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' -, AND KOW IN USE FOn THR RECEPTION OF CONYERTi INTO THE CHURCH ; Bt WAT 01?' QUESTION AND ANSWER, '' • *' Be ready always to give an answer to every one tha^ asketh yoti a reason of the hope that tsm^ou." — I Peter, lii. 15. ^ , TO WHICH ARE ADDEb, Reasons why Roman Catholics cannot conform to the Protestant Religion. MONTREAL: JOHN CORCORAN, CaiH)LIc Book Pkinter, 3, St. Petei 3trekt> Near the RecoUet Church. .^ ^^ 184. 4^; »■'•!!*' i .'■' .*" / ^ V V A PROFESSION OF CATHOLIC FAITH. I, N. N., with a firm faith, beh'eve and profess all and every one of those things which are con« tained in the Creed, which the holy Roman Church maketh use of ; to wit, I beh'eve in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things, visible and invisible : and in one Lord Jesus Christ, ttie only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages : God •f God, Light of Light ; true God of true God : begotten^ not made, eonsubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who, for us meuj and for our salvatien, came down from hea- ven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. Was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate i he suffered and was buried) and the third day he rose again, ae- eording to the Scriptures : he ascended into hea- ven ; sits at the right hand of the Father, and Is to come again with glory to judge the living and the dead ; of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who spoke by the Pro- phetSi and (I believe) One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church s I^ionfess one Baptism for the remission of sins : and I look for the resurrection •f the dead, and the life of the world to come* I most steadfastly admit and embrace Aposto- >V/, , (J t/J >^., ■■*.:.^; 3 7y o? PROFXSIION or CATURLIC FAITH. \ >^ 'ess on- nan one and id in on of God God : ather« for U8 obea- oftbc ucified ed and lin, ac- itobea- , and is ing an^ U be no ord and . and ibe tbe Son the Pro- loric and m for tb€ jurreclion 3 cowe* je Aposto- 1/ tical and ecclcsiaHtical Traditions, and all other observances and constitution« of the same church. I also admit the holy Scripture according to that sense, which our holy mother the Church has Mdt and does hold, to which it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the Scrip, tures : neither will I ever take and interpret them otherwise than eccording to the unanimous x^on- sent of the Fathers* I also profess, that there are truly and properly seven sacraments of the new law^ instituted bjr Jesus Christ, our Lord, and necessary for the sal- vation of mankind, though not all for eyery one : To wit : Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Pen- ance, Extreme Unction, Orders, and Matrimony, and that they confer grace : and that of these, Baptism, Confirmation, and Orders cannot be re- iterated without sacrilege. And I also receive and admit the received and approved ceremonies of the Catholic Church, used in the solemn ad- ipinistration of the aforesaid sacraments. I embrace and receive all and every one of the things, which have been defined and declared in the holy Council of Trent, concerning original sin and justification. I profess likewise, that in the Mass there is o(r fered to God, a true, proper, and propitiatory sa- crifice for the living and the dead. And that in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist, there are truly, really,^nd substantially, the Body and Blood, together with the soul and divinity of our X^ord Jesus Christ : and that there is made a con- version of the whole substance of the bread into the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blooJ:' which conversion the Catholic ■■'•-•■'"/■."■^-•'H-Bj 4^ paoPESsioM OP, &c. Chqrch calls tran9ubstantiation. I alto^confes* that under either kind alone, Christ is received Whole and entire, and a true sacrament. I constantly hold that there is a Purgatory, and that the souls ^hefein detained are helped by the suflfrages of the faithful. Likeyirise, that the saints reigning together with Christ, are to be honoured and invocated, and that they offer prayers to God for us, and their relics are to be held in veneration. I most firmly assert, that the Images of Christ, of the Mother of God, ever virgin, and also of other Saints, may be had and retained, and that due honour and veneration are to be given them, 1 also affirm that the power of Indulgences wan U(i by Christ in the Churchy and that the use ef them is most wholesome to the Christian people. I acknowledge the Holy, Catholic, Apostdlic^ Roman Church for the mother and mistress of all churches : and I promise true obedien(}e to the Bishop of Rome, successor^to St. Peter, prince of the Apostles, and Vicfir of Jesus Christ. I likewise undoubtedly receive and profess all other things delivered, defined, and declared, by the sacred canons and general councils, and par- ticularly by the holy cbuncil of Trent. Aiid I con- demn, reject, and anathematize all things contra- ry thereto, and all heresies whichlthe church has condemned, rejected, and anathamatized. I, N. N. do at this present 4VeeIy profess, and sincerely hold this true Catholic Faith, without which no one can be saved ; and I promise most constantly to retain and confess the same'entire pd inviolate, with God's j|Mistf||ice, to the end ^f my life. Vv^, ed the and ihetr hrUt< i that ibein, eB wa!« use ef people. 88 of aU s to the iince of ofess aU ared, by and paT- ad 1 con- rg contra- hurch baa ed. ' ofess, and 1, without ^roise most ^ame'entire to the end ^ - THE GROUNDS CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, Contained in ih$ Profeition of Faith ofVivt IV. CHAP, h— Of the Church. Q. WAAT is your profession at to the article of the church ? A. It is contained in these words of the Nicene Creed, <* I believe one, holy, catholic and apos- tolic church." Q, What do you gather from these words 1 A, 1. That Jesus Christ has always a true church upon earth. 2. That this church is al- ways one, by the union of all her members in one faith and communion. 3. That she is always pure and holy in her doctrine and terms of commu- nion, and consequently always free from perni- cious errors. 4. That she is catholic, that Is, universal, by being the church of all ages, and more or less of all nations. 5. That this church must have in her a succession from the apostles, and a lawful mission derived from them. 6.— » Which follows from all the rest, that this true church of Christ cannot be any of the Protestant sects, but must be the ancient church, commu- nicating with the Pope or Bishop of Rome. SECT. 1. That Christ han always a true Church upon earths Q. How do you prove that Christ has always a true church upon earth ? A. 7rom many plain texts of scripture, in which it if promised or foretold, that the churcl)> or ^ Af 'I 6 THE GROUNDS Of kingdom established by Chriat, should stand until the end of the world, Matt. 16. v. 18. *' thou art Peter, (i, e. a rock) and upon this rock 1 will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Malt. 28. v. 19, 20, *♦ Going there- fore, teach all nations, baptizing them, &c. — Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you : and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." Ps. 71. V. 5, 7. •* And he shall continue with the sun and before the moon, throughout all genera- tions." "In his days, (that is, after the cominj; of Christ), shall justice spring up ; and abundance of peace, till the moon be taken away." Daniel, 2. V. 4*4. " In the days of those (clngdoms the God pf heaven will s/st up a kingdom, (the church or kingdom of Christ), that shall never be destroy- ed— and itself shall stand for ever," Q. What other proof have you for ihe perpe-r tual continuance of the church of Christ ? A. The Creed, in which we profess to believe the holy, Catholic Church : for the Creed and every article thereof niust.be always true ; and therefore there must always be a holy, catholip churchk . Q. Can you prove that Christ's church upon earth is always visible 1 A. Yes, from many texts of scripture, as Isaias, 2. V. 1, 2, 3, &c.^ and Mich. 4. v. 1, 2. Where the church of Christ is described a ** a mountain upon the top of mountains exposed to the view of all nations flowing into it." And Dan. 2. v. S5. as " a great inountain filling the whole earth." Matt. 5i V. 14, as *< a city on a mountain which cannot be hid." Isa. 6Q. v, 11, 12. as ** a city Ill mU jre- • _ er I you •Id." I the nera- ^ ^^ eGod rcb or 58tro^- perpc-r believe led and le ; and catholic ch upon as Uaias, •. Where mountain the view )an. % V; le earth, aln which jj *< a city eArUOLIC DOCTRINE) &.C. 7 whose gates shall be open continually : and shall not be shut day nor night, that wen may bring thither the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought." ** Upon the walls of which city God has set watchmen, all the day and all the night." Isa. 62* v. 6. '* which shall pever hold their peace." SECT. II. That Christ* s Church upon earth ts always o/fie. Q. How do you prove that Christ's church upon earth is always one ? A. From many texts of Scripture. Canticle of canticle&> 6> v. 9, 10. ** My dove, my undefiled is but one. Fair as the moon, bright as the sun, ter- rible as an army set in array, John 10. v. 16. *' Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, (viz. the Gentilesy who were then divided from the Jews,) them also I must bring, and they shalt hear my voice, and there shall be one fold, and one shep- herd.'' Ephes. 4. V. 4, 5. <' There is one body and one spirit, as you are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith, one baptism." In fine, as we have seen already, the church of Christ is a kingdom which shall stand for even and therefore must be always one* For, ** Every kingdom divided against itself, shall be made de- solate : and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." Matt. I'i, v. 25. Q. May not persons be saved in any religion 1 A. No, certainly: St. Paul tells us, Heb. 11. v.€. *' That without faith it is impossible to please God." And St. Peter, assures us, ActS) 4. v. IS'. " That there is no other name under heaven giv^ en to men by which we may be saved, but the i'A / 8 THB GROUNDS Of name of Je»ui." And Chriit himiclf tellf uf, Mark 16. v. 16« ** He that believeth not, inaU bt condemned," So that it is manifett from tht holy Scripture, that true faith is necessary to sal- vation. Now true faith, in order to please God and save our souls, must be entire, that is to say, we must believe without exception, all such arti- des as are revealed by God, and proposed to his church to be believed ; and he who voluntarily and obstinately disbelieveth any one of these ar- ticles is no less void of true saving faith, than he who disbelieves them all. As St. James tells us with regard to practical duties, chap. 2. v. 1 « Whosoever shall keep the whole law, but offend in one point, is become guilty of all." Hence St. Paul. Gal. 5. v. 20. reckons heresies, (that is false religions), amongst those works of the flesh, ot which he pronounces, "that they who do such things shaU not obtain the kingdom of God. — And God himself, Isaias, (50. v, 12. tells his church, " The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee, shall perish." - , .. Q. Can any one be out of the way of salvation without the guilt of mortal sin 1 ^ . . A. No ; only all such, as through obstinacy, neeligence, or indifference in matters of religion, will not hear the true church and her pastors, are guilty of morul sin against faith. Matt, 18- v. 17, '» If he neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen and publican," Luke, 10. v. 16. " He that heareth you, (the pastors of the church), heareth me : and he that dcspiseth you, despiseth me : and he that despiseth me, despw- #Ui him that sent me^" . . ^ , . Q. But what do you think of those whose con* CATHOLIC DOCmiNE, &C. if )• [)• |\- od ay. ru- his irily >ffeno ce Si» B8b, of oiucn od.»r wiU not alvation ,Btinacy» religion, Btors, are \S' V. » '» him be to oTi of the Visetb yo«, ne, aeipw- ^hoie con- icitnce periuadcfl lliem they are in the true church t A. If this error of theirs proceed from invinci^ ble ignorance» tliey may be excused from the sin of heresy, provided that in the sincere disposition of their hearts they would gladly embrace the trutbt if they could (ind it our, in spite of all op- position of interest, passion, &c; but if this error of their conscience be not invincible, but such ai they might discover, if they were in earnest in matter of so great consequence, their conscience will not excuse them ; no more than St. Paul's, whilst out of blind zeal he persecuted the church ; or the mistaken conscience of the Jews, when putting the disciples of Christ to death, tiiey thought they did a service to God, John, 16, v, 2» ** For there is a way that seemeth to a man right, and the end thereof leads to death." Proverbi, 16. v. 2.5. Q< But does not the Scripture somewhere say, that a remnant of all religions shall be saved ? A, No ; though I have often heard such words alleged by Protestants, tliey are not any where to be found in Scripture, fron the beginning of Ge- nesis to the end of Revelations. I suppose wha( has given occasion to their mistake must have been the words of St. Paul, Romans, 9. v, 27.