by the secret vertue of the Stone after an inuisible manner adioyning the Rings together a goodlie entire Chaine was made of them Euen so dearely beloued Christian Reader I finde Christ Iesus to haue beene such a powerfull and attractiue Loadstone vnto my Soule by the precedent obseruations lincking the one vnto the other with such infallible truth that therewith euen as with a most strong chaine of his excessiue loue and charitie hee hath now at the length drawne mee to the knowledge of his true Faith rightly taught and professed in the Church of England 2 It is no other than a chaine of Charitie A briefe recapitulation of the premised obseruations by which hee hath drawne mee to write this Treatise for the manifestation of his truth to those that are ignorant thereof It was a chaine of his prouidence by ministring occasions of times persons and places concurring to my conuersion It is a chaine of truth that euery mans chiefe businesse in this life must bee to attaine vnto the end he is created vnto by God or else hee receiueth his soule in vaine It is a chaine reaching from heauen that a supernaturall and reuealed knowledge from God is necessarie to saluation The obseruation also of an absolute necessitie of a supernaturall Faith is a strong chaine to draw any man to search diligently after it The knowledge likewise of the right rule and golden mete-wand of true Faith consisting of GODS sacred Word is a most forcible chaine to drawe Christians vnto the right knowledge of GODS truth The true knowne visible Church of Christ teaching the true sense of Scriptures is a powerfull chaine to draw men vnto the right faith of CHRIST IESVS Conformitie of Doctrine with the ancient doctrine of the Primitiue Church being a proper marke of the true Church of God is likewise a most attractiue chaine drawing to the true knowledge of right Christianitie The wonders and supposed miracles which Christ fore-told the Pseudo-Christs and false Prophets should doe for the seducing of Gods Elect if it were possible are also a strong chaine to draw any man from the Church of Rome The great hypocrisie of false Teachers fore-spoken of in the holy Scriptures agreeing chiefly with the Church of Rome are a chaine of great strength and power to draw any man from that Church The fruits by which false Prophets are to bee knowne and discerned abounding in the Church of Rome are also a powerfull chaine to draw any man of true iudgement from the abhominiations of that Church The discouerie of the Sacrifice of the Masse to bee Idolatrous which is accompted by the Church of Rome the chiefest act of religion that can bee done to God is a most forcible chaine to draw any man to the knowledge of CHRIST IESVS once offered for vs procuring our Sanctification Is not the proofe of Transubstantiation also to bee a noueltie a potent chaine to draw any man from Rome to the Church of England where the Sacrament is freed from such disgrace Is not the Amputation also of the holy Eucharist a powerfull chaine to draw men from the Church of Rome that they may rightly according to Christs institution bee partakers of the Lords Supper else where Is not also the noueltie of the Popes Pardons and Indulgences which is annexed to Crosses Graines and Meddals a powerfull chaine to draw any man that is not ridiculously childish a stronge chaine to draw him from the Church of Rome If the false doctrine of seuen Sacraments be well discouered by any man bee can not want a strong chaine to draw him to acknowledgement of two true Sacraments instituted by Christ if the doctrine of the Virgin Maries conception in originall sinne bee doubtfull in the Church of Rome the truth of Scriptures shewing it certaine may serue for a strong chaine to draw any man from that doubtfulnesse If the pretended chastitie of the Romish Clergie doe make the Church of Rome seeme more pure and holy than any other the prohibition of lawfull marriage to Priests and the dispensation and permission of vnlawfull marriage to kindred may bee as a strong chaine to draw deceiued soules from the filth and impurities of her hypocriticall holinesse By these the mightie strength power of all those chaines hath the goodnesse of almightie God deliuered my long estraied soule out of her dangerous waies setled me in the happie societie of his true faithfull beleeuers teaching the true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith Oh how truly may I now say with holy Dauid in humble acknowledgement of Gods singular mercies vnto my soule Maruailous are thy workes Psal 139.14 O Lord and that my soule knoweth right well 3. Now it is time To all Seminarie Priests O all yee Seminarie Priests in this Land or else where who labour still in the same blindnesse and errours wherein hitherto I haue beene my selfe inwrapped as in a darke cloude that out of that true charitie and zeale of your soules good and happinesse wherewith I haue cause to be affected towardes you I direct my speech a while vnto you and manifest the sincere