■& -A^fA H E /&&• Poor Man's Controversy. By J. MAN NOCK, O. S. B. The Author of The Poor Man's Catechifm. A POSTHUMOUS WORK, Publiftied by his FRIENDS. Be always ready to give an Account of your Faith. PERMISSU SUPERIORUM. . Printed in the Year M.dcc.lxix. *~%>* // 7^4° M THE PREFACE- N this fmall treatife, called the Poor Mans Con- trover/}', I have endeavoured to lav the matter open in the plainer!: and loweit flyle, that it may- be underfrood by the meaneft capacities, and have the better effect upon their understandings and mo- „, i , It contains, in fhort, the chief points contro- verted between Catholics and their adverfaries, and unfoldsall mifroprefentations and (landers of the doc- trine and practice of the former ; fo that in equity none can pretend to cavil any longer about them : for who are the beft juuges of our faith but our- felves, who know, believe, and profefs it, and ex- poie ourfelves to perfecution for it ? Is not the pub- lick more likely to learn it irom ourfelves, than from thofe who are the moft ignorant °f what we hold, or wilfully miftake our belief ? It is an eafy thing to blacken others by affertions without proof : And very often prejudice of edu- cation brings on great biindnels in fearching cut the truth of others tenets. What I have wrote is without malice or ill-will wifhing my adverfaries the fame good as I do my own foul, Truth and Virtue : It is rather an apology for ourfelves, than an Invective againlt them ; fo hope it may be taken in good part. I only wifh they would fpeak the truth in all thev alledge a- gainft us, which they certainlv do not in their ca- pital accufations, making us Idolaters, drowned in damnable Errors and Superjlition ; by which they have figned not only our damnation; but that of all A 2 their ( iv ) their Catholic nnceftors, and the firft founders and Apoftles of the Englifh Church, even Pope Gregory the Greet and Saint Augujlin^ fent by him, who -by his .preaching and miracles, converted the Saxon Inhabitants of this once blefthdlfand from Pa- L".:;;!;r. They fhculd not at leaft any longer condemn cur Creed oi Uticharltabknefs in teaching, that out of :.[-.- true Church there is no falvation. Let them obierve three words, and it muft make n Lrreat conversion among them: Veni, V'uii, Vici : Let thvm hrft Ccme, and fericufly examine our de- r.ce . Let them See the truth wc hold, and upon • hat rrounds : And t;h c will Overcome Blindnefs, iy-r.crance, Prejudice, Malice, and conduct them to t;v truth which remains for ever. The Truth .-;•':.: ...,....,■,..-■/.■/■ «,vr, (Pf.cxvi. 2.) THi THE Poor Man's Controversy, c H a p. r. On the Authority of the Holy Catholic k Church. If he will not hear the Church let him be unto thee as a Heathen Alan and a Publican, Matth. xviii. 17. J^. "XT THAT is the root and foundation of VV our Juftification ? A. Faith. i£. What do you mean by Faith ? A. I mean a firm belief of ail that God has taught and revealed for man's falvation. j^. What are the grounds for fuch a Faith ? A. No lefs than the authority of Gcd : I be- lieve the myfteries of Faith, purely becaufe God has revealed them all. £}. How fhall I knew with certainty that God has revealed them ? A. By the authority and teftimony of the Holy Catholick Church, which he appointed to teach them. i£. Is not this trufting to a human authority ? A. No : It is a divine authority cftabliihed by Cbrijl, and upheld by his divine power : As the authority of the Apoftles and the Church in their. A 3 time 6 Trie Poor Mail's Cdntrorerfv. time was not a human but divine authority, for the fame reafon. j*\ Can I with entire fecurity believe the Catho- lick Church in all matters of Faith r A. Yes : It is an Article of the Apoftles Creed : 1 believe the Holy Catbolick Church, the Communion of faints : Plow come you not to believe it r f^j The Church perhaps may err, and lead me into error; how then can I fafely truil it in all Matters of Faith ? A. Becaufe I am afTured bv the promifes of Chriff, who is eternal Truth, that his Church mall never fail, but teach all truth to the end of the world. INSTRUCTION. Divine Faith is a firm belief of all thofe truths which God has revealed for our lalvacion. It is the Gift cf God, and it is rightly faid bv the Council of Trent, that it is the Beginning and Kumlcli™ f Mxk's Salvation, and the Root of all 'Juf-':-l:<;ii^:, (Self. 6. c. 8.) icithout it it is impof- id.h. to tleaf: God, as it is written bv St. Paul to the Ililrei'ss, (c, ::i, v. 6.} without it none can be liii'eiples of Chrifr, or Chrihians. You (ee then of how great Importance it is to hold the true Faith, :.:vi c,u cannot be negligent or indifferent in the tvarch of it, without hazard to your falvation and injury to the chriftian religion. Now, this Faith muff come to us recommended by a divine authority; by which I mean, that the 4.1 dire myfteries and divine truths we are to be- lieve, mull be taught by fome authority which God has. appointed to teach them, before they can be the cbjecis of my Faith. Chrijl had this divine au- thority, as being fent by the Father. The Apoflies had it as being lent by him : As my Father fent me> f I fnd you, (John xx. 21.) And the Pallors of the Catholick Church, which they planted, have it by lawful election and ordination as their fuc- celfors. The Poor Man's Controversy. 7 ccfiors. As therefore thofe who heard the Apoftles, and believed the doctrine of the Church in their times, believed upon a divine authority, and had divine Faith of what they believed ; fo now thofe who believe the divine myfteries of the Chriftian. religion, upon the faith and teftimony of the Cutholick. Church, they alfo believe upon a divine authority, and have a found Faith, a divine Faith. But thofe who believe according to their own private interpretation of Scripture, or that of fome particular National Church, to which they adhere in oppofition to the Univerfal Church ; or of fome Teacher cf a Meeting, or private Congregation cf DiJJenters, they believe not upon any authority that has a divine million to teach, and their belief can be no more than Perfuajion, or Opinion, (as them- felves commonly term it, and rightly) but not a" truly Chriflian Faith, not a divine Faith. This truth is eiear, and cannot be difputed, that not: only the Apoitles who were the hrft pallors of the Church ; but alfo thofe whom they ordained to fucceed them, are divinely eflabiifhed for the teach- ing of the whole world the truth of the gofpel, and accordingly fucceed them with like pow.r and authority, that fo all nations and ages to the end of the world may be taught the doctrine of Chriji^ which is revealed for the falvation of all. Now, the fame who received authority from Chrijl to teach his gofpel and doctrine, received withal authority to decide all difputes about the fenfe of it, and to diftinguim truth from error ; feeing that to teach the Faith, and to note the Here- fies contrary to it, is one and the fame act in the teacher. There is then only one x-x^-c and fecure way of believing right, viz. That which God has appointed ; firfr, to hear the Apoftles, and after them the Pajlori of the Church which they planted. By A 4 this The Poor Mans Controrerfy. this means the world became chriftian, and by this alone we are fecured from error. But that this fubmiflion and obedience of the faithful to what the Church teaches might be ra- tional, and they firm in their belief without doubt- ing : and that all obftinacy againft the authority of the Chinch might be for ever without excufe ; to this end, when the Apoftles were fent by Chnii to teach ah Nations, and received their divine mif- iion from him, for themfelves and their fuccefibrs, he added this folemn promife : And behold, I am with y,u at all times, to the end of the world, (Matth. xxvhi. 20.) Aifo, a little before his Pafnon, he had already made them another promife of fending the Paraclete: 1 zv ill pray the Father, and he jhnll give yiu another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, the .'>. hit cf Truth, (Jo. xiv. ifc.) Hoivbeit, .c.-.:\ ijc jiicm come wbo is tf:e spirit oj irutb, be jhall teach :-:i all 1'ruth, ( fo. xvi. v. i?.) It is confefled by ail Chriilians, that the Church n :'.: limes of the Apoftles was made in fallible or un- ■.■•r'r:g, h> \ \vl:i' of Lnefc promifes of Chrift; for furely :: ; ! pn fence and the perpetual afliftance of ft, are infallible means to make it fo; :-; the caufe is infallible, the c(iec"t muft tow. I or the fame rcafon it has been in- i all times fince ; for the Church was no temporary inftitution, made only for ibme particular 'imesor people; but began in the Apoftles, and con- tinued in their fuccefibrs, to teach the gofpel to all nati ::.- and aires to the end of the world. As there- fore, tht authority which Chiiit gave to his Apoftiej to pi\aeh his !i<6 perpc the : '.-■ : ' 1 ,:;a ■ . need :■ ft. fall it ,] e ; The Poor Mans Controversy, 9 and alfo, that the Holy Ghoft fall abide vjith them for ever, and teach them all truth ; which includes the Apoftolical fucceffion of Paftors, as well as the fucceffion of faithful people, the Holy Ghoft being promifed and fent to both ; though to the Paftors in the fir ft place, for teaching ; and to the people for hearing and obeying; that io the body of the Paftors and the Church may be for ever unerring. And now you may conceive, how men who are fallible by nature, may be fo far divinely affifted, as to teach the oracles of divine truth without erring. In this fenfe, Mofes and the Prophets, the Apoftles, and the Church in their times, are ac- knowledged to have been infallible even by our ad- verfaries : And in tins fame fenfe we maintain the Apoftolick Catholick Church to have been ever unerring by virtue of the fame promifes : So that the infallibility of God's Church is wholly derive: to it, as it was to the Apoftles, from a perpetual di- vine a..- ftance of Chrift and the Holy Ghoft, tie Spirit f truth., ever directing and leading both Paf- tors and People who obey them into all truth : which is rather ;k infallibility of God than men; behaving it by nature, thev only partaking of it, inafmuch at: they are, according to his promife, affifted and taught by him. in cenfequence of this divine authority and in- fallibility of the Apoftles and the Church, her Paftors are truly intitled the Minijlers of Chrijl, and Difpe;:- fers of the Myjleries of Gcd, (i Cor. iy. i.) "their whole knowledge of the truth being from God, as well as their power and authority co teach it, and their infallibility in delivering it to the reft of the world. Coniequently again to this, it is written of the Paftors of the Church: He that hear eth you, heareth me, (Luke x. 16.) And in another place. He that knoiveth God, heareth us : And he that is not efCjod, heareth not us. Hrrby zve hlQVJ the Spirit A X r' : 10 77ie Pcor Man's Controverfy. cf truth and the Spirit of error, (i Jo. iv. 6.) All which is confequent to the infallibility promifed them : As is alfo that of the Apoftle commending the primitive Chriftians, for that they had received his doctrine, as it truly is the ivord of God, [ i ThefT. 5i. 13.) Hence a?ain thofe glorious Attributes given to the Church in Holy Writ : Of Pillar and Ground of 'Truth, (1 Tim. iii. 15.) Of Glorious Church zuith- cut Spot or Wrinkle, (Ephef. v. 27.) Of Spoufe of Chrijl betrothed to God in Rightecufnefs, and for ever, (Ofee. c. ii. 19.) which excludes all notion of her triors and corruptions. We conclude that the pre- sent Catholick Church can no more deceive us than the primitive Church which the Apoftles founded : the fame promifes being made to the Church at all time 1 :, of a divine aiiiftance : Lo ! lam with you at allitmes, to the end of the world ; and the fame authority given to the Pallors thereof at all times to teach and to be believed. This Church, then, cannot deceive us, feeing fhe wholly relies on the covenant God has made with her, and fo our Faith refts more on his infallibility than hers. Thus the authority of the Apoftles and the Church being divine, and appointed by Revelation to teach all the world the inyfferics and divine truths revealed by Chrift for our falvation ; we not only may lately rely, but are r.bfolutely com- manded to hear and receive their doctrine, under p:un of an eternal Anathema : Go into the univerfal world, and 'reach the gofpcl te every creature; he thai jhall believe and be baptized, /hall befaved; but he that jhall not believe, Jhall be condemned, (Mark xvi. 16.) Where the Saviour of the world propofes lliacen as a reward of fubmiffion and Faith ; and t'lcll as the punifhment of our difbelief of thofe he •::.•„ lent to teach, And The Poor Mans Contrsverjy, II And although many in the times of the Apoftles might pretend other ways of coming to the truth ; yet as there was then no other fafe way of coming to it, but to hear the Apoftles and the Church, founded with divine authority to teach all nations; and as there was then no other way of becoming a member of Chrift's Church and one of his People, but by receiving the doclrine which that Church, taught; in like manner, however many in our times may pretend to fearch out religion by other means, and go after various teachers, yet there is no more than one fafe way, that is, tohearand follow the doctrine of that One Holy Catholic^ Church, whofe Paftors derive their ordination and fucceflion from. the Apoftie , together with their power and au- thori y to teach and to be believed. By this %ve knoiv the Spirit cf truth, and the Spirit of error, (i Jo. iv. 6.) As it was the diltinctive mark of a Hcretick in thofe primitive times, not to hearken to the doc- trine of the Apoftles and the Church ; fo in all times fince, it is a fare mark of FLrefy not to hear the prefent Church. Now, as all are to learn their faith from the Church, it is neceflary that all mould become members of it, and therefore neceflary that this article fhou'd be inferted in the Apoftie; Creed : / believj the Holy Catholick Church. To let the world know by this publick profelTion of Faith, the certain and only way of coming to the knowledge of truth, and direit them where to find it. Accord- ingly, we read in the Ails : The Lord added daily to the fame fuch as jhould be faved, (Adfs ii. 47.) In effect, have we not received our whole Faith, and all the myfteries of religion, from this Holy Ca- tholick Church ? Our belief of the Trinity, Incarnation, Baptijm, the holy Eitcharijl, and all the other articles ©f our holy religion, together with the Apoftles Creed, 12 The Po:r Man's Cmtrcverfy. Creed, and the Scriptures themfelves ; none where- of could be believed w;th divine Faith, unlefs we ftrft beJi :ve the divine unerring authority of the Holy Catholick Church, which recommends them ?>s divine truths ; according to that memorable laying of tit. Jugu/iin : I would not believe the go f- pel, unlets the authority cf the Cath click Church aid move me thereunto, (Cent. Ep Fund. c. 5.) Moreover, the Church of Chrift being eftabliflied not for any particular nation or time, but to con- cert unbelievers, and inftrucl all nations in the truth of the gofpel ; and this being as efTential at one time as another, it cannot be queftioncd, that it is efTential to fuch a Church never to fail, but to continue for the inftruetion of all people lb long as there frail be people to be inftructed : Hence its uivine foui ier declared, That he ivsuU build it upon ■1 reel:, and that the gates of Hell flj all not prevail '■>£•:■' J? if, (Matth. xvi. 18.) 1 o conclude this matter ; if the primitive Church thus divinely aflifted, the Pallors thereof had a i':lit ro be believed, and to require of the People o:n thevinflructed, to receive their doctrine, as it it really was the :/orJ of God : And the Pafrors of he Church have the fame right and authority in ail times. Nor can this be called a tyranni- i/ig over our judgments ; but rather, it God h-.ia provided for Uo fuch an unerring guide as i:i 3 Church, thofe who know how to confide in God, may with great ilcurity believe ail it teaches ; ;i:v, it is the be ft fecurity, an J the grcatcft blef- ;:...; he could provide (or his people; tor by this :ue.m , all the members of this Church, tho igh oi the mean., ft capacity, are as fafe and firm in their i •:!". . f, and in the expofition of Scripture in aii the eontroverted points, and as well afllircd of the true \uf: thereof, ?.s thofe of the higheit capacity ; all having The Pec?' Man's Cortroverjy. 1.3. having the fame unerring guide to follow, and all, fo Ions; as they follow it, partaking of its infallibi- lity fo far as never to err in matters of Faith. The following fuch an authority, is not in truth laying afide reafon, as our adverfaries would infmuate ; but an acl of the moft perfeft reafo?i : 'Tis not ex- poiing ourfelves to the hazard of being led into error ; but a fecurity againft error ; againft the- errors of our own private judgment ; againft the errors which private Congregations and national Churches when diflenting from the Univerfal, arc ever fubjedt to ; and againft the deceit of all im- poftors. EXHORTATION. Learn from hence, O Ghriftian ' on what fure grounds your Faith ftands, and how happv you are in following the authority of the Holy Catholick Church, fupported by a divine power. O ! what confufion of Sec~ts and Religions- have followed the arrogant pride of thofe who have diff.nted from her! As Chrift is her Spou/e, and- has betrothed her unto bimfelf in righteoufnefs for ever, who fha.ll make a divorce between them f As he is- the good Shepherd, and the Church his Fold, how can fhe go aftray ? (Jo. x. u. 16.) As he is Head over the whole Church, (Ephef. i. 22.) Head of the Heads thereof, as well as People, how can thofe who have received from him a divine authority to govern her on earth, lead her into errors, while, at the fame time, according to his promife, he is ever with them ? Befeech God to open the eyes of thofe who are departed from her, that they may re- turn again as loft fheep to 'his one Fold of Chrifi, emembering his faying, There Jhall be one Fold, and ine Paftor, (Jo. x, 16.) C II A P, 14 The Poor Mans Controversy, CHAP. IT. The Church of God the Pillar and Ground of Truth, (i Tim. iii. 15.) £K T AM not yet quite fatisfied about the Infalli- X bility of the Church : What is meant by it ? A. That flic is not fubjecl to err in matters of Faith. ®L How can me be unerring while fhe is govern- ed by men'who are fallible? A. Although the P;.itor.: who govern the Church are fallible by nature, God fur )y can preferve thum and his Church (rem error. iv. Cannot the Church err at lead in points not fundamental : A. No: There is no difference in this cafe between one and the oth< r, they being all equally re- vealed truths, and the Church having the fame di- vine authority to teach thun all. i>\ Is the infallibility in her general Councils ? A. YevS : The definitions of her genera Coun- cil? in matters of Faith ou & ht to be received as the dictates of the Holy Ghoff: And every general Council has the fame right to fav as the Council of frrujulcm fa id at the illuiiw out or its I.)eciOC : It hath feemed meet tiii.t H. r .h G '. //, end to us. (Acts xv, 28.) INSTRUCTION. As Chrift eftablifhed a Church on earth to teach the truth of his gof- pel to the end of the v.ori 1, fhe cannot fail, nor comVquentiy fall in • errors again!} t ' 1 ■ t truth; for were fhe to teach inch mors, fhe would ceafe to b the Church oi Chriit, and then he would no Church 0:1 earth either to cciivert ::r' :\..;i: . The "Poor Maris Covtroverfy. T$ or to preferve the faithful from herefy. If the Church he founded fhould err, whom have we to confult in matters of Faith when controverted ? If fhe may err, what certainty have we for our belief of the Di~ i>inityof(lhri/la.ndt\\eHolyGhoJ?, the Incarnation and other myfteries of the chriftian religion, difputed by former Herefies, and decided by her Authority and her general Councils ? It is in vain to fay you receive the definitions of thole general Councils, becaufe you judge that they decided according to Scripture, for if the Church be not infallible, and your judgment is alfo fallible, how can you be cer- tain that thofe Councils decided according to the true fenfe of Scripture ? Now, the infallibility of the Church is not founded upon fallible men, but on God who is in- fallible. The aiTurance we have of the Church ever teaching Truth, is the aflurance of Chrifr's holy Word and Promife. The infallibility of the Church is the infallibility of God's Spirit ever protecting and directing ; firft the Apoftles, and! after them, their Succeflbrs, in preaching the truth of the gofpel to all nations to the end of the world 5 which, as I noted above, is rather the infallibility/ of God than men; and may eafily be underftood 2 For it is in this fenfe, all confefs that Mofes, the Prophets, the Apoftles, and the Church in their time were infallible, in delivering the oracles of truth to the reft of the world. Now, as to Fundamentals and Non-Fundamentals? there can be no diftinction admitted between them as to our obligation of believing; feeing God re- vealed one as well as the other, and gave authority to his Church to teach them all as revealed truths ; nor can we doubt of any of them, without calling in qucftion the veracity of God, which would be Infidelity. Accordingly, no Council or Fathers ever made any diftinciion between them, as to our obligation 'jo 57/6' Poor Mans Ccntroverfy. obligation of believing ; but whatever point was determined by the Church as matter of Faith and revealed truth, was univerfaliv accepted by the Faithful, and remains to this day as fuch. Upon the ground of Ch rift's Word and promifr, that he and his Holy Spirit will be wiih his Church at all times to the end of the world ; we believe, that all deciiions in matters of Faith, iffued from general Councds againft herefy, are infallibly true, as being the dictates of the Holy Ghoft, and as fuch have ever been accepted by the faithful in all pail ages. All general Councils may conclude with this r.ivine faying, : // bath fecmed meet unto the Holy Gko/2, and to us. So might fay the four nrfr. general Councils, by whole definitions former er- rors againft the Trinity and Incarnation were cc \\- demned ; which if i ot acknowledged infallible in expounding the Scriptures relating to thefe mv- fteries, what certainty have you at this dav of thofe and other articles of your chriftianitv, winch have been difputed by paft herefies r Finally ; If the Church is fallible, how are you certain, that your bible is the pure word of God ? feeing you received it with the reft of" \ our chri- ftianity from the Rom;m Cathoilek Church ; and if (he is fallen into fo manv damnable err' rs, how d ) you know this facred boo!:, which came from her hand , has efcaped all her corruptions r Without the infallibility of the Church, you can ha\e iu> divhic Faith of Scripture, but only a mere probable human belief of it. L X HO R T t\ T I O N. O ! Chriftian, what thanks ar. clue to God for making you a Chriftian, a Cathoilek men ber of his Holy Church, and imid- j;: : ■ v(.u to all thofe truths, which will bad vou to your Una! felicity by the unerring :uide ha has oiven vou ; whiift i thcis following their own private feint are wandering from darknefs intodarknef . the Poor Mans Contrcverfy. 17 Have companion for fuch, and pray heartily for their converfion to the true Faith. See you live up to thofe infallible truths which you are taught, left they rife up in judgment to your future reproba- tion. Believe not every Spirit, as St. Paul admo- nilhes ; but only the Spirit of truth,, which accord- ing to the word of Chrift abides with the Church for ever, and teaches it all truth. C H A P. III. Scripture not the fole Rule of Faith. Underftaruling this in the firft place, that every Pro- phecy of Scripture is net of private Interpretation^ (2 Pet. i. 20.) *. Where fhall we find an authentick Interpre- ter V A. In the Parlors that govern the Holy Catholick Church, the Apoftles fucceflbrs, from whom we received the Scriptures themfelves. Q. Can plain Scripture deceive any Alan ? Is it not at leaft a rule of Faith when it is plain ? A. Doubtlefs it is ; but it is not always plain when it is pretended to be plain : And where it is plain, it is not always followed by thofe who pre- tend it to make it their rule. i£ ; Is not Scripture the pure word of God ? what need of any other guide ? Men may deceive us, but the word of God cannot. A. The Scripture is the word of God ; but He- rcticks do not follow it in the controverted points, till 1 8 The Poor Mans Contraverfy. till they have, hy their private Interpretation, •*•.:' it their own word. J%K Do not at leaft all Proteftants profefs to L their Faith on Scripture, and not on any thi - ehfe? A. They do indeed all profefs as much ; bu* none of them in fact build upon it. I N S TRU C T I O N. Of all delufions there is none ftronger than theirs, who fancy they fol- low infpired writings, at the fame time they fol- low their own, or their Herefy's erroneous fenfe of them. We regard the Scriptures with the greater!: re- fpccf, as being the word of God, and own them to be a rule of our belief when rightly underftood ; but when interpreted in a wrong fenfe, as they constantly are by Hereticks, their falfe Interpreta- tion is not the word of God ; to fuch the Scripture is no rule of faith, nor judge of controverfics. And whence, but from this very caufe, from the Scriptures not rightly underftood, (as St. Augvfiin remarks,) have fprung all the herefies in times pafr r Can then the Scripture be the rule of faith to them who have made fo many divifions in Faith ? Can the Scripture be tne ruk of Faith to every private pcrfoti, while toe true fenfe and meaning of it is fo uncertain to him ? No; ii at there is any thing wanting of truth and autarky on the Scrip- ture's fide, but much wanting on the part or men's vain conceits and imaginations, which have drawn many into grievous errors and fata' miftak.es. But you'll fay, when the Scripture is plain, then at leaft it may be the rule of our Faith, and can- not deceive us. To which I anfvver, that plain Scripture, taken in the right fenfe, cannot miflead us ; yet it is not always plain, when it is pretended to be plain. On the contrary, it is this appearance, and The Poor Mins Contrvverfy. 