> where quoting Isa. 10. v. 22. he tells us, * we h&ve seen ahove frora^ Matt. 16. V. 18. our Lord Jesus Christ, who cart- not tell us a lie, has promised, that his <* church^ should be built upon a rock," proof against ali floods and storms, like the house of the wise builder, of whom he speaks, Matt. 7. v. ^5 , and that the gates of hell, that is, the powers of dark- ness, should never prevail against it. Therefore the church of Christ could never cease to be holy in her doctrine, could never fall into Idolatry, superstition? or any heretical errors whatsoever. 2dly. Because Christ, who is the waV} the truth ar.d the life, John, 14. v. 6. has promised, Matt* ^S« V. 19, 20. to the pastors and teachers of his church, to be <^ with them always, even to the ;end of the world." Therefore they could never go astray by pernicious errors. For how could they ^ go out of the right way of truth and life, who are assured to have always in their company for their guide, him vvho is the way) the truth and the life ? 3dly« Because our Lord has promised to the same teachers, John 14. v. IG? 17. '* I will ask the Father, and he shall give yuu another paraclete? that he may abide with you for evor. The Spi- rit of Truth" — and v. 26. he assures them that this Spirit of Truth «' Will te^ph them all thing-; : and, chap. 16. v. 13. that he H «hall toacli t v i \ ' \ CATUOLIC DOCTRIKB, &C. U all truth." Hovr then could it be possible thaf the whole body of these pastors and teachers of the church, who> by virtue of these promises* were to be for ever guided into all truth, by t|)e Spirit of Truth, should at any time fall from the ^ruth of errors in faith ? 4)lhly. Because, Isaiasr59« v- 20« 21. God has made a solemn covenant, that after the coming of our Redeemer, his spirit and his words, that i^, thp i^hole doctrine whjch the Redeemer was to teach, should be for ever maintained by his church through all generations. *< The Redeem- er shall come to Zion, &c. This is my covenant ^ith them, saith the Lord. My spirit that is in thee, and my words that 1 have put in thy mouth, ghall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of Ihy seed, noi out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever." 5thly. Because the church of Christ is represented, Isa. 35. V. 8. as a highway, a way of holiness, a way so plain and secure, that even /ools ahali not err therein. Hpw then could it be possibltt that the church itself could err ? 6thly. Because pernicious errors in faith and morals must needs be such as to ppovoke God's indignation : iiovy, God Almighty has promised to his church, Isa. 54. V. 9, 10. " As I have sworn that the waters of r have seen, sectien 4. She must be apostolical, by a succefsion ami missicn derived from the apostle.-*, as We have aliso seen, section 5. Now thes'» characters cannot agree to any of our modern sect's, but only to the old religion, which alone is the church of all a^es, and more or !- ?s of all nations ; and which descenus in an uninterrupted succeFsiori. continued in thfe same com- 'i . ^" ' Catholic dcCTrink, &c. 15 ,: f Biunlon, from the apostles, down to these our days ; therefore the old religion alone is the true church of Christ, which can be but oiie, and in or<) communion, as we have seen, section 3. CHAP. II. — 0/ 5^m/)f lire and Tradi/ion. Q. What is yOur belief concerning the Scripture ? A. That it is to be received by the christian as the! Infallible word of God. Q. Do vou look upon the Scripttire to be clear and plain in all points necessary ; that is, in all such points Wherein our salvation is so far concerned, that the mis- ilnderstanding and misinterpreting of it may endanger oiir eternal welfare. A. No : Becatise St. Peter assures us, 2 Pet 3. v. 10. That in St. PavVs Epistles there are some thinf^s hard io be und^rstbqdf which the unlearned and unstable vdiesty as they do dlso the other Scriptures^ to their otrri dcstruCtsofi. Q. How then is the danger io he Avoided ? A. By taking the meaning and interpretation of the Scripture from the same hand from which we received the book itself, that is, from the chtirch. Q. Why may not every particular christian have li- berty to interpret the Sfcriptiire according to his own private iiidgment, without regard to the interpretation of the church ? A 4 1st. Because No prophesy of scripture is made hy private interpretation. 2 Pet. 1. Vi20. 2dly. Because MS men's jud/^ments are as different as their faces, such liberty as this must needs produce as many religions almost as men. 3dly. Because Christ has left his church and her pastors and teacher? to be our guides in all controversies relating to reliu;ion, and consequently in the understandine; of holy writ, Eph» 4. v; ] 1, 12j fce, «' Some indeed he gave to be apostles, and sdme ■rt H -*^— »- 16 THS GllOUNDS 09 prophets, and others evangelists, and others pastors and teachers. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, unto the edifying of the body of Christ i 'Till we all riieet in the unity of faith, and of the know- ledge of the Son of Clod, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ : That we may not now be children tossed to and fro, and carried abdut with every wind of doctrine, in the wickediiess of men, in craftiness by which they lie in wait to de- ceive. But performing the truth in charity, we may in all things grow up in him who is the heaa, Chrisf* Hence St. John, in hisiirst epistle^ chap. 4. v. 6. givei us this rule for the trying of spirits : He that knotoeth God^ hearcth us, (the pastors of the church*) He that h not of God, hedreth not us. By this ive hfiow the sjd' nt of truth, and the spint of error* Q. Why does the church in her prdfessipn of faith oblige her children never to take or interpret the Scrip- ture otherwise than according to the itnanimdus con- sent of the holy fathers ? A. To arm them against the d-anger of novelty and error : Proverbs, 22. v. 28. Remove not the ancient land-mark which thy fathers have set. SECT, !. : r Of Apostolical and Ecclesiastical Tradition. Q. What do you mean by apostolical traditions f A. All such points of faith, or church discipline, which were taught or established by the apostles, and have carefully been preserved in the church ever since. Q. What difference is there between apostolical and ecclesiastical traditions ? A. The difference is this, that apostolical traditions are those which had their origin or institution from the appstlcs, such as infants' baptism, the Lord's day, re- ceiving the sacraments, fasting, &c. Ecclesiasttcr:! \ CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, &C. 17 / / Iraditions are such as had their institution from tht churchy as holydays and lasts ordained by the church. Q. How are we to know what traditions are truly apostolicaly and what are not ? A. In the same manner and by the same authoritv by which we know what Sbriptures are apostolical, and what not ; that is bv the authority of the anostoli- ^dl church, guided by tne unerring spirit of Goa. Q, But why should not the Scripture alone be the rule of our faith, without having recourse to apostolical traditions ? A. Because without the help of apostolical tradition, we cannot so much as tell what is Scripture and what not. 2nd. Because infants' baptism, and several other necessary articles, are either not at all contained in Scripture, or at least are not plain in Scripture without the help of tradition. Q. What scripture can you bring in favour of tradi- tions ? A. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold to the traditions which you have learned, whether by word, or by our epistle, 2 Thes. 2. v. 14. Ask thy Father and he will shew thee ; thy elders, and they will tell thee, Deut. 32. v. 7. See Psalm 19. v. 6, 6, 7. 1 Cor. 11. V. 2. 2 Thes. 2. v. 6. 2 Tim* 1. v. 13. C. 2. v. ?. C. 3. V, 14. SECT. II. Of the Ordinances and Constitutions qf the Church. Q. Why do you make profession of admitting: and embracing all the ordinances and constitutions of the church ? A. Bocause Christ has commanded : He that brar- eth you, heareth me, and he that despiseth you, des- piseth me, Luke, 10. v. 16. As my Father hath sent me, even so I send you, John, 20. v. 21. Hence St. Paul« Hebrews, 13. v. 17. tells us : Obey your prelates ^n4 be subject to then>. ■^m* '" *' "y ■■V9n:<«W> III** ■«■ I ^^^ I »[ \m» | L— Willi , ' —■>■■ 18 THB GROUNDS Of i Q. Why does the church command so many hoUda}t to be kept: is it not enough to keep the Sunday holy t A. God, in the old law, did not ordain it enough to appoint the weekly Sabbath, which was the Saturday, hut also ordained several other festivals, as tbf^t of the Passover, in memory of the deiiyery of his people, from the £^yptian bondage, that of the Weeks, orPentecpst, that ot the Tabernacles, &c ; and the church has done the same in the new law, to celebrate the memory of the chief mysteries of our redemption, and to bless Go4 in his saints. And in this Protestants seem to agre« with us, by appointing almost all the same holidays in their common prayer-book. Q. Is it not said in the old law. Exodus, 20. v. 9, Six days shalt thou lebour and do all thy work, &c. Why then should the church deio^ate from this part of the commandment ? A. This was to be understood in case no holiday rame in the week ; otherwise the law would contra- dict itself, when in the 23d chapter of Leviticus, it ap- points so many other holidays besides the Sabbath, with command to abstain from all servile works on them. Q. As to fasting days, do you look upon it sinful to ^at meat on these days without necessity ? A. ¥es ; beeattw it is a sin to disobey the church ; « If he neglect to hear the church let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. Matt. 18. v. 17. Q. Does not Christ say, Matt> 15. v. II. 'l%at which goe'thinto the mouth does not defile a man ? A. True : it is not any iihcleanncss in the meat (a fd the Samaritans. " Tliey pi^tyt* d lor them that ther mf^ht receive the Holy (>host : Then they laid their Hands upon them, and they rec«ived the Holy Ghost.'* Q. What Scripture have you for the Eucharist or Supper of the Lord ? A. Wd have the history of its ins'titution set down at Urge, Matt. 26. Mark, l4. Luke, 22. 1 Cor. II ; and that this sacrament was to be continued in the church, iill the Lord comes, that is, till the day of judgment, as^e learn from St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11. v. 26. Q. What do you mean by the sacrament of Penance f Ab The confession of sins with a siucere^ repentance,* and the priest's absolution. Q, What Scripture have you to prove that tlie bishops HUl priests of the church have power to absolve the sin- iler that confessxjs his sins with a sincere repentance ? A. John, 20. v. 22, 23. Heceive ye the Holy Ghost : ^^ko$c sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them : ani'Vi^ose sins you shall retain, they are retained. Matt. 18*. V. 18. Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall hind upon earthy shall he hound also in heaven : andwhatso" ever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in htaven. Which texts Protestants seem to understand In the same manner : t^fir sins to the pastors of th«- churchy in order to obunu. the al^solution and lemitsi^n' of them? A. Hecaiisa in the t^xt aSove (juoted, Christ bar made the pastors of his church, his judges in the ccujt of conscience, with commission and :tuthorily to bind or to loose^ to forgive or to ret:iin sins, according to th«. merits of the cause, and the disposition of the ppnitentil Now as no jnd)j;e can pass Sr^nlcnce without having a full knowledge of the cause— which cannot be bad in this kind of causes, which re iraros men's conscidDCf't, hut by their own confession— it clearly follows, that he who has made the pastors of his chuich, the judg<*f i)f men's consciences, has also laid an obligation on th« faithful to Iny open the state of their consriences to them, if they hope to have their sins remitted. No? would OUT Lord have given to his Church the power of retainios: sins, mush less the keys of the kingdom of heaven, Matt. 16. v. 19., if such sins as exclude men from the kingdom of heaven might be remitted indo* pendently of the keys of tl»c church. Q. Have you any other text of Scripture ^hicll fa- vour the Catholic Doctrine and practice of Confession f A. Yes: we lind tn the old law, which was a tigaro of the law of Christ, that such ae were infected with the leprosy, which was a figure of sin, were obliged to mcnt, but I speak in Christ and in the church." Q. Why docs not the churcii allow of the marriage of the clergy ? A. Because upon their entering inti9 holy orders, they make a vow or solemn promise to God and the church tn live continently : now the breach of such a vow aa \4 ^ ^ this would be a great sin, witness St. Paul, 1 Tim. 5. v. 11, 12. where speaking ef widows that are for many- xrw; after having made such a vow as this, he says they '* hav« damnation, because they have cast off their first faith," that is tlieir solonr.n engagement iria **' 7. V, 9. V. gave rch in CATWOtIC DOCTRINE, &C. 25. > Jk / tion of the apostle is certainly equivalent to an aflirma^ iion ; and evidently declares, that in the blessed sacra- ment we really receive the body and blood of Christ. 