66

| neither see, nor hear, nor smell, nor taste, nor move,
nor understand; that which could grow old, and
perish,-that could be broken and burned,—that
was subject to the injury of rats and mice, of worms,
and creeping things,-that can be taken by enemies,
and carried away, that is kept under lock and key,
for fear of thieves and sacrilegious persons. Now,
if the church of those ages had thought and prac-
tised, as they have done at Rome, in these last
ages, might not they have said, "Why may not we
as well as you? Do not you worship that with
Divine honours, and call it your God, which can be
burnt and broken, which yourselves form into a
round or square figure, which the
oven first
hardens, and then your priests consecrate, and, by
invocation, make to be your God,-which can see
no more, nor hear, nor smell, than the silver and
gold upon our images? Do not you adore that
which rats and mice cat, which can grow mouldy
and sour, which you keep under locks and bars, for
fear your God be stolen? Did not Lewis IX. pawn
your God to the soldan of Egypt, insomuch that to
this day the Egyptian escutcheons, by way of tri-
umph, bear upon them a pix with a wafer in it:
true it is, that if we are beaten from our cities, we
carry our gods with us; but, did not the Jesuits
carry your host (which you call God) about their
necks from Venice, in the time of the interdict?
And now, why do you reprove that in us which
you do in yourselves?" What could have been
answered to them, if the doctrine and accidents of
their time had furnished them with these or the
like instances? In vain it would have been to
have replied; "Yea, but ours is the true God, and
yours are false gods."- For they would easily
have made a rejoinder; and said, that this is to be
proved by some other argument; in the mean time,
all your objections against our worshipping of
images, return violently upon you. Upon this ac-
count, since none of the witty and subtle adver-
saries of christianity ever did or could make this
defence by way of recrimination, it is certain, there
was no occasion given; and therefore those trifling
pretences made out of some sayings of the fathers,
pretending the practice of worshipping the sacra-
ment, must needs be sophistry, and illusion, and
can need no particular consideration.
But if any
man can think them at all considerable, I refer him
to be satisfied by Michael le Faucheur, in his
voluminous confutation of Cardinal Perron.1
for my part, am weary of the infinite variety of
argument in this question; and, therefore, shall
only observe this, that antiquity does frequently
use the words προσκύνητος, σεβασμιώτατος, θειὸς,
προσκυνούμενος, "venerable," adorable," wor-
shipful," to every thing that ought to be received
with great reverence, and used with regard to
princes, to laws, to baptism, to bishops, to priests, to
the ears of priests, the cross, the chalice, the tem-
ples, the words of Scripture, the feast of Easter;
and upon the same account, by which it is pretend-

husband, she certainly is an adulteress; because she, having reason to doubt, ought first to be satisfied of her question. Since therefore, besides the insuperable doubts of the main article itself, in the practice and the particulars, there are acknowledged so many ways of deception, and confessed that the actual failings are frequent, (as I showed before out of Pope Adrian,) it will be but a weak excuse to say, "I worship thee if thou be the Son of God, but I do not worship thee if thou beest not consecrated;" and, in the mean time, the Divine worship is actually exhibited to what is set before us. At the best we may say to these men, as our blessed Saviour to the woman of Samaria, "Ye worship ye know not what; but we know what we worship." | For, concerning the action of adoration, this I am to say, that it is a fit address in the day of solemnity, with a sursum corda," with "our hearts lift up" to heaven, where Christ sits (we are sure) at the right hand of the Father, for "nemo dignè manducat, nisi priùs adoraverit," said St. Austin; | "no man eats Christ's body worthily, but he that first adores Christ." But to terminate the Divine worship to the sacrament, to that which we eat, is so unreasonable and unnatural,h and withal, so scandalous, that Averroes, observing it to be used among the christians, with whom he had the ill fortune to converse, said these words: "Quandoquidem christiani adorant quod comedunt, sit anima mea cum philosophis: " i "Since christians worship what they eat, let my soul be with the philosophers." If the man had conversed with those who better understood the article, and were more religious and wise in their worshippings, possibly he might have been invited by the excellency of the institution to become a christian. But they that give scandal to Jews by their images, and leaving out the second commandment from their catechisms, give offence to the Turks by worshipping the sacrament, and to all reasonable men by striving against two or three sciences, and the notices of all mankind. "We worship the flesh of Christ in the mysteries, (saith St. Ambrose,) as the apostles did worship it in our Saviour." -For we receive the mysteries as representing and exhibiting to our souls the flesh and blood of Christ; so that we worship it in the sumption, and venerable usages of the signs of his body. But we give no Divine honour to the signs: we do not call the sacrament our God. And let it be considered, whether, if the primitive church had ever done, or taught, that the Divine worship ought to be given to the sacrament, it had not been certain, that the heathen would have retorted most of the arguments upon their heads, by which the christians reproved their worshipping of images. The christians upbraided them with worshipping the works of their hands; to which themselves gave what figure they pleased, and then, by certain forms, consecrated them, and made, by invocation, (as they supposed,) a divinity to dwell there. They objected to them, that they worshipped that which could

Vide Theodoret quæst. 55. in Genes. et q. 11. in Levit.