candor of my heart and affections to pittie your case as I haue had cause to bee sorrie for it heretofore in my selfe and therefore I can not but admonish you of the perill you liue in both of body and soule for looking no better into the doctrines which you teach You pretend to bee the salt of the earth Math. 5. vers 13. and the light of the world therefore you haue cause to see well that your doctrine bee sound wherewith you season mens soules and that the example of your vertues and life bee not hypocriticall and superstitious if your salt bee infatuated with nouelties and corrupt doctrines all the world will trample vpon you and you are only fit to bee cast out vnto the dunghills if your liues giue no true light but bee a couered vnder the appearance only of vertues as vnder a bushell where there is no corne your poore followers will bee hunger starued and runne into darkenesse and neuer finde the true light of the world CHRIST IESVS Who illuminateth as Saint Iohn saith Ioh. 1. vers 9. euery man comming into this world If it bee true that CHRIST saith Hee that doeth and teacheth Math. 5.19 shall bee called great in the Kingdome of hâ—auen Vnlesse both these duties goe together without mixture of falshood and finne you can neither bee great in Heauen nor in Earth but certaine I am your paines will bee great in the deepedungeon of hell Examine well your owne consciences both for doctrine and conuersation build not vpon other mens bookes only but examine their doctrines by the infallible rule of Scriptures send your Disciples vnto Christ as Saint Iohn Baptist did not to the Popes who can and haue erred both in doctrine and manners say vnto your Children as Christ our Lord and Master said Search the Scriptures c. because
light to deceiue my soule withall and so I confessed them as ordinarie temptations against faith till at length with a more powerfull light it pleased the true Sonne of iustice and God of glorie to enlighten my vnderstanding in such sort that all the clouds of error and endarkened affections were dispersed like mist before the Sunne what before I held to be hereticall I approued to be most Catholike what before was falsehood was now truth what before was darknesse was now light I found my selfe suddainely in my meditations vpon the grounds of true faith and beleefe like S. Paul enuironed not with a corporall but with a spirituall and most comfortable light from heauen placing my vnderstanding in the paradise of truth and all her delights struck downe to the ground in the humble acknowledgement of mine vnworthinesse and terrified with a voice from heauen not sounding in the eares of my bodie by their corporall Organs but sweetly making a most delightfull harmonie in my soule mollifying the obdurate crust of my heart and forcing me to say Act. 9. vers 6. Domine quid me vis facere O Lord what wilt thou haue me to doe with perfect true conformitie of all my thoughts actions and endeauors answerable to his will Hence was I moued with great power working euen with comfort to my soule to call to mind innumerable passages of Scriptures and auncient Fathers in former times obserued and other reasonable congruencies moouing me most effectually to conuert my selfe to the onely Apostolike Primitiue and Catholike faith truly professed in the Church of England as it were destined hereunto by a presage in my youth when being borne beyond the seas I was by Gods directing prouidence inspiring my parents mindes by my nurse and her husband who were purposely sent for out of England sent into this Realme when I was but few daies old to be nursed here which was a great furtherance and meanes that now in the ninth yeare of my Priesthood I am in this Realme nursed and growne to such a spirituall strength as to embrace the right faith of a true Christian which heretofore I wanted And although lately since my conuersion one said vnto me that it had been better if I had been drowned at sea in the great storme which happened in my passage into this Realme so young which I escaped with exceeding great danger being forthwith entertained into the Castle by the Captaine thereof for my fathers sake than at riper yeares thus to liue an Apostata and to be a scandale vnto the Church of God Yet I trust that I shall make it apparant that it was much better I escaped Gods prouidence in the first escape of my bodie foreshewing a more dangerous second escape from the shipwracke of my soule whereby his glorie in my happinesse may be manifested to the good of many that they may truly say Exod. 1. vers 19. Digitus Dei est hic the finger of God is here 7. The working of the Trinitie in my conuersion the first cause of this treatise Hereby you may see courteous Reader whether I haue not iust cause to make knowne to the world this my conuersion and the true occasions and motiues thereof that all that beare of it may say as I haue cause to say in mine owne soule The finger of God is here For first you may obserue that whilest I wandered out of the