19 and pretended clearnefs of Scripture, that has filled the Chrifiian world with endlefs difputes. Do not all the Sects in Chriftendom appeal to plain Scripture ; even while they dilTent from one another, and from the Catholick Church ? Which of the reformed Churches, or Protectant Sects do not profefs, and perfuade themfelves that they have Scripture, plain Scripture, on their fide, in all their differences of religion ? The Lutherans in Germany, the Calvinijis in Geneva; the Zwin- glians in Switzerland ; the Sccinians in Tranjilvania ;• the Protejlants of the Church of England ; the Pre/- byterians in Scotland; the Anahaptijh ; the Indepen- dents; all pretend to build their contradictory te- nets upon Scripture : Yet Faith tells us as well as reafon, that thefe their differences and contra- dictory fyfiems of opinion and doctrine, are not in the Scriptures : Then, where are they but in the mifbken understandings of thofe who under- take to be their own Interpreters ? Thus you fee the Scripture is not always plain, when it is pre- tended to be plain ; and yet it cannot be a rule of Faith fo as to unite all Chriitians in the fame be- lief, till it is fo plain, in all controverted points,., as to make all parties agree which is the plain fenle of it ; which will never be, fo long as men have different minds, and will follow them. On the other hand, Scripture is not always fol- lowed by thofe who pretend to make it the rule of their Faith, even where it is the plaineji : St. Auguflin remarks, that the Scripture is no where fo plain, as for the divine authority of the Catholick Church; yet Diffenters, like the Donatijls in St. dugujiins time, rather chufe to defert the clearnefs of Scrip- ture, than fubmit to that authority. Nay, it may be eafily proved, that of all the Sectaries who pretend to build their Faith on Scrip- ture. io 'The Poor Mans Ccntrcverjy. ture, and on no other grounds, none of them in fact do build upon it ; for with a very little reflec- tion they cannot but fee, that they follow it no otherwife than as it is expounded to them : Some expounding it by their ownprivate "Judgment; others according as they fee it interpreted by fome Teacher ef a Meeting, or Private Congregation, or their Na- tional Clergy : So that they do not in truth follow the pure word of God, but only that fenfe of it, which fome of thefe Interpreters attribute to it ; who, by their contradictions to one another, have given full proof to the world, that they do not all expound it in the right fenfc : Then, their follow- ers in that cafe are not guided by the pure Word of God, but by the authority of mijlakcn men, and upon this their religion is built. This is evident. i may add, that none of them in fa£t have learned their religion by reading Scripture, but by the In- duction of Parents, Minifters, and Catechifms, by which they are all taught the tenets of their Sect, and all chufe their religion, before they have ever read the Scriptures, or are in any capacity to un- derhand them. So far is it from truth, that Pro- teftants all build their Faith on Scripture, and on. nothing but Scripture. When therefore you take the written Word for your rule, let the Church be your Judge for the fenfe of it, and you will have nothing to fear. The Church is the only authentick Judge, what books arc to be held as canonical Scripture ; what tran- slation to be received, and what the true fenfe of the text in contro\ rted points. By the Church here we mean the Pallors of the Church, with the fupreme head the fuccefibr of St. Peter, whether in a general Council or out of it : Theie have re- ceived from Chriit a divine authority to teach and to be believed : To teach, { fav, the written ITord, 1 J he Poor Mans Conircvorjy, 21 as well as the unwritten., and confequently to ex- pound it when the ftnfe is difputed : For to teach the word of God, and expound the true fenfe of it, is one and the fame act. in the teacher, as I noted above. EXHORTATION. Is it not then, O Chriftian ! a fafer way to be guided as God has directed, than to follow guides which are not of his appointment? Is it not fafer to trull to the doctrine and judgment of that Church to which all the pro- mifes were made, and to which was given the whole authority to teach, than to follow private Teachers in the Interpretation of Scripture, who are not fe- cured from error by any promife of God. O my Soul ! truft not to fuch, but only to thofe who have received from Chriit the authority to teach, and to be believed, the Apoftles, I mean, and their SucceiTors, the Pallors of the Holy Catho- lick Church. 'Twas by hearing them the world became chriftian ; by hearing them the Orthodox have ever been preferved from all pall; herefies : To them he faid, Behold I am with you at all times, to the end of the world. This he did not fay to any one particular national ox local Church, Meeting, or private Congregation, or the Teachers of them ; but to the Univcrfal or Catholick Church ever holding One Faith and Communion. Follow thefe whom God has appointed to be your guide ; otherwife, 'tis the blind leading the blind, till both fall into the ditch. CHAP, 22 The Poor Mans CQniro r ccrjy* CHAP. III. On Private Judgment, and Private Spirit. Every Prophecy of Scripture is not of private Interpre- tation, (2 Pet. i. 20.) £j TX7HAT do you mean by private Judgment P A. To be guided by one's own fenfe, in- dependently of all Church authority for the inter- pretation cfScripture. j3. Why may not every one be allowed to follow the Scripture, according to the beft of his Judg- ment in matters of Faith ? A. It is a mod pernicious maxim ; it deftrovs all obedience to the Chuich, which we are command- ed to hear ; befides many other evils that have fprung from it. i£. What arc thofe evils ? A. Innumerable fects in Faith and Religion j no Herefy but what took its beginning from it. jp. At lead why may not I be allowed to follow my Teacher, or the Congregation, or National Church I belong to f A. No National Church, no private Congregation or Teacher, difl'enting from the Univerfal or Ca- tholick Church, can be a fafe guide to their fol- lowers : All Sectaries and Hereticks follow fucli guides. o. Why may we not, at lcait, follow the InJtinSl cf the Sjirit ; the Spirit of God cannot deceive me. A. Yerv true ; the Spirit of God cannot deceive you, nor be deceived : But you may be deceived by thole who make vou believe, that you follow the Infttj :t of the Spirii of God when you do not. 1 ?\ ST R U CTj ( ) S.Pi hate Judgment, which makes a :.uu; his own Jud^e; in controverted points of The Poor Man's Controverjy. 23 of Faith and religion, never was allowed of in the Church of God, but condemned by all antiquity. All controverfies of Faith from the very beginning of the Church, were decided by the authority of the Church. The firft controverfy about the ne- ceffity of Circumcifion for the converted Gentiles, was determined in a Council at ferufalem, not left to the private Judgment of the contending parties : And all the fequent controverfies; as of the time for celebrating Eajier ; of the Trinity of Perfons in God ; of the Divinity ofChriJl, and the Holy Ghoji ; of the Incarnation ; of the Power of the Church to remit fin to thofe who fall after Baptifm j of Grace, of Original Sin ; all thefe controverfies were deter- mined by Church authority againft ancient Here- ticks. Luther and Calvin own the condemnation of them to be juft, and that thofe who maintained them are to be accounted as Hereticks. But had private Judgment been the Judge, and all parties been allowed an equal right to expound Scripture for themfelves in thofe controverted points. 1 ap- prehend thofe difputes had not been ended to this day : Nor can it be known with certainty, if the infallibility and authority of the Church be fet afide, whether the parties condemned, or thofe who con- demned them, had truth on their fide. Private Judgment has raifed many difputes in religion, but never ended one. The Scripture itfelf teaches, that the Scripture is not to be interpreted by private Judgment : As it is written in St. Peter, (Ep. 2. c. i. v. 20.) Every Prophecy of Scripture is not of private Interpretation ; for not by hitman will was Prophecy brought at any iitne ; but the Holy Men of Godfpokc, infpired by the Hdy GhoJl. Here the reafon is given why the Scrip- tures are not to. be expounded by every man's privaif 24 The Poor Man's Controverjy* private 'Judgment ; becaufe every part of the holy Scripture was delivered by the Holy Ghoft,by whom the facred writers were infpired. By whom then are they to be interpreted when their fenfe is dispu- ted, but by thofe to whom the Holy Ghoft was pro- mi fed and fent for the teaching them all Truth ? the Apoities and their Succcflbrs the Paftors of the Ca- tholick Church : Howbeit, when he, the Spirit tf Truth, jhall come, he u ill teach you all Truth, (Jo. xvi.v. 13.) A promife not made to every parti- cular perfon that undertakes to expound Scripture by his own private 'Judgment. Moreover : As private Judgment deflroys all obedience to the Church, it cannot ground a certain belief, be- caufe every man's private Judgment is lubject to error. Thole therefore who leave the divine unerring authority of the Church Catholick, to follow their own private Interpretations of Scrip- ture, can have no divine Faith of what they believe ; becaufe, although the Scripture which they pretend to make the rule of their belief, be infal- lible truth, their Interpretation is not but liable to miftake ; and thus their private Judgment being ever apt to embrace error as well as truth, when left to itfelf, whatever belief is built upon it, is no more than Opinion, not Chrijlian Faith, which ex- cludes all deliberate doubt and uncertainty : So that this maxim of expounding Scripture by private Judgment deitroys all certainty of the Chriftian Faith, efpecially in points controverted. Some indeed among thofe who dilTent from the Catholick Church, pretend they do not follow their oxen brivate judgment, but the national Church, or their Teachers, not conhdtrin^that a national Church (hllenting from the Catholick or Univcrfal Church, docs but tolhr.v the private judgment or" its iiril Re- formers : As do alio private meetings and congre- gations; The Poor Mans Contrwerfy. 25 gStions ; and therefore thcfe are no more fufficient to ground divine Faith upon, than was the private 'judgment of thofe that founded them. Befides, thofe who firfr. model their Faith by their own fenfe of Scripture, (which is a right allowed to every one in all the reformed Churches,) and then approve of that Church which approves them, do not in effecl: believe their Church, but themfelves. The fame is to be faid of thofe who believe by pretended Injiincls of the Spirit. For though the tef- timony of the Holy Ghoft be a fufficient ground of divine Faith ; yet there being no fure tefiimony produced to fhew who are led by this divine Spirit^ and no promife of God for it ; nor proof given, whereby we may clearly difcern the motions of the Holy Gboji from other motions of Fanaticifn ; there cannot be fuch certainty in thefe pretended In- /Hurts of the Spirit, as divine Faith requires; and the belief of thofe who follow thofe private hfrinifs, is not Faith, but only Opinion, or Perfuafion, like theirs who foilow their private Judgrr.en', and no better. I mav add, that the Sectaries of our times who pretend to be led bv the Injiincls of the Spi'it, are found to contradict one another moft furioufiy, at the fame time that all cry, The Spirit of the Lord r The Spirit of the Lord : which plainly (hews by what fpirit they are led. In a word, you would not truM the private "Judgment or private Infinct of another in an affair or this great concern, nor would another trull to yours : You eafiiy difcover in others how unqualified is private Judgment and private Spirit to decide matters of controverfy, and how dangerous it is to truft it ; and yet while vou are fo fenfible of the weaknefs of it in another, you think yourfclf and your own Judgment an oracle. But is this beinj dent ? ib this being wife unto falvation ? ~B EXIIOR- i6' The Poor Mans Controverfy. EXHORTATION. Away then with your private Spirit and private Judgment, and give place to the Spirit cf God, and Judgment of the Holy Catholick Church fupported by him. Wh„-t au- thority has God given you to interpret Scripture, or to decide anv Controverfy of Faith r Can you fhew this authority hv any fign or miracle ? Reflect well on the many evils that have fprung from private Spirit and private 'Judgment ; what Errors ! what fatal Mif.al.Qs ! what Blafphemies '. What a variety of Seels and falfe Religions contra- dicting one another and the Truth ! True is the faying of a holy Father, (St. Bernard) He that hath himfif for vis Mailer, lath a Fool for his Scho- lar'. As felf-will is the bane and dcftruclion of all Virtue, fo is the private Spirit and private Judg- ment the deftruclion of all Faith and Religion. Uy the one we forfalce the will of God to follow our own : By the other we revolt from the Faith of his Church, making our own will and judgment the Standard of Faith, till we have no Faith nor Reli- gion at ail. C II A P. V. On cur Choice cf the True Church. J b:lh ve the Holy Catholiek Church. 'O. Tf "TOW fhall we know with certainty which Jl~J_ is the true Church that all are command- ed to hear ? /i. The true Church is that which we profefs in the Creed : The Holy ( atholick Church .■ Tins is the ancient church from which all fects departed. jp. What The 'Poor Mans Controvert). 27 ' j9. What other are the marks of the true Church ? J. They are distinctly fct down in the Nicene Creed, which does but more fully explain that of the Apolties : In this w r e profefs the Holy Caiholick Churchy the Communion of Saints: In that, One Holy Caiholick Apofldical Church. j^. Are thefe marks of the true Church to be found in no other but the Roman Caiholick ? A. No : no other can make good their claim to- them. INSTRUCTION. The true Church of Chrifly being that which he founded, and the Apoftles planted in all nations, is by confequence the fir ft and molt ancient, from which all others broke off; and the molt ancient is that which never did break off from any other more ancient than itfelf : This is evident. Now, let all who have care of their falvation, take this matter into ferious confederation, and they will prefently behold one Church in Chriflendom a- mongft many that take that name, and only one, confiding in all times of many national and local churches, all holding communion with one another, - and with the Bifhop of Rome, as fuccefibr of Saint Peter ; acknowledging his fupreme jurifdiction in fpirituals, and all concurring in one Faith and wor- ship ; commonly known and diftinguifhed in the world, by the title of Roman Caiholick Church ; from whole communion all other feels, whether modern or ancient, departed, leaving her communion, as thev pretend, for her errors : by which at lead this truth is proved by the confent of them all, that the Roman Catholick is the firft and molt ancient com- munion of Chriftians. Now, as to thofe who believe that the Church at it.; firft foundation, was made by him infallible or unerring in teaching the truth of the Go/pel, they ii 2 cannot £■3" The Poor Mans Controverjy. cannot harbour any doubt, but the Roman Cathc- lick, and no other, is the true Church ; becaufe it ii the firlt and the mofl ancient ; and if that has never erred, then all others which have bft her doctrine and communion, have erred, and are Schifmatical and Heretical Congregations ; which ought not to have fo much as the name of Churches ; nor do we iind that name fo much as once given to fuch throughout the New Teframent. And as to fuch as frill perfiit in their oppofition to her infallibility, and pretend fhe might err, and has erred ; it is knpoilible for them to produce any evidence of her error?, feeing thofe who accufe her of error, confefs, that their own Churches and teachers are alfo fallible, and may err. Suppofe then fome private teacher of a meeting, orminifter of a parifh, or a national fynod, interprets the Scrip- ture in the controverted points, in a fenfe contrary to what the Cathclick Church defines ; this does not amount to any thing like e\ idence cf th.it Church's errors ; becaufe this truth will frill recur to our minds, that thofe who nccufe her of error, arc themfelves fallible and may err in the acevfation. Hence, even in their own iviicm of the fallibility of the former Church, it decs not appear how they have mended their condition in leaving her communion to join with oihers, who by their own cenfeflion are alio fallible : nar, it is evident, that they have changed for the worfe, in defciting the ancunt Catholick Church, to which all the promi fes of di- ii:ie fuppcrt were made, to follow fallible teachers who have no fuch promife : and as there is no evi- dence of the former Church's errors, flic is ftill in full pofiefnon of her whole power and authority, and ought to be believed. But moreover, we fhali now make it appear, that ill the marks of ;hu true Church belong to the Ro- man The Poor Mans Ccrircverff. 29 Jttan Catholick Church and to no other. Thcfe marks are fet down by the primitive Fathers in the Nicene Creed : in which this Article is inferted, I believe One, Holy, Catholick and Apojhlical Church ; that hereby the true Church may be known in all times. Firft : We may remark, that in the Roman Ca- tholick Church, and no other, all the members, tho* divided as to nations, intereft and language, and fpread ever Chriftendom, yet all concur in one Faith and worfhip, receive the fame facraments, hold the fame principles of religion, all acknowledge the Eifhcp ox Rome, as fuccdlbr of St, Peter, to be Head of the Church, and all obey one ecc'efiaflical au- thority ; and thus are perfectly One Fold, (Jo. x. 16.) and One Body, (Ephef. iv. 4.) as the Church of Chrift muft eflentially be, Whereas fuch as are fallen from this Catholick Church, are eternally divided among themfclves, having as many different Confeffions of Faith, as they live under many temporal heads ; the private fpirit and private judgment which they and their ringleaders follow in expounding Scripture, being the very principle of diviiion. Secondly : It was anciently prophefied of the Church of Chrift, that all nations Jhall flow unto her, (Ifai. xxii.) Her firft paftors with their fuccef- fors were fent to teach all nations, (Matth. xxviii. 39.) To preach the Gofpd in the univerfal world 1 7 every creature, (Mark xvi. 16.) To preach penance- and rcmij/ion cf fins to all nations, (Luke xxiv. 47.) And their found went forth into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the earth, (Pf. xviii. 5.) And the ends of the earth have been converted unto our Lord y (Pf. xxi.22.) And all the families of the Gentiles have adored in his fight : And the Redeemer is called the God (fall- the earth, (Ifai. liv. 2, 3.) His Church con- B 3 fiftingj: 30 the Poor Mens Controverfy. filling, as in heaven, Co on earth, of all nations, and tribes, and people, and tongues, (Rev. vii. 9.) Now, it is vifible that the Roman Catholick, and no other, i.s the Church from which all nations fir it received their Chriitianfty ; and as this Church converted all nations, it did therebv become the Church of all nations ; the whole univerfal, or Catholick Church, and juftly at present claims that tide as her own ; and as in all ages pair, fo at this day, is commonly known and diftinguifhed in the world by the name of Catholick, which no heretical or fchifmatical congregation could ever yet take from her, or ob- tain for themfelves : By this mark, the true Church is as vifible as the fun ; as it was in St. Augu/lins lime, writing againft the Donctijts, when he faicl, the very name of Catholick was enough to bind him to that church. Thirdly : The Roman Catholick Church has ever been governed by a Clergy fucceeding the Apoftles by a lawful ordination and miffion : But where is the fact that can fhew a fuccemon of their Clergy and million from the Apoitles, as v/e can a fucceflion of the Bifhops of Rjt,n even from St. Peter? 'Tii impoffible : Their pretended mifiion and authority to preach and adminifter facrarr.ents can mount no higher than the firft founders or" their feels. None then but the Roman Catholick can with any pro- priety be called the Apoflolical dure':. Fourthly : As none but the paftors of the Rom-:* Catholick Church derive their midi-n and autho- rity from the Apoftles, who rc-cehed them fror.i (.J h rift ; his only in that communion the r i ■ h t a; due aciminiiii ation of facraments, with the !• : worfhip of God, and preaching of the faith and doc- trine ofChrifr. can be: And as thefe are the mca ■ ; oi ail iuftifving and fanctifving grace ; we mu" conclude, that in chis Church, and no other, that the "Poor Mans Contro-verfy. 31 grace and fanclity will ever be found, and vifibly appear. In effecl:, all the faints, the Blejfed Apojlles^ Martyrs, Confeffors, the holy Fathers and Doclors, holy Monks and Eremits, the holy Virgins, the Foun- ders of religious orders with their numerous fol- lowers, defpifers of the world, leaving ail to follow Chrift, the Apoftles that converted nations, workers of miracles, all lived and died in the communion of the Roman Catholick Church. This then is the Holy Way of which Ifaias prophefied : It Jloall be called the Holy Way, (xxxv. 8.) Not the broad way that leads to perdition, transferring the grace of God into wantonmfs, promising liberty, (Jude/L.) but the narroiu way that leads to life, preaching con- feffion of fins, enjoining penance, mortification, felf-denial, and urging the obfervance not only of the commandments, but evangelical counfells. In a word, the efficacy and holinefs of. the doctrine of this church has been made viftble in the converfioa of all the infidel nations, in the repentance of Tin- ners, in the holy works of the faints that have lived and died in her communion; in the fanctincation of ail orders and ranks, who are ever holy, and advance in fanclity, in proportion as they follow the leiibns which £he gives them : And if others arc wicked that live in her communion, 'tis ever in proportion as they degenerate from her doctrine and difcipline. All heretical churches are confeious of the weak - nefs of their title to thefe marks of the true Church, and therefore in their writings never go about to prove theirs by thefe characters. EXHORTATION. What thanks, O Chri- ftian ! ought you to return to God for all the blef- fings beftowed on you ! particularly for your voca- tion to the true faith and church, \vhihl thoufands are out of it, and live and die in error ! Praife God for not only giving to fallible men fuch an infal- B 4 libic 32 The Poor Mans Contro-verjy. lible guide as his Church, to lead them out of all the errors of tbe world, and preferve them in truth ; but alio for protecting thar Church to this prefent time, againft all the enemies and impugners of her iaith. No attacks of error, perfecution, or tempta- tion, could ever move her. As God is always with her, who can be againft her ? Ever have this firm perfuahcn, that nothing fhall ever deftroy the holy Catholick. Church : The gates of 'hell fa all not prevail egainfl her. Stand firm to her, and no impofror, not even Antichriji himfelf, will be able to feduce you. Eut be firm and true to her, not only by your Faith, but bv the practice of your Faith. Let ycur virtue fhine as alight, by which others may come to glorify God in their converfion to the only true Faith on earth. As you are by Grace and Faith a member of the Catholick Church, which is fo vi- able and renowned over the whole world, and in- Jitled to be one of God's elect, live in fuch a man- ner as may make your election fure. And as he has commanded his Church to make her llghtjhine leu. re a dark and infidel world, and not to lie hid under a i ■ Jhd. (Matth. v. 15.) lb let your con- ■francv in fanh, as well as in every virtue, fine as ,. ;,'_ r ht to vour erring neighbours, that io you may convey the fame to thofe who lit in darknefs, error, terefy, and fchifm : So Ut your light Jhine before men y (v/16.) Praife God again in the wonderful Unity of his Church., nothing but a divine power could vftect fuch an Unity. As the Church is holy, fee you do not bring a reproach upon its fanctity by ycur bad life and manners, and make the enemies of God blafpheme. As God is holy, and his Church holy, and fo many holy faints are fet for your example, be you alio hoiy. As her Faith is Catholick, be- lieved The Poor Mai's Ccntroverjy, $$ lieved throughout the world, fo let your belief be entire and orthodox in every the lead point. As fhe is Apojlclical, founded by Chrift, and received her doctrine and authority from him by a lawful fucceffion of her paftors from the apoftl.es j be true and fincere to her .doctrine and difcipline, and never think of running after thofe teachers who have no miflion or authority derived from them. Thus may you live and. die fecure in this blejfed Ark, out of which there is no falvation,, . C H A P. VI. Our Lord added (to the Church) from Day to Day- fuch as Jhould be faved, (Acts ii. 47.) £). TS. it not againft charity to fay : Out of the true _§__ Church there is no falvation ? A. No : It is the greateft charity to afHrm it. $. Why fo ? A. Becaufe it is admonifhing him who is in error to feek and follow the right way to falvation. i^. Which is the right way tofalvation ? A. To believe and join communion with Ont Holy Catholhk Church, the communion of faints, which, you profefs in your Creed, INSTRUCTION. If Catholickis, upon ccca- fion, admonifh thofe of a different communion, when they hear them faying, that people may be faved in all religions, that without the true Faith, and out of the true Church there is r.o falvation; it is evident there is nothing of uncharitablenefs in what they fay of this matter ; feeing it proceeds not from ill-will, nor rafh judgment, but a full conviction that the Catholick Church is the true Church of -Chriff, which we profefs in our Creed 3 confequent- 34 ^ ie P° or Man's Controverfy, ly, that all fuch as do not join communion with this Church, are under the wrath of God, and not in that way which Chrifc appointed for the whole world as the way of falvation. In this fenfe to affirm, that out of the true Church there is no falvation for fuch hereticks and fchifmaticks, as through their own fault and perverfenefs are out of it, and live and die obftin.ate in herefy and fchifm (admitting at the fame time the plea of invincible ignorance) r is, I fay, not uncharitablenefs, but rather thegreateft charity, as advifing people to their eternal good, an J admonifhing them to quit error, and to fet themfelves in the right way to heaven : this mould rather be termed Zeal than want of Charity : It is the fame .kind of zeal as moved the Prophets in ancient days io call loudly upon the "Jews to forfake their evil ■ways ; much the fame zeal as moved the ApojV.es to expofe their lives to propagate the truth of the Oofpel. It is written in Scripture, without Faith it is impojjible to phafe God, (Heb. xi. 6.) If I en- deavour to bring my neighbour to this Faith which .