ἡ ̓Αβελτερίας ἐσχάτης τὸ ἐσθιόμενον προσκυνεῖν.-Theodoret q. in Gen. q.

55.

* De Spir. S. 1. 3. c. 12.

66

Lib. 4. c. 3. de la Cêne du Seigneur.

66

I,

A

DISSUASIVE FROM POPERY

TO THE

PEOPLE OF IRELAND.

PART I.

THE

PREFACE TO THE READER.

WHEN a Roman gentleman had, to please himself, written a book in Greek, and presented it to Cato; he desired him to pardon the faults of his expressions, since he wrote in Greek, which was a tongue in which he was not perfect master. Cato told him, he had better then to have let it alone, and written in Latin: by how much it is better not to commit a fault than to make apologies. For if the thing be good, it needs not to be excused: if it be not good, a crude apology will do nothing but confess the fault, but never make amends. I, therefore, make this address to all, who will concern themselves in reading this book, not to ask their pardon for my fault in doing of it; I know of none; for if I had known them, I would have mended them before the publication; and yet, though I know not any, I do not question but much fault will be found by too many; I wish I have given them no cause for their so doing. But I do not only mean it in the particular periods, where every man that is not a son of the church of England or Ireland, will at least do as Apollonius did to the apparition that affrighted his company on the mountain Caucasus; he will revile and persecute me with evil words; but I mean it in the whole design, and men will reasonably or capriciously ask, Why any more controversies? Why this over again? Why against the papists, against whom so very many are already exasperated, that they cry out fiercely of persecution? And why can they not be suffered to enjoy their share of peace, which hath returned in the hands of his sacred Majesty, at his blessed restauration ? For as much of this as concerns myself I make no excuse, but give my reasons, and hope to justify this procedure with that modesty which David used to his angry brother, saying, "What have I now done? is there not a cause ?" The cause is this:

-

The reverend fathers, my lords the bishops of Ireland, in their circumspection and watchfulness over their flocks, having espied grievous wolves to have entered in, some with sheep's clothing, and some without, some secret enemies, and some open, at first endeavoured to give check to those enemies, which had put fire into the bed-straw; and though God hath very much prospered their labours, yet they have work enough to do, and will have, till God shall call them home to the land of peace and unity. But it was soon remembered, that when King James, of blessed memory, had discerned the spirits of the English nonconformists, and found them peevish and factious, unreasonable and imperious, not only unable to govern, but as inconsistent with the government, as greedy to snatch at it for themselves; resolved to take off their disguise, and put a difference between conscience and faction, and to bring them to the measures and rules of laws; and to this the council and all wise men were consenting, because by the king's great wisdom, and the conduct of the whole conference and inquiry, men saw there was reason on the king's side, and necessity on all sides. But the gunpowder treason breaking out, a new zeal was enkindled against the papists; and it shined so greatly, that the nonconformists escaped by the light of it, and quickly grew warm by the heat of that flame, to which they added no small increase by their declamations and other acts of insinuation: insomuch that they, being neglected, multiplied until they got power enough to do all those mischiefs which we have seen and felt. This being remembered and spoken of, it was soon observed that the tables only were now turned, and that now the public zeal and watchful

ness against those men and those persuasions, which so lately have afflicted us, might give to the emissaries of the church of Rome leisure and opportunity to grow into numbers and strength, to debauch many souls, and to unhinge the safety and peace of the kingdom. In Ireland we saw too much of it done, and found the mischief growing too fast, and the most intolerable inconveniencies but too justly apprehended, as near and imminent. We had reason at least to cry fire when it flamed through our very roofs, and to interpose with all care and diligence, when religion and the eternal interest of souls was at stake, as knowing we should be greatly unfit to appear and account to the great Bishop and Shepherd of souls, if we had suffered the enemies to sow tares in our fields, we standing and looking on. It was therefore considered, how we might best serve God, and rescue our charges from their danger: and it was concluded presently to run to arms, I mean, to the weapons of our warfare, to the armour of the Spirit, to the works of our calling, and to tell the people of their peril, to warn them of the enemy, and to lead them in the ways of truth, and peace, and holiness: that if they would be admonished, they might be safe; if they would not, they should be without excuse, because they could not say but the prophets have been amongst them.