3dly, 1 Cor. 11. v. 27, 29. « Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and of the blood of the Lord. He that eateth and drinketh unworthilj', eateth and drinketh judgment to himself not discerning the body of the Lord." Now how should a person be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord, by receivina: unworthi- ly, if what he received were only bread and and wine, and not the body and blood of the Lord ? Or where should be the crime of no,t discerning the body of the Lord, if the body of the Lord were not there ? 4thly, John 6. v. 51, &c. "The bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. The Jews there- fore strove among themselves, saying, how can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said to them: Amen, Amen, I say unto you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. He that eateth my flesh, and drink- eth my blood, hath everlasting life, and 1 will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drmk indeed : He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and i in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the father ; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. This is the bread that came down from hea* ven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and 6ied. He that eateth this bread shall live for ever." Hence the Protestants in the catechism in the com- mon P? ayer-book, are forced to acknowledge that *< the body and blood of Christ are verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's h^ufper." Now how that can be verily and indeed tnkcn and re- ceived which is not verily and indeed there, is a greater mystery than transubstantiation. ^^ " The literal sense is hard to flesh and blood : • But nonsense never can be un dei stood. "—i^r!/(fr poor worms ot the earth to dispute the power of Crod. CHAP. V. — Of Communion incnekmd, Q. What is the doctrine of the Church as to this point ? A. We profess that under either kind slonc Chrijit is revived whole and entire, a»id a true sacrament. Q. What proof havf yon lor this ? A. Because as we have seen in the foregoing chap- t-r, the bread, by consecration, is tiuiy and pally chan2:ed into the liody of Christ, and the v ine into th« Blood : now both faith and reason tell us that the Uv- inc; body of the Sun of God cmnot he without his blooti, iiO'- iiis blooii wittioiit bis ttodv : ror his body and klood With)ut hii Soul and Divinitv. it is tiue he shed hid 1- ^ to h# in- in \ I / CATHOLIC DncTumi, &c. 57 ilood for us in his passion ; and his soul at his death was parted from his body ; but now he is risen trom thts dead immortal and impassible, and can shed his blood no more, nor nor die Any more. Christ iisin<^ from the dead, says the Api^stle, Rom. 6. v 9. dieth now no more ; death shall no mure have dominion over him. Therefore whosoever receives the body of Christ, re- ceives Christ himself whole and entire ; there is no re-> Ctiivlng him by parts. Q, Hut does not Christ say, John, 6, v. 53. Except Tou eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his olood, you have not lite in you ? A. Tjue, but accordint!: to the Catholic doctrine we do this, though we receive under one kind alone, be- cause under either kind we receive both the body and i>lood of Christ ; whereas our adversaries that make this objection receive neither one nor the other, but only a little bread and wine ; besides, this objection idoes not sound well in tiie mouth of Protestants, be- cause they say those words ot Christ were not spok» n (»f the sacrament, but only of faith. Q. Are not all Christians commanded to drink of the Cup, Matt. 26. V. 27. Drink ye all of this ? ji. No : that command was only addressed to the twelve apostl'S, who were all that were then present, and they ail diank of it, Mark, 14. v. 23. . Q. How do you p'.ove that those words are not to be Understood as a command dir-'Cted to all Chiistians ? A, Because thu church i>f Christ which is the best interpreter ot his wo .♦, nr-ver niuitrslood them ?o: and therefore nom ttip very h^ginnin^ on many occasiuns, she Rive the holy communion in one kin fl, for instance, to chililien, to tlit- sick, lo the laithful in time of per- ►ecution,to ^-c Cirrit'd home with lhem,&c.,a8 appi-ars from tne n.ost certain n^onum*^nis of antiquity. Q. Rui are not fu.^ fiithiul thu« deprived of a great pail of the giace of the g.^cri^ment ? - iJ, tso : OPCAUSH undtT one kind they receive ratne, as thev would do under both ; in«offiuch 1h' thi at tne\ 28 THE GROUNDS OF , * receive Christ himself whole and entire, the author and fountain of all graces. Q. Why then should the priest in the Mass receive in both kinds any more than the rest of the faithful ? A, Because the Mass being a Sacrifice, in which, by the institution of our Lord, the shedding of his blooa and his death were to be in a lively manner represent- ed ; it is requisite that the priest, who is the minister of Christ, offers this sacrifice, should for the more live- ly representing of the separation of Christ's hlood from his body, consecrate and receive in both kinds, as often as he says mass, whereas, at other times neither priest nor bishop, nor the pope himself, even upon their death-*- bed, receive any otherwise than the rest of the faith- ful, viz. in one kind only. ♦ ' ? Q, Have you any texts of sciipture that favours communion in one kind ? A* Yes : 1st all such texts as promise everlastings life to them that receive, though hut in one kind ;. as John, 6. V. 52. "The bread that I will give is my flesh,, for the life of the world : v. 57. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in. him : v. 58. He that eateth me, the same also shall, live by me." 2dly, All such texts as make mention of the faithful receiving the holy communion under the name of breaking of bread without any mention of the cup, as Acts, 2. V. 42. " they were perse vering in the doctrin© of the apostles and in the communication of the break- ing of the bread, and in prayers, v. 46. " Continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from liouse to house. Acts, 20. v. 7. *' And on the first day of the week, when we assembled to hre«k bread, Luke, 24. v. 30,31. "He took bread and blessed and brake, and gave to them : And their eyes were open and they knew him : and hi"* vanished out of their sight., 1 Cor. lO. y. l7. " We being many, ?re one bread, one body, all who partak'^ of one bread." 3dly, 1 Cor. 11. v. 27. Where the aniwtle de- V j ■W«mv>«»i«.r. CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, &C. 29 or ve clares'tiiat whosoever receives under either kind un- worthily, is guilty both of the body and blood of Christ. '" Whosoever shall eat this bread, or drink this cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord." Where the Protestant tran'slators have evidently corri^pted the text by putting in and drink, instead of" or drink^^^ as it is in the orijjinal. Q. What are the reasons wliy the church does not give the communion to all her children in both kinds? J. 1st, 13ecause of the dnna:er of spilling the blood of Christ, which couM hardly be avoided, if all were to receive the cup. 2d\y, iiecause consjidering how Soon wine decays, the sacrament could not well be kept for the sick in both kinds. 3dly, /because some constitutions can neither endiire the taste nor smell of wine. 4thly, Because true wine in some countries is vt ry hard to be met with. Sthly, In fine, in opposi- tion to thoso heresies that deny that Christ is received whole and entire under either kind. . ? , QR\l\Yl.-0fthe3Iass. • Q. What is the Catholic Doctrine as to the Mass ? A, That in the Mass there is offered to God a true, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead. Q. What do you mean by the Mass ? A. The consecration and oblation of the body and blood of Christ under the sacramental veils or appear- H rices of bread and wine : so inat the Mass was insti- tuted by Christ himself at his last supp^^r : Christ |iim- self said the first mass, and ordaine^l that his apostles and their successors should du the like. ^ this for a commemoration of me, Luke 22. ^ Q. What do you mean by a propitiatory sacrifice ? , A. A sacrifice for obtaining melcy, or by which Qod is moved to mercy. . . , Q. How do you prove that the Mass is such a sacri- fice ? A. Because in the Mass, Chris^ himself, as we hav« seen, chap. 4. is really present, and by virtue pf the 30 THl GROUNDS OF i ' consecration is there exhibited and prt-sontcd to the et'Tnal Father under the sacmmcntal vei!s, which by their separate const^cration represent his death. Now what can more*tnove God to mercy than the oblation of his only Son, there really piesent, and under this fijjure of dt»ath r^-presenting to his Father that death \vhich he suffered tor us. Q. What scripture do you bring for this ? An The words of conseciHtion as thpy are related by St. Luke, chap. 22. v. 19, 20, ''Tiiis is my body, which is given for yon. This is the chalice, the New Testament in my blood, which shall be sh^d for you." If the cup be sh'^d for us, that is for our sins, it must needs be a propitiatory, at least by applying to us ihe fruits of the bloody sacrifice ot the cross. Q. What other texts of scripture do the fathers ap- ply to the saciifice of the mass ? A. The words of (jod in the first chapter of the pro- phet Malachy, v. lO, 11. where rejecting tlie Jewish sacrifices, he declares his acceptance of that sacrifice OT pure offerins? which should be made to him in every place among the Gentiles. 2dly, Those words of the Psalmist, Ps. l09, v. 4. " Thou art ^ priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech." If hy ac- cording to the order of Melciustdich ? say the holy fatheis, but l)y reason of the sacrifice of the Eucharist, prefid:ured by that bread and wine offered by Melchi^ sedech, Genesis, l4» v, 18. Q. Why does the church celebrate the mass in the latin tongue, which the people for the most part do not understand ? A» 1st, Becau» beini; t i,, f i » i r- .a r* ' i 'lym y^H"^^ CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, ftc. SI V -i/ a sacrifice which the priest, 4s minister of Chrict i« to olTer, and the prayers of the mass beiaj; moslly 8nit<.'d to this end, it is enough that they be in a language which he imdeistands. Noi- is this any way injurious lo the , people, who ar<» instructed to acco.iipany him in every part of the sacrifice, by prayers accommodated to their dflvotlort, which they have in their ordinaJfy prayer- books, nt J? Q. Wh&t is the best method of heaiinj^j mass ? J, The mass bein'j; instituted tor a stantling memo- rial of Christ's death and passion, and being in sub- fftanci'! the same sacriiice as that which Christ utfcred upon the cros<, because both the piiest and the victim is the same Jesus Chiist ; there can be no better man- n>'X of hearin'^ mass, than bv meditaliny; on the passion of Cbrijit, there represented ; and putting one's self in the same dispositions of faith, hope, charity, repen- tance, &c. as we should have- endeavoured to excite in ourselves had we been present at his passion and death on Mount Calvary. . • Q. V\ hat are the ends for which sacrifice is offered to God ? .^, : A. l*rinclpally these four, which both priest and peo- ple on2;ht to have in view :--lst, God's own honour and glory. 2nd, In thanksoriving for^all his blessin^j^s, Cdnferred on us through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3d, In satisfaction for our siiis through his blood, 4th, For obtaining grace and all necessary blessings from God. ^^''^■^''- CHAP. VII.— Cy Purgatory, ^^'^ Q. What is the doctrine of the church as to this point 1 A. We constantly hold, that there is a Purga- tory, and that the souls therein detained are help- ed by the suffirafrcs of the faithful : that is, by the prayers and alms otiered for them, and prin< sacrifice of the mass, mean * cipaily by the holy Q. What do you mean by Purgatory St THE GROUNDS OF A. A middle state of souls, who depart this life in God*8 grace, yet not without some lesser stains or guilt or punishment, which retard them from entering heaven. But as to the particular place where these souls suffer, or the quality of the torments which they suffer, the church has decided nothing. - Q. What sort of christians then go to Purgatory? A. 1st, Such as die guilty of lesser sins, which we commonly call venial ; as many christians do, who either by sudden death or otherwise, are ta- ken out of this life before they have repented for these ordinary failings. 