right way of true Catholike doctrine Gods goodnesse following the Church of Rome the finger of Gods mercie and goodnesse directed and pointed me which way to take into the right path of heauen most fauorably bestowing vpon me beartie contrition for my former errors both in faith and manners more than euer before Secondly the finger of his wisdome Gods wisdome euen when I was most addicted to the studies of the Roman doctrine occasion being giuen me of conference with some Protestants requiring satisfaction of me in some capitall points of controuersie which I promised either to proue by the Scriptures ancient Fathers and naturall reason or else to embrace the Protestants faith as Catholike therewithall intending to impugne the doctrine of the Religion here professed in England directed my vnderstanding so to examine the controuersies weighing all Cardinall Bellarmines reasons for both sides that doing it with sinceritie I fell into such doctrinall and morall obseruations vpon the grounds of the Romane faith that I most cleerely discouered the darke clouds of error and ignorance wherewith my iudgement and reason were ouercast I found the weakenesse of their grounds the fallacies of their reasons and the insufficiencie of iudgement shewed in most of their controuersies I found many places of Scripture impertinently alledged diuers citations of auncient Fathers fondly wrested against their true vnderstanding many naturall reasons alledged most repugnant to reason Lastly the finger of his Almightie power Gods power as efficaciously as the Load stone draweth yron vnto it drew all the affections of my heart to a firme resolution no longer to sleepe or slumber in my errors but to breake off all the bands of erronious and superstitious doctrine and nouelties wherewith the present Church of Rome holdeth soules in slauerie to Sathan and to embrace the truth of the Ancient Catholike and Apostolike doctrine which I found to bee most purely taught in the Church of England according to the primitiue sinceritie Hence it is most cleerely apparant how much the glorie of God appeareth in my conuersion and the three diuine attributes of goodnesse wisedome and power of the blessed Trinitie Qui tribus digitis appendit molem terrae Esay 40. vers 12 who weighteth the earth with three fingers in the contemplation of which great benefit I may well crie out with holy Saint Paul Rom. 12. vers 33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how vnsearchable are his iudgements and his waies past finding out for who hath knowne the mind of the Lord or who hath bin his counsellor Or who hath first giuen to him and it shall be recompenced vnto him againe for of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glorie for euer For to God himselfe must I needes attribute this fauour hauing iust cause for the same with the kingly Prophet to say Psal 34. vers 2. I will alwaies praise the Lord his praise shall be alwaies in my mouth who chiefly hath wrought in my soule the vnderstanding the will and the accomplishment hereof which I can doe no lesse in gratitude than make knowne that his name may be glorified therein Satisfaction the second cause Secondly if my blinded zeale of your soules good did so much transport me in my ignorance and errors as to imploy my best endeuours yea and to venter my life for your good and for the reducing of any in this Realme to the pretended Catholike faith which then I professed without feare of incurring
Whereat all the assistants admiring determined to deferre his buriall till the next day when thinking to performe the exequies they came againe to that passage afotesaid of the office of the dead he suddainely rose vp againe and cryed out with a loud voice saying Iusto Dei iudicio iudicaetus sum that is to say I am iudged by the iust iudgement of God Whereat the assistance were strucken againe into a great admiration and much more astonished than before to beholde so dismall and hideous a spectacle And although he had then declared himselfe to be accused and iudged by the iust iudgement of God yet it was not manifest by these wordes that he had yet receiued sentence of damnation insomuch that yet it ressed for them to interprete and hope the best and therefore they thought it good to deferre his buriall till the third day Whereto verie early the next morning all the towne flocked together being desirous to know the euent of so strange rare and fearefull a iudgement of God when hauing begun againe the office of the dead and comming to the same passage aboue specified he raysed himselfe vp the third time and to the great horror of all the standers by he said Iusto Dei iudicio condemnatus sum that is I am condemned by the iust iudgement of God Therefore Parcite funeribus mihi nil prodesse potestis Heu infoelicem cur me genuere parentes Ah miser aeternos vade damnatus ad ignes Which verses may well be Englished in this sense O spare vaine prayers with outward shewes of peace Your Dirges yeelds no comfort to my soule