The Antibarbarian, Treatise · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. An examination of our Adverſaries reaſons: eſpecially of thoſe of Mounſieur the Cardinal du Perron.
AS touching the prayers of particulars in a tongue not underſtood ſo much as by him himſelfe that prayeth, our adverſaries caſt downe the bucklers and defend not themſelves, but abandon their cauſe, onelyonly they ſay, That it is the Church. For this word Church is a covert and ſtarting hole, for every ſort of abuſe, and a playſter for every ſore. This is it they oppoſe againſt the Word of God, and unto all antiquitie, unto reaſon, and unto common ſenſe, which in this point are contrarie to the now Church of Rome of this time.
But as for the publick ſervice in an unknowne tongue not underſtood, our adverſaries propound ſome ſlender reaſons, which we muſt examine.
I. They ſay that the title of the Croſſe was writ by Pilate in three tongues, in Hebrew, Greeke and Latine, they will have Pilate; that was a Pagan Iudge, give this law to the Chriſtian Church. For being a man of great prudence, it is to be preſumed that he had a care that the Maſſe ſhould bee ſung in a fit tongue. Thus Pilates authoritie carieth it away, above the Word of God, and againſt the examples of Ieſus Chriſt, of the Prophets and of the Apoſtles. That if, according to the cuſtome of the Romanes, the title of the Croſſe had beene written but in one tongue, then ſhould they not, by this reaſon, ſing the Maſſe but in one tongue, or if Pilate had writ nothing, the Maſſe had not beene ſung at all.
Du Perron lib. 6. of his book againſt the King of great Brittaine.II. They have no better grace when they ſay, that it is expedient that divine ſervice be ſaid thorowout and in all places in the ſame tongue, that ſtrangers may underſtand it. This reaſon contradicts the former, for if it be expedient, that divine ſervice be ſaid in one and the ſame tongue every where, then ſhall we be forced not to reſt upon the inſcription of the Croſſe in three tongues, and we ſhall be driven to ſay ſervice in one onelyonly tongue thorowout the whole univerſall Church.
By the ſame reaſon, Sermons ought to be made every where in the ſame tongue in favour of ſtrangers. Certainely the ſervice in Latine doth in no meaſure at all comfort the ſtrangers that are in France: For of theſe ſtrangers, three fourth parts at the leaſt underſtand not the Latine, and there will bee found in France, ten times moe ſtrangers which underſtand the French, then the Latine. And theſe ſtrangers which underſtand the Latine cannot underſtand the Maſſe, whereof a great part is pronounced in ſo low a voice, that they that are neere the Prieſt cannot heare his voice. But what ſhadow of reaſon is there for it, that in favour of a few ſtrangers, which are in great townes, all the people of France muſt be deprived of the underſtanding of divine ſervice? and eſpecially all the townes and Burroughes wherein there are no ſtrangers? That if in one great Towne, as in Paris, they would gratifie ſtrangers, there ſhould be aſſigned for the Italians one Church, wherein ſervice ſhould bee ſaid in Italian, and ſo of other nations, by this meanes every nation ſhould have at Paris the ſervice in their owne tongue.
III. They further add that to have every where the ſame tongue, is a ſigne of union, and of concord in the Catholike Church. In thus ſpeaking they declare that it would bee expedient, that the ſervice ſhould neither bee ſaid in Greeke, nor in Hebrew, tongues nevertheleſſe which they ſay were authoriſed by the inſcription of the Croſſe. But the vnion which God approveth and applaudeth in his Word, is not the vnion of one and the ſame tongue, but of faith and charitie. Which vnion may bee amongſt thoſe of divers tongues; as on the contrarie, men of the ſame tongue doe often diſſent in faith. Which is more. God is glorified, when in divers tongues hee is purely and unanimouſly ſerved & called upon: as God himſelfe witneſſeth ſaying, As I live, ſaith the Lord, every knee ſhall bow before me, and every tongue ſhall give glory unto God. Rom. 14. verſe 11. Eſay 45.23. For this it was that God gave to his Apoſtles the gift of divers tongues, to the end, that in all tongues God might bee ſerved and called upon.