2dly, Such as have been formerly guilty of greater sins; and have not made full satisfaction for them to divine Justice. Q» Why do you say that those who die guilty of lesser sins go to Purgatory 1 A. Because such as depart this life before they have repented for these venial frailties and imper- fections) cannot be supposed to be condemned to the eternal torments of hell, since the sins of which they are guilty are but small, which even God's best servants are more or less liable to. — Nor can they go straight to heaven in this statCr because the scripture assures us, Apocalypse, 21. V. 27. ** There shall not enter inio it any thing defiled." Now every sin, be it ever so small, certainly defileth the soul : hence our Saviour assures us, that we are to render an account for every idle word, Matt. 12. v, G. Q. Upon what then do you ground your belief of purgatory ? A. Upon scripture, tradition, and reason, r^^ Q. How upon scripture ? A, Because the scripture in many places assurer \. Tholic doctrine &c. 53 us that, " God will render to every one according to his works." Pri. 62. V. 12. Matt. 16. v. 27. Rom. 2, V. 6. Apoc* 22. v. 12. Now this would not be true, if there was no such thing as purga- tory, for how would God render to every one ac- cording to his workp, if such as die in the guilt of any even the least sin, which they have not taken care to blot out by repentance, would neverthe- less go straight to heaven. ' * Q. Have you any other texts which the fathers and ecclesiastical writers interpret of purgatory ? • A, Ye>, I Cor, 3. v, 13, 14, 15. '* Every roan's work shall be made manifest : for the day of the Lord shall declare it, because it shall be revealed in fire : and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, (that is upon the foun- dation which is Jesus Christ, v. II.) he shall re- ceive a reward. If any man's work burn he shall suffer loss : but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.'' From which text it appears, that such as in their faith, and in the practice of their lives, have stuck to the foundation, which is Christ Jesus, so as not to forfeit his grace by mortal sin, though they have otherwise been guilty of great imperfection, by building wood, on hay, and stubble (v. 12.) upon this foundation, it appears, I say, that such as these, according to the Apos- tle, must pass through a fiery trial at the time that every man's work shall be made manifest ; which is not until next life ; and that they shall be saved indeed, yet so as by fire, that is by pas- sing first through purgatory. 2dly, Matt, 5. v. 25, 26. "Be at agreement v\ it'i thy adversary betimes, whilst thou art in u THB GROUND! OF ihe woy with him ; lest perhaps* the idvcrsary de- liver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the ofiicer, and be cast into prison. Amen, I eay to thee thou shalt not go out from thence till thou repay tiie last farthing." Which text St Cyprian, one of ihe most ancient fathers, un- derstandd of the prison of purgatory, Epis. 52, 4id Aptoniuro. 3dly, Matt. 12. v. 32. *' Whosoever speaketh Bgainst the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world nor in the world to come." Which last words plainly implys that some sins which are not forgiven in this world niay be forgiven in the world to come : other- wise why should our Saviour make any mention of forgiveness in the world to come ? Now if there may be any forgiveness of sins in the world to come, there must be a purgatory •, for in hell there is no forgiveness, and in heaven no bin. ^v Besides, a middle place is also implied* 1 Pet. 3. 18, 19, 20. where Christ is said by his spirit to have gone and preached to the spirits if* pri* son, which sometimes were disobedient &c.. Which prison could be no other than purgatory : for as to the spirits that were in the prison of hell, Christ certainly did not preach to them. Q. How do you'ground the belief of purgatory upon tradition l A. Becuse both the Jewish church long be- fore our Saviour's coming, and the Christian rhurch, from the very beginning in all ages and in all nations, offered prayers and sacrifice for the repose and relief of the faithful departed : as appears in regard to the Jew* from 2 Macch. 12, where this practice is approved of, which book* \ -A men, / !^. ^''enco Pea/cetli '«Wd to ■J'« that ot/ier- ' ^ow if ^orld 'p/iit pri^ I of . ry U i i CATHOLIC DOCTRIKK, &C. 5S *f Macchabeei the church, says St. Augustine, L, 18. de div. dei c. accouts canonical, Ibough tlie Jews do not. And >n regard of the Chrstian church, the same is evident from the fathers and the mo9t ancient liturgies. Now such prayers at these evidently imply the belief of a purgatory ; for snuls in heaven stand in no need of prayern, and those in hell cannot be be bettered by them. Q. Flow do you ground the belief of purgatory upon reason ? A. Because reason clearly teaches these two things : 1st, That all nnd every sin how small so- ever deserves punishment. Sdly? That some sin* are so small, either through the levity ofthe mat- ter, or for want of full deliberation in the action, aa not to de!«erve eternal punishment. From whence it is plain, that besides the place of eter- nal punishment, which we call hell, there must 4)6 also a pla^e of temporal punishment for such lis die with little sins, and this we call purgatory. CHAP. VIII. .' ' Of the Veneration and Invocation of Sa'mtSn Q. What is the Catholic doctrine touching the veneration and invocation of Saints, A. We are taught Ist, That there is an hon- our and veneration due to the angels and saints. 2dly, That they offer up prayers to <»od for u«. 3dly, Tiiat it is good and profitable to invoke them, that is to have recourse to their interces- •ion and payers. 4thly, That their relices are to be had in veneration. , * SECT. I. Ofthe Veneration ofthe AngeU and Saint t, „|r* Q. How do you prove that there t» an honour .aod vaneration due to the angels and saints ! 36 THB GROUNDS OF A. Because they are God's angels ahd saintf, that if to say, most faithfiil servants, and messen- gers, and favourites of the King of kings, who having highly honoured liim, are now highly ho- poured hy him, as he has promised, 1 Sam. 2 v, 30. ** Them that glorify me 1 will glorify." 2dly, Because they have received from their Lord most eminent and supernatural gifts of grace and glory which make them truly worthy of our honour and veneration, and therfore we give it to them as their due, according to that of the apostle, Rom. 13. v» 7, Honour to whom honor is due. 3dly, Because the angels of God are our guar- dians, tutors and governors, as appears from many texts of scripture, Ps. 90. v. J I, 12. **He shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways ; in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.^' Matt, 18. V. 10. "See that you despise not one of these little ones ; for I say unto you, that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Fa- ther who is in heaven," Heb, 1. v. 14, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who sliall receive the inheritance of salvation.'' It is therfore evidently the will of God that we should have a religious veneration for these heavenly guardi;ins. Exodus, ?3. v. J20, 21. " Behold I will send an angel before thee to keep thee in thy journey, and to bring thee into the place that I have prepared ; take notice of him, and hear his voice, and do not think him one that is to be contemned, for my name is in iiim." ^thly, Because God has promised to his saints s 'I ' , CATHOLIC DCCtULNE, StC 37 m Iho 10- V, leir of ihv we It of iom -^ ^ a power over all nations, Apoc. 2. v. 26, 27. "He that shall overcome and keep my words unto the end, id him will I give power over the nations ; and ha shall rule them with a rod of iron. As I received of my Father." Apoc. 5. v, 10. Thou hast made us unto our God a kingdom and priests, und wc shall reign ni the earth." Therefore all nations ought to honour the saints, as having re- ceived from God this kingly power over them. 5thly, Because we have instances in scripture of honour and veneration paid to the angels by the servants of God ; see Joshua, 5* v. 14', 15. 6thly, Because the church in all ages has paid this honour and veneration to the saints by erect- ing churches and keeping holy*days in their mc- rtiory ; a practice which tlio English Protestants have also retained. Q. Do you then worship the angels and saints as God, or give them the honour that belongs to God alone i A. Mo : God forbid. For this would be high treason against his divine majeftty. Q. What is the ditFcrence between that honour which you give to God, and that which you give 1o the saints ? j 5. . > , A. There is no comparison between the one and the other. We honour Gud with a sovereign honour, as the supreme Lord and Creator of all things, as our first beginning and last end : we believe in him alone ; we hope in him alone ; we love him above all things. To him alone we pay our homage of divine adoration, praise and bucri- lice. But as for the saints and angels, we only reverence them witii relative honours as belong- 38 THi: G[10UN'D.S OF * ' .1 ; ( in;; to him for hfs sake, and upon account of the gifts which they have received from him. Q. Do you not give a particular honour to the Virgin Mary 1 A. Yes, we do, by reason of her eminent dig- nity of mother of God, for which ** all generations shall call her blessed," Luke, I . v. -tS. As also by reason of that fullness of grace which she en- joyed in this life, and the subfime degree of glory to which she is rarsed in heaven. But still even this hoiiour which. we give to her is irrfinftely infe- rior to that which we pay to God, to whom she is indebted tbr all her dignity, grace and glory. • SECT. II. ' That the Saints and Angels praij to God for us. Q. How do you prove this ? A. 1st, From Zacharias, ch. 1. v. 12. where the prophet heard an angel praying for Jerusalem and the cities of Judah. *'The angel of the Lord an- swered, and sard, O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem, and on the cities of Judah, with which thou hast been an- gry] this is now the seventieth year. • ^ 2dly, From Apoc. 5. v, 8. "The four and twenty ancients fell down before the lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odour, which are the prayers of saints." And Apoc. S. V. 4, ** The smoke of the insence of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel'" From which texts, it is evident that both the saints and angels offer up to God tiie prayers of the saints, that is of the faithful upon eartii. 3d!y, Because we profess in the creed the com- >-A (ATMOLIC DOCTRINK, dc 39 if the o tile t dig- tions s also e en- glory even in fe- rn shc^ )ry. munion of saints; and St^ Paul, Ileb. 12. v. 1.'2. speaking of the children of the church of Cnrisi, tells them that they have a fellowship with the saints in heaven ! ** You are come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and lo the company of many thousands of angels, and to the church of the first-born, wiio are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect^ and to Jesus the mediator," &c. Therefore the children of the church of Chris-r upon earth are fellow members with the saints in heaven, of the same body, under the same head, which is Christ Jesus. Hence the same apostle, Gal. 4. v. 29., calls the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother : and £phe. 2. v. 19. tells us that we are fellow citizens with the saints. Therefore the saints in heaven have a care and solicitude for us as being mem- bers of the same body, it being the property of the members of the same body to be solicitous for one another, 1 Cor. 1 2. v. 25? 26. Consequent- ly the saints in heaven pray for us. • 4thly, Because according to the doctrine of the apostle, 1 Cor. 13. v. 8. it is the property of the virtue of charity not to be lost in heaven, as faith and hope are there lost ; *' charity (saith St, Paul) never faileth." On the contrary, this heavenly virtue is perfected in heaven, where by seeing (lod face to face, the soul is inflamed with a most ardent love for God, and for his sake, loves ex- ceedingly his children, her brethren here below : how then can the saints in heaven, having so per- fect a charity for us, not pray for us, since the very first thing that charity prompts a person to do, is to seek, to succour, and assist those whom he loves, aB i !<»W >ff '"vW ' iH T that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwelling*.'* Where he gives us to understand that the servants of God, whom we have helped by our alips, after they themselves have got to heaVen, help and as- sist us to enter into that everlasting kingdom. . V JSECT. IIL — Of the Invocation of Saints, Q. What do you mean by the invocation of saints ? A' I mean such petitions or requests as arc made to desire their prayers and intercession for < Q. Do Catholics pray to saints ? .4.i«? .