-done can fave him, is this againft Charity ? 'To fav, Cut of the true Church there is no fulvatien > xs no more than what St. Paul teaches in his epiftle to the Gelations, (v. 20,21.) where he number? her clicks among thole that Jhall not obtain the kingdom ef God. It is no more than our Saviour himfelf fays, in thefe words of the gofpel : He that believcth and is baptized Jhall be faved, and he that bciieveth not Chall be damned, ("'.lark xvi. 16.) Nor can it be uncharitable to fay, that no one can be fayed without keeping the commandments : Jf thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments, (Matth. xix. 17.) Or to i'e.y no one can be fayed without baptifm : Utile fs one be reborn of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, (John iii. 5,) So neither is it uncharitable to fay, thai The Pcor Mans Controverjyl '§£ that no one can be faved without the true Faith : Without faith it is impojfible to pleafe God. As one is a caution to Faith, the other is to manners ; yet fome of thefe fayings which exclude all Tinners out of heaven, may feem as uncharitable to them as others do to hereticks : but all who take offence thereat fhould conlider, that all thefe truths the Church declares, not as from herfelf, but from the clear and exprefs word of God : How, then, is the Church uncharitable in declaring the truth of the gofpel ? Charity flatters not, nor invents new ways to heaven ; but endeavours to afiift others in the way of truth, and to retrieve them from the way of error. Charity feeks all good to others ; as it does when it admonifhes them, that without Faith ■it is impojjlbh to pleafe God : and out of the true Church there is no falvation. On the contrary, it would be very uncharitable? as well as erroneous, to fay with a fet of libertines and politicians (in Luther s days) that people may be faved in any Church or. religion; becaufe this would be confirming; them in an error arrainll that truth which is revealed for their falvation. As there is but one God and one Chrifi, fo but one Faith, cue fold of ChrijI. There is a wide difference between a flattering enemy, who tells you, all is fafe even in your errors, and a charitable friend who adviies you to haften out of them. Charity ipeaks the truth y and rejoices at it, (l Cor. xiii. 6.) EXHORTATION. As God has bleffed you by making you a member of his Church, return him due thanks, and be inftrumental, as far as you can, to bring others to the way of falvation. Pray for thofe that err, rather than upbraidthem. Admo- nifh them with lenity to turn from their errors to •eternal truth. Endeavour to reconcile their minds ^o the true religion by wholefome admonitions, ?.n «difying life, and pious example, C HAP '$4 'Die Poor Mans Controversy. CHAP. VII. On the Supremacy of St. Peter and his Succejfors* Feed my Lambs : Feed my Sheep, (Jo. ?cxi. 16.) S^. "VXjHO is the Pope, and what power has he ? * * A. He is the Bifhop of Rome, thefueceflbr of St. Peter, and head of Chrift's Church on earth. j^. When did Chrifr. make St. Peter head over his church ? A. When he faid to him after his refurreclion : Feed my lambs : Feed my jheep, (John xxi.15,17.) He then gave him power to feed and govern the whole flock. £K. To what end was the fupremacy of St. Peter 3nftituted? A. That it might defcend to his fucceflbrs to ieep peace and unity in the church of God to the end. J^. Where did St. Peter die ? A. He translated his chair from Antioch to Rome, where he died for his Faith. gK Did any ever challenge a fuccefiion of his Supremacy ? A. No one ever did but thofe who fucceed to his thair, the Bifhops of Rome ; and their claim has jbeen confirmed bv Fathers and General Councils. INSTRUCTION. We hold then and believe, that as there never was a civil government, but what had a head or fupreme power over it to do juftice, to make laws and prcferve peace and unity ; io in the church the fame is equally neceffary, that there ihouli be one head over all other prelates to keep order anc unif The Poor Mans Controversy. gr unity therein. All power and authority in both is from God, according to that of St. Paul, Let every foul be fubjecl to the higher powers : For there is 7io power but from God, and thofe that are., were ordain- ed. by God, (Rom. xiii. i. and i Pet. ii. 13.) To. obey our lawful fuperiors both in church and ftate, is an . indifpeniible duty of Chriftian morality. Therefore cf neceffity be ye fubjecl, not only for fear of anger, but alfo for conference fake,. (Rom. xiii. 5.) What more wholefome both tochurch and ftate than this doctrine? Now ; as God ever, had a Church of chofen people, as well under the Old Teftament, as the New, to love and ferve him, fo he appointed a head over them : as Mofes and Aaron under the Old law ? and St. Peter and his iucceffors in the New. . This fupremacy of St. Peter waspromifed and declared in < very remarkable, terms, by our, Saviour in St. Alattheiv, (xvi. 1.6.) where this difciple having made a full confeflion of the Divinity of Chrifr, he replied to him as follows. BleJ/ed art thou Simon Barjona, becauje fejh and bleed hath not revealed to thee, but my Father who is in. heaven. And I fay unto ■ thee, thou art a rock ; and. upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell flxdl not prevail againfl it : And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom cf Heaven : And whatfoever thou /halt bind on earthy , Jhall be bound alfo in heaven : And whatfoever thou. Jhalt loofe on earth, Jhall be loofed alfo in heaven. What he then promifed to Peter, the fame he conferred upon him after his refurreclion, viz. jurifdiction over the whole flock, as we read in St. "John : (xxi. 15. &c.) So when they had dined, J ejus J aid to Simon Peter, Simon, f on of Jonas, lovejl thou me more than thefe ? . He , faith unto him, Yea, Lord, ihou knozue/l that I love thee. He faith unto him, Seed my lambs. He faith unto him again the fecond: timu. g"8 The Poor Mans Contrcverfy. time, Simon, fan of Jonas, love/} thou ?ne f He faith unto him, Tea, Lord, thou knoveejl that I love thee. He faith unto him, Feed my lambs. He faith unto him a third time, Si mo?!, fori of 'Jonas, love/i thou me ? Peter zvas faddened, becaufe he fend to him a third time, Lovefi thou me ; and he faid to him, Lord, thou hnoxvefl ail things ; thou knowejl that I love thee : He faith unto him, Feed my Jheep. Here Chrift £ave to Peter the po wer to feed and govern the whole flock, both the lambs and the fheep. This is none cf our private interpretation of the text: but the unanimous doctrine of the ancient Fathers, that our Saviour by thefe words appointed St. Peter the head paftor over his Church on earth; and that his fupremacv defcends by divine right to his fucceflbrs : And who are his fucccfibrs, but the ■Bifhops of Rome r Ke tranfhted his chair from Antioch to Rome, and there he died a martyr under "Nero, and Ror,:e has been the feat of his fucceflbrs ever iince. I never read of aire others, but the Bifhops of Rome, that pretended to fucceed to his fuprernacy; who indeed ha:: any title to it befides. The Fathers and Councils have unanimoudy ac- knowledged the fuprernacy of St. Peter, and his fuc- ceiTors the Bifhops of Rome: Noted is the laving of St. Jerom: " dmcr.g the tveclve one is chofen, that " a hind being rppoivted, tie cceafon of fch'ifn might " be taler. out cfth, zue.y." (Cont. Jovin. 1. i. c. 14.) The tint was St. Peter \ and after him ad his fuc- ceflbrs : in fact, has he not been fucceeded by a vifil ie fucccihon cf above 240 Bifhops of Rcme, ac- knowledged as fupreme Pallors of the Church down to our times r It would be cndlcfs to cite at kncTn ail the aricient Fathers, who have attefted the fupremacv of St. Peter and his fucceflbrs ; but we ii ;v favc curfelvcs that trouble: The Centuri- Qlors oi A-u-gucbui'gj ri^id LuiPirans 3 have cone it to C'-J *tfie Poor Man's Controversy, 39 our hands: They have in their Annals cited the Fathers both Grecians and Latins, and cenfured them, for their doctrine of the fupremacy of St. Peter? and of the Biihops of Rome his fucceiibrs ; which is at leaft owning the fact, that the ancient Fathers of the primitive Church did unanimoufly teach that doctrine ; the fame which Roman Catholicks now defend : (See Cent. 4. Col. 125. 555. 556. and 558. Cent. 3. Col. 84. and 85. Cent. 5. Col. 774. 777- 778- 779- 7 Sl - 7^. and 823. In the fourth Council of Lateran under Innocent TIL with the confent both of the Grecian Bifliops and Latins, a decree pafled : " That the Church of " Rome, by the difpofal of the Almighty, holds the ** principality of ordinary power above all others, " as being the Mother and Miflrefs of all faithful *' Chriftians." The decree of the Council of Florence is as follows : JVe define that the holy Apojlolical fee and the Bijhop cf Rome holds the Primacy over the whole world. And that he is the fuccejjbr of St. Peter, Prince of the Apojlles, and true vicar of Chrijl, and head of the whole Church, and the Father and Dodor of all Chriflians. And that to him in St. Peter was given by ttur Lord ftfus Chrijl a full power to Jeed, and rule , and govern the Univerfal Church." The fupremacy of the Bifhop of Rome may be .alfo clearly feen in the privileges, which he always enjoyed in the Church, and wnich are competent to none but the fupreme Pallor. Firft ; That all Bifliops throughout the Chrifliaa world, who find themfelves aggrieved by their ec- clcilaftical Judges, whether Provincial or National Synods or Patriarchs, may have recourfe by appeal Sg the Biftop of Romg - 3 this alone fhey/s that he has eyej •£. jP(ter } and prayed for him that hit Faith might nn fail; The Poor Mans Ccmtrcverjy. 41- fail: But the fupremacy of St. Peter, eftablifhed by Chrift for the well governing of his Church, was not to die with Peter, no more than the Church was to die with him, but to dcfccnd to all his fucceffors, to feed, rule and govern the flock, as long as the Church fhall endure, to the end of the world. Hence, the Fathers and Councils, and all faithful Chriftians, have ever acknowledged the fupremacy ef St. Peter ftill furviving in his fuccelTors of divine right. Yet the Roman CathoMck Church never defined, that the Pope has authority to depofe princes, or difpenfe with our allegiance to lawful fovereigns j ©r to licenfe fubjects to take up arms againft them. In the decree or definition of the Council of Florence for the Pope's fupremacy,. as above cited, there is no mention of any f'uch depoflng power, neither in the Creed of Pius IV. 6r in any other Creed ufed in the Roman Catholick Church. On the con- trary, that Church conftantly teaches our Saviour's command, Render to Ccsfar what belongs to Ccefar. The Pope is fupreme in Spirituals, but not in Tem- porals, except in his own principality. The Pope may interdict and excommunicate princes, even, Caefar himfelf \ but it is no part of our Catholick. belief, that he can deprive them of their thrones. EXHORTATION. As the obedience of our will is a duty neceflary to the keeping God's com- mandments, fo is the fubmiffion of our understand- ing and judgment to make us true believers, true and perfect members of his Church. Obey your prelates, and be fubjeel to them, (Heb. xiii. 17.) As the neglect ot the hrit is the overthrow of innume- rable fouls, following their own and difregarding the will of God ; fo is the latter the deftruction of many, by following their own private judgment contrary t© the will of thofe whom God has placed over thenu This. 4- *the Poor Mans Controversy. This difobedience is the mother and nurfe of all in- fidelity and herefy. O ! my foul, how often have you been trught to be obedient to the higher powers both in Church and State, neither of which can fub- fifl wi.houtfuch cur obedience ! Our obedience is what the law of God requires to both: Obedience is better than facrifice. Now, as God has placed a chief primate or head over his whole Church, we are all called upon for our obedience to him in fpirituals. If by the divine law we are obliged to obev our ordinary prelates, and be fubject to them ; how much more to be fubjedt to him, who is our prime and chief prelate ? I mean the Pete, the fuccefibr of St. Peter, as all true Chri- stians have ever held. O ! remember that divine faying of Chrift to Peter, To thee I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven : And vuhatfeever thou Jhult bind on earth, /hall be hound alfo in heaven : And tvhatfoever thou foalt unbind on earthy Jhall be unbound, elf in heaven^ (Matth. xvi. ig.) CHAP. YIIL On the Seven Sacraments, By the Grace of God 1 am what lam, (i Cor. xv. 10.} %. "yKTHAT is grace ?_ V V ^- '1 * s a f rec £'ft °^ ^ e divine bounty, to enable «s to do good, and avoid evil, the eviloffin. •-: : Where does God liberally bellow it ? A. In the hoiy facraments, which never fail to give grace to thefe who are duly prepared to receive them. i^. How many sre the facraments of the new law ? J, L hey are lev en in number. The Pcor Alan's Controversy.- 43 Q Are all the fereji to be held as facraments of Ch rift's inflitution ? A. Yes : They have been held as fuch by the Latin andGreekChurch, in all paft ages, down to us. J^. To what end were they instituted ? A. To fan&ify all ftates of life. «^. Which are the mcft neceffary to falvation ? A. Baptifm and Penance : Thefe are called the Sacraments of the dead, as reftoring them to the life of grace : And the holy Eucharift, as preferving the fpiritual life in our fouls. £K And are not the other facraments alfo ne- ceffary ? A. They are all necefTary, tho' not all necef- fary to every one : (Council of Trent, Self. 7. Can. 4.) • INSTRUCTION. As we are all born fo help- lefs of ourfelves, and in a conftant need of divine grace to aflift us in every ftate of life to perform well our duties ; where has God provided us with greater helps, than in the {even facraments, as (a many fountains of grace derived from the paffion and merits of Chriil ? It is by them all juftifying grace is begun in our fouls, either increafed, or recovered when loft: (Coun. Trent, Seff. 7. proemium.) If we were deftitute of thefe, we fhould be deficient in all the good required of us : As St. Paul teaches : Not that %ve are fufficient cf our] elves, even to have a good thought as from ourfelves, but our fufficiency is from God; (2 Cor. iii. 5.) The facraments of the new law were all infti- tuted by Chrift our Lord, and are neither more in number, nor fewer, than feven : viz. Baptifm, Confirmation, Eucharift, Penance, Extreme Unclion, Holy Order, Matrimony, (Council of Trent, ibid. Can. 1.) So the Council of Trent defines, and the Church has ever believed, It 44 ¥k e P° or Man's Controverfy. It is true, we do not find the determinate numbe/ of them fet down in Scripture as in a Catechifm,; yet we find in the NewTeitament feven facred Rites of divine Institution, as outward figns of invifible grace, to be administered for ever in the Church ; and thefc are the {even facraments which we pro- iefs. The fame number and the fame facraments are fpecified in the General Councils of Florence and Trent, in oppofition to lome modern hereticks, who began to difpute and deny the divine institution and efficacy of fome of them : For the Church does not commonly call her Councils, and proceed to definitions in matters of Faith, till her dogmas are oppofed by fome herefy, All the facraments are not of equal neceifity for all : But there are two held as moil: neceffary to falvation : Baptifm and Penance: For thefe two confer iuftifying grace for remiffion of fins, without which the foul cannot be faved ; and therefore, thefe two are called the facraments of the dead, that is, of fuch as are dead in fin, and are reftcred to the life of grace by thefe facraments. The others confer an increafe of grace, and are called the facraments of the living, becaufe they are only to be administered, to fuch as are in the ftate of grace, and living to God. Of thefe the holy Euchariji is the mo ft excellent, as containing Chrift himlelf really prefent therein, who is the fountain of grace, the moil precious and profitable food of Christian fouls, and the great prefervative of their fpiritual life : If any one fall eat of this breads he jhall live for ever : And, the bread which I will give is my fiefh for the life of the world, (Jo. vi. 52.) In a word, the feven facraments are neceffary to fanclify all ftates of life, and to confer grace upon us the better to fulfil the duties required therein. EX- Vie Poor Maris Controverjy, 43 EXHORTATION. O ! Chriftian foul, return thanks to God for all the bleflings and graces you daily receive through the paflion, death, and merits oiChriJl : chiefly for thofe divine fountains of grace given you in the feven facraments. Bear a due veneration, and have a great faith in them, as being inftituted by Chrilt, and affording a never-failing help and benefit to all who receive them worthily, and with due preparation. As you aie not able to do any good of ycurfelf without the help of divine grace, apply to them as your refpe&ive (late and W nts require. O ! how miferable would you be without Bap- ufm ; for ever debarred entrance into heaven ! Or what dangers of damnation expofed to without Pe- ?iance t without a due reconciliation to your offend- ed Maker after your manifold fins and frailties ! In what (larving condition would your fouls be in, without the divine food or" the holy Euchariji ! How (hall you withitand the many persecutors of your faith and virtue in this wicked world, without the (Irengthening grace of the Holy Gboji given you in the facrament of Confirmation! How can you think of dying without the divine comfort and lad rcinif- lion of fins which God gives you by Extreme Unction. How can the miniflers of the Church have power to do fuch holy offices as produce fupernatural effects in our fouls, unlefs they receive that pewer from God by hcly Order ! Or, how fhal; martied perfons be happy in their difficult and burthenfome (late, withou. a fpecial grace and blefling given them by the facrament of Matrimony ! Thus has God pro- vided divine help for all dates in the Church, and for all the members in it, from our coming into the world, till our departure out of it by d. j ath. C H A P. 46 The Poor Mans Controvert C II A P. IX. The holy EuehariJ?. *Take ye and eat; This is my Body, (Math. xxvi. 26.) Q TS7HAT is the holy Eucharift. Vv A. 'Tis the body and blood ofJefusCbriJi reallv prefent under the fpecies of bread and wine. J*K How do vou prove that the body and blood of Chi ift are really prefent in this facrament ? A. By the word of God, as expounded by the divine authority of the holy Catholiclc Church. iP. Was the real prefence alwavs held ? A. Yes : It was held by all Chriltfans in the pri- mitive Church ; by the ancient Councils and Fathers ; and never called in queftion for many ages. j^. Were there not many, who have oppofed it in latter times ! A. Yes: In like manner many oppofed the Di- vinity of Ckri/i and the Holy Gbojl. Thofe who op- pofe the real prefence as held by Catholicks, are at a iofs to determine what they are to believe of this great facrament. <%. How fo ? A. Some of them hold that the body and blocd of Ckri/i is prefent in figure only, as Zivinglius. Others, that it is prefent by its virtue, as Calvin. Others ly Faith, as the Church of England. Others to- gether with the bread and wine, as Luther maintained. c >. How did the Church define agamft them ? /l. That the whole fubftance of bread, by con- secration, is changed into the fubftance of the body of Chrift ; and the whole fubftance of wine into his blood : which change is fitly and properly by the Catholick Ch irch called tranfubjlantiaticn, (Council vi Trent, Self. 13. cap. 4.) & But The Poor Mans Cmtroverfy. 47 £K But is not this making a new article of Faith ? A. No : It is only an explanation of the truth of the myftery, as it was always believed. INSTRUCTION. As all the revealed my- fteries of Faith are above our coatprehenfion ; yet Reafon as well as Faith teaches us to. ailent and firm- ly believe them all, upon the authority of God tbc revealer, and his Church, the Teacher of them : As we believe the world was made out of nothing by his on' v word Flat: Let it be mad.;; and that the dead fhall rife to life at the very call ; Arife ye dead, and come to judgment : So we believe the myftery of the holy Eucharift upon his word : This is my body : This is my blood. The holy Catholick Church, which was taught and inftru&ed by the Apoftles, i'o expounding it as we believe it. God requires not your coinprehenfion of the myftery, but your Faith j and has pronounced thofe happy who have net feet:, and yet have believed, (Jo. xx.. 29 ) The wonderful miracle of the loaves and fifties, feems to have been wrought by Chrift, to prepare and difpofe the minds of his difciples to the belief of this divine myftery, which loon after he laid open to them in thefe words, lam the living bread, who came down from heaven. If any one fball eat of this bread, he flxill live for ever, ( Jo. vi. 51, 52.) But what was the bread, which they were to eat ? He tells them in very plain words : And the bread, zvhich J •will give, is my own fiejh, for the life of the world. (Jo. vi. 52.) The Jews wrangled and faid, How can this man give us his fie jh to eat ? (ver. 53.) Here we fee the unbelieving jews were the firft that doubt- ed of the real prefence. And what anfwer did he make to them ? How did he go about to ex- plain his words ? Not in a figurative fenfe, but ccn- nrms what he had before taught in fuch a fenfe, a; plainly implies a real prefence of his body and blood 4-8 Vhs Feor Mans Ccntrcrerfy. Wood in this facrament. Jefus therefore faid to them ; Amen, Amen, I fay to you, unlefs you /hall eat the fejh of the Son cf Man, and (hall drink his bloody you Jhall not have life in you, (ver. 54.) He that eatcth n.y fleflo, and drinketh my blood, hath life eternal ', and I will raife him up to life at the lafl day. For my fief is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed, (ver. 55? 56.) '1 his truth he aJfo revealed at his laft (upper, when he firft inftituted this great facrament. Hear his words : As they were at /upper, fefus took bread, and biefed it, and brake it, and gave it to his difciples, andjaid, Take ye, and eat, This is my body. And 'ta- king the cup, he gave thanks, and gave it to them, fay- ing, Drink ye all of this ; For this is my blood of the NevjTeJl anient, which Jhall be jhed for many for the remijjion offns, (Matth. xxvi. 26, 27, 28.) As they were eating, fejus took bread, and blejjing, he brake it, and gave it to them, and faid, Take ye, This is my body. And taking the cup, giving thanks, he gave it to them, and ihey all drank thereof and he fays to them, 7 his is my blood of the New Tejia- rient, which Jloall be Jhed for many, (Markxiv. 22, 23, 2 4-) And taking bread, he gave thanks, and brake it, and gave it to them, faying, This is my body, which is given for you : Do ye this in remembrance of me. Alfo the cup after hefupped, faying, This is the Kew Tcfia- ?iunt in my blood, which jhall be jhed for you, (Luke xxii. 19, 20.) The fame truth is clearly and fully delivered by St. Paul, writing to the Corinthians about the ufe of this facrament, who at the fame time declares he had rtceivedhis doctrine from Chi ill himfelf.