Du Perron the ſame.IIII. Alſo preſuppoſing that divine ſervice bee not done for the inſtruction of the people, but onelyonly to glorifie God by prayers, and thankſgiving, and by their aſſiſtance to bring their conſent unto that which is done in the Church, and to be partakers of the fruits which the Church obtaines of God by the Liturgie, they ſay, that the people which underſtand not, looſe not theſe fruits, nor the ends for the which divine ſervice is inſtituted: becauſe that the Churches authoritie is a ſufficient caution and ſecuritie for the people: And that it is enough that the Paſtors underſtand for them. But by the ſame ends for the which they ſay that divine ſervice is inſtituted, it is eaſie to convince them. For perſons aſſembled and met together to glorifie God by prayers and giving of thankes, ought to know that which they aske, and what they give thankes for. Now theſe Rabbines will have the people aske they wot not what, and give thankes for they know not why. And ſeeing that they will have the people aſſemble to yeeld their conſent to what is done and ſaid in the Church, how will they have them approve, and aſſent unto things they underſtand not? But if the people aſſiſt to participate in the good things which the Church receiveth by the publike ſervice, they aſſiſt then to bee inſtructed and comforted, for that is one of the fruits for which divine ſervice is inſtituted. And ſeeing that in the Maſſe the Prieſt ſpeaketh to the people, in vaine ſpeakes he to a people that underſtands him not. And ſeeing that in the Maſſe are read Chapters of the Scriptures, wherein God ſpeakes unto men, they ought not to hinder, that God bee not underſtood by men. The Apoſtle to the Romanes, Chapter 10. tells us, that faith comes by hearing of the Word of God, not then by an aſſiſtance without underſtanding that which God propoundeth unto us in his Word. And the ſame Apoſtle ſpeaking to the people of Corinth, 1. Cor. 11. ver. 26.will that in eating the bread of the Lords Supper, and in drinking of the Cup, they ſhew forth the Lords death, which cannot be done by perſons that aſſiſt without underſtanding the ſame. Of all theſe fruits are they deprived, that aſſiſt and are preſent at a ſervice where they underſtand not,
V. As for that, that Du Perron ſaith, that the Church ſtands for the peoples caution and ſecuritie: as if it could anſwer for the people at Gods judgement Seat; I ſay, that for this Church, that boaſts it ſelfe to bee a caution, it ſhall ſtand in need of another caution to give us aſſurance that it erres not, and that God receives her for caution. Surely at the day of judgement, Prieſts ſhall not anſwer for the people. Hee ſhall finde himſelfe deceived and fowly miſtaken; who then would give his Curate for his caution. Above all thoſe Paſtors ſhall not bee currant, who to enhaunſe their authoritie, and to leade the people on in ignorance at their pleaſure, have eſtranged them from all underſtanding. But why may not the Greeke Church as well be caution as the Romane? Seeing the Greeke Church is more ancient then the Romane, and the Church of Rome is but her daughter, and received from her the Chriſtian religion, and boaſts her ſelfe as well to bee Catholicke, and to have the chaires of Saint Peter and of many Apoſtles?
Du Perron pag. 1079.VI. But ſaith this Cardinall, if to profit at a Maſſe it were neceſſarie to underſtand it, the deafe, and the perſons that ſtand a farre off from him that ſaith ſervice, ſhould receive no benefit by it, if this reaſon were of any weight. Then might we as well ſay, that we muſt preach in a tongue not underſtood, for though it were neceſſarie to preach in a tongue underſtood, yet the deafe, and ſuch as were at too farre a diſtance from the Preacher, would receive no profit by him. I ſay then, that where the defects of nature hinder from underſtanding what is ſaid, we are not for that accountable before God: for God imputes not that for a crime which hee himſelfe hath done. But we ſtand accountable unto him for the impeachments, and hindrances, which we our ſelves lay in the way to hinder the underſtanding of his Word: God ſupplies the defects of nature by meanes, which are knowne to himſelfe: but man after hee hath done evills, cannot remedie them. If the light of the Sunne bee unprofitable to the blinde, it thence followeth, not that the eyes of them that ſee, muſt bee put out, even ſo if any be deafe, yet ought we not for that to deprive the reſt of the people of vnderſtanding and he that ſtands farre of from him ſaith ſervice ſpeaking in a tongue underſtood, had profited more if he had beene neare: and another time hee may come nearer.
