Clergy If not they are guilty of the losse of their owne soules for venturing so rashly being forewarned to â—ommit so many and so great sacrileges against God and his holy Sacraments 22 But as to the impossibility of forging so many Registers in case there be so many it is easily answered â—hat it is no more then that the Consecrator and other persons concerned should have conspired to give in a falâ—e Certificat that the Consecration was performed with all due ceremonies and rites and thereby deceive the Courts or make them dissemble and this is a thing moâ—e possible and probable then that all the Protestant Clergy should have conspired not to produce the said Registers when they were so hardly prest by their adversaâ—ies Or that so many Catholicks should have beene so â—oolish to invent and maintaine the story of the Nagsâ—ead in such time when if it had beene false they might â—ave beene convinced by thousand witnesses Or that so many grave and learned Divines who for conscience sake â—eft all should without feare of damnation ingage themselves and posterity in damnable sacaileges by occasioning so many sacrilegious reordinations upon their charâ— ging Protestants with no Ordination no moderate anâ— prudent man can suspect that such persons should damnâ— their soules out of meere spight against the Church oâ— England If we Catholicks did reordaine the Protestant Ministers upon title of their heresie and not of theiâ— knowne invalidity we should also reordaine the Greciaâ— Priests which is notoriously against our practise and Tenets in so much that we hold our selves obliged to examine with all diligence whether there be any probability of the person having received valid orders and finding but any probable appearance thereof the practise is and hath beene for diverse ages to give orders not absolutely but conditionally whereas it is notorious that all our English Ministers who after their conversion have beene made Priests received their Orders in absolute termes without any condition adjoyned in the same manner which wâ— use in ordaining meere laymen 23 Let us go one step further with our Protestant Clergy and suppose that their first Bishops were ordained by Catholicks we reserve yet another nullitie in store foâ— their consecration And to wave many doubts that mighâ— be moved concerning the matter of their Ordination wâ— will onely speake of the forme or words prescribed in the Protestant Rituall It is a knowne principle common to both Protestants and Catholicks that in the forme of Ordination there must be some word expressing the authority and power given to the person ordained the intention of the Ordainer expressed by generall words indisserent and appliable to all or divers degrees of holy Orders is not sufficient to make one a Priest or a Bishopâ— As for example Receive the holy Ghost these words being indifferent to Priesthood and Episcopacy and used iâ— both Ordinations are not sufficiently expressive of eitheâ— in particular unlesse Protestants will now at length professe themselves Presbyterians making no distinction betweene Priests and Bishops but they are as farre from that as we Catholicks In the words or forme wherebâ— Protestants ordaine Bishops there is not one word expressing Episcopall power and authority The forme 〈◊〉 this Take the holy Ghost and remember that thou stirre 〈◊〉 the grace of God which is in thee by impositions of hands foâ— God hath not given us the spirit of feare but of power and loâ—e and sobernesse The grace of God is given by imposiâ—on of hands in all holy Orders as also the spirit of â—ower love and sobernesse There is not one word in â—his forme expressing the difference and power of Episcoâ—acy Let Protestants search all Catholick Rituals not â—nely of the West but of the East they will not finde â—ny one forme of consecrating Bishops that hath not the â—ord Bishop in it or some others expressing the particuar authority and power of a Bishop distinct from all oâ—her degrees of holy Orders See Ioannes Morinus in his â—earned Commentaries De sacris Ecclesiae Ordinibus printed â—t Paris an 1655 who sets downe the ancient formes both â—n Greeke and Latin as well of Priesthood as of Episcoâ—acy 24 The forme or words whereby men are made Priests must expresse authority and power to consecrate or make present Christs Body and Bloud whether with or without Transubstantiation is not our present Conâ—roversy with Protestants but onely whether their forme hath words expressing authority and power to make Christs Body truly present See the forme of Priesthood used by the English Clergy set downe by me in the first Chap. num 10. and you will not finde one word expressing this power and authority Receive the holy Ghost doth not involve it because it s used in the consecration of Bishops who would be recordained Priests when they receive Episcopall Order if the said words include power â—o consecrate Christs Body To dispense or minister the