presumptuous movement," which _your scriptural_ Church as by law
established, has been making for a long time on the _pockets_ of
Englishmen. I must now proceed to show, what "a most extraordinary and
presumptuous movement" she has been making for a long time, on the
_intellects_ of Englishmen. Would to God that occasion had never been
given to me to touch on _this_ subject! But remember, that _many_ of your
_reverend_ body, have been _publicly_ advancing the most _pretty_, and
_polite_ things against _us Catholics_. The newspapers, will bear ample
testimony to the _strange_, and _horrid_ things, which _many_ of your
_reverends_, have _lately_ uttered against the Catholic Church. Now, what
they have in general uttered against us, is, _unfortunately_, _not_
founded on _truth_; but mind, what I shall advance is _really true_,
although _most awful_, nay _almost_ incredible, had not your _Protestant_
testimonies borne _ample_ witness _to it_. Remember, also, that although
Our Saviour was the _most_ meek, and kind creature that the world _ever_
beheld, _still_, when the _honour_ of His Heavenly Father was _insulted_
and _outraged_, He cast the buyers and sellers out of the Temple. Now,
some of your reverend body, have, in my ideas, lately used all their
endeavours to insult, and outrage the Catholic Church, which, I consider,
the Temple of God. Pardon me, therefore, if I should with the spiritual
arms of _truth_, (and I hope of _charity_,) cast _them_ out of that
temple, and show the world, they had _better_ have been in _their own_
temple, and have tried to have _re_formed _it_, _before_ they had
endeavoured to turn masters of Israel, in their _neighbours'_ temple.
But _this_, Reverend Gentlemen, I must say, that if the Catholic Church,
had _no better_ foundation than _declamation_ against the _Protestant_
Church, I would not be either a _minister_, or a _member_ of it for a
_single_ day. But mind, the Catholic Church has both a _good_ foundation,
and can also show the _flimsy_ texture of the _Protestant_ Church, when
Protestant ministers are so _imprudent_ as to attack her.
Most Reverend Gentlemen, I can only say, had _you_ remained quiet, _I_
should have been _innocent_ of the disagreeable task, of having to state
the following _awful_ facts. But as _you_ have not, I can only add, I am
_innocent_ of the consequences, look _you_ to them. I will not indeed
exclaim, with the Scripture, "Its blood be upon you, and upon your
children;" but I will rather say, in the spirit of charity, may it bring
you, and your followers, to a serious consideration, and to a sense of
duty. But some of you reverends will _perhaps_ infer, from the awful
truths which I shall advance, that I must believe that all, who are not
of _our_ communion, must go to hell. _Appalling sentence!_ Christ
certainly has said, that he that will not hear the Church, is to be to
us as a heathen and a publican (that is, excluded from our spiritual
communion.) But Christ does not say, he will _go to hell_, much less,
therefore, ought _I_ to _rashly_ condemn him. St. Paul, also, warns us to
judge _no man_, for this good reason, because _we, also_ shall have to
stand before the tribunal of Christ. Far, therefore, be it from me to
open the flood-gates of damnation, even on a _single_ individual, much
less on the _whole_ body of our Protestant brethren. Although, therefore,
I shall shortly advance truths, most awful, and almost incredible, still,
let no one imagine, I mean anything PERSONAL. Oh, no, I will say with the
poet--
"Let not this weak unknowing hand,
Presume thy bolts to throw,
Or deal damnation round the land,
On all I judge thy foe."
Well, then, let it be remembered, that I shall advance only undeniable
facts, without intending to deal damnation _on you_, or on the _whole_
Protestant body.
"I (shall) only speak right on,
Yes, as you know me all, a plain blunt man,
That love my friends, and that they know full well,
Who gave me public cause to speak the truth.
I'll tell you _that_, which you yourselves _might_ know."
A certain Spanish chemist, thought that _God's_ formation of his master,
had not been executed in the most perfect, and durable manner; and this
chemist had the audacious presumption to imagine, that if he demolished
his master, he could raise him to life again, to a more perfect, and
durable specimen of workmanship, than he was, when God first made him.