VII. Hee obiects alſo that ſtrangers are preſent in England at the Engliſh ſervice without underſtanding the ſame, whereunto I ſay, that ſuch are ſtrangers preſent at it, it may bee once or twiſe out of curioſitie, and not for devotion, and that if they underſtood the Engliſh, they would profit more by it, and that the French have at London, and other townes the ſervice in French.
VIII. Hee ſaith moreover that in the time of Chriſt Ieſus and of the Apoſtles, the Iewes aſſiſted and were preſent at the ordinarie ſervice, of the Synagogues without underſtanding any thing thereof. Which wee have already ſhewed to be falſe. For then the Hebrew tongue was underſtood generally by the people of Iudea. It fared not ſo with the Iewes which are called Helenists in the 6. of the Acts, who were Iewes tranſported into Aegypt by Ptolomeus Lagus, who alſo were called Babelim, and were diſperſed abroad in very great numbers thorow out all Africa, ſo called, becauſe they were iſſued of the people which had beene tranſported into Babylon, for they there read in Synagogues the Greeke tranſlation of the Septuagints. Whereupon alſo the Apoſtle to the Hebrewes writing to them, alleadgeth to them the Scripture according to their tranſlation. Of theſe Iewes was Philo a Iew of Alexandria, See Scaliger de emendat. Temp. p. 143.A man learned in the Greeke, but ignorant of the Hebrew. For in Alexandria the Greeke tongue was there ſo common, that the Biſhops, as Athanaſius, Cyrill, Theophilus, &c. there preached to the people in Greeke.
IX. It is without reaſon that Du Perron obiecteth unto us the example of the ſacrificing Prieſts of the Law, interceading for the people in the Temple, the whilſt, that the people were without in the Court, and by conſequent could not underſtand that which the Prieſt ſaid. For here the queſtion is of the Prieſt ſpeaking unto God in the Maſſe in the preſence of the people. And withall, the queſtion is of the Maſſe, in the which are read Chapters to the people out of the Scripture, all in a tongue, which the people underſtand not. And indeed there are many Prieſts that underſtand not their Maſſe: to what purpoſe then is it to bring us the example of a ſacrificing Prieſt, who ſpake not to the people, and ſpake not to God before the people, the whilſt that hee was was within in the holy place? And read not to the people any place, nor Chapter of the Law of God? And indeed we finde not in the holy Scripture that the Prieſt ſpake, or pronounced by mouth any prayer whilſt that hee was in the holy place, or whilſt he was in the Sanctuary as he performed the propitiation for the people. I thinke that if this Prieſt comming out of the Temple to the people that waited for his comming forth in the Court, had ſpoken to the congregation in a barbarous and ſtrange tongue, this people would have ſtoned him.
