had fent about the
fame time to his Lady, and wherein he had it ſeems>
again declared how fcandalized he was at the Per- -
fecution. And here you enter in good earneſt on the
Argument. Inftead of denying the Perfecution, you
defend it. And though you feem to teftifie in
your
reafons as little regard to the truth of the ancient Hi-
ftory of the Church, as in your Paftoral Letter to the :
condition of the prefent; yet you fufficiently fhew of
"
*
what manner of Spirit you are of; fince for your part 1bid. pag. 22,
you cannot, you ſay, find where Hereticks and Schif 23, 24. Dites
maticks are excepted out of the number of thofe Evil moi en quel
doers, against whom St. Paul tells us, That God has Arm- Ecriture les
*ed Chriſtian Princes..
<
endroit de l'
Here iques &
les Schifmati-
ques font exceptez du nombre de ces malfaiteurs contre lefquels St. Paul a dit que Dieu mome
a armé les Princes. P. 24.、
And
z
30
An Anſwer to the
And here, my Lord, I fhall ftop, and not multiply
proofs in a matter fo clear as this. Only let me re
† Lettre Pafto- member you that there is but † 10. days difference
rale March 24. between the date of this and of your Paftoral Letter ;
fieur de V. too little a while to have made fo great a Change.
April 3.
Lettre à Mon
But I fuppoſe we ought to remember here, what
you told us before of the MS. Copy of your Expo-
fition: that theſe private letters were defign'd only
for the Inftruction of a particular Perfon, and NOT
Reply, p.186. TO BE PRINTED; whereas that other which you
Addrefs'd to your Diocess was intended to be pub-
lifhed, and therefore required ANOTHER TURN.
As for the Bishops your Brethren and Friends, who
have, you fay, affirmed the fame thing; your Lord-
fhip would do us a fingular pleaſure to let us know
whether they were not fome of those that approved
your Expofition. It was pity they did not fet their
Reverend Names to your Paftoral Letter too. We
ſhould then have been abundantly convinced of their
integrity; and that they are as fit to approve fuch
Tracts, as your Lordship to write them. And he
muſt be very unreaſonable that would not have been
convinced by their Authority, that your Expofition
gives as true an account of the Doctrine of your Church,
as your Paftoral Letter does of the state of your
·Diocefs.
You will excuſe me, my Lord, that I have inſiſted
thus long upon thefe reflections.. If you are indeed fen-
fible of what you have done, no fhame that can from
hence ariſe to you will feem too much; and if you
are not, I am fure none can be enough. I befeech
God, whom you call to witness againſt your own Soul,
to give you a due fenfe of all theſe things; and then Í
may hope that you will read this with the fame re-
Sentments
}
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
} =
Sentiments of forrow and regret, as I can truly affure
you I have written it. This to the 5th. Objection.
The Occafion of the next was this.
VI. In the Preface to my Expofition I had obſerved,
that Cardinal Capifucchi, one of the Approvers of your Expof. C.E.
Expofition, had in his own writings contradicted your VIII, IX.
Doctrine as to the point of Image-Worship. To this
،
(
you reply in your former Letter, That he is fo
far from being contrary to the Doctrine you have Vindic. p. 10.
'taught, that he had on the contrary exprefly approved
XIV.
'your Book. I anfwer'd in my Defence, That this Defence, p.
was a good preſumption that he ſhould not have any
'principles contrary to yours; but yet that if what
'I had alledged out of his Controverfies were really
repugnant to what you taught in your Expofition, it
might indeed ſpeak the Cardinal not fo confiftent with
himſelf as he fhould be, but that the Contradiction
'would be never the lefs a Contradiction for his fo
doing.
<
To this therefore you now rejoyn, That it is a Reply, p.188.
weak Objection, which runs upon the Equivocation
'of the word Latria; concerning an Abfolute and
Relative Worship. And falls fo viſibly into a diſpute
'about words, that you cannot imagine how Men of
'ſenſe, can amuſe themſelves about it. That for your
part, you never engaged your ſelf to defend the
"Expreffions of the School, though never fo eafie to
'be explicated, but only the Language of the Church
in her decifions of Faith. In fhort; That Cardinal
Capifucchi has written an exprefs Treatife about I-
mages, and SAID NOTHING IN THE WHOLE THAT
<
CONTRADICTS YOU.
I
I am
32
An Answer to the
Expofition,
I am very glad, my Lord, you refer us to the
Treatife of Cardinal Capifucchi that you mention;
though I am apt to believe you did it out of a pre-
fumption that I could not procure it to examine your
pretences. For indeed the whole defign of it is fo
exprefly against you, that one would ftand amazed
to think that a Chriftian and a Biſhop, and what is
perhaps yet more to you, an Expounder of the Ca
tholick Faith, that would pafs with the World for a
perſon of Honesty and Integrity, fhould venture his
reputation on fuch felf-evident falfities.
For to examine the Compariſon:
1. The Doctrine of your Expofition concerning I
mages is this:
That all the Honour which is given to them ſhould
Se&t. V. p. 8, 'be referred to the Saints themſelves who are Repre-
"Sented by them.
9.
6.165.
The Honour we render Images is grounded upon
'this. No Man, for Example, can deny but that when
we look upon the figure of Jefus Chrift Crucified, it
'excites in us a more lively remembrance of him who
'loved us fo as to deliver himself up to Death for
Whilft this Image being prefent before our Eyes
'caufes fo precious a Remembrance in our Souls, we
are moved to teſtifie by fome exteriour figns, how far
'our Gratitude bears us; and by humbling our felves
"before the Image, we fhew what is our fubmiffion
to our Saviour. So that to ſpeak preciſely, and ac-
'cording to the Ecclefiaftical ftile, when we Honour
"the Image of an Apoftle or Martyr, our intention is
not ſo much to Honour the Image, as to Honour
"the Apostle or the Martyr in prefence of the Image.
6
"In:
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
3 3
'In fine, One may know with what Intention the
'Church Honours Images, by that Honour which fhe
"renders to the Crofs and to the Bible. All the World
'fees very well that before the Crofs fhe Adores him
'who bore our Iniquities upon the Wood: and that if
'her Children bow the head before the Bible, if they
rife up out of reſpect when it is carried before them,
and if they Kifs it reverently, all this Honour is re-
'ferred to the Eternal verity which it propoſeth to
us.
"We do not Worship Images, God forbid but we Advertiſe-
"make Uſe of Images to put us in Mind of the Origi- ment, p. 12:
nals. Our Council teaches us no other uſe of them.
All which your Vindicator thus plainly and Dogma- Reply: Pre-
tically delivers to us, in the four following Propofitions, face, p. 17,18.
in the Preface to his Reply:
¿
1. "We have a Veneration for Images as for facred U-
tenfils dedicated to God and the Churches Service; and
'that too in a leffer Degree than for our Chalices, &c.
2. In the Prefence of them, we pay our Refpet to the
-Perfons whom they reprefent: Honour to whom Honour,
• Adoration to whom Adoration; but NOT TO THE IMA
'GES THEMSELVES, who can claim nothing of that
"Nature, viz. Honour or Adoration, from us.
C
3. That the hard Expreffions of the Schools,as of Abfolute
and Relative Latria, MAYPERHAPS BE DEFENDED
in the Senſe meant by them; (it ſeems 'tis a doubt-
ful Cafe whether theſe Men can be excufed from be-
ing guilty of Idolatry or not; and one of theſe is Car-
dinal Capifucchi;) but ought not to be the Subject of
our prefent Controverfie, becauſe they are not Points
'that are universally and neceſſarily received.
6
6
4. In Anfwer to my demand, 'Whether upon
ANY AC-.
'COUNT WHATSOEVER the Image of our Saviour and
I 2
' of
P. 18.
Toid.
I'
34
An Answer to the
gica Selectæ,
6
<
of the Holy Cross were to be worshipped with Divine Wor-
"Ship? He replies freely and plainly without any of the
School Errantry; That the Image of our Saviour or the
Holy Cross, is upon NO ACCOUNT WHATSOEVER
to be wORSHIPPED with DIVINE WORSHIP.
This is the Doctrine of your Expofition, and your in-
dicator's Interpretation of it. Let us fee
،
IIdly; Whether Cardinal Capifucchi in that Trea-
tife to which you Appeal, has nothing that con-
tradicts this: That fo we may from hence too
learn how far we are to credit your Alegations.
And
Firſt, Whereas your Lordship affirms, that all the
Honour which is given to Images ſhould be referr'd to
the Saints themſelves; that is as your Vindicator ex-
pounds it, that in the preſence of thems you pay your
* Card. Capi-Reſpect to the Perfons whom they reprefent,but NOT TO
Succhi Contro- the IMAGES themselves who can challenge nothing of
verfiæ Theolo- that Nature from us; * Cardinal Capifucchi on the con-
fol. Rome, trary lays down this exprefs Pofition, That the Holy
trover. XXVI. Images are to be Worshipped, and are rightly worshipped
Quest.1. Pa- by the Faithful; nay, fo as that the Worship fhould
ragraph, 9. P•‹† TERMINATE upon them.-- ||For as inanimate things,
"though in themſelves they are not Holy, yet in Order
to Another to which Holiness does primarily agree,
they are called Holy, and in relation to that Other
thing, may and ought justly to be Adored with it: So
Images,though of themſelves they are not Holy,yet they.
are Holy in Order to the Exemplar which they repre-
fent, and They may and ought to be ADORED in Order
«to that, and together with it.
1677. · Con- "
605.
+ Pag. 627.
648.
|| Paragr. 9.
606.
See jabove.
$
<
Secondly
་
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
35
Secondly, Having thus refolved against your first foun-
dation, that Images are to be Adored; He next enquires, Ibid.
what Worſhip is to be paid to them?
،
Your Lordship's pofition is this: "We do not Worship
•Images, God forbid : But we make ufe of Images to put
us in mind of the Originals. Our Council teaches us
Mother use of them. Which your Vindicator thus more
plainly delivers; That the Image of our Saviour or
"the Holy Cross, is upon NO ACCOUNT WHATSOEVER
to be WORSHIPPED with Divine Worship.
6
Let us ſee if there be nothing in the Cardinal's Trea-
tife that contradicts this. And here,
<
6
Queſt. II.
Pag. 624.
First, He rejects the Opinion of Durandus, That pro- Paragr. F.
perly fpeaking, Images are NOT TO be ADORED, "but peɛ. 625m.
becauſe they reſemble things worthy of Adoration,which
'by remembrance are Adored in prefence of the Images ;
'therefore the Images themſelves improperly are, and are
'faid to be Adored. Are not theſe, my Lord, almoft the
very words of your Expofition? Hear then what the
Cardinal fays to them. This Opinion, fays he, is to be
rejected. And I befeech you confider the reafon He
gives for it. Becauſe, fays He, in truth it takes away
the Worship of Images; and teaches that they ought
only improperly to be Adored. But if we muſt hear-
ken to your Expofition, this can be no reaſon, unleſs it
be to eſtabliſh the Opinion which He pretends to Com-
bat. For according to your Lordship, The Chur chdoes
not Worship Images; God forbid. But to go on with
the Cardinal;
6
6
<
6
Whence Raphael de Turre fays, that this Opinion is
"DANGEROUS, RASH, and favouring the HERESIE of
"those who oppose Images. An admirable Character of
your Lordship's Expofition. For feveral Councils, fays
He, have defined, and the Holy Fathers taught, that
6
• Images
36
An Answer to the
Ibid.
Paragr. II.
pag. 625.
6
6
<
Images are to be Adored, by a Tradition kept from the
times of the Apostles unto our days; But now if I
mages fhould be Venerated only Improperly, as this O-
pinion (let me add, and your Expofition) afferts;
"then the Images would not be truly Adored; And there-
'fore this Opinion does truly favour the HERESIE of the
"Enemies of Images. The fame is afférted by Ferdi-
"nandus Velofillus; who therefore concludes this Opinion
to be not only FALSE, but RASH and ERRONEOUS,
eſpecially fince the Definition of the Council of Trent.
Behold, my Lord, the wonderful Concord between
the Cardinal and your Lordship; for tell me now I be-
feech you, is there nothing in all this that contradicts you?
Or rather, do you not here fee what you deliver fo
Magifterially as the Churches Senfe, condemned as Dan-
gerous, Rafh, Erroneous, and favouring of Herefie, and
contrary to the Definition of the Council of Trent? But
6
C
6
<
2dly, In the next Paragraph, he lays down the Opis
nion of Vafquez: and if the Other did not allow Images
as much Honour as you pretend to, I hope this Man did.
The Opinion, fays He, of Vafquez is, that Images are
no otherwife to be Adored, but becauſe in the Prefence
of them, and about them are exhibited thoſe External
figns of Honour, as Kneeling, Kiffing, uncovering the
Head, and the like: (I think this, my Lord, will come
up to your inftance of the refpect that you pay to the Bi-
ble, and from which you explicate your Doctrine;) But
that the inward Veneration is by no means to be dire
'cted to the Image, but only to the thing reprefented by
Ibid. p. 625. the Image. This Opinion, fays the Cardinal, is in effect
the fame with the foregoing; for fince Vafquéz does
'affert that the Inward Art of the Adorer terminates
"ONLY on the thing reprefented by the Image, He does
by confequence affirm, (what your Lordship and your
6
Vindicator
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
37
Vindicator would have us believe to be the Doctrine of
the Church) that the Images themfelves are not truly
and properly to be Adored.
You fee,my Lord,the Cardinal ſtill ſticks to his Principle,
that 'The IMAGES THEMSELVES ARE TRULY AND PRO-
PERLY TO BE ADORED. But let us hear Him out. Ibid. p.6275.
'Vazquez tells us that the Council [of Trent]do's not much
care how the Adoration of Images is called, whether Sa-
lutation, or Embracing; or Adoration, provided We do
'but grant that out of Affection to what they reprefent
"( fee my Lord your own Principle) the Images them-
"Selves are to be kifs'd, the Head to be bared to them,
and Other Signs of Submiſſion to be paid, concerning
'which the Controverfie was with the Enemies of Ima-
"ges.-- In which,fays the Cardinal,he involves many Fal
"fities. For it is both DEFINED in our COUNCILS that the
HOLYIMAGES are truly and PROPERLY to be ADORED,
and therefore that even the INWARD ACT OF ADO-
RATION is to be TERMINATED upon the Images; and
'the Controverfie with the Oppofers of Images, was not
'only about giving to Images the External figns of Ho-
"nour, but concerning the true and proper Adoration,
"which therefore concerns the inward Act of Veneration.
<
And a little lower,. He repeats and commends theſe
words of Lorca; This Propofition, That Honour and
Adoration is due to the Image, is fo certain and firm
among All the Faithful (and I hope your Lordship
would be thought at leaft, one of them) that the
contrary cannot without SCANDAL be admitted. Nor
is it Lawful for any One to deny this. Propofition, and
"hold the Oppofite at pleaſure, though He does add, that
Images are to be kifs'd; becauſe from the Doctrine of
"the Councils and Fathers it appears, not only that I
mages are to be kif'd, but we are taught exprefly, that
<they are to be Venerated and Adored.
Be
Ibid. p. 627---
3.8
k
An Anſwer to the
}
Paragr. VII.
p. 639.
Ibil. 640.
Ibid. 648.1
Behold, my Lord, another inftance, of the the Ad-
mirable agreement between the Cardinals Treatife and
your Expofition; whofe Doctrine he is fo far from ad-
mitting as the Churches fenfe, that He tells you plainly,
'tis contrary to your Councils Decrees, and therefore
not be held at pleasure; indeed that it is ſuch as cannot
without SCANDAL be Admitted.