For this purpose, this audacious chemist cut his master into pieces, and
put the various parts into his sublimatory glass, with the design of
raising his master again, by chemical operation, to a more durable, and
perfect state of life than he was, when he was the handiwork of _God's_
formation. Now, Most Reverend Gentlemen, I will not apply this to your
Church, but _this_ I will do, I will show you what the Church _was_, and
_is_, which the fathers of the Reformation wished first to demolish, on
account of her imperfections, and then, to raise her again to a more
perfect specimen of spiritual life; I will show the characters of these
spiritual chemists; I will show you the wonderful works of their
spiritual chemistry, and the wonderful spiritual works of their
scriptural hands; and then, I will leave you, and others to judge,
whether these first reformers, and these new soul menders, _did, or did
not_, really imitate the strange, and presumptuous conduct of this
Spanish chemist.
When God first created man, He imprinted on his heart the light of
reason, which (whether aided by revelation or not, it is not necessary
here to enquire) taught him his duty to his God, to his neighbour, and to
himself. This light was also imprinted on the hearts of his descendants;
but as man fell from God by sin, the light of this natural law was
greatly impaired, both in the hearts of our _first_ parents, and of all
_their_ descendants. The light of this natural law, though much impaired
by Adam's fall, is, and ever has been, imprinted on the hearts of all,
and is, and ever has been, the foundation of all moral rectitude. The
imperfection of this natural law was, before our Saviour came, supplied
by the aid of revelation, which Almighty God communicated to mankind, at
various times, through His chosen servants. But at _last_, the Almighty
was pleased to send His only Son from heaven to earth, to supply the
deficiency of this natural law, and to teach mankind, in the most perfect
manner, their duty to God, to their neighbour, and to themselves. Hence
our Saviour beautifully says, "He came _not_ to destroy the law, but to
fulfil it," that is, He came to supply the imperfections of the natural
law, caused by Adam's fall, and to teach us, in the most perfect manner,
our duty to our God, to our neighbour, and to ourselves. Hence, for this
purpose He became man, and united our humanity to His divinity. In this
God-man, were concentrated all the treasures of divine wisdom and
knowledge; and to this God-man, were given all power in heaven, and on
earth. It is plain, therefore, as our Saviour beautifully says, He came
to be the way, the truth, and the life to all mankind; that is, He came
to be the way, by showing us the true way of heaven, which had been
darkened, and obscured by the sin of our first parents; He came to be the
truth, by revealing to us those supernatural truths, which the natural
law did not reveal, and by revealing to us more clearly those truths,
which the natural law revealed only obscurely; and lastly, He came to be
our life, by communicating to mankind His graces, by which they were
enabled to _practise_ the truths, which this divine law _taught_, and
thus, by the _knowledge_, and _faithful practice_ of this divine law, to
arrive at last at the kingdom of heaven. Hence, fully sensible of this
truth, the Apostles are continually in the Scriptures reminding us, on
_the one hand_, of man's fall, and the sad consequences of that fall; and
_on the other hand_, of our liberation from sin, and of the abundant
blessings we have received, by redemption through Jesus Christ.
Now, that mankind _in every age_, might be partakers of these abundant,
and spiritual blessings, Jesus Christ was pleased to found a Church, and
to invest this Church with the same spiritual powers, which He had
received from His heavenly Father. This Church, _through Jesus Christ_,
was to be the _infallible_ source of all spiritual knowledge, and of all
spiritual grace; in short, it was to be the _visible_, the _infallible_,
and _the incorruptible_ Church of all ages, with the world for its
boundaries, and time for its duration.
I will now, give you a short description of this Church of Christ;
attend, and I will tell you, in as few words as I can, what this Church
always _was_, and really _is_. Catholicity, or Christ's Church, began
with our Saviour, received her mission, her powers, and her doctrine,
from Jesus Christ. She has been distinguished in every age, for the unity
of her faith, and the sanctity of her doctrine, for the universality of
her extent, and the apostolicity of her origin. No _earthly_
consideration, could ever induce her, to swerve _one iota_ from the
sacred deposit, and unity of faith, delivered to her by Jesus Christ.
