Answer to De Meauxs Book, Letter · Part 3
THE SECOND PART OF Monſieur de CONDOM's Diſcourſe EXAMINED.
THUS much I thought fit to ſay in Anſwer to the Firſt part of M. de Condom's Diſcourſe; The Second will not detain us very long. Confer. p. 16.They made me (ſays he) ſome Objections concerning the frequent revolts of the people of Iſrael, who had ſo often forſaken God, the Kings, and all the people, as the Holy Scripture ſpeaks; during which, the publick worſhip was ſo extinct, that Elijah thought himſelf the only ſervant of God, till he learnt from God himſelf, that he had reſerved to himſelf ſeven thouſand men which had not bowed the knee unto Baal. To this I anſwer'd (proceeds he) that for what regarded Elijah, there was no difficulty, ſince 'twas apparent from the very words, that it concern'd only Iſrael, where Elijah propheſied; and that the Divine Worſhip was ſo far from being at that time extinct in Judah, that 'twas there under the reign of Joſaphat in the greateſt luſtre it had been ſince Solomon's time.
I ſhall not ſay here, that the Divine Worſhip under the reign of Joſaphat, was not in ſuch great luſtre neither, but that the Scripture informs us, The high places were not taken away; 1 King. 2…. 43.for the people offered ſtill, and burnt incenſe in the high places, which was a worſhip forbidden by God. But not to inſiſt upon this, I ſay in the firſt place, This inſtance is a very good proof, that the greateſt part of this exteriour Society, profeſſing themſelves to be the people of God, that is, ten tribes out of twelve, were corrupted to that degree, that Elijah complain'd he only was left. Which ſhews, that we muſt not always conclude Truth and Purity to be of that ſide where the number is moſt; nor ſuppoſe it impoſſible, for what we call the Viſible Church, to be corrupted, at leaſt as to the greateſt part of Profeſſors. Secondly, I could heartily have wiſht, that M. de Condom would have reflected a little upon the uſe St. Paul made of this inſtance of Iſrael in Elijah's time; becauſe it is exactly the ſame with what the Proteſtant Miniſters make of it now. It was objected to the Apoſtle, that from his Principles it would follow, that God had caſt away his people, in as much as the whole Body of that people had crucified Jeſus Chriſt, and walked contrary to his new Religion; if therefore he would undertake to maintain his new Religion was the Right, he muſt at the ſame time own, that God had forſaken his Church.Rom 11. 2, 5. No, (ſays he) God hath not caſt away his people, for there is a remnant through the election of Grace; and hereupon he alledges what happened to Iſrael heretofore in Elijah's time, when God reſerved to himſelf Seven thouſand men in ſecret, that had not bowed the knee to Baal. What can be more exactly parallel than the uſe he makes of this paſſage, and that the Proteſtants make? 'Tis objected to us, that from our Principles it follows, God hath caſt away his Church, becauſe the whole Body of that Church condemns our Reformation, and walks contrary to our new Religion.Confer. Page 12. They teach that this viſible exterior Church may ceaſe to be upon Earth, ſays M. de Condom. No ſuch matter, ſay we, God hath not deſerted his Church, there is a remnant according to the Election of Grace, and in proof of this we urge the inſtance of Iſrael heretofore, in Elijah's time. If to charge the Proteſtants with unſincerity for alledging this, were at the ſame time to charge St. Paul. If the exception of Judah, where the worſhip in Elias his time was in great luſtre, were good, and to be admitted againſt us, the ſame was alſo good and to be admitted againſt the Apoſtle. For what do we more than he did? or what do we ſay, but what we have learnt from Him ought to be ſaid in this Caſe? Let St. Paul then acquit himſelf, and he ſhall in doing ſo, acquit us. Now this is done without any difficulty, for he need only Anſwer, that the exception does not make at all againſt him. The buſineſs is to know, which is the true people of God, his true Church which he never forſakes. Now it is plain by God's anſwer to Elijah, that this is not the Croud, the vaſt Number, not the party of greateſt ſtrength, or which makes moſt noiſe in the World, but ſome perſons reſerved, a remnant according to the election of Grace, theſe are his true people, and his true Church. Tho Judah had ſtill maintain'd the Divine Worſhip in its greateſt luſtre, yet does not this detract from the truth of God's declaration made to Elias, viz. that his true people, his true Church conſiſts of this Remnant, or theſe Perſons reſerved. This is all St. Paul deſires; this is likewiſe all the Proteſtants deſire to make of it. Lord, ſays Elijah, they have broken down thine Altars, 1 Kings 19. 14.and ſlain thy Prophets with the ſword, and I only am left. Had God made his Church to conſiſt in an exterior Body of men, who ſhould preſerve his worſhip in a conſtant uninterrupted purity, what could have been more natural than to return this anſwer, Wherefore doſt thou complain, have I not ſtill my Church in Judah? The Cardinal du Perron would have replied exactly thus, and from him it is that M. de Condom hath borrowed this ſhift. Yet God anſwers in a very different manner, he fixes his true Church, not in the exterior Body, but in the Perſons he had reſerved. The Apoſtle takes the advantage of an Argument againſt what the Jews in his time objected, and we in like manner take the ſame advantage againſt what is objected to us now.
