omitting Personal Contests but inserting whatsoever concerns the common Cause of Protestants or defends the Church of England with an exact Table of Contents and an Addition of some genuine Pieces of Mr. Chillingworth's never before Printed viz. against the Infallibility of the Roman Church Transubstantiation Tradition c. And an Account of what moved the Author to turn Papist with his Confutation of the said Motives An Historical Treatise written by an AUTHOR of the Communion of the CHVRCH of ROME touching TRANSVBSTANTIATION Wherein is made appear That according to the Principles of THAT CHVRCH This Doctrine cannot be an Article of Faith. 40. The Protestant's Companion Or an Impartial Survey and Comparison of the Protestant Religion as by Law established with the main Doctrines of Popery Wherein is shewed that Popery is contrary to Scripture Primitive Fathers and Councils and that proved from Holy Writ the Writings of the Ancient Fathers for several hundred Years and the Confession of the most Learned Papists themselves 40. The Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by S. Paul in his first Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. Vers 15. 4o. The Peoples Right to read the Holy Scripture Asserted 4o. A Short Summary of the principal Controversies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome being a Vindication of several Protestant Doctrines in Answer to a Late Pamphlet Intituled Protestancy destitute of Scripture Proofs 4o. An Answer to a Late Pamphlet Intituled The Judgment and Doctrine of the Clergy of the Church of England concerning one Special Branch of the King's Prerogative viz. In dispensing with the Penal Laws 4o. A Discourse of the Holy Eucharist in the two great Points of the Real Presence and the Adoration of the Host in Answer to the Two Discourses lately Printed at Oxford on this Subject To which is perfixed a Large Historical Preface relating to the same Argument Two Discourses Of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead The Fifteen Notes of the Church as laid down by Cardinal Bellarmin examined and confuted 4o. With a Table of the Contents Preparation for Death Being a Letter sent to a young Gentlewoman in France in a dangerous Distemper of which she died By W. W. 12o. The Difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome in opposition to a late Book Intituled An Agreement between the Church of England and Church of Rome A PRIVATE PRAYER to be used in Difficult Times A True Account of a Conference held about Religion at London Sept. 29 1687 between A. Pulton Jesuit and Tho. Tenison D. D. as also of that which led to it and followed after it 4o. The Vindication of A. Cressener Schoolmaster in Long-Acre from the Aspersions of A. Pulton Jesuit Schoolmaster in the Savoy together with some Account of his Discourse with Mr. Meredith A Discourse shewing that Protestants are on the safer Side notwithstanding the uncharitable Judgment of their Adversaries and that Their Religion is the surest Way to Heaven 4o. Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist wherein is shewed that the Doctrine of Transubstantiation overthrows the Proofs of Christian Religion A Discourse concerning the pretended Sacrament of Extreme Vnction with an account of the Occasions and Beginnings of it in the Western Church In Three Parts With a Letter to the Vindicator of the Bishop of Condom The Pamphlet entituled Speculum Ecclesiasticum or an Ecclesiastical Prospective-Glass considered in its False Reasonings and Quotations There are added by way of Preface two further Answers the First to the Defender of the Speculum the Second to the Half-sheet against the Six Conferences A Second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the new Exceptions of Mons de Meaux late Bishop of Condom and his Vindicator The FIRST PART In which the Account that has been given of the Bishop of Meaux's Exposition is fully Vindicated the Distinction of Old and New Popery Historically asserted and the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in Point of Image-worship more particularly considered 40. The Incurable Scepticism of the Church of Rome By the Author of the Six Conferences concerning the Eucharist 40. Mr. Pulton Considered in his Sincerity Reasonings Authorities Or a Just Answer to what he hath hitherto Published in his True Account his True and full Account of a Conference c. His Remarks and in them his pretended Confutation of what he calls Dr. T 's Rule of Faith. By Tho. Tenison D. D. A Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Antient Church relating to the Eucharist wholly different from those of the Present Roman Church and inconsistent with the belief of Transubstantiation Being a sufficient Confutation of CONSENSVS VETERVM NVBES TESTIVM and other Late Collections of the Fathers pretending to the Contrary 40. A BRIEF DISCOURSE Concerning the NOTES OF THE CHURCH With some REFLECTIONS on Cardinal BELLARMIN's Notes LICENSED April 6. 1687. JO. BATTELY LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard MDCLXXXVII PAge 11. l. 15. for Character r. Charter and p. 14. l. 8. r. Charter p. 16. l. 12. after Ancient and Apostolick Church add Which is the same with his second Note concerning Antiquity which must refer to the Antiquity of its Doctrine for an Ancient Church tho founded many years since if it have innovated in Doctrine cannot plead Antiquity and a Church founded but yesterday which professes the Ancient Faith may p. 18. l. 6. f. first r. fifth p. 22. l. 14. f. now r. more A BRIEF DISCOURSE Concerning the Notes of the CHURCH c. IF Cardinal Bellarmin had not told us That this is a most profitable Controversie Controv. T. 2. L. 4 de Notis Ecclesiae I should very much have wondered at that pains which he and so many other of their great Divines have taken to find out the Notes of the Church For is not the Catholick Church visible And if we can see which is this Church what need we guess at it by marks and signs and that by such marks and signs too as are matter of dispute themselves Cannot we distinguish between the Christian Church and a Turkish Mosque or Jewish Synagogue or Pagan Temple Cannot we without all this ado distinguish a Christian from a Turk or a Jew or a Pagan And it will be as easie to find out a Christian Church as it is to find out Christians for a Christian Church is nothing else but a Society of Christians united under Christian Pastors for the Worship of Christ and where ever we find such a Society as this there is a Christian Church and all such particular or National Churches all the World over make up the whole Christian Church or the Universal Church of Christ But this will not do the Cardinal's business Though the Christian Church is visible enough yet not such a Church as he
first five hundred Years after Christ to refer us to the last five hundred Which is to confess the Novelty of their most beloved Doctrines And consequently to quit this Note of Antiquity as in Truth he plainly doth in that Book where being pressed with this Argument That no such Power was claimed in the first Times of the Church he answers ‖ Ib. cap. 3. p. 69. That he hath not right Conceptions of the Church of Christ who admits nothing but what he reads expresly written or done in the ancient Church For the Church of later time hath Power not only to explain and declare but constitute and command those things which belong to Faith and Manners Which is as much as to say they need not trouble themselves about Antiquity for they can make Articles of Faith now which were not heard of in the Beginning 2. We have often also told them by what steps Images crept into the Church For they remained at first only in private Houses for Ornament or for Commemoration and not uncensured There being above 300 Years past before they came into any Church and then not without Opposition and for this end only to be of an Historical use to remind People of things past Which improved in 300 Years more to a Rhetorical use as we may call it to stir up Devotion in the People For which purpose Gregory the Great fancied they were profitable and tho he by no means allowed them to be worshipped yet he thought the People might look upon them and worship God before them And this looking upon them to help Devotion was improved in the time of the second Nicene Council into a downright worshipping of them which would not pass in these Western Parts for good Doctrine And when at last we know and have told them by what steps this new Worship advanced hither and grew to a greater Degree of Religious Respect than that Nicene Council admitted the most zealous Defenders of it could not agree about it nor do they know what to make of it to this day We could tell them of other things that are much newer for it is but a little more than 100 Years since unwritten Traditions were decreed to be a part of the Rule of Faith that is of the Word of God. But this is sufficient to shew that they vainly boast of Antiquity which is only ancient Error and some of it not very ancient neither As for ancient Truth that 's on our side whom they most injuriously accuse of following Novelties III. For the Religion of the Church of England by Law established is the true Primitive Christianity In nothing New unless it be in rejecting all that Novelty which hath been brought into the Church But they are the Cause of that for if they had not introduced new Articles we should not have had occcasion for such Articles of Religion as condemn them Which cannot indeed be old because the Doctrines they condemn are new tho the Principle upon which we condemn them is as old as Christianity we esteeming all to be new which was not from the Beginning For as for our positive Doctrine Polydore himself hath given a true Account of it and makes it the Reason why the Sect called Evangelick as he speaks increased so marvelously in a short time because they affirmed that no Law was to be received which appertains to the Salvation of Souls but that which Christ or the Apostles had given * L. viii cap. 4. de rerum Inventoribus And who dare say that this is a new Religion which is as old as Christ and his Apostles With whom whosoever agree they are truly ancient Churches tho of no longer standing than Yesterday As they that disagree with them are New tho they can run up their Pedigree to the very Apostles Thus Tertulian †L. de praescript c. xxxii discourses with whose Words something contracted I shall conclude As the Doctrine of a Church when it is divers from or contrary unto that of the Apostles shews it not to be an Apostolick Church tho it pretend to be founded by an Apostle So those Churches that cannot produce any of the Apostles or Apostolical Men for their Founders being much later and newly constituted yet conspiring in the same Faith are nevertheless to be accounted Apostolick Churches because of the CONSANGVINITY OF DOCTRINE THE END LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard 1687. The Third Note of the CHURCH EXAMINED VIZ DURATION Tertia Nota est Duratio diuturna nec unquam interrupta Bellarm L. iv c. vi IMPRIMATUR Apr. 30. 1687. GVIL. NEEDHAM HOW far the Church of God is beholden to the Industry of some Learned Men in the Church of Rome for the Notes they give of a Church is not my Business at present to examine But those of the Reformed Religion must acknowledg themselves obliged to them for so frankly quitting those Characters which are essential to every true Church and for taking up with such as either apparently belong not to their Church or belong to other Churches as well as theirs or lastly such as may be found in a false Church as well as a true This might easily be proved against them through the fifteen Notes which are offered by them to the World But I shall content my self to give an Instance of it in the Note of Duration which is made by them a necessary Mark of the true Church In Prosecution of which I shall consider I. What is to be understood by the Term Duration II. How far Duration may be said to be a Note of the true Church III. Whether the Church of Rome hath a sufficient Title to this Character § I. Duration according to Bellarmin is the continuance of a Church throughout all Times without Interruption and he adds that the Catholick Church is so called not only because it always hath been but also because it always will be So that this Duration doth include in it these three Things 1. The Being of a Church from the Beginning 2. The Continuance of that Church to the End. 3. The Continuance of that Church from the Beginning to the End without Interruption Let us now see how he applies it to the Case It 's evident saith he that our Church hath continued from the beginning of the World hitherto Or if we speak of the State of the New Testament it hath endured from Christ to this Year 1557. The Year when he wrote this But for all his Beginning its evident there is no Proof of what he affirms and his Assertion is very insufficient 1. That he takes it for granted that his Church and the Christian Church are one and the same and that there is no other true Church but his It 's evident our Church c. 2. That he has omitted two main Branches of his Duration viz. That part of it which was to the end of the World which is
