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<DATE>2012-07-23</DATE>
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<NAME>Judith Siefring</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE ANSWER OF <HI>The New Converts</HI> OF FRANCE, TO <HI>A Pa&s;toral Letter</HI> FROM A <HI>PROTESTANT MINISTER.</HI></P>
<P>Done out of the <HI>French</HI> Copy Publi&s;h'd there with Permi&s;&s;ion.</P>
<P><HI>Publi&s;h'd with Allowance.</HI></P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Henry Hills,</HI> Printer to the King's mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty, for his Hou&s;hold and Chappel. 1686.</P>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2" MS="y">
<HEAD>THE ANSWER OF THE NEW CONVERTS OF FRANCE, To a Pa&s;toral Letter from a <HI>Prote&s;tant</HI> Mini&s;ter.</HEAD>
<P>_IT is not, Sir, to give you an Account of our Conduct that we now write to you; we know you are not in the Circum&s;tance of approving it, and we are much troubled at it. Nor is it to An&s;wer either your injurious Lan|guage, or your Menaces; the Holy Gho&s;t confirms us again&s;t them both, when he
<PB N="2" REF="3">tells us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 3.13, 14.</NOTE> <HI>Who is he that can hurt you, if you do only that which is good; but and if you &s;uffer for Ju&s;tice &s;ake, you &s;hall be happy. Fear not what they would make you fear, nor trouble your &s;elves; but &s;anctifie our Lord God in your hearts, and be always ready to &s;atisfie every one that asks you a rea&s;on of the hope which is in you.</HI> It is therefore in obe|dience to the&s;e la&s;t words we have now broken that profound Silence, in which the Moderation that our Faith, as yet but tender, in&s;pires into us, would retain us, were we not oblig'd to render an Account of that Faith, and to hinder the weak from being &s;candaliz'd at the Reproaches you have ca&s;t upon us, and the Church from being di&s;honor'd by tho&s;e who are not happy enough to know her. We &s;hall not di&s;tingui&s;h among us, as you have done, the <HI>Libertines,</HI> tho&s;e <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> whom you call <HI>cowardly;</HI> nor tho&s;e whom you think you honor by the name of &s;imple <HI>Apo|&s;tates:</HI> becau&s;e we cannot believe, but that Divi&s;ion was rather a Figure and an Artifice then any real Effect of your Sincerity. For we are per&s;waded there is not one of the&s;e
<PB N="3" REF="3">three pretended States, tho' never &s;o Im|pious and Libertine, but your Zeal would willingly draw back again into your Party, and not one but you would rejoyce to &s;ee become a Martyr for your Religion. The ha&s;te you would thereupon make to re|voke the Sentence again&s;t them, &s;hould make you con&s;ider with how much ra&s;h|ne&s;s you have pa&s;s'd it. Doubtle&s;s, Sir, you never thought of this, when you dur&s;t pronounce, <HI>There was no further &s;acrifice remaining for their &s;ins,</HI> and like a God upon Earth, condemn'd them <HI>to devouring Flames.</HI></P>
<P>Without examining too nicely this Judg|ment, God him&s;elf lets us &s;ee the ra&s;hne&s;s, of it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 109.</NOTE> when he a&s;&s;ures us the Prie&s;thood of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> &s;hall never have an end, be|cau&s;e he will offer eternally the Sacrifice of his Cro&s;s for the Redemption of Sinners. <HI>The tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions even of the wicked,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 18.22, 23.</NOTE> &s;ay what you will, <HI>God will not remember,</HI> as the Scripture tells us, <HI>from the moment he con|verts him&s;elf from them:</HI> for <HI>I will not</HI> (&s;aith the Lord by the mouth of his Prophet) <HI>the death of a &s;inner, but that he &s;hould return
<PB N="4" REF="4">from his wickedne&s;s and live.</HI> But without doubt you will &s;ay this Conver&s;ion con&s;i&s;ts in returning into your Church, which in your Letter you invite us to. But can this Propo&s;ition move a <HI>Chri&s;tian,</HI> if it could not have been propos'd to him through every Age. &s;ince the Death of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t?</HI> And could this have been done Two hun|dred years &s;ince, before you had any &s;uch thing as a Church? It is of no purpo&s;e to tell us, as we have &s;o often heard, That your Church &s;ub&s;i&s;ted always, but that it was invi&s;ible. For can the Church &s;ub&s;i&s;t without Faith;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10.14.</NOTE> and Faith, &s;aith St. <HI>Paul,</HI> without Preaching; and Preaching with|out &s;ome Action that is both publick and vi&s;ible? Have not you your &s;elves taught us,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Conf. de Foy. <HI>28.</HI></NOTE> That <HI>where the Word of God is not re|ceived, and where the Sacraments are not in u&s;e, no Man can judge, properly &s;peaking, that there is a Church.</HI> All the&s;e <HI>Con&s;equen|ces</HI> have they not made you own, That at that time <HI>the State of the Church was di&s;|continu'd?</HI> How then could any one pro|po&s;e to a <HI>Neophyte</HI> to embrace that Faith which they could not make him know?