^ A. If by praying to saints, you meun address- ing ourselves to them, as to the authors or dis- posers of grace and glory, or in such a manner as to suppose they have any power to help us inde- pendently of God's good yyiW and pleasure, we do not pray to them : but if by praying to saints, you mean no more than desiring them tp pray to (loc^ ibr us, in this sense we hold it both ^ood a^d prq-* iitable to pray %o the saints. \m/ ■'^ ■•"'•"mumirwii 27, 28. Ivour of much I heaven s of the |ecutor$ tore do Idren of ', 16. V. of ihe 111 fail, llingu.'* ervanis s, after nd as*- m. ts. . uion of " ■ t - as arc n'on for Wress- or dis mer as 3 inde- we do is, you o tio(\ d prq-. CATHOLIC DOCTRi: E, &C. 41 I \ Q, How do yon prove that it is both jijood and profit- fihle to pray to the saints and angels in heaven to pray to God tor us i A. Because it is good and profitable to desire the ser- vants of God here upon earth to pray for us : for ihe •prayer of the righteous 7nan availeth muchy James 6. v, 16. Moses by his prayers obtained mercy for the chil- dren of Israel, Exo. 3-i. v. 11, 14. And Samuel by his prayers defeated the Philistines, 1 Sam. 7. v. 8, 9, 10. Hence uii. Paul in almost all his epistles, desires the faithful to pray for him, Rom. 15. v. 30. Ephes. 6 v. 18, 19. 1 Thes. 5. v. 25. Heb. 13. v. 13. And God himself, Job, 42. v, 8. commanded Eliphaz and bis two friends to go to Job, that Job should pr^^y for them, promising to accept of his prayers. Wow if it be ac- ceptable to God, and good and profitable to ourselves, to seek the prayers and intercession of God's servants here on earth, must it not be much more so to seek the prayers and intercession of the saints in heaven j since both their charity for us and their intercession with God are much greater now than when they were here upon earth. Q. But does it not argue a want of confidence in the infinite goodness of God and the superabounding merits of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, to address ourselvi s to the saints for their prayers and intercession? A. No more thar» to address ourselves to ourbrethren here below, as Protestants do when they desire the 'prayers of the congregation : since we desire no more of the saints than what we desire of our brethren here be- lovvj-yiz. that they would pray for us and with us to the infinite goodness of Ciod, who is both our Father and their Fa- Ihor, our Lord and their Lord, by the merits of his Son Jesus Christ, who is both our Mediator and their Mediator For though the goodness of God and the merits of Christ he infiiiite, yet as this is not to ex- empt us from frequent prayer for ourst- Ives, so mucli recommended iii 5>cripturt', so it is i5o r<»aFon for our IxinLj backward in ^;oel::ng tiie prayers of o'Ivt-. 1 i ■,, - 42 TH12 GROUNDS OF ^her in heavcu or on earth, that so God may have the honour and we the benefit of so many more prayers. Q. But is there no danger by acting thus, of giving; |o the saints the honour that belongs to God alone ? . A, No : it is evident, that to desire the prayers and intercession of the saints is by no means giving them ,an honour \yhich belongs to God alone ; so far from it, |hat it would even be blasphemy to beg of God to pray for us; because, whosoever desires any one to pray for iiim for the obtaining of a grace or blessing, supposes the persons to whom he addresses himself to be inferior and dependent on some other, by whom this grace or .^lessing is to be bestowed. Q. Have you any reason to think that the saints and angels have any knowledge of your addresses or peti- tions made to them? -4, Yes, we have : 1st, Because our Lprd assures us, Luke, 1£|, V. 10. <« There shall be joy before the angels of God, upon one sinner doing penance," For if they rejoice at our repentance, consequently they have a knowledge of our repentance ; and if they have a know- ledge or our repentance, what reason can we have to doubt of their knowing our petitioris also ? What is said of the angels is also to be understood of the saints, of whom our Lord tells us, Luke, 20. v. 35. " that they are equal to the angels." .. v . ^ 2dly, Because the angels of God, who are always amongst us, .aid therefore cannot be ignorant of our re- quests ; especially since as we have seen from Apoc. 5* V. 8., and 8. v. 4. both angels and saints offer up our prayers before the throne of God ; and therefore must needs know them. , ,. 3dly, Because it appears from Apoc. 11. v. 15., and Appc. 19. V. 1 and 2. that the inhabitants of heaven hnovy what passcth upon earth. Hence, St. Paul, 1 Cpr. 4. V. 9. spej^jiing of himself and his fellow- apos- tles, $aith : We are made a spectacle to the wortdy and to an^clsy QTwi to men, 4th> We cannot suppose that the saints and angels, who enjoy the ligj^j; of glory can be ignorant of such have the fa vers. Jf givino! lone ? \yeis and j"^ them Jr from it, W to pray pray for [supposes interior grace or lints and orpeti- sures us, le angels •r if they '' have a a know- have to What is e saints, hat they ' always four re- Apoc. 5i up our re must 5., and heaven Paul, 1 ^ /-apos- /rf, and mgels, rf sucU Catholic doctrine, &c. 43 things, as the prophets and servants oi God in this world are often known Uy the light of grace, and even the Very devils by the light of nature alone: since the liglit of glory is so mucli more perfect than the light of grace or nature, according to the Apostle, l Cor. 13. v. I'i. *' For we see now through a glass in a dark manner ; but then face to face. Now 1 know in part ; but then 1 shall know even as I am known ;" that is by a most perfect knowledge. Hen^e, 1 John, 3. v. 2. it is writ- ten, " we shall be like him (God) for we shall see him as he is." Mow it is certain that the servants of God, in this world, by a special light of. orrace have often known things that passed at a great distance, as Elisha, 2 Kmgs, 5. knew what passed between Naaraan and his servant Gehazi, and 2 Kings, 6. what was done in the king of Syria's private chamber. It is also ceitain, that the devils, by the mere light of nature, know what passes annongst us, as appears in many places in the book of Job, and by their being our accusers, Apoc. 5. v.. 10. Therefore we cannot reasonably question, but that the saints in heaven know the petitions that we address unto them. ; : 5thly, In fine, because it is weak reasoning to argue from our corporal Learinjz;, (the object of which being sound, that is, a motion or undulation of the air, cannot reach beyond a certain distance), concerning the hear- ing of spirits which is independent of sound, and conse- quently independent of distance ; though the manner of it be hard enough to explicate to those who know no other hearing but that of the corporal ear. Q. Have you any other warrant in scripture for the invocation of angels and saints ? A. Yes ; we have the example of God's best servants. * • Thus Jacob, Gen. 48. v. 15, 16. begs the blessing of his angel guardian for his two grandsons, Ephraim and IVIa- nasseh, "God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God, that feedelh me from my youth until this day : The angel that delivert'd me from all these evils, bless these boys." The same Jacob, Osee, )2, V. 4% wept andmade supphcaiion to unavncl ;^^ and 44* THE GROUNDS OF 1 ( St. John, Apoc, 1. V. 4. writing to the seven churcht* of Asia, petitions for the intercession of the seven an- gels in their favour. Grace be unto youy and peace from him, who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before /ifs throne,^* ^ SECT. IV,— Of Relics, . T /. i Q. What do you mean by Relics ? A. The bodies or bones of Saints ; or any thing else that has belonged to them. Q. What grounds have you for paying a veneiation to the relics of the saints ? . A. Besides the ancient tradition and practice of the iirst ages, attested by the best monuments of antiquity, we have been warranted to do so by many illustriousi miracles done at the tombs and by the relics of the saints, (see St. Augustine, L. 22. of the city of God, ch. 8.) which God who is truth and sanctity itself, would never have effected, if this honour paid to the precious' remnants of his servants was not agreeable to him. V " Q, Have you any instances in scripture of miracles done by relics ? A. Yes, we read, 2 Kings, 13. v. 21. of a dead man raised to lite by the bones of the prophet Elisha ; and Acts 19. V. 12, <' from the body of Faul, were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the dis- eases departed from them, and the wicked spirits went out of them." CHAP. IX.— Of Images, >^'^ •. Q. Whrt is your doctrine as to Imagts ? A. We hold that the images or pictures of Christ, of his blessed mother ever virgin, HUd of other siiints, are to be had and retained ; and that due honour and vene- ration are to be given to them, Q. Do you not worship Images ? A. No, by no means ; if by worship you ftiean divine honour: for this we do not give the highest angel or saint, not even to the Virgin Mary, much less toim- iiir<'s. CATHOLIC DOCTRINE, &C. 45 V ^'^ Q, Do you pray to images f . . A. No, we do noi, because as both our catechism and common sense te^ich us, they can neither see, nor hear, nor help us. Q. AVhy then do you pray before an image or crucifix? A. Because the sight ot a good picture or image, for example, of Christ upon the cross, helps to enkindle de- votion in our hearts towards him that has loved us to that e:^cess as to lay down his life for the love of us. Q. Are you taught to put your trust and confidence in images, as the heathens did in their idols, as if there were a certain virtue, power or divinity residing in them? A, No, we are expressly tausjht the contrary, by the council of Trent, session 25. Q. How do you prove, that it is lawful to make or ]<:eep images of Christ and his saints ? A. Because God himself commanded Moses, Exod, 25. v. 18, 19, 20, 2l. to make two chenibims of beaten gold, and place them at the two ends of the mercy seat, over the ark of the covenant, in the very sanctuary. <• Thence, says he, v. 22. will I give orders, and will speak to thee over the propitiatory, and fiom the midst of the two cherubims which shall be upon the aik of the testimony, all things which I will command the children of Israel by thee." God also commanded, Num. '21. V. 8, 9. a serpent of brass to be made, for the healing of those who were bit by the fiery serpents : which serpent was an emblem of Christ; John, 3. v. 14, 15. Q. Is it not forbidden, Exod, 20. v. 4. to make the likeness of any thini( in heaven above or in the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth ? A. It is torbidden*, to make to ourselves and sucU image or likeness ; that is to say, to make it our God, or put our trust in it, or give it the lioiinur which be- longs to God : which is explained by the following words : Tfiou aluilt not adore them., (lor so I oth the .•-^eittuagint iind the Vulghte libnslitle '\[) nor save tlicm. 46 THE (iROUNDS OR >i\ Otherwise if all the likenesses were lorhid by this com- inandnxent we should be obliged toiling down our sign- posts and deface the king's coin. Q. What kind of honour do Catholics give to the images of Christ and hif; saints ? A» A relative honour. Q, What do you mean by a relative honour ? A. By a relative honour, I mean, an honour which is given to a thing, not for any intrinsic excellence or dig- nity in the thing itself, but barely for the relation it has to something else ; as v\fhen the courtiers bow to the. chair of state, or christians to the name of JesUs, whicl^j is an image or remembrance of our fc>aviour to the ear, as the crucitix is to the eye. Q. Have you any inst;inces of this relative honour allowed by Protestantism ? . * ' t A. Yes; in the honour they give to the name of Je- sus, to their churches, to the altar, to the JBible, to the. symbols of breafl and wine in the saciamept. Such, also was the honour which the Jews gave to the ark of the cherubims, and which Moses and Joshua gave to the land on which they stood, as being holy ground^ Exod. 3. v. 5. Josh. 5. v, 15. ,,>;.■ Q. How do you prove that there h a relative honour due to images or pictures of Christ and his saints? A. From the dictates of common sense and reaspn,as well as piety and religion, which teach us to expirt-ssi our love and esteem for the persons \iyhom we honour by setting a value upon all things that belong to th^m, oi- have any relation to them : thus a loyal subject, a du- tiful child, a loving friend value the pictures of their kinj^, father or friend ; and those who make no scruple of abusing the image of Christ, would severely punish the man who would ab\;se the image of their king. Q. Does vour church allow images of God the Fa- ther, or of the Blessed Trinity ? , ^....i A Our profession of faith make no mention of such images as these : yet we do not think them unlawlul, j>rovided they be not understood to bear any likene$.