Sacraments come farre short of the power and authority of consecrating the elements or making present Christs Body Deacons did minister and dispense the Body of Christ to the people in ancient times but were never â—houht to have power and authority of consecrating The power of remitting sinnes doth not include power to consecrate or make present the Body and Bloud of Christ for every layman hath power to remit sinnes by baptizing and no layman hath power to consecrate or make present Christs Body Therefore words giving power to remit sinnes doth not include power to consecrate all Sacraments ordained for remission of sinnes as some Protestants endeavour to make the ignorant believe In all formes of ordaining Priests that ever were used in the Easterne or Westerne Church is expresly set downe the word Priest or some other words expressing the particular and proper function and authority of Priesthood If any States or Countrey should say We choose such a person to be King in the word King is sufficiently expressed all Kingly power and authority Therefore the Grecians using the word Priest or Bishop in their formes do sufficiently expresse the respective power of every Order 25 The true reason why the English forme of making Priests and Bishops is so notoriously deficient and invalid is because it was made in King Edward the VI. his time when Zuinglianisme and Puritans did prevaile in the English Church the reall presence was not believed by them of the Clergy who bore sway therefore they did not put in the forme of Priesthood any word expressing authority and power to make Christs Body present They held Episcopacy and Priesthood to be one and the same thing therefore in the forme of making Bishops they put not one word epressing Episcopall function onely some generall termes that might seeme sufficient to give them authority to enjoy the temporalities and Bishopricks This is also the true reason why Parker and his Collegues were content with the Nags-head consecration and why others recurred to extraordinary vocation in Queene Elizabeths time
A TREATISE OF THE NATVRE OF CATHOLICK FAITH AND HERESIE WITH Reflexion upon the Nullitie of the English Protestant Church and Clergy By N. N. Printed at ROÃœEN in the yeare 1657. Permissu Superiorum THE PREFACE TO THE READER IF Heresie could have been brought to a stand in its owne opinions it would long since have been sunke in the opinion of all but finding it selfe upon quick sand it is forced to change footing and not to stay long upon the same ground for fear of sinking under ground and falling from its present state of improbabilitie to its ancient state of invisibilitie And albeit by this often shifting it appeares to be brought to desperate shifts yet is it content rather to appeare any thing then utterly disappeare into its owne nothing A Cheate must often change his disguise a Mountebank his market a Sophister his Medium and an Army of defeated disordered Troopes can not long with securitie keepe the same place and posture It is not so hard to rout them as to find them out so unarmed unfortified so disbanded and scattered they are for want of a Commander in chiefe that they are no sooner in sight then put to flight and forced to retreate to some new passage of lesse perill First Scripture alone was thought a sufficient defence but finding it failed them they found it necessary to change and even cut off some parts of this fortification which were of advantage to their enemies After an outwork of Tradition was judged expedient for more securitie although in effect nothing proves of more danger unto them Bishops and Priests formerly cast out as of more expences then profit were soone called back and desired to appeare armed with true Orders received not by extraordinary vocation but by legall succession Faith alone was thought armour of proofe before they had found by experience the need of good workes The Church which in the beginning they gave out for lost and utterly perished for many ages they came at length to seeke out with more solicitude then successe being resolved not to find it in that place in which alone it is to be found and now they seeme willing to open the doores of the Church to all Christians that they in the croud may get in with the rest The pretended clearnesse of Scripture in it selfe or at least as subsigned with the testimony of the private spirit made the definitions of Councells seeme of no use now upon better consideration foreseeing the prejudice they doe to their cause by appealing from the verdict of all Councells in generall they thinke expedient to admit of some in particular but namely such as treated of matters not apertaining to our present controversies by which evasion they engage themselves in greater difficulties then those they pretended to avoyde for no just exception was or can be alleadged against the Councell of Lateran deciding the question of Transubstantiation which may not be urged