England to settle all and reconcile the Nation to the Church of Rome These things were so well known that Strada the Jesuit after a Narrative of this lamentable Overthrow for fear it should be made use of to the disadvantage of his Catholick Cause as if Almighty God had manifestly favoured the Hereticks in the conclusion of all effectually confutes this last Note of Bellarmin's For when he had intimated what an Unhappiness it was to the Queen and Her Subjects that they had not the good Luck to be conquered as the Pope and the Spaniard had most lovingly designed Neque se magis pios venditare potuerint quia fortunatiores fuêre nisi forte c. he tells us that the English could not therefore boast they were the more Holy because they had been the more Fortunate unless perhaps they should think the Misbelief of the Saracens and Turks were to be preferred before the Christian Religion because in many successful Engagements they had often defeated the Forces which the Christians had with much labour brought together To this we willingly agree and are glad that our Cause does not stand in need of such weak Supports But then if good Success will not be allowed to make for us when it is on our Side there can be no reason it should be brought as an Argument against us when it happens to be on Theirs After this it would be superfluous to reckon up any more of Queen Elizabeth's Felicities he that would undertake to recount them all must write the History of her Reign And whoever is acquainted with that will find it true what Anne D'est Dutchess of Guise and Nemours to whose House the Queen had been no Friend was wont ingenuously to acknowledg That she was the most Glorious and Fortunate Woman that ever swayed a Scepter Thuan. lib. 129. This Testimony which was given her by so great a Person that could not possibly be suspected of Flattery is very considerable but the Character that was bestowed upon her by King James the First some time before he succeeded her in the Throne is greater than this and more to be valued because of the Impartiality and Wisdom of the Royal Author His Words concerning her are these There is a LAWFVL QVEEN there in England presently reigning K. James his Works p. 147. who hath so long with so great Wisdom and Felicity governed her Kingdoms as I must in trew Sincerity confess the like hath not been read nor heard either in our Time or since the Days of the Roman Emperour Augustus The Authority of so great and wise a Prince may be enough not only to secure her Memory from the malicious Attempts of envious trifling Pens but to put the Happiness and Prosperity of her Government out of question And if Bellarmin's Note of Temporal Felicity might be suffered to take place her Example alone would be sufficient to prove the Church of England the true Church and the Imputations of Heresy and Schism which are wont to be urged with so much Clamour must by Consequence be retorted upon His. But I hope I have shewed that this can be no Note that if it were the Instances he has brought do not prove what he would have and that others may be pleaded as plausibly for the contrary side And indeed any that considers it must needs wonder that the Cardinal's Mind should be so blinded with Worldly Success and Greatness or whatever it were as to cause him in the last Place where we might have expected his greatest Strength to put in such a frivolous Note that may be easily turned a thousand several ways that will fit the Alcoran as well as the Council of Trent and at best makes his Church altogether as various and uncertain as the Fortune of War. I should here have made an end but that I have met with a late Writer that undertakes to shew the Vse and great Moment of the Notes of the Church c. And he tells us that Cardinal Bellarmine after others hath Pag. 1. to very good purpose lent his helping Hand to shew us the City on a Hill and hath given us Marks which one would think carry Majesty in their Faces And a while after he imagines that the Author of the Discourse concerning the Notes of the Church Pag. 3. durst not let them pass by us in their Majestick Train lest his Reader with Saba 's Queen should be daz'led at the Glory transported as she was that there was no Life in her For says he they seem to a single not malignant Eye even triumphant Notes of the militant Church And then he leads them out in great State Pag. 4. as he thinks As first Let me have leave to reckon them Ay with all my Heart well then The Name Catholick how sacred to all those who own any of the three Creeds really and veritably The Second its Antiquity How indubitable and above all suspition of Novelty And so he goes on and shews them all in good Order till he comes to the three last and there he draws the Curtain as if he were afraid any Body should see their Majestick Faces Pag. 5. To say nothing concerning the Confession of Adversaries and unhappy Exit of the Churches Enemies Here are two of the Number which he does but just give us a little glimpse of and then pops 'em away presently out of sight But poor Temporal Felicity is served worst of all it has not the Honour to be so much as named he has not bestowed one Syllable upon it though I take it to be as Triumphant a Note as any of the rest But for all that it was cunningly done to drop it for he could not choose but be aware that the Hereticks might sometimes pretend to a share of it Now when he had given us such a view of the Majestick Train as he thought fit he concludes the Paragraph with an artificial Epiphonema adorned with a very Pathetical Ingemination These These are the NOTES which like a Bill in Parliament deserve what a second Reading Parturiunt Montes O the virtue of Butler's Rhetorick But really I am afraid that These These NOTES These Triumphant NOTES as they are by him drawn up would be so far from being thought worthy of a second Reading that they would certainly be thrown out of the House However I have look'd steadily upon them more than once as they are represented by him and as they are laid down in the Cardinal 's Original and I have not yet been able to discover the Majesty one would think they carry in their Faces but in my Opinion some of their Faces would have been a great deal better if they had had any Foreheads I have carefully beheld their Majestick Train in its full length and yet never fell in a Swoon with Saba's Queen nay I have not had so much as the least Qualm of Fear or Admiration upon me and my Eyes were so far
172. The Eighth Note Sanctity of Doctrine THat this Note as well as the others is far from performing what is promised for it by the Cardinal is sufficiently made evident by four Particulars p. 173. I. What is here meant by Sanctity of Doctrine p. 174. Tho' that is the best and purest Church which hath the least of Error and Corruption in its Doctrine and Discipline yet that which is the best is not the only true Church p. 157. II. That Sanctity of Doctrine i.e. a pure profession of true Religion without any mixture of Error is no true Note or Character whereby a man may distinguish the true Church from all false Churches p. 176. That this can be no true Note of the true Church made evidently appear from the consideration of those necessary Properties of all true Notes by which Things are to be known and distinguished p. 177. These are Four. 1. Every true Note ought to be common to all of the same kind with the thing which it notifies p. 177 to 180. 2. Every true Note ought to be proper and peculiar to that kind of things of which it is a Note and not common to Things of another kind p. 181. 3. Every true Note ought to be more known than the Thing which it notifies p. 182 183. 4. Every true Note ought to be inseparable to the Thing which it notifies p. 184 to 188. III. In what sense this may be a Note of the true Church p. 189. That is a true Church which professes all the Essential Articles of Christian Faith and receives all the Essential parts of Christian Worship and Discipline p. 190. The Church of England willing to be tried by this p. 192. IV. According to the Principles of the Church of Rome the true Church is not to be found by this Note in which soever of the two Senses we understand it ibid. This clearly made out in Four Particulars 1. The Church of Rome decryes mens private judgment of Discretion as utterly insufficient to make any certain distinction of Truth from Falshood in matters of Religion p. 194. 2. Shee allows no sufficient Rule without the true Church to guide and direct our private Judgment of Discretion p. 195. Which is the true Church not to be resolved by Principles of Nature but those of Revelation p. 196. No other Rule while we are out of the Church to direct us in this Enquiry but only that of Scripture ibid. This the Church of Rome tells us is insufficient and that for two Reasons 1. Because the Scripture is not full enough as to all Doctrines of Faith and Manners And therefore there are certain unwritten Traditions in the Church of equal Authority with it by which its defects are supplied p. 197. 2. Because it is not clear enough the Sense of it being so obscurely expressed that we can never be certain what it is without the interpretation of the true Church p. 198. These considered and answered 3. The Church of Rome resolves all certainty as to matters of Faith into the Authority of the true Church which indeed is the Fundamental Principle of Popery p. 199. A short Dialogue upon this Argument between a Papist and Protestant p. 200 to 202. 4. The Church of Rome gives Authority to the true Church to impose upon us a necessity of believing such Things as before they were not obliged to believe p. 203. to the End. The Ninth Note Efficacy of Doctrine BY Efficacy of Doctrine Two Things understood Either 1. The power which the Word of God hath in the hearts of particular men to dispose them to believe aright and to live well Or 2 That Success which it hath in drawing Multitudes outwardly to profess and embrace it p. 209. The first too inward and the second which is that which the Cardinal understands by it too uncertain a thing to be a Note of a True Church ibid. Many other things besides Efficacy of Doctrine which have and may convert whole Nations to the Christian Religion such as hopes and fears outward force necessity p. 210. An Instance hereof in the Conversions wrought by Charles the Great p. 211. The difference between such Conversions and those which were made in the first Ages of the Church p. 212. In answer to the Cardinal upon this Note Three things laid down I. That the prevalency of any Doctrine can be no Note of a True Church p. 213. This appears 1. From what our Saviour hath said in this matter ibid. 214. 2. From the Consideration of the Temper and Constitution of Mankind p. 215. to 217. 3. From plain matter of Fact. p. 218 219. Error hath such an influence often up n mens minds that they have rejected Truth and preferred the most gross and impious Opinions before it ibid. This apparent from the Histories of all Ages ibid. More particularly in the Case of Arianism p. 219. And in that of Mahomitanism p. 220. The Conversions wrought by those if the Greek Church whom the Church of Rome accounts Hereti ks p. 221. The Efficacy of the Reformed Doctrine ibid. II. That the Prevalency of the Doctrine professed in the Church of Rome is no Note of its being a True Church p. 222. And that for these reasons 1. Because of that great mixture of Errors which there is with the Truth which it professes p. 223. 2. Because the Doctrine of the Church of Rome is so much altered from what it formerly was ibid. 3. Because it hinders those who embrace it from throughly examining it p. 224. 4. Because Art and Force have sometimes been made use of to make it prevail p. 225. III. The Arguments the Cardinal makes use of to prove this to be a Note of the True Church proved to be Insufficient p. 226. 1. His Arguments from the Scriptures considered ibid. 2. His Arguments from the prevalency of the Christian Doctrine in the beginning of the Church examined p. 227. 3. His Arguments from the particular Instances which he gives of Conversions wrought by those of the Church of Rome reflected on p. 227. I. The Conversion of the English by Austin the Monk considered p. 228. Four Things alledged in answer to it ibid. 2. The Conversion of the People of Franconia by Kilianus replied to p. 228 229. 3. The Conversion of a great part of Germany by Vinofrid otherwise called Boniface considered ibid. The Conversion of the Vandals of the Danes of the Bulgarians Slavonians c. Ascribed to other Causes than the naked Efficacy of the Christian Doctrine ibid. The Barbarous Cruelties that were used by the Spaniards in the Conversion of the Indians p. 230. The Instance of Heraclius the Emperors Letter to Dagobert King of France concerning the method he made use of for the Conversion of the Jews p. 231. The Conclusion The Tenth Note Holiness of LIFE IN this Argument it is shewn I. What the Notion of Holiness is p. 233. Holiness is of Two kinds 1. Holiness of Calling and Dedication What