> or •iV. rO«. or dig: fe eat. fJeJ the, of \ s / CATHCLIC pOCTniNE, &C. 47 resemblance of the divinity, which caiiiipt he CApressod 111 coloi^is, or represented by any human workmanshii*. For as Frotfstants rnake no dilficiilty in paintinj? the Holy (jhost under the figure of a dove, because he ap- jjearid 80 when Christ was baptized, Matt. 3. v, i6. so We make no dilhculty orpciiniina; God the Father, un- der the figure of a veiierahle pid man, because he ap- peared in tnat manner to the prophet Daniel, ch. 7. v. 9. CHAW S.— Of Iridiilgcnces. , .; Q. What do you mean by indulgences ? A. JN* t leave to commit sjn, nor pardon for sins to come : but only a releasing, by the power of the keyp, ^ committed to the church, the debt of temporal punish- rnent, which may remain due upon account of onr siuF, after the sips ihemselvts, as to the guilt and eternal punishment, have been already Remitted by contrition, confession and absolution. Q, Can you prove from scilptuic, that there is a pun- ishment ol ten due upon account of our sins, after the sins themselees have been remitted ? A. Yes ; this evidently appeals in the case of king David, 2 Kings, 12. where although the prophet Na- than, upon his repentance, tells him. v. 13, the Lord hath iaken away thy sin ; yet he denounces unto him many terrible punishments, v. 10,11,12,14, which should he inflicted by reason of this sin, which accord- inL'ly aft-rwaids ensued. Q. What is the faith of your church touching indul- genets ? A. It is Comprised in these words of our profession of faith ; I atfirm that the power of indulgences was left by Christ in the church, and that the one of them is inost wholesome to christian people, Q. Upon what scripture do you ground this ? A. The power of granting indulgences was lelt by Christ to the church. Matt. 16. v. 19. " I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatso- ever thou Shalt bind upon earth, shall be bound in hea- ■i 48 THE (i ROUNDS OF , ven : and wliat^Oiwcr thou shalt loose on earth shjili he luoseil also in ht'aveii." And we have an ii. stance in scripture ot ISt. Paul's grantini; induljience to the Co- lintliian whom he had )tut under })enane(? for incest. 'Z Cor. 2. V. 10. To whom yuu have paidoned tiny thing , (he speaks or the iiicestur)us sinner wiioni he had desir- ed them now to rtc* ive) / pardon also : For uhat I have pardoned anu thing for your sokes, J have pardoned in the person of Chriat ; that is hy the j)0\ver and au- thority received from him. CHAP. XI. ^ ^ Of the Supremacy of St, Peter, and his Sucresaors. Q. What is the Catholic Doctiine as to the Pope's supremacy ? A. It is comprised in these two aiticl< s. 1st, That St,Peter,hy divine commission, was head of the church under Christ. 2dly, That the Pope or bishop of Rome, as successor to St. Peter, is at present head of the church, and Christ's vicar upon eaith. Q. How do you prove St. Peters supremacy ? A. 1st, From the very name of Ptter, or Cephas, which signifies a rock, which name our Lord, who does nothing without reason, gave to him, who before was called Simon, to signify that he should be as the rock or foundation upon which he would build his church, according to what he himself (declared, Matt. 16. v. ^8, when he told him, I'hou art Peter (that is a rock) and upon this rock I will Imild my church, and the gates of hell fhall not prevail against it. 2dly, From the following words, Matt. 16. v. 19. "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall he bound in heaven : and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven." Where under the fi- gure of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, our Lord ensured to Peter the chief authority in his church : as when a king gives to one of his officers the keys of a city, he thereby declares that he makes him governor of thalcitv. If CAVWOLtC DOCTHlNfE, ^C Vi [iii he k^* ill Co- it. 2 llesir- \liat J ioneii [1 au- *s. 3.iiy, From Luke, 'i*i. v. .'Jl. ;i-2. '''J'hc Lord said : tSiinou, Simon, behold satan liallj d'siird fo have you ihat hr may sitt you as wher^t. Unt I have prayed for lliee thrit thy laith I'ailelli not, and ihou heinj; once con- veiled, confirm thy brctlirc'n. In which text our Lord not only declares his particular concern for Peter in piayinii; for iiim that his faith mi^rht not fail, but also committed to him tlie care of his hrcthrcn, the other apostles, in charging him to confirm, or strengthen them. 4thly, Fiom John 21. v. 15, &c. "Jesus saith to Si- mon I'eter, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me more than these ? He saith to him, Yea, Lord, thou know- est that I love thee : He saith to him, feed my lambs. He sailh to him again, the second time, Simon, son of John, lovest thou me ? He saith unto him, yea, Lord, thou knowesl that I love thee. He saith unto him, feed my lambs. He saith unto him a third time, Simon, son of John, lovcst thou me ? P» tf r was giieved because he said to him a third limp, h)vest thou m*' ? and he s;.id unto him, Lord thouknowest all things, thou know- est that I love thee ; Jrsus saith unto him, feed my jsheep." In \i hich text our Lord in a most solemn man- ner, thrice committed to Peter the care of his flock, of all his sheep without exception, that is of his whole church. r ' Q. How do you prove that this commis^sion given to Peter descends to the Pope or Bishop of Rome ? A. Because by the unanimous consent of theFatheis and the tradition of the chuich in all ages, the bishops of Rome are the successors of St. Peter, who translated his chair from Antioch to Rome, and died bishop of Rome. Hence the see of Rome in all agfs was called the see of Peter j the chair of Fiter, and absolutely the see apostolic : and in that quality has from the begin - iiinij exercised jurisdiction over all other churches, as n})])cars from the best records of church hi.-tory. Besides, supposing the supremacy of St. Peter, which we have proved above from plain scripture, it must con- sequently be allowed that thi? supremacy, which Christ 4 50 CONCLUSION. establislied lor tlu; bitter government of In.-* cl.uicti, and maintaining of unity, was not to die tvith Petor, n6 more than the church, which he promised should stand for ever. For how can any christian imagine, that Christ should appoint a hend for the government of his church and maintaining of unity during the apostles' time, and design aiiother kind of government for suc- ceeding a<);es, when there was like to be so much more need of a head? Therefore we must grant that St. Pe- ter's supremacy was by succession to descend to some- body: how I would willingly know who has so fair a title to this succession as the bishop of Rome. y, Q. Why do you call the Koman chinch the mother and mistress of churches ? A. Because as we have already SR^n, her bisbbp is St. Peter's successor and Christ's vicar upon eaith j and consequently the father and pastor of all the faith- ful : and therefore this churcli,as being St. Peter's see, is the mcciji?r and mistress of all churches. • t CONCLUSION. n Q, Have you Any thing more to ad(! in confirmation of all these Tenets contained in your profession of faith? A. i shall add no more than this, that having alrcad}' proved in the first chapter, that the church in commu- nion with Rome is the true and only church of Christ, and consequently her councils and pastors the guides of divine appointment, which Christ has established to be bur conductors in the way to a happy eternity ; it fol- lows that we should without fnrther hesitation believe and profess what this church and her pastors believe and profess ; and condemn and reject, v hat they crn^ demn and reject : as.'Juring ourselves", that by dninir tb s we shall be secure, since we shall follow those guides which Christ himselt has appointed, with whom he has promised to abide to the end of .ue world. Q. Why do you in your profession of faith, mrake a (**!•, 1)6 that I of his ijjties' morc Pe- 5ome- [iair a other APl'tNDIX. 51 fiOp is iith i faith- see. if ion itli? mly inu- risf, sof » bo ve il- lis . M (icclaratidii of receiving in paiticulur the doctrine of the Council of Trent? A. Because this was the hst general council called in opposition to the new doctrines of Luther and Cal- vin : and therefore, we particularly declare our assent to the decrees of this council as heing levelled against these heresies which have been most prevalent in those two last agfS. May the God of ufiity, peace and truth, by liis infi- nite mercy conduct all christians to unity, peace and truth. Amerif Amen, AN APPENfiiXi IN which are briefly proposed the motives, or rational inducements to the Catholic faith, which according to Dr. Jeremy Taylor, a learned Protestant prelate (Lib. vfpmph, scci. 20. p, 249, 250.) " may very easily per- suade persons of much reason and more piety, to retail that which they know to ho. the religion of their fore- fathers, and which had actual possession and seisurc of, m^n's understanding before the opposite ^^rofession had a name," p. 251. 1st, " 1 consider, says he, p, 249, that those doc- trines that had lona: continuance and possession in the ohurchj cannot easily be supposed in the present pro- fessors to be a design, since they received them from 80 many ages. Long prescription is a prejudice often so irresistible^ that it cannot with any argument be re- trenched, as relying upon these grounds, that truth is more ancient than falsehood ; that (jod would ntt for so many ages forsake his church, and leave her in an er- ror : that whatsoever is new is not only suspicious but false ; which are suppositionf pious and plausibhii enough." We have proved them to be not only pious and plausible suppositions, but the plain doctrine of the wora of God, Chap, 1. Sec. 1 and 3* He adds Jbr other motives : 2. "The beauty and splendour of their chutch ; the pompous services ; the stateliness and solemnity of the I iir'Trr.hv." 62 APPENDIX. 3. <« Their nam« of Catholic which they suppose their own due." They have certainly reason to sup- pose so, if the possession or prescription of eighteen ages can make it their due. *< 1 am sure it has fixed it so strongly upon thern, that even their adversaries cannot help giving it them on many occasions." 4. "The antiquity of their many doctrines. He should have said all ; but this could not be expected from a Protestant. 6. " The continual succession of their bishops j their immediate derivation from the apostles." 6. " Their title to su^cceed ISt. Peter, the supposal and pretence of his personal prerogatives." Grounded upon plain scripture, as we have seen, chap. xi. and therelore no vain pretence. 7. '* The multitude and variety of people which are of their persuasion." , >\ ! 8. "Apparent consent with antiquity, in many ce- remonials which other churches have rejected : and a pretended and sometimes an apparent consent with Some elder ages in many matters doctrinal." Here he minces the matter for tear of allowing too much ; yet cannot dissemble, that venerable antiquity is apparent- ly on the Catholic side. 9. *' The great consent of one part with another in that which most of them affirm to be of faith. The great difference commenced among their adversaries." Whose first fathers and teachers from the very begin- ning of their pretended reformation went quite different ways even unto an utter breach of communion, which never since could be repaired. 10. " Their happiness of being instruments in con- verting divers nations." Whereas none of the reform- ed churches have ever yd converted one. 11. "The piety and austerity oftheir religious orders of men and women. The single life of their priests and bisho|)S. The severity of their fasts and their exterior observance." hds laid aside. AH which the good natured reformation s, 1 / :'i"-»J''1 le leir are v.* / APPENDIX. • 53 1'^, <( The great reputation of their fust bishops for faith and sanctity. The known hilinessof some of those persons, whose institutes the religious persons pretend to imitate." 13. " Their miracles, true or false," says the doctor; true says I, if any faith may be given to the most cer- tain records of all as:es, and of all nations. 