this Principle That every Whole is greater than its Part or that man is a reasonable Creature or like evident things and then is our Vnderstanding forc'd to yield thereunto and consequently hath the less Merit by how much less freedom it leaveth to our will and affection to give our assent or no. But yet this knowledg gotten by human Reason doth not so take away the merit of the other that proceeded of free assent of Faith but that both may stand together in one and the self-same man about one and the self-same thing to wit Faith and Demonstration as distinct lights gotten by different and distinct means the one by Revelation from God the other by Demonstration of Reason for that otherwise this great inconvenience say the Authors that hold this Opinion would follow that learned men should be in far worse case for their merits in Faith than the ignorant for that whensoever the said learned men do come by means of their study to see clearly by Reason the truth of any Conclusion of Divinity or Article of Belief which simply before they did believe only as revealed from God which thing may very well happen and often doth to learned men that then they should lose their former Faith or at leastwise the Merit thereof if it be granted that Faith and Science may in no case stand together 36. But to leave this to be disputed in Schools and to return to our purpose There is no doubt but that some Points belonging to Christian Faith may plainly and absolutely be demonstrated and prov'd by human Reason Science as those which I have here touched of One God his Omnipotency Providence and the like Some other there be which tho' they cannot be altogether so absolutely convinc'd by Demonstrations yet may they in part by way of supposition that is to say by supposing some one or two Points belonging thereunto which the Adversary will either grant or cannot deny As for example Supposing there is a God and that he hath appointed any Religion to mankind and that the Prophets and Prophesies of the Old Testament are to be believed it is not hard to prove and demonstrate the Verity of Christian Religion against either Jew or Gentile And the like is it in this matter here treated by me in this Book against J. Fox and his Fellows about the Beginning Planting Growing and Continuance of Catholic Religion For if you suppose only that Christ is God and that he hath appointed any Religion at all and that the first Religion and Church instituted by him was true and truly meant by him and that he was able to perform his promises made to the first Christians for the Preservation and Perpetuity thereof This I say being granted what I infer in this Treatise followeth by necessary consequence of moral Demonstration as you will find in the perusal 37. These four Points then I thought good gentle Reader to touch briefly in this Preface meaning to make four several Inferences out of the same not unprofitable in mine opinion to the purpose we have in hand For out of the First Point concerning the height and sublimity of matters of our Faith above the capacity of Man's Reason I make this inference That every one ought to come to treat and talk of such things as belong to Faith and Belief with great reverence respect modesty and submission of mind not condemning that which his sense or reason reacheth not unto nor making the Depth of his own Capacity the Rule and Measure of his Belief A thing noted in the Sect of Manichees by S. Austin who writeth That for this cause principally he was nine years of their Company for that they told him still he being a young man desirous of Knowledg that Catholics did superstitiously require Faith before Reason and that They the Manichees forsooth did teach nothing but that which should clearly be discuss'd by force of good Argument and Reason before it was believed c. Vpon which occasion also the said Father wrote that excellent Book beforementioned de Utilitate Credendi of the great utility and infinite commodities which Catholic Christian People have in believing simply by Tradition of their Ancestors that Faith which is established in the Universal Church of Christ tho' their own Reason arrive not to penetrate the same for whosoever openeth once his Ears especially the Unlearned sort to hearken to Human Reasons against the Mysteries of their Faith he is in danger presently either to lose his Faith or at leastwise the Merit thereof together with the peace comfort and tranquility of his mind and thereby openeth a wide gap to the Devil and all his Instruments as well Infidels as Heretics to enter in and trouble the House of his Conscience 38. And as for Heretics it hath been an old practice to trouble or draw men from Catholic Religion or make them stagger by this means of pretending human Reason against Belief as we have shewed by example of the Manichees who took this trick from the old Heathen Philosophers whom S. Hierom for this cause principally calleth the Patriarchs of Heretics The Arians also deceiv'd many