.
may
Thirdly, Having thus refuted theſe New Popery Ex-
pofitions of your Churches Doctrine, he now comes to lay
down the true Opinion, and which therefore I fuppofe
muſt be the Churches, as he fhews it to be the Council
of Trents Senfe. And it is this: "That the worship of
the Image and of the Exemplar is one and the fame-----
"So that the Image of Chrift (contrary to the Vindica-
tors 4th. pofition) is to be Adored with the Supreme
worship that Chrift himſelf is That for the Images
confidered in themfelves, as they are Gold, Silver,
"Brafs, Iron, Stone, Wood, &c. no reverence is to be
'given to them: But as they are the Images of Christ
or fome Saint, fo they are to be warshipped with the
"Same Adoration as the Perfon whofe Image it is. Nay,
he adds, That this fupreme worship TERMINATES up-
'on the Image, whereas your Lordship lays it down as
a fundamental principle, "That all religious worship ter-
'minates in GOD ALONE. 'Tis true he adds, "That
'this is not for any Excellence in the Image, but up-
on the account of Chrift reprefented in it; and
'from hence he thinks to free your Church from Ido-
• latry.
But as to this, I do ftill fay I am not at pre-
fent concerned; my buſineſs being not to examine
the reafons that are offer'd to justifie this worship, but
to clear the Matter of Fact, viz. Whether the Church
of Rome (whatever her reaſon be) does hold that I-
mages are truly and properly to be worshipped? And
to
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
39
to this I think the Cardinal has fpoken very honestly
and plainly. And I fhall leave it to your Lord-
fhip and to the World to confider, whether there was
either Confcience or Truth in that Affertion, which
has occafioned this fearch, That Cardinal Capifucchi Reply, p. 188.
bas faid nothing in all this Treatife that contradicts
'you.
મ
.
But of theſe things more particularly when I come to
the Article it ſelf to which they belong. I go on in the
mean time to the
T
VII. Objection: In my Expofition I told you that Expof. C. E.
Monfieur Imbert, a Doctor of Divinity, of the Province P.IX, X.
'of Bourdeaux, was clapt in Prifon by order of the Arch-
،
bishop for having inftructed the People in the Good
Fryday fervice, that they ought to apply their Ado-
ration to Chrift, and not to the Crofs which was there
expoſed to them. And that although he alledged
'your Expofition in his Defence, and upon that account
'your felf had written to the Archbishop in his behalf,
yet was not all this fufficient to avail for his deli-
verance.
To this you reply in your former Letter, That this
Imbert was a Man of no renown as well as of no Learn-
"ing, who thought to juftifie his Extravagancies before
the Archbishop of Bourdeaux his Superiour, by alledging
"your Expofition to this Prelate. But that all Mankind
faw very well that Heaven and Earth was not more
"Oppofite than your Doctrine, from that which this
daring Perfon had preſumed to broach.
<
It would have been, my Lord, more for your own
Honour as well as the Worlds fatisfaction in this matter,
to have told us a little what this Extravagant Dorine
was, which this daring Perfon had preſumed to broath,
K
fo
Vindic.p. II.
40
An Anſwer to the
125,
any
•
fo contrary to your Expofition. At leaft you ſhould
have given us fome Evidence to let us fee that he had
been convinced by his Superiour of having abufed your
Authority; that your Expofition did by no means favour
fuch Extravagancies as he alledged it for, and that
it was a daring prefumption in him by fuch pretences
to abuſe ſo Catholick an Expofition of the Churches Faith.
That he produced your Expofition for his Warrant of
what he had taught, you do not, cannot deny.
That he was ever convinced of pretending falfly to the
Authority of it, we never heard: and if your Lordship
means to have it believed, you muſt really begin to pro-
duce fome better Authority now a days, than your
bare word to affure us of it.
Ε
C
And indeed, my Lord, I am apt to think you will ne-
ver be able to do this. The Factum of his Cafe was too
long to be Printed, and is too well known to need a
new publication. Inftead of that I chofe rather to com-
municate to the World the Letter he wrote to your
Lordship on this Occafion. And here we have a full
account what that daring Doctrine he had broached was;
and how little reafon you had to diſclaim it as con-
Def. p. 124, trary to your Expofition. The Archbishop of Bour-
deaux, fays he, has caufed a proceſs to be made a-
gainſt me, for having explained upon Good Fryday,
That we adore Jefus Chrift Crucified in prefence of
the Crofs, and that we do not Adore any thing of what
we ſee : That therefore we ought to think that
we are now going out to Mount Calvary, to Adore Jefus
"Chrift, without stopping at the Crucifix. That the
"Church like a good Mother had given that to us by a holy
"invention to affift our Faith, and make the livelier im-
preffion upon our Imagination; but not to be the Object
of our Worſhip, which must terminate upon Jefus
• Chrift.
<
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
* Chriſt. And this, he tells you, is all his Crime; He
defies his Enemies to reproach, if they can, his Life and
Manners, or to tax him with any other Doctrine than
that of your Lordship, and which he endeavoured to
expreſs in the ſelf fame Terms.
And is this then in your Opinion fuch daring Doctrine?
Or can you with any fhadow of fincerity fay, 'that this
"is as oppofite to your Expofition, as Heaven and Earth
to one another? Your Lordship may pretend what you
pleaſe, but I doubt your Vindicator will hardly allow
that there is any Herefe in the Explication he here gives
of your Good Frydays fervice. But let us fee what
you now fay further to this. You confefs the Letter
and the Contents of it: Only you fay, 'You did not
* believe him, because you were too well acquainted with
my Lord the Archbishop of Bourdeaux his Dioceſan,
of whom he made his complaint. And in this you
had certainly reaſon: For it is not eaſily to be be-
lieved that fo great a Prelate, who, as you obſerve, had
not very long before himſelf Approved your Expofiti-
fhould now profecute a poor Man with fuch Vi
olence only for teaching the Doctrine of it.
8
on,
<
‹
r
'But as you had always lived in a ftrict Correfpon-
dence and Friendship with that Archbishop, you wrote
to him on this Subject, and underſtood that this
Monfieur Imbert was an odd kind of Man (the
tranflator calls him* Hot-headed) who had done Ure teſte
even in the Church very remarkable Extravagancies, malfaite, Re-
which he was more Cautious than to boaſt of to ply, p. 182.
you. His conduct had been tainted with many
other irregularities, which indeed hindred you from + O ď Abord
intereſting your felf for him any farther in the buſineſs, je n'avois cra
> or to intercede for one in whom at firft † you thought que de la foi-
· Leffe & de l'
Ignoraace. Reply, p.182. In whom I had found nothing but we knefs mixed with Ignorance.p.188.
K 2
• there
42
An Anſwer to the
there had been nothing but weakness and ignorance :
(for fo I chufe to tranſcribe you, and not to follow
"your Tranflator's blunders.)
Concerning Monfieur Imbert's other faults I am whol-
ly ignorant, and therefore cannot pretend to anſwer
for them. But as we are by nature exceedingly apt
to pitty the Miferable, fo I cannot but compaffionate
this poor Mans misfortunes, and till I fee the contra-
ry made out by fome better Evidence than your
Lordship has yet given us, I muſt beg leave to believe
him to have been an Honest Worthy Man. In the
mean time I do not find that in all this you deny
the cauſe of his Profecution and Imprisonment to have
been what he declared to your felf and to the whole
World, viz. that he maintained the Doctrine before
mentioned. If his Diocefan indeed perfecuted him, not
for afferting this Doctrine, but for thofe other Irregu
larities you pretend he was guilty of, prove this and
you do fomething. But elfe, were the Man as bad
as you reprefent him, yet if he fuffered for teaching
that Faith which you expound to us; If he produced
your Book for his warrant, and yet ftill was perfecuted;
all his other faults will not hinder but that your
Lordship's Doctrine was condemned and punished. in:
him.
yet
And though I am an utter ftranger to his Conduct;
if this matter did paſs ſo as it appears to have done,
I will be bold to fay the worft of his Irregularities was
a Venial Sin in compariſon of the Archbishop his Dio- -
cefan's infincerity; to profecute one of his Clergy for
teaching that Doctrine, which in the General Affembly.
of 1682. he had, as you tell us, himself Approved.
And
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
·43
And here I cannot but obferve the Progrefs you make
in leſſening this poor Man. At firſt you only fay, and
that nothing to your purpofe, that He was a Man of
no Learning nor Renown. When I had published his
Letter, and which I will again fay was not written
by a Fool or an Idiot; fo that this was not found
fufficient to take off the force of a Matter of Fact of
fuch importance; next, His Conduct is question'd;
You charge him with irregularities, but prove none;
nor can you ſay that he was profecuted for any Other
Crime but this One, that he relied too much upon
your Authority, and fo taught that for the Catbolick
Faith, which he has fince to his coft learnt not to be
Univerfal. Judge, my Lord, if this be a Generous
way of Defence; much lefs becoming the Charity of
a. Chriftian, and the Dignity of a Bishop..
3
P. X..
But there is One Prefumption againſt all this in
your former Letter, and which ought therefore to be
confidered. Monfieur. Imbert had faid in his Factum, Expof. C. E.]
That His Opinion was that the Church Adored not
'the Cross; and that the Contrary Opinion was not on-
ly falfe but Idolatrous. That not only the Proteftants
'made their Advantage of thofe who maintain'd fuck
• Errours, but that He Himself was fcandalized to con-
• verſe every day with the Miffionaries and Others, whom
"He had heard openly preach a Hundred times, That
we ought to Adore the Cross with Jeſus Chriſt, as
the humane Nature of our Saviour with the Di-
'vine.
1
(
1
From hence your Lordship raifes this Argument to vindic. p. 11,
leffen his Credit. That it never entred into the Mind 12.
• of
any Catholick, that the Crofs was to be Adored-
with Jefus Chrift, as the Humane Natur: of our Sa-
6
viour with the Divine in the Perfon of the Son of
'God::
#4
An Anfwer to the
God: And if this Man, fay you, gives out, he is con-
demned for denying thofe Errors, which No body ever
† maintained. † ſuſtained, he fhews his Malice to be as great as his
6
Ignorance.
Now certainly, my Lord, it is a very bold underta-
king to Anſwer for all the Catholicks of the World,
that fuch or fuch a thing never enter'd into their Heads,
eſpecially when a Perfon here pofitively declares, that
He had heard it openly preach'd above a hundred times :
Unleſs it may be, you efteem this to be an Affertion of
fuch Malignity, that a Man cannot have it enter in=
to his mind without the Forfeiture of his Catholicifm.
I do indeed confefs it is a moft Extravagant Notion;
and fuch as, One would think, fhould never enter into
any Chriftians thoughts; but we know too well what
exceffes thofe whom you call Catholicks are capable of
falling into, and efpecially your Miffionaries, to look up-
on this Affertion to be at all incredible.
·
But since you are fo fure that this never entred in-
to the Mind of any Catholick, what does your Lord-
Ship think of your Friend Cardinal Capifucchi. I fup-
pofe a Cardinal and Mafter of the Sacred Palace may
be allow'd to pafs with you for a good Catholick`;
and yet in the very Tract to which your Lordship ap-
pealed, behold the very thing you here fo confidently
Capifucchi, deny: As the humane Nature of Chrift, though it be
libr. cit. pag. a Creature, is Adored with fupream Adoration, becaufe
'tis united to the Perfon of the Word, and with the
Perfon of the Word makes up One Chrift: So the
Image of Chrift being in its repreſentative Effence
one and the fame with Chrift, is Adored with the
fame Adoration with which Chrift is Adored. Here,
my Lord, is One Catholick into whofe Mind this Error
has entred; and I may prefume to fay, I know another
Catholick
›-048.
<
<
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
45
Catholick of the fame mind, even the Bishop of Meaux
himſelf; unleſs you will retrat here what you before
afferted, That there is nothing in this Treatife of Car- -
dinal Capifucchi, that contradicts your Sentiments.
Thus you fee how rafh you were in your prefump--
tion againſt Monfieur Imbert's Affertion; and were I
minded to retort your own Conclufion upon you, it
would, I believe, be hard to fay whether of thofe two
very ill things you impute to Him were greater in
this reflection.
&
And now, Reverend Father, to cloſe this Objection ·
almoſt in your own Words, let your heart be truly
grieved to fee fuch Objections brought againſt you;
and confider, if you yet can, in the Anguish of your
Soul, how by your own fault you have fuffer'd your
felf to be brought into fuch Snares, as too much fhew
to what weak and miferable shifts, wife Men will ſome-
times be reduced, when they do not act by a steady Prin--
ciple of Truth and Integrity..
<
Reply, p.189.
+ Tant rebatie
Your next Point concerns thofe Extracts I made
from Cardinal Bona. about praying to Saints; the com-
"mon difficulty fo often repeated (not, as your Tran-
flator has it, propofed) by Proteftants. You give us Reply, p. 182.
fome pretended Evafions of the difficulty raiſed by them;
and then, according to your wonted tenderness, con-
clude, that it troubles a Chriftians beart to fee, though·
'the Senfe of the Church be made never fo evident in
ber Deciſions, people ſhould ſtill continue thus to cavil
(and as your Tranflator adds, no doubt, for the greater
Beauty of the ftile, to juggle) with you about Words.
But all this I fhall rather confider in its proper place,
where your Vindicator objects the fame things, than
enter into any Difputes here. I will only obferve,
that my Extracts from Cardinal Bona, were neither
out..
46
An Anſwer to the
[vid.
Expof.C. E.
P. XXXIV.
-Reply. Ibid.
{
་
out of his Hymns, nor any Other Poetical Works; but
out of his Diſcourſe upon your Offices, out of his laft
Will and Teftament, and in which certainly, if any
where, one would think, He fhould have written with
the greateſt Exactness. And yet are they ſo irrecon-
cileable with your pretended Expofition of the Catholick
Faith, that I fhall leave it to any One that has ever read
them, to be deluded by you if he can.
You tell me, you will fay nothing about Monfieur
de Witte, becauſe you find nothing in that objection that
concerns Tou in particular. Nor will I fay any more
of it than to re-mind you, that if your Expofition does
concern you, then his Cafe does fo too: for He alledg
ed
your Expofition, as I have fhewn in his Defence, and
yet was cenfur'd by the Faculty of Louvain, without ever
being fhewed that He alledged it wrongfully.
And becauſe I doubt not, but you would have your
General Expreſſions concerning the Pope's Authority ex-
pounded by the IV. Propofitions of the Clergy of France,
1682. in which your Lordship, with the Bishops of
Tournay, S. Malo, de la Vaur, de Chalons, and d'Alet,
had the chief hand; I muſt put you in mind that the
Archbishop of Strigonia with His Clergy has cenfured
thefe Propofitions, and in them, your Lordships Expofition,
as to that Point too, as not delivering the true Doctrine of
the Catholick Church.
Concerning the Pope's Brief to your Lordſhip, I ob-
ferved this: That the very fame day, that he dated his
Brief to you in Approbation of your Expofition, he dated
another to the late Bishop of Pamier in Approbation of
the Defence he made of his Authority in the buſineſs
of the Regale. Now if your Expofition gives his Holi-
ness all that Power he pretends to over the Gallicane
Church, he had as much reafon to approve your Book,
as
Bishop of Meaux's fecond Letter.
4*
as · Monfieur de Panier's Actions. But if in expounding
the point of his Authority you give him no fuch power
as he pretends to; nay if you your felf at that very time
actually joyned with the other Bishops of France in op-
pofition to it, what infincerity muft it be in the Head
of the Church, Chriff's Vicar upon Earth, at the fame time
to claim an Authority which neither your Book allows,
and you your felf oppofed, and yet with the fame Pen
fign one Brief to you in Approbation of your Doctrine,
and another to Monfieur de Pamier, to thank him for
his oppofing of it.
And thus have I paffed through the feveral parts
of your Lordships Letter. I could have been very
well pleafed I might have been freed of fo ungrate-
ful an undertaking, had not your new reviving of all thefe
things forced me once more to lay open thofe faults,
which I am both forry and afhamed, that any one
of your Dignity fhould ever have committed.