14. << The casualities and accidents that have hap- pened to thefr advei^aries." I suppose lie means such as Luther's sudden death after a plentiful supper : Zu- inglius's falling in battle defending his reformed gospel sword in hand : (Ecolampadius being found dead in nis bed, oppressed, as Lnther will have it, (X. de Miss, privata & unci, sac, T. 7. Wit, Fol. 230.) by the devil ; Calvin's dying of a strange complication of distempers, consumed alive by vermin, &c. 15. *' The oblique arts and direct proceedings of some of those who departed from them." In manifest- ly corrupting the scripture, as the first Protestants did in all their translations, to make it chime with their er- rors ; in quoting falsely the fathers and ecclesiastical writers ; in perpetually misrepresenting in their ser- mons and writin2;s,the Catholic church and her doctrine, a fault from which ihe doctor himself is not exempt, &c. I have passed over some other things of less weight, which he alleges in the same place ; and shall only de- sire the reader to compare the motives which by the concession of this prelate, so much esteemed by all Protestants, may retain Catholics at present in the reli- gion of their forefathers, with those motives which St. Augustine alleged 1400 years ago, against the heretics of this time, and by which he declares himself to have been retained in the Catholic church. L, contra Epis- tolam. Fund. C. 4. " Not to speak, says he, of that true wisdom which you do not believe to be in the Ca- tholic church; there are many other things which must justly hold me in her communion, 1st, The agreement of people and nations. 2nd, Her authority besran by miracles, nourished by hope, increased by charity, and confirmed by antiquity. 3nl, A succession of prelates, r I i r 54« APPENDIX, descending from Peter the apostle, to whom Christ atV ter his resi^rrection committed his flock, to the present, bishop. Lastly, the very name of Catholic, of whichr this church alone has, not without reasony in such man> ner kept the possession, th«t although all heretics de? sire to be called Catholics, yet if a stranger ask them where the Catholics go to church, none of them all has the face to p6int put his own church or meeting house*" These were St. Augustine's motives for being a Catho- lic, and these are our$. Besides, we caiinot dissemble that there were man> shocking circumstances in the whole mannagement of the pretended reformation, which deter us from embrac- ing it, whatever temporal inconveniences we are forced to sustain by this recusancy, . ' I. The first rc/brmcr,Martin Luther, had nothlngof ex- traordinary edification in his life and conversation. On the contrary, all his works declare liitn to have beep a man of implacable nature, rigidly seU-willed, impatient of contradiction, and rough and violent in his declama- tions against all those, of what quality soever, who dis- sented in the least from him. But what \vas the most scandalous in this pretended restorer of the purity of re- ligion, was his marrying a nun, after the most soleiiui yows by which both he and she had conseprated them- selves to God, in the state of perpetual continency ; in which he was imitated by a great part of the fiifit re^ formed ministers. ^. He and his first associates were certainly schis- matics, because they separated themselves from all churches, pure and impure, true or false, that were then upon earth, and stood alone upon their own bot- tom. Therefore, if there were any such thing then in the world, as the true church of Christ (as there must always be, -if the scripture and creed be true) Luther and his fellows, seperating from all churches, must hav*» seperated from the true church, and conseqently rpust have been schismatics. "At first," says Luther, in the preface to his works, "I was alone. Which 19 ponfirmed by pr. Tillotson, Serm. 49,^.588. And > \ , .'« it atr rhicii Isder (them IIha9 latho- ii-;l| APPENDIX. 5.T Mr. Collier, in his Hist, Diclionaiy, umUr ^< Martin L^lth( T," where he praises his magnanimity in having opposed himself alone to the whole earth. 3. It appears fiom his book, de Missa Privata fy Unct. tac. T. 7, FoL 2S8, &c. that he learned no small part o( his reformation from the father of lies, in a nocturnal conference of which he there gives his readers an ac- count. 4. Those that were most busy in promoting the rc- formation here at home, were tor the most part men v{ most wretched characters, such as King Henry Vill. and the leading men in the government, during the minority of Edward Vl.jnot to speak of the ministry of Queen Elizabetli, the most wicked, says a late Protf s- tant Historian, (^hort View ofEvg, Hist, p. 273), that ever was known in any reign. 5. The foundation of the reformation of England was laid by nr/in* dd sacrileges, in pulling down monastf- ritsandoti. i; uses consecrated to God : rifling and pillai^ing cl » ?';is, alienating church lands, &c. as may be seen in "the Hiitory of the Reformation," by Dr. Heylin. 6. The reformation was every where introduced by lay authority, and for the most part in direct opposition to, Hnd contempt of the bishops, the church guides of divine appointment : a proceeding manifestly irregjjlar and unjustifiable, that in church matters, the laity, with a few of the inferir clergy, and those under the ec- clesiastical censures, should take upon them to direct those whom Christ appointed to be their directors. 7. England herieljf, which gloiies most in the regu- larity of her reformation^ compared to the tumultuous proceedings of reformers abrcid, owes her present es- tablishment of the church, to the lay authority of Queen Elizabeth and her parliament, in opposition to all the bishops then sitting (who were all but one displaced for their nonconformity) to the whole convocation, and both the universities, that is, in a word, to the whole clerjry cf the kingdom, as appears flon Fuller^ L, 9., and l)r^ Unjlin, Hist, of tkt lief, p. 285j 28^. D T^y- 56 APPENDIX^ 8. Wheresoever the reformed goapel was preached it brought forth seditions, tumults, rebellions, &c. as ap- pears from all the histories ol those times. Insomuch^, that ill France alone the refoi'med gospellers, besides in- numerable other outrages, are said to have destroyed no less than twenty thousand churches. Jerusalem andha- helfp, 158. How little does such a reformation resem- ble the firsife establishment of the church of Christ ? 9. The fruits of the reformation were such as could not spring from a good tree. 1. An innumerahle spawn, of heresies. 2. Endless dissensions. 3. A perpetual itch of changing and inconstancy in their doctrine. 4. Atheism, Deism, Latitudinarianism, and barefaced im- piety : in fine, a visible change of manners for the worse, as many ©f their own writers freely acknow- ledge, and old £rasmus long ago objected to them, Ep. ad Vul. tur* where he defies them to show him one wno had been reclaimed from vice by going over to their religion ; and d<'clares he never yet met with one who did not change f&r the worse. 10. That religion is best to live in, which is the sa- fest to die in, and that in the judgment of dying men, who are not like to be biassed at that time by interest, humour or passion. Now it is certain, that thousands who had lived Protestants have desired to die Catho- lics, and n-ever yet one that had lived a Catholic desir- ed to die a Protestant ; therefore it must be safest for us to stay where we are. 11. That religion is preferable to all others, the doc- trine and preaching of which is, and always has been, more forcible and eiiicacious in order to the taking o^ men's minds from the perishable goods of this world and fixing them wholly upon the great business of eternity ; but such is the doctrine and preaching of the Catholic church, as appears from those multitudes of holy solitaries in our church that have retired from all the advantages to which their fortune or birth entitled them, and abandoned all earthly hopefr for the love of heaven. Whereas the reformation has never yet pro- duced any such fruits. as preached >> &c. as ap- insomuch,, ; besides in- 'estroyed no lem andBa- ition resein- Christ ? ch as could able spawn. k^ perpetual Jctrine. 4. re faced im- ers for the ^ ly acknow- ' them, Ep, im one who ^er to their th one who lis thesa- ^ying men, )y interest, t thousands die Catho- lolic desir- safest for s, the doc- has been, taking off his world usiness of ing of the . Ititudes of I from all h entitled le love of r yet pro- ROMAN CATHOLIC REASONS. / S? 12. There was aptrue saving faith ia the days of our forefathers, before the pretended reformation, by which great numbers certainly ariived at the happy port of eternal felicity. Our histories are all full of instances of charity, piety, and devotion of kings, bishops, &c. of the old religion ; therefore it is safer to follow their faith, than venture our souls in a new raised commtinion. 13. All ancient pretenders to reformation (i. e. all those that ever undertook to alter or amend the church's faith) were condemned by the ancient church as here- tics, and are acknowledged to have been such by Pro- testants themselves : therefore, there is a jlist reason to apprehend, that Protestants walking in the same .path, may be involved in the same misfortune. 14. In fine, Protestants, to defend their reformati(M (condemned on its first appearance by the church guides of divine appointment) are forced to have recourse to a rule of faith, which, if allowed, would set all, both an- cient and n:\odern, heretics out of the reach of church authority. They are forced to appeal to a tribunal at which it is ndt possible that any sectary should ever be condemned. Such a rule, such a tribunal is the scrip- ture, interpreted not by authority of church guides, but by everyone's private judgment : for this, in effect, is making every one supreme judge both of the scriptures and all controversies, authorising him to prefer his own whimsies before the judgment of the whole church. Could it be consistent with the wisdom and providence of God, to leave his church without some more certain means of deciding controversies and maintaining uni* ty ? No, certainly. REASONS WHY A ROMAN CATHOLIC CAMKOT CONFORM TO THB PROTESTANT RELIGION. 1. Because the Protestant religion is a new religion, which had no being in the world, till one thousand five hundred years after Christ *, and therefore it comes one 58 ROMAIC CATHOLIC REASONS. i A •, thousand five hundred years too late to be the true church of Christ. Martin Luther laid the first founda^ tion of the Protestant religion, in the year 1517, nnd his followers took the name of Protestants, in the year 1529; before which time, neither the name, nor the re- ligion was ever heard of in the christian world. And we defy all the learned men amongst them, to name so much as one single man before Luther, who held throughout their 39 articles, or any other entire systeni of Protestantcy, as it is now professed in any country upon earth. Now, how can that be Christ's churchy which for so many ages had no being in the world ? since all christians are obliged to acknowledge, that the true church of Christ can be no other than that, which had its becrinning from Christ ; and, as he piomised, was to stand for ever, see Matt. 16. v. 18. and Matt. 28.V.20. 2. Because the Protestant religion cannot be true^ • xcept the whole scripture, both of the old and new t 'stament, from the beginning to the end, be falsejl which in so many places assures us, that the church of Christ should never go astray ; lor every one knows that the Protestant religion pretends to he a reformation of the church of Christ, and it is evident there could be no room for a reformation of the church of Christ, except the church was gone astray : so that the whole buila- ing of their pretended reformed church is founded upon this supposition of the whole church, before the time of Luther, having been corrupted by damnable errors. ■*< Laity and clergy," (says ttieir homily book, approved by their thirty-nine articles, article 25), << learned and unlearned : all ages, sects and degrees of men, women and children, of whole Christendom, (an horrible and most dreadful thing to think) have been at once drown- ed in abominable idolatry : of all other vices most de- tested by God, and damneble to mat., id that for the space 0^ eight hundred years and more Hom, ofpe* rH of Idolatry f ^art 3. ^ow, I say, if this be true, whicli is the main foun- dation of the Proteitant church, ten nture which so of- be the true first founda- 617,hndhis in the year nor the re- let. And we to name so who held itire systen my country st's churchy he world ? ^re,that the hat, which piomised, . and Matt. 5t be true, i and new , he lalse^ church of 7»c knows 'formation 3 could he ist, except ole build- jded upon le time of le errors, approved arned and n, women rible and 30 drown- most de- al for the w. o/Pe- ain foun- ch EO of- nOMAN CATHOLIC REASONS. «9 > ten promises that Christ's church shall never be cor- rupted by errors in matters of faith, much less to be for 80 many a^es overwhelmed with abominable idolatry, must be false. " Thou art Peter (says our Lord, Matt. 16. v. 18-) and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell, (the powers of d^irkness), shall not prevail against it." Therefore the church of Christ could never go astray. « Going leach all nations, (says the same Lord to the apostles and successois, the pa - tors of the church, Matt. 28. v. 20.) and behold I am with you always even to the consummation of the world." Therefore the church of Chriist, could never fall into eirors, because Christ, who is ** the way, the truth, and the life," John, 14. v. 6, has promised hii presence and assistance to her teachtis, even to the end of the world ; st'e also John 14. v. 10, 17. where Christ promises to the same pastors and teachers of the church, "/Ae comforter, the spirit of truths to abide with them for evevy to teach them all things, v. 26. and guide them into nil truth, cha^. 