by the tricks of human Reason drawing out their Napkins as Theodoretus saith and asking the common people whether Three corners thereof could be One or no and then inferring deceitfully thereupon said No more could Three Persons be One God. The Sadducees founded their Heresie against the Resurrection of the Flesh upon the contrariety it seem'd to have with human Reason which prevail'd afterwards with divers sorts of Heretics that had infinit Followers as Simon Magus Basilides Hymenaeus Philetus Valentinus Marcion Appelles the Ophites Cerdonists Cainites Albigenses and others And now in our days with Zuinglians Calvinists Anabaptists Trinitarians Family of Love Brownists and divers other Sects who do nothing but rave and blaspheme against the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament upon the same ground that it seemeth contrary to Sense and human Reason And finally this is a way to all Misbelief Atheism and Infidelity c. 39. Out of the Second Point concerning Arguments of Credibility for our Belief I infer That seeing God hath left us such store and variety of Arguments for our comfort and consolation in that we believe every man ought to be diligent and careful to seek out and use them and not suffer himself to be overborn by deceitful quarrelling people in a suit of so great importance without looking upon his Writings and Evidences that he hath for the same For how greatly would we condemn the sloth and negligence of a Man who descending for many Ages as lawful Heir from a most Ancient and Noble House of great Riches and Possessions and seeing false Pretenders to make claim thereunto and by slight and intrusion to put both Him and his Posterity from the same How much I say should we condemn him if having whole Chests full of
Pope 6. But what did he from his breach forward Did he spare the new Gospellers any thing more for his breach with the Pope Truly it cannot be denied but that for some years he wink'd at their doings somewhat more than before considering the new difficulties wherein he had cast himself by his new disunion and breach as before we have noted in the end of the former Part. But as soon as he had put his Domestical Affairs in some quiet and security he returned again to his former course and custom of restraining these new unruly Spirits by calling them to account for their Innovations and proceeding juridically against them according to Church Canons and according to his former judgment in matters of Religion Which as I might shew by divers ways of proof as well of Acts of Parliament as Proclamations Injunctions and other Declarations of his Will and Opinion in this behalf so will we allege only two or three Examples in the first kind besides those which we have set down in the former Part. 7. In the 31st year of his Reign which was seven or eight years after his breach with the Pope there was made an Act for abolishing of diversity of Opinions about Christian Faith which beginneth thus Whereas the King 's most Excellent Majesty is by God's Law Supreme Head immediately under him of the whole Church of England c. intending the conservation of the same Church in a true sincere and uniform Doctrin of Christ's Religion c. Thus beginneth his Preface And then he determineth together with the Parliament That whosoever shall deny the Real Presence in the Sacrament of the Altar or affirm that the Communion is necessary under both Kinds or that Priests may by God's Law take Wives after Priesthood or that Vows of Chastity are not to be observed or that private Masses are not to be said or that Sacramental and Auricular Confession is not necessary c. All these he condemneth as Heretics and for such to be Apprehended Arraigned Condemned and Burned as at large is to be seen in the Statute 8. And the very next year after perceiving that notwithstanding his former Statute against Protestant Opinions the same did grow and were spread abroad in England he ordained another Statute which beginneth thus Whereas the King 's Róyal Majesty of his blessed and gracious disposition c. well weighing that out of sundry outward parts and places there have sprung been sown set forth divers heretical erroneous dangerous Opinions Doctrins in the Religion of Christ whereby his Grace's Leige-people may be induced to unfaithfulness misbelief miscreancy and contempt of God to the utter confusion and damnation of Souls c. For this cause his Majesty according to the very Gospel and Law of God meaneth to have matters determined and declared c. Thus he writeth in the Statute remitting himself to his further Declaration which is wholly against Protestants whose Faith and Religion you see here called by the King unfaithfulness misbelief miscreancy contempt of God heretical erroneous and dangerous Doctrin tending to utter confusion and damnation of Souls c. And this proved by the pure Word of God and the very Gospel it self as his Majesty affirmeth 9. And will you have more clear testimony of his settled judgment