X. Now theſe Gentlemen confeſſe, that by this unknowne tongue the people is deprived of inſtruction and of conſolation, but they ſay that their*Such prayers as they thinke fit for them to underſtand. proneſſe and Sermons ſupply this defect in which they ſet forth that which is ſaid in the Maſſe: Put wee the caſe that it were ſo. For it is a maine abuſe to doe evill, to the end to bring remedies for the ſame: to make wounds, to the end to apply playſters to them. It were better the Prieſt made himſelfe underſtood in the Maſſe, inſteed of making the poore people hope that within ſome yeares they ſhall learne the explication of it in ſome Sermon. But it is moſt falſe, that in their Sermons there is any explication made of the Maſſe, neither in regard of the word, nor of the matters; take me a Peſant, or a Tradeſman, that hath heard Maſſe fiftie yeares, & you ſhal finde him wholy ignorant of that which is ſaid in the Maſſe; are the people made to underſtād in Sermons, why the Prieſt, praying for the dead, ſaith, that hee prayeth for them that ſleepe a peaceable ſleepe? Or why the Prieſt preſenting unto God the conſecrated Hoaſt, which they ſay is the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt, asks of God, that he would ſo accept of that offering, as hee did of Abels ſacrifice, that is to ſay, of a calſe, or of a lambe offered by Abel? Or why the Prieſt beſeecheth God in the Maſſe, that the Angells may take Ieſus Chriſt which is upon the Altar, and carry him up unto the celeſtiall Altar? Or why the Prieſt calls the bodie of Ieſus Chriſt. Theſe gifts, Theſe offerings, which God createth daily and quickneth? Or why the Prieſt in his confiteor, confeſſeth his ſinnes to God, to the holy Virgin Marie, to Michael the Arch-Angel, to Saint Iohn Baptiſt, without ſpeaking of Ieſus Chriſt? Or why in the Maſſe the holy Virgin is preferred before Ieſus Chriſt, in ſaying; communicating, and celebrating in the first place the memorie of the Virgin Marie: notwithſtanding that the ſacred Supper was only inſtituted for a remembrance and commemoration of Chriſt, and to ſhew forth his death.
XI. The Cardinall du Perron findeth that the diſcommoditie which is in the people not underſtanding of the ſervice, bringeth this profit, that the merit of the peoples endeuour, and the exerciſe of their faith is thereby the greater. Hee thinkes that the leſſe knowledge there is, the more merit there is in the faith: and that he that hath leaſt underſtanding, he it is, that hath moſt faith, and that merits moſt. Which is the ſame that Harding aHarding. De precibus peregtina lingua factis. Hic pius animorum affectus tam eſt proculdubio Deo gratus, ut nulla …erborum intelligentia conferri queat.ſaith. That the people indeed underſtand not the Latine of the Maſſe, but that the pious affection which they thither bring, is ſo acceptable to God, that thee underſtanding of the words cannot be compared unto it. By this reaſon there is merit in knowing nothing, and ignorance ſhall be ranked amongſt the bleſſings of God, and to inſtruct a man in the true knowledge of God, it is to diminiſh the merit and the price of his faith. And why not? Seeing that faith conſiſteth in being ignorant, and in not knowing, and is oppoſite to knowledge, as Cardinall Bellarmine hath before told us? Certainely this maxime is a maine prop to uphold the Popes Dominion, and the Authority of the Clergie: ſeeing it teacheth to beleeve without knowledge, and to follow the Pope and his doctrine, with their eyes ſhut, with not ſo much as enquiring at all after the will of God, nor after his Word: which is a light which God offereth us, to the end that we our ſelves might know the right way. Now albeit that remedileſſe ignorance leſſens the fault, yet ſo it is that it is an evill: as being borne blind excuſeth going out of the way. And yet going out of the way is ſtill an evill: But to ſtudie to be ignorant, and to bee afraid to learne, and to be voluntarily blinde, and to thinke that there is merit in voluntarie ignorance, beſides the follie of it, is a ſtiffe and wilfull obſtinacie not to have a will to learne the Will of God: nor can I conceave what that endeavour is, and that great exerciſe of faith, which Du Perron ſaith, is in thoſe, that doe beleeve without underſtanding, ſeeing it is no labour to know nothing, and to will not to learne.