Í have only remaining here in the Cloſe of all,
earneftly to befeech you by the bowels and mercy of
Christ Jefus our Saviour, feriouſly to confider thefe
things. Think on that account which both you and I
muft ſhortly give of what we are now doing before
the Eternal Tribunal.
If I have willingly and knowingly varied in the leaft
tittle from the Truth; If I have flandred your Lord-
bip in any things Nay, if I have but taken any pleaſure
in difcovering the weakness of a Perfon of your place
and Character in the Church; Be I then refponſible
for it to God, and let mine Enemies triumph in my
Confufion.
$
But if I have spoken nothing but in the ne-
ceffary Defence of the Truth, and in a Spirit of
Charity, remonftrated to you your prevarications: Íf
L
your
48
An Anſwer, &c.
1
your own Confcience be a thoufand Witneſſes, to tell
you that theſe things are indeed fo, as I have now
expoſed them to yours and the Worlds Confideration;
O, my Lord, think then upon theſe things. Whilſt
you have yet the time, give God the glory. Take
that ſhame and Confufion to your felf now, which may
prevent an Eternal Confufion hereafter.
Confult, confider, and be wife; and take it not in
fcorn that I have fhewn you the way to furmount
all theſe reproaches. To exchange that Scandal which
you have given to the Church, for a Name that fhall
never be forgotten. Declare only what in truth you
are. Put off thofe difguifes you have hitherto walked
in, and confefs once for all that your Church has er-
red, and ftands in need of a Reformation. 'Tis in
vain to palliate, what your Books, your practice, all
declare to us. Your Errors, in fhort, may be re-
formed, but they are too notorious to be denyed, too
grofs to be justified.
SECT.
49:
SECT. II
Wherein are confidered thofe falfe Impu-
tations which the Vindicator has caft
upon me, and upon the rest of my
Brethren of the Church of Eng-
-land.
H
Itherto I have been confidering the weak defences
of an infincere yet moderate Adverſary. I muſt
now fhift the Scene, and prepare from henceforth
to encounter nothing but Rudeness and Incivility. So
much eaſier is it efteemed by fome Men to blacken an
Enemy, than to Answer him; and what they cannot
do by tonfuting his Reaſons, they hope to make up by
Leffening his Reputation.
4
It was the confideration of St. Cyprian in his an-
fwer to fuch another Antagonist as I have now to do
with, That though he had before thought it better Ad Demetrias
'with filence to defpife his Ignorance, than by fpeak-m, B.185,
'ing to provoke his Madness, remembring that Advice of on.
"Solomon, Prov. XXIII. 9. Speak not in the ears of a
fool, for he will defpife the Wildom of thy words: and
again Chap. XXVI. 4. Anſwer not a Fool according to
his folly, left thou alſo be like unto him; Yet when he
*began to Calumniate the Chriftians, as the Authors of
L 2
all
186. Ed. Ox-
50
An Anfwer to the
'all the Evils that befell the World; he then eſteemed
'himſelf obliged to fpeak; left his filence fhould now
"be imputed not fo much to his Modefty, as to his dif-
"fidence, and whilft he fcorned to refute his falle Accu-
fations, he fhould feem to acknowledge the faults
with which they had been charged.
Had this Gentleman, who has thought fit to make
himſelf my Adverfary, fo laid his Reproaches upon me,
as not to have wounded through my fides the com-
mon intereſts of the Church of England; I fhould have
judged it as unneceffary to take notice of his Revi
lings, as I efteem it to be unchriftian to return
them: And have contented my felf with that gene-
ral Anſwer which the Archangel once gave to the
St. Jude 9. Father of Lies, 'The LORD rebuke thee. But now
that I am marked out not fo much as a private per…..
fon, as the Defender of a publick Caufe; now that the
reft of my Brethren are all reprefented, as guilty of
the fame Ills that I am charged with; and our very
Religion it felf impeached as needing SUCH DEFENCES,
as both That and We deteft and condemn; It would be
want of Charity to the Church I am of, rather than a-
ny breach of it towards fich an Enemy, to decline a
just defence; I fhall therefore take up the example of
this Holy Father, as mine Adverfary has done that
of his Antagonist; Left if I fcorn to refute his falfe
See St. Cypr. Accufations, I should feem to acknowledge the faults
with which we are charged.
before.
6
§. I.
Vindicator's Reflections.
-51
I
S. I.
T has ever been efteemed the firft ftep to inva-
lidate the Credit of fuch kind of imputations, to
fhew a Calumniating Spirit in the Author of them..
Here therefore I will begin my Defence; And were
I to prove this to him only who has been the Author
of theſe reproaches, I am perfwaded I need only ap-
peal to his own Confcience to bear witneſs againſt him.
But fince I can expect but little juftice from one from
whom I have already received fo great an injury, and am
now by a publick Scandal, called forth (againft my will)
to as publick a Vindication; you muft excufe me, Sir, if
I take all the Chriftian ways of a fair Defence
which Charity allows me; and fhew your Teſti-
mony in this matter to be fo very fufpicious, that
though the Jury be not pack'd, nor the Vulgar call'd Reply, p. 37.
in to give their Verdict, yet I doubt not but all rea-
fonable Men will confefs that you are a very unfit Wit--
nefs to be credited againſt me..
may
And firft; Though I perceive I fhall diſpleaſe you in the
Allegation, yet I muſt beg leave to repeat what I before
faid in my Defence, "That fome men do think that any thing Defence, p.
be done against a Heretick; and that lying and Ca- XVI.
"lumny are.but venial Sins, when committed with a good in-
tention to ferve the Church, and to blacken an Adver-
fary. You are pleafed indeed with great affurance to de-
ny this; and tell us, with your ufual fincerity, "That you Reply, P. 43-
"have heard. fome Roman Catholicks accufed as if they
* taught fuch Doctrines; but that you always found the Ca-
•lumny to fland at the Accufer's Doors, whofe art was only
(according to your gentile way of expreffing things)
"to cry WHORE firft.
-
52
An Answer to the
Provincial
Letter, XV.
I could wish that not only for the fake of
your Old
Cafuifts, but of fome at leaft of your New Converts, you
had not been ſo very pofitive in this particular. For be-
lieve me, Sir, I could tell you the Men who are not a-
fhamed at this day publickly to own what you fo confident-
y deny. And indeed it were better that you your
felf believed it too, unleſs you would refolve to leave
off to practiſe it. It being more tolerable to do
evil by following the guidance of an Erroneous Confci-
ence, than to know a thing to be finful, and yet to commit
it.
be
But you deny that any of your Church have ever
held any fuch Doctrine? I pray, Sir, of what Church
were thoſe who in their folemn Thefes publickly de-
fended, (and that in the moft formal terms;) That
"it is but a venial Sin by falfe Accufations to leffen the
Authority of one that detracts from us, if it be like
to prove hurtful to us. This was openly maintained
in the Univerſity of Louvain, in the Year 1645. And I
cannot chuſe but think, that in your Opinion at
leaft, I may be one of thofe that are meant by it.
You tell me often that I have detracted from you, and
my Authority therefore, if it be not leffened, may
hurtful to you; And how fhall I be fure that you
eſteem it more than a venial Sin, by falfe Accufa-
´tions to detract from me? I fhall not need to mul-
tiply Authorities from your particular Cafuifts to prove
this;
fince the condemnation that was made of this
very Doctrine in the Decree of the prefent Pope, no
longer ago than 1679, will fatisfie the World that
fuch things have been taught in your Church; and
a Man muſt have a great deal of Charity to fup-
pofe, that after fo folemn an Act as this, you could
indeed be ignorant of it. You may confult at your
}
leifure
Vindicator's Reflections.
53
feifure the 43d. and 44th. Opinions there mentioned,
and confider the meaning of this Doctrine contained
in them. That it is only a Venial Sin in any to lef
fen the great Authority of another which is hurtful to
himſelf, by charging him with fome falſe Crime
"It is probable that he does not fin Mortally whe
'faftens a falfe Crime upon another that he may defend
his own Juftice and Honour: and if this be not pro-
'bable, there is Scarce any Opinion probable in Divi-
"nity.
And now, Sir, I am pretty confident that, if not
for my fake, yet in duty to his Holiness's Decree you
will a little mollifie your charge of Calumny againſt
me for this affertion: and if you defire any farther
conviction, you may pleaſe when you write next to
the Bishop of Meaux, to engage him to enquire of his
new Difciple Father Craffet, whether he never heard
of one who for practising this Doctrine in the very
Pulpit, was by Ordinance of the Bishop of Orleans;
Sept. 9. 1656. forbid to preach in his Diocefs, and Provincial
the People to hear him under the pain of a Mortal Letters, L.
Difobedience. Really, Sir, when I confider with what
affurance you deny a matter fo well known to all the
World, and compare it with the Maximes by which
you have proceeded againſt me in your Reply, I can✩
not but fear that after all your pretences this Doctrine
may have had ſome influence upon you: However,
feeing it is plain, that you make fo little fcruple to
practiſe it, you ſhould not have been fo very pofitive in
denying it.
But this is only a general prefumption: and I fhall be
content that it be no farther remember'd againſt you,than
I shall hereafter make it appear your Actions do deferve. I
muſt now.come more clofely to you, and becauſe I would
not
XV.
54
An Answer to the
}
not trefpafs too much upon either yours or the Reader's pa-
tience by making any tedious Proof of that which
I am confident you know, and the other will foon
fee, does not need any I will offer only three of
four Confiderations, out of many that occur to Me, to
invalidate your Authority.
And here not to mention, 1, That great Care
you feem induftriouſly to have taken that your Re-
proaches might not be loft, (whatever became of your
Arguments) by fumming them up into a Catalogue at
the beginning of your Reply, and afterwards filling
all along your Margin with the like fcandalous Refle
Etions: To pafs by, 2ly. Your naufeous Repetitions of
the very fame Charges not only in the fame place, but al
moſt in the very fame Words; as if my faults were to in-
creaſe in Proportion to your Repetitions of them: To fay
nothing, 3dly, of thofe general Accufations, you often
bring not against my felf alone, but the reft of
my Brethren of the Church of England, without ſo
much as the leaft fhadow of à Proof of them; What
leſs than an unquestionable Argument of a detracting
Spirit can arife.
"
1st. From thoſe obliging Titles you every where be
ftow upon me, even where you have not fo much as
a pretence for it; and that fcandalous Idea you would
from thence give your Reader of Me.
Shall I gratifie your Ear with a Repetition of fome
few of them: Hear then thoſe Strains of Rhetorick
6
tr
you ſo delight in. "A Doctor of the Populace:
p. 31. A pretended Son of Peace, p. 76. A pretended
Lover of Peace and Unity, but indeed a Multiplier of
"Accufations to hinder fuch good Effects, p. 60. One that
courts the Applaufe of the Vulgar, p. 25. and has
learnt a Machiavilian Trick to keep them from feeing what
i
Vindicator's Reflections.
55
"is as clear as the Sun, by cafting a thick mist of
"Calumnies before their Eyes, p. 36.
'One who is
<
<
willing to let Himfelf be perfwaded of any thing
'that but renders the Papifts odious, p. 28. That has
a willingness to fhew at leaft fome kind of Oppo-
'fition to every thing that is faid, p. 61. Raſh and Bold
in his Affertions, p. 64. Far from agreeing to any
thing that has once been efteemed a Difficulty,
'p. 81. Having no intention to contribute any thing to
"the Healing of the Church in any Punitilio, ib.
Whofe whole buſineſs is nothing but Shifts, P.
82.
"One that is loth to trouble himſelf with fuch di-
ftinitions as make for Peace, p. 126. That is Confci-
ous to himself that He cannot defend his Caufe, and
yet has not SINCERITY enough to REPENT, P. 155.
One that Says fuch things as would he speak his
CONSCIENCE he KNOWS not to be True, p. 21.
One that is. WILFUL in his MISTAKES, and KNOWS
'them well enough if he would be but fo ingenuous as
to acknowledge it, p.22. In fhort, One that do's not believe
himſelf what He writes, though He is willing that
Others ſhould believe him, p. 54, 55. I paſs by your
more common Appellations; of Falfifier; Caviller;
Unchriftian and Unfcholar-like Calumniator; Perverter
of the Churches Senfe; Wilfully blind; Wilful pre-
varicator; Wilful mistaker of your Doctrine; Unfincere,
&c. All which you either in exprefs terms call me,
or at leaſt plainly infinuate me to be; and of which
we muſt diſcourſe a little by and by. For indeed I
think what I have already mentioned may be fuffici-
ent to ſatisfie any fober Man how well verfed
in the Controverfial Dialect of your Party: And whether
you were not exceedingly defirous that Something
Should Stick, when you took all this pains, in your * Reply, p. 4.
own Phrafe, to Caft fo much Dirt upon Me.
6
M
you are
2d ly,
58
An Anſwer to the
Expof. Sect.
VIII. p. 14.
Reply, p. 54.
2dly, Nor do's it lefs betray the true Nature of your™
Spirit to confider what pittiful, light Occafions you
lay hold on, to run out into the most terrible Õut-
crys againft Mẹ.
Thus in the Article of Satisfactions, the Bishop of
Meaux diſtinguiſhes between two forts of Remiffion of
fins; the One, wherein God intirely forgives us, with-
Out referving any punishment; the Other a partial Re-
miffion Only, wherein He changes a greater Puniſhment
into a Lefs, that is, an Eternal pain into a Tempo-
ral. This firft manner, Says the Bishop, being more.
compleat, and more conformable to his GOODNESS,
❝ he makes uſe of it immediately in Baptifm: but w E SUP-
'POSE He makes uſe of the fecond in the Pardon.
'he grants to thofe that fall after Baptiſm.
C
In my Expofition, I tell him, "That this is a very
great Doctrine, and ought to be tender'd to us with
fome better Argument, than a bare, WE SUPPOSE.
Upon this you make a Tragical Out-cry againſt me
for an incorrigible FALSIFIER, that though you had
before told me of my prevaricating, yet I ftill take no
Notice of it; for that the Bishop of Meaux fays no.
fuch thing. What not as WE SUPPOSE? No; But
what then do's He fay; Confider, Reader, the FALSI--
FICATION; and be aſtoniſhed at His Cavil; He fays
only, WE BELIEVE. And now let any One from hence-
forth truft me that can : that am fo plainly caught in fo
important a Cheat.
But pray, Sir, bating that it ferves to fill
up your
Catalogue and Margin with a hard word against me; what
is the great difference now between faying WE SUPPOSE
that God does not remit the whole puniſhment,and WE
BELIEVE that he does not. You tell us this latter phrafe
*was conformable to his defign of an Expofition, not a.
:
"Proof.
Vindicator's Reflections.
57
Proof. And is not, WE SUPPOSE, as conformable
to the deſign of an Expofition, and as little fit for a
proof, as WE BELIEVE? Really, Sir, I am perfwa-
ded the Reader will think that had you marked this
obfervation with A CAVIL in your Margin, you would
have expreſſed your felf more properly, than by put-
ting a FALSIFICATION to it. And yet, though it be
hardly worth the while, I will tell you what I prefume
might be the occafion of this little difference; "for real-
ly I am not yet convinced that it deferves to be cal-
led a mistake.
In my Edition of Monfieur de Meaux's Expofition,
which I have fo often had occafion to fpeak of, the word
is neither exactly as you, or I, render it; but another to
the fame fenfe, WE ESTEEM. Now this being no very
proper English phraſe, and having not yet fet Eyes on
your Tranflation, when I wrote my Expofition, I chofe
rather the word WE SUPPOSE, as bearing the fame
fenfe, and being on this Occafion more generally used
amongst us. This, Sir, I believe was the grounds of
our difference; and one that had not a huge mind to
find faults, would have been afhamed to infcribe fo
great a Crime as FALSIFICATION, to a trifle that all
Men of fenſe will defpife, and that I ought to Apolo-
gize but only for taking notice of. Though yet perhaps
I have taken the only way to make it confiderable,
by obferving from it, what Spirit and Difpofition you are
of.
