"Let those treat you harshly, who are not acquainted with the difficulty of attaining to truth and avoiding error. Let those treat you harshly, who know not how hard it is to get rid of old prejudices. Let those treat you harshly, who have not learned how very hard it is to purify the interior eye and render it capable of contemplating the sun of the soul, truth. But as to us: we are far from this disposition towards persons who are separated from us, not by errors of their own invention, but by being entangled in those of others. We are so far from this disposition that we pray to God, that, in refuting the false opinions of those, whom you follow, not from malice, but imprudence, he would bestow upon us that spirit of peace, which feels no other sentiment than charity, no other interest than that of Jesus Christ, no other wish but for your salvation." St. Austin, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 400, contra Ep. Fund. c. i. c. ii. "There are many other things which keep me in the bosom of the Catholic Church. The agreement of different people and nations keeps me there. The authority established by Miracles, nourished by hope, increased by charity, and confirmed by antiquity, keeps me there. The succession of bishops in the See of St. Peter, the apostles, (to whom our Lord, after his resurrection, committed his sheep, to be fed) down to the present bishop, keeps me there. Finally, the very name of CATHOLIC, which, among so many heresies, this church alone possesses, keeps me there." St. Augustin, Doctor of the Church, A. D. 400, contra Epis. Fundam, c. 4. "It is a shame to charge men with what they are not guilty of, in order to make the breach wider, already too wide." Dr. Montague, bishop of Norwich. Invoc. of Saints, p. 60. "Let them not lead people by the nose to believe they can prove their supposition, that the Pope is Antichrist, and the Papists idolaters, when they cannot." Dr. Herbert Thorndike, prebendary of Westminister. Just Weights and Measures, p. 11. "The object of their (the Catholics) adoration of the B. Sacrament is the only true and eternal God, hypostatically joined with his holy humanity, which humanity they believe actually present under the veil of the sacramental signs and if they thought him not present, they are so far from worshipping the bread in this case, that themselves profess it to be idolatry to do so. Dr. Jeremy Taylor, bishop of Down. Liberty of prophesying, chap. xx. PART I. LETTER I. Mr. Brown's Apology to Dr. M. Account of the Friendly Society of New Cottage ESSAY I. On the Existence of God and Natural Religion, by the Rev. Samuel ESSAY II. On the truth of the Christian Religion, by Do. LETTER II. To James Brown, Esq. Dr. M's Conditions for entering on the Correspondence. Freedom of Speech. Sincerity and Candour. A Conclusive Method LETTER III. From James Brown, Esq. Agreement to the Conditions on the part of the Society LETTER IV. To James Brown, Esq. Page 41 Dispositions for success in Religious Inquiries. Renunciation of prejudices, passions, and vicious inclinations. Fervent prayer LETTER V. To James Brown, Esq. Rule or Method of finding out the True Religion. Christ has left a Rule. This Rule must be sure and unerring. It must be adapted to the capacity and situations of the bulk of mankind LETTER VI. To James Brown, Esq. First fallacious Rule; Private Inspiration. This has led numberless Christians into errors, impiety and vice, in ancient and in modern times. Account of Modern Fanatics, Anabaptists, Quakers, Moravians, Swedenborgians, Methodists, &c. LETTER VII. To James Brown, Esq, Objections of certain Members of the Society answered LETTER VIII. To James Brown, Esq. Second fallacious Rule; the Scripture according to each person's par ticular interpretation of it. Christ did not intend that mankind, in general, should learn his Religion from a Book, No Legislator ever made Laws without providing Judges and Magistrates to explain and enforce them. Dissensions, divisions, immorality, and infidelity, 56 which have arisen from the private interpretation of Scripture. Illusions of Protestants in this matter: Their inconsistency in making Articles, Catechisms, &c. Acknowledgment of learned Protestants on this head LETTER IX. To James Brown, Esq. The subject continued. Protestants have no evidence of the Inspiration of Scripture: nor of its authenticity: nor of the fidelity of their copies: nor of its sense. Causes of the obscurity of Scripture: Instances of this. The Protestant Rule affords no ground for Faith. Doubts in which those who follow it live and also die LETTER X. To James Brown, Esq. The True Rule, namely, The Whole Word of God, unwritten as well as written, subject to the interpretation of the Church. In this and in every other country, the written law is grounded upon the unwritten law. Christ taught the Apostles by word of mouth, and sent them to preach it by word of mouth. This method was followed by them and their disciples and successors. Testimonies of this from the Fathers of the five first centuries LETTER XI. To James Brown, Esq. The subject continued. Protestants forced to have recourse to the