XII. The ſame Prelate inſiſteth ſtrongly upon the danger, it would bee to tranſlate the Liturgie into the Vulgar tongue: ſaying, that the changing though but of one ſole ſillable, yea but of one letter, in the Myſterie of the Church, might bring a change in the faith: Witneſſe the foreign of the Arrians, that the divine ſervice cannot be tranſlated into ſo many tongues without incurring that danger, like as the phraſes of the old French would at this day be ridiculous, as appeareth by the bIn the Confines of Germany & Lorraine, …he language that is not Germane is at this day called Romane.Romanes: and an hundred yeares hence Marots tranſlation of the Pſalmes will be ſottiſh, fond and ridiculous.
If this objection cary any waight with it, it ſhould rather have more force to hinder and debarre the tranſlating of the holy Scriptures into Latine, and into the vulgar tongues, leaſt that ſome depravation in a word, or in a ſillable might alter the doctrine of Salvation. For the Text of the Scripture is of farre more importance, then the Text of the Maſſe, ſeeing that to change but a word in the Scripture is a fault, but the Text of the Maſſe hath received a Thouſand changes and additions, as our Adverſaries themſelves acknowledge. The whilſt that this feare hath not hindered the Ancients to make ſundrie tranſlations of the Scriptures Greeke and Latine: the multitude whereof was ſo diverſe, thatcHieron. praefat. in Euangeliſtas ad Damaſum. Si Latinis exemplaribus fides eſt adhibenda, reſpondeant quibus? tot enim ſunt exemplaria penè, quot codices. Saint Hierome ſaith, there were almoſt as many divers verſions, as there were coppies thereof.dVt ad exemplaria praecedenti… recutratur, ſi quam dubitationē attulerit Latinorum interpretum infinita varietas. And Saint Augustine in his ſecond booke of Chriſtian doctrine, Chapter 11. ſaith, that the multitude of Latine interpreters were in a manner infinite. And our Adverſaries confeſſe that their Latine vulgar Tranſlation is very much different from the Hebrew and Greeke Texts. But they confeſſe not, that this diverſitie hath brought into the Church of Rome any change in the faith, This feare hindred not Saint Hierome to tranſlate the Bible into the Dalmaticke tongue, nor Vlfilas to turne it into the Goticke tongue, nor any Nation to tranſlate it into their owne tongue. And ſo farre was it from all ſuch iſſue, that the vulgar verſions produced any alteration in the faith or in the authoritie of the originall Greeke and Hebrew, that on the contrarie the Churches which have at this day, their ſervice in the vulgar tongue, are they that have reduced, and brought againe the Hebrew and the Greeke tongues, and have brought to light and laid open to the view the Originall Hebrew and Greeke, and have reſtored the tranſlation of the Scripture into its integritie, which the Church of Rome in their tranſlation had deformed and disfigured.
But there is matter of wonder in it,See touching theſe additions Platinae in the life of Sixtus I. and of Innocent III. in 2 lib. of the Maſſe chap. 61. Bellarmin. 2. lib. of the Maſſe, chap. 17. acknowledgeth that five prayers which are in the offertorie of the Maſſe, were not in it five hundred yeares ſince. that Mounſieur Du Perron findeth perrill in the tranſlation of divine ſervice, and finds it not ſtrange that ſo many changes have beene made in the inſtitution of the Lord, and that ſo many new peeces have beene thruſt into the Maſſe, many Popes having therevnto added clauſes: namely Pope Pius the V. all a new cauſed the Maſſe-bookes to be reformed, and raſed out an infinite number of Prayers, and of Proofes, and ſequences which were in the old Maſſe bookes, ſo that the Prieſts found themſelves very much puſſel'd.
But to what purpoſe is it to alleadge inconveniences, for the which (if our Adverſaries be to be beleeved) the remedy is ready at hand: ſeeing they affirme, that the Pope and the Church of Rome cannot erre in the faith? For when the Pope ſhall have examined and approved the Maſſe tranſlated into French, or into any other vulgar, this tranſlation will be well aſſured amongſt our Adverſaries, and there will bee nothing to bee ſpoken againſt his approbation.