Another opportunity of clamor that you lay hold on
is this; and for meanefs Coufin German to the foregoing
In the point of the Mafs, the Bishop of Meaux willing
to take off the Argument which the Epistle to the He-
brews raiſes against it; obferves that the Apostle con
'cludes, That we ought not only to offer up no more
"Vi&ims
M 2
58
An Anfwer to the
Pag. 67. Art.
xxi.
&
<
Victims after Jefus Christ, but that Jefus Chrift him-
"felf ought to be but once offered up to Death for
'us.
<
In my Expofition I thus quote him: Monfieur de
"Meaux obferves, that the Author of this Epiftle con-
'cludes, That there ought not only no other victim to
be offered for fin after that of Christ, but that even
"Chrift himself ought not to be any more offered. Now
"the reaſon which the Apoftle gives is this, Becaufe that
otherwife (fays he) Chrift must often have fuffered,
Hebr. IX. 25. Plainly implying that there can be
no TRUE OFFERING without SuFFERING; ſo that in
the Mafs then, either Chrift muſt SUFFER, which Mon-
fieur de Meaux denys, or he is not OFFER'D, which we
affirm.
6
But where now is the FALSIFICATION; 'why I
Reply, p.126. make advantage, you fay, of the Bishop's words by
"an imperfect Quotation; For had I added but the next
words, that would have folved the difficulty. The next
words you mean are thefe; "That Chriß ought to be
" but once OFFER'd up to DEATH FOR US. The dif
ficulty was this; Chrift can be but ONCE OFfer'd,
becauſe he can no more suFFER: Monfieur de Meaux con-
feffes that Chrift can no MORE SUFFER; (which I
think is the meaning of his words, that he can be but once
offered up TO DEATH FOR US;) therefore he ought
to confeſs, that he can be no more OFFER D. Good
Sir, enlighten us a little in this matter: for I affure
you By OFFERING I meant OFFERING TO DEATH,
the only kind of offering that I know of a true and
proper Sacrifice; and the interpofing of thoſe words
are fo far from clearing the difficulty, as you pre-
tead, that without either them, or fome other equi
valent to them, my Argument is utterly loft. And
now,
27
Vindicator's Reflections.
$9
i
*
·
now, let the Reader judge, whether that Man be not
Fond of Calumniating his Adverfary, that can have the
face to call this A FALSIFICATION.
And hitherto I have offered fome prefumptions to
fhew with what Spirit you write againſt us: I will
now come to fuch proofs as fhall put it beyond all
doubt; and fhew you to be, what I am fure ought to
leffen your Credit against us, a moft falfe and unjuſt
Accufer of your Brethren. For,
3dly. What elfe can be faid of thoſe Charges you
bring againſt me, of fuch Crimes as without fome Di-
vine revelation you can never be ſure of. And though
I think Enthufiafm no more than Miracles is not yet Reply, Pref.
ceaſed in your Church, yet you tell me that you do P.24.
not your felf pretend to be infpired, and I do not
hear that you have at this time any Hypochondriack La-
dy amongſt you, to deliver Oracles to you upon theſe
Occafions.
You reflect upon Me as one, who am conftious that I
cannot defend my Cauſe, yet have not the fincerity to
REPENT That I speak fuch things, as would I de-
liver my Confcience I KNOW to be FALSE: that I
am willful in my miſtakes, and do not my ſelf believe
"what I write, though I am willing that others should.
Thus you charge me with a fin fomewhat like the fin
against the Holy Ghoft; that knowing the way of Truth,
I not only refuſe to embrace it my felf, but (as you
fometimes infinuate too) keep as many others as I can
out of it.
But this, Sir, F take it, is to divine, not to reaſon;
ſhould I tell you in return, that I have fome caufe to
believe, that if you do indeed credit your own Ca-
lumnies, it is becauſe you meaſure my infincerity by
the fenfe you have of your own Hypocrifie, I fhould:
not
2
160
An Answer to the
not perhaps be altogether out in my conjecture. But, Sir,
I fall leave you rather to the Judgment of God,
to whom alone thefe fecrets are known: And to return
to my own Defence; Tell me I befeech you, Sir,
(if you can) what occafion my Life and Manners
have given you for fuch reflections? Are my interefts
in the Church of England fo great, or my expectations
otherwiſe fo low in the World; as to prompt me to
fuch Villany? Is Converfion fo certain a way to ruine,
that a Man fhould rather damn himſelf for ever, than
follow the Dictates of his Confcience, at this time of
day efpecially, to embrace your Religion?
It is well known to feveral of your own Church (and
whofe Civilities to me I fhall always moft thankfully
acknowledge) with what readineſs I have at all times
purſued the means of Inftruction. Let them tell you,
Sir, if ever they found me inclined to fuch Perverse-
nefs or Hypocrifie, as you here moſt unchristianly fug.
geſt againſt me. They know my Conduct whilft I
was amongst them; and from what fome of them ve-
ry honourably have done, I ought not to doubt but
that the reft will at any time juftifie Me againſt fuch
fcandalous infinuations. So free I was in my enquiries,
fo defirous of underſtanding both your Religion and your
Reafons to the bottom; that many of your Church were
inclined to think, what I hear others did not ſtick confi-
dently to report, That I defigned to come over to you. And
though after a moft impartial examination of your
Arguments I remained more convinced than ever, both
of the purity of my own, and of the dangerous corrupti-
ons of your Church; yet I affure you, Sir, I am the
fame indifferent perfon I ever was. Not willing indeed
to be deluded with Sophistry, nor to follow every
Guide that will without any reafon pretend to lead me;
bút
Vindicator's Reflections.
6型
​but moſt willing to yield to Truth whereever I find it.
And however you may uncharitably reprefent me to the
World; yet I faithfully promiſe you that if even in this
reproachful Book of yours, there fhould be any thing to
convince me that I have been miſtaken, I will not fail
ingenuouſly to acknowledge it; and where I am not
convinced, you may fuddainly expect to receive my
reaſons of it.
There is now but one thing more remaining to make
a Demonſtrative proof of a calumniating Spirit and De
fign in you; and that is,
Laftly; To fhew, that you accufe me not only of
fuch things as you can never be fure are True; but of
fuch as you know to be evidently falfe; nay of fuch as
I have ſhewn you already to be fo, and that fo clearly,
that you have nothing to return to it, and yet ftill you
perfift in your Calumny against Me.
This I think is the laft degree of proof; and I fhall
leave it to your felf to judge whether I do not make it
good againſt you.
P. 44. Art.
xili.
In the Article of Extreme Unction, I expounded thoſe
words of St. James, C. V. 14, 15. Of the Miraculous
Cures which were in thoſe days common in the Church; ;
and added in confirmation of it "That Card. Cajetane Expoſ. C. E.
himfelf freely confeff'd they could belong to no other.
To this you reply in your Vindication, that Had I faid Vindic. p. 70..
'that Card. Cajetane thought it could not be proved nei-
"ther from the Words, nor from the effect, that the
Words of St. James fpeak of the Sacramental Unction
"of Extreme Unction, but rather of that Unction which
our Lord Jefus inftituted in the Gofpel to be exercised by
"bis Difciples upon the fick; I had been a faithful Quoter
"of his ſenſe; But to say that he freely confeffes it can be-
"long to no other, is to impofe upon my Readers.
R
The
62
An Answer to the
•
In my Defence I fhew the Vanity of this Ca
vil: That feeing there were but two interpretati-
ons propoſed of theſe Words, either to refer them to Ex-
treme Unction, or to Miraculous Cures, for the Car-
dinal utterly to exclude the former, and apply them to
the latter, was certainly in effect (for I pretended not
to give his words) to confefs that they could belong to
no Other.
Inſtead of anſwering this, you again charge me both
in your Catalogue and in your Margin with FALSIFI
CATION as to this Point. "I told Him, fay you, that
'Cardinal Cajetane did not pofitively fay as He affirmed
He did: And then preſently, as if your Confcience had
given your Reflection the Lie; you go on," But what
if He Had? Why truly, Sir, then any one may fee
that it was not any concern for Truth, but a meer de-
fire to defame Me, that here inſpired you to lay fo great
a Crime to my Charge; and your own Confcience at the
fame time ſeems to have told you, that you did not your
felf believe me to be guilty of it.
A
S. II.
ND thus have I fhewn from the
very Na-
ture of your Reply, with what Defign it is that
you write against Us. I might now go on to con-
fider your Arguments, without troubling my felf to re-
turn any more particular Anfwer to your Reproaches.
But it is fit the World fhould be fully fatisfied of
your Character: and indeed the Reaſonings of your
Reply are not fo dangerous, but that we may venture
to let them lie, whilft we go on to confider
your Re-
vilings.
the Vindicator's Reflections.
63
I ſhall need no other Apology for this undertaking
than what your felf have already made for Me. It is Ĭ
confefs an ungrateful employment to expofe the Vi-
ces even of an Enemy. But where a publick Chal-
lenge is made, and the greateſt of Crimes charged upon
thoſe who abhor fuch Villainies: In your own Words,
"Where so great a concern as the Reputation of an In- Reply, p. 4.
"nocent Church is join'd with the fingle Honour of
Such an Adverſary as you are; I think I may be ex-
"cused if I let the Dirt fall where it ought, when by
wiping it off from the One, it must neceffarily stick
upon the Other.
46
..
66
66
Your Reflections are of two kinds: Either fuch as
ftrike at the Generality of our Church; or fuch as con-
cern my felf only, I fhall take a View of both in their
Order. And,
Ift. Your Reflections on the Generality of the
Church of England,
r
1
Are fuch as theſe. "That they are Men whofe Inte- Reply,
"reft and Malice prompt them to defame you. I. VI. Who, Preface.
"whenever any Argument pinches them, fall to revi-
પ
3
ling; and make it their business to Mifreprefent your
"Doctrines; to Calumniate your Practices, and to Ri-
« dicule
your Ceremonies. V. From whom nothing is
"to be expected but Clamour, Infincerity, and Mifre-
"preſentation. XII. Who feem to have no other End
« in all their Centroverfial Books or Sermons, but to
66 cry down Popery at any rate, leaft they fhould fuffer
prejudice by its increaſe. XXIII. Who keep their Peo-
ple in Ignorance, and pretending to be their Guides,
"Shew themselves by their Writing to be Blind, or
which is worfe, Malicious. XXV. Men, who from
CC
..
N
" their
64
An Anſwer to
Reply.
..
..
CC
"their very Pulpits fecond the Common cry. XIII. Leaft
people should open their Eyes, and fee the Truth; and fo
whilft they pretend to be Lovers of Peace and Unity,
yet refolve to multiply Accufations to hinder fuch good
"Effects, p. 60. Men who cannot endure that any of
"their Party fhould feem to Clofe with Rome, as thofe
"who live by breaking the Churches peace, 80. Men
"who have been eftranged from Devotion, 37. And
..
CC
..
૮૮
are fo far byafs'd, many of them, in their Affections to
"their Party, that they will scarce allow themselves their
"Common Senfes in the Examen of things, but paſs
"their Votes against any thing that leads towards Popery;
"tho against JusTICE EQUITY, and CONSCIENCE,
115. 155. Factious Spirits, who have animated the
Pulpits Zeal, to hinder the Parliament from going on
to teſtifie its Loyalty as it had begun, by throwing Fears
"and Jealoufies into the Minds of those who were bigot-
"ted in their Religion. XI. Men, in short, who man-
age things upon POLITICK MOTIVES to gratifie
"SOME PERSONS at this Juncture, leaft there should
appear a poſſibility of Union with the Church of Rome.
"46. Who have fomething more in the bottom, than what
appears at first fight, in being thus Zealous againſt
Popery. As Q. Elizabeth had, who being Conſcious of
"Her Mother's Marriage, and Her own Birth, run out
againſt the Pope, to fecure her TITLE to the CROWN
"OF ENGLAND; not foreſeeing the ILL CONSE
QUENCES that WILL FOLLOW in the NATION,
..
cc 5.
66
..
..
..
..
cc
By keeping open our bleeding Divifions to the
"RUINE both of CHURCH and STATE, 123.
This, Sir, is your Charge; and fuch as either They or
Tou muſt reſolve to ſink under the burden of it. The
truth is, I cannot but wonder, that a Perfon who fo
Reply, p. 28.
gravely exhorts others, "To confider what rafh Judg-
ment.
the Vindicator's Reflections.
65
“ment is, and what Puniſhment God has referved for those
"that are guilty of it, ſhould be able to fpeak of fo ex-
cellent a Body of Men, in fo infamous a manner. For
certainly greater Crimes than theſe can hardly be impu-
ted to the Devil himſelf; and I am verily perfwaded
that in all this Scandalous Catalogue there is not one fingle
Allegation either in its felf true; or which (now, Sir,
that you are hereby publickly Challenged to it) you
ſhall ever be able to make good againſt us. But I
muſt be more particular. And,
.
Ift. The first Charge againſt us is, "That whenever
your Arguments pinch us, we fall to Revilings, and
make it our buſineſs to Blacken and Calumniate you; to
Mifreprefent your Doctrines, and to Ridicule
"Ceremonies.
66
..
•
your
a-
preſenter.
I will not here in return to this Clamour, defire the
World to confider how unfit a Preacher you are of
Honesty and Civility, who have ſhewn your felf in this
Reply to have obferved but very little any Measures of
either. I will rather intreat you to reflect, how unfor-
tunately this Charge has been managed by the first Un- The Mifre-
dertaker of it; who having advanced fuch a Charge
gainſt us in 37 Particulars, and being fully anfwer'd to
every one, never durft vindicate his Calumny againſt the
firſt Attack, tho' the Challenge ſtill lies againſt him to do see below.
it. And methinks whilſt thofe large Defences remain Clofe.
yet without a Vindication it is a great Affurance and
Indiſcretion too in you, by reviving the Calummy, to
put the World in Mind where it has been fhewn to lie.
I know not what Opinions you may have of your
Church and of your Arguments. But we have always
found ſo much to cenfure in the One, and fo little to
prefs us in the Others, that we have never had the leaſt
Temptation to run to fuch Shifts, as you here accufe
N 2
us
66
An Anſwer to
us of. But what can be done, when Men diffemble
their Doctrines, miſrepreſent their Practices, and out-
face the plaineft Matters of Fact; and then cry out no-
thing but Calummy and Falfification, if any one goes a-
bout to diſcover their Hypcorifie. But,
66
Idly. your next charge is yet more grievous; "You
"tax us with Malice and Intereft to defame you; and fay,
That by the Methods by which we carry on Difputes, we
"give you caufe to think, that we have no other end in all
"our Controverfial Books or Sermons but to cry down
"Popery at any rate, LEAST WE SHOULD SUFFER
"PREJUDICE BY ITS INCREASE.
.
That is, in other Words, that thofe of the Church of
England, who oppofe your Defigns, are all of them at
pack of Atheists and Hypocrites; who value nothing.
but their Temporal Interefts; and therefore feem refol-
ved at any rate to run down Popery, leaft they ſhould ſuf-
fer prejudice by its increaſe. A Character fo Vile and
Scandalous; fo void of all appearance of Truth as well
as of Modefty, as fufficiently fhews what manner of
Spirit it was that affifted you in the Writing it. And
whofoever he be to whom it belongs; Tros Rutulufve
fuat; Let him be Anathema.
