An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church in Matters of Controversie
By Bishop Bossuet

Transcribed from an old translations (and having tried to keep to many of its peculiar styles and spelling)

[Transcriber's Note: I have decided to keep the tract intact, even though there are certain elements which I find to be with some or lack, esp. in the matters of Bishop Bossuet's exposition on the matter of the Saints and relics. I have provided a link to some of St. John of Damascus's writing on the subject of the Saints and images, which will be much more beneficial on this point than Bossuet's work. However, there remains enough material in this treatise which can help the reader, that I have transcribed it for the benefit of all.]

Sect I.
The Design of this Treatise

After a contestation, for above an age, with those of the Pretended Reform'd Religion; matters from whence they took the group of their Seperation ought to be sufficiently cleared, and their minds disposed to a right conception of the Sentiments of the Catholic Church. So that to me nothing more proper, then to porpose her Tenets plainly, and simply, and to distinguish them right from those which have been falsely imputed to her. In effect, I have upon several occasions, taken notice, that the aversion which these Gentelmen have to most of our Sentiments, is grounded upon some false ideas, whihc they have formed to themselves, concerning them; or else upon some certain words, which are so offensive to them, that they immediately stop there, and never come so far as to consider the grounds of things. Upon which account, I thought nothing could be more beneficial, than to explicate them what the Church has defined in the Council of Trent concerning those points, which keep them at farthest distance from us; without meddling with that which they are accustomed to object either against particular Doctors, or against those Tenest which are neither necessarily, nor universally receieved. For all Parties agree, and M. Daille himself is of that Opinion, that ot os a very unreasonable thing to attribute to the Sentiments particular Persons to a whole body; and he adds, that no seperations ought to be but upon the account of Articles authenticly established, to the belief and observance of which all Persons are obliged. I will not meddle then with any thing but the Decrees of the Council of Trent; because in them the Church has given her Decision upon these matters now in aggitation: and what I shall say for the better understanding of those Decisions, shall be what is approved of in the Church, and shall manifestly appear conformable to the Doctrine of this Council.
This Exposition of our Doctrine will produce two good effects. The first, that many disputes will wholly vanish, because it will appear they are grounded upon some erroneous explications of our belief. The second that those disputes, which remain, will not appear, according to the Principles of the Pretended Reform'd, soCapital, as at that first they endeavoured to represent them; and that, according to the same Principles, they contain nothing any ways injurious to the gounds of Faith.


Sect. II.
Those of the Pretended Reform'd Religion acknowledge, That the Catholic Church embraces all the Fundemental Articles of the Christian Religion.

And to begin with the fundemental and principal Articles of Faith; these Gentlement of the Pretended Reform'd Religion must of necessity acknowledge they are believed and professed in the Catholic Church.

If they will have them to consist in believing that we must adore one only God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and that we must put our trust in God alone, through his Son, who became man, was Crucified, and rose again for us; they know in their Consciences that we profess this Doctrine: and it they add those other Aritcles which are comprehended in the Apostles Creed; they do not doubt also that we receive them all without exception, and that we have a pure and true kowledge of them.

M. Daille has writ a Treastise, entitled "Faith foudned upon the Scriptures", in which adter having exposed all the Aritcles or Faith held by the Pretended Reform'd Churches, he tells us, they are beyond all contestations; that the Roman Church professes to believe them; that in reality they do not hold all our Opinions, but that we hold all their Articles of Faith.

This Minister then cannot, unless he destroy his own Faith, deny but that we believe all the principal Articles of the Christian Religion.

But tho, M. Daillle had not granted thus much, the thing is manifest in itself, and all the world knows, that we believe all those Articles whihc Protestants call Fundemental; so that sincerity itself demands they should without dispute grant, that we have not really rejected any of them.

The Pretended Reform'd Church, who see the advantages we may draw from this acknowledgement, are desirous to deprive us of them, by saying that we destroy those Articles, by interpreting others contrary to them. This is what they endeavour to persuade by consequences drawn from our Doctrtine; but the same M. Daille (whose authority I alledge once more, not so much to convince them by the Testimony of one of their most Learned Ministers, as because what he says is in itself evident) tell them what they ought to think of such kind of Consequences, supposing ill ones might be drawn from our Doctrine. See what he writes in his letter ot M. Monglat, upon account of his Apologie. "Altho the Opinion of the Lutherans as well as that of Rome does, according to us, infer the destruction of the Humanity of Jesus Christ, yet this consequence cannot be atrributed to them without calumny, seeing they do formally reject it."

There is nothing more essential to the Christian Religion, then the reality of the Human Nature in JESUS CHRIST: and yet tho' the Lutherans hold a Doctrine, from whence is inferred the destruction of this Capital verity, by Consequences, which the Pretended Reform'd judge to be evident; yet they have not scrupled to offer to Communicate with them; because their Opinion has no poison in it, as M. Daille tell us in his Apologie. And their National Synode, held at Charenton 1631, admits them to the Holy Table, upon this ground, that they agree in the principal and Fundemental points of Religion. It is then a certain Maxim established amongst them, that they must not in their cases look upon the Consequences, which may be drawn from a Doctrine, but putely upon he prposes and acknowledges, who teachs it.

So that when they infer by Consequences, which they pretend from our Doctrine, that we do not sufficiently acknowledge the Soveraign Glory which is due to God , nor the quality of Saviour and Mediator in JESUS CHRIST, nor the infinite value of his Sacrifice, nor the superabundant Plenitude of his Merits: we may defend ourselves without difficult from such Consequences, by this short answer of M. Daille, and tell them that the Catholic Church disavowing them, they cannot be imputed to her without Calumny.

But I will go yet further, and show these Gentlement of the Pretended Reform'd Religion, by the sole Exposition of our Doctrine, that the Catholic Church is so far from ruining the Fundemental Articles of Faith, either directly or indirectly; that on the contrary she established them after so solid and evident a manner, that no one can question her right understanding of them without great injustice.


SECT III.
Religious Worship is terminated in God alone.

