The By-Way, Treatise · Section 12
SECT. XII. Saint Austen in particular is much diſparaged by the Romaniſts, and for inſtance in many ſeuerall poynts of moment, wherein he profeſſedly concurreth with vsus, is expreſly reiected by them.
TOrrenſis the Ieſuite hath abbreuiated all St. Austens workes, and publiſhed them in honour of his Church, by the name of Augustiniana Confeſsio, Austens Confeſsion. Brerely the Prieſt hath contracted his doctrine into a leſſer modell, and more particularly applyed it to the Roman faith, by the name of Saint Auſtens Religion, as if Saint Auſten and the Romaniſts did profeſſe one and the ſame Religion, & made one and the ſame confeſſion of their faith. To ſay little of their great brags of this holy Father, I will giuegive you but one inſtance, and ſo deſcend into particulars,Is Author eſt Auguſtinus, vt eius ſententia ſi vel nulla ſcriptura, nulla ratione, nullis aliis authoribus probaretur ſola perſonae reuerentia ſatis magna authoritatem meretur. Mal. in Ioh. 6. num. 68. Maldonat the Ieſuite tels vsus, that Saint Auſten is an Author of that eſteeme, that his opinion, were it neither proued by …cripture, nor reaſon, nor any other Author, yet the ſole reuerence of his perſon deſerues ſufficient authoritie of it ſelfe. Here is an ample teſtimony touching the great light of the weſterne Church: but look we backe to the Ieſuits proceeding, in that very Tract vponupon the ſame Chap. within ſix foregoing Verſes of the ſame Text, (where he giues this free & full approbation of this learned Father) and finding that S. Auſtens Expoſition of an other Scripture did diſagree from the Romane Church,Non nego me huim interpretationis authorem neminē habere, ſed hanc eò magis probo quā illā alterā Auguſtini, caetera…ūalioqui probatiſsimam, quòd haec cū Caluiniſtarum ſenſu magis pugnat. Mald. in Ioh. 6 n 62. and accord wholly with the Proteſtant faith, inſtantly, as it were with the ſame breath, cryes out againſt him: I confeſſe, I hauehave no author for my Expoſition, but I rather allow it, then that of Auſtens, (although his of the reſt be moſt probable) becauſe this of mine doeth more croſſe the ſenſe of the Caluiniſts. I will deſcend into particulars, and notwithſtanding our aduerſaries great brags of St. Auſten, I will giuegive you inſtances in many principal poynts of doctrine, wherein they plainely intimate by their owne confeſſions he is wholly ours.
1. Touching the proofe of Purgatory: whereas Saint Paul ſaith,1 Cor. 3. The fire ſhall trie eueryevery mans worke of what ſort it is; for the day ſhall declare it. Aug. de fide & oper. c. 16St. Austen (interprets) by this fire is meant the fire of tribulation in this world: Bell de Pur. lib. 1. cap. 5.but this opinion of his we hauehave reiected, ſaith Bellarmine.
2. Saint Auſten ſaith, When Peter receiued the keyes, hee repreſented the holy Church: § Quarto. Aug. Tract. in Ioh. 50.and therefore the power of the keyes was not giuen to Peter onelyonly. Albertus Pigghius is a witneſſe againſt him, that hee is the onelyonly man, De Auguſtino poſſem dicere quod vnus homo fuerit hâc in re, nec firmitèr ſecum nec cū aliis conſentiens Hier. Eccles lib 6 cap. 4.who in this poynt neither agreeth conſtantly with himſelfe, nor with others.
3. Saint Auſten ſaith, by the daily ſacrifice ſpoken of in the Prophet Malachie, is meant the prayers and praiſes of Saints. Azorius makes anſwere:Aug. lib. 2 contr lit. cap …6. Reliquum veterū Patrū coetum atponimꝰ et Concil. Tridentini teſtimonium Azor. Inſtit Moral. part. 1. l. …0 c. 11. Aug contr. Adim. c. 12. Iewel. Art. 12 pa 346. Wee oppoſe against him the generall conſent of other Fathers, and the teſtimonie of the Councell of Trent.
4. St. Auſten ſaith, Chriſt ſpake theſe words, This is my body, when hee gaue a ſigne of his body. Maſter Hardin makes anſwere, that St. Auſten fighting againſt the M…nichees, oftentimes vſeth not his owne ſenſe and meaning, but thoſe things which by ſome means, howſoeuer it were, might ſeeme to giuegive him aduantage againſt them, ſo as he might put them to the worst.
5. St. Austen ſaith, Thoſe words of Saint Luke, Auguſt de Conſenſ. Evang. lib. 3. cap. 1.I will not hencefoorth drinke of the fruit of the Vine, are to be vnderstood of the Sacramentall Cup, and conſequently the fruit of the vine, was wine in ſubſtance after conſecration.Dico Auguſtinum non expendiſſe hunc locum diligenter. Bellar. de E…ch. li. 1. cap 11. Bellarmine is a witneſſe againſt him, that hee did not well conſider of that text, which appeares by this, that hee paſſed it ouer lightly.
6. Saint Austen ſaith, The Iſraelites eate of the ſame ſpirituall meate, Aug in Ioh. Tract. 26.but not the ſame corporall which wee eate: for they eate Manna, wee an other meat, but both the ſame ſpirituall meat. Maldonat confeſſeth, this is the doctrine of the Caluiniſts:Hoc dicoperſua um me habere… D. Auguſtinū ſi noſtrâ fuiſſet aetate longè alitèr cenſurum. M…ld. in Ioh. 6. n. 50. but (ſaith he) I am verily perſwaded, that if Auſten had been liuing in theſe dayes, and had ſeene the Calutniſts ſo interpret Saint Paul, he would hauehave beene of an other mind, eſpecially being ſuch an vtter enemy to heretikes.
