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THE SECOND PART

OF THE

Book of the Romish Controversy,

CONTAINING

VARIOUS EXTRACTS

FROM THE

FATHERS OF THE SIX FIRST CENTURIES,

WHICH ARE

HOSTILE TO THE DOCTRINES WHICH ARE PROFESSED AT THE PRESENT DAY

BY THE

CHURCH Of Rome.

AUGUSTINE.

Against Latin Prayers.

They ought also to be aware that no voice reaches the ears of God, which is unaccompanied with a feeling of the mind: nevertheless they did not mock, if perchance they perceived some of the governors and ministers of the church invoke God with barbarous solecisms, or in words so unintelligibly pronouced as to be with difficulty made out. These things ought doubtless to be corrected, that the people may say Amen, to what is clearly understood.-Upon the catechizing of the Novices, vol. 1, p. 27.-Benedict. edit. printed at Paris, 1685.

We ought to understand, that we may sing with human reason, not as it were with the voice of birds. For both thrushes and parrots and crows and pies and the like are often taught by men to pronounce what they do not know, but to sing with understanding is granted by the divine will to mankind.-Exposition of the 18th Psalm, vol. 4, p. 82. Edition as above.

The Scriptures sufficient as a Rule of Faith.

The city of God detests doubts as the madness of the academicians; for she believes the sacred Scriptures both the old and the new, which we call canonical, whence our faith itself is derived, whereby the just lives, and by means of which we walk without wavering.On the City of God, book 19, c. 18, vol. 7.-Edition as above.

Whence if concerning Christ or his church, or concerning any other thing which belongs to faith or to our life, I will not say if we, for we are not to be compared with him who said, But if we, and immediately added, or an angel from heaven, declare to you any gospel besides that which ye have received, in the legal and evangelical Scriptures, let him be accursed.-The third book against the Letter of Petitianus, c. 7, tom. 9, p. 302.-Edition as above.

Who is ignorant that the canonical Scripture of the Old and NewTestament is contained within certain limits, and that it is to be preferred to all the subsequent writings of bishops, so that no one can doubt or

AUGUSTINUS.

He was ordained Bishop of Hippo, An. 395. Benedictine edition. Parisiis, 1685.

Noverint etiam non esse vocem ad aures Dei, nisi animi affectum: ita etiam non irridebant, si aliquos antistites et ministros ecclesiæ fortè animadverterint, vel cum barbarismis et solæcismis Deum invocare, vel eadem verba quæ pronuntiant non intelligere, perturbatèque distinguere. Non quia ista minimè corrigenda sunt, ut populus ad id quod planè intelligit, dicat Amen.-De Catechiz. Rudibus, c. 8. tom. 6, p. 27.

Intelligere debemus ut humanâ ratione, non quasi avium voce cantemus. Nam et meruli et psittaci et corvi et picæ et hujusmodi volucres sæpe ab hominibus docentur sonare quod nesciunt. Scienter autem cantare, naturæ hominis divina voluntate concessum est.-In Psalm 18, Enarratio 11, tom. 4, p. 82.

Civitas Dei dubitationem tanquam academicorum dementiam detestatur; credit enim Scripturis sanctis veteribus et novis, quas canonicas appellamus, unde fides ipsa concepta est, ex quâ justus vivit, per quam sine dubitatione ambulamus.-Lib. 19 de Civitate Dei, c. 18, tom. 7.

Proinde sive de Christi, sive de ejus ecclesiâ, sive de quacumque aliâ re quæ pertinet ad fidem vitamque vestram, non dicam nos, nequaquam comparandi ei qui dixit, Licet si nos, sed omninò quod sequitur adjecit, si angelus de cælo vobis annuntiaverit præterquam quod in Scripturis legalibus et evangelicis accepistis, anathema sit.Lib. 3 cont. Lit. Petit. c. 7. tom. 9, p. 302.

Quis nesciat Scripturam canonicam Veteris et Novi Testamenti, certis suis terminis contineri, eumque omnibus posterioribus episcoporum literis esse præponendum, ut de illa omnino dubitari et dis

dispute concerning it, whether whatsoever is written in it be true and right. But it is allowable to reprehend the writings of bishops which have been written after the established canon, or which are written, if they deviate at all from the truth, both by the better opinion of some one more skilled in that matter, and by the more weighty authority and more learned prudence of other bishops, and by councils. And the councils themselves which are held in particular districts or provinces must yield without any scruple to the authority of plenary councils which are collected from the whole Christian world; and these plenary councils themselves may be amended, the former by later councils, when that is opened by experience which was shut, and that is known which was concealed.-On Baptism against the Donatists, book 2, c. 3. (Bened. edit. printed at Paris, 1694.) tom. 20, p. 98.

In the things which are openly set forth in the Scriptures, all those things are to be found which comprise faith and moral conduct. -On Christian Doctrine, book 2, c. 9, vol. 3.

Let us not hear, I say these things, or thou sayest these things, but these things saith the Lord. There are undoubtedly books of the Lord, whose authority we both of us acknowledge, which we mutually believe and obey. There let us seek the church, there let us discuss our cause. Let us lay aside what we respectively bring against each other, not from the divine books, but from other sources.

*

* I will not have the holy church proved by human do cuments, but by the divine oracles. * *.-On the Unity of the Church, c. 3, tom. 9, p. 341. (Edition as above.)

Read these things to us from the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospel itself, and the apostolic writings, read and we will believe. -From the same, c. 6.

He himself testified that this was written in the Law, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms; we have this recommended by his voice. These are the proofs, the foundations, and the supports, of our cause. -From the same, c. 16.

It must be kept in mind that there is a passage in Augustine's writings, wherein he says that he would not believe the Scriptures but for the authority of the Catholic church, or something to that effect. It is constantly quoted by Romanists.

We produce books from our enemies and confound others of our enemies. In what opprobrium therefore are the Jews? The Jew carries the book whence the Christian deduces his faith. These have been made our librarians." The Jews appear from the Holy Scriptures which they carry, as does the face of a blind

The Lord Jesus.

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