To begin with that Adoration which is due to God alone; the Catholic Church teaches us, that it consists principally, in believing he is the Creator and Lord of all things, and in adhering to him with all the Powers of our Soul, by Faith, Hope, and Charity, as to him alone who can render us happy by the Communication of an infinite Good, which is himself.

This interiour Ardoration, which we rended to God in Spirit and in Truth, has its exterious marks; of which the principal is Sacricife, which cannot be offered to any but to God; because a Sacrifice is established to make a public acknowledgement, and a solemn protestation of Gods Soveraignity, and our absolute dependance.

The same Church teaches, that lal Religious worship ought to terminate in God as its necessary end; and that if the honour which she renders to the Blessed Virgin, and to the Saints may, in some fence, be called Religious, it is for its necessary Relation to God.

But before we explicate further in what this honour consists, it will not be unuseful to take notice, how those of the Pretended Reformation (obliged by the strength of truth) begin to acknowledge that the custom of praying to Saints, and honouring their Reliques, was establised even in the foruth age of the Church. Monsieur Daille grants thus much, in that book he published against the Tradition of the Latin Church about the object of Religious worship, and accuses St. Basil, St. Ambrose, St. Hierome, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustin, and many more of those famous Lights of Antiquity who lived in that Age, and above all St. Gregory Nazianzen, who is called the Divine by excellence, of having altered, in this point, the Doctrine of three foregoing ages. But it will not appear very likely, that M. Daille should understand the Sentiments of the Fathers of the first three Ages, better than those gathered, as I may say, the successors of their Doctrine after their deaths; and this will be so much the less credible, because the Fathers of the fourth Age were so far from perceiving that they introduced any novelty in worship, that this Minister, on the contrary, has quoted several excerpts Texts, by which he shows clearly, that they pretended in Praying to Saints, to follow the example of their Predecessors. But without any further examination what might be the Sentiments of the Fathers of the first three Ages, I will content myself with what M. Daille is pleased to grant, who allows us so many great men of the Church in the fourth age. For tho' he has taken upon him, twelve hundred years after their deaths, to give them deresion in the name of a kind of Sect, calling them Reliquearists, that is to say, Relique honourers; yet I hope those of his Communion will have more respect for these great men. They dare not at least accuse them of falling into Idolatry, by praying to Saints, or of destroying that truth which Christians ought to put in JESUS CHRIST: and it is to be honored henceforwards they will not reproach these things to us, when they consider they cannot do it without accusing at the same time these excellent men, whose sanctity and learning they profess a reverance for,as we all are. But seeing our design is here to expound our belief, rather then to show who were the defenders of it, we must conitnue our explication.


SECT IV.
Invocation of Saints

The Church in teaching us, that it is profitable to pray to Saints, teaches us to pray to them in the same Spirity of Charity, and according to the same order of fraternal society, which mouves us to demand assistance of our brethren living upon Earth; and the Catechism of the Council of Trent councludes from this Doctrine, that if the quality of the Mediator, which the Scripture gives to JESUS CHRIST, receieved any prejudice from the Intercession made to the Saints, who Reign with God, it would receive no less from the Intercession made to the faithful who live with us.

The Catechism shows us clearly the extream difference betwixt our manner of imploring God's assistance, and that of imporing the aid of Saints: For (faith it) we pray to God, either to give us good things, or to deliever us from evil; but because the Saints are more acceptable to him than we are, we beg them to undertake our case, and to obtain for us these things we stand in need of. From whence it comes to pass, that we use two very different forms of Prayer; for to God the porer manner of speaking it is to say, HAVE PITY ON US, HEAR OUR PRAYER; whereas we only desire the Saints TO PRAY FOR US. From whence we ought to understand, that in what Terms soever those prayers, which we address to Saints, are couched, the intention of the Church, and of her faithful, reduces them always to this form, as the Catechism presently after confirms.

But is ti good to consider the words of the Council it self, which prescribing to Bishops how they ought to speak of the Invocation of Saints, obliges them to teach, that the Saints who reign with JESUS CHRIST, offer up to God their prayers for men; that it is good and profitable to invocate them after an humble manner, and to have recourse to their prayers, aid, and assistance to obtain of God his Benefits through our Lord JESUS CHRIST his Son, wh is our sole Saviour and Redeemer. After which the Council condemns those who teach a contrary Doctrine. We see, then, to invocate the Saints, according to the sense of this Council, is to have recourse to their prayers to obtaining benefits from God through JESUS CHRIST. So that in reality we do not obtain those benefits, which we receive by the intercession of the Saints, otherwise then through JESUS CHRIST and in his name; seeing these Saints themselves pray in no mannter than through JESUS CHRIST, and are not heard but in his name. This is the Faith of the Church, which the Council of Trent has clearly explicated in few words. After which we cannot imagine that any one should accuse us of forsaking JESUS CHRIST, when we beseech his members, who are also ours, his Children, who are our Brethren, and his Saints, who are ou first fruits, to pray with us, and for us to our common Master, in the name of our common Mediator.

The same Council explicates clealry and in a few words, what is the intention of the Church, when she offers up to God the dreadful sacrifice to honour the memory of his Saints. This honour which we render to them in Sacrificing, consists in naming them in the prayers we offer up to God, as his faithful servants; and in rendering him thanks for the victories which they have gained, and in humbly beseeching him that he would vouchsafe to savour us by their intercession. St. Augustin has told us twelve hundred years ago, that we ought not to think any sacrifices wee offered to the Holy Martyrs, altho' the practice of the universal Church in that time was to offer Sacrifice upon their holy bodies, and at their Memories; that is to say, before those places where their pretious reliques were conserved. This Father has moreover added, that they made a commemoration of the Martyrs at the Holy Altar, in the Celebration of the Sacrifice, not to pray to them as they do for other persons who are dead; but rather, that they might pray for us. I relate the sentiments of this Holy Bishop, because the Council of Trent makes use of his very words almost to teach the faithful, that the Church does not offer Sacrifice to the Saints, but to God alone, who has crowned them; that the Priest does not address himself to St. Peter and St. Paul saying, I OFFER UP TO YOU THIS SACRIFICE; but rendering thanks to God for their victories, he demands their assistance, to the end of those whose memory we celebrate upon earth, would vouchsafe to pray for us in Heaven. It is after this manner we honour the Saints, that we may obtain the Graces of God by their Intercession; and the Principal of those Graces we hope to obtain, is that of imitating them: to which we are excited by the consideration of their admirable Examples, and by the honour which we render in the presence of God to their happy memories.