But I reply to this Calumny: 1. That this is a
charge which you can no otherwife pretend to make
good than by our outward Actions; for I am confi-
dent you never received any affurances of this kind
in Confeffion from us. Now then, tell me, I befeech
- you; or rather, Sir, tell the World, before which you
have traduced us, from which of our Actions is it
that you prefume to pass fo uncharitable a Cenfure a-
gainſt us? Are our Lives fo fcandalous, or our Wri-
tings fo deftitute of all fenfe of Religion, as to
fpeak us to be govern'd only by Malice and Inte
reſt ?
the Vindicator's Reflections.
67
´on us.
reft? Do we no longer preach up the Doctrines of
Piety in our Sermons; nor profefs in our Affem-
blies the belief of a future Judgment, and an Eternal
State of Life or Death after this? Either make good
this Charge againſt us, or refolve to fall under the
weight of that Infamy you thought to have caft up-
And remember what you tell Me (and what
I know not any one in the World on whom I can
more properly beſtow it than your felf) of a certain
neceffary Duty both to God and Men; viz. “ of making a Reply, p.172,
publick Acknowledgment of thofe Calumnies you have
"thrown upon us, and without which, according to your
own Sentence, you cannot expect your Sin ſhould be for-
given you. But,
CC
(
.66
(
2dly, You affirm that 'tis out of Malice and Intereft
that we oppoſe you. As to the former of theſe, I con--
fefs indeed your Principles and your Actions too, againſt
thoſe you call Hereticks, are fuch, as might almoft tempt
a Good Man to Malice against you. But, Sir, thofe
Principles and thofe Practices are fo contrary to Chrifti-
anity too, that no man need be acted by Malice,
whilft 'tis fo much his Duty to Oppofe you. You may
call our firmness, (as you do our Religion) what you
pleaſe : 'Tis eafie to give ill Names to the best Things. But
whilft our Arguments ftand good against you, no Man
can, without great Uncharitablenefs, fay, That 'tis out
of Malice that we Oppose you; feeing thofe fhew, that
'tis a well-grounded Zeal for the Truth and Purity of
the Gospel, that moves us againſt fuch Corrupters of it
as you are, and which fhall, I truſt, make us fteady e-
ven to the death againſt you.
For the other part of your Charge, Intereft: Were
a Chriftian capable of being led by fo baſe a Motive,
yet how comes this to infpire us againſt you? 1ft. Is
there
68
An Anſwer to
up
there fo much lefs of Intereft to be carried on in the
Church of Rome than in the Church of England? Have
not the Clergy on your fide as great a Command over
the Confciences and over the Purſes too of their Flock, as
on Ours? Where would our Interefts fuffer by preaching
the Golden Doctrines of Satisfactions, Purgatory, Indul-
gences, Maffes, and Prayers for the Dead; of the necef-
fity of Auricular Confeffion, and of the Priests Power to for-
give Sins? Certainly, Sir, you forgot your felf when you
imputed our Firmness to this Motive. It has indeed been
an Objection againſt you, that in moſt of thoſe Points
wherein you differ from us, you have Secular Interefts
to ferve by them: But I never yet heard that the Di-
vines of the Church of England had any fuch Intereſt
to oppoſe theſe Corruptions.
2. Again; Thofe who have been fo Honeft, (in your
Opinion at leaſt) as to lay afide their Malice and fol-
low a Good Confcience in embracing of your Religion,
have their Temporal Interests fuftain'd any Lofs by it?
Much more would All thoſe who now write or Speak a-
gainſt you, come over to you, wherein I
pray would
their Worldly Concerns loſe by their ſo doing?
3. But it may be we gain fomething by being firm
to our Principles: As to the Other World no doubt we
do; but will you fay, Sir, that they who are the moſt
ftedfaft against Popery, do take the readieft Courfe to
advance their Fortunes by it in this? In fhort, Were
we ſo wicked as to be govern'd by fo mean a Confideration,
I do affure you we are not fo blind as not to fee whi-
ther Intereft would lead us. And I fhall leave it to the
World to judge, whether it has not pleaſed God here
to direct your Malice to your own Confufion, in chu-
fing out fuch a Topick as this, whereby to Calumniate
our Stedfaftness. But,
3dly, There
the Vindicator's Reflections.
69
3dly, There is yet a third thing which you infinuate
as another means, we uſe to keep our Party firm againſt Reply, Pref.
you, and that is Ignorance. "You defire them to read your
“Book, that they may fee how much they have been kept in Ig-
"norance by Us :Pref.you mean, I fuppofe,as to the Points
wherein we differ from you, and which are many of
them very Confiderable. Now were this indeed fo, yet
methinks it is not very decent for a Guide of the Church
of Rome to complain of it. The truth is, we do give
our People all the Inftruction that we can: We put the
Holy Scriptures into their Hands in their own Tongue ;·
we exhort them to read them; and we know who they
are, that not only do not do this, but blame us for
doing it. We inftruct them with all diligence, by Wri-
ting, Preaching, Catechizing, &c. And as ignorant as
they are, yet we find them (and ſo do you too) too
wife to be deluded by fuch Seducers as would fain draw
them away from us. There is no one fo Ignorant, but
what can at leaſt give you an Orthodox Summary of
his Belief; can fay Amen, with understanding, to the
Publick Service; and in fhort, can tell you, Sir, that
which all your Learning; or, becauſe that is not much,
I may add, and all the Learning of your Church will
never be able to answer; "That God fpake thefe Words
"and faid 1. Thou shalt have none OTHER GODS but Me,
.. 2. Thou shalt not make to thy ſelf any GRAVEN IMAGE
nor the LIKENESS of any thing in Heaven above,
"or in the Earth beneath, or in the Water under the
"Earth; Thou shalt not Bow Down to them nor
"WORSHIP them.
..
As for thoſe rare Myſteries of Ave Maria's and Pa-
ter Nofter's; of the extraordinary Virtues of Holy.
Water, and Agnus dei's ; of St. Francis's Girdle, St. Do-
minick's
FO
An Anſwer to
Reply, p. 66. minick's Beads, and Simon Stock's Scapulary; Of the
great fignificancy of Oil and Balſam, of White Fillets
and Boxes on the Ear; of Afbes and Incense; of lighted
Tapers, and naked Images; of the feveral ways of lift-
ing up Hands, and Croffing and Knocking Breasts; of
Standing, bowing, creeping, &c. in thefe I confefs our
people have (for us) been kept in Ignorance; and I hope
they will never have Occafion of being inftructed in them.
But for any Ignorance of any thing that is worth their
knowledge even in your Religion, (which I fuppofe you
here eſpecially aim at) for any defigned Concealment of
your true Doctrine from them; much more for any
thing generally neceſſary, or but profitable to their Sal-
vation,
we muſt beg leave to juftifie our felves
in the Words of St. Paul, "That we have not
fbunn'd to declare unto them all the Counsel of
« God.
A&t. 20. 20,
27.
Reply, P. 37.
C6
..
III. Your next Charge is, "That we have been
eftranged from Devotion. And indeed, what wonder
is it, if Men, who, as you ſay, are acted only by
the influences of Malice and Intereft, are not much
acquainted with the Ardours of Devotion? But, Sir,
fetting Calumny apart, Whence is it that you de-
rive this Charge against us? Have we no Service
of God in our Churches? Or is our Liturgy ſo
unapt to excite Devotion in thofe who duly at-
tend upon its Offices? Have you never, Sir, your
felf heard us recommend with all Earneftrefs, the
practice of this Piety to our Congregations? Should we
put our Prayers into an unknown Tongue, that if not
the Zeal, yet at leaft the Wonder and Astonishment of
the People might be increaſed? Instead of reading our
鲁
​Service
Vindicator's Reflections.
71
Service aloud, would you have us turn our backs to the
Affembly, and whisper they know not what between our
Hands into a Corner, that no body may hear us? Or
what is it, Sir, that we must do to fatis fie you, that we
are not utterly estranged from Devotion? In fhort, all the
pretence I find you have for this Charge, is, "That we
think many of your Ceremonies uncouth; and you tell us Reply, p. 37.
it is becauſe we are unacquainted with Devotion: But we
will take your own words, for indeed they are very ex-
traordinary, and 'tis pity they ſhould be loft, The cafe
you fay is this, As the Church of England in general Ib. 38.
for Gravity and Reverend Behaviour exceeds the Conven-
ticles, or other Reformed Churches; fo the Cathe-
'drals of the Church, we confess, are more folemn than the.
Country Churches; the Catholicks, as 'tis fit, far be-
"yond the English Cathedrals; and what is the iffue? The
Churches of England are cenfured as fuperftitious by the
'Kirkmen and Conventiclers; the Cathedrals are cenfured
as fuch by the Pariſh Churches; and the Catholick is
cenfured alfo by the Reformed Cathedral: Still the more
"folemn and devout Church is cenfured by the lefs.
€
<
.
So that here now is a Religious War; and the Conven-
ticles, the Parish Churches, the Cathedrals, and the Maſs-
Houſes are in their reſpective Synods affembled to Damn
and Anathematize one another; and you as a Catholick
Moderator thus decide the Controverfie: There is a little
Devotion (and but very little) in the Conventicles; there
is fomewhat more in the Parish Churches; there is a pretty
deal more in the Cathedrals; only in the Mafs-Houfe is
to be found the perfection of Piety, the ne plus ultra of
Devotion upon Earth.
Is not this rare ſtuff? And will not the world, think
you, be ftrangely edified at ſo demonſtrative a proof
that we are (God be thanked not totally, but yet, efpe-
cially
72
An Anſwer to the
cially when we go to our Parish Churches, very much
estranged from Devotion?
But pray, Sir, where is the neceffity, that becauſe we
have not ſo much Ceremony as you, we muſt be further
eftranged from Devotion too? If you will allow our Savi-
our and his Apostles; if you will grant that the Primitive
Chriftians were devout without all this Ceremony, why
may not we be fo too? And if we may, how will you
juſtifie your ſelf from being grofly uncharitable in thus
infinuating upon fo flender a ground, that we are not?
We want nothing that may ferve for Decency and Order
in Gods Service; the Ceremonies we have caft off are on-
ly thoſe uſeleſs ones, of whoſe burden, St. Auſtin even in
his time complain'd, who was yet I hope no stranger to ·
Devotion.
C
C
C
'
To go no further than thofe Ceremonies upon which
Miffale. Rom. you thus traduce us. In your Good Friday Service, The
Prieſt takes a Croſs, and ſtanding on one fide of the Altar
uncovers a little of it from the top, and then fings, Behold
the Wood of the Crofs, the people anfwering, Come, let
us Adore, and at the fame time falling down upon their
'faces; then be
then he goes to the other fide of the Altar, and
uncovers the right arm of it, and fings, whilst the people
answer and fall down, as before; then he comes to the mid-
"dle of the Altar, and quite uncovers it, and fo they all fall
down and fing as before; then he fets it up on a place be-
fore the Altar, and pulls off his Shooes, and comes up to
Adore the Crofs, bending his Knee three times before he
'kiffes it; after this the rest of the Prieſts, and the People
two and two do the like.
t
This is the manner of that Service; and to ſay the
truth, it does feem to us very uncouth, and to have but
little of the true Spirit of Devotion in it; but however,
let us for one moment fuppofe it to be a reafonable Ser-
vice;
Vindicator's Reflections.
73
vice; pray, Sir, why might not there have been as much
Piety, tho there had been lefs Ceremony? For inftance;
What if the Priest had uncovered the Cross all at once?
What if he had ſtood all the while in the fame place, and
not uncovered one part at one end of the Altar, a fecond at
the other, the rest in the middle? Might not the people
have had the fame zeal by beholding the Cross, to adoré
him that fuffered upon it? Suppoſe the Priest and the
·Congregation had gone with their Shooes on to the place
where the Cross food (as I believe verily they might
have done, for all Gods command to Mofes to put his Shooes Reply, p. 37.
from off his feet, because the place on which he stood, was
by Gods Prefence made Holy Ground). Nay, what if in-
ftead of bending their Knees three times before they kiss'd
it, they had done it but once, or not at all? I confeſs in
this cafe a great deal of the ſtate of the buſineſs had
been loft, and the people would not have been half ſo
agreeably entertained; but I cannot fee why they
might not have had the fame true, inward Devotion to-
wards our Saviour for all any fuch defect.
To conclude this: If you can prove that we have no
regard to Decency or Order in Gods Service; if you can
fhew that we defpife Prayer, or neglect to exhort our
People to the practice of it; if we do, like you, amuſe
them only with noiſe and fhew, inftead of a reaſonable,
intelligible Service; fometimes whisper the Prayers, that
they cannot always fpeak them in fuch a language that the
ignorant among you do not know how to improve their
zeal by them; then on Gods name continue to revile us;
but if you cannot fay we do any thing of this kind, Í
muſt then plainly tell you that you have moſt unchriftian-
ly judged us; and I beseech you, as ever you would free
your felf from being thought a Calumniator, give us
but any one Argument that an honeft man fhall not
O 2
bluſh
74
An Anſwer to the
bluſh to read, to prove us, as you fay, estranged from
Devotion.
>
IV. And hitherto you have aimed eſpecially at the
Clergy of the Church of England; your next Reflection is
upon the Laity; and indeed it was but fit that having ſet
forth the Guides as men of no Religion, you ſhould re-
preſent the Flock to have neither Juftice, Equity, nor Con-
*Reply,p.115. Science. But we will take it in your own words.
You tell us then of fome among us
"That are fo
"biaffed in their Affections to our Party, that they will ſcarce
'allow themſelves their common Senfes in the Examen, but
•paſs their Votes against any thing that tends towards Popery,
tho against JusTICE,EQUITY,and CONSCIENCE
This, Sir, is another of thoſe ſevere Reproaches, which
without the leaſt ſhadow of a Proof you caft on many of
our Church; and for which,till you ſhall think fit by ſome
very good Arguments to clear your felf, I muſt again beg
leave to eſteem you a Calumniator.
In the mean time, till you fhall think fit to remove
that Reproach, you may pleaſe to know, that men fo pre-
judiced and obftinate, as you ſpeak of, whatever they may
pretend, yet really are none of our Difciples: We direct
all men, as you very well know, to ufe both their
Senfes and their Reason in examining their Reli-
gion: And you can fometimes alter your note,
and inveigh againſt us for our ſo doing, And we
fhould be heartily forry that any of our friends ſhould
be fo nigh to a perverfion, as to have abandon'd the uſe
of any of theſe faculties.
They pass their votes, you fay, against any thing
that tends towards Popery, tho against JUSTICE,
EQUITY, and CONSCIENCE. This I am fure they
never learnt of us. We have always directed Men to act
according to fuftice, Equity and Confcience: and not
to
{
Vindicator's Reflections.
75
<
C
Pontific. Ord.
"reconc. Hæret.
1561.
to be afraid of any thing that is good, becauſe a Papift
does it. Indeed, Sir, I have heard of fome who when
they receive a Profelyte into their Church, make him
Swear, 'That he will never by ANY PERS WASIONS
or by ANY OTHER MEANS be drawn off from it vel Schifmat.
And if by ANY OCCASION or ARGUMENT he p. 200. Ed.
fball fall away, he wishes that incurring the Guilt of his Venet. Ann.
'Perjury, he may be found obliged to ETERNAL Pu
'NISHMENT: And this we have always blamed in them
as moſt Unwarrantable and Unchriſtian. But the Truth is,
you have here, as in moſt of your other-Reflections, ta-
ken up our Objectious againſt you; and what we with
Truth lay to your Charge, you most detractingly, becauſe
moſt falſely, return upon us. But,
6
C
،
V. You have yet more to accufe us of. You tell us Reply, Pref.
of certain factious fpirits that have animated the Pulpits
Żeal, to throw fears and jealouſies into the minds of thoſe
" who were bigotted in their Religion, to the hindring of
"the Parliament from proceeding in its Loyalty as it had
'begun.