<PB N="5" REF="4">Neverthele&s;s can we, Sir, believe, that for &s;o va&s;t a time, that according to your &s;elves is from the Fourth or Fifth Age to this day, in which you tell us the vi&s;ible Church, which was no other but the <HI>Roman,</HI> was fill'd with Errors, or at lea&s;t &s;ince the Tenth Age, when you a&s;&s;ure us &s;he was fall'n into all manner of Super&s;titions and Idolatries: Can we (I &s;ay) believe, that during &s;o long a &s;pace of years, the Gates of Heaven were &s;hut, the Blood and Death of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> were ineffectual, the Kingdom of the Saviour of Mankind cea&s;ed, and the Em|pire of the Devil was full, entire, and ab|&s;olute within the Hou&s;e of the Son of God? Do's not <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> him&s;elf teach us to the contrary,<NOTE PLACE="marg">S. Mat. 16.18. S. Luc. 22.32. S. John 14.16.</NOTE> That <HI>the gates of hell &s;hall not prevail again&s;t his Church? and that he has pray'd for her, that her faith &s;hall never fail;</HI> in &s;hort, that <HI>the holy Spirit &s;hall re|main with her for ever?</HI></P>
<P>We formerly, Sir, believ'd according to the ancient Principles you taught us, That is was enough to &s;hew the truth of the&s;e words; That there was a &s;mall number of the Faithful who liv'd according to out|ward
<PB N="6" REF="5">appearances, in the Communion of the <HI>Roman</HI> Church, but who&s;e Hearts you a&s;&s;ur'd us never adher'd to its Wor&s;hip; But now you not only bid us <HI>pre&s;erve our &s;elves from that Illu&s;ion,</HI> but al&s;o tell us, that <HI>nothing is more criminal then &s;uch a thought; That &s;uch a Devotion is injurious to God; That God requires all or nothing; and that &s;ince he is the Redeemer of both, he will be glorifi'd by both. For 'tis not enough</HI> (&s;ay you after St. <HI>Paul</HI>) <HI>to believe in your heart to ju&s;tice; but you mu&s;t profe&s;s it with your mouth to &s;alvation.</HI> We believe you, Sir, and we acknowledge our &s;elves oblig'd to you for &s;o kindly contributing to confirm us more and more in the Church we are &s;o lately enter'd into, by leaving us no fur|ther doubt of the newne&s;s of yours: For from henceforth where can we believe your Church &s;ub&s;i&s;ted during &s;o many Ages, when you had neither Temples, nor Service, nor A&s;&s;embly, nor Preachers, nor Sacra|ments, nor Faithful? You have endeavor'd hitherto to come off by telling us, as occa&s;i|on &s;erv'd, &s;ometimes that it was vi&s;ible, and &s;ometimes that it was invi&s;ible. You &s;aid your
<PB N="7" REF="5">&s;elf to <HI>M. de Meaux,</HI> That <HI>before the</HI> Refor|mation,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P.</HI> 120.</NOTE> <HI>the truly Faithful were mingled with the re&s;t in the &s;ame outward Profe&s;&s;ion.</HI> But thanks be to Heaven, we are now likewi&s;e taught by you, that we cannot believe <HI>with|out Illu&s;ion, That one of the Faithful can pre|&s;erve him&s;elf in the outward Communion of the</HI> Roman <HI>Church, altho' his Heart do's not in|cline to the Wor&s;hip; and that there is no|thing more criminal then &s;uch a thought.</HI> There remains then no further doubt, but that, according to your &s;elves, not only the State of the Church, but even the Church it &s;elf, to make u&s;e of your own Di&s;tinctions, was di&s;continu'd and abroga|ted for the &s;pace of many Ages, for that it could not maintain it &s;elf within the Com|munion of the <HI>Roman,</HI> which alone had Churches and publick Wor&s;hip: How can we reconcile this with what the Holy Gho&s;t teaches us, That the Church is the Handy-work of the Son of God;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 5.25, 26, 27.</NOTE> <HI>That &s;he is his mo&s;t dear and faithful Spou&s;e, that he pur|cha&s;ed upon the Cro&s;s by the Effu&s;ion of his mo&s;t precious Blood; That he him&s;elf is the Head;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 3.15.</NOTE> <HI>That &s;he is the Pillar and Ground of