16. v. 13. And l.saias, 59. v. 20, 2l. wiiere God promises that after the com- ing of our Redeemer, thq church shall never err.^ "27iw is my covenant with them,saith theLord,my sphit, that is in thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouthy shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the moutk of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed^s seed^ ^aith the Lord ; from henceforth and for ever." S>ee also the infallibility of the church of Christ, Ps. T2. v. 5, 7. Ps. 89. v. 3, 4, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Isaias, 9. v. 6. 7. Chap. 60. v. 11, 12, 25, J26. Chap. 62. v. 6, Jeremias, 31. v. 36, 37. Chap. 33. V. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Ezekiel, 37. v. J6. Ephes. 4. v. 11, 12, 13, 14. Chap. 5. v. 23, 24. 1 Tim. 3. V. 14, 15. 3. Because the first foundation of the Protestant re- Kgion, was laid by an unsupportable pride, in one mau^ Viz. Luther, who is acknowledged to have been in the beginning all alone, his presuming to stand out again«t the whole church of God ; therefore instead of follow- ing him, or the reli^ioa invented by him, we ought Ij 60 ROMAN CATHOLIC REASONS. '^ the rule of the gospel, St. Matt. 18. v. 17. to loo.. up»n him as no better than ** a Heathen and a PnblkanV <« If he neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican^ 4. Because Luther and the first Protestants, when they began to stt up their new religion, and disclajined all the authority and doctrineof all the churches then upon the harth, could not say the creed without telling a He, when they came to that article, « / believe in the holy catholic church, the communion of saints. ^^ 5. Because the Protestant ^church has not those marks, by which the JNicene creed directs us to (he true church of Christ. It is not " One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolical." 1. It is not One, because the different branches of the pretended reformation are divided from one another in faith and communion -, nay scarcely any two single men among them all, are throughout of the same senti- ments in religion, and no wonder, -since every man's private spirit, is with them, the ultimate judge of con- troversies, so that it is not possible, they should be ever brought to a unity in religion. 2. Their church is not Holy, neitherin her doctrine, which, especially in the first ** reformers," was shame- fully scandalous in the encouraging lust and breaking of vows ; blasphemous in charging God with being the author of sin ; and notoriously wicked in their notions of free will and predestination ; nor is she Holy in the lives, either of her first teachers,— none of which were remarkable for sanctity, and the gres(ter part of them infamous for their vices,— or, of their followers, who, as many of their diief Protestant writers have freely owned, instead of growing better than they were be- fore, by em bracing the " reformed religion," grew dai- ly worse and worse. 3. Their church is not Catholic ; they are sensible this name belongs not to them ; therefore they have taken to themselves another name, viz. thai of Protes- tants. And, indeed, how could their church be catho- iic or universal, which implies, heing in all agf s, a^d ROMAN CATHOLIC REASONS. 61 atul >.. upon ihee as !, when clainned les then ; telling 'e in the t those s to the atholic, ^ches of another single e senti- man's of con- be ever ;nsible have *rote8- Icatho- 8, and * / nil nations, since it had not been for fifteen ages ; i> unknown in most nations ? 4. Their church is not Apostolical, since it neither was founded by any of the apostles, nor has any succes- sion of doctrine, comiiiuniun, or faithful mission fro.a the apostles. 5. Because Luther, the first preacher of the Protes- tant religion, had no marks of beinijj actuated by thft spirit of Godj but bore many evident badges of the spi- rit of satan; witness his furious and violent temper, which could not brook the least contraviiction ; of which many Protestants have loudly fomplain'^d ; witness his scandalous marriage witb a nun ; and his no less scan- dalous dispensation, h^' which he allowed Philip Land- grave of Hesse, to have two wives at once, contrary to the Goiicpel ; witness his frequent conferences with the devil ; in one of which, as we learn from his own mouth, T. 7. Fo/.228,&c. he was taught no small part of his "reformation," to wit, his abolishing the Mass, by the father of lies. Now who would venture to fol- low that man for his master in religion, who owm him- •elf to have been taught by ^atan ? 6. Because the first st^ps towards introducing the Protestant religion into ^hgland were made by Henry VI n. a most wicked prince, <• whonever spared woman in his lust, nor man in his wrath,'^^ and the first founda- tions of that religion in England were cemented by blood, lust and sacrilege, as every one knows that knows the history of those times. To this beginning the progress was answerable in the days of King Ed- ward VL, during which the "reformation was carried on with a high hand by Sumerset and Dudley, in con- junction with the council and parliament, upon inter- ested views, not without great confusion,iind innumer- able sacrileges, as their own historian, Dr. Heyiin, is forced to acknowledge. 7. Because Protestantcy was settled upon its present bottom in this kingdom by act of parliament, in the firtt year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, in opposition to all the bishops, to the whole convocation of the cler. *► it !/ ' \ ' t .; 62 ROMAN CATHOLIC RCASONSI. ji^y, and to both the universities ; that is in one word^ in opposition to the whole clergy of the kini^dom, at may be seen in Dr. Fuller, L. 6. &c. Heylin^ />. i>84» 286. How then can it be called the church of Enij- land, 01 any church at all: seeing it was introduced and estj»t>tisnei! only by the authority of mere laymen, in opposition to the church ? 8. Because it is visible to any unprejudiced eyc,th«t there is not so much devotion, Zfal or religion among?it Protestants, as there is amongst Catholics, We never hear of any in>tancfs of extraordinary sanctity amonjrsl them. The evangelical counsel of voluntary renunci- ation of the goods and pleasures of this life, is a lan- guage which none of them understood : one of the first feasts of their "reformation" was pulling down all houses consecrated to retirement and prayer. 9. Because all kinds of arguments make for the Ca- tholic church, and against Protestants : ours is the^ church in which all the saints loth lived and died. Our religion has been in every age confirmed by innu- merable, undoubted miracles: we alone communicants, inherit the chair of Peter, to whom Christ committed the care of his flock, John 2).. We alone inherit the name of Catholics, appropiiated in the creed, to the tiue church of Christ. By the ministry of our preachers alone, nations of infidels have in every age, been con- verted to Christ. In a word, antiquity, perpetual visibi- lity, apostolical succession, and mission: and ail otliers properties of the true church, are visibly on our.^ide. 10. Because even in the judgment of Protestants we must he on the safer side. They allow that our church does not err, in fundamentals, th^t she is a part at least of the Church of Christ : that we have ordinary nr/is- gion, succession, and orders from the apcstles of Christ: they all allow, that there is salvation in our commu- nion, ^nd consequfntly that our church wants nothing neressary to salvation. We can allow them nothrng of this at all, without t^oing wrong to truth and our own consciences. We are convinced that they are guJ'ty of a fundamental error in this mide of the church, which I; * y RO.'tfAN CATITOMC REASON.^. 3 V 7 O 7 word, om, a» f Ens- oduced iymen, mong^t e never moiijrst euuiioi- s a l^n- the first )wn all Ihfi Ca- 9 15 th» id died. )y innu- inicants, m milted lerit the the Uue Teachers een con- gj visibi- ill olliert iir ^ide. slants wc ir church :t at lea^ ary nris- )f Christ : ' coir In w- 19 nothing ri nothing d our own are g^ii'ty ch, which / j -.,:, il" they had believed aright, they would never have prettMided to " reform" her doctrine. Wo arc convinc- ed that they are schismatics, by srparatinji: themselves ,' Irom the communion of the church- ofChrist ; and iie- relics, by dissenting from her doctrine in many substan- tial articles, and consequently that they have no pait in the church of Christ ; no lawful mission, no succes- sion from the aposths, no authority at all to preach the word of God, or administer the eacraments ; in fine, no share in the promise of Christ's heavenly kingdom, ex- cepting the case of invincible ignorance, from which the scripture, in so many places, excludes heretics and schismatics. 11. Because the Protestant religion, (hough we were to suppose the professors of it to be excused by invinci- ble ignorance from the guilt of heresy and schism, lay* them nevertheless under the most dreadful liisadvan- tan^es, which needs highly endanger their everlasting salvation ; the more, because it is at least highly pro- bable they have no true orders amongst them. Hence they have no true sacrament of the body and blood of the Lord : they have no part in the great eucharistical sacrifice, no communion of the Holy Ghost, by thebis\^ op's imposition of hands in confirmation ; no power of the keys of the kingdom of heaven, given to the church, Matt. 16. v. 19., and John, 20. v. 22, 28. for absolving sinners, &c. Add to this, that their religion robs them of the communion of saints in heaven, by teaching them not to seek their piayers or intercession ; it en- courages them by the doctrine of justification hy faith done, Art. 11, to be noway solicitous for redeeming their past sins by good works and penitential austeri- ties : it robs them when they are sick, of that great blessing, both corpoial and spiritual, promised, St. James, 5., to the anointing of the sick : and when they are dead, no prayers must be said for fear of supersti- tion. In fine, the scriptures which he put in their hands, are corrupted; the good works, their church prescribes or advises, such as fasting, keeping hoHdays^ confession, &c. are entirely neglected, and both minis- tertand people run out iiito a wide easy way of living. ^ / ■^- ■'■--'■■•»!«■?■ 64 ROMAN CATHOLIC REASONS. , ^ with little or no apprehension of their future state. Whereas the true servants of God, in imitation ot the apostles and other saints, have always led a life of mor- tification and self-denial, and have always strove to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. 12. Because the Protestant religion can aflbrd us no certainty in matters of faith. Their church owns her- self fallible even. in fundamentals : since she only pre- tends to be part of the universal church, and every part or particular of her church, according to her principles, may fall into errors destructive to salvation. What se- curity then can she give her followers, that she is not actually leading them on in the way of eternal damna- tion ? She has no infallible certainty of the scripture itself wbich she pretends to make her only rule faith : from whence can she pretend to have the certainty ? Not from the scripture itself, for this would be running round in a circle. Besides there is no part of scripture, that tell us what books are scripture, and what not : much less is there any part of scripture that assures us, that the English Protestant Bible, for example, is agree- able to what the prophets and apostles wrote so many ages ago; or so much as one single word in it uncorrupt- ed. If she appeal to tradition — this according to her principles, cannot ground a certain faith, since she makes the scripture alone the rule of faith, if she ap- )eal to church authority, this she pretends is not infal- ible. What then must become of the infallibility of ler faith, when she has no infallible certainty of the scripture, upon which alone she pretends to ground her faith ? Besides though she were infallibly certain of the scripture, being the word of God, it would avail her nothing; except we were also infallibly certain that the scriptures are to be interpreted in her way : and this is an infallibility to which she neither can nor does pre- tend to lay any claim. And thus, after all her brags of *< the pure word of God," her children have no other ground for their faith and religion, than her fallible in- terpretation of the word of God, opposite in many points to the interpretation of a church founded on that autho- rity which she cannot pretend to. ^ ->^. ^*^^^a •» FINIS* ^ \, \