Aye me accurst from hope of ioyes I cease Gods iudgements iust doe all your prayers controule Why did my parents euer foster me A damned wretch and hell-hound for to be Ah cursed me thus to prouoke Gods are And to be doom'de to euer lasting fire Who is there that cannot be astonished to heare that a personage who liuing amongst men was esteemed for a holy and perfect man should be condemned by the iust iudgement of God This Doctor by the common suffrage of the Church being found vnworthie of Christian buriall was interred in a prophane place But this rare miracle occasioned manie to correct amend their liues Whereat Bruno with others were so much terrified that they framed a more strict order than euer was before tearmed Carthusians that by the strictnesse of that life they might be the better prepared for the strict iudgements of God In the consideration of his miracle if it were true and no hypocriticall cunning vsed therein I cannot conceiue but that it makes more against the faith of Rome than for it of which profession this Doctor whilest he liued was reputed both to be a learned and holy Saint For first if he were so holy and learned no doubt he knew what belonged to preparation for his death and therefore howsoeuer hee might bee depriued of outward meanes or helpe of the Sacraments yet it is to be presumed that at least in voto Sacramenti he would excite himselfe as much as lay in him to be penitent for his sinnes And it is to be thought his Holinesse would not permit him to be negligent of that which lay in his power to performe And lastly since there is no cause registred of his damnation but knowne onely to God he being both a professor and teacher of the Romane faith it may as well be presumed so farre as man for his soules benefit may enter into Gods secrets that God shewed this extraordinarie iudgement to manifest to the world that though his life was neuer so good in the sight of the world or his learning so great yet where true faith is wanting no saluation can be attained and that therefore the Romane faith cannot be the true faith This is the fittest collection I can make of this miracle because he was a Doctor professing that faith of Rome and liued and died therein 11 But now I will relate another miracle which much astonished me making me stagger The strange deliuerie of Traianes soule out of hell fabulous and most vncertaine and was neuer able to finde a good answere for it which was the strange deliuerie of Traianes soule out of hell by Saint Gregories prayers for him which how repugnant it is to the verie true doctrine of the Romane Church it selfe is cleare by that which is read in the Office of the dead viz. Ex inferno nulla est redemptio Now it is to be noted Lipeloo in vita Gregor magn that Lipeloo recordeth it for a truth and so it hath beene recorded alwayes by the Church of Rome and yet of late by Baronius and Bellarmine it is reputed a fabulous narration Whereupon I inferre that if after so many ages recording and beleefe it proue but a fabulous thing a man may as well suspect all the rest that seeme of the like nature notwithstanding hee bee learned that recordeth them What erronious doctrine is to be found almost in the Church of Rome that hath not many miracles for the confirmation of it mongst them so pleasant to reade that they will sooner make a man laugh in reading them than giue any credit at all to them So in confirmation of the reall and substantiall presence of Christs bodie in the Sacrament there is a pretie tale recorded in the life of Saint Anthonie of Padua of whom it is recorded S. Anton. in sum hist 3. p tit 24. c. 5. ff 2. That a certaine heretike promising to be of his religion if his Mule after three dayes restraint would goe and worship his God in the Eucharist Tho. Boz li. 14. de sig eccles dei cap. 3. Laurent Sur. to 3. The tale of a Mule and refuse his prouender which he would prouide for him When the day was come the Mule being brought forth by his Master and the Eucharist by Saint Anthonie hee staying himselfe a little said O thou brute beast in the name and power of thy Creator whom I vnworthie wretch doe hold truly in my hands I charge and commaund thee that forthwith thou come humbled before him and doe him honour and reuerence as thou canst to the end that the peruerse obstinacie of heretikes may know hereby that euerie creature is subiect vnto him whom the Priestly dignitie dayly handleth vpon the Altar Which speech being ended the hungrie beast forsooke the prouender prouided which the heretike had set before his eyes and went forthwith vnto the Sacrament kneeled downe before it and humbled downe his head which the people admiring praysed God saying We haue seene this day maruellous things which the heretike seeing repenting him of his fault abiured his heresie and embraced the true Catholike saith No lesse remarkable is that which is reported of a certaine Priest that doubted of the presence of Christ in the Sacrament Ant. d'Ance Cat. Hist l. 1. c. 5. tit 8. loan Meff in hor. Reg. ser de coen Domini