Those who will rightly consider the Doctrine we have proposed, will be obliged to grant us, that we do not rob God of any of those perfections peculiar to his infinite essence: for we do not attribute to Creatures any of those qualities, or operations proper to God alone: which distinguisheth us so fully from Idolaters, we cannot comprehend why the Title should be given to us.

And when these Gentlement of the pretended Reformation object to us, that by addressing our Prayers to the Saints, and honouring them all the world over as present, we sttribute to them a certain kind of Immensity, or at least the knowledge of the Secrets of hearts, which God has nevertheless reserved to himself, as it appears by so many testimonies of Scripture; they do not sufficiently reflect upon our Doctrine. For, in fine, without examining what grounds may be had to attribute to the Saints some certain degree of knowledge as to those things which are acted amongst us, or also of our secret thoughts, it is manifest that to say a Creature may have the knowledge of these things, by a light communicated to him by God, is not to eleveate a creature above his condition. The Example of the Prophets justify this clearly, God having not disdained to discover future things to them, tho they appear much more particuarly reserved to his own knowledge.

Moreover, never any Catholic yet thought the Siants knew our necessities by their own POwer, no nor the desires which move us to address our secret Prayers to them. The Church contents herself to teach with all antiquity these Prayers to be very profitable to such who make them, whether it be the Saints know them by the ministry and communications of Angels, who according to the testimony of Scripture, know what passes amongst us, being etablished by Gods order, as administring Spirits, to cooperate with us in the work of our Salvation; where it be that God himself makes known to them our desires by a particular Revelation; or lastly whether it be that he discovers the secret to them in his divine Essence in which all truth is comprised. So that the Church has not decided any thing about these different methods, which God might be pleased to make use for that end.

But let these means be what they will, it is always certain the Church does not attribute to the Creature any divine perfections, as the Idolaters did; seeing she permits us not to acknowledge, even in the greatest Saints, any degree of Excellency which does not proceed from God; nor any acceptableness in his fight, but by their virtues; nor any virtue, which is not a gift of his Grace; nor any knowledge of human affairs, but what is communicated to them; nor any power to assist us, but, by their prayers; nor, in fine, any felicity, but a submission and a perfect conformity to his divine will.

It is therefore true, that by examining what are our interior sentiments concerning the Saints, it will be found we do not raise them above the condition of Creatures; and form thence one ought to judge of what nature that exteriour honour is, which we render them, exteriour veneration being established to testitfy the interiour sentiments of the mind.

But because this honour, which the Church renders to the Sanits, appears principally before their Images and holy Reliques, it will be proper to explicate her belief concerning them.


Sect V.
Images and Reliques

As for Images, the Council of Trent forbids us clearly to believe any divinity or virtue in them, for which they ought to be reverenced; to demand any favour to them, or to put any trust in them, and ordains that all the honour which is given to them should be referred to the Saints themselves which are represented by them.

All these words of the Council are like so many characters to distinguish us from Idolaters, seeing we are so far from believing with them any divinity annexed to the Images; that we do not attribute to them any other vertue but that of exciting in us the rememberance of those they represent.

Upon this it is the honour we render Images is grounded. No man, for example, can deny but that when we look upon the figure of JESUS CHRIST crucified, it excites us to a more lively remembrance of him, who loved us so as to deliver himself up to death for us. While this Image, being present before our eyes, causes so pretious a remembrance in our souls, we are moved to testify by some exterious signns how far our gratitude bears us; and by humbling ourselves before the Image, we show what is our submission to our Saviour. So that to speak precisely, and according to the Ecclesiastical Stile, when we honour the Image of an Apostle or Martyr, our intention is not so much to honour the Image, as to honour the Apostle or the Martyr in presence of the Image. Thus the Roman Pontifical tells us, and the Council of Trent expresses the same thing when it says, the honour we render to the Images has such a reference to those they represent; that by the means of those Images which we kiss, and before which we kneel, we adore JESUS CHRIST, and honour the Saints whose Types they are.

In fine, one may know with what intention the Church honours Images, by that honour which she renders the Cross and to the Bible. All the world sees very well, that before the Cross she adored him who bore our Iniquities upon the wood; and that if her children bow the head before the Bible, if they rise up out of respect, when it is carried before them, and if they kiss it reverently, all this honour is referred to the eternal Verity which it propesth to us.

They must have but little Justice who treat with the term of Idolatry that Religious Sentiment, which moves us to uncover our heads, and bow before the Image of the Cross, in remembrance of him who was crucified for the love of us; and it would be too much blindness not to perceive the execessive difference betwixt those, who put their trust in Idols, out of an opinion that some divinity, or some vertue was, as I may say, tyed to them, and those who declare, as we do, that they will not make use of Images, but raise their mind towards heaven, to the end they may there honour JESUS CHRIST or his Saints, and in the Saints God himself, who is the Author of all Sanctity and Grace.

After the same manner we ought to understand that honour which we pay to Reliques, after the example of the Primitive Church; and if our Adversaries would but consider that we look upon the bodies of Saints, ashaving been Victimes offered up to God either by Martyrdom or by Penance, they would not think the honour which we pay them upon this account could alienate us from that which we render to God himself.

We may say in general, that if they would but consider how the affections which we bear to any one propagates it self, without being divided, to his children, to his friends, and after that, by several degrees, to the representation of him, to any remains of him, and to anything which renews in us his remembrance; if they did but conceive that honour has the like progression, seeing honour is nothing else but Love mixed with respect and Fear; in fine, they would consider, that all the exteriour worship of the Catholic Church has its fource in God himself, and returns back again to him: they would never believe that this worship which he himself alone animates, could excite his Jealousie. They would on the contrary see, that if God, as Jealous as he is of the love of men, does not look upon us as dividing ourselves betwixt him and Creatures, when we love our neighbour for the love of him; the same God, tho Jealous of the honour which his faithful pay him, cannot look upon them as dividing that worship which is due to him alone, when, out of respect to him, they honour those whom he has honoured.