against Protestants than this But yet hear further For that the same King divers years afters after this again towards the end of his days having had good experience of the falshood of Protestants in corrupting the very Scriptures themselves by their crafty Translations Notes and Commentaries he was forc'd to forbid under grievous punishments the reading of the foresaid Scriptures in English which before he had permitted as appeareth by a peculiar Statute made for that purpose and for inhibiting Protestants Books Sermons and Preachings in the 34th and 35th years of his Reign this Statute being entituled An Act for the Advancement of true Religion saying therein as followeth Whereas the King 's most Royal Majesty Sumpreme Head of the Church of England and also of Ireland perceiveth that notwithstanding such holy Doctrins and Docucuments as his Majesty hath hitherto caused to be set forth besides the great liberty granted unto them in having the New and Old Testament among them which notwithstanding many seditious arrogant and ignorant Parsons pretending to be Learred have the perfect and true knowledg understanding and judgment of sacred Scriptures c. intending to subvert the very true and perfect Exposition thereof after their perverse fantasies have taken upon them not only to preach teach declare c. but also by printed Books Ballads Plays Rhythmes Songs and other fantasies subtilly to beguile his Majesty's Leige-subjects c. 10. Behold King Henry's description of Protestants their Wit Nature Condition and Doctrin But now followeth the Remedy Wherefore to ordain and establish a certain form of pure and sincere Teaching agreeable to God's Word and true Doctrin of the Catholic and Apostolical Church c. Be it enacted That all manner of Books of the Old and New Testament in English being of the crafty false and untrue Translation of William Tyndall and all other Books or Writings in the English Tongue teaching or composing any matter of Christian Religion contrary to that Doctrin which since the year of our Lord 1540 is hath or shall be set forth by his Majesty is clearly and utterly abolished c. Thus ordained King Henry of the Protestants Books and Doctrin and this Censure he gave of William Tyndall's Truth and Honesty in translating the Scriptures whom John Fox calleth not only the true Servant and Martyr of God but the Apostle also of England in this our latter Age. 11. Wherefore I do not see how Fox can with any reason make King Henry to be a Gospeller of his Religion or so earnest a Defender of the same or why he should paint him with the Bible in his hand holden up by Cranmer and Cromwell as before hath been said and seen in his Painting seeing he contemned ever their Doctrin and burned the Professors thereof as notorious Heretics unto his dying-day Which is evident by many Examples but most clear and notorious by that of John Lambert a famous Zuinglian with whom in solemn public Audience he disputed in presence of all his Clergy and Nobility of the Realm and caused Cranmer to do the like and in the end made Cromwell as his Vicar-General to give the Sentence of Death against him and burn him in Smithfield and this not two years before Cromwell's own Condemnation for like Heresie by the King 's own pursuit as may appear by the Act of his Condemnation yet extant And the same no doubt would he have done with Cranmer which was the other Upholder of his Arm to maintain the new Gospel according to Fox his Picture if he had known or suspected him not only for an Upholder of
that Easter-day must be kept upon the first Sunday after the first Full Moon in March as hath been said And furthermore forasmuch as this fourteenth day of the Moon must be that which falleth upon the very day of the Spring Equinoctial or immediately followeth the same which Equinoctium was observed by the Council of Nice to be in those days upon the 21st of March though since that time it fell back by little and little to the 11th day for correction whereof Pope Gregory XIII was forced to make his Reformation from the year 1582 by detracting ten days as all men know For this I say and for that if the fourteenth day of the Moon of March should happen to be Sunday the celebration of Easter must by the same ancient Fathers Prescription be transferred to the next Sunday For observing of these Points the Cycle also of the Sun or Circle of Dominical Letters containing the Revolution of 28 years was invented as necessary for this Observation I might add much more to this effect but this is sufficient to shew the grounds of many difficulties as also returning home to our Affair in hand to shew the beginning of the Eastern Custom among the Scots Picts and Britans not to be of that Antiquity which John Fox and his Fellows would pretend 14. But now besides this we may not omit another point of more consideration for the Reader 's Utility which is the small Piety or Religion of these Sectaries of our days who care not what they grant deny or say so