I do not very well underſtand, what liberty this is you
take to cenfure the Loyalty of fo Great a Body as the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and the Members of the
Honourable Houfe of Commons amount to: But fure I am,
it is not fuch a Pen as yours that can blaſt their Reputa-
tion. As for the factious Spirits that animated the Pulpits
Zeal, when you dare fpeak openly what you mean by it,
you may be fure of an Anſwer either from Them or Me.
In the mean time, God be thanked the Pulpits Zeal has
ever been employed to keep up in the Subjects that Du-
ty which by Gods command they owe to their Prince;
and nothing is at this day, next to our Zeal for our Re-
ligion, more our defire and our endeavour, than to make
men Loyal to their Soveraign. Our Pulpits ſtill ſpeak the
fame
76
An Anſwer to the
Mat. XXII.21,
Reply, p. 45.
Pag. 5.
Pag. 123.
fame principles of Subjection they ever did. We are nei-
ther afhamed of the Doctrine of Paffive Obedience, nor
afraid of its Practife; tho fome of your Acquaintance
have endeavoured to laugh both that and us out of
Countenance for its fake. Our steadiness to our Religion,
ſhall never make us fail in our Duty to our King. In one
word, we will both by our Preaching and Actions make
it our buſineſs to fulfill that great Evangelical precept, Of
rendring unto Cæfar the things that are Cæfars; and unto
God the things that are Gods.
But, Sir, fince you mention fears and jealoufies, I
will fhew you who they are that have alarm'd the Nati-
on with them: For,
<
<
6
VI. Thus finally, you reflect upon us, 'That we are
men who manage things upon POLITICK MOTIVES
to gratifie fome Perſons at this juncture. Tou infinuate as if
"there were fomething mare in the bottom of our Oppofing
you, than what appears at first fight: Tou tell us a very
dangerous Story of Q. Elizabeth, how that doubting the
"Goodness of HER TITLE to the CROWN OF ENG-
LAND, Books were filled with revilings against the
Church of Rome, the better to fecure it. Then you
ſpeak again of Defigns, and of leading-men; and of ill
confequences that will follow in the Nation, to the ruin
"both of Church and State, if we keep open theſe Di-
vifions.
6.
<
،
I would willingly believe that you had no other mean-
ing in all this, but only to infinuate once more to the
World that we are a fort of Mercenary Creatures that have
indeed no Religion,but are acted only by Politick Motives,
to gratifie I know not whom at this juncture. And that the
Hints that follow, 'Of fomething more being in the bot-
'tom than at firſt fight appears; of QElizabeth's Title to
'the Crown; Of deſigns, and leading Men; Of ill confe-
quences
Vindicator's Reflections.
77
6.
quences to the Nation, &c. are but words put together,
without any other intention than to render your little
Reflection the more confiderable. But, Sir, all Men do not
make ſo favourable a conſtruction; they think there is
fomewhat alluded to in that Hiftory, which if you dare*
juſtifie, we need not be aſhamed of giving you an An-
fwer. They defire you to ſpeak out, How you apply all
theſe things: Whether there be any body now living to
anſwer to Queen Elizabeth; Whether thoſe words of her
'Mothers Marriage, and Her own Birth, making her Title
doubtful to the Crown of England, have any fignification;
How our zeal againſt Popery is to bring fuch ill confequen-
ces upon the Nation; and whether here you threaten or
prognofticate only theſe things to us; and who gave you
authority to do either? When you fhall have explain'd
your felf as to all theſe Particulars, you may then ex-
pect a further Anſwer: In the mean time give me leave
to tell you, that whether you have any meaning in it or
no, the very mention of theſe things is dishonest; and
may raiſe ſuch fears and jealousies in the people, as all our
zeal for peace ſhall not be able to allay: And I know
not well what I ought to think of thoſe Men who at the
fame time that his Sacred Majefty proclaims a publick ·
Peace to his Subjects, whatever their Perfwafions be; and
particularly declares in favour of the Church of England,
That he will protect and maintain it in the free exerciſe King's Indul
of our Religion, as by Law establish'd; and in the quiet gence.
' and full enjoyment of all our Poffeffions, without any Mo-
'leftation or Diſturbance whatſoever; nevertheleſs dare
threaten us with ruin and deftruction.
* New Teſt
+ You ſpeak of the ILL CONSEQUENCES that + Reply, p.3.~
will follow in the Nation by our oppofing you; p. 3. of 123.
keeping open divifions to the RUIN both of CHURCH of the C. of E.
and STATE, p. 123. Another tells us of His Ma- Loyalty, p.8.
*
jefties
1
78
An Answer to the
Anfwer to
the Conferen-
ces about the
Euchariſt.
"
.6
jefties withdrawing his ROYAL PROTECTION from us.
A third in plain words declares that the Church of
Rome will TRIUMPH, when perchance a certain Divine
of the Church of England MAY SMART for having at-
tempted its destruction. Theſe are ſuch infinuations as the
Pulpits zeal would never have prefumed to throw into the
minds of their Auditors; and they certainly deferve to
be fome other way taken notice of than I am authorized
to do it. But 'tis well that having fhewn how fmall your
charity is to us, you now let us fee, that your Duty is
not much greater to your Prince. And before you fball
next think fit to charge us with raiſing of fears and
jealouſies in Men's minds, I defire you to confider how
you will be able to purge your felves, from being by
theſe kind of infinuations,indeed the greatest Incendiaries.
And thus have I offer'd what ſeems to Me to be fuffi-
cient to vindicate thofe of our Church from your falfe and
ſcandalous Afperfions. I fhall detain you but a very lit-
tle while in the other Part: wherein I am
II. To confider thofe Imputations you have brought
againſt my ſelf in Particular.
For indeed it was not for theſe that I enter'd at all on
this ungrateful Employment of laying you open to
the World; and if my Church, and its more worthy
Members be but clear of your cenfures, it is no great
matter how much fuch an inconfiderable part of it
as I am, Suffer by them. Something yet I will add, that
I may not ſeem wanting to my own Defence, and give
credit to your Cenfures, by neglecting to refute them..
And firft, to all the hard names you have fo liberally
beſtow'd upon Me, and the Crimes for which you have
not offer'd the leaſt ſhadow of a proof; I fhall only fay,
The
Vindicator's Reflections.
79
The Lord forgive you. Call me, if you pleaſe, a Doctor of See before.
the Populace; tell the World that I court the applauſe of
(
C
the vulgar: That I am but a pretended Son of Peace:
That my business is nothing but ſhifts: Say that I am
wilfully blind, a wilful prevaricator, a wilful mistaker of
your Doctrine: Call me Unfincere, Caviller, and as ma-
ny other Names of the like kind as I have either now for-
got, or you fhall be able hereafter to invent: My An-
fwer fhall ftill be the fame to them all, Lord lay not this
fin to your charge.
•
Secondly, To your ſeveral Reflections, whereby you
repreſent me to the World as a Wilful prevaricator in
many inftances, I have already faid that this is what
you can never be fure is true, and what I am fure is ut-
terly falfe: And I do not know by which of my Actions
I have ever given you a cauſe for ſo unchriftian and flan-
derous an Imputation. Believe me, Sir, it is not a light
matter that you here lay to my charge: To be confci-
ous to my felf that I cannot DEFEND my CAUSE,
and yet not to have the SINCERITY to REPENT,muft
imply a moſt incorrigible ſpirit in Me; aud if I may gueſs
by your Reply, you have not found my Defence fo weak
as to juftifie fuch an Imputation To miſtake is Humane,
and I fhall be far from pretending an exemption from
that to which we are all by Nature fubject; but to do it
wilfully, and being admoniſh'd of it, nevertheleſs ſtill to
perfevere, and put fuch things upon the World, as in my
confcience I know not to be true: To endeavour to make
others believe what I do not believe my felf; theſe are
Crimes for which no Apology is to be made, nor therefore
ought any one, without very convincing Reaſons, to be
prefumed guilty of them. But to undertake pofitively
to charge another with them, as you have done Me; and
upon fuch fender proofs, and with fuch repeated afferti
P
Ons
80
"An Anſwer to the
tions: This, Sir,muft proceed from an uncharitable Spirit;
and will, I am perfwaded, much more prejudice you
than
me, in the opinion of all confidering Men. However, as
I ſhall in my Reflections upon your Reply, particularly an-
ſwer your pretences (where you have any) for thefe Cen-
fures; fo I do now affure you,that whatever mistakes you
may think you have diſcover'd either in my Expofition, or
my Defence, they are fins of Ignorance, and not voluntary
Errors, as you moſt rafhly pronounce them to be.
Thirdly, For thofe Reflections which have no relation
to the Cauſe in Hand, but are drawn in meerly to defame
Me without the leaft provocation; tho I might pafs them
by as foreign to my preſent deſign, yet I will ſtop ſo long
as to give fome Anfwer to them. Two of theſe eſpeci-
ally there are; and of neither of which (excuſe me, Sir,
this little vanity which your Reflections force me to) I
think I need to be ashamed. The
1. Concerns my Preaching; in which not only I'my
ſelf, but all thoſe whom you call by way of coff, (and
with more difrefpect than fo Honourable an Affembly de-
Reply, p. 20. ferves) my LEARNED AUDITORY are involved to-
Ibid. 21.
Pag. 56.
C
gether with Me.You ſay that you hear,and in that you
fpeak properly, (for I'm told that you your felf have vouch-
fafed fometimes to make up a Part of my then, I hope,
truly LEARNED AUDITORY,) that I tell my Con-
gregation, that you give Divine Worship to Saints; that
1. Speak many things ad faciendum Populum,and my LEAR-
NED AUDITORS admire my Learning, and applaud
my Eloquence. Other Reflections of this kind you have,
and to which I fhall only fay, That I have never deliver-
ed any thing on thofe Occafions, but what I have firmly
believed to be the Truth; and which, had I not been fo
perfwaded, I ſhould never have durft to utter in that Holy
place. And if this be all the effect of thoſe Critical Sun-
،
day-
Vindicator's Reflections.
81
› day-nights Conferences, in which (if I am rightly infor-
med) my Sermons have fometimes been put upon the rack
-by you; I may now conclude that I have not much tranf-
greſs'd, in thoſe few things I have therein ſpoken againſt
you.
<
2. The other thing for which you fometimes reflect
-upon Me, is Popularity. You call me a Doctor of the
Populacy, p. 31. you tell the World, 'That I court the
Applaufe of the Vulgar, p. 25. And it ſeems have had
the good fortune to obtain it, p. 36. Now this, Sir, may
be a fault, if you can fay that I have done any thing that
is ill for it; or that in any of my Actions I have managed
my ſelf otherwiſe than I ought to have done in confidera-
tion of it. But if it ſhould chance to be only your Envy
or Concern at any thing of a Reputation you may think
I have got in the World, that prompts you to give it fo
invidious a Name,I must then tell you that whilft I know
my Innocence of any wicked deſigns in it, or Endeavours
after it; I fhall be no more afhamed of, that I pretend
to what you call Popularity; and I will endeavour, Sir,
if I can, to be ſtill more Popular; that fo I may have
the greater influence upon mens Minds, to perfwade them
to their Duty, and confirm them in that ſteadineſs, from
which fuch falfe Teachers as you are, would endeavour
to draw them off. But for the reft, I have neither Cour-
ted any ones applanfe, nor gone one ftep out of the way
in which my Duty and my Confcience have led me, to
gain an eſteem or intereft in the World. In this Method
by Gods Grace I fhall always walk and I make no
doubt but my Learned Auditors, and my Friends the
Vulgar, will approve my refolutions. And as I have no-
thing but this Integrity whereby to deferve their Regard,
ſo whilft I keep firm to it, I fhall not fear to loſe their
Esteem. The approbation that is founded on any other
P 2
A
bottom
82
An Anfwer to the
bottom often changes: But where Good men value, and
Honesty is the only Ground of the Efteem, there it is im-
poffible it ſhould ever fail, till either the one or the o-
ther fall from their principles.
Fourthly, For thofe Reflections which are involved in
the course of your Reply, and cannot well be feparated
from it, I fhall examine them as they lie in their feve-
ral places there, and not follow the Catalogue into which
you have collected them againſt Me. There I fhall fhew
you, that what you call CALUMNIES, are indeed
moſt undoubted TRUTHS: The FALSIFICATIONS
you tax me with, either your Miftake, if you indeed
thought them fo, or your crime if you did not. That in
my whole Defence there is but one thing that can any
ways be call'd an Error in the TRANSLATION of all
thofe numerous paffages I have brought againſt you,and
that ſuch as no one elſe would,and you(who are ſo obno-
xious to fuch mistakes as to commit above a dozen in the
Tranſlation of a ſhort Letter) ought certainly the leaft
of any to have cenfured. There you fhall fee the
UNSINCERITIES fhewn to lie at your own door:
The UNCHARITABLE ACCUSATIONS, proved to
be,if not the New, yet the Old Doctrine of your Church.
The WILFUL MISTAKES, and AFFECTED MIS
APPLICATIONS of EQUIVOCAL WORDS to be
no Miſtakes, nor Mifapplications at all: What you call
2 FALSE IMPOSITION in Me,to be indeed a bold deni-
ak of your own Words: The AUTHORS you pretend
to be MISAPPLIED, if there be any fuch, (for I have
yet found them no where but in your Catalogue) fpeaking
properly what they were brought for: And the PLAIN
CONTRADICTIONS no where to be found but in
your own undistinguishing Brain. In the mean time I
have this only with you to intreat the 'Judicious Reader,
• That
Vindicator's Reflections.
83
.
That he will fufpend his Judgment till these things are Reply, Pref. i.
examined, and not take all for Goſpel, that is faid with
' Confidence.
There is now only one Charge more remaining, and
from which I ought, before I proceed farther, to defend
my ſelf againſt your Reflections; and that is,
V. Concerning the Ill Language you pretend I have
uſed in my Defence; a fault which I affure you no man
more difapproves, nor is more fcrupulouffy careful to
avoid than my ſelf; but then I muſt confeſs that per-
haps I do not think all to be Ill Language that
that you
fhall
pleaſe to call fo; for tho I eſteem it generally the beſt
to uſe the ſofteſt Expreſſions that may be, yet there is a
neceffity in fome cafes of fpeaking plain, and of calling
evil things by their proper names; and really Sir, when
we have to do with fuch a Cauſe as yours, and fuch Vin-
dicators of it as your felf, let us do what we can, we muſt
appear to write a Satyr.
You are, for inſtance, very much offended that I ſhould
charge your Church with Idolatry; that I ſhould reprefent
fome of your Saints as fpeaking Horrid Blafphemies;
that I call St. Thomas's Notions in defence of Image-
Worship, Reveries; and the Addrefes with which you
confecrate them, rather Magical Incantations, than Chriftian
Prayers; Thefe, Sir, are hard words, I do confefs; and
if I have no Grounds for them, Unjust Reproaches, Calum-
nies, or what elſe you pleaſe of the like kind; but yet
till you anfwer my Reaſons,and convince me of my Error,
that theſe things are indeed not fuch as I ſuppoſe, I cannot
imagine how I ſhould change my ftile; or what other
words to find out that might expreſs my fenfe, and yet
not offend your Ears.
Again,
84
An Answer to the
Again: 'Tis poffible, you will hereafter fay, that in
theſe very Reflections wherein I complain of you for cal-
ling us Falfifiers, Calumniatars, Cavillers, Mifreprefenters,
and the like, I do yet ſometimes my felf return the very
Jame language upon you; this indeed is true, but then
here is the difference, you accufe us of thefe things with-
out Reafon, often without any Occafion, and therefore do
CALUMNIATE, whereas I never (that I know of
return them upon you, till I have firft fhewn a juft Caufe
for the doing it; and tho it be Calumny to call an Honest
man, a Knave, or a dishonest man, yet I know not what
other kind of Name we can give to him that is truly fo.