meant by it p. 234. 2. Holiness of Mind and Manners What understood by it ibid. II. Neither of these kinds of Holiness can be properly called a Note of the True Church ibid. Not the first because it appertains to its Essence and Constitution shews what a Church is and belongs to every Church whether Greek Abyssine Roman or English p. 235. Not the Second kind and that for Three Reasons 1. Because of that general admission of men of all Nations and Conditions upon their profession of the common Christianity into the bosome of the Christian Church p. 236. 2. Because many men live sometimes with more and sometimes with less Morality p. 237. 3. Because a man must first understand the Nature and Doctrine of the Christian Church or he cannot know what Sanctity is and what that is in the Life of any man which he is to take for the Holiness of a Christian p. 238. III. If Holiness of Life were a Note of the true Church the Roman Church would not from this concession derive any great advantage p. 239. Other Churches as famous as that of Rome for their Faith and manners ibid. In latter Ages the goodness of Morals in several of that Communion to be ascribed not so much to Popery as its cause but to those Principles that are common to all Christians p. 240. The Reformation not free from bad Men tho this proceeds from the Men not from the Cause ibid. Luther herein misrepresented by Bellarmine and others p. 241. Great complaints of Corruptions in the Romists Writers in the Latin Church p. 242. Many in the Romish Church Infamous for their Impieties p. 243. Reflections on Pope Gregory the Great who is said to be the last of the good and the first of the bad p. 244. On Pope John the XII p. 245. On St. Dominick ibid. On the Austerities and Mortifications of their several Orders p. 246. Many things in the Roman Church which by helping forward an ill life do in part deface this mark of Sanctity p. 248. The Eleventh Note The Glory of Miracles BEllarmins Explication of this Note and the grounds upon which he builds it p. 250. In answer to this Three things are laid down I. That meer Miracles withou any other consideration are not a sufficient Note of any Church or Religion whatever p. 252. The Miracles of the Primitive Church compared with those that are more peculiarly appropriated to the Church of Rome p. 253. The several Circumstances considered which recommend the Primitive Miracles viz. 1. That they were highly beneficial to Human Nature p. 254. The Miracles of the Church of Rome very many of them defective herein p. 255. 2. The Primitive Miracles of great importance and significancy and the design of them plainly laid down before-hand in the Prophecies of the V. T. p. 256. This applied to those of the Church of Rome p. 257. Miracles in the most comprehensive sense of the Word are no proof of the Truth and Divinity of that Doctrine they would advance p. 258. This Instanced in those of Jannes and Jambres and of Apollonius Tyaneus p. 259. Photius his Censure of those of Apollonius Tyaneus p. 260. Miracles whether supposed in a Heathen or a Heretick not acknowledged by the Fathers to be a good proof that either of them are in the right p. 261. This apparent from St. Origen ibid. St. Cyprian ib. St. Irenaeus p. 162. St. Austin p. 263. II. Miracles of the Church of Rome no proof or confirmation of those Doctrines Practices wherein the Reformed Church differs from them p. 264. Here three Things are considered 1. That there is no ground throughout the whole Scriptures to expect any Miracle for the Confirmation of any particular Doctrine whatever p. 265. This evident from the Mosaic dispensation ibid. The Christian Institution p. 266. The following Ages of the Church ibid. 2. Many of those Doctrines for which these Miracles are alledged are so far from being asserted or warranted in the Holy Scriptures that they are rather contrary to them ibid. This Instanced in Transubstantiation p. 266 267. Adoration of the Host p. 266 267. Worshipping of Images p. 266 267. Praying to Saints departed p. 266 267. Purgatory c. p. 266 267. Miracles for the advance or support of those Doctrines justly suspected p. 268. 3. No ground of certainty as to matter of Fact of most of those miracles which the Romanists make the Glory of their Church p. 269. The Story of the Bones of Babylas considered ibid. Those of Gâ—rvatius and Proatsius revealed by Vision to St. Ambrose reflected on p. 270. The fabulous Stories of later Ages amongst them condemned by several Writers of the Church of Rome p. 271. 1 Persons St. Bernard reflected on p. 273. St. John Damascen p. 274. Some Miracles wrought in confirmation of Transubstantiation considered p. 273 c. III. We of the Reformed Religion as we do not pretend to the Working of Miracles in our Age so if we did we could pretend to prove nothing by them but what hath been already sufficiently proved by the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles p. 280. The Twelfth Note The Light of Prophecy TWO Things to be understood by the Light of Prophecy 1. That Divine Revelation whereby a man is enabled to foretel such or such contingent Events will come to pass p. 285. 2. Or the Testimony that is given by the fulfilling of Prophecies to some Doctrine that was designed to be confirmed by it p. 286. In the latter sense it may be admitted as a mark or rather an Argument of that Doctrine the Profession whereof makes the Church p. 287. Great caution must be used in laying down the fulfilling the Predictions as an Argument to prove the Truth of Christianity ibid. Two Things here Examined I. Whether this be a Note of the Church The Cardinal offers three Arguments to prove it p. 288. The first of them disproved and the Prophecy of Joel applied by St. Peter Acts 2.16 to the Church explained and vindicated p. 289. His second Argument that none knows future Contingences but God only considered p. 290. His third Argument from the 18th of Deut. examined and overthrown p. 291. The foretelling of a future contingent Event no certain Note of true Doctrine ibid. There have been true Prophecies among Heathens the famous Acrostic of the Sybilla Erythroea the Books of Hystaspes the prediction of Balaam which shew the gift of Prophecy not to be confined within the Communion of the Church p. 292 293. Light of Prophecy no Note of the Church because separable from it there having been true Prophecy out of the Church and because it hath not alwayes continued in the Church p. 294. II. If it was a Note the Cardinal hath not sufficiently proved it belongs to his Church and no others p. 295. His Instance of Agabus and the Old Prophets may serve any Christian Church as well if not better than his ibid. His Instance of Gregory Thaumat Bishop
whole Work. p. 390. FINIS Books Printed for and Sold by Richard Chiswell Dr. CAve's Lives of the Primitive Fathers in 2 Vol. Folio Dr. Cary's Chronological Account of Ancient Time. fol. Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity fol. Sir John Burlace's History of the Irish Rebellion fol. The Laws of this Realm concerning Jesuits Seminary Priests Recusants the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegiance explained by divers Judgments and Resolutions of the Judges with other Observations thereupon By William CawleyEsq fol. Dr. Towerson's Explication on the Creed the Commandments and Lord's Prayer in 3 Vol. fol. Bishop Nicholson on the Church-Catechism 40. Mr. John Cave's seven occasional Sermons 40. Bishop Wilkin's Natural Religion 80. His Fifteen Sermons 80. Mr. Tanner's Primordia Or the Rise and Growth of the first Church of God described 80. Spaniards Conspiracy against the State of Venice 80. Dr. Cave's Primitive Christianity in three parts 80. Certain genuine Remains of the Lord Bacon in Arguments Civil Moral Natural c. with a large account of all his Works By Dr. Tho. Tenison 80. Dr. Henry Bagshaw's Discourses on select Texts 80. Mr. Seller's State of the Church in the three first Centuries Dr. Burnet's Account of the Life and Death of the Earl of Rochester 80. Vindication of the Ordinations of the Church of England 80. History of the Rights of Princes in the Disposing of Ecclesiastical Benefices and Church-lands 80. Relation of the present state of the difference between the French King and the Court of Rome to which is added the Pope's Brief to the Assembly of the Clergy and their Protestation published by Dr. Burnet 80. Dr. Cumber's Companion to the Altar 80. Dr. Sherlock's Practical Discourse of Religious Assemblies 80. Defence of Dr. Stillingfleet's Unreasonableness of Separation 80. A Vindication of the Defence of Dr. Stillingfleet in answer to Mr. Baxter and Mr. Lob about Catholick Communion 80. Sir Rob. Filmer's Patriarcha or natural Power of Kings 80. Bishop Wettenball's Method and Order for private Devotion 125. Valentine's Private Devotions 40. Dr. Spencer de Legibus Hebraeorum Ritualibus earum Rationibus fol. Dr. John Lightsoot's Works in English in 2 Vol. fol. Sir Tho. Brown's Vulgar Errors with all the rest of his Works fol. Patris Simonii Disquisitiones Criticae de Variis per diversa Loca Tempora Bibliorum Editionibus Accedunt Castigat Opusc Is Vossii de Sibyllinis Oraculis 40. The Case of Lay-Communion with the Church of England considered 40. Two Letters betwixt Mr. R. Smith and Dr. Hen. Hammond about Christ's Descent into Hell. 80. Dean Stratford's Disswasive from Revenge 80. Dr. Hez Burton's first Volume of Discourses of Purity and Charity of Repentance and of seeking the Kingdom of God. Published by Dean Tillotson 80. Sir Thomas More 's Vtopia newly made English by Dr. Burnet 80. Mr. Seller's Devout Communicant assisted with Rules Meditations Prayers and Anthems 12â— Dr. Towerson of the Sacraments in General Of the Sacrament of Baptism in particular 80. The History of the COVNCIL of TRENT in which besides the Ordinary Acts of the Council are declared many notable Occurrences which hapned in Christendom for 40 Years and particularly the Practices of the COVRT of ROME to hinder the Reformation of Their Errors and to maintain Their Greatness Written by Father Paul of the SERVI To which is added the Life of the Author and the History of the Inquisition Books lately Printed for Richard Chiswell Dr. Burnets History of the Reformation of the Church of England in 2 Vol. Fol. A Collection of Sixteen several Tracts and Discourses Written in the Years from 1678 to 1685. inclusive by Gilbert Burnet D. D. To which are added A Letter written to Dr. Burnet giving an Account of Cardinal Pool's Secret Powers The History of the Powder-Treason with a Vindication of the Proceedings thereupon An Impartial Consideration of the Five Jesuits dying Speeches who were Executed for the Popish Plot 1679. 40. A Dissertation concerning the Government of the Ancient Church more particularly of the Encroachments of the Bishops of Rome upon other Sees By WILLIAM CAVE D. D. Octavo An Answer to Mr. Serjeant's Sure Footing in Christianity concerning the Rule of Faith With some other Discourses By WILLIAM FALKNER D. D. 40. A Vindication of the Ordinations of the Church of England in Answer to a Paper written by one of the Church of Rome to prove the Nullity of our Orders By GILBERT BVRNET D. D. Octavo An Abridgment of the History of the Reformation of the Church of England By GILB BVRNET D. D. Octavo The APOLOGY of the Church of England and an Epistle to one Signior Scipio a Venetian Gentleman concerning the Council of Trent Written both in Latin by the Right Reverend Father in God JOHN JEWEL Lord Bishop of Salisbury Made English by a Person of Quality To which is added The Life of the said Bishop Collected and written by the same Hand Octavo The Life of WILLIAM BEDEL D. D. Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland Together with Certain Letters which passed betwixt him and James Waddefworth a late Pensioner of the Holy Inquisition of Sevil in Matters of Religion concerning the General Motives to the Roman Obedience Octavo The Decree made at ROME the Second of March 1679. condemning some Opinions of the Jesuits and other Casuists Quarto A Discourse concerning the Necessity of Reformation with respect to the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome Quarto First and Second Parts A Discourse concerning the Celebration of Divine Service in an Unknown Tongue Quarto A Papist not Misrepresented by Protestants Being a Reply to the Reflections upon the Answer to A Papist Misrepresented and Represented Quarto An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England in the several Articles proposed by the late BISHOP of CONDOM in his Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church Quarto A Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the Exceptions of Monsieur de Meaux late Bishop of Condom and his Vindicator 40. A CATECHISM explaining the Doctrine and Practices of the Church of Rome With an Answer thereunto By a Protestant of the Church of England 80. A Papist Represented and not Misrepresented being an Answer to the First Second Fifth and Sixth Sheets of the Second Part of the Papist Misrepresented and Represented and for a further Vindication of the CATECHISM truly representing the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome Quarto The Lay-Christian's Obligation to read the Holy Scriptures Quarto The Plain Man's Reply to the Catholick Missionaries 240. An Answer to THREE PAPERS lately printed concerning the Authority of the Catholick Church in Matters of Faith and the Reformation of the Church of England Quarto A Vindication of the Answer to THREE PAPERS concerning the Unity and Authority of the Catholick Church and the Reformation of the Church of England Quarto Mr. Chillingworth's Book called The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation made more generally useful by
from themselves is consistent with their Nature and for all which if the Errors are not fundamental they are Churches still but to find Errors and Contradictions in an Infallible Church is to confound the nature of things to give the Infallible Church no advantage over the Fallible and to expose the Persons that betake themselves to that shelter to all the Disquietudes Uncertainties and Disappointments of Ignorance and Error For what is the usual Reason given for forsaking other Churches but because they are Fallible What is the Reason why they go over to the Church of Rome but because she is as they are made to believe Infallible But if with her Infallibility she has mistaken if with her Certainty she contradicts her self if she was one thing in one Age and another in another then there is the same Reason to quit the Church of Rome as there was to imbrace it and such persons must either be contented with a Church that is Fallible or be of none THE END Pag. 63. Marg. lin ult read in Apoc. 17. 5. LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. The Fourth Note of the CHURCH EXAMINED VIZ AMPLITUDE or Multitude and Variety of Believers Quarta Nota est Amplitudo sive Multitudo Varietas Credentium Bellarm. L. iv c. vii de Notis Ecclesiae IMPRIMATUR Apr. 27. 1687. GVIL. NEEDHAM WE could very willingly appeal to our Adversaries themselves were they unconcerned whether a plainer Proof can be given of a Baffled Cause in a Controversy relating to any Point of revealed Religion than for the Assertors of it to decline maintaining it by those Books which alone can acquaint us with Divine Revelations But 't is Notorious that the Romanists are highly chargeable upon this Account in their Endeavours to persuade the World that theirs is the only true Church They need not be told that we are beholden to the Holy Scriptures for our having any Notion of such a thing as a Church and they and we are agreed that that only is the true Christian Church which professeth the true Christian an Faith and therefore how is it possible they should not be aware that the best way to be satisfied whether those who challenge to themselves the Title of the True and Catholick Church have it really belonging to them is to examine their Faith by the Holy Scriptures Which 't is hard to imagine they can think to be so imperfect a Rule of Faith as to believe it a justifiable thing to be so averse to this Method as we have ever found they are This we of the Reformation have always stuck to and we are desirous of nothing more than that it may be tryed by the Faith we profess whether we are sound Members of the Catholick Church and the soundness of our Faith may be tryed by the Scriptures But instead of taking this Course those of the Roman Communion have invented and do insist on a Company of Notes and Characters of the Church which are either not to be met with or are far from being plainly delivered in Scripture Had this been our practice I appeal to their own Consciences whether they could have imputed it to a better Cause than our being conscious to our selves of the disagreeableness of our Faith with the Doctrine of Scripture and our not daring to have it brought to this Touch-stone Of this sort of Notes Cardinal Bellarmine hath given us no fewer than Fifteen among which he could afford no Place to this Note of ours though 't is as evident as the Light that this one alone would have signified much more to his Purpose than all that long Bead-roul put together The Design of this Discourse is to examine his Fourth Note viz. Amplitudo sive Multitudo Varietas Credentium Amplitude or Multitude and Variety of Believers And how far he makes it to extend his next Words inform us viz. Ecclesia enim verè Catholica non solum debet amplecti omnia Tempora sed etiam omnia Loca omnes Nationes omnia Hominum Genera The truly Catholick Church ought not only to comprehend all Ages but also all Places all Nations and all Sorts of Men. And First He endeavours to prove this to be a true Note Secondly To make it to belong to the Church of Rome and to her alone Thirdly To perswade us that those particularly who call themselves the Reformed Churches can lay no claim to it And it shall be my Business First To shew that this cannot be a Note of the true Church And Secondly Supposing it to be so that the Church of Rome will however gain nothing by it as to her Pretension nor the Reformed Churches lose any thing Nay on the contrary that it will quite overthrow her Pretension of being the whole Catholick Church and do the Reformed Churches as great Service as Her Prejudice First I will briefly shew that this cannot be a Note of the true Church By a Note is understood a distinguishing Character but this is such a Character of the true Church as no one could less distinguish it And that whether we consider the Members thereof under either the notion of a great Multitude or a great Multitude of Believers Considering them under the Notion of a great Multitude the Church which is Christ's Kingdom is far from being distinguishable as such from the Kingdom of Satan which was always incomparably more numerous Or from that part of it which consisteth of Idolatrous Pagans What Romanist can boast of his Church in reference to this Note as Demetrius the Silver-Smith did of his Diana when he said That all Asia and the World worshipped her Nor can the Church of Christ by the Number of its Members be distinguished from the Worshippers of that great Impostor Mahomet which the Sons of the Roman Church must especially grant to be far exceeding the Members of Christ's true Church in Number since they make themselves the only Catholicks Again considering them under the Notion of a great Multitude of Believers there was an Age in which the Orthodox Christians could not be distinguished from Hereticks by the greatness of their Number whom the Romanists will not admit to be Members of the Church in any sense for in the Reign of Arrianism ingenuit Orbis mirabatur c. The World lamented and wondred to find it self turned Arrian saith St. Hierom. And it became a Proverb Athanasius against the whole World and the whole World against Athanasius And lastly the Church of Christ is not to be thus distinguished from the Kingdom of Antichrist I wish our Adversaries could impartially consider whose Note that of having Power given him over all Kindreds and Tongues and Nations is most likely to be Apoc. 13.7 And who it is that is described by sitting as upon seven Hills so upon many Waters Chap. 17.1 Which Waters are Peoples and Multitudes and Nations Vers 15. and Tongues These
we of more than 200 Certainly the Argument from Succession here is much stronger the nearer it comes to the Original from which all the Authority and Virtue in the following are derived the Water may be supposed clearer and more natural the nearer to the Fountain-Head There is at least some danger from every Remove or Change made I am apt to think they themselves will hardly suppose they have a better Argument from Succession than those had 1200 or more Years since For if it be good now be sure it was so then But it will not follow alternately if then good it must hold so still The Case may be presum'd much different in the Succession of Ecclesiastical Dignities and Secular in this latter it may be suppos'd the Title gathers still more strength by the length of its Continuance is more confirm'd by long Possession many super induct Obligations but was it may be weakest in its Beginnings as in most particular Governments now when of a meer Human Original so far as we may with due Modesty and Reverence look that way But Spiritual Power in whomsoever where Legitimate can only descend at first from an immediate Divine Commission and that we may suppose gains nothing by passing through Human Hands and Infirmities being most strong and powerful in its first rise Indeed did the Cardinal only argue for a Temporal and Ecclesiastical Monarchy and would he be content to begin it after Pope Gregory the First and then to rise by degrees for a while Succession appears to me the best Argument they have However it is much easier to shew fair Evidences of the unaltered conveyance of the same Truth from one to another when it hath gone through so few Hands and that the eldest bears its Date but a very few Centuries of as Irenaeus expresly in the place cited l. 3. c. 3. and Epiphanius Hom. 27. Carpocrat p. 104. than it can be when they are multiplied to the present number and the Foot-steps of its continued Passage are almost worn out through so long a tract of Time and numerous cross Accidents Yet to give them their due the eminent Zeal of several of their first Bishops that Sealed to the Custody of the true Faith with their Blood being still as it were in view of their Persecutors their general Constancy thereto in which so many wavered or fell in the time of the Arian Persecution the Relief and Refuge they then and after afforded to such as suffered in that or like Causes as well as the Prerogative of their Place in the Imperial City and the current Tradition of their Churches first Foundation by the joint Labours of those chief Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul these gave them great credit in those Ages and while they used their Power so well every one was ready to enlarge it and to flee thither for Sanctuary when oppress'd In which case Men are very apt to speak bountifully of their Patrons And no marvel if they single out sometimes so venerable a Name and Authority to oppose and even to bear down the impertinent Obstinacy and peevish Presumption of every new upstart Schismatick or Heretick that would dictate to us strange and unheard-of Principles and unchurch all before or beside themselves and must begin the Date of it from themselves For thus most of the Citations mention'd are plainly levell'd And in such a Case we should judg the arguing sufficient still to silence such an insolent Boaster though we should begin the