It is true nevertheless, that seeing themarks of reverence are not all of them absolutely necessary; the Church might without alteration in her doctrine, extend these exteriour practices more or less according to the different exigences of times, places or occurences, being delirous that her Children should not be slavishly subject to sensible things, but only excited, and as it were, advertised by their means to fly to God, and to offer up to him in Spirit and in truth that rational service, which he expects from his creatures.

One may see by this doctrine how truly I affirmed, that a great part of our Controversies would vanish by the sole understanding of Terms, if these points were but discussed with charity; and it our adversaries would but with moderation consider the foregoing Explications, which comprehend the express doctrine of the Council of Trent, they would cease to accuse us of injuring the mediation of JESUS CHRIST, of invocing the Saints, and adoring Images after a manner which is peculiar to God alone. It is true, that seeing, in one sense, Adoration, Invocation, and the name of Mediator are only proper to God and JESUS CHRIST, it is no hard matter ti misapply these terms, whereby to render our doctrine odious. But if they be strictly kept to the sence in which we use them, these objections and accusations will lose their force; and if any other less important difficulties remain to these gentlemen of the pretended Reform'd Religion, sincerity will oblige him to acknowledge they are satisfied as to the principal subject of their complaints.

Further, there is nothing so unjust as to accuse the Church of placing all her piety in these devotions to the Saints, seeing as we have already observed, the Council of Trent contents it self to reach the Faithful, that this practice is good and beneficial, without saying any more of it. So that the intention of the Church is only to condemn those, who reject this practice, either out of disrespect or Error. She is obliged to condemn them, because She is onliged not to suffer any practice which is beneficial to salvation to be despised, not a doctrine authorised by antiquity to be condemned by novelties.


SECT VI.
Justification

The doctrine of Justification will shew you more clearly how many difficulties may be ended by a plain exposition of our sentiments.

Those who are never so little versed in the history of the pretended Reformation, are not Ignorant that in the first Authors proposed this Article to all the world as the principle of all the rest, and as the most essential cause of their seperation; So this is the most necessary to be well understood.

We firmly believe in the first place that Our sins are freely forgiven us by the divine mercy, for JESUS CHRIST's sake. These are the express terms of the Council of Trent, which adds, that we are said to be justified gratis, because none of those acts which procede Justification, whether they be Faith or good works, can merit this Grace.

Seeing the Scriptures explicate the remission of sins, by sometimes telling us that God covers them, and sometimesthat he takes them away, and blots them out by the Grace of his Holy Spirit which makes us new creatures, we believe that, to form a perfect Idea of the Justification of a sinner, we must joyn together both these Expressions. For which reason we believe that our sins not only to be covered, but also entirely washed away by the Blood of JESUS CHRIST, and by the grace of regeneration; which is so far from obscuring or lessening that Idea which we ought to have the merit of this Blood, on the contrary it heightens and augments it.

So that the Justice of JESUS CHRIST is not only imputed, but actually communicated to the faithful, by the operation of the Holy Spirit; in so much that they are not only reputed, but rendred just by his grace.

If that Righteousness which is in us were only such in the eyes of men, it would not be the work of the holy Ghost: It is then a righteousness and that before God, seeing it is God himself who produces it in us, by pouring forth his charity in our hearts.

Nevertheless it is too true, that the flesh rebels against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and that we all offen in many things. So that, tho our Justice be truly such, by the infusion of his Charity, yet it is not perfect Justice; because of the combat of Concupiscence: In so much that the continual fightings of a soul, penitent for her offences, is the most necessary duty of a Christian righteousness, which obliges us to confess humbly with St. Augustin, that our Justice in this life consists rather in the remission of sin, than in the perfection of Vertues.


SECT. VII
Merits of Good Works

As the merit of Good works, the Catholic Church teacheth us, that eternal life ought to be proposed o the children of God, both as a Grace, which is mercifully promised to them by the mediation of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, and as a recompence which is faithfully rendered to their good works, and merits, in vertue of this promise. These are the proper terms of the Council of Trent. But least human pride should flatter it self with an opinion of a presumptous merit, the same Council teacheth us, that all the price and value of a Christian works proceeds from the sanctifying grace which is given us gratis in the name of JESUS CHRIST, and that is the effect of the continual influence of this divine Head upon its Memebers.

Really the Precepts, Exhortations, Promises, Threatenings and Reproaches of the Gospel show clearly enough, we must work out our salvation by the cooperation of our wills together with the grace of God assisting us: But it is one of our first Principles, that the free-will can act nothing conducing to eternal happiness, but as it is moved and elevated by the Holy Ghost.

So that the Church knowing it is this divine Spirit which works in us by his Graces all the good we do, she is obliged to believe the good works of the Faithful [are] very acceptable to God, and of great consideration before him: and it is just she should make use of the word Merit with all Christian antiquity, whereby she may principally denote the value, the price and the dignity of those works which we perform through grace. But seeing all their Sanctitycomes from God, who produces them in us, the same Church has in the Council of Trent received these words of St. Augustin, as a doctrine of Catholic Faith, that God crowns his own gift in the crowning of the merits of his Servants.

We beg those who love Truth and Peace, that they would be pleased her to read a little more at length the words of this Council, to the end they may once for all disabuse themselves of those false impressions which has been given them concerning our doctrine. Although we see, say the Fathers in this Council, that holy writ esteems Good works so much; That JESUS CHRIST himself promises that a glass of cold water given to the poor shall not want its reward; and that the Apostle testifies how a moment of light pain endured in this world shall produce an eternal weight of Glory: nevertheless God forbid a Christian should glory in himself, and not in our Lord, whose bounty is so great to all men, that he will have those gifts which he bestowes upon them to be their merits.