they say somewhat against Rome her Bishops or Religion even in the first Ages or Primitive Church For to this end and with this good mine you shall see them here prefer in effect the foresaid Eastern Custom of celebrating Easter us'd by the Britans and Scots before the Catholic Custom of Rome albeit they well know how many Ages agone it hath been condemned not only for Error but also for Heresie yea tho' themselves do practise the contrary Custom at this day in England and Germany For that this is also a knack of these good men to speak one thing for advantage and practise another As for Example when the Question is about all those Books of the Old and New Testament which by Luther and Lutherans are rejected from the Canon of Canonical Scriptures as Ecclesiasticus Judith Hester Macchabees St. James Epistle the Apocalypse and other like When we reprehend the Lutherans for this point our Protestants of England take their parts and defend them stoutly as we see by the Writings of Fulk Chark Whitaker and others against F. Campian that objected the same to Luther and his Followers and yet on the other side they set the same Books forth in their English Bibles as Books of the Scriptures What dealing I pray you is this For either they be Scriptures and consequently of Infallible Truth or no. If the first then why do you defend the Lutherans that call them in doubt If the second why do you set them forth to the people among Scriptures 15. The like Example may be taken from Martin Luther who in his Book de Conciliis doth persuade the German Princes to observe Easter-day as an immovable Feast whensoever it falleth out without expecting Sunday as the Roman Church doth which point he saith is contrary to the Apostle forbidding us to observe Days Months and Years And yet I do not hear but that He and other Lutherans to this day do observe the Roman Use in practice of their Church concerning this point And the very same may be noted here of our English Calvinists who tho' in Practice of the English Church do observe the same Roman Custom as all men do know yet in their Writings they are content to impugn the same as a matter coming from Rome which you may see notoriously performed by John Bale a chief Gospeller in King Henry VIII and King Edward's days who treating of the former Disputation between Colman the Scottish Bishop and St. Wilfrid the English Abbot in the foresaid Council of Northumberland related by St. Bede praiseth highly the first to wit Colman together with his Learning and Piety in defending the Jewish Custom but scoffeth very contemptously and spitefully at the second that propugned the Catholic Roman Use notwithstanding that St. Bede as before you have heard calleth St. Wilfrid Virum doctissimum a most learned man and other ways also for his Holiness extolleth him exceedingly affirming among other points That for his rare Learning and great Vertue he was made Archbishop of all the Kingdom of Northumberland divided after him into two Bishoprics York and Lindisferne and when afterward as to the best men happeneth he was persecuted and driven out by violence of King Egfrid from his said Archbishopric he went and preached to the South-Saxons and converted all that Kingdom together with the Isle of Wight working many Miracles in like manner among them whereby he is truly called the Apostle of Sussex 16. Thus writeth Bede of St. Wilfrid Apostle of the South-Saxons who vanquished also in the former Disputations B. Colman and converted thereby King Oswyn from his former Rite of observing Easter with the Jews which he had learned during his Education in Scotland to follow the Roman Use But what think you saith John Bale thereof You shall hear in his own words Stulté respondit Wilfridus saith he c. Wilfrid answer'd like a Fool saying that the Apostle St. John did play the Jew in many things c. So saith Bale which words besides the Contumely contain a most false Lye and Slander also for that Wilfrid said not so as in St. Bede may be seen but only that St. John might tolerate perhaps for a time certain Rites of the Old Law as some of the other Apostles also had done and namely St. Paul in circumcising Timothy to bury the Synagogue with Honour c. 17. But hearken yet further how this new Gospeller and old Apostate-Fryer goeth forward against this holy Man Temporum saith he calculatores Evangelistis opponit Wilfrid did oppose the Roman Computists or Calculators of times against the Authority of the Evangelists This is an open Lye as the place in Bede will testifie for he saith only that perhaps one cause why the rude simplicity of the ancienter sort of Scottish Christians embraced the Jewish Custom at the beginning amongst other things might be for that no learned Calculator of the Roman Use had in those days arrived unto them He saith not one word of opposing this to the Evangelists and yet by the way do you note that this false Apostata would have his Reader think that this Jewish Heretical Custom is conform to the Evangelists than which nothing can be spoken more wickedly 18. But let us go forward and see what ensueth In fine saith he suis praevaluit Imposturis dementatis qui aderant Regibus