Succession no sooner than the time they ended and when we own Religion began to decline in some parts but sure not to expire Nay I could add though we should rise no higher than the Reformation it self as late as it was and how contemptuously soever they are pleased sometimes to speak of the happy Instruments thereof An extraordinary Providence also seems to have attended the Preservation of them so long under the Arian Gothick Kings and a strange temporal Felicity in being still Gainers in the end by all the Invasions and Calamities incident to so many Changes of Government by which most beside were Losers But I should think if they consulted Scripture Reason and Experience of former Examples with present sensible Observation more than any fancied Schemes and Models of their own what they would judg best to have done They might think it not unlikely at least be more willing to stand to the tryal whether it be not so that upon so long a continued and still growing accession of Wealth and Greatness to their Church many and great Corruptions might creep in which we charge them with and have only removed by the Reformation without turning them or our Ancestors out of the Church before or our selves since If the Favours they have so long enjoyed make them more industrious and cautious in the Examination of themselves to reform whatever they can find amiss and to be more charitably helpful and beneficial to others they will be far better employed than in grasping at still more Power and justifying all that they teach or do by the oft to us unaccountable Successes of Providence which the worst Causes have fled to for shelter and the worst Men when they had nothing else to plead God Almighty give us all Grace entirely to devote all our Studies and Labours to the Service of our Great Master and the best and most certain Benefit of his Church in the Furtherance of Sound Faith and Universal Holiness of Life in all true Piety Probity Charity and Peaceable Communion among all that in every place call on the Name of the Lord theirs and ours Which will afford us a far more comfortable Reckoning at the great Day of Account than to busie our selves in thrusting all beside out of the Church here and pronouncing Condemnation against them for hereafter or on the other side in carrying on still unaccountable Prejudices and endless Separations The God of Wisdom Truth and Peace will I hope at length give us a right Understanding in all Things THE END LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. The Sixth Note of the CHURCH EXAMINED VIZ Agreement in Doctrine with the Primitive Church Sexta Nota est Conspiratio in Doctrinâ cum Ecclesiâ Antiquâ Bellar. L. iv c. 9. de Notis Ecclesiae IMPRIMATUR May 19. 1687. Guil. Needham VVEE are very willing to own this for a true Mark of the Church its Agreeing with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church and we are so far from confuting Bellarmin for his giving of it that we do not doubt but he has hereby confuted himself and the whole Cause of the Roman Church for if we may be allowed to go back to the Primitive Church and to examine the Doctrine and Belief of that in order to find out what is the true Church at present then the pretended Infallibility of the present Church and the Necessity of receiving and believing all
that she imposes must be set by till it appears that she requires the same Doctrine and no other than what was taught and believed by the Primitive Church For according to this Note it does not appear which is the true Church till it first appears that it agrees with the Doctrine of the Primitive and till it appears that it is a true Church it cannot sure appear to be an Infallible one for it cannot he pretended that Infallibility belongs to any but the true Church and therefore it must be first known that the present Church agrees with the Primitive before it can be known that she is an Infallible Guide or Teacher So that we manifestly gain this first by this Note of the Church that all those big and blustering Claims to Infallibility must be postpon'd and laid aside till that of agreeing with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church be made out and when that is done we shall not have quite so much reason to question her Infallibility We desire nothing more than to have the matter brought to this Issue Whether the Doctrines of the Reformed or the Romish Church do agree best with the Primitive Since for Reasons well known to themselves and very much suspected by others they are so willing to goe off from Scripture and to decline the Judgment of that as incompetent and insufficient in most of the Controversies between us we are very ready to leave them to be decided by any other indifferent Arbitrator for we think it is a little odd and unreasonable they should make themselves the only Judges of what is in difference between us and therefore we are very ready to stand to the Award and Vmpirage of the Primitive Church and we are not in the least afraid to venture our whole Cause to the sentence and decision of That for tho the Scripture be our only Rule of Faith and Doctrine necessary to be believed by us because we know of no other Revelation but that and nothing but Revelation makes any Doctrine necessary to be believed yet we are very willing to take the sence and meaning of Scripture both from it self and from the Primitive Church too so according to Vincentius Lyrinensis to have the line of Scriptural Interpretation be directed by the Rule of Ecclesiastical and Catholick Judgment †Ut Propheticae Apostolicae interpretationis linea secundum Ecclesiastici Catholici sensus normam dirigatur Vincent Lyrinens contra haeres c. 2. that is to have the Primitive Church direct us in interpreting Scripture where it stands in need of it or there is any Controversy about its meaning Let the Scripture therefore as sensed by the Primitive Church and not by the private Judgment of any particular Man be allowed and agreed by us to be the Rule of our Faith and let that be accounted the true Church whose Faith and Doctrine is most conformable and agreeable with the Primitive We desire nothing more than to find out the true Church by the true Faith and we think this is the true way to find it out For Christian Faith is prior and antecedent to the Christian Church and that must be first known and supposed before we can know any such thing as a Church for 't is the Faith makes the Church and not the Church the Faith and therefore the true Church is to be known by the true Doctrine and not the true Doctrine by the Church as is some Folks way If a Church then has never so many other glorious Marks yet if it has not the true Faith according to the Rule before laid down it cannot be the true Church and if it have never so true a Succession of Pastors deriving their Power in an uninterrupted Line from the Apostles yet if it have not a true Succession of Doctrine too from them it is not a true Church So far indeed as it holds and professes the common Christian Faith so far for that very Reason it is a true Church and so far we allow the Roman to be a true Church and so far they cannot deny us to be one neither as the same Faith Fundamentals of Christianity are received and believed by both of us for this Faith being the same to both of us makes us both so far to be true Churches upon the same grounds but so far as we differ in Matters of Faith whether we or they be the true Church is the question between us and we are willing to have this determined by the Primitive Church If the Faith then and Doctrine of the Roman Church wherein it differs from us be the same with the Faith and Doctrine of the Primitive Church then that is the true Church If it be contrary and unagreeable to the Faith and Doctrine of the Primitive then it is not the true Church but a false and erroneous one And here we ought to make a particular enquiry and examination of all those Matters of Faith which are in controversie between us and bring each of them to the Test and Trial and see which Church does most agree in all those disputed Doctrines with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church for here we must be allowed to examine particular Doctrines that are in difference between us and every private Christian who is seeking for the true Church must if he would find it by this Mark of Bellarmine be allowed to inquire into and examine the Doctrines of the present Church and see whether they are agreeable to those of the Primitive or no and this he must do by his private Judgment and by the best means and helps he can use to this purpose for he is not yet supposed to have found out the true Church but to be finding it out by this Mark given of it and till he has found it out by this Mark and Direction he cannot be under its guidance and conduct so that he must make use of his own Reason and Judgment at least till he has thus found it that is he must have the Liberty to search and inquire into the Faith and Doctrines of the Primitive Church and to judg for himself as well as he can by his own best Discretion and the best helps he can use which Church does best agree in its Faith and Doctrines with the Primitive and according as he shall upon his own enquiry and examination find so he must choose that Church which he thinks is the truest but he must not give himself up to the absolute guidance and direction of any Church at least till he has by this way found out the true which is another manifest Advantage that we have by this Note against our Adversaries who are rather for bearing Men down with the bold pretence of Infallibility and the terrible fright of Damnation out of the true Church rather than suffering them according to this true Method to find it out And as he must thus use his own Judgment in an impartial search
venture their Cause to any other Sentence but that of Scripture which had so plainly decided for them and was indeed the most proper to be appealed to yet the greatest number and the most learned of the Protestant Writers have never declined the Judgment of the Primitive Church but next to the inspired Writings of the Apostles have always esteemed and been willing to be determined by it And we are well assured that the Ancient Church even the Roman it self as well as the whole Christian besides is in all material Points on the Protestant side and a perfect Stranger if not an utter Enemy to those new Articles of Faith and Corruptions of Doctrine which have been since brought into the Western Church and which we have for that Reason protested against because they were unknown and contrary to the Faith and Doctrine of the Primitive Church It would too much exceed the set Limits of this Paper to make this out so fully as might easily be done by going through the chiefest Points of Difference between us Bellarmine in his Discourse upon this Note goes wholly off from it and chuses rather to pursue Luther and Calvin and some other worthy Reformers through all the Paths of Calumny and Slander but I shall not follow him to take him off from those false and injurious Representations he hath made of their Doctrines If any Body has the curiosity to see the Art of Misrepresenting in its greatest perfection let him but read that Chapter but if he will see it as perfectly shamed and exposed let him read Bishop Morton's long and learned Answer to it * Apologia Catholica p. 61. to p. 278. We are examining the Doctrines and finding out the Marks of the Church and not of particular Men and had Calvin or others taught any such Doctrines as are very falsly there laid to their Charge I know none had been concerned in them but themselves and no Church could have been prejudiced by them any farther than it had received them I shall therefore keep more close to Bellarmine's Note tho not to his Method upon it and I assure a late Adviser †Advice to the â—onfuter of Belâ—â—mine 't is not the design of confuting him but setting Men right in the way to the True Religion and the True Church when others are so busy to draw them off by false Marks and Pretences which is the cause of this Vndertaking I confess it would be too prolix as Bellarmine says to produce all the Testimonies of the Ancients thereby to shew what was the Doctrine of the Primitive Church in every particular Point controverted between us I shall therefore offer only some plain and brief Remarks by which the sense of the Primitive Church may be undeniably known in most of the Controversies and by which it will appear