This, Sir, is my Notion of theſe things; and if I am
out, I ſhall be moft willing to ftand corrected by you ;
in the mean time let us fee whereon it is that you ground
this Charge againſt me. Two places there are in which
you accuſe me of it. The
،
I. Refers to the Rifhop of Meaux, whom as you pre-
Reply, Pref. tend, I have endeavoured to expofe by my Contemptible
Raillery. To this I have already replied, That I know
not wherein I have been guilty of any thing that looks
like Raillery in all my treatment of that Biſhop, having
always been mindful of his Character in every thing I have
written againſt him: That I am forry the neceffary De-
fence of Truth has forced me to ſpeak what I have done
concerning him; and if after all, I ſhould chance in my
purſuit of his Unfincerities, (let not that word offend you,
I have proved before, what I now fay, and much more)
to have dropt any Expreffion that looks like Raillery, as I
cannot yet find upon a diligent Examination, that I have
done it, ſo neither will I juftifie my ſelf in it, whenever
you fhall be able to prove your Allegation: But, Sir,
this is not the only Instance in which you give me occa-
fion
Vindicator's Reflections.
85
fron to complain (in a very mild Word), of your
Groundless Accufations.
II. The other place in which you charge me with this
Fault, is more confiderable, becauſe there you do (what
you have feldom done any where elfe) bring fome In-
Stances of it; and out of reſpect to fo extraordinary a
piece of Justice, I will neither call them by any hard name,
nor any further infiſt upon your undue Repetition of them.
The Expreſſions you accufe me of are theſe Three.
I. That I call St. Thomas's Opinions, Reveries.
II. The Rhetorical Expreſſions of the Greatest Saints,
Horrid Blafphemies: And
III. The pious and fignificant Ceremonies of the
Church, Magical Incantations.
}
In every part of whichCharge you are a little Mistaken:
For 1. They are not S. Thomas's Opinions, but the Ar-
guments and Diſtinctions with which he endeavours to
defend your Churches Opinions, that I called Reveries.
2. Nor are there any of the Greatest Saints, tho ſome of
them I confefs were pious men, whofe Expreffions Iftiled
Horrid Blafphemies. Nor 3. Are they the Pious and figni-
ficant Ceremonies of Chrifts Holy Catholick Church; but the
Prayers of a Church, ufurping thoſe Titles of Holy and Ca-
tholick, that can the leaft belong to her of any Church in
the Christian World; they are, I fay, the Prayers of that
Church, which in juſt indignation to fo great a Supersti
tion as the confecrating Stocks and Stones, in the name of
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I faid, looked more like
Magical Incantations than Prayers. It may be you will
think theſe Remarks might well have been ſpared; but
we live in a critical Age, wherein men, you know, can-
*
not
88
An Anſwer to the
tii.
not endure to have things Mifreprefented; and when
you charge me with fpeaking reproachfully of your
Church, you should have been very careful to fee that in
the charge of it you did not speak (tho but a little )
Falfely of me.
But
I. It diſpleaſes you that I fhould call ſome of Thon
mas Aquinas's Notions, REVERIES.
It was indeed a bold thing in me to fail in my Refpects
to a Doctor, who as you tell me former times have ſtiled
Angelical; I wonder you did not add out of your Bre-
Brev. Rom. in viary, that he was one too who attained to all his Know-
Feft. vii. Mar- ledg, not by Study and Labour, but by Divine Inſpiration ;
for this would have added much to my offence; nay, to
whom (if all that is there faid, be true) a certain Cru-
cifix once upon a time declared, That all he had written
concerning him was well; and one part of that was this ve-
ry thing before us, 'That the Wood of the Crucifix was to
be Adored with the fame Adoration as Chriſt himself; and
after the atteſtation of it by ſo notable a Miracle, I can-
not but wonder how you dare to queftion it. But then,
Sir, you ought to have confidered whether you were fure
there was any dif-refpect in my Expreffion: Now had
you not been too little acqainted with the French Tongue,
(as I fhall hereafter fhew you are with fome others
to turn Critique in it; you would have known that Re-
verie is not neceffarily a word of Reproach, but uſed very
innocently to fignifie a deep thought, a profound Medita
tion, and from thence fecondarily, the Productions them-
Jelves that come from fuch Reflections: And therefore
you ought not,without all diftinction, to ſay that I affront
St. Thomas in calling his Notions Reveries, for fo the
beſt mens works may without Affrout be called; but fince
this
Vindicator's Reflections.
87
this diſpleaſes you, whatever I may do to others, yet I
affure you I never will fo far Affront you, as even in my
thoughts to ſuppoſe you to be a Reverie, i. e. a man of
profound thought, and deep meditation.
And thus were I minded to Cavil, I might end this
Objection. But, Sir, to fatisfie your little Remark, I do
confefs, I did not mean that Expreffion in this beft fenfe;
no, the Subject upon which I ſpoke it, was too bad, not to
reflect fome of its illness upon the very words that are uſed
about it; and when I faid, That I did not think my felf
obliged to tranſcribe all St. Thomas's Reveries; I did in-
deed mean, what I now call them in plainer words, his
Vain and Trifling Reaſons, which he brings to juſtifie that
wicked Doctrine of your Church, 'That the CROSS of
Chrift is to be ADORED with a SUPREME DIVINE
WORSHIP. This I underſtood by that Expreffion, and
fuch I take his Diſcourſe there to be; and I will now leave
it to the world to judg, what elſe they can make of ſuch
Profound Nonfenfe as this.
،
Honour or Reverence is not (primarily) due to any Aquinas firm.
but a rational Nature; but to an infenfible Creature, Ho. 3.part. Q. xxx.
nour or Reverence is not due, but with refpect to a ra. Art. 4.
tional Nature: And this may happen two ways; One,Up-
on the account of its Reprefenting a rational Nature:
The Other, becauſe it is fome way joined to it: By the
First Means, we Worship the Image of a King; by the
Second, his Garments; and we Venerate both with the
Same Veneration, with which we Venerate the King
himself.
Is not this,think you,wonderful Reasoning? And was I
not horribly to blame, to call fuch fine Notions, Reveries ?
But now for the Application.
-If therefore we fpeak of that Crofs upon
which Christ was Crucified, it is to be Adored upon both
Accounts
e
88
An Anſwer to the
Accounts by us, both as it repreſents Chrift, and as it
"touch'd his Members,and was fprinkled with his Blood;and
upon both theſe Accounts with the fame fupreme Wor-
fhip with which Chrift is Adored; and hence it is that
we SPEAK to the CROSS, and PR AY to IT as if it
were CHRIST.
<
་
I doubt, Sir, you will think this laſt looks fomething
like a REVERIE, becauſe (as I remember) it croffes
your Notions. But we will go on:
.
"But if we fpeak of the Image of Christ in any other
Matter, ſo we Adore the Crofs only as the Image of
Chriſt, which we Adore with Divine Adoration.
Theſe are Aquinas's Notions on this Point; and theſe
I called his Reveries, i. e. His vain Fancies and Imagina-
tions; and fo I ftill efteem them to be; if you think other
wife, and that theſe Dreams and Shadows of Reaſon, are
indeed Concluſive Proofs, why then do you reject this
* Reply, pref. Doctrine, * and tell us, that perhaps it MAY BE defend-
ed; and not ſpeak out boldly that it is good and Ortho-
dox, and what we ought to follow; but if you like this
arguing really no better than I do, wherefore do you ex-
pofe me for calling that a vain Fancy, which, after all,
you your felf look upon as no other?
P. xviii.
To conclude; I am perfwaded that no one among
you has a jufter refpect for St. Thomas than I have; I have
always efteemed him an excellent Doctor, and profited
by his Works; but what can the beſt man do, when he
has not Truth on his fide? Error may be palliated, and á
great deal of Thought be ſpent, and Wit fhewn to give
it the Appearance of Truth, but when all is done 'tis Er-
ror ftill; and the Arguments that are brought to fupport
it, how fine and fubtil foever they may feem, are yet but
Reveries, i. e. Vifions, Shadows of Reafon, not Rational and
Conclufive Proofs; and upon this Ground, tho not only
>
an
on
£
Vindicator's Reflections.
89
TA
an Angelical Doctor, or a Crucifix from a 'Wall, but even
an Angel from Heaven, fhould argue in this fort, I fhould
not be ashamed of the Expreffion, if I had called it Ra-
ving. But
II. The next Thing you find fault with, is ; That
I call fome of the Expreffions of your Saints,
with reference to the Virgin Mary, HORRID
BLASPHEMIES.
And here you put me upon a very ungrateful work, to
rake into the Aſhes of Good, but Superftitious Men, and
who falling into Corrupt Times, were by their Piety car-
ried into Vain and Extravagant Expreffions of it: But
as I hope God has pardoned their well-meant, tho very
indiſcreet Zeal; ſo I defire that what I here repeat
fo in my
Defence, may not be a means to lead any one to Triumph
in their Weakness, whoſe Vertues otherwiſe we few of us
perhaps fhall be able to come up to; and this I fay of
fome of thofe I am to mention; for however your Church
has thought fit indifferently to Canonize them, yet I hope
Saints as well as Stars, may differ from one another both
in their Goodneſs and in their Glory.
The 1. you mention is St. Germain, Whole Expreffions
to the Blessed Virgin, or as you call them, Rhetorical
Flights, will I think juſtifie the worst that can be faid of
them: 'O Mother of God, fays he, your Defence is Im-
C
mortal; your Interceffion is the Life; your Protection Craffet verita
is Security; if you do not teach us the Way, no one can ble Devotion
"become Spiritual, nor Adore God in Spirit.
O P. 31.
"Most Holy Virgin! No one can have the Knowledg of
"God but by you: O Mother of God! No one can
"be ſaved but by you: O Virgin Mother! No one can be de-
livered from Dangers but by you: O Favoured of God!
"No one can obtain any Gift or Grace, but by you.
<
Q2
The
до
An Anſwer to the
Ibid. 56.
Ibid. 234.
Ibid. 235.
}
The ſecond is St. Anfelm. His Expreſſions of this kind
are numerous; and I will mention only fome of them :
6
Craffer. p.49. Bleſſed Virgin! fays he, as it is neceffary that eve
ry one who is hated and defpifed by you, fhould
perifh, fo is it impoffible that he whom you re-
gard fhould be loſt. Only be it your will that we
Thould be faved, and then we cannot but be ſaved.
Hence he elſewhere calls Her, The Repairer of the loft
'World: and adds,' that as God creating all things by
his power, is become God and Father of all; fo Mary
the Bleſſed Mother of God by reſtoring all things, is be-
come the Mother and Lady of all. In one of his Addref-
'fes to her, he fays, That God has given this to Her
in common with Himſelf, that with Her all things
"Should be posible. And to go yet one ſtep farther, he
tells us in plain terms, 'That a man is fometimes fooner
faved in calling upon the name of Mary, than by call-
ing upon the name of Christ.
Ibid.
Ibid. 11.2.
3y, Your next Saint is St.Bernard: And he too isVo-
luminous in his Expreffions. Thus he alſo makes her Re-
Craffer, p.30. demptrix of the World: We have, fays he, fent before
Ibid. p. 31.
Ibid, 32.
८
us from Earth to Heaven an Advocate, who being Mo-
ther of our Judg, and Mother of Mercy, will treat fin-
cerely and with efficacy the buſineſs of our Salvation ?
"Tis She that hath obtain'd the Reparation of the whole
World, and the Salvation of all men. It muſt be con-
"fefs'd that one man, and one woman have done us a great
deal of harm; but another man, and another woman, have
* repaired with advantage all the ill which the former had
done us. I acknowledg that Jefus Chrift is fufficient to
fave us; but it was not expedient that Man ſhould be a-
lone; it was more congruous, that both the one and the
other fex fhould come in to our Reparation, ſeeing nei-
•ther of them was wanting to our deſtruction.
4
Con-
fider
Vindicator's Reflections.
21
fider then more deeply with how great an affection of
piety God would have us adore Her, who has put the
"whole fulness of Good in Mary: fo that if there be any
hope in us, if any Grace, if any falvation, we fhould know
C
C
<
that it proceeds from Her.- And therefore he elfe- Ibid. 74.
where calls Her, The Ladder of Sinners; His Great
Truft, and the whole foundation of his Hope. But I muſt
not inſiſt too largely.
The next you name is, Fourthly, The Abbot of Celles; Craffer, p.33,
I will produce but one paffage from him: 'Approach, 34
fays he, by a devout contemplation of Spirit towards
'the Bleffed Virgin, becauſe through Her, and with Her,
and in Her, and from Her, the world both bath, and
'will have all that is Good.- She is our Advocate to Her
Son, as the Son to the Father. She follicites for us
both the Father and the Son. Oftentimes thoſe whom
the Justice of the Son might condemn, the Mercy of the
Mother delivers.--In fhort, As our Saviour once
"faid, That no one could come unto him (whilft he was on
Earth) unless the Father drew him; fo dare I (fays he) in
"fome fort affirm, that no one comes now to thy Glorified
Son, unleſs thou by thy Holy affiftance draweft him.
C
<
<
5thly, As it is impoffible (fays St. Antonine, from St.
Anfelm) that thofe from whom the V. Mary turns the
Eyes of her Mercy fhould be faved; fo is it neceffary
'that thoſe towards whom the turns Her eyes, interce-
< ding for them, fhould be juftified and Glorified.
C
6
<
<
Craffet, Ib.
6thly, From the time, fays St. Bernardine, that the Craffer 37.
Virgin Mother conceived in her Womb the Word of God,
She obtained, as I may fay, a certain juriſdiction and
authority over all the Temporal proceffions of the Holy
Ghost. So that no creature has obtain'd any Grace or ver-
tue of God, but according to the difpenfation of his
Holy Mother.
He
92
An Answer to the
He that defires more of this, may fee in Dr. J. C's Apo-
Lond. 1687. logy for his Contemplations on the Life and Glory of Holy
Mary; who tho he be not yet a Saint, yet may for his
zeal deſerve hereafter to be Canonized; and make as great
a figure one day in the Church, as any that I have
named.
Thefe, Sir, are fome of the Expreſſions to which I re-
ferred: You may think as you pleaſe of them, and give
what dexterous Expofitions your Wit fhall enable you,
to free them from Cenfure: But I dare venture it to all
fober Men now to judg, Whether I was much out in my
Expreffion, when I ſaid in my Defence, that they were
HORRID BLASPHEMIES.
3dly, Your laſt Cenfure is, That I faid of thoſe Col-
lects which you uſe in the Confecration of a Cross,
that they ſeemed to be MAGICAL INCANTA-
TIONS rather than Prayers.
And I would to God, Sir, we had not too good Grounds
for ſuch a Cenſure: I ſhould moſt willingly retract my
Expreffion. But in the mean time, till you will learn
to be ashamed of doing fuch things, I fee no caufe where-
fore I fhould be confounded for giving them their proper
Names.
"You pray to God, that he would blefs the Wood of
"the Cross; to what purpoſe, I pray, give a bleſſing to the
Stock of a Tree? That it may be a faving Remedy to
mankind; an Establishment of the Faith; for the encreafe
of good Works; and the Redemption of Souls; for a Com-
"fort and Protection againſt the cruel Darts of the Enemy.
Is not this, Sir, a moft edifying Prayer for a Church,
calling her felf Catholick, to ufe? To defire the blessing of
God upon that which he has exprefly forbidden us to make,
for
Vindicator's Reflections.
93
"
for any fuch purpoſe as that, for which it is here confe
crated? But to go on with the Ceremony:
'You incenfe it, you ſprinkle it with holy Water; you
"Confecrate, it, In the Name of the FATHER, and of the
'SON, and of the HOLY GHOST: You pray again,
that as by the Crofs upon which Chrift fuffer'd, the
"World was redeemed from Guilt; fo by the Merits
"of this Cross, the Souls of thoſe who offer it, may be
"freed from all the Sins which they have committed. And
now the work is done; and it is fit for you to FALL
'DOWN before it, and WORSHIP it.