-— For I > tit lied of our Lord what I delivered to you : That the Lordjejus, the fame night he was betrayed, took bread : And ghing thanks 3 he brake it, and faid, Take ye, and cat ; T'k Poor Mans Contrccerfy 49 eat : This is my body, which fiall be delivered for you : do ye this in remembrance of me. As aljo the cup, after he had fupped, faying, This cup is the New Ttf anient in my blood ; do ye this, as oft as yejhall drink it in remembrance of me, (i Cor. xi. 23, 24, 25.) It cannot be denied, but the written word in thefe texts is clearly expreffive of a real prejence ; and that the duly in'* or" fuch a real prejence, as Catholicks hold, cannot Hand together with the plain, obvious, literal feme of God's word. Therefore, thofe who deny the real prefence, contend, that the words of Scripture above cited, are to be taken, not in a literal, but a figurative fenfe; and that the Eucharift is the body and blood of Chrift in figure only, and to be taken by the receivers, only as a bare remembrance of his death, if we afk them, by what authority they forfake the literal i'^nic cf God's word, and turn lb many plain texts of Scripture to a figure; they have no anfwer to make, but that it is their Opi- nion, and the private judgment of their Seel:, that fuch is the true fenfe of Scripture. Catholicks on the contrary, take the texts of Scripture above cited, in the obvious literal fenfe, and believe it as a prime article of their Faith, that the body and blood of Chrifr. are truly, rcallv, and lub^antially prefent under the fpeeies of bread and wine in tins facrament, and that by the Ccnfecra- tion, a converfion or change is made of the whole iubllance of the bread into the body; and of the; v hob. fubfiance of the wine into the blood ot~ Chrifv. If any one afk the rcafon of this our belief, or why we follow this interpretation of Scripture; be it known to all, that we do not fellow our private Judgment herein, but the authority and dcclrine of the -whole Catholick Church and General Councils, which have cleaily defined it. Their authority in thus expounding Scripture, ought to be dccifive of C this 50 T'hf Poor Mans Controverfx. this ccntroverfy, as well as of the controverfy of the Trinity and lncar?iaiion againft former hcreiies. It is true, the word Tranfubjlaniiation and real pre fence is not found in Scripture; neither is the word Con- JubJlantial,ox Trinity, or Incarnation,X.o be found there; 'tis fufficient that the fenfe is there; of which the holy Catholick Church is the Judge by authority from God, not private Reafon. None but infidels will deny, but God can change one fubltance into another, as he did the water into wine at the mar- riage of Cava : fo when he fald, lake, eat, this is my body; he by the fame omnipotent word changed the fubftance of bread into the fubftance of his body: but it is a great misfortune, as well as a great fault, to want Faith. EXHORTATION. O! Chriftian fotil; how much are you bound in gratitude to venerate and adore this divine myftery, while the outward fign is fo vifible, the fignification fo plain, and the institu- tion of it fo man i fell ! For why was the Eucharift inftituted and given to us under the forms or fpecies cf fuch things as we eat and drink, but to fignify that Chrift, leally prefent in this facrament, is the food of fouls ? O ! dive not into this or anv other mvilery of Euithj for nothing can perplex the mind more, than a vain fearch into them by human reafon: they are not the proper object of reafon, as being above the fphere of human reafon. As God has pronounced the word, This is my body, take it in that i'cnk the Church in all former ages ever understood it. The Church was inftructed from its foundation in this, as well as all other myfteries of Faith, by the Apof- ihS: SECT« The Pcor Man's Controverjy. 51 S E C T. II. Objections cgainjl the Eucharijl anfwered, ©. TTTHY may not the words, This is my body, * * be taken in a figurative fenfe? Are there not many figurative expreihons in Scripture? A. There are: But that is not a fufficient rea- fon why thofe words ; This is my body mould be taken in that fenfe. The figurative fenfe is not only con- trary to the belief of the holy Catholick Church, but to the Lutherans alfo ; that is, to the greater part of Proteftants. j9. Why then is the Eucharift in Scripture fa often called bread} A. Becaufe it has the outward appearance or fpc- cies of bread ; and really is the bread of heaven. jp. Flow can the fame Body of Chrift be in many places at one time ? A. By the omnipotent power of God. £K Am I not to believe my fenfes? my fenfes report, that the bread and wine dill remain in their natural fubftance after confecration. A. Your fenfes only report, that the outward fpecies of bread and wine (till remain: at the fame time Faith and Revelation teaches, that the fubftance of them does- not remain, but is changed into the body and blood of Chrift: So your fenfes arc not de- ceived, but perceive their proper object, which is the outward fpecies of things. INSTRUCTION. Many are the objections of the incredulous to annul the Faith of the real pre- fence; but as they are grounded upon private 'Judg- ment and uncertain interpretations of Scripture, they ought to have no weight with a well inftructed Chrif- tian, who knows that he is commanded in fuch mat- ters of Faith, to hear and obey the unerring Church of Chrift, Who has given you authority to expound C Z thefe 5* Tne Per Mans Contnverly. thefe texts of Scripture according; to your private Opinion? Private interpretation of Scripture never was allowed in the Church of God, neither under the Old Teftament nor the New ; but under the Old law, was punifhed with death. (Deut. x\ii. 12.) Altho' fome expreflions in Scripture are figurative^ as in parables; it is no confequence that the wcics of Chriit, 7 lis is my Id'y, This is my blood, are figu- rative: he was not then fpeaking in parables, but inllituting a great facrament upon which our falva- tion depends; which was necciiarv for the world to know; and which could only be known from his w<: rds ; it was not then a time to ipeak in figures and parables, but plainly: Acccrdin. Iv, his words are plain, and had led all the Chriilian world before the reformation, into the belief of the real pretence ; and the Catholick Church in ail ages part, ever under- llocd them in that fenfe; and indeed meft of the Protectants; as is demonstrated bv a learned Froteft- ant writer in a treadle entitled, Realons for abroga- ting the Tejl. The authority of the holy Catholick Church is a fuincicnt argument with the well in- ftrucled, not to s:ive ear to the figurative fenfe: If you require further arguments, it is becaufe vcu do not believe the Church; and of fuch Chrift has pronounced, lie thai bd'uvetk not jhall be condemned. (Mark xv i. 16.) Hut if you muit have oilier reafojis, you fhall have them \rc\w Luther, he cannot be- fuipected of partiality to the Roman Catholick belief. " To " turn, lavs he, fuch plain words of Chrift to a 4i figurative feme, under pretext that there were " figurative expremens in other places of Scripture, *'• \va- to open a way whereby the whole Scripture, " and all the myfteries of our falvation might be " turned to figures. The fame fubmifTion therefore •' is required here, wherewith we receive the other The Poor Mans Cmtrcverfy. ^ * ; myfteries, without attending to human reafoning, *' or the laws of nature, but to Jefus Chrift and his " word only. Our Saviour fpoke not in the infti- " tution, either of Faith, or of the Holy Spirit, but " faid, This is my body; and not, that Faith was to *' make vou partakers thereof: what Chrifl: (roV-e " of, was not a myftical eatinjj, but an oral eatinr. " 'Tis true, Faith ought to be there to make it pro- " fitable; but to fhew that even without Faith, the " word of Jefus Chrifl had its effect, you need only " to conficer the communion of the unworthy: " He thai eateth and drinketh unworthily, eatetb and *' drin.hth judgment to h'nnjelf, not difcerning the body " of our Lord, (i Cor. xi. 29.) From which words Luther proving, that the true body of Chriii, and not in figure only, is prefent in this facrarr.cn t independently of the Faith of the re- ceiver, he then declares thofe to be impious, who hold it is his body in figure only, by affronting Chrift nor in his gifts, but immediately in his own perfon. (See the hiflory of the variations: vol. 1. 1. 2. numb. 30.) in a word, Chrifl did not fav, This is my body in f -.'<■■■>:, but abfolutely, This is my body: and, My jujh is food indeed: and, My blood is drink indeed: Nor did his Ape files, nor Judas himfelf object a^ainfl it. No General Council, Fathers, or Church, ever un- derstood his word otherwife than in the literal fenfe in the primitive ages. Bercngar'ius with his follow- ers about the middle of the eleventh century, was the firil that taught publickly again ft the belief of lire real prcfenee, and endeavoured to raife a fret againftit; pretending, as fome Protectants (or rather Prefbytcrians) do in our days, that it is his body in figure only, and a bare remembrance of his death. But this error of Berengarius and his followers, was c.-ndemncd in no lefs than eleren councils of bifhopr, C 3 54 &he Pew Mans Controversy. and at lad retracted by himfelf ; and his herefy, like others, had no other confequencc but to make the truth triumphant; and the doctrine of the real pre- fence and tranfubftantiation, was clearly defined at the beginning of the thirteenth century in the fourth Council of Lateran ; and afterwards in the General Councils of Florence and Trent. But is it not exprefsly faid, Do ye this in remem- brance of me? Very true: but thefe words do by no means ex- clmle a real prefence: on the contrary; thofe who hold the real prefence ^ when they receive this facra- ment, they cannot but feel a much more lively remem- brance of his laft fuppcr and death, than thofe who only take bread and wine in memory of him. Thefe words Do ye this in remembrance of ?ne, only inform us of the end for which we are to receive this facra- ment; viz. as a perpetual commemoration of his death; but they are not an explanation of the fore- going words, This is my body; nor do they alter their natural meaning: Hence, it is remarkable, that two of the Lvangeliffs, Matthew and Mark, have in their gofpels quite omitted thofe words, Do ye this in re- membrance of me: would they have omitted them, if they believed them to be a necefiary explanation of tlie words, This is my body? But why is the Eucharift (o frequently called bread In Scripture? I anfwer, that it is alfo fo called in the Roman MifTal itfelf, even after confecration ; fanem (anclim vita aicma; for which feveral good reafons are ailigned: firft, becaufe it really is the bread of heaven, the bread of Life: fecondly, be. cauie it frill retains the fpecies of bread, and there- fore is called bread., as angels appearing under the outward fpecies of men, are in Scripture called men. Finally, it is called bread, becaufe it was made from bread; as man is called dujl y becaufe he was made out The Poor Man's Contrtrverjy. 55 «ut of dud: Duji thou art, and into dujl then flmlt return. But left this expreffion of bread fhould lead us into miftake j Chrift himfelf, at the fame time he cjIIs it bread, tells us what this bread is: viz: The bread which I will give, is my own flejh, for the life of the war Id. (Jo. 6. v. 52.) If any one afk, how the fpecies of bread and wine can remain without the fubftance? furely none but an infidel will deny, but this may be done by the fame power of God, which has {o often made an- gels appear under the fpecies of human bodies, when the fubftance of human bodies was not there. Still the incredulous is not fatisfied, but objects once more, that it does not feem poftible, how the fame body can be in many places at once. But thofe Proteftants who make this objection, fhould reflect, that their brethren-reformers the Lu- therans, all believing the real pre fence, have this ob- jection to anfwer as well as Catholicks: As alfb thofe who believe with the Church of England, That the body and blood of Chrijl is verily and indeed taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper; which of confequence muft needs be in many places at once in their Eafter communions. But let the Proteftant learned bifhop Forbes give the anfwer to this ob- jection. " Many Proteftants, fays he, too boldly " and dangeroufly deny, that God has power to " tranfubftantiate the bread into the body of Chrift. " 'Tis true, all own that what implies a contradic- 16 tion, cannot be done. But becaufe in particular " no body knows certainly, what is the eflence of " every thing, and confequently, what implies a " contradiction, and what not; 'tis without queftion " a rafhnefs in any, to put limits to God's power. I " approve the opinion of the divines of Wittem- " burgh, who aflert the power of God to be fo 44 great, that he can change the fubftance of the C 4 « bread ?6 Tlie Poor Maris Contrcverfy. " bread and wine into the body and blood of Omit." *' .And if he can make the change at one' time, fo alio * ; at another in the fame facrament. (Forbes de Euch. J. i. c. 2.) The queftion is not, whether we com- prehend this m) fiery of our faith, but whether it is icvealed. f\ow it cannot be denied by any man of candour, that we have full as good grounds in Scrip- ture, Umverfai Tradition, and the authority of the Church, to believe the real prefence, as for the Tri- nity and Incarnation, or any other mvftery of the Chrifhan Religion. The myftery then being re- vealed, vain philofophy mufi be filent. But muft I not believe my fenfes? It appears to all mv fenfes, and to the fenfes of all, that the bread and wine after confecratlon, Jlill remain in the natu- ral fin J fiances of bread and wine. This may feem plaufible to the unlearned ; but it is fal e philofophy: 'I he truth is, that the fenfible qualities, or outward fpecies of things, net the iub- i ; mlv of them, are the obicdls of lenfe : Thefe mil ■it-main in the Euchuiib. after confecrauon; lb your mates a.e not deceived, but perceive their proper mhc:. lb. t mufi: we not conclude, you'll fay, that \ mere fa i a; . f.ble epe.; hties, or accidents, or fpecies ' f hat ;,: ate, then a'ib is the ihlfiarxe under their ; < {].(■: a. u ."•'-( an ne \ er know by our fenfes where the ,a m ;;,'..: bm.^sh: ih.rTae, a, tb: fpecies ef 1 read ami wire fhii ..pj er r in b.e huchari ft alter cc n- miaen: \ . '. iu \ e a i", a lit t -.> co:icluue, that the fub- it nee a as . century. Would God i a 1 1 er lo grievous an error, fas is P r Ion-; therein, a-imit/th Ci riii-i ,!i law, a d fo f ;S p. with her, When he* the :;•/■•, be fo.nl teach y;« all tnu ■M the whole Catholick C;n U'ch, 53 The Per Mans Cordroi'erjy. all temptations: Let not Senfe, but Faith direct yotl to judge of this divine myftery, which is not an ob- ject of your fenfes, but of Faith : Faith comes by hear- ings not by fig ht : It is the belief cf things that do not appear. (Heb. xi. i. & Rom. x. 17.) SECT. III. On Communion in one Kind. He that eateth this bread /hall live for ever, (Jo. vi. 58.) j^. T" CANNOT reconcile myfelf to your prac- JL tice of receiving the facrament in one kind; \vhv is it not taken as Chrift inftituted? A. Whether we receive in one kind or both, we fully anfv/er the end of the institution. £). But docs not Chrift command all to receive 5n both kinds? A. No : his command at the laffc Supper to con- fecrate and receive in both kinds, only reached to the apoftles and to the piiefls, whole ofHce it is to offer the Euchariftick Sacrifice, which cannot be donewitho.it coniecratingand receiving in both kinds &K How far does the command extend to the prieits in private communion? A. No further than to the reft of the faithful. i?. Is not communion in both kinds frequently mentioned in Scripture? A. Yes : And there is alio mention made as fre- quently of communion in one kind: This is the I read thfeending from heave/;, that if any one fall eat there- of he may not die, (Jo. 6. ver. 5:-). If any man tat of this breaa, he fall live for ever, (ver. 51). Fie that eateth this bread, I ball live for ever. (ver. 50.) INSTRUCTION. The holy Catholick Church, which received frcm Chriit the whole power and authority of teaching the truth of his gofpel, has The Poor Mans Controverjy', 59 decreed in two General Councils, that of Conftance, and that of Trent, that it is fufficient to receive in one kind; feeing we believe that Chrift himfelf is really prefcnt in this facrament, and received under each kind: And as the grace of this facrament is wholly derived from Chrift therein really prefent, who is the fountain and caufe of all grace to us; it cannot be doubted by any one who has a right Faith in Chrift, that the fame and as much is received under one kind as both. And thu it is eafily un- derftood, that communion in one kind does fully anfwer the end of the inltitution. For what is the: end of the inltitution of this facrament, but that by approaching to it and receiving it, we may receive Chrift, who is the food of fouls, that he may pre- ferve life in us, till foul and body arrive to life evcr- lafting? Now Chrift being alike prefent under the fpecies of bread, as under the fpecies of wine; whe- ther we receive in one kind or both, we receive the lame fpiritual and immortal food of our fouis, and all the grace eftential to this facrament. Weil: but fince Chrift commanded all to receive in both kinds, you cannot, as you fav, but think vourfelves wronged to be thus defrauded of the cup: Did not he lay to all, Drink ye all of this? This cur adverfaries miftake: That coir,ni:nJ y Drink ye all of t b: Si was not given to the laity. Chrift at the laft Sunper g.rve two commands, both of them directed to the rXpoftles, and in them t> the pricfts, not 1 > the laity. The firft is contained in iheie words, Do ye ibis in remembrance of me ; whereby he gave a command, and alio ; owcr, to con- feerate in bodi kinds, which is not the office of the laity but of prieils. The fecond in thefe words, D, ink ye ail of this: whereby he commanded then to communicate in both kinds as often as they fh.dl cenfecrate: Nov/ as the tirft command of cor. ft crating in both kinds, was given only to ' t,he 6o The P.or Mans Contrmerjy* the pi 'efts as is evident ; and not to all the Chrif- t:an people, without diftinction of clergy and laiLV; upon what grounds are you fo confident, that trie other command, Drink ye all of this, was di- rected to all the faithful, any mere than the com- mand of confecrating expreffed in the words, Do ye this in reme7r.brar.ee of trie; whereas, it is clear our S..v:cur in both (poke to rone but the Apofrlcs? It is certainly there tore very wrong, in thefe cur pri- vate interpreters of Scripture, to apply to all the Jaity the command of our Saviour directed only to the Apoflles at the time he made them priefis, and gave th' m power to confecrate the holy Euchariii ; for with as much rcafhn they may pretend, that he gave the laity power to forgive fins, and aehninijler Laptifm in ordinary, and preach, when he.fi id to his Apcitles, JVhofe fins ye /hall remit, they ere remitted r.nto the?/, ; and when he laid to them, Go ye, and ieaeh all nations, baptizing them. New, as to the command, Drink ye ad! of tide ; it is conftantly fulfilled by bifheps and priefts of the Catholick Church, as often as they cenfecrate ami offer the Sacrifice. But in private communions they receive as the laity, in one kind under the f< rrn c f bread. Can it be thought they intend herein- tc de- fraud thtmjehes of one hedf of the feierament t In a word, it was the practice in the primitive Church, for the laitv to communicate fc-mctim.es hi loth kind:, and fometimes in ere: In pul lie com.- ;i; ns they did commonly (tho' not in all plactf :ri:nieate in both; in private communion*, in ciu The learned part of our oAvrr r.rics know v. hat I e e, t.o by the "litre afilrt to be true; and the fame m; •■■ro\rd btvond replv. This fhew* that tive Church, which was tauyht and infra Apofllcs in all matters of Faith and lrcremcr.m, knew c f no divine ccrr.martd f^r ail the la-ty to re- mi ■ in both kinds, There 'The Poor Masts Controvcrfy. 61 There arc ftatutes and injunctions in the reformed Churches themfelves, to admmiker the commumon in one kind, to fuch of their people as have an. anti- pathy to wine, winch is fairly owning, that it is not contrary to the injlitutim and commend of Chri,1\ for if it were, it would be not only a half facrament^ but a whole facrilege, no: to be difpenfed with by the ordinance of any Church, or the act of any ftate. As to the frequent mention in Scripture of com- muni at in both kinds, there is alio much mention therein of conmnn'on in one; from whence, neither you do ;i 'htiy infer, that the laity communicated always in botb\ nor we, that they communicated always in one.: Liut the only right inference is, that they covrauu heated fometirnes in one, and fometimes in both; it being tifual in writers, to mention the maimers and c adorns of their times, as they were co n n Hily c! me. To conalud-; Is it not ftrange, that a fet of obfeure men, Luther, Calvin, and ta-.hr followers, without midhm or auth ,-ri:y from any lawful fuperior, mould K more knowing raid clear-fighted in this and :ther diviii: matters, than oar p imitive anceftors, raid mould now ice tilings wholly urheqn in all ages before : EXHORTATION. O ChrifHan foul! as via believe and fibmit to all truths taua.be bv the !. >ly Cutholick Church ; be you ;d-u> obedient to this y > at of her doctrine and difcipline, grounded on the fatae authority and antiquity. As than you believe the body and blood of Chrifr, " i C lrifr. himfeif, is truly prefent under each kind, and Hfeprtvnhbd to the receiver of either; follow the pre! ait practice of the Catholick Church ; authorlfed '' ' t'le decrees of General Councils. Prepare your- u i !.j ;i holy communion in one h'nd, O ! re eivs this 6 2 c I'he Poor Man's Contrmerjy. this bread of heaven, remembering the word of Chrift, that he ivho eateih thereof may not die. Adore your blcfled Jefus equally prefent in one kind as in both, and therefore cannot fail to produce the fame fruits and effect in your foul. But no wonder thofe are in an error about the manner of receiving this facrament, who are in an error about the facrament itfelf, and neither believe the body and blood of Chrift is recehed, neither in one hind nor both. Let them firft belie\e the real prefence with all orthodox Chriftians throughout the world and true faith, will open their eyes, to fee that the facrament is entire in either kind, Chrift being entire in each. Luther indeed held, that only the body cf Chrlit is prefent together with the bread, and only the blood of Chrift with the wine, which is putting- him in a real (late of death ; in winch abfurd fyflem it would indeed be confequent, that there Is not as much prefent in one kind as in both, hut as one abfurdi- tv follows the other, we muft renounce both, and thi.nk God that has enlightened us with the true faith, whereby we knew there can be no fepaiation of the bodv and blood of Chrilt iince his refurrection ; nor feparation of Irs Divine Perf< n, and his human Na- ture, fince his Inclination ; and therefore he is entire in each kind In this adorable fa.cra.ment. v\ hen therefore vcu are prefent at the facrihee, rain up your heart to bcth tin s, and join with the p; ell in commemorating the death and pailion of our Lord : () ' think how~hh body was crucified, and his blood Hied for you! Abhor that vain and ar- rogant doctrine, which tcachi s that Chi hi Is only pre- fent in the: Lucharill l.t figure, like iorn:er hereticks, who held that he was onlv in figure upon earth before his pallic n, and not truly and Jubjlanilall;, Con- f . is him really prefent under each kind, and adore h'm as your Lord and your God ; Ah I my Lord and ;;, God. ( fohn xx. 2b'- SECT. the Poor Mans Controverfy 63 SECT. IV. the Eiicharifi a Sacrifice. Do ye this hi remembrance of me. (Luke xxii. 19.) Q. x T7 HAT is the Mafs ? * * A. 'Tis a facrifice or offering of the body and blood ofChriif, under the fpecies of bread and wine. J9. By whom was it inftituted ? A. By Chrift at his I aft fupper. jy. To what end was this done ? A. That the facrifice of the crofs might be daily reprefented before our eyes, and the memory of it ever continue ; and that the bleffed fruits thereof might be continually imparted to us. INSTRUCTION. Religion is the worfhip of God, and th ; s duty we fulfill in the moil ciTential manner, byorfermg facrifice to him, in acknowledg- ment of his iupreme being, and dominion over us and all creatures. For this reafon, under the law of nature, before a written law was given, God was worshiped publickiy by iaenhee, bv his fervants and adorers, the ancient Patriarch:; and their Families ; Abel, Hlnos, !