This doctrine is dispersed throughout the whole Council, which teacheth us in another Session, that we, who can do nothing in our selves, can do all things with him who strengthens us, in such sort that man has nothing of which he may glory, nor for which he may confide in himself, but all his confidence, and all his glory is in JESUS CHRIST, in whom we live, in whom we merit, in whom we satisfy, bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance, which draw their vertue from him, and by him are offered to his Father, and accepted by his Father through him. Wherefore, we ask all thingsm we hope all things, we render thanks for all things, through our Lord JESUS CHRIST. We confess aloud we are not acceptable to God but in and by him, and we cannot comprehend why any other thought should be attributed to us. We so place all the hopes of our salvation in him, that we dayly make use of these words to God in the Sacrfice: Vouchsafe, O God to grant to us sinners, they servants, who hope in the multitude of thy mercies, some part and society with the Blessed Apostles and Martyrs-- into whose number we beseech thee to be pleased to receive us, not looking upon our merits, but gratiously pardoning us in the name of JESUS CHRIST our Lord.

Will the Church never be able to persuade her Children, now become her adversaries, neither by the Exposition of her Faith, nor by the Decisions of her Councils, nor by the Prayers in her Sacrifice, that her belief is, that she can have no life but in JESUS CHRIST, and that she has no hope but in him? Thios hope is so firm, it makes the Children of God who walk faithfully in his wayes, to fine a peace which surpasseth all understanding, as the Apostle tells us. But tho this hope be stronger than the promises and menaces of the world, and sufficient to calm the troubles of our Consciences; yet it does not wholly extinguish Fear: For tho we be assured God will never abandon us of his own accord, yet we are never certain we shall not lose him by our own fault, in rejecting his inspirations. He has been pleased by this saving fear to mitigate that confidence which he has infused into his children, because, as St. Augustin tells us, such is our infirmity in this place of Temptations and dangers, that an absolute security would produce tepidity and pride in us, whereas this fear, which, according to the Apostles command, makes us work our our salvation with fear and trembling, renders us more vigilant, and makes us rely with a more humble dependance upon him, who works in us by his Grace both to will, and to do, according to his good pleasure, as the same St. Paul expresses it.

Thus you have seen what is most necessary in the Doctrine of Justification; and our Adversaries would be very unreasonable, if they should not confess that this Doctrine suffices to teach Christians, they ought to refer all the glory of their Salvation to God through JESUS CHRIST.

If the Ministers after this should go about to move questions about subtilties it is good to advertise them, that it becomes them not now to be so scrupulous in our behalf, after having granted what they have done to the Lutherans, and their own brethren concerning Predestination and Grace. This their conduct towards them, ought to have taught them in this matter to reduce themselves to what is absolutely necessary for the establishment of the foundations of Christian piety.

But if they could but once resolve to prefix these limits to themselves, they would be presently satisfied, and they would cease to accuse us of annuling the Grace of God, by attributing all to our good works; seeing we have shown them, in such clear terms of the Council of Trent these 3 points, for decisive as to this matter: That our sins are pardoned us out of pure mercy, for the sake of JESUS CHRIST; That we are indebted for that Justice which is in us by the holy Ghost to a liberality gratis bestowed upon us; and that all the good works we do are but so many gifts of his Grace.

And indeed we must acknowledge, that the learned of their Party do not contend so much of late about this Subject, as they did formerly, and there are but few who do not now confess there ought not to have been a breach upon this point. But if this important difficulty about Justification, upon which their first Authors said all their stress, be not looked upon now as essential by the wisest persons amongst them, we leave them to think what they ought to Judge of their seperation, and what hopes there would be of an union, if they would but overcome their prejudice, and quit the Spirit of contention.


SECT VIII.
Satisfactions, Purgatory, and Indulgences

We must farther explicate after what manner we believe we can make satisfaction to God through his gracr, to the end we may not leave any doubt upon this matter uncleared.

Catholics unanimously teach, that JESUS CHRIST, God and Man, was soley capable through the infinite dignity of his Person, to offer up to God a sufficient satisfaction for our Sins. But having satisfied superabundantly, he could apply this infinite satisfaction after two manners: either by an entire remission, without serving any punishment: or else by changing a greater punishment into a less, that is, an eternal pain into a temporal. This first manner being more compleat and more conformable to his goodness, he makes use of it immediately in Baptism: but we believe that he makes use of the second in the pardon he grants to those who fall after Baptism, being carried in some manner to it by the ingratitude of those who have absused his first gifts; so say they are to suffer some temporal pain th the eternal be remitted.

It must not be hence concluded that JESUS CHRIST has not fully satisfied for us, but on the contrary, that having obtained an absolute dominion over us, by the infinite price which he has given for our salvation, he grants us pardon, upon what condition, what law, or with what restriction it pleases him.

We should be injurious and ungrateful to our Saviour, should we dare deny the infinite value of his merits, under pretence that he pardons us the sin of Adam, he does not at the same time free us from all the consequences of it, but leave us still subject to death, and so many other corporeal and spiritual infirmities, which this sin brought upon us. It suffices that JESUS CHRIST, has once paid the price by which we shall be one day entirely freed from the evils which overwhelm us; it is our parts to embrace with humility and thanksgiving every part of his benefits, by considering by what progress it pleases him to procure our deliverance, according to the order which his wisdom has established for our good, and for a more clear manifestation of his bounty and Justice.

Upon the like account we ought not to think it strange, that he who has shown us so great mercy in Baptism, should be more severe towards us, after our having violated our holy promises. It is just, yes and beneficial to our salvation, that God in remitting our sin, together with the eternal pain which we deserved from it, should exact of us some temporal pain to retain us in our duties; lest if we should be too speedily freed from the Bond of Justice, we should abandon ourselves to temerarious Confidence, abusing the facility of the Pardon.

It is then to satisfy this Obligation, we are subjected to some painful works which, we must accomplish in the Spirit of Humility and Peance; and it was the necessity of these satisfactory works which obliged the primitive Church to impose upon the Penitents those pains called Canonical.