>
Confider, Sir, I beseech you, in the Spirit of a Chri-
ftian, what it is about which theſe Prayers are beſtow'd;
and what it is you beg in them. And feeing you defire
that ſuch Benefits may be derived to you from a ſenſeleſs,
inanimate Creature; think what the import of Magical In-
cantations is, and tell me if theſe requeſts do not look
more like Charms, than Prayers; and whether I was very
much out, when in a juft Indignation at fo wretched an
Abuſe of the Name of the Holy Trinity, I faid, they
feem'd rather the one than the other.
Do
But if my Expreſſion ftill offends you, confider then,
how much more justly theſe Practices fcandalize us.
not tell the World that I reproach Chriſts Holy Catholick
Church, as guilty of Magical Incantations: No, 'tis your
Church, the corrupted Roman Church alone, that I charge
as coming in theſe things too nearly to the Practices of the
Heathens: God be thanked, Chrift has other Churches
that are freed from fuch Abufes, as all his faithful Ser-
vants lament in you, and earneſtly defire you would your
felves learn at laſt to be ashamed of.
I will add but one Word more, and it is this: That be-
fore you Cenfure me any farther for this Expreſſion, you
will pleaſe to remember, that there is another Practice
in:
"
24
An Anſwer to the
in your Church, which I might have mentioned in my
Defence, called Exorcizing; but far diftant from the An-
cient Ceremony defigned by that word. This your Ri-
tual Authorizes; and for the fuller Practice of it, directs
us to your approved Authors; fuch as Mengus, and fome
others. The plain Engliſh of that hard word, you know
is Conjuring, and the thing does not at all belie the Name.
You
may force me to ſpeak of this if you think fit; and
to add to this, your other Ceremonies of Chriftening of
Bells, Confecrating Water; Agnus Dei's, and the like; and
what wonderful Benefits you pretend to derive from
thence. But I had rather if you pleaſe be prevented in
this defign, than vindicate my felf fo much to your Churches
Scandal.
A
SECT. III.
ND here I fhall finifh my prefent Reflections; and
might, I think, have concluded my whole Defence.
For having juftified the Distinction I had advanced of
Old and New Popery; having fhewn you, that it is
not meerly from the Decrees of your Councils, but
from your private Authors and common Practice, that
we are to interpret your Churches Doctrine: Having par-
ticularly anſwer'd all the Bishop of Meaux's Pretences
and I hope fufficiently Vindicated (even in your Opini-
on) my Self and Brethren from your unjuſt and ſcanda-
lous Imputations; nothing now remains, but to confider
the Doctrine of your Reply; and that has been already fo
fully done, that neither can you Axfwer it, nor am I able
to add any thing to it. But you have always had a parti-
cular Gift, to advance again without Bluſhing, thofe Ob-
jections to day, which but yeſterday were confuted beyond
a poffibility of Reply.
1. You
Vindicator's Reflections.
95
'
1. You charge us with Mifre-
prefenting your Doctrines *; you
ſpeak largely of a certain Book that
undertook to prove this to the
World; but you forget to tell us,
that a learned (a) Man of our Church,
went along with this Book through
all the feveral particulars, and
fhew'd you the contrary. And thus
the Calumny goes on; but the De-
fence we have made, is never like
to be confider'd.
2. You ſeem concerned, that I
took ſo little notice of your fecond
Article about the Nature and Ob-
ject of Religious Worfhip; but you
do not acknowledg that my Reason
was, becauſe it had been fully done
in feveral (b) Treatifes on that ve-
ry Subject, and which lie ftill unre-
plied to.
3. You run out into a great length
about the Invocation of Saints:
But is it to Anſwer any thing we
had replied to your Arguments on
that Subject No, tho I directed
you to a (c) Book purpoſely writ-
ten on this Subject, wherein all
your Objections are obviated, and
from which I have reafon to be-
lieve you borrow'd fome of your
Quotations againſt me; yet you
neither take care to prevent the
fame Replies that have been there
}
}
R
*
Reply pref.
(a) The Doctrines and Practices of the
Church of Rome truly repreſented.
Reber Answert.
See the View of the whole Controverfy,
which has plainly fhewn that the bufinefs
of the Reflections was to decline an An-
Swer.
Reply, Art. ii. p. 6.
(b) A Difcourfe concerning the Objeĉi
of Religious Worſhip.
Unanswer’d.
Answer to Papifts protesting againſt
Proteftant Popery, &c.
Unanswer❜d.
See for this, alſo the View of the whole
Controverfy, which the Reprefenter has
now fhewn, is never like to be fairly An
Swer'd.
Reply Art. iii. p. 10.
(c) Speculum B. Virginis.
Ananther'd.
A Difcourfe concerning the Worship of
the B. Virgin, and the Saints, in Anfwer
to Monf. de Meaux's Appeal to the 4th
Age.
Wnantwer❜d.
A Difcourfe concerning Invocation of
Saints.
Unanswer❜d.
made
96
An Anſwer to the
(d) Catholick Repreſenter, 1st and 2d,
5th and 6th Sheets.
(e) Aufwer to theſe Sheets; the laft yet
nantwerd.
Three Letters to a Perfon of Quality,
about Images; the laft
made, nor have the Ingenuity fo
much as once to confefs by whom
you have profited.
has pafs'd fince my Defence came
4. Concerning Images, much
out; the (d) Repreſenter tri'd all
his ftrength to defend them, but
was content to leave the Field:
What do you now do? You take
his Arguments, you follow his Eva-
fions; but make no new Advance,
Unanswer❜d. nor feem at all concern'd to own,
that they have been fully (e) An-
fwer'd fome Months fince.
Unanswer'd.
The Fallibility of the Roman Church,
out of the ſecond Nicene and Trent Coun-
cils about Images,
Reply, Art. vii. p. 39.
1
(f) Two Difcourfes of Purgatory and
Prayers for the Dead.
Unanswer❜d.
An Anſwer is lately publish'd to the
whole Book; and we fear will remain
like the reft,
گر
Unanswer'd
tg) A Difcourfe concerning the pre-
tended Sacrament of Extreme Unction.
Wnanfwer'd,
5. In the Article of Purgatory,
you talk with great affurance a-
bout the Intention of the Primi-
tive Church in Praying for the Dead:.
Which I ſaid in my Expofition
was no proof that they believed a
Purgatory. You reply, that thoſe
who have been Abuſed by Me,.
and others of my Coat, need only
read the Fathers, or look into the
Nubes Teftium for Satisfaction. But,
Sir, what muſt I call this, to be
fent to a Book, that has been on
that very point (f) anſwer'd in
every one of his Pretences; and
dication?
no one has yet appear'd in his Vin-
6. In the Article of Extreme Un-
tion, you have a (g) Challenge
fent you; and which I am com-.
miffion'd
Vindicator's Reflections.
97.
miffion'd once more to defire that
you will be pleafed to accept. In
confideration whereof you will not
be diffatisfied if I return but little
on that fubject to you.
(b) An Hiſtorical Treatife of Tranſub-
Defence of the Dublin Letter.
Veteres Vindicati, in Anſwer to Mr.
Sclater.
Plain Repreſentation of Tranfubftan-
tiation.
Transubstantiation.
Dialogues concerning the Trinity and
Anſwer to the Oxford Diſcourſes,
Paraphraſe upon the VI. of St. Jobn.
Six Conferences publisht by Dr. Tenifor.
7. (b) The Holy Eucharift has ftantiation, by one of the C. R.
in every refpect been fully con-
fider'd. Scripture, Antiquity, Senfe,
and Reaſon, all produced againſt
you. What have you here done?
You have put together the com-
mon Arguments we have a hun-
dred times baffled; and improved
nothing to obviate the fame Re-
plies. But you, Sir, may expect
from Me, what fome others will
fuddenly have from a much better
Hand, a full fatisfaction to your
pretences; tho in truth neither
you nor they could reaſonably ex-
pect it.
8. For the * Adoration of the
Hoft, you refer us to the two Ox-
ford Difcourfes; but you never ob-
ferve that there have been ()
two Anſwers made to them. And
a (k) Particular Diſcourſe has paſt
now fome time upon this Subject,
in which moſt of your Allegations
are prevented, and yet you take
no notice of it, but bait us eter
nally with the fame repeated
Crambe!
R 2
All Unanswered.
*Pag. 122. Reply.
(i) A Reply to Two Difcourfes con
cerning, &c. from Oxford.
Wnanswered.
A Difcourfe concerning the Holy Eu-
charift in the two great Points of the
Real Prefence, and the Adoration of the
Hoft.
Unanswered.
(k) A Difcourfe concerning the Ado
ration of the Hoft, &c.
Unanswered.
9. As
{
98
An Anſwer to the
(1) A Difcourfe concerning the Sacri-
fice of the Mafs.
Wnanswered.
(m) A Difcourfe of Communion in one
kind, in Anſwer to the Biſhop of Meaux.
Unanswered.
(2) A Dicourſe about Tradition.
The Catholick Balance.
Unanswered.
(0) Of a Guide in matters of Faith.
The Proteftant Refolution of Faith.
Answer to Reafon and Authority, &c.
9. As to the Point of the Mafs,
you may expect a full (1) Anſwer
before you receive this. And,
10. (m) For Communion in one
kind, when you can either bring
fome other Arguments than what
the Bishop of Meaux has done, or
Vindicate thofe from our Anfwer
to him, you may expect to be con-
fider'd; but elſe it is a great confi-
dence in you to expect it.
II. (n) As to the Point of Tra
dition, I do not find that any one
has yet confuted a particular Trea-
tife about it.
n
12. (0) For the Authority of the
Church to which you feem parti-
A Difcourfe concerning a fudgin Con- cularly to defire my Reply, I do
troverfies.
A Plain Difcourfe concerning the Ca-
1bolick Church.
Of the Authority of Councils, and the
-Rule of Faith.
Two Difcourfes of Schifm and Herefic.
promiſe you that in due time you
fhall have it. But becauſe I would
not deceive your Expectations, I
muſt tell you freely, I can fay no-
The difference betwixt the Proteftant thing but what you have had al-
and Socinian methods.
The Pillar and Ground of the Truth.
Vindication of the Answer to certain
Papers.
All Wnanswered.
(A) Sermon upon St. Peter's Day.
Sure and Honeft means for the Conver-
fion of all Hereticks.
The Catholick Balanec.
ready in thofe Excellent Difcourfes
to which I refer you; and which
we are apt to think you have
found to be more than enough.
3. (P) For the remaining
Points, The Authority of the Holy
See, and of the Council of Trent
me-
;
Vindicator's Reflections.
99
methinks you ſhould be aſhamed
Summary of the Controverfies between
to defire any Anſwer to them, till the C. of E. and the R. C.
you firſt return fome Reply to
thoſe Learned Men that have fo
lately written upon them.
Dr. Barrow of the Popes Supremacy.
The Neceffity of Reformation, par. 2.
14. (p) For the other Articles
which I have paſſed by, it is not
becauſe there has not been enough
faid to them, but becauſe what has
been faid, is to be found in thoſe
other Treatises to which I have al-
ready referred; and I believe when
I come to examine your Diſcourſe
more particularly, I fhall not find
any one thing,except a few Cavils,
(which indeed are all your own
that will need my Confideration;
and thoſe do not deſerve it.
All Wnanfosered
(p) A Difcourfe concerning Auricular
Confeffion.
Church of Rome truly Reprefented.
The Doctrines and Practices of the
Unanswered.
You fee, Sir, how reaſonable a Pretence 1 might here
have to take my leave of you, and not infiſt any longer
on theſe Points, till you fhall think fit, by giving us a Sub-
Stantial Anſwer to what has been already offered, to en-
courage us to make fome new Advances against you.
But I will not infift upon any of thefe Things; nor give
you caufe by my declining a particular Examination of
your Reply, to think any better of your Arguments, than
I hope by this time you may do of your Reproaches. I will
travel with you once more through every Article;and tho
in Confideration of theſe Excellent Treatifes I have now
mentioned, and which are almoſt in every bodies hand,
I ſhall only reflect upon your Arguments, and not inſiſt ſo
as if I were particularly to ftate every Point again; yetl
will*
100
An Anfwer to the, &c.
will do it in fucha Manner as you fhall have no cauſe to
fay, I either declined your Difficulties, or was unwilling,
if you have any Strength, to Examine it to the Bottom.
And of this you may expect an Account in a little Time.
In the mean while, I commend my prefent Reflections to
yours, and both them and you to the Reader's Confidera-
tion.
ERRAT A.
AGE xx. 1. 27. r.Converters. p.2.1. 17. r. the Truth. p.7. 1.10.
r.fhould not then. p. 15.1.17. r. readily. p.22. marg. 1.5. r. me l'.
p. 27.1. 14. r. decifions. p.81. l. 19. r. than. p. 85. 1. 19. r. than.
p. 85. 1. 19. r. they. p. 87.1. 3. r. Rever. Qu.
Befides a few literal Faults which the Reader is defired to excufe.
FINIS.
POSTSCRIPT.
Being a Full Anſwer to a Pamphlet Publiſhed
the Laft Night, called, A Third Part of a
Papift Mifrepreſented.
I
Ecce Iterum Crifpinus-
Little thought when this Laft Sheet was fent to the
Preſs, that I ſhould have deprived the World of a more
uſeful Advertiſement of the late Tracts that have been
Publiſhed, for the inglorious Undertaking of Refuting
fo trifling a Book: But fince it is now become the Mode
to draw up Full Anfwers to the moſt folid Difcourfes in
Single Half-Sheets, I know not why an Author that has
nothing in him, may not be expofed in much less Room.
<
The Sum of his Defence is this, 'That we do without
"all Grounds advance against them a Distinction of Old Pref. p.14,&c.
and New Popery, to make the World believe that 'tis
'they who Diffemble their Doctrine, not we that Mifrepre-
"fent it. Now this I have at large Anfwered in the
foregoing Difcourfe, and thereby deſtroyed the whole
Foundation both of his and his Parties prefent Pretences;
and ſince he obſerves the Ill Luck his laſt Adverſary had
to fuppoſe they had forſaken their Charge, when at that
very time the Vindicator was Printing his Reply in De- Ib, p. 19..
fence of it; I cannot but take notice, that himſelf is not
much more fortunate, to eftablish the whole ftrefs of his
Cauſe
POST SCRIPT.
Ib.. p. I.
}
Pag. 13.
Pref. p. 22.
Caufe upon the denial of a Distinction, which is at the
fame inftant fhewn by undoubted matter of Fact, to be
moſt juſt and well-grounded.
For his beloved Elegancies of Bartholomewfair-Booths ;
falfe Cards; and Cogging-Dice; of the pretty flights of
Legerdemain; of Skrewing Mouths, Distorting Nofes, and
drawing in Cheeks; for the wonderful tricks of his Friend
the Pofture-Mafter in the Pall Mall, &c. whereby he
here, as uſually, embellishes his Periods; they fufficient-
ly fhew how very ferious this Gentleman efteems the mat-
ter of Religion to be, and how well the fineneß of a
Merry. Andrew's Wit, agrees with the profoundneß of a
Repreſenters reaſoning.
And tho fuch a Character-maker as this, (who never
yet knew what it was to answer an Adverfary with good
fenfe, and but ſeldom with good manners; and has here
(I know not how) fallen even below his own felf), be
more fit to be deſpiſed than confuted; yet to fatisfie him
that his Adverfary defign'd not any retreat at all by the
Method he took of dealing with him, and therefore not
an Honourable one (as he pretends:) I do hereby pro-
mife him, that he fhall
not pafs, as he deferves, without
a confideration: But may expect that which fhall abun-
dantly fatisfie the World, that he ought, tho there be no
great reafon to expect that he will at this time of day
begin to be ashamed of his Undertaking.
aid