\oe, Abraham, Job, Melchifedeck, who always believed that facrifice was a neceffary worlliip, and that it could not lawfully be offered to any other but the true God, as the law of Mofes afterwards plainly taught: He that faerifuetb to the go. Is Jhall be put is death, to any other but to the Lord only. (Exod. xxii. ver. 20.) Under the law of Mofes, three kinds of facrifice were appointed to be offered by the prlefts of that law, viz. the Holocauji ; the Sin-offering; and the Peace-offering. But thefe facrifice s were only types and fig-.tres of another facrifice to come, and were not adequate to the maeity of God, At length then Chrift &4 ^ i^W M*»'j Controversy. Chrift coming, and finding in the world no offering pure enough to he offered to God, he offered himftlf once on the crois, and by his inftitution and com- mand, is daily offered on the altar. Then all the facrifices of Aaron, the Hclocnn/is. the Siri-offhir:?:. and the Peacc-cjft rings, which were but types or tn^s, were to ceafe, and the only facrifice of the ivlediatcr to remain ; in which ail perfection is fc\;r,<], that can be as well in the facrnSec as in the faenhcer : nov', that this facrifice mav never ceafv. Jhc pricfls are commanded to do what Chiiffcdid at the laic fup- pcr :<) co announce the cluith of the herd till hi conitb, (i Cor. xi. 2.6.) Thus the faciilice cf the crois and the altar has fulfilled in truth, ah that was figured bv the ancient faenncci ; tins one an!\vei:ng the cj .1 cf tlr.m all; as he >n ; the m: phet, to be offered from the ri,, :g of the fun to the fide, ih r, :f in all ;f cos. VYha.t then is thi-/;:;v offerings Kit die facrifice of the altar, which The Poor Man's Controversy. 6$ which being the fame hoft that was once offered on the crofs,is trulyraoft pure and holy. This is the pure offering foretold by Malachy, which has been for fo many ages offered to the name of God in every place by the converted Gentiles. Accordingly, the primitive Doctors of the Church, St. juftin, Iraeneus, Ter- tullian, and Cyril of Alexandria, apply this prophecy of the eucharifticlc facrifice, and teach in exprefs terms, that the apoftles learned from Chrift, to offer this facrifice throughout the earth. (See Judin. Dial. cum Trvphone. Tertull. con. Marcionem, lib. 3, c. 21. Iron. lib. 4. c. 32. Cyril con. Jud. lib. 2. 12. 16.) But is it not written, that Chrift offering up one facrifice for fn, there is no more oblation for fn, (Her* x. 12 & 18.) It is true, there is but one facrifice of redemption^ viz. that of Chrift upon the crofs ; God required but once the ranfom paid ; and this is the facrifice of redemption St. Paul fpeaks of, where he fays, there is no more oblation for Jin : the redemption wrought by his facrifice on the croi's was an eternal redemption. Yet as his priefthood was not to be extinguifhed by his death, but ever to continue according to the order tf Llelchifedeck; he left a vifible facrifice to his Church; viz, Irs body and blood, under the fpeeies of bread and wine, which he offered to h.s eternal Father at the iatT (upper, and delivering it to the apoftles to par- take thereof, he comma.) led them, and in t.iem the prieds the^ fucceflbrs, to oif.-r the lame bv thefe words, Do ye this in remembrance cf vie ; that fo by this oiiv ing, ins facrifice on thi crofs may be daily reprcfentcd before our eve;;, and ihe memory ot it continue to the en.l of the world: And as in this divine facrifice of the altar, the lame H > 1 is offered as on the crofs ; wed mav we believe tl at it is a truly pro pitiatorv facrif.ee j ana thai die remiliion of iins, 66 77ie Poor Mans Controver fins, and the fruits of that moft wholfome facrifice of* our redemption en the crofs, are plentifully imparted daily to all devout adorers by this of the altar ; \o far is this from derogating from the merit o^ the other : at the fame time, by this divine facrifice we render fupreme worfhip and due honour to God upon his altars in all places, as the prophet foretold ; and all five f;.ithfu! are united in one publick worfhip. (See Coun. of Trent, Sell'. 22. c. 1, 2.) If our adverfaries cbjccl:, "That every prophecy of jcripture is not cf private interpretation. This we grant ; nor do we interpret the prophecy of JYlalachy, as protectants do, by our private inter- pretation : but in this and other texts of fcripture, relating to the eucharift both as afacrament and fa- crifice, we follow the public interpretation of the church and fatners : " For fo the holy Catholick " Church ever underftood and taught," as the coun- cil of Trent obferves. (SelT. 22. c. 1.) As to the fathers, the mod: eminent protectant writers, after they had diligently examined their writings on this head, at length fairly owned, that thefe ancient doctors taught the eucharift to be a facrif.ee, as well as a facrament, to be offered to God ail over the world. " It cannot be denied, fays " Rempnitius, a rigid proteftant, but the ancients, " when thev fpeak of the celebration of the Lord's " fupper do ufe the word facrifice, immolation, oblation, " hojt, victim." (Exam. Con. Trid.) Luther alio, after an exact Scrutiny of the fathers fentiments, at length puzzled howto expound them in favour of hi reform, bids farewel to them all in thefe words . " If there is nothing more to be laid, <•• it is u fer to deny all, than to grant that the mais ' ; is a facrirxc." To Luther, we may add Calvin, who gives up the fathers to us as roundly as Luther : " I lee, " lav 5 The Poor Mans Ccntroverfy. 6j fays he, that the ancients alio turned this memo- rial to a different purpole than is fuitable to the inftitution of our Lord; inafmuch as their i'upper carried the face of i know not what, repeating and renewing of a facrifice." (Inftitut. 1. 4. c. 18. & 11.) The Centuriators of Ma2;deburgh alfo, who were rigid Lutherans, confefs that the primitive Fathers taught this our Catholick docdrine of the Eucha- riftick facrifice. (Cent. 2. c. 4. col. 63) They blame St. Ire- naeus for teaching this fame doctrine. " Of the *' Oblation, fay they, Irenoeus feems to fpeak tm- " properly enough, when he fays, That Chrift " taught a new oblation of the New Teftament, " which the Church receiving from the Apoftles, " offers to God all the world over." (Cent. 2. c. 24. col. 63) They Iikewife blame St. Ignatius Martyr, for tiie fame doctrine. (Cent. 3. c. 4. col. 83) They cenfure St. Cyprian for teaching, ** That the pried: officiates ii in the place of Chrift, ana that a facrifice is " offered to God the Father." From the teftimonies of ail thele protectant wri- ters, protdtants themfelvcs cannot but conclude, that thefe moft ancient primitive Fathers held the Eucharifl: to be a facrihee of divine inftitution ; and what they taught in their dogmatical writings, the fame was in practice all over the Chriftian Church, as all the ancient liturgies at this day ex- tant bear witnefs. Let but our adverfaries in- fpect, and read over the litursn" of St. James; that of St. Clement; that of St. Bafil ; and of St. John Chryfoftom; that expounded by St. Cyril of Jc- rufaiem; and that by St. Ambrofe; the Armenian; the Coptick; 5cc. in every one of them they will find a rule or canon prefcribed for the offering this facri- 68 The Foot Mans Controverjy. facrince of the body and blood of Chrift under the fpecies of bread and wine, for the living and the dead,. exprefied in as full terms as in the Roman Miflal. The mafs then is as ancient as Chriilianity : And with good grounds, both from Scripture and traditi- on, did tiie Council of Trent define: That therein is offered to God a true and propitiatory facrifiee both for the living and the dead. (Sell'. 22. Can. 1. hi Can. 3.) EXHORTATION. O Chriftian, praife God in ail his wonderful works, chiefly in the holy Eu- charift, which by his inflitution he has made both facrament and facrifiee: In the one, to be the fweet food of our fouls; in the other, that we may give to God due adoration and thankfgiving ; that we may have Chrift prefent on our altars to intercede for us ; and to expiate oui daily fins. His love and goodnefs is fo great, as not only to yield up his life once on the crofs for our redemption.; but he would ftill con- tinue to be our facrihee on the altar for the firs of mankind, by daily i:vpar:in£r the benefits of h : s death and pafiic n, to fuch as are there prayed for arid recommended, whether living or dead, bv the pried that oilers; Chrift himfelf, wno is the Hoi*, intercedimj; for them: Ever living to intercede for as, as St. Paul (ays, (Hcb. vii. 25.) he is the true Moles, ftill diverting tiie fcourge of heaven from us. () think vourfelvcs moil happv under inch a di- vine Holocauft ! never fail attending thereat; but let it be with a pure heart, with a coniritt hearty with interior adoration, dev lit thank faking; and fervent fr. rand fu'r,iication\ flill renewing tiie memory of his death, which is commemorated wi this daily facrilioe, and by which the merits and fruits thereof are plent fully in. parted to our fouls. Say then, Lamb of God, who take/? away the f us of the ivorid, lave mercy on us. SEC i °The Poor Man's Controverjy. 69 SECT. V. On the Latin Liturgy or M.ifs in the Latin Tongue* jp. "XTfrHY is the mafs and the divine office in * your Catholick Church celebrated in the Latin tongue, and not rather in the vulgar tongue of every country ? A. To keep up an uniformity in the divine wor- fhip in all places; and to avoid the changes that the vulgar languages are fubject to. i£. But would it not be more edifying to the people, efpecially the ignorant, in a language which they underftand ? A. The liturgy in the vulgar tongue of every country, would be attended with great inconvenien- cies: neither is it fo very requifite; feeing the priefr at mafs is not preachings but praying, and ofierng facri- fice for the people; and they are otherwife inftruclred in the meaning of this facrince. a-9. How can the ignorant and illiterate be made to underftand the meaning of a Latin fervice ? A. ' Tis the pallors care to initruc't them from their infancy : Beiides, the mafs is tranflated into many of the vulgar languages., and inferred into common prayer books : Not indeed tor toe lay people to recite the canon along with t':e orielt, but oidy to inform them and their prot_ifcanc neighbours of the meaning thereof, that they iaav ih better join with the pried: by devotion and cord'enc. jp. But how can they join witii the prieft in what they do not underftand ? A. 'Tis fufHcient their intention goes along with him in commemorating the death of Cnrift : God does not fo much regard the lifts as the heart. INSTRUCTIO \ T . The Catholic Church never held it as a necefiary rule, that the liturgy fhould be 70 'The Pocr Man's Ccntroverfy. be celebrated in a language unknown to the people. This is evident; becaufe from the beginning her liturgy was chiefly in Greek and Latin; in Greek for the eafr. ; and in Latin for the weft; which were the languages the moft univerfally underftood in thofe times. Yet neither did fhe judge it convenient or necefTary that it fhould be celebrated publickly in ilgar tongue oi every country: This is alio evident ; for tho' Greek iincl Latin in the primitive ages of the Church were the moft univerfal lan- guages; vet they were unknown tongues to very manv of the vulgar people in molt nations, who had their peculiar language, and knew and fpoke no other; notwith {landing, the Church never indulged them with the liturgy in their vulvar tongues, but ftii] kept it in the learned languages: For which n anv very 'rood reafons are afligned. Firlt, becaufe the learned languages being fixed bv the rules of grammar, arc not liable to thefe changes and corruptions as the vulgar languages are. Secondly, to keep an uniformity in the publick wo: flii p of God in all pare; of the Church, tho' ever L> widely diitant ; for now, thofe that travel into foreign countries, finding there the liturgv in the fame language as at home, if they are priefts, they can officiate; if not, thev can attend it with the fame devotion as in their own country. But in the reformed Churches, where the liturgy is allowed in the vulgar tongue of every country, thev are barb, reus in refpect to one another, all reading and praying in unknown tonpua. underftood generally bv none but the natives of each particular countiy. With good reafon then the Council of Trent did not think fit to decree, that the mafs fhould be ce- lebrated commonly in the vulgar tongue of every country. 'SeiT. 22. c. 8.) Not to keep the vul- var in ignorance: Nothing is more groundless than that 'The Poor Man's Controvtrfy. 71 that afperfion ; for the Council at the fame time in- joins all pallors to inftruct their people diligently in their vulgar tongue, in every point of the liturgy : Is this keeping them in ignorance? Thus the illi- terate receive no prejudice by the liturgy being cele- brated in the Latin tongue, they being well inffructed in the meaning thereof, by their parlors, and by many excellent writings pubiifhed for that purpofe. They are taught that the priefl at the altar, by the inflitu- tion of Chrift, is offering facrifice for them, and that the facrifice is propitiatory both for the living and the dead : 'Tis fufficient that they join with him by con- sent and devotion, tho' they neither underfland, nor fo much as hear the words of the canon, or offering; which by the rituals of all the liturgies both of the Eaflern and Weitern Church, is ordered to be reci- ted in fecret by the priefl that officiates, as being his proper office. And as in the time of the old law it was fuffici- ent for the people who flood out of the temple, and were out of the fight and hearing of the pried that offered the facrifice, (Luke. i. 10.) fufficient, I fay, for them to know that he was offering facri- fice for them, and to join in heart and intention with him; fo now it fulfices for the Chriflian people to be prefent with devotion, and join vnth the offer- ing by confent, tho' they neither fee nor hear the priefl at the altar, which muff be commonly the cafe, efpecially in all great Churches. Even the deaf, blind, and dumb, may be made fenfible of what is doing for them in the divine fervice. As to the other parts of the divine office of the Church in Latin, what offence can it give ? Seeing the people at the fame time pray in a language which they underfland. and the priefl prays for them in a language which he understands : Yet even herein the people may join by their devotion, as they well know the 7 2 The Poor Mai's Contro'verfy. the Church office confifts of pfalrrs, and hymns, and other moil: devout prayers: And if the elience of ptayer is an elevation of the heart and mind to God, no cne, I think, need be afraid of glorifying God by joining in the divine ofrice, tho' he underitands not the language. — So thofe religious communities of women repeating the divine office in Latin, tho' many of them underftand not the language perfectly, I doubt not, receive great benefit by joining with the choirs of the Church, and the choirs of Angels in praifing God, who does not fo much regard the mouth as the heart and intention. He is more ho- noured by the heart than the lips. — As to inftruc- tions, fermons, exhortations; thefe throughout the whole Cat.oiick Church, are always delivered in the vulgar tongue of every country. EXHORTATION. As you are fufficiently in- structed and underffand the meaning of the divine facrilice, which is ottered to God in all places, as the prophet Malachy foretold; join daily with the prieft in commemorating the death and pafh< n of our Lord. Reflect well on what he fufrered for you in the garden; in the ieveral courts of r.nnas, Cai- pha?,, Herod, Pilate, and on the crofs. And as the prieft is not preaching but praying for you, join your intention with his, while he offers the facrilice for all ivbo ate pre lent with devotion: He ofrers it as a divine Holocaujl, to give to GgU that fu pre me adoration which is due to him. Adore Got' then at the fame time in jpirit and truth. Re- turn tl.ankfgivirg and praife for all blcflings received: Sup] licate for pardon of vour lins thro' this iacrihee of propitiation. And let your petitions be made known to God thro' Jefus Chriff, who en the altar is both prieft and facrifke. Every time you fhall attend on this divine fervice with devotion, the merits and fruits of his paiTion will redound to the good of your foul. The Poor Mans Contraverjy. 73 foul. Pray Vor all who are blind to this myftery: There are none fo blind as thofe who will not lee the great Myireries of our Faith. C II A P. X. On Penance, end CGnfeffion of Sins to a Prieft. Whofe fins ye Jhall remit, they are remitted unto them, (Jo. xx. 23.) 4j>. \KT II A T do you mean by Penance ? * * A. Penance, which before the comino- of Chrift was no Sacrament, is now made a Sacrament of divine Inftitution, by which all fins committed after Baptifm are remitted to true penitents. £K What is required on the part of Penitents for this remirnon of fins ? A. To be contrite of heart : To confefs their fins to the Prieft. And to perform the fatisfaclion or penitential works enjoined. Thefe are the difpo- fitions required of Penitents : But the Abfolution is given by the Prieft ; and the grace that juilifies the finner given by God. j^. By what power does the Prieft act ? A. Not by any power of his own, but by the power of Chrift, which he imparted to the Apoftlcs, and to thofe who fucceed them in the Priefthood. j^- When was this power given them ? A. When after his RefurrecYion he breathed on them, faying, Whofe fins ye Jhall remit, they are re- mitted unto them ; and whofe fins ye Jhall retain, they are retained. (Jo. xx. 23.) §K Was this power given to any others but the Apoftles ? D A. Yes; 74 57/d" Poor Mans Cont rover fy. A. Yes ; as I faid, it was undoubtedly to pafs to their Succeftbrs. As when he gave them power to Preach, Baptize, and Confecrate ; who can doubt but that power parted to thofe who iuc- ceeded them by a lawful ElcRlon, Ordination, and Mijfton ? j£. It fecms as if you made Gods of vour Priefts ; for the power of forgiving fins cniv belongs to him. A. No more than Chrift our Lord made Gods of the Apoilles, when he gave then; this power : Can- not God make men the inftruments of his power ; as he did Movies and Aaron under the Old Teita- ment, and his Apoftles under the New ? j£\ Is it not enough to confefs to God ? A. Before Penance was made a Sacrament, it was fufficient. But now Confeflion both to God and the Pried is made neceffary ; becaufc we live under a law that requires it ; and at the fame time gists the Prieit power to abfolvc us in the iu.._ie of God. e^. Is not ConfefMon to a Priefi, and A^fohi'. -n as held by Catholicks, an encoirasrement to Sm r A. Quite the contrarv : For Confe-fTon is a \r\c\t. reflraint to nature; and many conuLLm .ire ; re- quired to a valid abfolution ; viz. A nne.r. amine of co.nfcience, and Cor.feiTion o! c\crv m r- tal fin to the Pried; a hearty iorrow lor then 1 ; and a real purpofe of amendment ; with lutist e. t : ■_> i : ior iiio pail. INSTRUCTION. <'■ Penance was not ■ :-a- lt crar.tent before the coming of Chrifr, nor C: cc " his coming to any one before B 'ptifm. Bm " Chriif our Lord then in par" cm i ir.ftituted " the Sacrament of Penance, v : en after his Re- - l fu'-rcetion from tiie ;lcad, Ik breath "d on Iris " Dncinles, u.-ene, Rcuhs ye ti\ tbh <■>"■ ■ ; .'. The Poor A fan's Controverfv, 7 s c<; ivhofe fins ye Jhall remit) they are remitted unta " them ; and "juhofe fins ye flail retain, they are " retained. By which remarkable adtion, he gave " to his A pottles and their lawful SuccefTors, the " power or" remitting and retaining (ins, for the " reconciling of the Faithful, who fall into fin " after Baptifm : So the Fathers unanimoufly e\ er " underftood it : And the Catholick Church with c ' great reafon, formerly condemned and explod- " ed the Novatian Hcreticks, who denied this c ' power of remitting fin." So far the Council of Trent : (Self. 14. chap. 1.) And the fame Council has pronounced Anathema to thofe who jhall fay, that Penance, as u fed in the Catholick Church, is not truly and properly a Sacrament, injlituted by Chrijl our Lord, for reconciling the Faithful as often as they fall into fin after Baptifm. (ibid. Can. i.) We hold then two effential truths : Finl, That Baptifm is neceffary for remifiion of Original Sin, and all fins committed before Baptifm. Secondly, That Penance is a Sacrament neceffary for remiflion of fins after Baptifm. By Baptifm we have the firfi rernifilon : By Penance, the Second. For fince men are lo frail, as all muft know, and as apt to fall into fm after Baptifm as before ; it was necef- fuw the Church fhould have another Sacrament of d.\ine inftituticn, bides Baptifm tor remiflion of fir.s after B; ptifm ; feeing, that without remifiion of Pus the foul cannot be faved. H-. nee God, rich in mercy, knowing this our fran'tv, has provided a remedy for ail, who arc fal- len again under the power of the devil, and the fhv -:y of hi 1 , fince their Baptifm, to reft ore them a^ain to the life of Grace : And this remedy is the Sacrament cf Penance, which by appb ing the be- nefit cf ChriiVs death, remits all f.ns to inch a., are truly penitent. (Coun. Trent, ilff. 74. ch; punifhment of it ftill remains ? We anfwer : That when we fay the fin is remit- ted, we mean the guilt thereof, and the eternal punifhment due to it ; this is properly, the remijjwn of fin, according to the ufual ftile of Scripture. Yet the fame Scripture teaches, that after the fin is thus remitted, ftill fome penance is to be done Every one may convince himfelf of this truth, by what we read of the penitent David ; that altho" upon his fincere repentance, the prophet Nathan pronounced his pardon : The Lord alfo hath taken away your fin: (2 Kings xii. 11. and 19.) Yet the Prophet denounced to him many heavy temporal chaftifements ; and the fame threaten other finners ; for which there is no remedy, but either to do pe- nance, or fue for mercy by an Indulgence. God forgave David's fin ; yet inflicted many temporal punifhments upon him for it ; and tho' David knew by revelation, that his fin was forgiven, he ftill thought himfelf under an obligation of doing nc- ... . ^ . nance in this life. But God's indulgence to us is greater : For he not only remits the guilt of our fins, by the Sacrament of Penance, but alfo, the temporal punifhment due, by a plenary Indulgence. In a word, what mean thofe frequent exhortations and admonitions of Holy Scripture, calling upon finners to do works of penar.ee r and what mean the Canons of the primitive Church, enjoining thefe penitential works to repenting finners, (which is alio the practice of the prefent Church, in theadminiftra- ticnof the Sacrament of Penance) but in order to- D -> cancel g2 The Poor Maris Controverfy. cancel the debt of temporal punilhment, due to their fins already confefTed ? 'Tis this temporal punifli- ment or penance, that remains due to fin after the guilt thereof, and eternal punifhment is remitted to penitents, which is releafed by an Indulgence; if we devoutly perform the conditions and good works en- joined to thofe who have power to grant it. This power is not from man, but from God him- felf, faying, firft to St. Peter, and afterwards to all ihe Apoftles, Whatfoever you fh all bind on Earth, /ball be bound alfo in Heaven \ and whatfoever you Jhall un- bind on Earth, (hall be unbound alfo in Heaven. (Matth. xvi. 19. and xviii. 18.) But fince we do .not argue upon our own private judgment \\\ this, or any other controverfy, let us fee what the General Council of Trent has decreed of this matter of faith, as follows : — " Seeing the power of granting In- *' diligences was given to the Church by Chrift ; *' and the Church, in the moft early ages, did "' make ufe of this power, as received from him, *' the moft holy Synod teaches and commands, that *' the ufe of Indulgences, which is highly beneficial " to the Chriftian People, and approved of by the *' authority of the facred Councils, fhall be retained *' in the Church; and condemns and anathematizes's ** thofe who either pronounce them unprofitable, or * ; deny the power of the Church to grant them." (Con.-,. Trent. Self. 25. Decreeof Indulg.) To the validity of an Indulgence is required: Firft, That it be granted by a lawfull authority : And Secondly, That there be a fufficient caufe or motive for the grant of it. On the part of thofe it is granted to, many conditions are alio required : As Confeffion of fins to a Prieft ; Communion of the holy Eucharift, Prayers, Failings, Anns; in a word, all the god works enjoined by thofe who grant i\\c Indulgence, mull be diligently performed to {/.. n this remiiHon or pardon. This TI.e Poor Maris Controverfy. 