Afterward M. de Condom frames to himſelf an Objection drawn from the Diſorders and horrible Corruptions predominant in Judah during the Reign of Ahaz, 2 King. 16. and Ch. 21.who ſhut up the Temple of God, and cauſed Ʋrijah the Prieſt to ſacrifice unto Idols; and afterward under Manaſſeh, whoſe Impieties tranſcended thoſe of Ahaz. To which he anſwers, firſt, That Iſaiah,Confer. Page 16. who lived during all the Reign of Ahaz, for all theſe abominations of the King, of the Prieſt Urijah, and almoſt all the People, never ſeparated from the Communion of Judah; which ſhews, that there is always a People of God, from whoſe Communion 'tis never lawful to ſeparate. Laying aſide, for one minute the buſineſs of Separation, we muſt in the mean time of neceſſity grant, that this exterior Society, called the People of God, were prodigiouſly corrupted in matters of Faith and Worſhip, that their Corruption was publick and general, diffuſed, not among ſome private Perſons only, but through the whole Body of the ordinary Miniſtry. So that the true Church, that to which the Promiſes of God belong, that which muſt not be interrupted, nor totally fail, muſt be acknowledged to conſiſt, not in the whole Body of this exterior Society, but merely in the Body of true Believers, who it is poſſible may ſometimes be reduced to a very inconſiderable number of this Society, and ſcarce make any Figure at all in it. We muſt likewiſe acknowledge it poſſible, for ſuch an univerſal Corruption to happen in this Society, that there ſhall be no longer any thing perfectly ſound and entire in it, that is, nothing in the publick Worſhip without ſome tincture of impurity. For at the ſame time that Ahaz Reigned in Judah, and the Corruption was general there, Pekah was King in Iſreal, 2 Kings 15. 28.who (ſays the Scripture) did evil in the ſight of the Lord, and departed not from the ſins of Jeroboam who made Iſrael to ſin. So that the publick Worſhip was then corrupted every where, as well in Iſrael as Judah. What then became of M. de Condom's exterior Church, which he ſays can never err in her Determinations? Where was then that Church, which does not only maintain ſome truth, but teaches and maintains all truth? Confer. Page 16.Well, but ſtill M. de Condom tells us, Iſaiah never ſeparated from the Communion of this People, no more than did the reſt of the Prophets. Now this very thing ſtrengthens our Argument, and renders it impregnable; becauſe, from hence it neceſſarily follows, that there was not in any place of the World beſides, any publick Worſhip, nor any Exterior Body at all, little or great, that ſerved God in perfect Purity. So that we muſt inevitably allow one of theſe two things; Either that the Church was at that time utterly extinct, or that it was preſerved in this Remnant, which we ſee God ſpoke of to Elijah. The firſt of theſe deſtroys the Promiſes of God; the ſecond eſtabliſhes our Opinion, and quite overthrows that of the Romaniſts.
Let us now examine how Iſaiah and the other Prophets, not ſeparating from the Body of the People, is to be underſtood. Can we ſuppoſe them to have been partakers of the Wickedneſſes that then prevailed in the publick Worſhip?Confer. Page 17. By no means. Theſe Prophets, M. de Condom ſays, reprehended and deteſted the impieties of the People, but ſeparated not from the Communion. The meaning of which is, that they ſeparated negatively, tho not poſitively; they refuſed to partake of the Impieties in the publick Worſhip; but they did not ſet up another ſort of publick Worſhip diſtinct by themſelves: I grant it. But then we muſt alſo grant, that when the Worſhip is corrupted, the Church may ſubſiſt by means of ſuch a Negative Separation, and that this is ſufficient for its preſervation. Now this is exactly what we are of Opinion was done, during the Corruptions of the Latin Miniſtry all along before the Reformation. But ſtill it may be ſaid, Theſe Prophets never proceeded ſo far as a poſitive Separation, and you have. I anſwer, The Reaſon they never ſeparated poſitively, was peculiar to themſelves, as M. de Condom himſelf acknowledges, to wit, that over and above the real and ſpiritual Covenant, God had entred into with ſuch as were true Believers among that People; there was beſides another Exterior and Temporal one, in which the whole Nation were concern'd, founded upon their being the Blood and Progeny of Abraham, and all bearing about them the Mark of this Covenant (to wit, Circumciſion) in their Fleſh; ſo that the true Believers were obliged upon this account to continue in Communion with the People, and could not ſeparate from them poſitively, by reaſon of that common Covenant which they might not break. But the caſe is otherwiſe with the Chriſtian Church, which hath but one Covenant with God, and that a real and ſpiritual one, of true Faith, and ſincere Regeneration; when, therefore we can no longer maintain this Covenant, by living amongſt a People, and under a Miniſtry which is become contrary thereto, there lies a neceſſity upon us of ſeparating by a poſitive Separation.