what was the Doctrine of the Church then and how contrary that of the Church of Rome is now to it And here I should first begin with the most Primitive that is with the Apostolick Church which truly and only deserves the Title of being Mother and Mistress of all Christian Churches that ever were or shall be in the World it is as vain as arrogant for any later and particular Church to assume that to it self which is but a Sister-Church at most and younger than some of the rest and tho more fine and proud yet not half so honest and uncorrupt This Apostolick Church which was founded and governed by the Apostles over all the World is the true Standard of the Christian Church and as in revealed Religion That which is first is true according to Tertullian's * Id verum quod prius id prius quod ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis Tertul. de praescript l. 4. Axiom because it comes nearest to the first pure Fountain of Revelation so as he adds That is first which is from the Beginning and from the Apostles We should first then examine what was the Faith and Doctrine of the Apostolick Church the greatest and almost only account of which we have in their own Canonical Writings which are received and allowed as such by the whole Christian Church and in these our Adversaries find so little of their own late and new Doctrines that they cannot but own that these are insufficient to authorise and establish most of them without the Authority of the present Church and without the help of unwritten Traditions When we produce Scripture against our Adversaries we then produce the only Authentick Records of the Apostolick Church and the only certain account we have of the Faith and Doctrine of the most Primitive Church let them object therefore never so much against Scripture as a Rule of Faith yet whilst it contains the only sure Testimony of what was taught and believed by the first Christian Church so far as any of these Doctrines are not in Scripture so far they cannot appear to be the Doctrine of the Apostolick Church and whilst we hold all that Faith and all those Doctrines that are contained in Scripture we hold all that can be known to be so in the most pure and most Primitive Church and whatsoever they have added to Scripture which they will needs have to be but an imperfect Rule of Faith they have added so far as can be known to the Doctrine of the Apostolick Church for if Scripture be not the only Rule of that yet it is the only Historical Account we have of it But I shall not at present deal with them out of Scripture tho as it is only a Record and Evidence of the Apostolical Faith they will count this but a Trick I know to draw them into a Scripture Dispute which they are mighty averse to and which they design to avoid by an Appeal from that to the Primitive Church we will go on therefore with our Note as they I suppose mean and understand it and that we may not be too troublesom to them with Scripture and the Apostolick Writings we will go several Ages lower even down to those Times wherein the Church was in its glorious State under the first Christian Emperors and whether their Doctrines or ours were most agreable to those of this Primitive Church Let us now come briefly to enquire in some particular Instances and by some few short Remarks and Observations And First Was any such thing as their pretended Supremacy then allowed of when in the first general Council at Nice * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conc. Nicen. Can. 6. There was a limited Power assigned to the Bishop of Rome as there was to the other Metropolitans of Alexandria and Antioch who were to keep their Bounds set them by antient Custom which is utterly inconsistent with an Universal Supremacy over the whole Church by a Divine Right as is since pretended and claimed contrary to all Antiquity For the next General Council appoints the Bishop of Constantinople to have Prerogatives of Honour
next to the Bishop of Rome because that was New Rome †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Constantinop Can. 3. so that it was the Imperial City of Rome which gave the Honour of being the first Bishop in the Church and not a Divine Institution or a Succession from St. Peter and when Constantinople by the Emperor's removing thither became the next great City the Bishop partook of the Honour of the City And in the Fourth General Council at Calcedon had for that Reason equal Priviledges conferred upon him with the Bishop of Old Rome ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concil Calced Can. 28. as the Fathers expresly declare To which I shall add the famous Case of Appeals which was challenged about the Year 418 by Pope Zosimus over the African Church not by Divine Right but by a pretended Ecclesiastical Canon which was found afterwards to be forged and the Power of the Church of Rome to receive Appeals or to judg the Causes of other Churches was fully disowned and disclaimed * Concil Carthag 6. And this with the Exemption of the Churches of Milan Ravenna and Aquileia from the Jurisdiction of the Church of Rome tho they were so near Neighbours to it even in Italy it self is enough to give full Satisfaction to any reasonable Man what a different Opinion the Primitive Church had of the Church of Rome from what it now has of it self concerning an Universal Supremacy and of its being the Mother and Mistress of all Churches The next most peculiar Doctrine of Popery is Transubsiantiation which as it was formerly owned by Valentia (a) De Transub l. 2. c. 7. and Cusanus (b) Exercit. l. 6. Ser. 40. and a great many of the School-men Scotus Durandus and others (c) Vid. Pref. ad Johan Major not to have been the Doctrine of the Primitive Church so it has been lately proved at large by one of their own Communion (d) A Treatise written by an Author of the Church of Rome touching Transubstantiation tho if for that reason it may be thrown out from being an Article of Faith by the Members of the Roman Church they will leave but very few proper to themselves according to the Principle of that Gentleman to wit the making not the present but the Primitive Church a Rule of their Faith which if they will universally follow it will lead them quite out of the Roman Church as well as out of that single Error of it we have such excellent Treatises of late * See Discourse of Transubstantiation Transubstantiation no Doctrine of the Primitive Fathers The Doctrine of the Trinity and Transubstantiation compared 1. par about this which prove it beyond all Exception and beyond all Answer to be no Doctrine of the Primitive Church that I shall add nothing about it but only these two Observations First That it appears not by any Liturgy or Eucharistick Form that was ever used by the Church no not by the Roman Canon it self which is much ancienter than this Doctrine and therefore not so conformed to it That the Church ever used any Prayer to this purpose at the Eucharist that the Substance of the Sacramental Elements should be changed or done away and the Flesh and Blood of Christ substituted instead of them under the Species or Accidents but only that they might be made the Body and Blood of Christ by the Spirits coming down upon them so that it was only a Spiritual and Sacramental not a Substantial Change of them that was ever prayed for or ever believed for if the Church had always had this Faith it would surely have sometimes prayed in it Secondly I observe that in those Times when this Doctrine came first into the Church which was a little before Berengarius it was so new and raw that it was not fully digested nor perfectly understood even by those who then held it as appears by that blundering Recantation which was drawn up for him after the Examination of no less than three Popes and five Synods wherein he is made to say That after Consecration the true Body and Blood of Christ is not only Sacramentally but sensibly and truly handled and broke by the Hands of the Priests and ground by the Teeth of the Faithful †Post Consecrationem verum Corpus Sanguinem Christi sensualitèr non solùm Sacramento sed veritate manibus Sacerdotum tractari frangi fidelium dentibus atteri Grat. de Consec dist 2. cap. This sensible and true handling and breaking and grinding Christ's Body is so strange and dreadful a thing that the Glossator observes this upon it That unless you do understand these Word of Berengarius in a sound sense * Nisi sanè intelligas verba Berengarii in majorem incidas haeresin quam ipse babuit Glos Ib. that is contrary to what the Words signify and mean you will fall into a greater Heresy than that of Berengarius himself by which it appears that this Monster of Transubstantiation as a great Man ‖ Perrone See the excellent Preface to a Discourse on the Holy Eucharist in two great points of their own afterwards calls it was so unformed and mishapen a thing at that time that it was a sign it was then but new come into the World and had need of being farther licked into a better shape If Transubstantiation were then but new those other Doctrines which have issued from it and are its proper Production could not be old such as Adoration of the Sacrament Communion in one kind Solitary Masses and the Proper and Propitiatory Sacrifice of the Mass And therefore I shall not say any thing of them since their Date will be owned to be as late as that of Transubstantiation and tho they may not follow from it yet they cannot be maintained or believed without it so that what has been said against the one takes away the very Foundation of the other As to the Number of the Sacraments tho the Council of Trent has declared this to be exactly Seven and made it an Article of Faith to believe so yet no Man sure will have the confidence to say That this Number was determined by the Primitive Church when they can bring no Author who makes any mention of such a Number till 1100 Years after Christ and Bellarmin thinks it unreasonable we should require them to shew this either in the Scriptures or the Fathers †Non debere adversarios petere ut ostendamus in Scripturis au◠Patribus nomen Septenacii numeri Sacramentorum Bellar. de effect Sacram. l. 2. c. 24. tho if it be an Article of Faith which must be believed upon pain of Damnation there ought to be something to shew for it one would think out of one of them Was the Necessity of Auricular Confession a Doctrine of the Primitive Church when in the time of Peter Lombard he tells us * In his enim etiam docti
Christ and that we might grow up into him in all things which is the Head even Christ Now here we do not only find our Saviour represented as the Head of his Church and we as the Members of his Body but that amongst the several subordinate Members of which his Body consists there is no mention of that most necessary Member of all if I may call it a Member the Vicarious Head of the Church For it is not said that he gave first Peter to be Head of his Church and then Apostles c. But he gave first some Apostles and those not as Heads of his Church neither but as principal Members of it And in the Beginning of the same Chapter where he describes the Unity of the Church he says there is one Body and one Spirit one Hope of our Calling one Lord one Faith one Baptism one God and Father of all Now I would fain know whether the Cardinal would have omitted here one visible Head of the Church in which all ought to be united And then let any Man tell me why St. Paul did He had the like occasion in another Place where having said much concerning the Unity of the Body of Christ Ye are saith he the Body of Christ and Members in particular And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondly Prophets 1 Cor. xii 27 28. thirdly Teachers c. Now I say if this visible Head of Unity had been elsewhere mentioned never so often he ought not to have been omitted in any of these three places much less if he were mentioned no where else But no notice being taken of this Head elsewhere nor here neither is little less than a Demonstration that that there was no such Head to be taken notice of When any one shall pretend to so high a Prerogative and vast a Dependence as this implies we may in Reason expect he should be able to produce some very good Evidence of his Right to it And therefore the meer silence of the Scripture is prejudice enough against the Pretence But the silence of the Scripture in such places as I have produced is a direct Argument against it Nay Lastly The Scripture is so far from giving the least intimation of any