83 This well eonfidered, 'tis not fo eafy a thing as our adverfarics pretend, to gain the benefit of an In- dulgence : Great humiliation is required thereto-. Sin is not h foon remitted, nor its punifhment, hut by fincere acts of penance. Neither does the Indul- gence take oft" the general obligation of leading a penitential life, which is the indifpenfible duty of every Chriftian. Do worthy fruits of -penance, da penance, is faid to all : To the juft, to preferve them from fin ; to fmners, to avert the indignation of God. (Matt. iii. 8. & iv. 17.) The Indulgence then granted by the Church, if rightly underftood, and not jnifreprejented, as it commonly is by our adverfaries, can never encourage: to fin, but rather invites to a total converfion from fin : feeing the Church at fuch times earneftly exhorts all finners to return to God with their whole heart ; and to encourage them to the good works enjoined for the gaining the Indulgence ; fets open all the treafures of divine grace, propofing the moil ample rewards that God promifes to ail thofe, who by a fervent repentance (hall become objects of his mercy. All this joined together, we may well hope, cannot but end in the converfion of many finners ; and alio encourages the multi- plying of good works in the fouls of the faithful, which is the chief intent of the Church, at leaft, one great motive for granting thefe Indulgences, And tho' the good works required for obtaining the beneiit of a Plenary Indulgence, if eonfidered fingly as the works of each perfon, may feem but incon- fid enable ; vet when taken alltogether as done by the faithlul in a body ; they are very great, and of great merit ; and fufficient to bring down great blefTings upon the world. No doubt but Indulgences as well as other good things may be abuled ; But that is no reafen why ?4 fkt Poor Mans Controverfy. the divine inftitution of them, which is highly bene- ficial to the Chrijiian people^ fhouid be given over. Had Luther directed his invectives only againft the abufes, and prefled the reformation of them in a ca- nonical way ; he had deferved no blame, but praife. But proceeding to attack the power of the Church, and the divine inftitution itfelf of Indulgences, fhews he was not directed by an humble but proud fpirit, which directed him at length to the overthrow of all faith and religion. In a word, the Church at that time was fo far from countenancing fuch a- bufes, that fhe ufed all the remedies in her power to redrefs them. The Council of Trent in par- ticular, after the example of former Councils, made a decree, that moderation fhouid be ufed in the grant of Indulgences, according to the anci- ent and approved cuflom of the Church. And that all iordid gain in the difpenfing of them, which had been the caufe of thofe abufes, fhouid be entirely abolifhed. (See SelT. 25. Decree of In- dulgences.) Thefe then, in fum, are the truths we hold : That there is a power left to the Church by Chrift our Lord, of granting Indulgences : That the Paftors of the Church by his power, do apply the merits of his Paflion and Death to acquit our indebted fouls of the temporal punifhment, which remains due to the divine Juftice, after the guilt of fin is remitted by the facrament of Pe- nance ; which is called an Indulgence. And we do not doubt but thofe who have recourfe to fuch Indul- gences, do prevent many heavy temporal judgments tailing on their heads. Indulgences fo underftood, are evidently an en- couragement to repentance and good works, and have made many faints ; why then fhouid they not make many The Poor Mans Controverjy. &£ many penitents ; fmce (o many acts of Penance are required to the gaining the benefit thereof ? EXHORTATION. Give due praife and thanks to God, who in his mercy has ordained fuch means, as not only remit fin, but alio the temporal punifhment due to it. As you are a finner, bound in many debts to the divine Juftice ; fail not to embrace thofe blef- fed Indulgences granted you by a divine power and authority. But fee you come with juft difpofitiuns to the obtaining of them ; with a finccre, pure, and upright heart; and punctually perform ail the good works enjoined. How many by them have obtained a general pardon, and prevented many temporal pu- nishments ? Take then thefe words fpoke to St, Peter and his fucceilbrs as from the moutn of God : Whatfoever thou fijalt bind on earth, foall be bound al- fo in heaven : And whatfoever thou jhalt unbind on earthy Jhall be unbound alfo in heaven. (Matt. xvi. 19.) C ■ H A P. XII. SECT. I. On Purgatory. If any man s work burn, he fhall fuffer lofs ; but him- felfJhallbejaved,yetfoasbyfire. (1 Cor. iii. 15.) j^\ TXT HAT do you mean by Purgatory? J. A middle ilate of fouls ; wherein fuch as depart this life in the ftate of grace, but have not fully fatisned for their fins, are detained till they have made full fatisfaclion, and ,-;e purified from every ftain ; becaufe nothing defiled can enter heaven. (Revel, xxi. 27.) $. Is 86 The Poor Mans Controversy. JQ. Is the word Purgatory found in Scripture? A. No: But the feme, or thing fignified by it,, is there. j£. Flow do you prove a Purgatory ? A. Bv Scripture and tradition, as expounded' by the holy Catholick Church, net by private Judg- ment. i£. Does not the preaching of Purgatory make people bold in fin, and neglect repentance? A. No: It doe.-, not; for nothing is more fre- quently taught and urged to the Faithful in the Ca- tholick Church, than the nectfuty of a true re- pentance ? j^\ What is the punifhrnent inflicted in Pur- gatory ; A, As to the kind of punifhrnent, or length thereof; the Church has defined nothing. INSTRUCTION. Our doctrine of Purgatory is contained in the definition of the Council of Trent. " That there is a Purgatorv, and that the fouls detained therein are helped bv the fuf- frages of the Faithful, efpecially br the accepta- ble facrif.ee of the altar. And the holy Svnod enjoins the bifhops, to fee that the whclelome doc- trine of Purgatorv, as delivered down from the r athers and facred Councils, be believed and held bv the Faithful in Chrifr, and every where taught and preached. But what in uncertain,, c.\v\ has the look of hilfchcod, let them not permit to be pub- liihed o! handled. (Coun. Trent. Sell. 25. Decite of Purg. ) The fame doctrine was defined bv the Council of Florence, a hundred years before Luther preached the ref imation. Subfcribe to this, and the Catho- lick Church prefTes vou no further. As to what fome bold writers have publifhed of a material fn -e burn- ing fouls for fuch a term of years, or months, or davs •. The Poor Man's Contrcverjy. $y days; afligning the place on the confines of bell; and afierting that the pains of Purgatory arc not different from thofe of hell, only as to their duration; thefe are no articles of Faith, nor is any one obliged to believe them. The doctrine of our Church chiefly,. as it is ftated in her creeds and definitions of her Ge- neral Councils,, and her practice conformable to that doctrine, is the whole we undertake to defend, not the extravagant flights of every private writer. We believe that all who die in aftate of perfection and fanctity, pais immediately after death unto blifs. And that all who die in the ftate of deadly fin with- out repentance are carried forthwith to hell, from whence there is no redemption. Now, we have reafon to believe, that the number of thofe is but fmall in comparifon, who lead fuch holy lives, and die fuch holy deaths, as to be translated immediately after death from this vale of mifery to the regions of blifs. And yet we cannot think, that all who are not of this rank of the perfect, are fo unworthy as to be caff forth into utter darknefs: This would be a verv defpairing maxim, for which there is no re- medy but the belief of & Purgatory, a third place, a middle jlaie of fouls after death, as Catholicks hold,. Let St. Auguftin explain this point of our belief: " 'Tis not to be doubted, fays he, but that the fouls " departed are relieved by the devotion of their living " friends, when the facrifice of the Mediator is of- *' fei .!, or alms given for them in the Church. " Thefe area relief to fuch fouls as in their life-time 4 ' deferved to have this help after death." " When the facrifice of the altar, or alms, are " offered for all the Faithful departed : For fuch as u are very good, they are a thanksgiving offering. " For fuch as are not very bad, they are a propiti- C4 ation. For fuch as are very bad, tho' thev are " no 88 The Poor Man's Controvr.rjy, " no relief to them, yet they are force kind of com- " fort to the living." (Euchirid. c. 109 Purgatory is proved from the words of St. Paul : If any mans work Jhall burn, he Jhall fuffer lofs ; but he hinfelf Jhall be faved, yet f> as by fire. (1 Cor. iii. 15.) Alfo from the words of Chnft in St. Mat- thew: (c. xii. ver. 32.) Hcthatfpeakethaga'vijllhe Holy Ghofl, it fball not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in tie next, i rem whence St. Augultin obferves, that i'ome fins are forgiven in the other woild. Not in heaven, nor in hell ; therefore in a third place. But not till divine juftice be fatif- fied ; for God is juft to punifh fin in the other world as well as in this: Xhofe penitents, therefore, who ha\e neglected to do that penance here which his juftice requires, will fuffer there till juftice be fatif- fied, and their fouls purified from every ftain of fin before they can enter heaven. As to the word Purgatory which is fo offenfive to the cars of fome, 'tis only a term made ufe of by the Church, to explain her belief of this middle irate of fullering fouls, where they are purified. And tho' the word be not in Scripture, the thing fignified by it is therein taught. So other mvfteries of our Faith are explained in the creeds by words not found in Scripture, as the Trinity, Confubjlantiality, Incarna- nation. Againft a Purgatory, our adverfaries object thefe words from Scripture: If tie tree fill to the South, or to the North, in whatever place it Jhall fall, there it fnall be. Eccles. xxxi. 3.) Some imprudently conclude from thefe words, that all fouls which depart their bodies, are tran- flated immediately cither to heaven, or to hell; and fo there is no third place. But the words in the text import no more, but that every foul at death iuids itfelf in an unchangeable ftate either of falva- tion The Poor Mans Controverfy 89 tion or damnation, which argues nothing againffc Purgatory ; becaufe the fouls that are there, are m one of thole two ftates, to wit, in the ftate of falva- tion, and their deftiny to eternal blifs is immoveable fixed. They object again, the words of the Apocalypfe: Blefjed are the dead voho die in the Lord: From hence- forth, fays the Spirit, they may reft from their labours ; for their ivorks follow them. (c. xiv. ver. 13.) Does not this import that there is no Purgatory after death for fuch as die in the ftate of grace? For how do they reft from their labours in fuch a fufFering ftate ? To this may be anfwered: That this text is mod properly underftood of thofe who die in a ftate of fandtity and perfection, for thefe are the blefleJ that die in the Lord, according to the ufual ftile of Scripture. Yet it is verified alfo in thofe that are in purgatory; for even fuch as are fecure of their falvation, they are happily pafFed over all dangers; they are delivered from all fear of damnation; they are got fafe out of the hands of all enemies and per- secutors: And tho' they are in a fufFering ftate, they fuffer with the comfort of angels, as knowing their fuffermgs will end in glory: Such may be well faid to reft in a good degree from their labours. But did not Chrift die for our fins? And did he not by his death make full fatisfaction for them ? What need then of penances, indulgences, or a pur- gatory to fatisfy for fin, when 'tis allowed bv all, that nothing can make an adequate fatisfaction for it but his merits and death? In anfwer we fay; That tho' Chrift died for our fins, he ftill requires that we apply the merits of his death to our fouls bv the ficraments, penitential works, and other means which he ha; appointed: Otherwise we may leave off the practice of all fa- cran.ier;t3» 9 3 The Poor Man's Controverfy. craments, raid doing good works, under pretence that Chrift died to gam heaven for us; what need then of anymore? A maxim evidently erroneous and pernicious. He who made us and redeemed us without ourfelves, will not lave us without our- felves; but requires that we co-operate with his grace. As he inftituted baptifm to free us from original fin; fo he ordained penance to cancel the fins we commit after baptifm. As faitli teaches that none are forgiven without baptifm; fo neither fhall we be forgiven if we ne- glect penance : Unlefs ye do penance, ye Jhall perifh alike. (Luke xiii. 5.) Tho' Chrift has fatisfied for our fins, he lias not thereby freed us from the obli- gation of doing penance for them; but he fuffered for us, leaving us an example, that we might joilow his feps. (1 Pet. ii. 21.) in a word; the Scripture is not to be interpreted neither by the private Judgment of Catholicks, nor of thofe that diiient from them; nor the myfteries of Faith to be cief.ned by human reasoning, but by th£ authority of the holy Catholick Church. By follow- ing the doclrine and authority of ;hat Church, the world became Chriftian; and by following the iame, the Faithful in all pair ages have been preferred from all the herefies and errors of the times. Now, our Catholick doctrine of a Purgatory ha^ been defined ;n no fewer than three General Councils; viz. In the fourth of Lateran, (c. 66.) In that of Florence, (Dccret. de Pur;:.' 1 and in the Council of Trent, (SefT. 25.) Likewife, in id' the ancient liturgies of the Church tint arc extant, a commemoration and prayers for the dead has its place. The fame belief and practice is much recommended in the writings of" the primitive Fathers: In fhort, there is not a more unanimous and univerfal tradition of theChrif- tian Church for any point of Faith, than for our belief The Poor Mans Controverfy. 9 1 belief of Purgatory, and our practice of praying and iacrificing for the dead ; as fhall be proved in the next feefion. EXHORTATION. O my foul, adore God in all his divine attributes, but chiefly for his great mercy and juftice here met together, both to punifh and to par- don; thus to prepare thofe fufFering fouls to enjoy him in glory: Here juftice and peace have truly em- braced each other: O bleffed divine attributes of God! Thefe fouls in Purgatory are detained there only for a time; they fuffer in the height of charity; yet it is a great torment to them, to be deprived of the fight and pofTeffion of God, which they fo eagerly thirft after. Be punctual then in this life to confefs your fins, even to the leaft and fmalleft imperfecti- ons. Embrace all the works of Penance and Indul- gence, which may preferve you from this purging fire. Take all the evils of life as your purgatory and juft punifhment of fin. Accept of them as from the hand of God's mercy with the greateft fubmif- fion, and in the height of love and charity, that fo you may efcape the hand of divine juftice hereafter, SECT. II. Praying fir the Dead. 'Tis a xvholefome and holy Cogitation to pray for tie Dead, that they may be loafed from their Sins. (2 A lace h. xii. &.-z.) Q llfHAT warrant have you to pray for V y the dead ? A. 1 he words of Scripture above cited, which ipeak clearly for it without ambiguity, and recom- mended it to the livin r . 3- The 92 The Toor Man's Controwerfy. j£\ The books of Macchabees are not amoncr the canonical books of Scripture ; what authority have they ? A. Although forne modern fcripturifts have ex- cluded them the canon, they were put therein by the primitive Church. ^. What other grounds have you for praying for the dead ? A. From the practice of the Church in all paft ages, from the pofitive doctrine of the ancient Fa- thers and Tradition ; and the decrees of General Councils. ij>. How do you know that prayers can be avail- ed for the dead ? A. By the fame reafon as we know our prayers are a help to the living : We no where find the dead excepted from the benefit of them. J$K But how do you know the fouls you pray for, are in want ofvour prayers? or fuppole thev are in hell ? A. If thofe we pray for in particular, are not in the Middle State ; yet it is an act of charity and mercy on our part; and acts of charity cannot go unrewarded. INSTRUCTION. As the Church teaches us to believe a purgatory, the fame authority teaches us, that the fouls detained there arc he'ped by our pray- ers, aims, and chiefly by the offering of the divine Sacrifice of the altar ; We quote the book of Mac- chabees for this truth ; where we read, That "Judas Machabeus collected and fent twelve thoufand drachmas cf Jibver to "Jerufalem for facrifiee to be offered for the fns cf the dead ; and thinking well and religioufly cf the rejurreclion ; for unlefs he hoped thofe who were fallen would rife ageing it might fcem a fuperflur-us u', ; vain thing to pray for the deed. It is therefor t a %l:I::1~ The Poor Man's Controverfy, 93 azoholefome and holy cogitation to pray for the dead, that they may be loofed from their fins. (2Macch. xii. 41. 42. 43.) That the books of A'lacchabees were held for ca- nonical Scripture in primitive times, St. Auguftin is witness : he cites them for true Scripture himfelf, (Lib. 18. de Civ. Dei, c. 37. and C. i. de cura pro Mort. c. 7.) As alfo does St. Cyprian before him, (Ep. 55, ad Cornet.) They were in the Canon fettled by Innocent I. In that of the third Coun- cil of Carthage: and in that fettled by Pope Gela- fius. Upon the grounds of ancient tradition, they are admitted as canonical by the Council of Trent. The Jews have ever admitted them as a continuation •of the facred hiftory, and have ever retained the prac- tice of praying lor their dead. The fame is an univerfal tradition of the Chriftian Church : It is found in all the ancient Liturgies ; dehncd in three General Councils ; the fourth of Lateran, Florence, and Trent. 'Tis clearly taught alfo in the writings of the primitive Fathers. Tertullian, one of the moft ancient, defcribing the manners of a faithful widow, fays : " She prays " for the foul of her hufband, and begs a refrefh- " ment for him, and keeps his Anniverfary." (L. de Monoq. c. x.) The fame doclrine is taught by St. Chryfofrom : " Oblations for the dead, fays this Father, 4C are not in vain, nor prayers, nor alms. The " Holy Ghoff. commanded all thefe things, that " we may help one another." (Horn. 11. in Ac!:.) " The Apollles did not enjoin thefe things in vain, * c that in the venerable and tremendous myfteries, " the dead mould be remembered : they knew they ec would receive no fmall benefit by it. For, whilfl 4 ' all the people ftand with arms expanded, as well ** as the prieffoj and the awefui facrifice is prefent, " how 94 The Peer Man's Controverfy. *' how can it be otherwife but that vvc pacify God " bv praying for them ? This I fpeak of theFaith- " t'ii) departed/' (Horn. 3. in Phil.) " Let us therefore help them, for we have ** before us the expiatory facrifice of the world. <; Wherefore, we afk confidently for all : and name " them with the Martyrs, Confeffors and Priells. *' For we are all one body, tho' fome members be < ; brighter than others : And it may be that we " may obtain a total pardon for them, by prayers, *' by oblations, and by the Saints who are named " along with them." (Horn. 41. in 1 Cor.) So far St. Chrvfoilom. St. Cyril of Jerufalem is alio very clear in this point: " Laftly, fays he, We pray for all that die " amongft us, believing it to be the greateft help " that can be fo: their fouls, to have the holy and ve- " nerable facrifice to plead for them." (Cat. Myir. 5.) But none more explicit arid clear than St. Auguf- tin. " Fv the pnvers ot the holy Church, fays " this Father, and the wholefome facrifice and '* alms, it is not to be doubted but the dead are ib " tar helped, that God deals more mercifully with 4w them th: n their fins deferve.' (Serm. 127. or 3?. de veib. Do.) in aiiotiitj place |-e <;■'•: " We read in the hock " of Alarri 1 -(,-, a lr:v"i : ice was fcr-cd for the it •,■/( re no* re J ■ f .1 tne '-Jld .1 t ]i c * 'i'c'h tnei'i, 'lie rmhori'y <-i th. Chuivn, which rite any more oi the Fathers to el'.ar tl • point <' to.duion, when Calvin h ; m- i - : ,.. : vo\,;,iit: " i hat abc.e ihirtecn hurd.-ed » years The Poor Man's Controvert}'. g- y " years ago (now above fifteen hundred) it was a retell' ts as i-aia ful " or vain: \< • c-.-r r. uivnee the : Igmen of the *< p-irr.itive Chin 'vm- a-hi-it a p oce itrengthm- " end bv rhe immt^rrt.pua pvote n of lb many *' age? : and hi them .11 m.b :c . . ;11 :■ ■. private, r>t 1 duteiy uecef- cc farv, or ccom.: ... i '•>) t'.\ " ■: law., vet as " lawful, au i j : ,c»ifc pr-uf hie, - ■. is always ap- ft proved b; fr •• '■ • r . 1 Coo that by Jus Ci menu., ::.':• tu .: p vx ;;. e. . 'y drf.red by " all ie.mtK-u ar.. rujnen n .^ ;. e reftored to " the Chriillan v'/r-i.-j." (/JiiVci' f : Pur-, ato-u .) Some object, Liui we do not k • .v. but the fouls q 6 the Poor Alans Controverfy. fouls we pray for in particular, may be in heaven, not in purgatory, and therefore ftand in no need of cur prayers. We anfwer ; that though it fhould happen we fhould pray for a father or mother, or friend, when they are in heaven, not knowing what ftate they are in, yet our work of mercy is the fame, and will not fail to be available to ourfelves : It is better that prayers for the dead mould fuper-abound, til an be wanting. But fuppofe the fouls we pray for are irretrievably left in heii, may we pray for fuch ? If not, how can our practice be vindicated praying for all that die in our communion ? To this we reply : That as the inward ftate of fouls at the hour of their death is unknown to us, we fufpend our judgment in a cafe wherein God is the only judge, and we let charity prevail, which always hoping the bell, prays for all that die in the true faith : knowing that if thofe we pray for are un- capable of fuch relief, our prayers will not be loft ; but in that cafe, my prayers will return into my own bofom. (Pfal. xxxiv. 14.) But after all, is not this doctrine of Purgatory, and praying for the dead, apt to make people bold in fin, and neglect repentance r I cannot ice any grounds for this reflection. Per- verfe people indeed may abufe truth as they do other good things : But why anv perfon living fhould fo eafily and deliberately refign themfelves to the pains of Purgatory in hopes of being relievi d in them, we cannot comprehend. Moreover, the fame Catholick Church, which teaches a Purgatory, preaches home the necefiity of repentance ; teach- ing her people, that thofe who are bold in Jin, and neglect penance, will never come to Pur- gatory, but deicend into hell. If fome libertines do not The Poor Man's Controversy. 97 not obferve the doctrine which is taught them ; this ought not to be imputed to their belief of a purga- tory, but to their living in defiance of hell: are inch only to be found where purgatory is taught ? Let us conclude then, to pray both for the living and the dead; 'tis one of the works of mercy. Prayers and facrifice offered for the dead, are a comfort as wcil to th to them. As ai! the faithful are of one church and communion, fo all partake of one another's payers and good woiks : If the living partake, why not the dead ? We no wh. fm ;ad c: d :v are 11 :e us, though in a dii from the benefit of them. The fame Church with Death, which diflblves the union betwc n foul and body, cannot diiTolve the union between the Head Chrifl Jefus and his myitical Body the Church, n :r the union between the Members of that body. Sou!? departed then, are it'll fellow-members of the Church with us, and capable of being relieved by our prayers and good works", EXHORTATION. As praying for the dead has been the conitant doctrine of the Chriflian Church from the beginning, and the practice of it, is confirmed byScripture, Fathers, and Councils, what can be more prefumptuous than to oppofe this conitant univerfal tradition ? O ! fail not in this great work of mercy. Pray for ah the faith- ful departed in general, and for ycur dece< fed friends in particular. Look upon them (till as your brethren; think you hear them cry aloud for re- lief -.Remember rr.e, ye my fr'unds at lea/1; b- caufe the hand of the Lord hath jlrkken me. (job xi;c. 21.) It it be a great act of charity to help your diitrefled neighbour in life, in prlfon, in chains, in banifhment and captivity, how much greater is it to affiit thofe fuffering fouls under the hand of £ divine 93 divine thins Bd foul 1 ceivc decea The Poor Man's Cord s LowrGVcTiy, juftice, who arc not in a ftate to Jo any to help themfelves ! ides, great benefit will accrue to your own v/ this pious practice: lor each one will re- ber.efrt by the prayers of the Church after his fe, in proportion as he has been charitable in : r for the dead in his life-time. Praying for the liib puts you in mind and admoniihes vcu of door : Me to-day^ and yen to-morrzvj. v it ti ueaa death Tins will make vou reflect that vcu mutt foon fol- low them. But withal be careful to prepare vour- fclf i ft that d bv a 1 i i e of penance and pood will make vour time eafv, and your nJ h •; l') CHAP. XIII. O-i fne I-Icncur dm fr. Fnhiti cv/j. Angels, S E C T. I. let Ihr.our be pin: U v:hw. ILnour (\l<^. xiii. ;.} o. th A. Ve- : there is an henour due to them. >'■. What is the honour due to them r A. Not h.'v/V- ho7ic::r, but liich as we read in 1 rit was L'iven by the fcr\ ants of God to Saints vpluts, and to Aueeis when they appeared to _.:. What arc the honours in particular whicn tth -licks pav to canonized Saint- : A, i. Wc ir.vocate their intercelTion in our pub- 's: ; rave. ; i office*, 2. We fet up their ima- Tat Poor Mans Conirovcrfy. 99 grs nnd piclures in cur churches, and venerate them. 3. We vifit their fepuichres, and expcie their re- licks to the veneration cf the people. 4. We enroll their names in the calendar of Saints. 9. Are not thefe extravagant honours ? J. No : They are no more than is due to fuch glorious perfons. ' INSTRUCTION. We are here to conflder what honour is due to Saints and Angels ; for that fome honour is due to them, is no longer dis- puted by any, but a certain feet of fanaticks, who make no diftmcVion between civil honour, and dlvhit. Nov, as to the honour due to Saints and Angels, we read in Genehs of Abraham bowing dovjn to the ground to the Angel that appeared to hi in. (Gen. x\ili. 2.) And of Lot doing the fame honour to two angels appearing to him. (Gen. xix. 1.) Alio, of Jofliua falling prcflrate on the ground to icvereuce one of thofe glorious fpirits in the field of Jericho. (Join. v. 15.) We read again in fcrip- ture of the fame honour being done to Saints; that Abdias, a holy man, and one of the princes in the kingdom of Ifrael, fell prodrate on his face to ho- nour the prophet Elias ; at the fame time Abdias in civil power and dignity was the greater perfon : it is therefore manifefr, that he did that honour to Eiias en account of his being a prophet and a faint. (3 Kings xviii. 