<PB N="8" REF="6">Truth; That &s;he is to be our Judge in all our Controver&s;ies,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">S. Mat. 18.17.</NOTE> and &s;o Infallible, <HI>that who&s;o|ever do's not &s;ubmit to her Deci&s;ions, is to be e&s;teem'd as a Heathen or Publican;</HI> in &s;hort, <HI>That he will never for&s;ake her, and that he will be always with her to the end of the World?</HI> A <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> in&s;tructed in &s;uch Le&s;|&s;ons drawn out of the Holy Writ, can he find any difficulty to incline favourably towards the <HI>Roman</HI> Church, which you your &s;elves confe&s;s has &s;tood from <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> and the Apo&s;tles down to this Day, either in full Purity, or at lea&s;t with &s;ome Alterations that you pretend have crept into it? We will not enter into an Exami|nation of the Errors that you impute to it, that is not now our Bu&s;ine&s;s: but we mu&s;t needs &s;ay for our own Ju&s;tification, That among tho&s;e that gave us the greate&s;t hor|ror, there are &s;ome of them in which we &s;ee you had more Ob&s;tinacy on your &s;ides then Rea&s;on.</P>
<P>The <HI>Real Pre&s;ence,</HI> for Example, of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> in the <HI>Euchari&s;t,</HI> was always repre|&s;ented to us as a Rock of Scandal in the <HI>Roman</HI> Church, as a Shelve to Shipwrack
<PB N="9" REF="6">Salvation, and as a Mon&s;ter in Religion: yet this Doctrine, dete&s;table as it is, was neverthele&s;s receiv'd into your Church, and into your Communion with the <HI>Lutherans,</HI> who never doubted of it, and Preach'd it publickly. It is in vain to tell us, The <HI>Lutherans</HI> 'tis true believe that <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is pre&s;ent in the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> but they don't adore him: For not only your own Wri|ters, as <HI>Calvin, Beza,</HI> and others, condemn their Practice in this, but maintain, That if <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> be in the Bread, he ought to be there adored: And your own Church has declar'd by the Mouth of <HI>Daill&eacute;,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P.</HI> 66.</NOTE> That <HI>if the Subject matter which is call'd the Sacra|ment of the Euchari&s;t, be in its &s;ub&s;tance not Bread, as &s;he believes, but the Body of Chri&s;t, as tho&s;e of</HI> Rome <HI>hold, it is evident that it may and ought to be ador'd, becau&s;e the Body of Chri&s;t is an adorable Subject:</HI> Seeing then according to you it is allow'd to believe, that <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is in the <HI>Sacrament;</HI> it ought likewi&s;e to be permitted, according to your own Tenets, and according to your own Authors, tho&s;e who believe him pre&s;ent, are oblig'd to adore him there. So
<PB N="10" REF="7">that properly &s;peaking, the Adoration of the <HI>Sacrament</HI> is nothing el&s;e but a Cavil that you make with the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> to colour your Divi&s;ion: As the Com|munion under one Species is another much more vi&s;ible, and as ill grounded.</P>
<P><HI>Every one</HI> (&s;ay you) <HI>ought indifferently to receive the Cup,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dim.</HI> 53.</NOTE> <HI>according to the Command of</HI> Je&s;us Chri&s;t, <HI>again&s;t which it is unlaw|ful to attempt any thing.</HI> By this Article of your Faith we have been always po&s;&s;e&s;s'd with a belief of the nece&s;&s;ity of Commu|nion in both Kinds, and always thought the contrary Practice an overthrowing of the Con&s;titution of the <HI>Sacrament:</HI> nor &s;hould we yet have doubted of it, had not your own Practice at length open'd our Eyes, and di&s;abus'd us. But now when we hear you determine in your Di&s;cipline, <HI>That the Bread alone ought to be Admini&s;tred to &s;uch as cannot drink Wine,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Art.</HI> 7. <HI>c.</HI> 12.</NOTE> <HI>provided they make a Prote&s;tation that it is not through contempt:</HI> Now when we &s;ee this Cu&s;tom e&s;tabli&s;h'd in your own Temples, why do you condemn that in the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> which you allow and practice in your