medio tom 4. That when Sorcerers doe those thinges which Saints doe they are don for a different end and by a different power for Sorcerers doe them seeking their owne glorie Saints doe them seeking the glorie of God Sorcerers doe them by certaine priuate contracts Saints doe them by publique administration and commaund of God vnto whom all things created are subiect 3 Now therefore since seeming miracles done by the Diuell The true Catholike church the approuer of true miracles exceeding the ordinarie power of Nature may deceiue many if they iudge their Doctrine by them and for that it is hard for a man to bee able to say whether a miracle bee done by the power of almighty God or by the power of the Diuell because both exceede our vnderstanding and the ordinarie course of Nature it stoode mee vppon to search out some infallible meanes by which I might bee assured that they were true miracles and such as I might confidently relie vppon In which scrutinie I could finde no better rule than to obserue whether they bee done in the Catholique Church or no which I doe learne out of Saint Augustine Aug. de vnit Eccles ca. 16. saying Whatsoeuer things of this quality are done in the Catholicke Church Therefore they are to bee approued because they are done in the Catholicke Church Therefore shee is not manifested Catholicke because those thinges are done in her Whereby it is cleere that miracles absolutely are not a proofe of the Catholicke Church but the Catholicke Church an approouer of true miracles whence it followeth That the miracles of the Primitiue Church were not so much a confirmation of her truth as her truth a confirmation of them Whence I obserue further That the present Church of Rome not beeing the true Catholicke Church because shee teacheth not the true Catholicke ancient Faith without mixture of many nouelties doth in vaine all eadge miracles in her behalfe which for that they are done out of the true Church are to bee reckoned amongst Antichrists lying signes prodigies Therefore I may pronounce confidently with S. Aug. vnto the Papists I say not that these things are so Aug. de vnit Eccles ca. 16. because such a one did such and such maruailes but let them proue their Church by the Canonicall bookes of the Scripture and by nothing else these are the demonstrations of our cause Note this these are our foundations these are our grounds whereupon we build Whereby wee see Miracles excluded from beeing a marke of the Church as the Cardinall Bellarmine would faine perswade the world that so his Romaine Church might bee approued for the true Church of God Vnapproueable therefore is the assertion of master D. Hill who chalengeth much vnto the Roman Church by her glorie of miracles wrought by her Saints his words are these The tenth reason of this quarterne Now it is so manifest that there haue beene an infinite number of miracles wrought by those who were of the Catholicke Romaine Religion and neuer any by them who were not of that Church since Christs time as he who shall deny it may bee prooued no lesse impudent and shamlesse than bee who shall denie that euer there was any Masse said in times past in England or that euer there were any warres betweene Turkes and Christians or that there bee any such countries as the East and West-Indies which thing if a man should denie would hee not of all men be deemed not only impudent but madde drunken or afoole In which words because Master Doctor Hill seemeth much to forget himselfe I must needs refresh his memorie with some few interrogatories What master Doctor I pray since Christs time did not Simmon Magus worke miracles who as Baronius saith Baron an 68. nu 22. made images to walke and would lie in the fire without hurt and flie in the ayre and make bread of stones hee could open doores fast shut and vnloose bands of iron and had many shadowes following him as it had been men Will you say he was a Roman Catholike Tacit. lib. 4. did not Vespasian the Emperour at Alexandria restore a blind man to sight will you say hee was a Roman Catholike Who be they Christ spake of when he said Matth. 7 22. Many will say to me in that day Lord haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out diuels and by thy name done many great workes and then will I professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquitie What will you say that these workers of miracles and also of iniquity were of your Catholike Romane religion What think you of those Saint Augustine speaketh of August de vnit Eccles cap. 16. saying If there be done some miracles of heretikes we ought the more to take heed because when the Lord had said that there should be some deceiuers who by doing many signes should deceiue the very Elect if it were possible he did adde commending it vehemently said behold I haue foretold it vnto you What will you grant all these were of the Catholike Romane religion August tract 13. in loan What will you say vnto the same ancient