more impudent and more greedy to deceive than they as you shall much more perceive by his last Argument ensuing 12. For my seventh Argument saith he I may make my probation by the plain words of Eleutherius by whose Epistle written to King Lucius we may understand that Lucius had received the Faith of Christ in this Land before he sent to Eleutherius for the Roman Laws for so the express words of the Letter do manifestly purport as hereafter followeth to be seen Thus saith he and citeth for his proof in the Margin Ex Epistola Eleutherii ad Lucium and by this last and strongest Argument of his the silly Fellow thinketh to strike the Nail dead and to prove that King Lucius was a Christian before he received Preachers from Pope Eleutherius and consequently that all is false which Antiquity hath held attributing the Conversion of that Kingdom and of the King himself to the Bishop of Rome For which cause Fox addeth presently Peradventure Eleutherius might help something either to convert the King or else to increase the Faith newly sprung up then among the People 13. So defineth he the matter and consider I pray you what he attributeth to Eleutherius in this Conversion Peradventure saith he he might help something to King Lucius his Conversion And is not this a great matter especially being qualified as it is with the restriction Peradventure If a man should say of Aesop's Fables that peradventure some of them in some points might be true were it not as much as John Fox doth attribute to all this Consent of Authors for this Conversion under Pope Eleutherius seeing he saith not absolutely Eleutherius did convert King Lucius or help indeed thereunto but that peradventure he might help something c. You may mark the diminutives used by Fox to lessen the benefit to wit peradventure might something c. and thereby consider what a holy stomach he hath to Rome and what little account he maketh of the Authority or Consent of all Antiquity when they make against him 14. But now let us weigh further his Proofs and by them also his Frauds and Impostures First of all for Proofs that King Lucius was a Christian before he dealt with Eleutherius he alledgeth the Epistle it self of Eleutherius which he setteth down as authentical citing only in the Margin Ex vetusto codice Regum antiquorum taken out of an old Book of old Kings but telleth not where we shall find this old Book and it may be perhaps of as good credit if it were found as the Book of Gildas before alledged De Victoria Aurelii Ambrosii or as many other fabulous things be in the Story of Geffrey of Monmouth and John Fox after him 15. And indeed if we consider the beginning of the first words of the Epistle it self we shall find certain doubts which neither Fox nor his Fellows will ever be able to solve as first of all that it was written after Eleutherius was dead for so it appeareth by the Account of Time noted in the Title which is this in Latin as Fox relateth Anno Domini 169 Ã Passione Christi scripsit D. Eleutherius Papa Lucio Regi Britanniae ad correctionem Regis Procetum Regni c. Which words Fox omitteth to translate into English for that they make against him and therefore would not have his unlearned Reader to understand the absurdity thereof for they say That Pope Eleutherius wrote this Epistle to Lucius King of Britanny to correct both Him and the Nobility of his Kingdom in the year 169 after the Passion of Christ To which 169 years if we add other 33 which Christ lived before his Passion they make 202 which is 19 years after Eleutherius's Death who dy'd in the year of Christ 184 as all Authors agree For which cause Fox himself in this very place and elsewhere often doth appoint the Conversion of King Lucius to have been in the year of Christ 180 and the 10th of Eleutherius his Reign but this Epistle appointeth it 22 years after to wit Anno Domini 102. So wise a man is Fox in bringing it in 16. Secondly this Epistle was written in Latin and so should Fox have delivered the same unto us wholly if he had dealt plainly But he hath not so done but only giveth us the Title in Latin without any Interpretation as now hath been said and the remnant or at leastwise so much as he thought convenient in English only and this of his own Translation without letting us see the Original and so he playeth the Fox in every thing But to return again to this Latin Title of the Epistle there is another cause why John Fox would not translate it into English and this is for that it is said therein that it was written by the Pope ad correctionem Regis Procerum Regni c. to correct the King and Nobility of the Realm which proveth that the Pope took himself to be their Superior also in those days and they to be subject to his correction For which causes Fox's Scholars Holinshead Hooker and Harrison do leave