:

But then it was next inquired, Who should minister in this affair, and put in order all those things which they had to give in charge it was easy to choose many, but hard to choose one; there were many fit to succeed in the vacant apostleship; and though Barsabas the Just was, by all the church, named as a fit and worthy man, yet the lot fell upon Matthias; and that was my case; it fell to me to be their amanuensis, when persons most worthy were more readily excused; and in this my lords the bishops had reason, that (according to St. Paul's a rule) "If there be judgments or controversies amongst us, they should be employed who are least esteemed in the church ;" and upon this account I had nothing left me but obedience; though I confess that I found regret in the nature of the employment, for I love not to be (as St. Paul calls it) one of the σvýrηtai tov aiŵvoç TоÚTOV, " Disputers of this world." For I suppose skill in controversies (as they are now used) to be the worst part of learning, and time is the worst spent in them, and men the least benefited by them; that is, when the questions are curious and impertinent, intricate and inexplicable, not to make men better, but to make a sect. But when the propositions disputed are of the foundation of faith, or lead to good life, or naturally do good to single persons or public societies, then they are part of the depositum of christianity, of the analogy of faith; and for this we are, by the apostle, commanded to contend earnestly; and, therefore, controversies may become necessary but because they are not often so, but oftentimes useless, and always troublesome; and as an ill diet makes an ill habit of body, so does the frequent use of controversies baffle the understanding, and makes it crafty to deceive others, itself remaining instructed in nothing but useless notions and words of contingent signification, and distinctions without difference, which minister to pride and contention, and teach men to be pertinacious, troublesome, and uncharitable; therefore, I love them not.

But because, by the apostolical rule, I am tied " to do all things without murmurings," as well as without" disputings," I considered it over again, and found myself relieved by the subject matter, and the grand consequent of the present questions. For, in the present affair, the case is not so as in the others; here the questions are such, that the church of Rome declares them to reach as far as eternity, and damns all that are not of their opinions; and the protestants have much more reason to fear concerning the papists, such who are not excused by ignorance, that their condition is very sad and deplorable, and that it is charity to snatch them as a brand from the fire; and, indeed, the church of Rome maintains propositions, which, if the ancient doctors of the church may be believed, are apt to separate from God. I instance, in their superaddition of articles and propositions, derived only from a pretended tradition, and not contained in Scripture. Now, the doing of this is a great sin, and a great danger. "Adoro Scripturæ plenitudinem; si non est scriptum, timeat væ illud adjicientibus et detrahentibus, destinatum," said Tertullian: "I adore the fulness of Scripture; and if it be not written, let Hermogenes fear the woe that is destined to them that detract from or add to it."

d

S. Basil says, "Without doubt, it is a most manifest argument of infidelity, and a most certain sign of pride, to introduce any thing that is not written (in the Scriptures); our blessed Saviour having said," My sheep hear my voice, and the voice of strangers they will not hear;" and to detract from Scriptures, or add any thing to the faith that is not there, is most vehemently forbidden by the apostle, saying, if it be but a man's testament," nemo superordinat," "no man adds to it."—And says also, "This was the will of the testator."-And Theophilus Alexandrinus says plainly, eIs it the part of a devilish spirit to think any thing to be Divine, that is not in the authority of the Holy Scriptures ;"and therefore St. Athanasius affirms, that "the catholics will neither speak nor endure to hear any thing in religion that is a stranger to Scripture;" it being "immodestiæ vecordia," "an evil heart of immodesty," to speak those things which are not written. Now let any man judge, whether it be not our duty, and a necessary work of charity, and the proper office of our ministry, to persuade our charges from the 'immodesty of an evil heart," from having "a devilish spirit," from doing that "which is vehemently forbidden by the apostle," from "infidelity and pride," and lastly, from that "eternal woe which is denounced" against them that add other words and doctrines than what is contained in the Scriptures, and say, "Dominus dixit," "The Lord hath said it," and he hath not said it. If we had put these severe a 1 Cor. vi. 4. b Phil. ii. 14. c Contra Hermogen. De vera Fide et Moral. reg. 72. c. 1. et reg. 80. c. 22. f De Incarn. Christi.

e Epist. Pasch, 2.

censures upon the popish doctrine of tradition, we should have been thought uncharitable; but because the holy fathers do so, we ought to be charitable, and snatch our charges from the ambient flame.