Catholic Rule, in different instances. Different instances of this. Their vain attempts to adopt it in other instances. Qubbling evasions of the Articles, Canons, Oaths, and Laws respecting uniformity. Acknowledged necessity of deceiving the people. Bishop Hoadley the patron of this hypocrisy. The Catholic Rule confessed by Bishop Marsh to be the Original Rule. Proofs that it has never been abrogated. Advantages of this Rule to the Church at large, and to its individual members LETTER XII. To James Brown, Esq. Objections answered. Texts of Scripture. Other objections. Illusory declamation of Bishop Porteus. The advice of Tobias, when he sent his Son into a strange country, recommended to the Society of New Cottage. Page 59 71 79 88 102 PART II. LETTER XIII. To James Brown, Esq. Congratulation with the Society of New Cottage on their acknowledgment of the right Rule of Faith. Proof that the Catholic Church alone is possessed of this Rule. Characters or Marks of the True Church LETTER XIV. Unity, the First Mark of the True Church. This proved from Reason-from Scripture-and from the Holy Fathers 112 115 LETTER XV. To James Brown, Esq. Want of Unity among Protestants in general. This acknowledged by their eminent writers. Striking instances of it in the Established Church. Vain attempts to reconcile diversity of belief with uniform Articles LETTER XVI. Page 117 To James Brown, Esq. Unity of the Catholic Church-in Doctrine-in Liturgy-in Government, and Constitution LETTER XVII. To Dr. M. From James Brown, Esq. Objections against the exclusive claims of Catholics. Extract of a letter from the Rev. N. N. Prebendary of N. Bishop Watson's doctrine on this head 123 126 128 Second Mark of the True Church, Sanctity. Sanctity of doctrine wanting to the different Protestant Communions-to Luther's system-to Calvin's-to that of the Established Church-to those of Dissenters and Methodists. Doctrine of the Catholic Church Holy 132 POSTSCRIPT. Variations and impiety of the late Rev. John Wesley's doctrine LETTER XX. To James Brown, Esq. Means of Sanctity. The Seven Sacraments, possessed by Catholics. Protestants possess none of them, except Baptism. The whole Liturgy of the Established Church borrowed from the Catholic Missal and Ritual. Sacrifice the most acceptable worship of God. The most perfect Sacrifice offered in the Catholic Church. Protestants destitute of Sacrifice. Other means of Sanctity in the Catholic communion LETTER XXI. To James Brown, Esq. Fruits of Sanctity. All the saints were Catholics. eminent Protestants with contemporary Catholics. caused by changing the Ancient Religion LETTER XXII. To Mr. J. Toulmin. 140 142 Comparison of 150 Objections answered. False accounts of the Church before the Reformation, so called. Ditto of John Fox's Martyrs. The vices of a few Popes no impeachment of the Church's Sanctity. Scriptural practices and exercises common among Catholics but despised by Protestants LETTER XXIII. To James Brown, Esq. Divine Attestation of Sanctity in the Catholic Church. Miracles the Criterion of Truth. Christ appeals to them, and promises a continuation of them. The Holy Fathers and Church writers attest their continuation, and appeal to them, in proof of the True Church. Evidence of the Truth of many Miracles. Irreligious scepticism of Dr. Conyer's Middleton: this undermines the Credit of the Gospel. Continuation of miracles down to the present time: living witnesses of it LETTER XXIV. To James Brown, Esq. Objections answered. False and unauthenticated miracles no disproof of true and authenticated ones. Strictness of the examination of reported miracles at Rome. Not necessary to know God's design in working each miracle. Examination of the arguments of celebrated Protestants against Catholic miracles. Objection of Gibbon and the late bishop of Salisbury (Dr. John Douglass) against St. Bernard's miracles refuted. St. Xavier's miracles proved from the authors quoted against them. Dr. Middleton's confident assertion clearly refuted. Bishop Douglass's Conclusive Evidence from Acosta against St. Xavier's miracles clearly refuted, by the testimony of the said Acosta. Testimony of Ribadeneira concerning St. Ignatius's miracles truly stated. True account of the miracle of Saragossa. Impostures at the tomb of Abbé Paris. Refutation of the Rev. Peter Robert's pamphlet, concerning the miraculous cure of Winefrid White Page 153 *156 168 LETTER XXV. The True Church, Catholic. Always Catholic in name, by the testimony of the Fathers. Still distinguished by that name in spite of all opposition Qualities of Catholicity. LETTER XXVI. To James Brown Esq. The Church Catholic as to its members: as to its extent; as to its duration. The original Church of this country LETTER XXVII. To James Brown, Esq. Objections of the Rev. Josuah Clark answered. Existence of an invisible Church disproved. Vain attempt to trace the existence of Protestantism through the discordant heresies of former ages. Vain Prognostication of the failure of the True Church. Late attempts to undermine it LETTER XXVIII. To James Brown, Esq. The True Church, Apostolical: so described by the ancient Fathers. 176 179 184 |