out this Title altogether in their Chronicles for that the word Correction upon the King and Nobility is an odious thing in these days especially from Popes 17. And thus much of the Title and Fraud used therein Now let us pass to the Body of the Epistle Thus it beginneth in John Fox's Translation Ye require of us the Roman Laws and the Emperours to be sent over unto you which you may practise and put in are within your Realm The Roman Laws and the Emperours we may ever reprove but the Law of God we may not You have received of late through God's Mercy in the Realm of Britanny the Law of Christ c. Thus saith the Epistle and out of these last words John Fox doth frame his former seventh Argument That King Lucius had received the Faith of Christ before he sent to Eleutherius for the Roman Laws Well suppose it was so and that this sending was a second Embassage some years after his Conversion how doth this infer that King Lucius was a Christian before he dealt with Eleutherius or before he sent the first time unto him and so that he was rather converted by Grecians than by Romans as the next immediate words of Fox are And that hence it may be inferred that Eleutherius did rather help perhaps to his Conversion or to increase the Faith newly sprung up than convert him Are not these notorious shifts and shameless windings of our Fox to delude his Reader 18. But you will ask me perhaps how I do prove that this was a second Embassage sent by King Lucius to Eleutherius and the Pope's Answer to the same Whereto I say that this is confessed and proved by Fox himself who writing of King Lucius saith That some years after his Conversion when he had put his Realm in Order for matters
abide the Story but calleth it a dreaming fable and so doth pretermit the same in four words I shall recount it as briefly as I can out of Malmsbury Solebat ipse saith he meaning King Alfred in tempora posteà faeliciora reductus casus suos jucunda hilarique comitate familiaribus exponere qualiterque per B. Cuthberti meritum eos evaserit c. 19. King Alfred was wont afterward when he was brought from his misery to more happy times to recount pleasantly and courteously to his familiar Friends the Chances and Calamities which he had passed and how he had escaped them by the Merit and Benefit of blessed S. Cuthbert c. So beginneth Malmsbury his Narration the sum whereof is this 20. King Alfred and his Ancestors having lost unto the Danes all the North East and West parts of England he had only three Shires to hide himself in upon the South Sea to wit Somersetshire Hampshire and Wiltshire whither also the Danes followed him with a great Army under their Captain Gormond And the poor King being destitute of all human help wanting both Mony Victuals and Men for all forsook him upon fear he had no other refuge for saving his Life than with a few trusty Servants of his and his Mother the doleful Queen to flie into a little Island in Somersetshire called then Adaling wholly beset with Waters and Mire in the midst of marishy ground and a little Wood joyned thereunto to hide themselves in where himself and his Mother being lodg'd in a certain Swineherd's Cottage the rest made shift for themselves as they might lying on the ground But two things for the present pressed them most The first hunger for want of Victuals the second fear of Gormond's Camp that lay so near them Wherefore sending forth his men to seek some Fish by night for that they durst not shew themselves by day the King and his Mother with woful hearts reposed a little their weary Bodies and Minds in the said Swineherd's House and being entred into a little slumber Behold saith the Story there appeared to the King St. Cuthbert telling him both his Name and that he was sent to him by God to comfort him and to tell him That albeit his Justice had hitherto chastened English men for their sins by the Sword of the Danes yet that he would not extinguish them in respect of so many Saints that had been of that Nation and from this day forward would set them up again Modo tandem Deus indigenarum Sanctorum meritis super eam misericordiae oculo respicit Now at length God for the Merits of English Saints doth look upon England with the eye of mercy He told him further That himself from this state of extreme misery should be restored very shortly to a flourishing state of his Kingdom For which he gave him presently a sign or token saying That albeit that night was a very contrary time to Fishers both for that all Rivers were frozen and a little Rain being fallen upon the same had made it unfit for men to travel in that Art yet his men should come home all laden with incredible abundance of Fish Thus he told him persuading him that when he should see all these things performed he should remember to be thankful to God and his Servants for their favor towards him and so departed 21. The King being wonderfully comforted with this Vision awaked for Joy and calling upon his Mother the Queen who lay near him