7. Saint Austen ſaith,Sine fide etiā quae vidētur bona opera in peccata vertuntur. Aug. contr. duas Ep. Pelag. ad Bonif l. 3. c. 5. Non ſequē da illa opinio quam Tridentinū Concilium nuper merito damnauit (omnia infidelium opera eſſe peccata) quāuis maximū authorem Diuū Auguſtinū habuiſſe videatur. Mald. Com. in Math. 7.18. The workes which are done without faith, though they ſeeme good, are turned into ſinne. Maldonat anſwers: Wee may not defend that opinion which the Councell of Trent did of late iustly condemne, although the great Father S. Auſten ſeeme to be of that opinion.
8. Saint Austen ſaith: He crowneth thee, Coronat te quia dona ſua coronat, non merita tua. Aug. in Pſal. 10…. Biſh in his Refor. of a Cathol. deformed.becauſe he crowneth his owne gifts, not thy merits. M. Biſhop proteſteth, that Saint Auſten was too wiſe to let any ſuch fooliſh ſentence to paſſe his pen.
9. Saint Austen ſaith: I know certaine worſhippers of Tombes and Pictures, Auguſt. de Mor. Eccleſ. li. 1. c. 34. Bell. de Imag. c. 16.whom the Church condemneth. Bellarmine anſwers: This booke was written in the beginning of his first conuerſion to the Catholike Faith.Aug. de corrept & gra. cap 1. D. Auguſtinus dū toto ſpiritus ac verborū ardore pro defenſione diuinae gratiae pugnat aduerſus Pelagianos liberū arbitriū cū iniuria diuinae gratiae ex…ollē tes in alterā quaſi foueam dela…s vtdetur, minuſ que interdum iribuere quam par ſit liberae hominis vol…tati. Sixt. Sene…. in Bib. ſanct. l. 5 in Prefat. Nos nō moueat Auguſtinus vel tantillum, &c. Epiſc. Bitont. comment in Ep. ad Rom. ca. 5. p. 270.
10. Saint Austen ſaith, In doing good none can bee free in will and act, vnleſſe hee be free by him that ſaid: If the Sonne free you, you are truely freed. Sixtus Senenſis ſaith: Whilſt Saint Auſten doth contend earneſtly against the Pelagians, for the defence of diuine Grace, hee doth ſeeme to fall into an other pit, and ſometimes attribute too little to Freewill: But ſaith the Biſhop of Bitonto: Let not Saint Auſten mooue vsus at all: for it is proper ana peculiar to him, that when he oppoſetth any errour, hee doeth it with that vehemencie, that hee ſeemes to fauour an other errour: euen ſo, when hee proſecutes Arrius, hee ſeemes to fauour Sabellius; when Sabellius, Arrius; when Pelagius, the Maniches; when the Maniches, Pelagius: and this is very conſiderable, and ought eſpecially to be noted in him.
Laſtly, Saint Austen (vponupon the words of Chriſt) ſaith, Thou art Peter, Auguſt de verb. Dom. Serm. 13.and vponupon this Rocke which thou hast confeſſed, vponupon this Rock which thou haſt knowne, ſaying, Thou art Chriſt, the Son of the liuing God, will I build my Church— for the Rocke was Christ. Stapl. princip. doct. lib. 6. c. 3.Stapleton anſwers: It was lapſus humanus, an humane errour, cauſed by the diuerſitie of the Greek and Latin tongue, which either hee was ignorant of, or marked not. Bell. li 1. de Pont. ca. 10.Bellarmine replies: Saint Auſten was deceiued by the ignorance onelyonly of the Hebrew tongue. But Albertus Pigghius concludes with a witnes againſt him:Nuſquam hanet, nuſquam figit, ſed vbi que explorat, vbi que tentat, et ſuberatur omnia, et quicquid probabile occcurrit alicubi amplectitur, qd cōtinuò poſt diſplicet & retractatur —Ocioſe ſecum inquirētu et tentātis omnia Alb. Piggh. Hier. Eccleſ. lib. 3. c. 5. Nuſquam haeret, nuſquam figit. He neuer reſolues certainly vponupon any thing, but (as if he were idle-headed, giuen to crotchets) hee fetcheth about this way, and that way, and at length lighting vponupon ſome probabilitie, layeth hold on it, and then diſlikes it, and preſently retracts it.
Thus, if wee may credit their beſt learned Romaniſts, St. Auſten did not agree conſtantly with himſelfe, nor others: his doctrine is oppoſed by the conſent of Fathers in the Trent Councell: hee vſed not his owne meaning in fighting againſt heretiques: If hee had been liuing in theſe dayes, he would hauehave been of an other mind: He is inconſtant, and fixeth in certaine vponupon nothing, but as an idle-headed man; full of crotchets, one while hee reſolues, an other while he retracts it.
You hauehave heard Saint Auſtens confeſſion, and our aduerſaries ſolution, touching the chiefe poynts in queſtion betwixt vsus; wherby as yet I ſee no cauſe why the Romaniſts ſhould brag of the ancient Fathers in generall, nor of St. Auſten in particular.
I proceed in the next place to examine the faith of Auſten the Monke, that it may appeare, whether that doctrine, which hee publiſhed heere in England, aboue a thouſand yeeres ſince, bee conſonant to our Religion, or the doctrine of the Roman Church.