And yet M. de Condom pretends to make ſome advantage of this very thing. Confer. Page 17.He ſays, The Succeſſion of that Ancient People was kept up by carnal Generation,—and ſo, tho the Prieſts, and almoſt all the People ſhould have prevaricated, the State of Gods People ſubſiſted always in an exterior Form, whether they would or no.—But 'tis not ſo with the new People, whoſe exterior Form conſiſts in nothing but the Profeſſion of Jeſus Chriſt's Doctrine: So that if the Confeſſion of the true Faith ſhould be extinct for one only moment, the Church, which has no Succeſſion but by the Continuance of this Profeſſion, would be wholly extinct, without any poſſibility of ever riſing again, either in its People or Paſtors, but by a new Miſſion.
I confeſs, That carnal Generation was in that Ancient People, enough to keep up their Succeſſion in Quality of Gods People, with Relation to that temporal Covenant common to them all. Tho it be true too, that this Quality was but very imperfectly diſcerned in times of general Prevarications; becauſe, if they were then Gods temporal People, they were a vicious and prevaricating People. But, I ſay, that carnal Generation was not enough to maintain among them a Succeſſion, with reſpect to the ſpiritual Covenant; becauſe the Succeſſion here, could be preſerved no other way, but by a Participation of the ſame Faith, and the ſame Charity. Now the Covenant in which the new People live, is not any longer a carnal one, but purely and ſolely Spiritual; and conſequently, the Succeſſion in it, can only conſiſt in this perpetual Participation of one and the ſame Faith, and one and the ſame Charity. In this particular, the Condition of both old and new People are alike. As therefore in that Ancient People, there did ſtill continue a Succeſſion of Faith and Charity, tho the publick Worſhip and ordinary Miniſtry were full of ſtrange Corruptions; in like manner hath ſuch a Succeſſion always continued in the new, even in the midſt of all Corruptions. God had then his methods of teaching the reſerved, and keeping them from partaking in the publick Prevarications; the ſame he hath ſtill, and uſeth to the ſame purpoſe, altho the Miniſtry and publick Worſhip have not preſerved their Purity. I confeſs, ſhould a full and perfect deſertion of Chriſtianity ever have happened throughout all the Chriſtian World, and not one true Believer be left upon the face of the Earth, a man might ſay, the Church had been utterly extinct. But bleſſed be God, it never came to that. We acknowledg that God hath all along preſerved his Remnant, according to the Election of Grace. We acknowledg too, that the publick Miniſtry was never ſo totally corrupted, but ſtill all that was neceſſary for the Inſtruction of Believers, was ſo far kept up, that the ſpiritual Succeſſion was always preſerved intire, by receiving from the Miniſters hands nouriſhment ſufficient unto ſpiritual Life on the one hand, and caſting away all the evil and impure Mixtures of the Miniſtry on the other hand; and this is that negative Separation we ſpoke of before. The exterior Form of Jeſus Chriſts true Church, does not ſo abſolutely conſiſt in the Miniſtries making profeſſion of Faith pure, and void of Error, that it cannot otherwiſe ſubſiſt any longer. I confeſs, when this is done, the Church is in a happy Condition, and (if I may ſo ſay) a Condition of Health. But when this is not done, the exterior Form does not preſently periſh upon that account, becauſe this conſiſts in our being able to ſay, That is the Body where God nouriſhes and cheriſhes his true Believers, as I have already ſhewn when treating of my ſecond queſtion. Could we no longer ſay thus, the Church would have loſt its external Form, and its Succeſſion have ceaſed to be viſible. But this might at all times be ſaid, even when the Miniſtry and publick Worſhip was moſt corrupted, and ſo the Churches viſible Succeſſion was never quite loſt. It hath indeed been mightily leſſened and obſcured, in Proportion to the Errors that prevailed in the Miniſtry; and this was the Churches Condition of Miſery, it's ſick and languiſhing Condition, which nevertheleſs went not ſo far, as to hinder this Succeſſion.