and had enjoy'd the self-same Vision they recounted together all particulars expecting with greediness when their Servants should return from fishing to confirm the same which soon after ensued Et tantam piscium copiam exhibuere saith Malmsbury ut cujusvis magni exercitus ingluviem exaturare posse videretur And they brought with them to the King so great store of Fish as it might seem to be sufficient to satisfie the hunger of never so great an Army wherewith King Alfred being encouraged he adventured a strange attempt which was to go into the Danes Camp with one Servant only feigning themselves Musicians where with singing of Songs and sounding their Instruments they passed thro' the whole Camp discovering their disorders and where and when they were more weak and so retiring themselves to their Company and arming such men as he could secretly set upon them with such fierceness as they killed many and put the rest to flight and constrained the Danes with their said King Gormond to demand Peace and offer Hostages for the same Which were accepted upon two conditions The first That all of them should retire out of England except such as would be Christians The second That these Christian Danes should be content only with the Kingdom of the East-Angles to wit Norfolk and Suffolk All which was admitted and King Gormond himself made a Christian and God-son to King Alfred accepting the said Kingdom of the East-Angles as tributary unto him and from this day forward King Alfred went gaining more and more putting his Enemies to flight until he had recovered his whole Kingdom again And this both He and his Mother were wont to recount all the days of their life after and the Events themselves did evidently declare the truth of the Miracle recorded as hath been said by our best Historiographers All which notwithstanding John Fox writeth thus Let us pass over these dreaming Fables tho' they be testified by divers Authors as William Malmsb. Polychronicon Roger Hoveden Jornalensis and many more c. Whereby you may see what a faithless Ecclesiastical Chronicler this Fox is that passeth over things of purpose that are left written by so many grave Authors and then how perfidious he sheweth himself in censuring for dreaming Fables so important Miracles shewed by God for testification of his Love and Providence towards our Country and the saving and restoring thereof 22. For which Infidelity this miserable Fellow hath no other Argument excepting only his foresaid hatred to St. Cuthbert and other Monks but only for that the Vision was in time of sleep or slumbring and for that cause he calleth it a dreaming Fable Which kind of Argument if we should admit we must evacuate also and bring in doubt and contempt most of the principal Mysteries and Miracles of the Old and New Testament where commonly things were revealed to God's Servants in Visions by sleep as Genesis 28. Vidit Jacob in somnis Scalam stantem Jacob did see a Ladder in his sleep And again in the same Book cap. 31. Dixit Angelus Dei ad me in somnis The Angel of God said unto me in my sleep Joseph also had all his affairs revealed unto him not only in sleep but also per somnia by Dreams indeed Gen. 37.40 41. 23. The like is related of Saul 3 Reg. 3. and of Daniel Dan. 7. And finally God promiseth by Joel of Saints of the New Testament senes vestri somnia
is to be Printed severally for that the bulk of these two hath grown to a sufficient bigness for one Tome or Volume only I might note to the Reader in this last Paragraph that as our Adversaries do imitate the Donatists in the Point before mentioned out of their Conference with S. Augustin and other Catholic Bishops so have they done it also hitherto in flying all equal and lawful Conference with us as the Donatists did with those old Catholics so much as lay in their power until it was imposed upon them by commandment of the Emperor at the petition of S. Augustin and the Catholic Party as the said Father doth relate in his forenamed Book written of that Conference telling us two points in particular of their dealing in that Affair which he expresseth in these words Qui causam bonam non se habere sciebant id egerunt primum ne collatio fieret aut causa ipsa ageretur sed quia hoc obtinere minimè poterant id effecerunt multiplicitate gestorum ut quod actum est non facilè legeretur The Donatists knowing they had an evil Cause endeavored first to bring to pass that the Conference should not be made nor the Cause it self be handled at all but when they could not obtain this then went they about to put down so many things in writing as they might not easily be read 33. Thus writeth St. Augustin and for this cause thought he good to set down a Sum of all that passed calling it Breviculum Collationum shewing perspicuously the infinite Cavils Frauds and Shifts of these Heretics to avoid all due trial for when after all other delays both Parties were now met together Instare caeperunt saith he ut priùs ageretur de tempore de