As for this that he ſaith of the French termes would become ridiculous at the end of two or three hundred yeares the ſame may be ſaid of the Latine and of the Greeke, and of every other tongue, whence it would follow that the Maſſe ſhould not bee ſaid in Latine, leaſt thorow laps of time the tearmes thereof might become ridiculous. The words which in the forme of divine ſervice, have beene kept become not ridiculous amongſt them that approve this ſervice. In the publicke ſervice of the Romiſh Maſſe there are words truly ridiculous, and which never were other then worthleſſe, as Evovae, Miſerere nobis, & Stabat mater doloroſa, and many the like, which nevertheleſſe in the Church of Rome are not ridiculous, becauſe they are authoriſed by the divine ſervice. And theſe words Alleluja and Oſanna have long ſince ceaſed to be vulgar, and yet for all that are not ridiculous, when they are pronounced, or in reading of the Scripture, or in publicke ſervice.
XIII. Finally, Du Perron objecteth, that if ſervice were not ſaid in Latine, there being no more any common tongue, there could no more any Generall Councills be held: And ſo all meanes would be taken away of deciding points of faith with infallible certaintie, and that the Decrees, and ancient Canons would be aboliſhed. This objection is refuted by experience. For the Greeke Church and the Romane had not in time paſt, nor ever had a common tongue, and yet in the meane while ceaſed they not to celebrate betweene themſelves Councills. There were choſen out of Italie Deputies, which underſtood the Greeke, for then the Latine Church complied with the Greeke; becauſe the Emperours reſided in Greece. By whoſe commandement the Biſhop of Rome ſent his Deputies to the Generall Councills, of which none of them were held in Italie, although the Biſhops of Rome deſired it, and humbly ſued to the Emperours for it. But if for the holding of Councills in the Weſt, it be neceſſarie that the Latine tongue bee common every where. The Vniverſities and Colleges where the Latine are taught every where, ſuffice to preſerve the Latine tongue; although the publicke ſervice were in the vulgar. Witneſſes hereof might be the Countries, whence Papiſtrie is baniſhed, where their youth is carefully inſtructed in the Latine tongue, although their ſervice bee in their vulgar tongues; there alſo the Councills and ancient Canons are carefully preſerved. It is a great fondneſſe to thinke that the barbarous Latine of the Maſſe ſerves unto the preſervation of the Latine tongue: or that the Text of the Maſſe ſerveth for the vnderſtanding of Virgill, or of Titus Livius, or to ſpeake Tullies Latine, and to make one a Ciceronian. Nay in very deed were the Latine of the Maſſe as elegant as it is groſſe and barbarous, yet would it be but a very weake meanes to preſerve the Latine tongue, the Greeke of the Greeke Liturgie, which is pure, hath not hindred that the Greeke tongue was not then corrupted, when the Turkes aboliſhed and bereaved them of their Schooles. And the Liturgie of the Armenians which is in the Armenian tongue, and the liturgie of the Ethiopians, which is in the Ethiopian tongue, have not hindered the corruption of the Ancient Armenian and Ethiopian language.
As for their founding of the Chriſtian faith upon the deciſion of Councills, which are found contrarie one to another, and the new contradicting the ancient: and of whom the Pope alloweth but what makes for himſelfe: oppoſing himſelfe often againſt generall Councills: It is another queſtion, which is not for this place. The cleare paſſages of Scripture and which have no need to be interpreted, are ſufficient unto ſalvation. Whoſoever writeth himſelfe for an infallible iudge of the ſenſe of the Scripture, ſets himſelfe above God. For he makes God ſpeake after his owne will, and may change the Scripture under colour of interpreting it: and hath the open way to build and erect an Empire. And hee ſhould be exempt from all vice, leſt he bring an interpretation unto it, that may ſerve to colour his vices, and to feed his avarice, or to underſhore his Ambition.
Such as theſe are the reaſons of our Adverſaries, which are but ſhifts, and humane reaſons and conſiderations, without, yea againſt the Word of God, and which indeed are refuted by experience, and by common ſenſe.