When therefore she imposes upon Sinners painful and laborious works, and they undergo them with humility, this is called Satisfaction; and when, regarding the fervour of the Penitents, or some other good works which she has prescribed them, she pardons some part of that pain which is due to them, this is called Indulgence.

The Council of Trent proposes nothing else to be believed concerning Indulgences, but that the power to grant them has been given to the Church by JESUS CHRIST, and that the use of them is beneficial to Salvation; to which this Council adds, That this power ought to be retained, yet nevertheless with moderation, lest Eccesiastical discipline should be weakened by an onver great facility: which show that manner of granting Indulgences to regard discipline.

Those who depart this life in Grace and Charity, but nevertheless indebted to the divine Justice some pain which is reserved, are to suffer them in the other life. This is what obliged all the Primitive Christians to offer up Prayers, Alms, deeds and Sacrifices, for the faithful who departed in peace and communion of the Church, with a certain faith that they may be assisted by these means. This is what the Council of Trent proposes us to believe touching the Souls detained in Purgatory, without determining in what their pains consist, or many other such like things, concerning which this Holy Council demands great moderation, blaming those who divulge what is uncertain or suspected.

Such is the innocent and holy Doctrine of the Catholic Church, touching Satisfactions, which has been imputed to her as so great a crime. If after this Explication, those of the pretended Reform'd Religion accuse us of injuring the satisfactions of JESUS CHRIST, they must have forgotten what we told them, that our Blessed Saviour payed the full price of the Redemption; that nothing is wanting in this price, because it is infinite, and how these remaining pains, of which we have spoken, come not from any defect in the payments, but from a certain order which he has established to retain us in a saving discipline of just apprehensions.

But if they also tell us, we believe we can of our own selves satisfy for some part of the pain due to our sins, we can with confidence assure them, the contrary appears by the maxims we have established. Which maxims make it clearly appear, that our Salvation is no other other but a work of Mery and Grace; that what we do by the Grace of God is no less his work, then what he dos alone by his absolute power: and lastly, that we give to him, appertains no less to him, than what he gives to us. To which we must add, that we call Satisfaction, folowing the Example of the primitive Church, is after all nothing but the application of the infinite satisfaction of JESUS CHRIST.

This very consideration ought to appease those who are offended when we tell them, that God is well pleased with fraternal charity and the communion of Saints, that he frequently also accepts those Satisfactions which we offer up one for another. It seems these men do not conceive how much all we are belongs to God, nor how all the favours, whihc his Goodness makes him have for the faithful, the members of JESUS CHRIST, are necessarily referred to his divine head. But certainly those who have read and considered how God himself inspires his servants with a desire to afflict themselves with fasting, half-cloth and ashes, not only for their own sins, but also for the sins of all the people, will not be astonished if we say, that being touched with the delights he has to gratify his friends, he mercifully accepts of the humble sacrifice of the voluntary mortifications, in abatement of those chastisements whihc he prepared for his people: which shows that being satisfied by these, he renders himself more mild towards the others, by this means honouring his Son JESUS CHRIST in that [operation?] of his members and in the holy society of his mystical body.


SECT. IX
The Sacraments

The Order of Doctrine requires that we now speak of the sacraments, by which the merits of JESUS CHRIST are applied to us. Seeing the disputes we have concerning them, if we except the Eucharist, are not so hot as the others, we will in the first place clear in shore the chiefest difficulties which are raised concerning the other, and reserve the Eucharist, which is the most important of all the rest, till the last.

The Sacraments of the new Covenant are not sacred signs only, which represent Grace, nnor seals which confirm it to us; but the Instruments of the Holy Ghost, which serve to apply it to us, and which confer it upon us by virtue of the words which are pronounced, and the exterior action which is performed, upon condition that we put not any Impediment by our not being rightly disposed.

While God annexes so great Grace to exterior signs, which have not of their own nature any proportion which so admirable an effect, he shows us clearly that besides all we can do interiorly of ourselves by our good disspisitions, there must necessarily intervene, before we can be justified, a special operation of the Holy Ghost, and a peculiar application of the merit of our Saviour, which is exhibited to us by the Sacraments. So that his Doctrine cannot be rejected without injuring the merits of JESUS CHRIST, and the operation of his divine power in our regeneration.

We acknowledge seven sacred signs or Ceremonies established by JESUS CHRIST as the ordinary means for the Sanctification and perfection of the new man. Their divine institution appears in the holy Scripture, either by the express words of JESUS CHRIST, who established them, or by the Grace which, according to the same Scripture, is annexed to them, and necessarily shows a divine institution.

Baptism

Seeing little Children cannot supply the want of Baptism by acts of Faith, Hope, and Charity, nor by the vow to receive this Sacrament; we believe that, if they do not really receive it, they do not in any manner partake of the Grace of redemption; and therefore dying in Adam, they have not any part in JESUS CHRIST.

IT is good to observe here, that the Lutherans believe with the Catholic Church the absolute necessity of Baptism, and are astonished with her that such a truth should be denied, which never any one before Calvin dust openly call in question, it was so firmly rooted in the minds of all the faithful.

Nevertheless, the Pretended Reform'd are not apprehensive voluntarily to let their Children die like the Children of Infidels, without bearing any mark of Christianity, and without receiving any grace, if their deaths chance to prevent the day of their assembly.

Confirmation

The Imposition of hands practiced by the Holy Apostles, to confirm the Faithful against Persecutions, having its principal effect in the interior descent of the Holy Ghost, and the institution of his gifts, is out not to have been rejected by our adversaries, under pretense that the Holy Ghost descends no more visibly upon us. Thus all Christian Churches since the Apostles times have religiously retained it, making use also of Holy Chrism, to show the virtue of this Sacrament by a more express representation of the interior unction of the Holy Ghost.

Penance, and Sacramental Confession

We believe that JESUS CHRIST has been pleased, those, who have submitted themselves to the Authority of the Church by Baptism, and who have since violated the laws of the Gospel should come and submit themselves to the Judgement of the same Church in the Tribunal of Penance, where she exerciseth the power which is given her of the remitting and retaining of sins [cf. John 20:23].