<PB N="11" REF="7">own? If the Command of the Cup be po&s;itive, it is indi&s;pen&s;ible; if the Com|munion in both Kinds be of Divine In&s;ti|tution, it cannot admit of a Modification. But (&s;ay you) are we oblig'd to Impo&s;&s;ibi|lities? Without examining this pretended Impo&s;&s;ibility, which you &s;uppo&s;e in the Faithful upon very &s;light Grounds, we will &s;uppo&s;e it with you. But ought this want of Po&s;&s;ibility in any to receive a <HI>Sacra|ment,</HI> de&s;troy the <HI>Sacrament?</HI> This In|firmity may di&s;pence with a Per&s;on from Receiving the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and ju&s;tifie his ab&s;taining from it: but it can ju&s;tifie neither Mini&s;ter nor Church that gives it &s;o divi|ded and &s;eparated, if God has declar'd it indivi&s;ible and in&s;eparable. In fine, if the retrenchment of one of the Species be a violation of the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> and of the Command of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> no Church nor Rea&s;on can authorize it. What can we then conclude, when we &s;ee your Church, as well as that of <HI>Rome,</HI> practi&s;e the &s;ame Retrenchment, but that the Communion in both Kinds is neither of nece&s;&s;ity, nor commanded.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="8">
<P>It is much the &s;ame concerning the <HI>Real Pre&s;ence.</HI> A Man that beholds <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> divided between the Adherents of <HI>Rome; Luther,</HI> and <HI>Calvin,</HI> and finds that by the Doctrine taught in the Churches of the two fir&s;t, it is ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary for his Sal|vation to believe, That <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is really and &s;ub&s;tantially in the <HI>Euchari&s;t;</HI> and hears you your &s;elves &s;aying, That <HI>this Belief,</HI> a|gain&s;t which you are &s;uch declar'd Ene|mies, <HI>is no ob&s;tacle to Salvation;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Daill&eacute; Apol. p. <HI>43.</HI></NOTE> <HI>that it contains nothing contrary either to Piety or Charity, or the Honor due to God, or the Welfare of Mankind;</HI> could this Man de|termine with him&s;elf to follow any other Doctrine then that which he is a&s;&s;ur'd of on all Sides to be ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary, or at lea&s;t no way prejudicial to Salvation?</P>
<P>Believe us, Sir, the&s;e in&s;en&s;ible, tho' im|portant Steps of yours, have had greater power over our Con&s;ciences, then all the Dragoons, &s;o terrible and &s;o barbarous as your Pen has &s;tudy'd to de&s;cribe them. But &s;uppo&s;e the apprehen&s;ion of them had made &s;ome of us reflect upon the&s;e things, which perhaps we had otherwi&s;e never &s;o
<PB N="13" REF="8">much as thought of; would this conclude any thing but what St. <HI>Paul</HI> &s;aith, That <HI>Kings are Gods Mini&s;ters for our good?</HI> Can you blame any <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> for Examining the Cau&s;es of a Per&s;ecution before it comes upon them, &s;ince <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> has pro|mis'd to recompence only &s;uch as &s;uffer for his and for Ju&s;tice &s;ake? The Spirit of the Go&s;pel, do's it oblige us to meet Death boldly for Error, or for Truth? or is it the Suffering, or the Cau&s;e for which they &s;uffer, that makes the Martyrs? If the Cau&s;e then be found to be Man's, and not that of God's, have you rea&s;on to di&s;claim again&s;t tho&s;e who have only avoided tempo|ral Puni&s;hments, to pre&s;erve them&s;elves from tho&s;e which are more terrible and eternal? 'Tis then the proof of this Cau&s;e that de|&s;erves your nearer application. Do not think to excu&s;e your &s;elves by rea&s;on of the too great extent &s;uch an Examination appears to have, to fill us with greater Confu&s;ion and Sorrow for leaving your Church; you needed only to convince us of this one Ar|ticle of your Faith, which &s;aith,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Art. <HI>31.</HI></NOTE> That <HI>God rais'd up certain Men in an extraordinary man|ner,
<PB N="14" REF="9">to Model the Church anew, that was fall'n into Ruine and De&s;olation;</HI> Convince us, we &s;ay, but of this, and we &s;hall always think our &s;elves mi&s;erable for being &s;uch Rebels again&s;t the Order of Divine Providence, and endeavouring by our Infidelity to de|&s;troy the Work of God. But you cry, It is in vain, &s;eeing we can't believe it to be the Work of God, nor have any faith for this extraordinary Mi&s;&s;ion.