7.) And we read again of the fins of the Prophets doing the fame honour, to the prophet Elizeus. (4. Kings ii ic.) Now it mure be granted, that the honours here given to Angus and Saints were fomething more than bare cizidilcs ; and were given them upon a religion:; motive; and yet were infinitely inferior to dlvlm iv'rjhip : unlefs we will make Idolaters of Abraham, joihin, Elias, and the Saints and Angels here men- tioned. i: 2 K:ncur i oo The "Poor Mans Ccntrcvrefy, Honour is given to ethers on account of fomt excellency above us; as power, fnperiority, learn-lnr, virtue. Hence, different is the honour we give to a parent; to a king ; to a majier ; to the virtuous; as Ariflotlc remarks.. (9 Eth. c. 2.) And God being infinitely above all; and the Saints and An- g-jls in heaven excelling and ou'.fhining all the dignities upon earth ; there fecms to be an ho- nour due to them as much above civil honour, as thev by the eminency of their Hate are railld a>?o\ c mortal men ; and as far inferior to divine honour as God is above them. Some think the honour done to canonized Saints i,i the Catholick Church, ate extravagant ; but tliey are not io. They may indeed be thought too great: for mortal men, an' arc fit only for Saints in hea- ven. 'I he honour due to the Saints in hca\cn, is furclv fomcthing more then civil honour which men commonlv give to one anotner upon earth. We fhould conlider that the Saints in heaven arc crown- ed for their heroic virtues by (io! himfelf; and arc in a much more eminent ilate in his kingdom, than any earthly king or citizen of this world. Yet what arc the honours we give to b ra: ie e > in com- panion wi:h that mentioned in the Rev-Actions. JL thai fusil :eeve,e, / ' vjili r -a\i him to fit u iih me on ?;.'; ilrc?::. (c. iis. ver. 21,} But in truth, neither the honour which is done to them in heaven, noi anv other which, is given them by the Church on earth, is divine hovcur, but infinitely inferior to it. SEC T. Tlie Poor Mans Controversy, toi SECT. II. On the Invocation of Saints. I believe the Communion cf Saints. ££. 1TTKAT do you mean by the Invocation * * of Saints ? A. We mean no more but to beg of them to int( rcede to God for us. £\ Is it not adifhonour to God to be thus con- tinually addrefling your petitions to the Saints in- ilead of directing your prayers to him. A. No: It is no difhonour to God ; but on the contrary, petitioning the Saints to pray for us, is in effect praying to him. ,v. But is it not putting more truft in them, and Icflening the confidence I ought to have in God ? A. No : It is true, I put more truft in them than in myfelf; but all my hope and theirs alfo is in God alone. I only beg they would join their intercession with my petition to him, the Author of all blei- fings. ;^. What need of this, now the Mediator is come, and ail may find accefs to the throne of mercy through him ? A. Even fince the Mediator is come, as well as be- fore his coming, you own it was ever lawful ;;:: profitable to recommend ourfelvcs to the prayers of the d Tout, and to the Saints we live with, \\\v; not to the S. lints in glorv ? Tins is no injurv to the Ale- cl : a orfiiip of Chriff. ;?. []ut how can you know that the Saint; and Angels he;:' vour petitions r i:2 The Pc:r Mans Crtrwfr J. Even as we know thev rejoice at t]ie conver- sion of a flnncr. a^. Upon what do you ground vour belief and practice of the Invocation of Sain:,? A. Upon Scripture, and the Authority of ,u, Church, and Tradition; not upon -private judg- ?.•:■•:/. INSTRUCTION. As to the Invocation of Saint", the doctrine of the Catholick Church in this matter or Faith, is contained in the following decree vi '.' Council of Trent. " The '--'-'• Pv^cl corrirrnds " ]] R ; mor<- rrd <( ail others who have the charge and care of teach- ki ing, diligently to inilrucl the faithful ; firft, con- " cerning the Interceflion and Invocation of Saint; ; t: and concerning tire honouring of Rcliques ; and *•' the lawful uie of Images, accord in 2; to the prac- " tice of the Catholick and Apoitolick Church, re- li oeived from the primitive ages of Chriitianitv, "• and according to the confent of the holy Fathers, " rod the decrees of the holy Councils ; teaching '• them, that the Saints now reigning together with " Chriif, do ofrer their pravcrs to God for men; cwv] rn ue to mvo.ee tnem with " humbie fupplication, and to fly to their prayers, li aid and afhifance, for the obtaining the benefits of " God thro" his Son Jefus Chrift our Lord, who is tc our only Redeemer and Saviour." (Sell. 25.) r " s o i: the deRniticn of the Council of Trent, ;. .:•(.' .'mn in::, at the fore time, as impious, thole ... teach the contrarv doctrine, and who condemn toe invocation of Saint , ; idolatrous. !":<, re then i- our belie!', as it Hands in the decree of a General Council, feparatc from all miftvpre- i< ration: From which, it is evident, that we do not ourfelve- to the Saint , as if thev were the mothers run diipofcrs :.f pardon, erace, and lhlva- tion i The Pocr Man's Contriver/)'. 103 tion ; or as if they had any power to help us indepen- dently of God and the mediation cf Chrift, Hence all our prayers, even when we addrefs ourfelves to God by the intercefiion of the Saints, end and con- clude, thro 1 Jtfus Chrijl our Lord. Can God be wronged hereby in any kind r when all the hope we have by the interceilion of the Saints is centcr'd in God, and in the merits cf Chriii: the Redeemer. A miitaken notion poiTeffes the minds of many, that invoking the Saints fo frequently, is a leiiening of the honour of God ; but nothing is more ground- lefs. As it is no difhonour to God, to call upon the Saints and Angels in heaven, to praife and glorify God ; fo neither is it to call upon them to pray for us. For if praying to God is an act of religion, and an honouring of bum ; we (till add to this honour, when we call upon Ins Saints to pray witu us and for us, and fo increafe the number cf his adorers. And again, if cur humble amplications to God be an acknowledgment of his fovereignty ever us, and of our entire dependence on him ; then cer- tainly, when we invocate the Saints to fall down be- fore his throne and pray for us, it is an acknow- ledgment of his fupreme dominion, as wed over them as ourfelves : It is acknowledgin::, that he is above all the Principalities and Powers in heaven, and that the brightclb Cherubin, and the molt ex- alted Seraphin, and the molt giorxus among the- Saints, are his humble fuppliants, and have nothing cf their own to beftow ; but muff, obtain all c :' G .1 for their clients thro' Jefus Chrift : So hr are we irf this aft of the Invocation of Saints, from makim- tuem our Gods. In a word, if it be not ir uri' to God to have recourfe to the pravers of the '/•',/',.' on eartn, ncitner is it to can upon the Saints in heaven to intercede for us, now thev are trulv the 7-V'h tftablhhed in yaee and in;-'::.:-, oe .,f E ,1 :il 104 'The Pozr Mans Cznlrcvcrfy, all corruption, and moll acceptable in the fio-ht of God. Add hereto, that all our prayers, even when they : re . idrcfied thro' the intercefiion of the Saints, aae in <;'■;. cc d heeled to God, and in him alone is all car h- ; - for the grant cf them. If vou have a bounty '■ :K of the King, and get your petition prefented 10 mm l.-y feme dignified perfon who is in Ids favour, i< not your petition, nevertheless, made to the Kinc; ? In Lke n;i;i;ier, ail cur prayers are made to God, h.o' oh e red to him by the Saints interceding for i'.e ri'ht of them. It is not therefore true, that v.e truit mere in the Saints than in God, but only I'.ut we p! cc more confidence in their interceilion, Still cur acvcifaries oldecf, that there is no need ci" the intsrceiiion of Saints, now the Mediator is ccme, and all have fyce accels to God thro' i ■ ... i hi?, if a good reafon for laving afide the in- v.-cad n of the Saints in heaven, fhouid equally in- duce ;.l! ChriiKans to [rive over the practice ci re- c mmendirear them fed ves to one another's prayers: v . et this w: have ever been tauaht, rnd the mere holv .;'.:::.: v. h m we '. . ._ :.k to pray tor vs. r he n; :e ea ncft are we to partake of their r vers ; it'towim:, r.h,; r's a:;,:,.-.; Iraxer of the ;:tji ?i:.ji frc-j .•'.' h .= .■■ h (Jr. me* v. 10.)' Why then jQiould we nat dhlre hah; pravcrs, when thev arc G d ? i . men immcetk ms en earth arc not thought ncedh-i , vh ' i: the intcrccfficm of thv Saint.- in mater to a. tit :ght needieh ? For tho' the Me- < : , a me, the end of his mediar rihip was not a i . Sir •:: ha h.ha ■ ha of Siiii.is, in praying far fata : a. tarn; and there i, ia; more injury doiu m t... . ■■.,:: . ■. rfhm of Chrih, in bctrhnar the inter- ceuhem The Poor Mans Contrtverfy. 105 eeffion of the Saints above, than the prayers of the Saints en earth ; tin's is evident : For we firmly be- lieve, that as well thofe in heaven, as thofe on earth, have no bleffings to difpenfe independently of God, but mufi: obtain all of him who is the giver of all good and perfect gifts, thro' Chrift their Mediator as well as ours. They are not therefore Mediators in the fame fenfe as he, becaufe thev ftand in need of another Mediator to recommend their petitions ; and he is frill the only Mediator, fo as to need no other Mediator. But do not we in our ofhecs and prayer-books in- voke the Virgin Mary and the Saints, for grace and falvation, and the pardon of fin, in as full terms as we can afk them of God himfelf ? Is not this mak- ing Gods of them r' To this we aniwer : That the general aldrefs of Catholicks to the Virgin Mary and the Saints is, Pray for us. This we make the Key to undcrfland cur whole doctrine of the Invocation of Saints : And as this turns them all into humble fuppliants U God, (which deftrevs all notion of their divinity) it cannot be fuppofed, or in the lead fufpected, that by any of thofe cxprefiions in our offices and prayer- books, we intend to equal them with God. We have a decree of a General Council ( Trent ) to regulate cur doctrine and practice of the Invoca- tion of Saints, which clearly teaches, that th; Saints in heaven help us no othervays, but by their inter- ceffion to the Lord and God o'i them and us. The '- e of our Invocation of Saints, being thus for tver kxed ly the publick doctrine of the Church ; . 11 cxprefiions in oi " : undcrftood by that : it: ti.cy will be 'Catholic! ..v. oCiitior.; of the V : and praver-books rnuft be and fo'all Cathc lis. ks, if underfland them. A .1 cur ■ Maty a,v : the eV its, frill E <; amount ioj The Poor Man's Controi'erfy. amount to no more, but, Holy Mary, fray for us. Si. Peter and Paul fray for us. That the Sains and Angels in heaven bear or know cur prayers, we may lcam from thefe words cA Chnir, There /ball be joy in heaven over one flu- ?ier chhigpcnav.ee. So I fay to y;.v, there (ball be joy before the angels of God, over one /inner d'An" penarc:. (Luke : an ■. -. ; mint we tlnn attribute more Icnowl ■■ : to th. wicked mirks, than to the icriptu: . 1 Leu lp:r .- : in a vo >rj ; we an ;w n 'sn Ivat t.,j Ar^ o pivay for us, a- ma ; be learned f; om the pr. or. c '/'. . harv, wii :.y .00. . '■■ \i::g to : : Lo .1 r fh h for the c: v.< 'f f'- ?■•- 'id '•: . :' '/:/ / . ; : i .';. i. 1 2. ) \n t....t t.,e S.. no- in it... . -i. p. . ; \ tine nke oak. • Am id- ,: . n-v iv ;-,.. ■ f.-.-., rlevcj, h,. , ,'v. 8.) Wncr \. ::'.•..! dm. _ /,.■/,■ /.."m ■ ' in;! to th : .' ' r.r" :h. 6.. ,1: or th: am hi. God iur- t ,' The Pcor Man's 'Cmtr-werfy. to? God knows all and lingular the petitions of every one that implores their interceffion. Our doctrine and practice of the Invocation cf Saints agrees alfo with what we profefs in our Creed of the Communion cf Saints. All who are in this Communion partake of the good which is done bv the members of it, and of their prayers to God ; and are not the Saints in heaven in the Communion of Saints, and do they not pray for us? If while they lived on earth, they were fuch zealous advocates for their clients, are they lefs zealous for them now they are in heaven ? The lame doctrine and practice is alio agreeable to the ancient Fathers : I need not cite them at length, becaufe our advtrfaries themfelvcs freely own this truth. " I confefs, fays Mr. Fulk, that Am- " brofe, Auguftin, Hierom, held Invocation of Saints " to be lawful; and that in Nazianzen, Bafil, and " Chryfoftom, mention is made of the Invocation. " of Saints." (Rejoinder, p 5. J '1 "he Centurifts alfo of iVladoeburmu though ri- gid Lutherans, own the fact, that the primitive Fa- thers held this our Catholick doctrine; and they alledge feveral examples of this our docirine ana practice of calling upon the Saints in heaven to intercede to God for us, from the writings of Atha- naiius, Bah!, Nazianzen, Ambrcfe, Prudcnties, L- piphanius, and Ephrem, charging alio St. John Chryfoftom's Liturgv with Invocation of the Vir- gin Mary. (Cent. 4. Col. 205. & Cent. 5 Col. 675. c. 6.) H'^i- Ivlr. T'horndike, another eminent Pro- teftant writer : Ci It is confeiTed, fays he, that the: " Lights both of tire Greek and Latin Church, " Bafil, Nazianzen, Nyffen, Ambrofc, jc>orn[ " Augufh'n, Chryucfrom, both the Cyrils, Thcv- )rtt, Fulgentius, Gregory the Great jOU) . more, cr ail afur th?.t t ; me have fpck.cn to r'.u t; c'aimu, jcB The Poor Mans Cord ro- erf'. " Saint?, and defired their alMance." (Epilogue P- 35»;) finally; we ground this article, as well as all other articles of our Faith, not on anv man's pri- vate interpretation of Scripture, but on Scripture ami Tradition, rs expounded by the divine autho- rity of the holy Catholick Church, which Chriit commanded all to hear and believe; laying to the Aroilic?, when he fent them, and in them to their fucceiiors, He that bclieveth and is baptized, fa all 1 e laved; and he that believeth not foall be condemned, (Mark xvi. i5.) EXHORTATION. Praife God 7 • p • , vi n;s saints Thai, oh i.) Confider, that in honouring his taithiiil friends and iervants ieatcu with him in eter- jial bills, vou honour him. As the affair of falvation is our greateft concern, .let us embrace all the hel^s the holy Chinch re- commends to us: And as me has declared, That the Saints now reigning with Chri/l do c J f:r their ■prayers to God for men ; and that it is good and prof 'able to invohe them with humble fapfh cation, and to have reeourje to their probers, aid and afjiji- /:• or, for obtaining the ben f. is of Gcd ihrd his Son 'fefus Chrifi our Lord, who is only Redeemer and Saviour ; let us not be backward in implming their intcrceffion now they are in heaven ; we, who even confide in the prayers of one another on earth. If ■{hews, rjreat indifterencv in our unum r.ccefjanun:^ power ft nv wmem. ;■ ;: Mured, God has siven tire moil cxtraordi- heips to others, lo as to work miracles in fa- a our o; tnoie ronhded in the Em. ■cemon or 3 lis Saint; ■: Of which, St. Ambrofe, St. Augufrim, ■ nd St. Chryfoftcm among manv others of tiic holy Fathers, may furcly be admitted as -rood witnefies AI. The Poor Math Contrcverfy. ice, All antiquity confirms us in this belief. Great rafh- ml's then it is to defpife that which fo great an au- thority recommends. (St. Aug. de Civ. D. 1. 22. c. 8.) (St. Ambrofe, ep. ad Sor.) (St. Chryfoft. de St. Bab.) SECT. III. On De-votion to the Bhffcd Virgin Mary. From henceforth all generations /hall call me bleffed, (Luke i. 48.) 3. "TT7TIY do you pay fuch devotion to the Vir- '~ VV gin Mary? A. Beeaufe (he is the Mother of Jcfus cur Re- deemer. .9. Why do you give her fuch extraordinary ho- nour? A. For the fame reafon; beeaufe fne is Mjthej if God, the greateft of the Saints; replenished with grace aboi r e any other creature; tor which all gene- rations jhall call her blejjed. ij). For what other reafon do you honour her ? A. She was honoured by God, Men, and An- gels; are not thefe good reafons for us to honour her ? /P. How was flie honoured by God ? A. When he made choice of her to be the Mo- ther cd his Son Tcfus. 9. How by Angels? A. When 'Gabriel the Archangel fJuted her with, Hail Alary, full of Grass. r^h How bv men r .<£. Firft by St. Elizabeth infpired by the Holy Gholt, crying out, BleJJ'cd art ihyu arung zvsrnen, and no The Peer Man's Confrovorfy. and blejjed is the fruit cf thy ivomb. (Luke i. 42.) And fince, by all generations. t ai a::::"-, and redound to hi; honour; otherwife, we v.c :ii not thus hencur them. All the h - nou: we give to th rn on account of their being hc- \\'c venerate th', fe moil who are ihe neereil to nca.reil to him, but the holv An..':, the \'i i The Poor Man's Ccntrcverfy. 1 1 1 Mary, and the Saints ? This is the true belief of a Catholick. It is true, we honour the Virgin Mary more, and have a greater veneration for her ahove all the Angels and Saints, for many fmguiar reafons. i" irk ; be- caufe God elected her to be the Mother cf our Re- deemer, and by being the Mothei of Jcf.s, fli- is become the Mother of God, as being truly the Mother of him who is both God and Man. Thus her dignity being above any other Saint, entitles her to greater veneration. Secondly ; we have this fpecial veneration for her, becaufe God fecrns fo to com- mand : Henceforth all generations Jball call me blef fd. Thirdly; we honour her for her geat preroga- tive of fancfity above all other Saints; as, full cf grace , bleffed among veomen-, the moil bleffed of all women by the fruit of her womb, is (lie not in thefe prerogatives greater than ail Angels and Saints. We have therefore a fpecial veneration for her, be- caufe (he was honoured by God, Men, and Angels; God the Father honoured her, when be regarded the humility of ids handmaid, and chofe her lor the Mo- ther of his Son. The Sen. honoured her, by tak- ing fleih, and being born of her. The Holy Ghofl honoured her, when God the Son was conceived in her by the Holy Ghoji. 'Tis her fmguiar prero- gative to be both Mother and Virgin : Never had Mother fuch a Son before ; nor Son fuch a Mo- ther. We honour her then with the Angel Gabriel, faying, Hail Alary, full cf grace, cur Lord is with thee: And with St. Klizabeth, when we lay, Bleffed art thou among women, end Id. fed is the fruit cf thy womb, (7VA o A.nd with the Church, faying : Holy Mary, Mot\\rr of God, pray for us fmncrs, now, and '" the r/o of oar death. "': . hen we call her Mother cf God, as wa^ delu^d in the Third General Council at Ephefus 1 1 2 The Poor Man's Controverfy. ;vgainft Nefiorius, we do not pretend that fhe is the Mother cf the Divinity; but by being Mo- ther of him whom in the fame ptrfon is both God and Man ; hence, as f he was by St. Elizabeth truly called ivlolher oj her Lord; fo now by the Church, Mother of God. If you lav fonie carry their devo- tien for the Virgin Mary too high; I know of none well inltructed Catholicks that do fo. The Cathf lick Church never approved, but ever reprov- ed all fuch abuies. But tho' fome abuies mould dill remain amongft ignorant peoole, muft all veneration and reflect for the Mother of the world's Redeemer be forgot and laid afide, as it feems to be amongft cur ad\ erfaries ? As for miraculous Images of the Virgin Marv, our Church has declared, there is no virtue in ifre?n.~ ' I 'is not irom the Inni^c. but from the Virjon it re- prefents, much good mav be expected, as being in fich high favour with God; yet only from her, as an Intercefj'or with God; from him, as . the lover or it. And if he has wrought fuch won- c rs bv other Saints, fo furely he may do by her powerful InterceiTion, as he did at the Mama e of Cana. (John ii. 11.) To fly to her Intercemon. i-s in em ct to flv to the Aid of her Son, of whom fhe obtains all b!cflina;s for us : E". r honouring the Mother we honour the Son, becaufe we honour her on his account : We confefs w;:!i St. I.ri- ranius, that .'Jury ought to be honture'l, but God All Chriflian people and nations from the be- •finnin. oi the Church, and all Ant omty, have u.er held iter in hiah veneration. The fathers in • ieir . \\ \\v.i , Lite fo m 'er ■ of r :li ■ ■ ■ Order: in 'hi:' C <-■;.; , it ion , the Church in her inturgics, ao f. cm in c concert to have emplovcd then" tongues and to exprefs their I'hrh veneration for h.r, and The Poor Mans Contrcverfy. 113 to recommend the fame devotion to posterity. Plow man)' Cathedrals, and orher Churches throughout ChriiTendom, are dedicated to God under her named; and, even in Proteftant Countries, ftill retain her name without fear of Idolatry ? In this is fulfilled that fayincr ; From henceforth all Fenerations flxdl call me blefed. (Lukei. 48.) To conclude ; this is the faith of the Catholick church : That the Virgin Mary is a Creature as much as any other Creature, tho' purer than any other. That all the grace with which me was replenifhed on earth, was God"s gift; and the glory lhe now poilefles, his reward. That there is but One only God; Him alone to be adored and worfhipped with divine honour. Him alone to be prayed to as the giv- er of a 1 good gifts. Him alone to be ferved and truft- ed in as God. He alone is the Creator of all things. All the Saints and Angels, and the bieffed Virgin Mary, are the work of his hands: And ail the help we receive by their interceflion and our fupplications to them, proceeds from God : To whom be all ho- nour and dory given for ever and ever. Amen. E X H 6 R I "A T I O N. Learn now, O Ch rifti- an, from the Catholick Church, to honour the blefled Virgin Mary the Mother of your Redeemer, fo highly honoured by God, men and angels. Honour her on account of her election to be the Mother of Chrift, Mother of God. Tins is the fource of all other her pre- rogatives: hence, unfpotted and without fin: hence, full of grace: hence, Mother and Virgin: hence, by all generations bieffed. O take her, as St. John did, recommended from the crofs, take her for your Mo- ther : behold thy Mother; Mother of all Chriitians, help and refuge of all miners, under God. Fly then to her patronage in all your neceffitics ; beg her interceflion for you to her Son Jcfus : As me d at the marriage of Cana, and was beared ; e be a no Ids powerful advocate for you, now powerful H4 The Peer Man's Ccnircvcrfy. now flic is reigning with her Son in fiery. Sav then with the Church, Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us finners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. SECT. IV. On me particular Devotions to the Virgin Mary. HeooUl, frzm bene.', forth all generations foad call me blejjid. (Luke i.48.) H A T is the common addrefs cf the Church to the Virgin Mary ? A. Even that of the Angel Gabriel : Hail Mary, full of grace -, from which is derived the A!;/;/-; and the Angelus Domini, much uied in Ca- tholick Countries. gK Why do Catholiclcs fo often repeat the Hail Mary ? A. To commemorate the Incarnation of the Son of God ; to honour his Mother, and to beg her in- tcrcefflon for us finners. -Ah What is the meaning of the Rofary, or Beads? A. 'Ti3 a devotion directed to ol tain God's blef- fings, thro' the intcrcefnon of the ?\Iother of God. .A. But why i'j many times Hail Alar;- for once Our 'Father ? ' A. Btcaufe as often as we repeat the Hail Mary , v.'c commemorate the Incarr.atic n of the Son o; God j hence the AoA "v is i'o compefed, as to commemo- rate all tiie' mylhries of our Redemption. A'. Cut is 1 ot this pravirs: ten times more to the Vir^.n Marv than t;> G( 1! r A. Tin-; is vouv ii.:: 4 :A; ever v time wc repeat th. II ". .;,:-■; wc pray to God ihr ' 1 1 r intuccf- faun, i h. fame is to be Lid of all invoc • ho., oi saints ; The Poor Man's Coniroverfy. 1 1 5 we only beg of the Virgin Mary and the Saints to pray to God for us and with us. J). What is the Angelas Domini? A. It is to put us in mind of our redemption : It is repeated three times in the day, morning, noon, and evening, that fo great a benefit may never be forgot; and to accuitom us to pray often : JVe fooidd pray ivithout ccafing. INSTRUCTION. All our addrefles, devotions an I Amplications to the bieffed Virgin Mary, are done chiefly with refpect to her Son Jefus : All the vene- ration we have for her terminates in him, from whom all good is come both to her and to us. Thus, when we addrefs to her in the Hail Alary, 'tis to comme- morate her Son's Incarnation, to honour alio the Mother, and beg her inteiceilion ior us : adding with the Church, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us ftnners, new, and in the hour of our death. As to the Rofarv, 'tis a method of repeating the Angelical Salutation, with sreat benefit to the foul, by contemplating the chief myfteries of our Redemp- tion, even from Chrift's conception to the coming of the Holy Ghoit; and concludes with commemo- rating the joys and glory of the bieffed Virgin Mary, and all trie Saints. Now, can this be called Su- per (tit ion ; or can he be a true good Chriftian, who deprives himfelf of every pious thing that infpires him with the thoughts of faivation ? For what can be a greater motive to a good life, than to he put in mind of what Chriffc has done and flittered for us, and the blefiings he h ith bellowed upon us ? This io the verv end of this devotion of the R3* Lut is notour repeating the H'd 1 Mar\' ten times for once Our Father, a difhonour to God r fuch praying feeins worfe than not praying at all : Does it not ih.ew, that we place a greater conhdencc in the Virgm Marv than in God ? This 1 1 6 lie Poor Man's Cmtrovcrfy. This is our advtrfaries mi flake : When we fay, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us finncrs\ if. is not true, that we pray to the Virgin Iviary, ami not to God : for as our Faith teaches ; That every good end per feSi gift is from clove, defending from the Fa- ther of tights, (jam. i. 27.) and there is no Catho- iick but knows and believes this truth ; accordingly all our prayers and petitions, whether we addrefs them to God ourfelves, or by fome Saint praying for us, they are flill directed and made to him for the things we want, and in him we hope for the grant of them. When I beg the Virgin Mary to pray for me, is it not with a good hope that by means of her interceiiion, God will hear me, and grant mv peti- tion ? Is not mv petition then properly made to him ? Altho' therefore, I were to repeat the Hail Mary a thoufand times, it is not true that 1 pray more to her than to God ; becaufe every time 1 beg of her to prav for me, I do in eifect pray to God. Nor is tin's in any fenfe difhonouring God; for when we fay, Holy Mary, pray for us ; we make her an humble fuppliant to God. And if" we, who are finners, are thought to honour him and do an act of religion every time we call upon him in humble and devout praver ; much more do the Saints in heaven : nd the Virgin Alary honour him, when they fall clown before his throne to pray for us and with us: this, but acknowledging that he is above above tire highefl in heaven, and that all are his r Can this be a difhonouring of Neither ii it true, that we place a greater c< dence in t lie \ irain Iviarv than in God; but on- 1 / th ,t we conude more in her interceiiion than our own praters; knowing this truth, that :vl\ Icj.v.fc tie afill\ (Jam. iv. ■;.) •,} , ■ : lire i our own pravers, and 1 ' e :iu err as of the Virgin Mare, avci Wh; t is the/. . -.1! ■ ' ' • 5 rood Go.; ;. 