The term of that comission which she is given to the Ministers of the Church to absolve from sin, are so general, they cannot without temerity be refrained to publick sins, and seeing when they pronounce that absolution in the name of JESUS CHRIST, they only follow the expess terms of this Commission, the sentence is looked upon as redered by JESUS CHRIST himself, by whom they are established Judges. It is this invisible High Priest who interiourly absolves the Penitent, whilst the Priest exteriourly exercises the function.

The Penitential Court of Judicature being so necessary a curb to liberty; a source so fruitful of wise admonitions; so sensible a consolation for souls afflicted for their Sins, when their absolution is not only declared in general terms, as is preached by the Ministers, but when they are in reality absolved by the authority of JESUS CHRIST, after particular examination, and knowledge of the Case: we cannot believe that our adversaries can look upon so many benefits without regretting their loss, and without being somewhat ashamed of a Reformation which has cast off so saving and so holy a practice.

Extreme Unction

The Holy Ghost, having according to the testimony of St. James [cf. James 5:14], annexed an express promise of remission of sins, and comfort of the sick, to Extreme Unction, nothing is wanting to make this sacred ceremony a true Sacrament. It is only to be remarked, that according to the doctrine of the Council of Trent, the sick are more releived in respect of the soul than body; and that as the spiritual profit is always the principal object of the new law, so it is that also which we ought to absolutely to expect from this holy unction, if we be rightly disposed to it; whereas the case in sickness is only granted a respect to our eternal salvation, according to the secret dispositions of the divine Providence, and the different degrees of preparation and faith which is found in the Faithful.

Marriage

[transcriber's note: this section is quite difficult to read in the micro-film copy, and must only be a rough estimation of the words for the second half of the paragraph. I am sorry, but I also want to try to incorporate what I can... The general idea is being given is that marriage is a grace, which helps in raising and protecting children and the family, while also reflecting the mystical marriage of the Church and Jesus Christ, which is an inseperable union as marriage itself.]

When we consider that JESUS CHRIST has given a new form to Marriage, reducing this holy society to two persons immutably and indissolubly united; and when we see this inseperable union, the sign of his eternal union with his Church, who [? shall fathom not to have ] difficulty to comprehend how this marriage of the faithful accompanied by the Holy Ghost, and by Grace, and shall practice the divine bounty for having been so ... []... origin of our birth.

Orders

The Imposition of Hands, which the Administrations of sacred things receive, being accompanied with so apparent a virtue of the Holy Ghost, and so full of intrument of his Grace: it out to be placed among the number of the Sacraments. And indeed we must acknowledg our adversaries do not absolutely eclude the consecration of Ministers, but that they only exlude it from the number of the Sacraments which are common to the whole Church.


SECT. X.

Doctrine of the Church touching the real presence of the Blood and Body of JESUS CHRIST in the Eucharist, and the manner how the Church understand these words, This is my Body.


We are come, you see, at the last to the Question of the Eucharist, where it will be necessary that we explicate our Doctrine more fully, however without exceeding too much the bounds we have prescribed ourselves.

The real presence of the Body and Blood of our Saviour is solidly established by the words of the Institution, which we understand literally; and there is no more reason to ask us, why we fix ourselves to the proper and literal sense, then there is to ask a Traveler why he follows the high Road. It is their parts, who have recourse to the figurative sense, who take by-paths, to give a reason for what they do. And for us, who find nothing in the words of JESUS CHRIST make use of for the institution of his mystery obliging us to make them in a figurative sense, we think that to be a sufficient reason to determine us to the literal. But we are yet more powerfully engaged, when we come to consider in this Mystery the intention of the Son of God, which I will explicate after the plainest manner I am able, and that by Principles which I think our adversaries themselves cannot deny.

I say then, These words of our Saviour ["]Take eat, this is my body given for you["] show us that as the ancient Jews did not in Spirit only unite themselves to the immolation of the Victim which was offered for them, but in reality they eat the sacrificed flesh, which was to them a mark of their partaking of that oblation [Lev. 22:13], So JESUS CHRIST becoming himself our Victim, would have us really eat of the flesh of his Sacrifice, to the end of the actual communication of this adorable flesh might be a perpetual testimony to every one of us in particular, that is, was for us he took it, and for us he immolated it.

God had forbidden the Jews to eat of the sin-offering [Lev 6:30], to teach them the true expiation of their crimes was not to be accomplished in the Law, nor by the blood of Beasts: all the people lay, as it were, under an interdiction by this prohibition, without being able to have any actual participation of the remission of Sins. By a contrary reason it was necessary the Body of our Saviour, the true Host, immolated for sin, should be eaten by the Faithful, to show them by this eating that the remission of sin was accomplished in the new Testament.

God also forbid the Children of Israel to eat Blood; and one of the reasons of this Prohibition was, because the Blood was given us for the expiation of our Souls... But on the contrary, our Blessed Saviour gives us his Blood to drink, because it is shed for the remission of Sins.

So that eating of the Body and Blood of the Son of God is as real at the Holy Table, as the Grace, the expiation of Sins, and the participation of the Sacrifice of JESUS CHRIST is actual and real in the new Covenant.

Nevertheless, seeing he desired to exercise our Faith in this Mystery, and at the same time, to free us from the horror of eating flesh, and drinking Blood in their proper Species, it was convenient he should give us them clothed under another Species. But if these Considerations have obliged him to make us partake of the flesh of our Victim after another manner than the Jews, he was not for that obliged to deprive us in the least of the reality of his Substance.

It appears, then, to accomplish the ancient Figures, and to put us in actual Possession of the Victim offered for our Sins, that JESUS CHRIST had intention to give us really his Body and Blood. which is so evident, that our Adversaries themselves would have us to believe they are in this of the same opinion with us, perpetually repeating how they deny not the actual Presence, nor the real Participation of the Body and Blood in the Eucharist. This we will examine hereafter, where we think it necessary to represent their Sentiments, after we have finished the Exposition of those of the Church. But in the mean time we will conclude, that if the plainest of our Saviours has forced them to acknowledge, his express Intention was to give us in reality his Flesh, when he said, This is my Body, they ought not to be astonished, if we cannot consent to understand these words only in Figure.