mandato de persona de causa tunc ad negotii merita veniretur The Donatists began to make new instance after all other Cavils and Exceptions taken before that first it might be treated about the time that this Conference should endure and about the Emperor's Commandment or Edict and Clauses thereof and about the Person as well of the Judge and Assistants as the Disputers of both parts and finally of the whole cause of difference what had passed therein between them hitherto and then after all this forsooth they should come to examine the merits of the principal Business or Controversie in hand which in effect would never be for that about every one of these Points the Donatists had many Quarrels as S. Augustin sheweth and by each one thereof they sought delays and particularly whereas order had been taken that 18 Bishops of each side should suffice they would needs have all their side to be admitted and so for ostentation sake they entred saith S. Augustin with great pomp into Carthage to the number of 279 Bishops of that Sect of Donatus a pitiful sight for Catholics together with all their Train Other shifts delays and tergiversations of theirs I leave for brevities sake to be read in S. Augustin himself 34. But how well our English Adversaries have imitated this manner of proceeding of the Donatists for shifting off all publick Conference and Trial for these 44 years of her Majesties Reign being so often and earnestly demanded at their hands is sufficiently known and needeth not to be proved or repeated here But if it would please Almighty God to inspire her Majesty to force them thereunto as he did the Emperor to compel the Donatists to a publick Trial I do not doubt but the like Issue would ensue and the like Sentence be given in that Cause by any indifferent Judge as was given by Marcellinus in the former Controversie to wit as S. Augustin's words are Confutatos à Catholicis Donatistas omnium documentorum manifestatione pronunciavit Marcellinus did pronounce by his Definitive Sentence that the Catholics had confuted the Donatists with manifestation of all kind of Learning And so much for this Matter The End of the Second Part. FINIS Cause of Dedication The substance of the Book Time of Trial. 1 Cor. 11. Philip. 1. Ibidem 1 Thes 1. The honorable course of English Catholics Internal Tribulations Esai 1. 1 Cor. 7. Psal 118. Matth. 8. Marc. 4. Luc. 8. S. Paulin. ep 11. ad Severum Gallican orat in Panaegyric 1. Constantini The moral vertues of Constantine before he was a Christian Euseb l. 8. hist c. 26. The strange deliverances of His Majesty from many perils The King 's excellent Book entituled Basilicon Doron Three rare Points of His Majesty's Book No reason to be yielded why a man should be rather of one Sect than another 1 Reg. 3. Hab. 5. Euseb l. 1. de vit Constant c. 11. Sap. 9. Sir F. Hastings in his Reply pag. 192. How the first Part of this Treatise was increased Arist in topicis Cicer. 1. ad Heren de Orator Why the second part of the search of John Fox's Church was added Fox in the title of his Acts and Monuments in his Protestation to the English Church Why the third part of this Treatise was added about the examination of Fox's Calendar The diligence which men ought to use for informing themselves of the truth of Catholic Religion in time of Heresies Possidon in vit Aug. Aug. l. 4 5. confes Athan. in Symbol vers 2. Mat. 13. Aug. l. de morib Eccl. c. 17. Chry. hom 14. in c. 24. Mat. Matth. 24. Marc. 13. Joann 7. 1 Cor. 11. Chrysost opere imperfect in Matt. cap. 23. pag. 962. Chrysost ibid. A representation of such as are negligent in examining the truth of Catholic Religion Dangerous cogitations The contention about the House and Mannor place The Catholic Parties Plea for the House The application of the two former Examples Four points of consideration about matters of Faith. The first point how our articles of Faith are above man's Reason Greg. hom 36. in Evang. Athan. tract de advent 1. cont Apollin Aug. trast 79. in Joan. ser 1. de festo S. Trin. Hebr. 11. First cause of obscurity in Faith. Second cause Ambr. l. 1. de Abraham c. 3. Third cause Joan. 2. How God proceedeth in revealing his Mysteries Gen. 2.6.7.8 Gen. 20.22.23 Exod. 1.2.3 Deut. 33. Act. 7. Jos 15. How Christ our Saviour proceeded in revealing his Mysteries and why he appeared not to all Act. 10. Joan. 20. Christ's Resurrection how and to whom it was made manifest Matth. 28. John 20. Act. 2.10.13.17 Rom. 4.8.14 1 Cor. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 2 Tim. 2. Luc. 24. Marc. 16. 1 Cor. 10. Marc. 16. The second Point of this consideration that notwithstanding the Articles of our Faith cannot be demonstrated by Reason yet have they sufficient Arguments of credibility Rom. 12. 2 Pet. 1. Arguments of credibility used by S. Peter Matth. 17. Arguments of credibility are not so evident as are philosophical Demonstrations Arguments for proof of Christian Religion Arguments of credibility for Catholic Religion against all