Hence, whenever she found any in her communion, either layman, priest, or
bishop, or _even a whole nation_, wishing to _change_, or _add to_, or
diminish _one tittle_ of the _faith_, delivered by her heavenly founder,
she _at first_, like a tender mother, expostulated with them, appealed to
the grounds and truth of her faith, and traced it to the mouth, either of
our Saviour or His Apostles; but if they disregarded her tender
expostulations, she then, as St. Paul did the incestuous Corinthian, cut
them off from her communion, and showed them, when _her faith_ was at
stake, she feared neither the _frowns_ of individuals, nor the _strength_
of nations. Every article of her faith is so holy in itself, and so
conducive to true holiness, that she challenges her greatest adversaries,
to show the _smallest stain_ in any part of what she _really_ teaches,
and the most convincing proof of their being _unable_ to do so, is, that
not daring to attack her _true_ doctrine, they, by calumny and
misrepresentation, lay things to her charge which she even _detests_ and
_condemns_.[J] And then, after combating a _phantom_ of their _own_
creation, exult in an easy and decisive victory. From the dawn of
Christianity to the present day, there has not been a nation converted to
Christianity, but what was converted by her zealous exertions, nor is
there a religion under the sun except hers, that can prove that any of
her members, were ever honoured on account of their virtues, and
sanctity, with the name of saint. She can look back through eighteen
centuries, and shew that the unity and sanctity of her doctrine, are the
_very same_ in the _nineteenth_ century, as they were in the _first_
century. She can trace a long succession of popes, even to the first
pope, who was St. Peter. She can present you a long catalogue of learned
and polite nations, of scholars, philosophers, and divines, of generals,
statesmen, and princes, of saints, martyrs, and confessors, who looked
upon her faith as their best inheritance, a treasure which they held more
dear than life itself. In short, she can prove, that she is _now_ that
Church, which _our Saviour first_ founded on a rock, against which, He
promised, that the gates of hell should never prevail, and that He, and
His Holy Spirit, should remain with it, teaching it all truth, _until the
end of the world_. Hence, she has passed through the stormy trials of
_eighteen_ centuries, which would have long since shivered any _human_
institution into atoms, and now stands forth, ever fresh and vigorous, in
all her pristine strength, but silvered with the venerable hoar of ages.
This is a short description of the visible, infallible, and incorruptible
Catholic Church of Christ; I will now show you how this Church was
formed, and how it was to be perpetuated, _from age to age_, with the
world for its boundaries, and time for its duration. The Prophet Daniel
foresaw this Church, when he said (Dan. c. ii.), "The God of heaven
should set up a kingdom, which should _never_ be destroyed." And our
Saviour (Matt. xvi.) informs us, that He is the maker and builder of this
Church. Hence He assures us, that as He Himself was sent by His Heavenly
Father to preach the Gospel (Luke iv. 18.), so He, also, sent His
Apostles: as My Father hath sent Me, I also send you. (John xx. 21.) For
this purpose He revealed to His Apostles _all_ the divine truths which
_He_ had received. "All things," says He, "whatsoever I have heard of My
Father, I have made known to you." (John xv. 15.) He then gave them a
commission, to teach _all_ these truths to _all_ nations. "All power,"
says He, "is given to me in heaven and on earth: go ye, therefore, and
teach all nations, teaching them to observe _all_ things whatsoever _I_
have commanded you; and behold I am with you _all days, even to the end
of the world_." (Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.) But when our Saviour gave these
commands to His Apostles, He at the same time, imposed upon mankind a
strict obligation, _to hear_ and _learn_ His gospel from the Apostles.
Hence He says to His Apostles, "He that heareth _you_, heareth _Me_, and
he that despiseth _you_, despiseth _Me_, and he that despiseth _Me_,
despiseth _Him_ that sent me." (Luke x. 16.) But whilst our Saviour,
imposes upon mankind the necessity of _hearing_ His Apostles, he pledged
His _infallible_ word, that they should _never_ lead _the people_ astray,
or teach any false doctrine. For this reason, He promises that He will
send down His Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, to teach them all truth,
that He and His Holy Spirit will remain with them _for ever_, teaching
them all truth, and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against
them. (John xv. Matt. xvi.)
That this _absolute_, and _infallible_ authority of preaching and
teaching, was not to be limited merely to the _persons_ of the Apostles,
nor merely to the _period_ of their ministry, but was also to extend to
_their_ successors in office, and _to all future ages_, I will now prove.
Our Saviour tells His Apostles, that they are to go, and teach _all
nations_, and that He will be with them, _even until the end of the
world_; and that the Spirit of truth, shall remain with them _for ever_.