against those Councells which obliged all Christians to believe the mysteries of the Trinity and Incarnation They have been so beaten from place to place and so battered and broken in every place they undertooke to maintaine that divers of the best understanding and least passion would be glad to capitulate and come to an accommodation with us as farre as it may stand with their honour and interest They are content to wave that maine article of the Popes Antichristian tyranny and yeeld him a preeminencie in stead of a supremacie The respect we give Images most will free from the sinne and many from the danger of Idolatrie so it may be left as a matter of superfluitie in which rank they will place our prayers to Saints without imputing hereafter unto us any injury done to Christs mercies or merits Upon the score of Tradition they will graunt us prayer for the dead provided we leave it to their private intention whether it be to diminish their paines or increase their glory As to the reall presence so much excepted against by their Predecessors they refuse not to accept of upon condition they may shape Christs power and words to the narrow model of their own senses and be exempted from the labour of searching so farre into Metaphysick a science not sutable to the grosser heresies of this age as to finde a distinction betwixt the appearance and substance of bread Notwithstanding their want of speculation in the Theoriques they might in this mystery as well as in that of the Trinitie have learned this practicall morall Lesson that Reason is never more reasonable then when it leaves reasoning in things above reason Auricular Confession heretofore traduced for a torture of Consciences and Tyranny of the Clergy many confesse to be of good use but few of necessity and none can be brought to descend to particulars for want of humility in themselves and for want of secrecy in their Ministers Reason of state will make them subscribe to the article of Bishops that the Prince may have so many Peeres of his owne creation and at his owne devotion and a chaine of consequence drawes after them Priests and Deacons for to say the truth their winking so long at the cleare signes of their Bishops invalid Ordination is a shrewd signe of their looking more upon their Votes in Parliament then their functions in the Church They are willing to fall thus farre and yet further from their ancient Tenets with hopes to be admitted as part of our Church and cleared of the reproachfull name of Hereticks as not dissenting in the fundamentall points of Catholick Faith But whilest they talke of fundamentalls they never passe the meere superficialls and they are farre from digging so deepe as to come to the maine foundation of Faith It is in vaine to decide fundamentall matters before we resolve upon the fundamentall motive of Christian beliefe No man calls in question the truth of Gods Word but the question is about the sufficient proposall of it That is a fundamentall article of Faith and undeniable under paine of damnation which is sufficiently proposed as revealed by God we relying upon the infallible and unchangeable Truth of the Churches proposall remayne setled in the same Tenets notwithstanding the opposition of Luther Calvin and other Sectaries whilest they on the contrary accepting Gods Word upon the proposall of private inspiration or human persuasion neither agree with us nor with one another nor even with themselves in different times As to our new English Religion it is very remarkable how the pretended supernaturall inspiration and naturall persuasion hath beene alwayes flexible to temporall respects First they were inspired and persuaded to pull downe Monkes and cry downe the Pope and proceed no further this being sufficient to comply with King Henry the Eighths lewdnesse and coveteousnesse After they went on as farre as they were led by the interest of the Protector Seamour But when Queen Elizabeths illegitimacy made the Popes authority be judged wholy inconsistent with
her securitie then was it time to make him Antichrist and to pursue his party with fire and sword The title of the ensuing Kings not being questioned by the Pope made him an object of lesse hate and his adherents subject to lesse crueltie and the Religion was fashioned to the humor of the Prince yet with some regard to popular faction Lastly the liberty of warre giving licence to those infinite Sects which lay lurking in every corner of the English Church to sally forth and to appeare to the world in their different colours every one tooke notice how few were grounded on those Tenets whereon the Church of England is built and how by leaving the true proposall of Gods Word and the ancient rule of Divine Faith men come to be so unsetled in all points of Faith that their Religion is as changeable as private fancies and publike factions And that all may see how the curse of Cain the first father of Hereticks as being the first opposer of