Doctor in another place where he saith Against these miracle-mongers as I may so call them my God hath made mee warie saying In the last times there shall arise false Prophets doing signes and wonders What will you grant none of these to be yet come or will you grant them all to be of your religion What will you say to your Country-man Prompt mor. part aestiu pag. 627. dom 24. nu 4. Master Doctor Stapleton publike professor of Diuinitie in Louaine and if I mistake not your acquaintance in Doway who saith For the more triall of the godly not onely Antichrist himselfe and his nearest forerunners but all heretikes also may do true miracles by the permission of God as the sorcerers may doe Will you grant such forerunners and Heretikes to be of your Catholike Romane religion or will you say Doctor Stapleton erreth in calling them true miracles or will you recant your former assertion acknowledging your former mistaking and then shall I be as glad as now I haue commiseration of your error beseeching God in the meane time of his infinit mercie that you may see both your owne error and the errors of others of the present Romane religion and how different it is from the ancient Roman religion which in Saint Pauls dayes was famous through the world For my part I could not but vpon these and other considerations obserue the Church of England to be free from such false Prophets and Pseudochrists that they miracles as Christ fore told should deceiue the very Elect if it were possible for neither doe they pretend themselues to worke miracles and so to hunt after their owne estimation and applause for their holines as the teachers of the Roman Church do neither do they hold
as the Church of Rome teacheth who being deuoted much to the virgine Marie prayed often vnto her to bee deliuered from this doubt Who being one day at Masse the Hoast before the saying of the Pater noster was gone out of his sight whereof as hee was in a great amazement the virgine Marie appeared vnto him holding her sonne Iesus betwixt her armes and said vnto him This is he whom I brought into this world this is he whom you haue consecrated this is he whom you haue held and touched with your hands and shewed to the people to be adored which you eate and drinke in the Sacrament behold here I giue you my Sonne with reuerence and deuotion to be receiued of you and so as shee presented him vnto him he changed at that instant againe into the forme of bread whom he receiued and so his doubt ceased Here you see courteous Reader strange miracles alledged by the Papists in confirmation of their doctrine one while the bread is vnseene then Christ and our Ladie and then againe the forme of bread another while a Mule forsaking his prouender to adore God in the Sacrament whether these be not such signes wonders and great prodigies as may seduce the elect if it were possible I leaue to the holy Ghost to informe you the truth saying Nolite eis credere beleeue them not And one more yet I will relate vnto your memorie which hath beene wrought of late yeares and may be esteemed for a notable lie Till Bred. 7. Col. sac c. 7. There was a certaine Caluinist that married a Catholike woman that is Papist that long endeuoured to induce her to heare a Caluinist Minister preach The wife after she had a long time contradicted him was at last constrained to goe by the rigorous speeches and threatnings of her husband yet did she first acquaint her ghostly father there with who aduised her to obey the commaundement of her husband and to goe onely once to the said Sermon yet with condition to goe first to Confession and to the Communion The woman hauing performed the aduise of her ghostly father strengthned with the Sacraments went to the Sermon and she was no sooner entred but the Preacher became as silent and mute as a fish yet said at last after a little pause Here is some bodie present that hath eaten of the bread of Papists which is the cause that I will now giue ouer preaching hoping to make recompence another time The husband who was present seeing the Preacher A pretie fiction to disgrace Caluinists by Gods permission to become silent and disabled to prosecute his matter for the presence of one that had receiued the holy Communion who being returned home enquired of his wife whether shee had not receiued the Communion that morning or not she without dissimulation answering yes her husband suddainly knew that this doctrine of the Caluinists was false and accursed in that being placed with the light of the Sacraments of the Catholike Church it withered so and came to nought whereupon presently he made a good fire burned all his bookes to pouder and ashes and became himselfe a child of the Catholike Church In which miracle first I obserue that the ghostly father of this woman gaue her leaue for obedience to her husband to go to the Church of Caluinists which how it can hang with the doctrine of Paule the fifths Breue who sheweth it vnlawfull for English Catholikes to goe to the Churches