Now, as the Apostles, _did not_ teach _all nations_, in their _own_
persons, and were not to continue on earth, until _the end of the world_,
it was manifest, that the commission was not to be confined to _their
persons_, but was to be given to _their office_, that is, to them and
their successors _in office_, who shall continue _until the end of the
world_, to _complete_ the great work of teaching all nations, which the
Apostles _first began_. That this was _actually_ the intention of _our
divine Saviour_, we learn in positive, and distinct terms, from these
words of St. Paul: "And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and
other some pastors, and doctors for the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." "That
henceforth we may be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine, by the wickedness of men, by cunning
craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive." (iv. 11, 14.) _Such
is_, most Reverend Gentlemen, and _such always was, the visible, the
infallible, and incorruptible_ Church of Christ, which was to be
perpetuated _from age to age_, with time for its duration, and the world
for its boundaries.
Oh, but you will reply, this Church once fell into error, at least so say
the first Reformers. If, most Reverend Gentlemen, I were to assert that
_you_ all once committed _murder_, you would very sharply ask, _when_,
_where_, and _how_? And if I could not prove _when_, _where_, and _how_,
I think you would deem me (and justly too) a very near relation to the
father of lies. Now, your first Reformers _said_, indeed, that the
Catholic Church once fell, but _most unfortunately_, they _forgot_ to
prove _when_, _where_, and _how_. As, therefore, these first Reformers,
forgot to prove these _most essential_ circumstances, you must excuse _us
Catholics_, if we prefer _God's infallible_ word, to the _mere ipse
dixit_ of these _first celestial_ lights of the Reformation. You know God
says, heaven and earth, _shall_ pass away, but His word _shall not_ pass
away.
But you will, perhaps, answer, really they must have been _strange_
beings to have _asserted_, that _God's infallible_ Church had fallen, and
_not_ to have been able, or at least to have _forgotten, to prove_ such a
bold assertion. Do you know, I was just thinking the same; and,
therefore, I beg to introduce a few of these beings to your notice: and I
know _none_, that has a greater claim to our first notice, than Martin
Luther, _both_ for the _originality_ of his spiritual doctrines, and for
the _sublimity_ of the _celestial_ revelations, with which he was
honoured. And _mind_, had not Luther and his disciples, left the most
_incontestible_ testimony of what I am about to advance, it would really
have outraged and defied _all credibility_.
Well, then, know, and _never forget_, that Martin Luther, the first
luminary of the Reformation, had a conference _with the devil_, in which
Martin assures us, that he was convinced by the _devil's powerful_
argumentation, that the Popish Mass was a heap of idolatry. The following
are the words of this angel of _light_ on this subject: "Being awakened
at midnight, the devil began to dispute with me, according to his custom.
"Listen to me, Master Doctor," said he: "do you consider that, for
fifteen years, you have said mass almost every day? What, if all this
while, you have been guilty of idolatry, and, instead of adoring the body
and blood of Christ, have adored only bread and wine?" I answered him,
that I was a priest lawfully ordained by the bishop; and that having,
from a principle of obedience, discharged my ministry with a sincere
intention of consecrating, I saw no reason to doubt the validity of the
consecration. "True," replied Satan; "but in the Churches of Turks and
Heathens, is not everything done in an orderly manner, and in the spirit
of obedience? Does that authorize their worship as orthodox, and
perfectly correct? What, if your ordination were null, and your
consecration as vain and useless as that of Turkish priests, in the
exercise of their ministry, or of the false prophets under Jeroboam?"
Here (adds Luther) I was seized with a violent sweat, and my heart began
to beat in a strange manner. The devil is very artful in adjusting his
reasoning, and he also pushes his arguments with great force; he has a
voice, strong and rough, and is so pressing in his objections, one after
another, as scarcely to allow you time to breathe. Hence, I can conceive,
how it has repeatedly happened, that persons have, in the morning, been
found dead in their beds. In the first place, he may suffocate them; he
may also, by his method of disputing, cause such a trouble in the soul as
to render her unable to make any further resistance, and thus she may be
compelled instantly to leave the body; which has nearly been my own case,
more than once."
After this preface, Luther mentions five reasons which the devil alleged
against the sacrifice of the mass; reasons extremely frivolous in
themselves, but which Luther considered of sufficient weight to justify
his yielding to them, saying to those who might blame his conduct, that
"if _they_ had heard the devil reasoning in the same forcible manner as
_he_ had done, they would take care not to appeal from his arguments to
the practice of the Church, and the usages of antiquity, which would
never satisfy them." This conference may be seen in three different
editions of Luther's works, printed by the care of his disciples, viz.,
(Wittemberg, T. 7, p. 479. Jenae, Ed. Germ. per Thomas, p. 82. Attenberg,
T. 6. p. 86.)
Really, most Reverend Gentlemen, this is a very strange history.