Gods true Worship is fallen by inheritance upon our English Protestants their last change is to turne into Quakers whose Sect is nothing else but Protestancy fallen into a Paulscy and inclining to a suddaine Apoâ—lexy THE INDEX OF THE CHAPTERS CHAP. I. How Protestancy begunne and came into England CHAP. II. Of the nullitie of the English Protestant Clergy CHAP. III. Of Heresie CHAP. IV. In what doth the obstinacy of Heresie consist CHAP. V. Of the Catholick Church CHAP. VI. VVhether all Christians be thâ— Catholick Church or whether it may bâ— composed of any two or more Congregation of them if agreeing not in all matters whatse ever which any one Congregation or Church pretends to be revealed by God CHAP. VII VVhether the testimony of tâ—â— Catholick Church be infallible not onely 〈◊〉 Protestants terme them in fundamentall bâ— also in not fundamentall articles of Faith CHAP. VIII VVhether any reformed 〈◊〉 Protestant Church of the world be the Catholiâ—â— and Apostolick Church And whether thâ— pretended clearnesse of Scripture doth sufâ—â—ciently propose their doctrine as Divine reveâ—â—tion CHAP. IX VVhether any Puritanicall Congregation be the Catholick Church by reason of their pretended spirit CHAP. X. VVhether that Congregation of persons which live in communion with and subjection to the Roman Church be the Catholick and true Church of God CHAP. XI VVhether Transubstantiation and the lawfulnesse of the worship of Images be sufficiently proposed by the testimony of the Roman Catholick Church as Divine revelation and whether Protestants have any lawfull exceptions against them CHAP. XII VVhether Protestancy be Heresie CHAP. XIII VVhether any Protestants may be saved CHAP. XIV VVhether Protestancy be manifestly against reason and common sense and how may the most learned Protestants be convinced in disputes of Religion by every illiterate Roman Catholick SECT II. A Dialog between a learned Protestant Minister and a Catholick Cloune CHAP. XV. Of the difference between Christian Faith and the historicall beliefe of Protestants A TREATISE OF THE NATURE OF CATHOLICK FAITH AND HERESIE WITH Reflexion upon the Nullitie of the English Protestant Church and Clergy CHAP. I. How Protestancy begunne and came into England IN the yeare 1516. there was no other Religion in our parts of the world acknowledged Catholick and Apostolick but that which Protestants are now pleased to call Popery In the yeare 1517. Leo the X. Bishop of Rome following the â—cample of other Popes granted and published Indulgenâ—â—s to all such as voluntarily contributed towards the war â—gainst the Turke who at that time was growne formiâ—able and threatned all Christendome having added Syria â—â—d Egipt to the Otteman Empire 2 The Archbishop of Mentz to whom the Pope comâ—itted the businesse of Indulgences in Germany appointed one Iohn Tetzel a Dominican Friar to preach in the publishing of them notwithstanding that for a long time before this office had beene given to the Augustin Friars The preferment of Tetzel was ill taken by Martin Luther who being an Augustin Friar and a famous Preacher expected himselfe should have beene the man named to preach and publish the Indulgences but seeing his hopes frustrated he resolved to write as much against Indulgences and the Pope as he had prepared to preach in favour of both 3 Therefore taking occasion of some abuses which are unavoydable in things that passe through many hands he printed certaine Conclusions and Libells against Indulgences These were condemned and burnt as hereticall by Iohn Tetzel Luthers Competitor who at the same time exercised the office of Inquisitor in Germany This fire did so warme Luther and added such flames to his hot disposition that most parts of Europe felt the smart of it For being once engaged and enraged by Tetzels Declaration against him he would not recant his first error but added others by denying Purgatory the Popes authoritie merit necessitie of good workes c. 4 Amongst others who writ against Luthers novelties one was Henry the VIII King of England composing a learned Booke in defence of the seaven Sacraments the Popes supremacy and his spirituall jurisdiction over all Christendome this Booke moved the Pope to adde to Henry the VIII titles that of Defender of the Faith which had beene the most glorious of all his titles if he had not so violently opposed afterwards the Popes primacy which he then so piously maintained against Luther But being weary of his wife Queene Catharine despairing to have issue male by her and enamoured of Anne Builen because the Pope refused to declare his marriage with Queene Catharine invalid he made himselfe Pope of England challenging all spirituall jurisdiction within his owne Kingdomes and by Act of Parliament made it treason to acknow ledge any spirituall jurisdiction of the Pope in his Dominions himselfe being proclaimed spirituall Head of the English Church This was the occasion and beginning of