of Heretikes viz. of all Caluinists and Protestants that are so in his iudgement vnlesse it be said that the Church of Rome holds one doctrine of faith lawfull at one time that is not lawfull at another time I should be glad to be resolued But this I obserue to proceede from Gods prouidence that the inuentors of these and the like miracles for the confirmation of their doctrine in one point doth often in some circumstance or other shew such ignorance or falsehood that discouereth them either not to approue the matter they intend or else runneth into some other error lesse tolerable shewing them most plainely to be such signes and wonders as Christ giueth a Caueat of them Not to be beleeued Many other miracles I might here insert but that I will not be too tedious in such idle tales fitter to be told amongst children as fables than to any men of more ripe iudgement yet are they amongst the Clergie of Rome of such account that their Sermonists are stuffed with them as may be obserued in Iacobus de Voragine Iohannes Meff Bernard de Bust Philippus Dies and many the like and are held more profitable for the people than any other manner of doctrine Yet I obserue one thing by reading of their liues of Saints that many miracles which were authenticall for many hundred yeares past are now growne to be Apocryphall as may be seene by comparing the auncient liues of S. George S. Katherine the Queene and others with them as they are of late yeares corrected and written by Lipeloo following Baronius and other writers of the same kind 12 Now therefore to draw neere my conclusion My conclusion about miracles what fruit could I better gather vpon the due obseruation of Christs warning vnto the world Not to beleeue such miracles than that the Church of Rome cannot bee the true Church of God that either winketh or authoriseth infinite numbers in the same nature as these are of which I haue alreadie recorded out of her owne Writers for which cause I could not but abandon her Communion and flye to that Church which like a faithfull Spouse resteth contented with the former miracles where with Christs Church was begun and chiefely relying vpon the holy Scriptures and the auncient doctrine of the Primitiue Church Yet is not my opinion in this point of miracles so to bee vnderstood as that I doe thinke no true miracles at all shall euer be done in the declining age of Gods Church but I would haue it knowne that my iudgement is that none are to be beleeued which are pretended to be done in confirmation of new doctrines not taught in the Scriptures not knowne to the auncient Church because it is most euident that Christ hath forbidden all beleefe of them and therefore not to be esteemed of otherwise than as of illusions of Sathan wherewith to enchant soules and to make them beleeue lyes in stead of truth and verities Oh what a miserie is it to see how many simple sincere and ouer-credulous Christians are cousened with these deceits and illusions of the Diuell and the true markes of Antichrist Let me therfore entreat thee courteous reader to remember the predictions of these signes and wonders aboue mentioned forespoken of by Christ S. Paule and S. Iohn and not so fondly to be lead blind-folded to the eternall destruction of thy soule by too much credulitie Be not like the Scribes and Pharisies seeking after signes from heauen for the faith least you
for whereas before it is cited that he made Pope Sergius the ordainer of t is triple fraction Desancto Greg. Pap. ser 4. yet saith he in another place speaking of Greg. the great He ordained also that in the masse three parts should be made of the body of Christ to signifie that the mysticall body that is the faithful of Christ are diuided into 3. parts for that part which is put in the chalice hidden and put in the wine signifies that part which is in heauen which is hidden from all euills and is made drunk with the plenty of Gods house the other 2. parts signifie the 2. parts of the faithfull which areyet exposed to tribulations the one which in the world is exposed to much trouble the other which is in purgatory subiect to great tormēt Out of which Author by the way I obserue the great alteration made in the masse who saith that whereas the masse was first said confusedly he viz. Greg. adorned it beautifully appointed in to be sung in a threefold language to wit in the greeke as Kyrie-eleison in the hebrew as Amen and Alleluia in the latin as the rest By all which premises if I should adde herevnto the various meanings of the Priests turning one while his backe to the people another while his face Jbidem one while reading aloude as if he were chiding in an vnknowne tong otherwhile in silence as if he were asleep one while turning a half circle other while turning round the whole as if he were dancing Salingers round one while reading at the middle of the Altare then on the right end after hopping to the left like a nimble stage-plaier as I and others somtimes obserued in a quicke footed Iesuit