M.Confer. Page 17. de Condom goes on. I will not ſay the true Faith, and true Worſhip of God, could be wholly aboliſht in the People of Iſrael, ſo as that God had no more any true Servants on Earth. But I find on the contrary, 'tis clear, that maugre the Corruption, God ſtill reſerved to himſelf a ſufficient number of Servants, who participated not in the Idolarty. Herein we agree; for neither do we ſay, That the true Faith, and true Worſhip could ever have been wholly aboliſht among Chriſtians; but on the contrary, that maugre the Corruption, God hath always reſerved to himſelf a ſufficient number of Servants, who have not participated in the Prevarications of the reſt. So far the caſe is the ſame. 'Tis not to be imagined, proceeds he, that Gods Servants, and the true Faith, were preſerved only in ſecret; but that in all the Succeſſion of the Ancient People,Confer. Page 17, 18. the true Doctrine always ſhone forth. For there was a continual Succeſſion of Prophets, who inſtead of adhering to the Peoples Errors, or diſſembling them, roſe up againſt them with force; and this Succeſſion was ſo conſtant,2 Chron. 36. 15. that the Holy Ghoſt fears not to ſay, That God roſe up Night and Morning,Jer. 11. 7. xxv. 3, 4. and daily admoniſht the People by the Mouth of his Prophets.
M. de Condom muſt give us leave to make ſome Obſervations upon this Paſſage. The firſt of which is, that in the Corruptions of Iſrael heretofore, when the publick Worſhip, and ordinary Miniſtry, ſuffered ſuch Depravation, there was not any where in the World another publick Worſhip, or another Miniſtry, that was preſerved in Purity and Perfection: So that if men muſt needs have lookt for the Church in the Body of the Peoples living under their ordinary Paſtors, and in the publick worſhip (as he is of opinion we now muſt under the Goſpel) there could not have been any longer a Church upon Earth; becauſe his own Principle maintains that,Confer. Page 12. if this viſible and exteriour Church compoſed of Paſtors and People, do not keep and teach all truth, (that is, if She teach any thing that is falſe) She is not the Church.
I obſerve, ſecondly, That in the very ſame place, where God is ſaid to riſe up Night and Morning, and daily admoniſh the People by the Mouth of his Prophets; it is alſo ſaid, That all the chief of the Prieſts, and the People treſpaſſed wonderfully, 2 Chron. 36. 14, 16.according to all the Abominations of the Heathen, and polluted the Houſe of the Lord, which he had ſanctified in Jeruſalem. It is ſaid further too, That they mocked the Meſſengers of God, and deſpiſed his Words, and miſuſed his Prophets. Which ſhews that both People and Prieſts were generally corrupted, and the Church reduced to a Remnant. I confeſs, ſome certain Perſons of this Remnant did not keep ſilence; but inſtead of adhering to, or diſſembling the Peoples Errors, oppoſed them ſtrongly. But beſides, that a great many more, no queſtion, ſighed in ſecret for theſe things; it is manifeſt, that this Remnant did not make a ſeparate Body by themſelves, nor exerciſe any publick Worſhip different from the reſt. And conſequently the Churches viſibility, tho not wholly extinct, yet was mightily darkned and diminiſhed, and that is all we would infer from hence.
My third Obſervation is, That there was indeed, in that Ancient People, a continued Succeſſion of Prophets; and as M. de Condom ſays, a Prophetical Miniſtry ordinary with the People, Confer. Page 19.where the Prophets made an Order always ſubſiſting, whence God continually drew Divine Men, by whoſe Mouth he ſpake loudly and publickly to all his People. But then we muſt ſay withal, that the Body of this Order of Prophets were every whit as corrupt, as the Prieſts and People. This cannot be denied, for the Scripture affirms it expreſly.Jer. 2. 8. The Prieſts ſaid not, where is the Lord; and they that ſhould Miniſter the Law knew me not; the Paſtors alſo offended againſt me, and the Prophets propheſied in Baal.Jer. 5. 8. The Prophets proheſie lies, and the Prieſts bear rule by their means, and my People love to have it ſo. I have heard what the Prophets ſaid, Jer. 23. 25, 26, 27.that Propheſie lies in my Name, ſaying, I have dreamed. How long ſhall this be in the hearts of the Prophets, that Propheſie lies? Yea, they are Prophets of the deceit of their own heart. Which think to cauſe my People to forget my Name by their Dreams, which they tell every Man to his Neighbour, as their Fathers have forgotten my Name for Baal. And a vaſt number of Paſſages to the like purpoſe. So that we cannot ſay, there was at that time any viſible Body that oppoſed the Corruptions, or maintained the Worſhip of God in its genuine Purity. The Prophets, by whom God ſpoke ſo loudly and publickly, were only lookt upon as private Perſons, of an Opinion different from the generality of the Society. And therefore, how loudly and publickly ſoever they ſpoke, if in order to the conſtituting a Viſible Church, it be neceſſary to find a Body or Society of Men, making Profeſſion of pure Doctrine, M. de Condom muſt acknowledg, that there was not then any Viſible Church in the World.