the pretended Reformation Henry the VIII notwithstanding did stick to the old Religion in all points the Popes primacy onely excepted because he thought no other of the new Religion was necessary to marry Anne Bullen and to enrich himselfe by the spoile of Monasteries He persecuted all other novelties and herefies in such a degree that though many crept into England in his reigne yet very few durst professe them because as many as did were burnt by his command 5 To King Henry the VIII Sect. 2 succeeded his sonne Edward the VI. a child of 9. years old his unkle the Earle of Hartford was made Protector both of the King and Kingdome he was inclined to Zuinglius his heresie Twenty dayes had scarse passed after his Protectorship but his fingars did so eagerly itch to be doing and tampering about innovation in Religion Horinshed Stow and others an 1547. as upon the sixth of March next following he sent away Commissioners into all parts of the Realme to pull doâ—â—ne Images and other Ecclesiasticall ornaments He also invited out of Germany divers Sectaries of what Religion soever but especially
the Catholick Religion in VVisbich Castle as Master Bluet Doctor VVatson Bishop of Lincolne and others These had it from the said Master Neale and other Catholicks present at Parkers Consecratiod in the Nags-head as Master Constable affirmes The story was divulged to the great griefe of the newly consecrated yet being so evident a truth they durst not contradict it notwithstanding that not onely the nullitie of their Consecration but also the illegalitie of the same Counterblast fol. 301. was objected in print against them not long after by that famous Writer Doctor Stapleton and others whose words I will set downe in the proper place 5 Parker and the rest of the Protestant Bishops not being able to answer the Catholicks arguments against thâ— invaliditie of their Ordination nor to cry downe the illegall and extravagant manner of it at the Nags-head werâ— forced to beg an Act of Parliament whereby they mighâ— enjoy the temporalities notwithstanding the knowne defects of their Consecration against the Canons of thâ— Church and the Lawes of the Land For albeit Edwarâ— the VI. Sanders lib. 3 de schism Mason Pag. 121. Poulton in his Kalend. pag. 141. n. 5. Rite of Ordination was reestablished by Act oâ— Parliament in the first yeare of Queene Elizabeths reignâ— yet it was notorious that the Ordination of the Nags head was very different from it and framed ex tempore bâ— Scorys Puritanicall spirit that hated no lesse a set forme oâ— consecrating Bishops then of praying to God The word of the Act are Such forme and order for the consecrating 〈◊〉 Archbishops Bishops Priests c. as was set forth in the timâ— of King Edward the VI. shall stand and be in full force and effect and all Acts and things heretofore had made or done by any person or persons in or about any Consecration Confirmation or Investing of any person or persons elected to the office or dignitie of Archbishop Bishop c. by vertue of the Queenâ— Letters Patents or Commission sithence the beginning of he reigne be and shall be by authoritie of this Parliament declared and judged good and perfect in all respects and purposes any matter or thing that can or may be objected to the contrary thereof in any wise notwithstanding 8. Eliza. 1. By which Act appeares that not onely King Edwards Rite but any other used since the beginning of the Queenes reigne upon her Commission was enacted for good and consequently that of the Nags-head might passe Hence it waâ— that they were called Parliament Bishops 6 Master Mason a great stickler for the valid Ordination of Parker Pag. 133. of whom depends that of all the Protestanâ— Clergy seeing this to be over cleare to be denyed laboureth to shadow it at least in some sort saying that thâ— Queene did but dispense with the trespasses against her own Lawes not in essentiall points of Ordination but onely in accidentall not in substance but in circumstance But if the Consecration was at Lambeth and according the forme oâ— King Edward the VI. what ueed was there of any dispensation especially given not in conditionall but in very absolute termes both substance and circumstance was acâ—ording the Protestant Lawes The truth is all the world â—ught at the Nags-head Consecration and held it to be â—valid not so much for the circumstance of being perâ—rmed in a Taverne as for the new forme invented by â—ory differing not onely from that of the Church but alâ—â— from that which is prescribed in the English Ritual of â—dward the VI. and confirmed 1. Eliza. 