such Headship where the mention of it was unavoidable if it had been a Divine Constitution that it seems expresly to oppose it For St. Paul speaking against those Contentions which happened by one saying I am of Paul another I am of Apollos a third I am of Cephas he does not oppose Cephas or Peter to the rest as if it were lawful for them to say I am of Peter but not I am of Paul c. but utterly reproves all such Distinctions and requires them all to be united in Christ Is Christ divided says he Was Paul Crucified for you Or were ye Baptized in the Name of Paul Plainly shewing that to establish any mortal Man as the Center of Union in the Christian Church is in effect to divide the Authority of Christ and that if we unite our selves in such a Head we may as well be baptized in his Name and have him for our Saviour too 2. As little Foundation is there in Reason for this Headship of the Pope over the whole Body of Christ since it will necessarily require that all the Christian Churches in the World even those that are at greatest Distance from one another be reduced under his Government and depend upon his Authority the Administration of which vast Power and Trust is incompatible to any mortal Man. Being vested in a wise and good Man it could be but of little benefit to a Body so diffusive as the Catholick Church but in the Hands of a weak or vicious Person it would become the Instrument of Pride Tyranny Oppression and Divisions A small Bishoprick requires the utmost Care and Prudence to manage it aright but what Ability without a Miracle could be sufficient for a tolerable discharge of so great a Trust as the Inspection and Government of the whole Church from one end of the Earth to the other But the Temptations to abuse such Power would be infinite and the Abuses themselves intolerable and hardly capable of Redress as we see also by no small Experience For after that that Power was pretended to at Rome and submitted to by the Western Church the Scandals Miseries of this part of Christendom grew to such an Extremity that it could not be dissembled Insomuch that the Cardinals and Prelats appointed by Pope Paul the Third to advise concerning the state of the Church Consil de Emend Eccl. in Richer l. 4. assured him that she was just falling head-long into Ruine and that the chief Cause was that the Pope's Will and Pleasure had been the Rule of all his Doings And he that shall consider what a lewd and filthy place Rome it self was grown by their own confession may observe from thence how likely it is that the Government of the Catholick Church should thrive in one Man's hand after another who are too busy to attend upon the Reformation of most scandalous and crying Disorders at home 3. Neither is there any colour in Antiquity for this Headship of the Pope altho they are the Primitive Fathers upon whose Authority chiefly they would support this Usurpation The Testimonies which the Cardinal has chosen for his Purpose are so far from it that one would wonder to see so weighty a Superstructure laid upon so weak a Foundation Thus because S. Irenaeus says that every Church i.e. the Faithful who are all about must needs resort to the Roman Church because of the more Powerful Principality i.e. because the Imperial City drew the Business of the World to it self and by consequence Christians in all parts had occasion of recourse to it therefore the Bishop of that City was the Head of all Churches in the World. Because S. Cyprian call'd the Roman the Principal Church from whence the Vnity of the Priests did arise and the Matrix and Root of the Catholick Church Therefore he could mean nothing else but that Union to the Bishop of Rome is absolutely necessary to a part in Christ and his Church Whereas it is most evident that elsewhere he did freely assert the Independence of other Bishops upon that Bishop and of other Episcopal Churches upon that Church And consequently that he called it the Principal Church as being constituted in the Principal City so Rigaltius acknowledgeth and the Spring of Sacerdotal Vnity and the Root of the Catholick Church because Bishops having occasion either to come up to Rome or to send thither from all parts did by their Unity with the Church there manifestly declare their Union to one another which was a convenience accruing to that Church and to all others from the Imperial City in which it was constituted but by no means inferring that other Churches were more obliged to Union with her than she with others Again because
it was sometimes a Mark of an Orthodox and Catholick Christian to be joyn'd in Communion with the Roman Bishop therefore it must always be so and it can never happen that a Man should be united to the Church and disjoyn'd from the Pope Because St. Hierom referred himself to the Chair of Peter when Damasus sate in it therefore he would have done the same to his Predecessor Liberius after he had communicated with the Arians Of the same kind is the Argument from Optatus Finally because St. Augustin thought that Cecilian had reason to value his Communion with the Roman Church more than the multitude of his Enemies in as much as the Principality of an Apostolical Chair had always flourished there therefore the Bishop of Rome is Head of the Church As if there were no other Apostolical Chair besides that at Rome and as if the Communion of no other Church was to be esteemed when a Bishop meets with unreasonable Opposition but one that is by virtue of her Chair Mistress of all the Rest For what he says out of St. Augustin in Psal contra partem Donati it has had its Answer p. 107. Pope Leo indeed speaks a little more to the Purpose but without any Authority as being a Witness in his own Cause For it was but a few Years before that Zosimus Boniface and Celestin had set up a small pretence to an Universal Headship tho nothing was got by it but a notable Rebuke from the African Fathers whereof St. Augustin was one for introducing a worldly Pride into the Church But no wonder if those Popes that followed still kept their Eye upon that Power which their Predecessors could not as yet compass On the other side it appears by most unquestionable Evidence that the Primitive Fathers knew no greater necessity of being united to the Roman than to any other Catholick or Orthodox Bishop When Pope Victor took upon him to excommunicate the Asian Churches for not observing Easter as the Roman did they were so far from thinking a Union with him as their Head necessary to their being Members of the Catholick Church that they called a Synod of their own reprehended the Pope's Arrogance and resolved to adhere to their own Custom St. Cyprian Firmilian and the Africans did the like in opposition to Pope Stephen Apud Cypr. Ep. 75. p. 228. Ed. Oxon. Firmilian plainly telling him that while he thought to Excommunicate all them from himself he had but excommunicated himself from them In ancient Times there was no shadow of any such Headship in the Pope as of late Ages has been contended for He was treated with no other Titles of Respect than other Bishops were who were called Popes and Vicars of Christ no less than he as he was by them stiled their Colleague and Brother no less than they by him In respect of Presidency over particular Churches his Jurisdiction was confined as well as theirs in respect of the common Care of the whole Church each of them was deemed to have an Authority and a Trust no way inferiour to his All which our Adversaries do full well understand who are but a little conversant in St. Cyprian if they would but speak what they know But because St. Hierom's Complâ—mt to Damasus is insisted upon by the Cardinal let St. Hierom be heard speaking to this very Point so clearly that we cannot desire he should have been more express Where-ever saith he there is a Bishop whether at Rome Hier. ad Evagr. Ep. 85. or at Eugubium or Constantinople or Rhegium or Alexandria or Thanis he is of the same Worth and of the same Priesthood The advantage of Wealth and the disadvantage of Poverty does not make a Bishop to be higher or lower but they are all Successors of the Apostles To conclude this Point Popes have been anciently censured condemned and excommunicated when they were thought to have deserved it Julius was Excommunicated by the Eastern Bishops Sâ—â— Vindic. of Answ To some late Papers p. 6. c. Liberius Anathematized by St. Hilary Vigilius Excommunicated by the Africans Honorius Condemned by the VIth General Council Did these Fathers take the Pope for their Common Head and the Center of Catholick Union Some Popes have been Hereticks as the Romanists themselves cannot deny and therefore time has been when it was so far from being a Note of the Catholick Church to be united to the Pope that it was impossible so to be without separation from the Catholick Church But the Cardinal has a very notable Argument to prove the necessity of this Union viz. Experience since those Churches have withered away that are divided from this Head the Pope Witness the Asiatick and African Churches anciently famous for numerous Councils for learned and holy Men but since their Schism from the Roman Church reduced to obscurity and plunged into gross Ignorance To which it might be enough to answer That although where the Sin is flagrant and beyond controversy there the Calamity that befalls the Offender may without breach of Charity or impious Intrusion into the Councils of Providence be well deemed the effect of God's Justice Yet in a Dispute about Right and Truth to take advantage from the Afflictions of a Man or of a Church and to make them an Argument against the oppressed side is barbarously uncharitable and wicked and becomes none but those who care not by what means they come to their end But not to pry into the Secrets of Divine Providence Might it not have served the Cardinal's turn to assign the Afflictions and Ignorance of those Churches to the Irruptions of their Enemies upon them who at length prevailed and utterly destroyed some of them and to this day hold the rest in Slavery If this be not enough what if one should add that their not uniting themselves to the Pope was indeed one cause of their Misfortunes who had much rather see those ancient and glorious Churches laid wast by Infidels then saved by the united Arms of Christendom to make a vigorous Opposition to his claim of Supremacy However it is not more certain that they were once the most flourishing Churches in Christendom than that when they were so they did not acknowledg this Union to the Bishop of Rome as the Head of the Catholick Church nay that they opposed the Beginnings and Preparations to so unjust a claim and therefore their denying it at present can with no reason be alledged as the cause of their Distress One thing more we have to say to this doughty Argument that if it may be trusted how comes it to pass that we have a contrary experience in Churches nearer home which have not fallen into decay by separating from the Pope We are apt to think that from the Reformation to this day there have been as many Persons eminent both for Piety and Learning in the Church of England as any Age ever produced in any Nation That we are not sunk into gross