And now, Sir, give me leave, I beſeech you, to ask, with what pretence to Reaſon men can ſtill cavil at this inſtance of the Corruptions in Iſrael heretofore, and not own it for a ſenſible Proof, that confirms moſt of the Truths eſtabliſhed in the former part of this Letter. In it you ſee the ſeveral Bodies that made up the ordinary Miniſtry, all of them enſnared in Idolatry, and falſe Worſhip. In it you ſee the whole Body of the People blindly following the exorbitancies of their Guides. In it you ſee the true Church of God ſubſiſting, not in an exterior Society, enjoying its Miniſters, Aſſemblies, and publick Worſhip peculiar to its ſelf; but in ſome reſerved Perſons, that ſtill maintained their Integrity in the midſt of all theſe Confuſions. In it you ſee God himſelf, and after him, St. Paul, making his true People to conſiſt in theſe Perſons ſo reſerved. All this proves, and proclaims to the World, That the true Church conſiſts of true Believers only; That this Church is not otherwiſe viſible, but as mixt with wicked Men and Reprobates; That this mixture does ſometimes ſo obſcure it, that it is very difficult to come to a knowledg of it; That it does nevertheleſs ſtill ſubſiſt even in that ſtate of obſcurity; And, that in theſe true Believers, and Perſons whom God has reſerved, he does fulfil the Promiſes of Perpetuity made to the Church.
I cloſe this Letter with ſincere Proteſtations, That it is much to my diſſatisfaction, that I find my ſelf obliged to put Pen to paper, in a Diſpute againſt M. de Condom. I have all along had, and ever ſhall have, not only all the Reſpect for him, which is due to his Quality and Station; but more eſpecially, I eſteem his Virtue ſo univerſally acknowedged, and admire his Perfections, and the excellent Gifts God hath imparted to him, as they really deſerve. In our Conference, I obſerved in him, a Wit lively and piercing, a clear Apprehenſion, a proper and eaſy way of Expreſſion; and eſpecially, an extraordinary Candour and Civility of Behaviour. He maintain'd his Principles with all the ſtrength and advantage imaginable, made them look as fair and ſpecious, as it was poſſible for any man, and managed them with abundance of Skill and Addreſs. In a word, I was ſtrangely taken with the Accompliſhments of his Perſon, and did often feel ſuch kind Inclinations and Wiſhes, as Men ſhould do upon ſuch Occaſions. My Sentiments of Honour and Reſpect for him are ſincere, but the more they are ſo, the more frequent I muſt complain of one thing, inſerted by him in his Diſcourſe with Mademoiſelle de Duras, Confer. Page 15.and that is, That in our Religion we believe, there is a point of time when a Chriſtian is obliged to doubt whether the Scripture was inſpired by God, whether the Goſpel is a Truth, or a Fable; whether Jeſus Chriſt was a Deceiver, or a Teacher of the Truth. This Diſcourſe, I confeſs, was by no means agreeable to the Character of his Temper; and I was amazed to find that a Prelate, who deſires to be thought a man of Equity towards us, could entertain ſuch an Opinion of us. In which of our Books hath he met with ſuch an abominable Doctrine? I know indeed, this is a conſequence he pretends to deduce from our Principles; but I ſhall venture to ſay, His conſequence can never be made out with ſuch evidence, as may allow him peremtorily to affirm, without any other warrant for it, That in our Religion we believe there is a point of time when a Chriſtian is obliged to doubt whether the Scripture was inſpired by God; whether the Goſpel is a Truth, or a Fable; whether Jeſus Chriſt was a Deceiver, or a Teacher of the Truth.
When he ſhall think fit to conſult us upon this Point, we ſhall declare to him with one Conſent, that we do not only not believe this Propoſition, but that we have a perfect Abhorrence of it; and whenever he ſhall pleaſe to let us know how he underſtands this to be deduced from our Principles, we ſhall make it appear to him, that he is under a great miſtake, and that the quite contrary muſt be inferred from them.
I am, Sir, &c.
FINIS.