7 This is demonstrated in the publike Abridgement of Diers reports 7. Eliza 234. and notorious â—se of Bishop Bonner who being prisoner in the Marshalâ—a was indited by Master Horne one of the first Protestant â—â—shops consecrated by Master Parker or together with â—m for refusing to take the oath of supremacy He apâ—eared before the Judges of the Kings Bench. The indiâ—ment being read he excepted against it because the oath â—as said to have beene tendered unto him by Robert Horne â—â—shop of VVinchester who was by no Law Bishop and â—herefore had no authoritie to tender him the oath After â—uch debate at the barre and after by all the Judges at â—argeants-Inne in Fleetstreete in Judge Catline the chiefe â—ustice his Chamber it was resolved by all the Judges â—hat Bishop Bonner his plea upon this issue that he was not â—ulpable because Horne was no Bishop when he tendered â—im the oath should be received and that the Jury should â—y it noâ— what the triall was appeareth by that he was â—t condemned nor ever troubled any further for that â—se though he was a man specially shot at Hereupon in â—e next yeare following 8. Eliza. the aforesaid Act of â—arliament was made 8 Notwithstanding all these testimonies and evidences â—f Protestants against themselves and the constant prause of Catholicks reordaining their Ministers not condiâ—onally but absolutely an evident argument of their â—eere secularitie and laytie the moderne Protestant â—ergy endeavour to make the world believe that Parker â—d the first Protestant Bishops were consecrated by imâ—sition of hands of true and lawfull Bishops with great â—â—lemnity at Lambeth This they prove by certaine Reâ—rds produced by Master Mason in the yeare 1613. fifty â—ares after they ought to have beene shewed and in a tiâ—e it can not be testified by any lawfull witnesses of â—eirs that they were not forged There can not be a more evident marke of forgery then the concealment of Registers if they be usefull and necessary to the very same persons in whose custody they are if they did produce none when their adversaries did insult and triumph over them it s as impossible any should be then extant as it is that men should conspire with their greatest adversaries to take upon themselves and their Church an everlasting infamie It is not worth the refuting that which some moderne Protestants say Ye have no Witnesses for the storâ— of the Nags-head and other things objected against Protestants but Roman Catholicks we value not their testimony because they are our knowne adversaries a party concerned against us c. This weake answer is very frequent though no lesse ridiculous then the exception that a certaine Officer of the Parliament in Ireland made against the testimony of all the Inhabitants of a Village he had pillaged They complained to his Commander who shewing unto the Officer how many witnesses there were of his misdemeanour he replyed there was not one lawfull witnesse amongst them because they were all concerned in the businesse and a part when Protestancy begunne in England and the first Protestant Bishops were consecrated at the Nags-head all who were not Protestants were Roman Catholicks no others could be witnesses of their Ordination but Catholicks or themselves and truly their owne silence in a matter that concerned them so much to speake against doth demonstrate they had nothing to say against the testimony of Catholicks Silent witnesses in
God revealed it reserving to his owne private â—udgement or to that of his first Patriarchs Luther Calvin Chillingworth c. the decision of this controversie VVhether God revealed it or no But the Catholick believes absolutely and doubts not but God revealed what the Church proposeth as revealed submitting his judgement in matters of Faith to whatsoever the Church doth define or declare 4 The obstinacy of Heresie may be well compared to the obstinacy of Rebellion Heresie being indeed a Rebellion of private and proper judgement against Gods authority and veracity appearing sufficiently in his Church Put the case that a Province of Spaine or France did reject any Lawes or Ordinances made by their King and intimated by his Officers to the people and proclaimed in the same Provinces In case these Lawes and the said Officers who have all the exterior signes or markes whereby the Kings authority is usually discerned were contemned by the people not because they doubt of their Kings legiflative power but because they will not believe he made such Lawes or gave any such Commission to his Officers would not the people notwithstanding all this pretended ignorance be Rebells and obstinate against their Soveraigne would it excuse them from the guilt of Rebellion to alledge in their owne behalfe that they did not thinke or believe the King commanded any such thing as his Officers pretended and proclaimed Their very excuse involves obstinacy and Rebellion The obedience and duty which Subjects owe to their King must be extended also to his Officers they must obey their Soveraigne not onely when himselfe commands but also when the Officers that have the ordinary signes of his authority do command in his name 5 This is the case of Hereticks They protest if they had thought or believed that the Doctrine of the Roman Church was revealed by God they would embrace it with all