_Certain_, however, _it is_, that _Luther_ omits _nothing_ to persuade us
of its truth: for he mentions the very words which the devil used, the
tone of his voice, the nature of his arguments, the impression which the
conference made on his body and soul, which sometimes follow from
debating with this king of the lower regions.
After the death of Luther, his disciples, and especially Melancton, took
care to insert the conference in the collection of Luther's works,
printed in Latin at Wittemberg, and the writers of the Luthern and
Calvinistic party agree, that it was _certainly the production of
Luther_.[K] (Hospinian, par. 2. Hist. Sacramentariae, p. 26, et. p. 131.)
Now Luther either _had_ or _had not_ this conference with the master of
lies. If he _really had_, Luther ought to have known, that _such_ a
master was not very likely, to teach him anything _very good_, and that
he was not a very _fit_ person, to convince him of the idolatry of the
mass. For if the mass, had _really_ been idolatry, I think the devil,
would _rather_ have encouraged, _than_ tried to overturn it. But if
Luther _had not_ this conference, then the ambition of Luther, for having
wished to appear connected with so bad a master, indicates so strange
and exotic a genius, so depraved and bad a taste, that it reflects
_almost_ as much dishonour on Luther, as if this conference had really
taken place.
You will perhaps object "that Luther is nothing to us." Most Reverend
Gentlemen, I have not quoted him to insult you, or to throw any
disrespect on you; for _you_ are certainly not to be _answerable_ for
Luther's _deeds_. But I have quoted him to let you see, what kind of a
genius, this father of the Reformation was, and I must now candidly ask,
if you think he was _a fit_ person, to reform Christ's Church. Had he
indeed begun, by endeavouring to _reform_ the devil himself, we might
have pardoned his religious enthusiasm; but for him to tell us, that the
_infallible_ Church of Christ, had fallen into error, and that he had
come to reform it, under the instructions, and guidance of the master of
lies, is _really_ most outrageous, and cannot be equalled by any thing,
that I have either heard, or read on this side the grave. That the human
mind, should be capable of falling into such dreadful delusion, would
appear almost incredible, had not the Holy Ghost assured us, that God
abandons to a reprobate sense, those who wish to change _truth_ into
_falsehood_. (Romans i. 25-26.)
Zuinglius, another bright son of the Reformation, professes to have
learnt his main argument against the Real Presence from a spirit, which
appeared to him in the night, but whether it was a _black_, or _white_
spirit he does not remember. However, he made great account, of this
nightly instruction of his _unknown_ friend; read the place of Exodus,
which had been pointed out to him by his _unknown_ friend, and afterwards
preached before the whole congregation, on the subject of this
_wonderful_ discovery. (Hosp. ii. p. 25-26.) Luther was positive and
sure, that the devil, whom Oecolampadius, (another reformer,) employed,
strangled him during the night in his bed. "This is the excellent
master," continues Luther, "who taught Oecolampadius that there are
contradictions in the Scripture. See," says Luther, "to what satan brings
learned men." (De Miss. Priv. Luth.)
Such were the nocturnal revelations, with which some of the first
reformers were honoured, and I think now, you will not be surprised at
the following character, which is given _them_, and the _other_
reformers, _even_ by _Protestant_ testimony. Zanchius, the celebrated
Protestant professor, thus complains of the conduct of his _reforming
Protestant_ colleagues: "I am indignant, when I consider the manner, in
which most of us defend our cause. The _true_ state of the question we
often, on _set_ purpose, involve in _darkness_, that it may not be
_understood_; we have the impudence, to _deny_ things the _most evident_:
we _assert_ what is _visibly_ false: the most _impious_ doctrines, we
_force_ on the people as the _first_ principles of _faith_, and
_orthodox_ (true) opinions, we condemn as _heretical_: we _torture_ the
Scriptures, until they agree with our _own_ fancies, and boast of being
the _disciples_ of the _fathers_, while we refuse _to follow their_
doctrines: _to deceive_, _to calumniate_, _to abuse_, is our _familiar_
practice: nor do we care for anything, _provided_ we can defend our
cause, _good_ or _bad_, _right_ or _wrong_. Oh what times! what manners!
(Zanchius ad Stormium, tome viii. col. 828.)