not without smiling at such his antike gestures he did them with so ill a grace If I should adde all these the reading of thē would be too tedious yet by the former related the reader may iudge of the rest the true meaning whereof may be forged out of any priuate mans braine as he pleaseth as it appeares by the distracted senses of these already cited out of diuers Authors truely there is no man of a pious affectiō but may frame far more reuerēd ceremonies than any of these euen almost out of euery ordinary action How the Papists doe vse much to establish the doctrine of the Masse by the allegations of bastard fathers as for the antiquitie of the masses ceremonies most of them are but nouel in respect of the ancient and primitiue times of Gods church neither instituted by Christ or by any of the Apostles many of them ordained in imitation of the Roman heathenish ceremonies practised about the idolatrous worship of their false gods 7 It is strange notwithstanding very obseruable to note the frequent practise of Romish teachers in the citations of bastard Authors when by the ancient Fathers they go about to establish this doctrine of the masse in the mindes of those that are either too simple or ouer-credulous who are easie to be deceiued either by the good opinion they conceiue of them or by the long acquaintance familiar conuersation they haue long maintained but all is not gold that glisters the wolfe wil deceiue by he sheeps skin weeping Crocadils wil bite to death and sweet notes of singing Syrens drowne their hearers Euen so fares it spiritually with poore Romish Catholikes as they call thēselues when they lend their eares to the pretended antiquity the Priests will alleadge for their doctrine which especially is apparent in their proofs for the sacrifice of the masse Pag. 10. For M. Tho. Harding in his answer to M. Iewels challenge Pag. 320. as also M. Tho. Heskins in his Parliamēt do alleage Abdias bishop of Babilon who liued Ann. Dom. 44. vnder whose name there is a Book intituled The Stories of the Apostles which is iudged by Sixtus Senensis for a treatise fained vnder his name by cardinall Baro. is vtterly reiected yet M. Heskins saith For thy better confirmation gentle Reader I shal adde the testimony of Abdias Bish of Babylon Pag. 43. and a Disciple of the Apostles who writeth thus of the masse death of S. Mathew And when all had said Amen when all the Church had receiued the Masse To. 1. pag. 326. pag. 394. Abdias hist Apostol lib. 7. and the mysteries that were celebrated hee stayed himselfe that by the Altar where the body of Christ was by him consecrated there should his martirdome be solemnized These plaine words deuised and fathered vpon Abdias may iustly giue cause for men deceiued to looke about them what they beleeue not easily to beleeue all that either master Harding or master Heskins or others doe alleadge out of Antiquitie for many such counterfeit Writers are often all eadged because no better can bee found for the proofe of their false doctrine I finde likewise that Iodocus Coccius to establish the Masse citeth Clement a Bishoppe of Rome who liued in the yeare 80. as Author of the eight Bookes of Apostolicall Institutions To. 2. pag. 656. 868. To 1. pag. 117. and yet the Cardinall Baronius iudges them to be written in his name and Posseuinus the Iesuite seems to thinke it will be a hard matter to proue them to be either Apostolicall or lawfull or at the least written by Clement himselfe his words are these Turrianus hath not altogether amongst all proued or euicted those constitutions to the Apostolicall or lawfull Posseuin in Appar pag. 328. written by Clement himselfe And yet notwithstanding the Papists make no scruple to cite these bookes as most authenticall as heere Coccius doth So deale the Rhemists also to proue the sacrifice of the Masse alleaging Dionisius the Areopagit Pag. 204. who liued in the yeare 96. as Author of the celestial and ecclesiastical Hierarchy which book notwithstanding is reiected by Caietan that famous schoole-man among the Cardinals Cap. 3. as you shal find it written in Sixtus Senensis Pag. 61. So to proue the same doctrine Doctor Harding in his Reioynder against Iewels Replie of the Masse and also Cardinall Bellarmine alleage Arnobius who liued in the yeare three hundred Pag. 47. and pag 206. Tom. 3.955 as the Author of the Commentaries on all the Psalmes yet is it iudged by Sixtus Senensis by the incongruitie of the stile Pag. 262 et 201. innumberable soloecismes and barbarismes which are in it to be as farre different from his other writings as heauen is from earth and Posseuine saith of them Posseuin in Appar pag. 129. Neither are they approued by Sixtus Senensis nor by others So againe to establish the Masse Iodocus Coccius alleageth Damasus Pope of Rome Tom. 1.667 who liued in the yeare three hundred sixtie seuen as Author of the booke carrying this title of the liues of the Bishops of Rome commonly called Liber Pontificalis which booke Posseuine iudgeth to