their heart But they do not consider that this very If or doubt is their crime and heresie What reason or prudent ground have they to doubt that Goâ— doth speake by the Roman Church as Kings do by theâ— Officers No Officers or Ministers have more authenâ—tick and credible signes of their Kings authority the the Roman Catholick Church hath of Gods Commission and trust of proposing his Revelations and interpretinâ— his meaning of Scripture as is demonstrated in the 14â— and other Chapters Now its sufficient to know that thâ— signes of the true Church are Miracles Sanctity of Doctrine and life conversion of Nations continuall succession from thâ— Apostles to the present age both of Pastors and Doctrine c. These signes are obvious to our senses and may bâ— perceived by all people Clounes Souldiers and other illiterate persons that will inquire and examine the history of their owne Countrey or the Religion of their Ancestors Whatsoever amongst all the Christan Churches hath these signes That Church must be heard obeyed and believed as having Gods authority and Commission to decide all doubts and controversies of Faith whosoever believes not her Definitions and obeyes not her Decrees is an obstinate Heretick and Rebell CHAP. V. Of the Catholick Church 1 SEeing the obstinacy of Hereticks is against Gods Revelations as they are proposed by the testimony of the Catholick Church it s required something be said of this Church That there is a Catholick and visible Church in this world is granted tacitely by all Hereticks seeing every Sect oâ— them pretends to be the whole or at least one part of the Catholick Church 2 The Catholick Church is a multitude or Congregation of men whose testimony doth so sufficiently propose their Doctrine to be Gods Word and the true meaning thereof that it is evidently imprudence and infallible damnation in any person whosoever not to acquiesce iâ— the said testimony and not to believe without the least doubt what it proposeth as Divine Revelation There are but two wayes to convince the understanding of man the one is evident and cleare reason the other is authority To some things its necessary even for salvation we give our assent though no evident and cleare reason appeareth authority that is the testimony of lawfull witnesses must be taken for reason and supply the want of it It is unreasonable and damnable not to honour our Princes and Parents though they have no other evidence or reason to shew that they are our lawfull Princes or Parents but the authority and testimony of lawfull witnesses God therefore having decreed that men should believe some mysteries above reason commanded all to believe under paine of damnation whatsoever the Church saith he revealed It is not unreasonable that God should condemn us for not believing the testimony of the Catholick Church in matters of Faith which are above reason seeing we shall be condemned if we believe not the testimony of our Neighbours concerning our Princes and Parents Is it a lawfull excuse for any man to say If I had believed such a man to be my Soveraigne I would obey him or such a woman to be my Mother I would honour her If there be lawfull witnesses for Prince or Parents their testimony is to be believed the very not believing them is a crime though there be no more evidence for it then the said testimony Therefore à fortiori the not believing the testimony of the Church confirmed with so many signes in matters of Faith is a crime and obstinate heresie 3 Some Protestant Divines of the English Church are so civill as to admit of us Roman Catholicks and so eharitable as not to exclude any Christians from being a part of the Catholick Church yet we have reason to thinke that it s no civility or kindnesse but interest that moves them to open the dore to us because if they reject us themselves can not pretend to be a Church having neither succession of Bishops nor without begging our testimony any solid proofe that Scripture is Gods Word What Bookes of Scripture they are pleased to accept of as Divine Revelation they do it upon our score and word but the sense which we delivered to them with the said Books as the most principall part of Gods Word they do refuse never being able hitherto to give any tolerable reason why they take our word more for the letter oâ— Scripture then for the sense and meaning of it If we deserve credit in one why not in both being no lesse against our conscience and as much in our power to corrupt the letter as the sense But of their obstinacy in this particular and others I shall discourse more at large when speake of Protestancy Now I will proceed in the discovery of the true Church CHAP. VI. VVhether all Christians be the Catholick Church or whether it may be composed of any two or more Congregations of them if not agreeing in all matters whatsoever which any one Congregation or Church pretends to be revealed by God 1 THis is as much as to demand Whether Catholicks and Protestants