And thus it is in the question of images: "Dubium non est, quin religio nulla sit, ubicunque simulacrum est," said Lactantius ; "without all peradventure, wherever an image is, (meaning for worship,) there is no religion:" and that "we ought rather to die than pollute our faith with such impieties," said Origen." It is against the law of nature, it being expressly forbidden by the second commandment," as Irenæus affirms, Tertullian, Cyprian, and St. Austin; and therefore is it not great reason we should contend for that faith which forbids all worship of images, and oppose the superstition of such guides who do teach their people to give them veneration, to prevaricate the moral law, and the very law of nature, and do that which whosoever does has no religion. We know idolatry is a damnable sin, and we also know, that the Roman church, with all the artifices she could use, never can justify herself, or acquit the common practices from idolatry; and yet, if it were but suspicious that it is idolatry, it were enough to awaken us: for God is a jealous God, and will not endure any such causes of suspicion and motives of jealousy. I instance but once more.

The primitive church did excommunicate them that did not receive the holy sacrament in both kinds,i and St. Ambrose says, that "he who receives the mystery other ways than Christ appointed, (that is, but in one kind, when he hath appointed it in two,) is unworthy of the Lord, and he cannot have devotion." Now this thing we ought not to suffer, that our people, by so doing, should remain unworthy of the Lord, and for ever be indevout, or cozened with a false show of devotion, or fall by following evil guides into the sentence of excommunication. These matters are not trifling, and when we see these errors frequently taught and owned as the only true religion, and yet are such evils, which the fathers say are the way of damnation; we have reason to hope that all wise and good men, lovers of souls, will confess that we are within the circles of our duty, when we teach our people to decline the crooked ways, and to walk in the ways of scripture and christianity.

:

But we have observed, amongst the generality of the Irish, such a declension of christianity, so great credulity to believe every superstitious story, such confidence in vanity, such groundless pertinacy, such vicious lives, so little sense of true religion and the fear of God, so much care to obey the priests, and so little to obey God; such intolerable ignorance, such fond oaths and manners of swearing, thinking themselves more obliged by swearing on the mass-book than the four gospels, and St. Patrick's mass-book more than any new one; swearing by their father's soul, by their gossip's hand, by other things which are the product of those many tales are told them; their not knowing upon what account they refuse to come to church, but only now they are old and never did, or their countrymen do not, or their fathers or grandfathers never did, or that their ancestors were priests, and they will not alter from their religion; and after all, can give no account of their religion, what it is only, they believe as their priest bids them, and go to mass, which they understand not, and reckon their beads, to tell the number and the tale of their prayers, and abstain from eggs and flesh in Lent, and visit St. Patrick's well, and leave pins and ribands, yarn or thread, in their holy wells, and pray to God, St. Mary and St. Patrick, St. Columbanus and St. Bridget, and desire to be buried with St. Francis's cord about them, and to fast on Saturdays in honour of our Lady. These and so many other things of like nature we see daily, that we, being conscious of the infinite distance which these things have from the spirit of christianity, know that no charity can be greater than to persuade the people to come to our churches, where they shall be taught all the ways of godly wisdom, of peace and safety to their souls : whereas now there are many of them that know not how to say their prayers, but mutter like pies and parrots words which they are taught, but they do not pretend to understand.

But I shall give one particular instance of their miserable superstition and blindness.

I was lately, within a few months, very much troubled with petitions and earnest requests for the restoring a bell, which a person of quality had in his hands in the time of, and ever since, the late rebellion. I could not guess at the reasons of their so great and violent importunity, but told the petitioners, if they could prove that bell to be theirs, the gentleman was willing to pay the full value of it; though he had no obligation to do so, that I know of, but charity: but this was so far from satisfying them, that still the importunity increased, which made me diligently to inquire into the secret of it. The first cause I found was, that a dying person in the parish desired to have it rung before him to church, and pretended he could not die in peace if it were denied him; and that the keeping of that bell did anciently belong to that family, from father to son: but because this seemed nothing but a fond and an unreasonable superstition, I inquired further, and at last found, that they believed this bell came from heaven, and that it used to be carried from place to place, and to end controversies by oath, which the worst men durst not violate if they swore upon that bell, and the best men amongst them durst not but believe him; that if this bell was rung before the corpse to the grave, it would help him out of purgatory; and that, therefore, when any one died, the friends of the deceased did, whilst the bell was in their possession, hire it for the behoof of their dead, and that, by this means, that family was in part maintained. I was troubled to see under what spirit of delusion those poor souls do lie, how infinitely their credulity is abused, how certainly they believe in trifles, and perfectly rely on vanity, and how little they regard the truths of God, 8 Lib. 2. cap. de Origen. Error.

h Lib. 7. contra Celsum.

i Can. Competimus de Consecr. dist. 2. in 1 Cor. xi