'Tis true, <HI>Zuinglius, Luther,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luth. Tract. de Ver. Eccl. Reform. Calv. In&s;tit. lib. <HI>4.</HI> cap. <HI>3.</HI> Sect. <HI>4. St. John 5.31.</HI></NOTE> and <HI>Calvin</HI> have born that Te&s;ti|mony of them&s;elves: 'Tis true, they have given them&s;elves the Titles of <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> and <HI>Evangeli&s;ts;</HI> but &s;ince <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> has &s;aid, &s;peaking of him&s;elf, <HI>If I bear te&s;timony of my &s;elf, my te&s;timony is not true,</HI> what credit can that Te&s;timony claim that your Pa|triarchs have only given of them&s;elves? Where then &s;hall we begin to judge? for every extraordinary Mi&s;&s;ion is vain and u&s;ele&s;s, if it brings not its Proof and Evi|dence to tho&s;e in favour of whom it is &s;ent. Shall we know their Authority by their Miracles, by their Works, or by their Doctrine? Their Miracles were never known; the Works of &s;uch as are Enemies
<PB N="15" REF="9">to Virginity, to Vows of Cha&s;tity, Fa&s;ting, Ab&s;tinence, Au&s;terities, Penance, Confe&s;&s;ion of Sins, and to the Pains requir'd for their Expiation, are too oppo&s;ite to the Spirit of the Go&s;pel, either to per&s;wade or edifie. Their Doctrine &s;uppo&s;es their Mi&s;&s;ion, as St. <HI>Paul</HI> tells us, and therefore proves it not: for <HI>How &s;hall they Preach,</HI> &s;aith he,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 10.15.</NOTE> <HI>un|le&s;s they be &s;ent?</HI> Without &s;o much as Examining this Doctrine to the bottom, their Divi&s;ions, and the Contradictions that were between them&s;elves, and remain to this Day among their Followers, in the chief My&s;teries of Faith, are they not whol|ly oppo&s;ite to Truth, and the Unity of the Spirit of God? <HI>Luther</HI> will have it, That in the <HI>Sacrament</HI> of the <HI>Lord's Supper,</HI> be|&s;ides the Bread, the Body of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is really, truly, and corporeally contain'd. <HI>Calvin</HI> denies that the Body of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is contain'd in the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> but tells us it is however communicated there, and really and &s;ub&s;tantially receiv'd. <HI>Zuinglius</HI> on the contrary &s;ays, That <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> is neither contain'd, nor receiv'd, nor communicated in or by the <HI>Sacrament,</HI> but only the Figure
<PB N="16" REF="10">of <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Body, and the Effects of his <HI>Death</HI> and <HI>Pa&s;&s;ion.</HI> Did the Apo&s;tles and Evangeli&s;ts of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> teach after this manner? Do we find among them Con|tradictions in the My&s;teries of Faith, or in their Doctrine? What then, Sir, would you have us think of the&s;e three Apo&s;tles and Evangeli&s;ts of your <HI>Reformation?</HI> Into which of their Countries (for every one of them has his own particular) would you have us go to live in the Profe&s;&s;ion of the Truth, as you advi&s;e us in your Letter? For 'tis in this Sence we under&s;tand the Re|&s;olution which you cunningly &s;uppo&s;e we have made, to &s;tay in the Bo&s;om of <HI>Rome</HI> only till we have put our Affairs in order. It &s;eldom appertains to any but to God, to penetrate &s;o deep into the Hearts of Men: However, Sir, make u&s;e of what time you have to determine to which of your three Evangeli&s;ts we ought to &s;ubmit, and which we ought to relie upon. Otherwi&s;e be not &s;urpris'd that we live and enjoy one another in that <HI>City,</HI> where generally all our Fathers and yours, excepting it may be two or three &s;ince
<PB N="17" REF="10"><HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t</HI> and his Apo&s;tles, have been bred up; that we live peaceably in the &s;ame <HI>Church</HI> in which they liv'd, and therein &s;eek that Salvation we hope they have found.</P>
<P><HI>Permitted to be Printed. </HI></P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE>Given <DATE>this Sixth of February, 1686.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>DE LA REYNIE.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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