1 The Poor Man's Controverfy. 1 1 7 the Saints, which is an act of humility' ; 'tis alio acYmg according to the orders of Gcd, who will have fmners have recourfe to the prayers of the juft, declaring to us, that the conflant prayer of the ir/l man 4 revailcth much; (Jam. v. 16.) Hence, we read in Scripture, that God himfelf by a fpcci- r.l revelation, lint firm-is to the Saints to inter- cede for them, as he did Abimeleck, king of Ge- raris, to Abraham : Nozu therefore, lavs God to him, rejicre to the man his ivife, becaufe he is a Pro-' phet, raid jha'.i pa ay for thee, and thou /bait live. (Gen. xx. 7.) As alio, he fent the friends of Job to him, that he might pray and offer facri- iiec for them to appeafe the divine wrath : My fervant Job jhall pray for you; I will admit of his face, that the folly may not he imputed to you ; for neither have ys fcken before me the thing* that are right. (Job xlii. 8.) in like manner, we read how the Ifraelitcs in diftrefs, addrefled themfelves to Moles and Samuel to avert the wrath of God from them. (Numb. xxi. 7. o£ 1 Kings vii. 8.) What more decilive from the word of God, to authorife our practiced applying in our necellitics to the interceftion of the Saints? "Yet it would he a ftupid error, and me;c folly, to conclude from what God ordered thefe finners to do, that the Saints arc more merciful than God. No : God, is infinite in mercy, and lie is alio juft ; and the order of his juftice and providence requires, that the prayers of the fufl mail prevail foonerwith him than the prayers of finners ; at the fame time he fhews his mtrcv to finners by fparing them at the in- tercefiion of the Juft. Let us not then be fuch ■proud Saints as to think we ftand in need of no other Saints to intercede for us. The Rofary being thus vindicated, and proved to be an excellent devotion, it is recommended to all Chriftians, bat is particularly ufeful to the un- learned n8 Die Peer Mans Cwiroverfy. learned who cannot read : And to others who are difabled tor want of fight or othcrways from the vfe of prayer-books; by the means of this devotion they may be as conflant in prayer, as thefe who have choice of books. As to the Angclus D:mini\ it is a fhort devotion to put Chrilthms in mind, even amidfl the tumults and diibrzei-ions of life, to give God thanks for the be- nefit of cur redemption ; and is fixed at three times or the day, morning, no n, and evening ; that we mav never forget the bleiling of our Redeemer's coming, but imprint him in cur mind ami memo- ry ; and learn to pray to God inceffautlv : >Y'V jkculd pray at all times^ and n:t fail herein. (Luke xviii. i.) EXHORTATION. O Christian ! lock upon all the addrefk-s which the Church males to the y;^ rr ;., at,,.,. i Mary, as mace to ner e.e.c Son thro' her intercellicn. O rahe up your heart and mind to !:im every time you repeat this angelica! Saluta- tion, Hail Mary ! and return thanks for the great myile y of your Redemption. Ami can ■ u repeat the memory of it too often, when inch bleahneT.s have come therefrom? O think of thole eternal evii ■ m once incurred hv fin ! Think of ihofe tana:! hlefb-ngs you reaped bv Chrift's coming and V divine mace: Once fl.a, es of the devii, now { '. of God : Innnit: once was vour miferv ; now ;!•:.:. m: as vour yiorv Wi uv an an, fo:y:t this great Imuntv of Cmil; your Saviour, c.v- preii; 1 in the mg.iiev.l Salutation; and ai.i.t i'o powerful an Acb :cate to your hkihn je.'t a: the \ h : i Mary r who, as llie is tiie Mother of Clinic, fhe \-- alio the Mother of all Chriitiums : //. .'A/;, M-Aher of GhJ, pray /> m:> ?z;:c, a. J. i; u.c 'scar :/ va ucaih. av:ck. SEC T, . T 7T 7 H A T is the intent of fo many Pictures *' and Images in Churches ? A. They are as fo many books to the ignorant, to put them in mind of Chrift, and all the myfteries of our redemption ; as alio of the Virgin Mary and the Saints, that we may follow their example. iP. But is there not danger of idolatry in letting fo many pictures and images before the eyes of the ignorant people ? A. No: The faithful are fo well inftructed from their childhood in the belief of one only God, and of the meaning of holy Images, that idolatry, and all danger and (hadow of it, is entirely vanifhed in all Catholick Countries. „_V ; Is not your devotion and veneration of them carried to excels : A. No: Strictly foeakrng, 'tis not the inanimate image we venerate, but the perron it reprefents, whofe memory is dear to us : Our veneration does not flop at the Image, but paiTes to the Prototype, the perfon or things re pre fen ted by it. j9. Do you think there is any virtue in holy Images r A. t(o: There is no virtue in them: They nei- ther fee, nor hear, nor help us. £b What benefit then do you receive by them ? A. They movingly rep re lent to us the myitcrics of our redemption, and the acts and martyrdoms of the Saints, i?. Is Ho Ike Poor Mans Controi'crfv. jjh Is net the ufe of Images afrainfr. the command- ment, Tbcu/ljcilt not make to tiyfeif any g)\rvcn thins ? A. l\u: They are not idols, cr images of l.rfe Clods, nor worshipped as fuch ; which is the thing forbid bv that commandment. INSTRUCTION. The faith of our Church is belt known from the decrees of hzr General Councils, where this article of the veneration of holy Images is cknmd. Firft, in the Nicene Coun- cil, held An. Do. 787. agaikht the hcreticks of thofe times, call z&kor.ccla'ts* or imagc-hi cakcm, Calvin'spre- deeeffors. This Cecum.' nLal Synoddefmcd as follows. " The Images of Chriit, an i his Saints are to be ct retained and placed in the Churches; that at the " fight of them the memory and aftbct.ous of rhe " beholders mace be excited towards thefe who are " reprefented by them: And we are to falutc and " pay an honorary bowing down to the (hid Imans, *' like as is given to the h;:ure of the holy oofs, *' to chalices, to the books of the gofpeis, or fuch '• like facrcd utenills; but not Latvia, width, as " true faith teach :s, is due only to God." ( -\rh. 7) Tire decree or toe Council ot Trent is worded to the fame purpofe. " The Images of Chriit, c\ the blcfied t: Virgin Mother of God, and of other Saints, are to " be kept and retained, efpeeially in Churehes, and li due honour and yeneration to be sheen them: " not for any d!\ inity or yirtue winch is believed " to be in them, or that anv thing is to be afked " of them, or anv commence to be place, i in them, tc as WuS anciently done Ire the heathens, who put " their trull in idols, but becaufe the honour which "• is done to the images is referred to the prototypes <■'• which they repreient. So that by the Images *•' which we kits, and before which we kneel and tc uncoyer our heads, we adore Chrifl, and venerate li the Saints, whofe pictures they are^ as the Coun- " r ;i *- : '»« The Fcor Mans CcrJroverJy, 121 ir ' cils, efpecially the fecond of Nice, have defined " againft the impugners of images." (Coun. of Trent, SeiT. 25.) Holy images therefore, are tifed in Churches for fcveral good ends; as well for ornament, as for in- ftruction of the ignorant; but chiefly, as helps to devotion : While they movingly rcprefent the my- fieries of our redemption, and place before our eyes the acts and martyrdoms of the faints, whofe exam- ple we profefs to follow. While my eye is on the picture or image of Chrift, I have the imagination of him in my mind; him I venerate, him 1 adore. If I have a veneration for his image, it is becaufe it is his image, and puts me in mind of him : Xhe veneration then which I have for the image, does not flop there, but is referred to the prototype, that is reprefented by it. As all the Faithful are well iufiructed herein, and know there is no virtue or divinity in holv images for which they are to be adored; and that they neither fee, nor hear, nor help us ; there can be no danger of idolatry while we kneel or pray before them. There have been many miraculous well-attefted cures wrought in the Churches, to reward the pietv of fuch as came to recommend their diftreffes to the interceffions of the faints, and the Virgin Mary, before their images: Yet thofe wonderful cures are not to be attributed to any power or divinity in the image ; but to the almighty power of God, moved to work thofe miracles, by the prayers of his faints, to reward the faith and piety of thofe who confide in his power; as alfo to atteft the faith of his Church, and give a divine approbation o'i her reli- gious practice of the invocation of faints, and ve- neration of holy images. However, we do not pretend the hiftories of all thofe miraculous cures are to be beli?ved as articles of Faith ■ but only to 122 The Poof Mans Contriver ■/>■. bt credited as far as they ?ppear certain. Hcncr r the Council of Trent decrees; That v.o new miracle* he admitted for true, till the lifl^p of the diocefe ha; examined, and approved them. (Sell. 25. tic fieri? imag. ) But what virtue, you fay, in cro/Tcs or images to fright the devil; to difiblve charms; or drive away difeaies? No Catholick pretend:, there is any fuch virtue in them : The Council of Trent cxprefly define::; that 7to virtue or divinity rejides in them. Nov/, the de- crees of General Councils are the rule of our faith ;md practice. Wh :n thcrefore,Catholicks fign thcin- f-elvts wkh the fign of the Crofs, or fct up that iVa in their Churches or houfes; they mean nothing more but to invoke God's Aiuftance again ft evil (pi- nts, and all that deal with them thro' Jefus Chiiic crucified; which I conceive may put them to flight, and do all wonders for us. That many fuch wonder" have been dene, vcrv authentic hiflories tcuhifv. This is owned bv Dock v Corel, an eminent Protenant writer of the Church of England, in his anfwer to Burges, (p. 1 3 S , ) * c No man can deny, favs he, but that God after k ' the death of his Son manifeiled hi; power to the : 1 anfwer; That'll not t : :e e r \ ■■. image, but C In ift c rue hie 1 . pr< (c: .:. 1 tneia.! a is th° object of our adoiation that day: 1 h im ;.c we ecu late be- caufe it is Us //.wov, end put- us in mind <>f the death he fc hived f. >r us; but him only we adore with divine ho:v, '. But is there not fjmcthing mare done to the C*'o- > iweinL: in the iivmn fur t'uat ieihvui we ;ead thefc \vo:ds Tiic Terr Marts Conirovcrfy. t2% Words: All hail O Grafs cur only hope: Incrcafe the grace cf the devoid: And blot the crimes of /Inner s out. Wc anfwer, that the word Crofs is Lore taken for Chrift crucified, as it is twice overly St. Paul in one chapter, where he fays; Lcfi i.ocy may f'ffcr ferfention for the Crofs of G/.rifh And again 3 Gcd for bid that I jh.iu'd glory lave hi tic Grofs of our Lad JcfusLhriJh (Gal. vi. 12. & 14.) Was St. Faul an idolater for glorying in the Grofs cf Chrift? What more common in Scripture, and other writers, than fuch metaphors? And what mere eafily un- ckiuood ? They arc the elegancies of ftyle, and no reader takes them to the letter, but according fi their figurative meaning. But after all j is not all veneration of images con- trary to the commandment; Thou fnalt not make to thyflf an-; graven thing, nor the likenefs cf cry thing that is in heaven above, or in foe earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth ; thou /halt not bovj down nor won /hip them. Thofe who make this cbjecHon fhould reflect, that tliis commandment only foibids the makino- or worfhipping cf idols, or images, of ftdfe Gods, fuch as the heathens worshipped : So Mods hinifelf ex- plains this precept in the book of Exodis, where he repeats it again in other words: Ye jh ail no! make Gods of fiver; neither fail you make unto ye Gods cf gold. (c. xx. 23) Now, when Catfiohcks make ■:.\\a venerate holy images according to the aporoved cuftom of the Church, they neither make golden Gods, r.orfilver Gods, nor wooden Gods; they neither make idols of them, nor give them Latria, or divine honour; for this is contrary to the fenle and declara- tion of their own Church and General Councils. To conclude; this is the doctrine of the holy Cathclick Chureh : That a refneel and reverence V I h ?r.4 5Tfo Posy Man's Ccntrcjcrfy, is due to all fuch things as relate to the honour a:i3 fervlce of God : To the book of the holy Scripture, as containing God's holy word : To Churches, as the houfe of God : To the Saints, as to his true fer- vants : To altars and facred vefiels, as being confe- crated to his fervicc : To pictures and images of Chrifv, as renewing the memory of all the myfteries of our redemption : To the images of the Virgin Mary, the Apofiles, and other Saints, by whom he has converted the world, and wrought all wonders. EXHORTATION. O Chriflian, fee what help;; God gives to encourage piety and devotion even by inanimate things; for what are image? and pictures but inanimate figures? Yet what good may be drawn from the fight of them, tho' there is no virtue in them; they bring to our minds the moft h:Iy rerfcr.s and things, and aid us even to pene- trate into heaven. Can vou lift up your eyes and behold a crucifix, and not think of the Author of life and falvation r Can vou behold a piclure or i;u./{L' of the blefitd Virgin Mary, and not think of her that gave him birth: How can vou behold the in agts of the Apofllcs, Martvrs, Confcffors, arid not think of thole by whom God comcrtcd the vvoild? SECT. VI. On the VcrxratUjii y facr\d Rclicki. Frr.ife ye our Lord hi bis Sa'hts. (PL!. <■']. 1 . ; /H \T warrant have you for the venera- tion of the Saints Relicko? A. '1 he holy Scripurc; antiquity; the ancient V,thcrsj the authority of the holy Catholick Churc li. The Poor Mans Conlroverfy. 125 ^. But arc not the Faithful in danger of vene- rating falfe Relicks for true? A. No : T. e Church takes all care by her Ca- nons to prevent fuch ahufes. INSTRUCTION. Concerning the veneration of Relicks the Council of Trent has defined : *' That the holy bodies of the Martyrs and other " Saints now living with Chrift, which were once *' living members of Chrifl, and temples cf the '• Holy Ghofr, and which are by him to be railed ii again to life, and to be glorified, are to be ve- " nerated by the Faithful ; and that many benefits " are imparted to men thro' thefe Relicks: So " that thole who affirm there is no veneration or " honour due to the Saints Relicks, or that fuch " their R.elicks, and other monuments of them, " are in vain honoured by the Faithful, and vifited " in meirniy of them, in hopes of obtaining feme " benefit thereby, are to be utterly condemned, as " the Church already has and does condemn them." (Self. 25.) Our profefTion of faith then, fays; That the Saints Relieh are to be venerated: But how to be venerated? With fuch veneration as is given to other facred things, as to the facred veffels, to Altars, to Churches confecrated to the fcrvice of God. We venerate the dead bodies, the bones, the duft of thole holy perfons, as having been vic- tims to God, by their mortifications and martvr- doms; fancdihed by his grace, and the living tem- ples of the Holy Ghoft : Knowing that thefe their Remains are preordained to a happv refurreciuon and an eternal glory, and are allied to their fouls now reigning in bills. Their memory mould never die, but ever live; and their fepulchres and Relicks remain, to keep alive the memory of their good vvOjK. and he; t i: k virtues, which have mads them r 3 com pa- j 26 The Poor Mans Controversy companions of Angels, and to excite mankind to imitate fuch great examples. Our adverfarks object, that at the be ft this is hut -iviil-worfip, which St. Paul condems as folly ml fuperfrition, in his cpiille to the Coloffians : (c. ik v. 18.) Now, I fuppofe by wi'l-xvorjloip they mean that which has no authority from the word of God ; Let us foe then, whether the word of God docs not give feme faiidiien to tins our devotion. It is writ- ten in the Acts of the Apoiiks, that God wrouft fpecinl miracks by the hands rf Paul, p that frcr/his body veere brought unto the j:ck, handkerchiefs and aprons, and difafes departed from them, and the. evil fpirits went cut of them. (c. xix. 11, 12.) Why may not Catholicks then, without fupcrftition, ap- ply the linen in which the bodies of the Martyrs have been wrapped to the fick ? by which means many undoubted cures have been wrought. In the fourth book of Kings we read: And EH- feus di:d, and they buried him ; and the band's of ths jWcabites invaded the land at the wining of the year, And it came to pafs, as they were burying a man, behold they /pied a band of men, and they cajl the 7, urn into the je pub lore of the Prophet Elijeus ; and zvhen the man was let down and touched the bones of Elifeus, he revived and flood upon his feet. (c. xiii. 20, 21.) Here is another flupendous miracle wrought, even to the railing a dead arm to lite, onlv by touching the fepuichrc and hone, cf the dead Prophet. Does n< t thi, authorise our veneiation of the Saints Ilc- iicks and fcpulchres, when we ice fuch a miracle t, as done at the fcpulchre cf a z gates cf Il-aven were opened e the foul cf the Saint was ad - recorded m 110:7 hah.t, even beio: bv Chrift, ;m! b niittvJ to bliih f 111 The Poor Mans Confroveijy. 127 In the earlieft days of Chriftianity great venera- tion was paid to the kclicks of the Saints and Mar- tyrs. The ancient Fathers and Doctors of the Church defended it ; and none but hereticks and infidels ever oppofed and condemned it; fuch as Ju- lian the Apoftate, Eunomius, Vigilantius, as may be fczn in the writings of St. Hierom and St. Au- guftin. St. Hierom in particular, attacked Vigilan- tius, who gave the Catholicks of his time the appel- lation of duji-worjhippers. " Vigilantius, fays he, be held as facred, as beincj the inftrumentb 0;' G l's power to work wonders upon earth. SEC T. '•J'hc Poor Maiis Controversy, 131 SECT. VIII. On pious Pilgrimages Toe -round then Jlande/l on is bofy t put off thy floes* (Exod. iii. 5.) . i: X "The Peer Mans Controvert 133 p>. But cloth he not fay, Not that which enters into the mouth dejileth the man. (Matth. xv. n.) A. 'Tis not the meat, which is eaten on a faft- clav, defiles the foul; but the difobedienee in eating forbidden meat. 9. What are the conditions that make a perfect fait ? A. Carefully to avoid fin, and accompany your fa ft with true repentance, devout prayers and almf- deeds to the poor: This is the fa.fi: which God has chofen. IN ST RUCTION. Tho' the fafts of the Church are held by many as vain and iuperftitious, or at leaft fupcrflous, and no ways ncceiTary to falvation ; they were always on the contrary held by antiquity as moll acceptable to God, and molt beneficial to the foul, and have, for time immemorial, been en- joined by the precept of the Church. This pious practice is fo frequently recommended both in the Old and New Teftament, and is fo very necefiary for doing penance for pad fins, as alfo for overcom- ing vice, and leading us to virtue, by chajlijing the body, and bringing it into fvbjeStion, that it cannot but be accounted by a weli-initructed Chriftian as a good an i necefiary religious work. Fallings were in practice in the earl left times of Chriftii'ihty: Nay, in thofe days more ftricl: and fre- quent than in after-ages. St. Paul makes much mention of his fa /lings a:\dzvatchings: (2 Cor. xi. 27.) Ti:e fail of Lent was inftituted by the Apof- tie , as many of the holy Fathers do atteft; and that i; !;.,.!n. be the more univerfally obferved, it was en- joined a:, a precept 10 the whole Church by a decree of Pope Idyginus about the middle cf the fecond cen- tu '.', a, Kuichlu.-. in his Chronicle teftifies. Chi ill hi, of If tr.wght, that his diiciples would fail when ihe h'ide^rooni ihuiiid be taken from them, 134 ¥he P° 0r Mans Cinircverfy, them, (Matth. ix. 15.) as indeed his difcir-Ies and Church have conftamly done unto this prcfent day. He alfo gave them leflbns how to fair, (Matth. vi. 16. & 17.)" And fit the fu ft example by a forty days faft in the defart: Can it 1 e fuperfluous or fu- perftitious to follow Ch rift's example, and to fulfil what he foretold o'i his followers r 1 he end of fading is to do penance for our fin?, that, as the Niniviies and other holy penitents did, we may find mercy at the hands of God. The in- tent of it alfo is, that wc may, by bridling our appe- tites more eafily overcome fin, an 1 be better difpofed to virtue and obedience to the Church, and barn to deny our own will. Can fa lino- then be deemed fuperftitious, when even God by hb Prophet Joed calls upon his people, to turn to him ivith all their hearts in falling, vjeepirg, and mourning. (Jcel ii. 12.) \1 you fay, the faft from fin is the faft ivhicb God has chefen; we alfo hoi !, that the mcit ri; creus f; ft is of no account with God, unlefs we re-bain from fin; thefe mufc go together to make a perfect fail : The jews rendered their fail, difplcafing to God, whilft on thofe days they were found do'n^ their own will, and opprcfimg their neighbour, as God by his Prophet reproaches thaw: So the in'd con- dition retjuired to a good fail, is t ) ivnoa.m t all fin, and to be converted to God veith cur whole heart. perf(.)i'ming the faft in a fpirie cf condition and pe- nance. Jh.it is it not written, That :•■'.■.'• r: .'■ i::i: tht month doth not d-'filr a mar.? (Matth. xv. ij.) We a: Twer ; "IT not the 1 -eai d. files the foul < i a Chriilian, no more tlnn fw'me's fleih defied the foul of a |ew: For every luaturc of (Hid ii r :■:■■!. (1 Tim. iV. e.) Hut the ..mug tie I d^des" the £>ul of a Lh.iui.m, y/il.n lee : .oe^ok.v '' e re [, The Poor Mm's Coniroverfy, 135 is the dhbbedience of the heart in breaking the pre- cept of the Church, which God has commanded all to hear and obey. Thus, our firit parents were de- filed in eating the forbidden fruit; not by the un- deannefs of the food, but by their difobedience in rating that which. God had forbid them to eat. EXHORTATION. Can you then refufe to con ply with this great duty of fading, fo acceptable to God, and beneficial to fouls? Cor.fuler the fad of JVlofes. (Deut. ix. 18) The fad of the Ifraelites. (Judges xx. 26.) The fad of Judith, (c. iv. 8.) The fail of Dfther. (Edher iv. 16.) The fad of the Niniviies. (Jonas iii. 5.) The fail of St. Paul, and the other A pofHes and primitive Chriftians. (Acls >:iii. 3.) Let all thefe be confidered with the happy effects that followed them, in removing the judge- ments of God which hung threatening over the heads oj 1. oners, and in drawing down his mercy 0:1 them 5 ;,nd then you will be convinced how great a r;ood 13 fafting. Nothing has been more ftrongly recommended by ill antiquity than fading. The bleffings that attend it, and fhe end propofetl by it, are well expreffed by a. holy Father and great Doctor of the Church, St, Chryfoffom ; " Fair, lays lie, becaufe you have fin- " ned: Fad, that you may not fin : Fad, that you *' may bring all bleihngs on yourfelf : Fad, that you " u ay piefcrve the grace of God in your foul." i h<; mod perfect have need of fading, to main- tain their \ irtue: The mod wicked, to hie for mer- cy, and prevent God's judgments. Beware then of i- 'cting this ciiential dut\ Praifc be to God, INDEX. Pasfr f\N the Authority of the Holy Catholick Church, 5 ^ On the Clinch of God, the Pillar and Grcut.d of Truth, ------ I + On Scripture net the fcle Rule of Faith, - - 17 On Private fudgment and Private Spirit, - 22 On cur Choice of the true Church, - - - 56 Cut of the true Church there i: no Salvation, - 33 On the Supremacy of it. Piter cad lis Sncccjors, 36 Cn the Seven Sacra?nents, - - - 42 On the Holy Eucharifi, - - - - 46 51 5 B *3 i 9 73 79 «5 01 98 : 1 CO Objections again/1 the Eucharijl anfwered, On Communion in One Kind, - On the Eucharijt ai a Sacrifice, On the Lath: Liturgy, - On Penance and Ccnfj/icv, - On Indulgences, - Or. Pvrcaio-y, - - - - - On Praying fr the Dead, - - On Hcnoir due to Saints cr.d Argds, Cn Invuaticn of Saints, - On Devotion to the JJlefid /' irgm Mary, On far vcrilcular Ue^ihm to the Bi.fcd Mary, - - - -' - On Pic!) Picture i avd Inay-, On lie Veneration of Sacred Rclitis, On th t II lUf.euti cf ihc Sai.'.t:, - O, / ;,;..- Pilgrimages, - - - - - Cn '' fa .'.- ;' '.[■?. > v ;,;,'. - F 1 >: 1 '• , M ] 9 3 1 3 1 158 01071 6040 AA 000 095 839 7