In reality, the Son of God, who was careful to explicate to his Apostles what he taught them under Parables and Figures, having said nothing here to explicate himself, it appears he left these words in their natural Signification. I know these Gentlemen pretend the Nature of the thing explains itself sufficiently, because we see very well, say they, what he presents is nothing but Bread and Wine; but this reason vanishes, when we consider, he who speaks has an Authority which over-rules the Senses, and a Power which has Dominion over universal Nature.

The Son of God has no more difficulty to renter his Body present in the Eucharist, by saying, This is my Body, then to Cure a Woman of her Infirmity, by saying, Woman thou art freed from thy infirmity; or to preserve the Life of a young Man, by saying to his Father, Thy Son liveth; or to forgive the Sins of the Man sick of the Palsy, by saying to him, Thy sins are forgiven thee.

So that, not troubling ourselves how he will execute what he was said, we rest precisely upon his words. He who does what he will, by speaking does what he pleases; and it was none more easy for the Son of God to force the Laws of Nature to verify his word, than it is for us to accommodate our Understanding to these kind of violent Interpretations, which breaks the Laws of common Discourse.

These Laws of Discourse teach us, that a sign which represents a thing naturally, receives often the name of the thing it represented, being as it were its nature to bring the Idea of the thing into the Mind. The same also happens, though with some restriction, to instituted Signs, when they are received, and Persons accustomed to them. But that, in establishing a Sign, which has no relation to a thing, as for example, a Morsel of Bread to signify the Body of a Man, the name of the thing signified should be given to it without any Explication, and before any agreement, as JESUS CHRIST has done in his last Supper, is a thing unheard of, and of which we find no example in holy Writ, not to say in any Language. Neither do the Gentlemen of the Pretended Reform'd Religion so fix themselves to the figurative sense, which they would give to the words of JESUS CHRIST, but as they do at the same time, he had intention in pronouncing them to give us in reality his Body and Blood.


SECT. XI

Explication of these Words, Do this in remembrance of me.

After having proposed the Sentiments of the Church, touching these words, This is my Body we must explicate what she thinks of these others, which JESUS CHRIST added, Do this in remembrance of me [Luke 22:19]. It is manifest, the intention of the Son of God is to oblige us by these words, to remember the Death which he has endured for our Salvation, and St. Paul concludes from these same words, that we declare the Death of our Saviour [I Cor. 11: 26] in this Mystery. But they must not persuade themselves, that remembrance of our Saviours Death, excludes the real Presence of his Body: on the contrary, if they consider what we have lately explicated, they will clearly understand this Commemoration to be grounded upon the real Presence. For as the Jews in eating of the Peace-Offering remembered they have been immolated for them: in the same manner in eating of the Flesh of JESUS CHRIST, our Victim, we ought to remember he died for us. This very flesh, then, eaten by the Faithful, not only renews in us the memory of this immolation, but confirms also to us the reality of it. And we are so far from having reason to say, that this solemn Commemoration, which JESUS CHRIST ordains us to make, excludes the Presence of his Body, that, on the contrary, we see this tender remembrance which he would have us to make at the Holy Table of him, as immolated for us, is grounded upon this: that this very flesh ought to be there taken really, seeing in effect it is not possible for us to forget it was for us he gave his Body in Sacrifice, when we see he daily gives us the same Victim to eat.

Most Christians under presence of celebrating in the Lords Supper, the memory of the Passion of our Saviour, deprive this Pious Commemoration of what it has most efficacious and render in [...] Ought they not to consider, that JESUS CHRIST does not command them only to remember him, but to remember him in eating of his Flesh and Blood? Consider the Connection, and the force of his words. He does not say simply, as those of the Pretended Reformation seem to understand him, What the Bread and Wine of the Eucharist should be to us a Memorial of his Body and Blood, but he advertises us, that in doing what he has prescribed, that is, in receiving his Body and Blood, we should remember him. What is there in reality more powerful to make us remember him? And if Children do so tenderly remember their Parents, and their Bounties towards them, when they approach the Tombs where their bodies are interred; how ought our Remembrance, and our Love to be excited, when we posses under these sacred Vails, under this mystical Sepulcher, this living and Life-giving Flesh, and this Blood yet flowing with his Love, and full of Spirit and Grace? But if our Adversaries continue to tell us, That he who commands us to remember him, does not give us his proper Substance, we must in fine, desire them to agree amongst themselves. They profess not to deny the real Communication of the proper Substance of the Son of God in the Eucharist. If their words are serious, if their Doctrine is not an illusion, they must necessarily say with us, the remembrance does not exclude all kinds of Presence, but only that which strikes our Senses. Their answer shall be ours, seeing that though we affirm JESUS CHRIST to be present, yet we acknowledge at the same time, that he is not present in a sensible manner.

And if it should be demanded, how it comes to pass, that believing as we do, the Senses to have nothing to do with this Mystery, we should not believe it sufficient that JESUS CHRIST should be present by Faith: IT is easier to answer, and to clear this Equivocal Objection. It is one thing to say, the Son of God is present to us by Faith, and another to say, we know by Faith that he is present. The first manner of speaking, imports only a moral presence, but the second signifies to us a very real one, because our Faith is most real; and this real Presence known by Faith, is sufficient to work all the forementioned Effects in the Just Man, who lives by Faith [Habac. 2:4].



And to come (from the same work) Sect XII: Exposition of the Calvinists Doctrine concerning the real Presence.
Sect XIII: Of Transubstantiation and Adoration, and in what sense the Eucharist is said to be a sign.
Sect XIV: The Sacrifice of the Mass
Sect XV: The Epistle to the Hebrews
Sect XVI: Reflections upon the preceeding Doctrine. Sect XVII: Communion under both kinds.
Sect XVIII: The Written and Unwritten Word
Sect XIX: The Authority of the Church
Sect XX: The Sentiments of those of the Pretended Reform'd Religion, concerning the authority of the Church.


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