meerly Unity that is a Mark of the true Church but Unity in the true Faith nor is Unity the Mark of a pure Church unless it be upon Terms of Obedience to God of Charity to one another of keeping the Faith unmixed with Errors and Innovations and the Worship of God free from material Defects and forbidden Practices From hence also the Folly of that conceit may be easily discerned that in this divided State of Christendom there must be one Church which is the only Church of Christ exclusively to all the rest that are not in Communion with her Which is as much as to say that because there is not that Unity amongst Christians which there ought to be therefore there is none at all and because they are not united in one Communion therefore they are not united in one Lord one Faith one Baptism That fond Principle now mentioned is advanced by the Romanist for the sake of this Inference that because we grant the Church to be but one and withall acknowledg them to be a true Church therefore we being divided from them can be no true Church our selves That is to say because we acknowledg that they have that one Faith in which all that are united belong to the Church therefore we are out of the Church our selves who have the Unity of that Faith too and moreover the Unity of observing all the Institutions of Christ and the Unity of Catholick Terms of Communion c. which they have not If some part of the Church gives just cause of Offence or if another takes Offence where none is given this is indeed contrary to the Duty of the Members of the Church but not utterly inconsistent with their being Members of it And if St. Paul was in the right when he said If the Foot shall say because I am not the Head I am not of the Body is it therefore not of the Body It will be also true that tho the Foot should say to the Hand thou art not of the Body because thou art not the Foot the Hand would be of the Body for all that As for the Unity of Communion which they boast so much of in the Church of Rome I say 't is an Unity of Communion among themselves but 't is not the Catholick Unity of Communion because the Terms of it are many of them unjust and unlawful whereas we of the Church of England having as much Unity of Communion among our selves as they have this also to say as we have abundantly shewn that the Terms of our Communion are every one of them just and lawful and therefore ours is a Catholick Unity If there are some Protestants that will not communicate with us it is no more our Fault than that the Papists refuse to do so And tho in point of Interest this tends to weaken yet in Controversy it cannot prejudice the common cause of Reformation That part of the West that has left the Church of Rome may labour under Discords that affect their very Communion while she her self does not and yet in the Cause against her they may be all in the Right Where Truth is maintained against a corrupt Church there may yet be Disobedience to Authority overvaluing Questions of no great moment a greater stress laid upon Opinions and Practices than the Cause will bear and this shall be sufficient to break Christian Communion And at the same time gross Errors may be maintained and with one consent imposed upon the World by the other Church and all the while the Differences how weighty soever that happen by the bye may be so over-ruled by Force and Power and the sensible Interests of this World that they shall not affect their Communion with one another But for the Reasons already laid down it were a fond thing to chuse a Church by the Mark of such Unity In short If we would in all Respects keep within the Unity of the Church this must be done by professing true Doctrine by leading good Lives by a charitable Spirit and Behaviour towards all Christians by frequenting Prayers and Sacraments and by submitting to the Authority of our lawful Guides in all things of Indifference and Expedience And then we may be sure that whatever others do we keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And though the Church after all is not that one Body in all Respects which it ought to be and which it would be if all Men did their Duty yet that we our selves are such Members of that one Body as we ought to be and as all others ought to be likewise Now all this Unity we may keep in the Communion of the Church of England but we cannot keep it all in the Communion of the Roman Church as the Terms thereof now stand But if this Unity be not enough when once the Romanists can prove that Union to the Pope as Head of the Church and Union to the Roman Church in all that she believes and teaches is also necessary to our Being of the Church or even to our maintaining that Unity which ought to be amongst all Christians we will also acknowledg the Pope's Supremacy and believe as the Roman Church believes but not till then THE END LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. The Eighth Note of the CHURCH EXAMINED VIZ Sanctity of Doctrine Octava Nota est Sanctitas Doctrinae Bellar. de Notis Ecclesiae L. iv c. 11. IMPRIMATUR June 4. 1687. Hen. Maurice SEeing the New Covenant is the Charter upon which the Church of Christ is founded and all the Blessings which this Covenant promises are appropriated to that Sacred Society to be in Communion with it is doubtless a matter of vast importance to the Souls of Men and it being so it is not to be imagined but that the blessed Jesus the most concerned and careful Friend of Souls that ever was hath been sufficiently mindful to leave such plain and easy Directions behind him how we may find his Church and satisfy our selves whether we are in Fellowship with it or no as that neither the Learned nor Unlearned may be left in the dark for resolution in such a momentous Enquiry But how much the Church of Rome hath made it her Business to snarl and perplex several Points of Religion which our Saviour left plain and obvious enough to all Capacities is too notorious and in nothing more than in this how to discover and find out the true Church In order to which her most Learned Doctors and particularly Cardinal Bellarmin have given us certain Notes by which as they pretend the true Church may be distinguished by honest and diligent Enquiries from all false Churches whatsoever But how far these Notes are from performing what is promised for 'em hath been sufficiently proved upon a very fair Examination of the Seven first of ' em I proceed therefore to the Eighth viz. Sanctity of
no doubt to be made but that it would generally obtain But when Mens Inclinations and Circumstances are so various nothing is more manifest than that the receiving or rejecting Truth is a thing too uncertain to be made an infallible Note of it When it is argued on behalf of Christianity that so many thousands were on the suddain converted to the Faith the force of such an Argument does not lie in the bare prevalency of the Doctrine but in its prevalency when placed in such Circumstances as it at the first preaching of the Gospel was and when Men of mean birth and education as has already been observed did without force or fraud on the suddain make so many proselytes to a Religion which was so directly contrary to those Opinions to which the World had been so long accustomed a Religion which was likely to bring such great Inconveniences upon those who embraced it This indeed was very remarkable and could be ascribed to nothing but the Power of Truth which was only able to bring about so wonderful an Effect In a word Men being oftner guided by Fancy Prejudice and Interest than by Reason makes them more capable of Error than of Truth and when they have once received it not only unwilling to part with it but zealous to propagate it as much as they can The Agreeableness of any Doctrine to their wicked Lusts and Affections is most likely to win upon them The craft and cunning of those who lie in wait to deceive may 〈◊〉 easily mislead unstable Minds into gross Mistakes before they are aware 〈…〉 Force the enjoyment of present Preferment or the hopes of it may make them profess what they do not believe to be true and then seek for Reasons to defend it Since then there are so many things beside Truth which may induce Men to admit any Doctrine the bare admitting of it tho never so universally can be no Note of the Truth of that or of the Church that teaches it God has endued us with a capacity of finding out Truth but at the same time he has made us fallible Creatures and liable to be imposed upon so that it stands us in hand to be aware how we are deceived and the more care we take in a concern of this Nature the more we discover our own Sincerity and Zeal for Truth But let there be never such clear Discoveries thereof it is in our power wilfully to shut our Eyes against them nay when we have adhered to Truth for some time we may be tempted either wholly to forsake it or to intermingle gross Errors with it So that it is as improper to conclude the prevalency of any Doctrine to be an Argument of the Truth of it or of the Church that professeth it as that any Cause is just because successful Such is God's infinite Wisdom and Goodness that as he does oftentimes bless with unexpected Success an honest and just Design and they who are sagacious in tracing the Footsteps of Providence do easily discover it so does he likewise frequently exert his Power after an extraordinary manner for the propagation of Truth But on the other hand as he often permits an unjust Design to prevail and prosper so likewise does he suffer Error to multiply and increase And when he does at any time exert his Power after an extraordinary manner for the propagation of Truth he still deals with Men as with Rational Creatures so that such his Power may be resisted nay may be so far resisted as may make him punish with Infatuation such their Resistance as he served the Pharisees upon the account of their Obstinacy whose Eyes he blinded and whose Heart he hardned John 12.40 41. that they should not see with their Eyes nor understand with their Heart and be converted And as happened to those whom the Apostle makes mention of whom because they received not the love of Truth that they might be saved 2 Thess 2.10 11. God sent strong Delusions that they might believe a Lie. Since therefore such is the Temper and Constitution of Mankind as to be daily subject to Errors and to be liable by the just Judgment of God to be at last hardened in them nothing can with any certainty be determined concerning the Truth of any Church from the Prevalency of any Doctrine professed in it 3. Plain Matter of Fact shews the Insufficiency of this Note For the Histories of all Ages make it evident what an influence Error has often had upon Mens Minds and that altho Truth may have happened sometimes to have prevailed yet that it has been as often refused and gross and most impious Opinions preferr'd before it How soon were our first Parents when their Minds were in their greatest strength and vigor and not as yet biassed by any Misapprehensions of things Gen. 3.5 6. by the cunning Artifices of Satan tempted to believe a Lie After which first and grand Mistake how did their whole Stock degenerate when every Imagination of Man's Heart being evil Gen. 6.5 6. it repented the Lord that he had made Man on the Earth Afterward God chose to himself out of the rest of the World a peculiar People and to secure them against the Idolatry and Superstition of those who dwelt near them he gave them particular Statutes which by Threats and Promises and mighty Wonders which he wrought for them he obliged them to observe Yet how soon did they forget God and turned after Idols So that in the time of Ahab according to God's own account there were but 7000 who had not bowed unto Baal If the Efficacy of the Doctrine had been a Note of the true Church I do not see why the Priests of Baal had not as much reason at that time to have insisted upon it as the Romish Priests can have now At our Saviour's coming the Pharisees had infected the whole Nation with their Traditions and so obstinately did they adhere to them that notwithstanding the many Miracles which our Saviour had wrought for them notwithstanding the Holiness of his Life and Conversation few believed on him according to the Prophesy of Isaiah made mention Joh. 12.38 Lord who hath believed our Report of which our Saviour himself complains John 5.43 I am come in my Father's Name And ye receive me not if another shall come in his own Name him ye will receive And in the 11th of St. Matthew ver 20 c. he does most severely upbraid the Cities wherein most of his mighty Works were done because they repented not And does openly declare that it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgment than for them If any Doctrine was likely to have been efficacious one would have thought the Doctrine of our Saviour when taught by himself had been so and yet we find that no Prophet was ever less respected than he was even among his own Country-men The same thing happened likewise to St.
consult St. Bernard himself he is comforting himself and others under the defect of Miracles in his Age. * Bernard Serm. 1. In di◠Ascensionis Non tam merita sunt quanindicia meritorum Quis daemonia ejicit linguis novis loquitur serpentes tollit c. Primum enim opus fidei per dilectionem operantis cordis compunctio est in quâ sine dubio ejiciuntur daemonia cum eradiantur e corde peccata c. Bern. ubi supr He tells us that Miracles are not so properly meritorious as the Indications of good Men. Who saith he now casteth out Devils speaketh with Tongues destroys Serpents c. Nay seems to account the great Work wrought upon the Hearts of Believers wherein he and others were made the blessed Instruments to be equivalent to Miracles The first Work saith he of that Faith which worketh by Love is the Compunction of the Heart by which without doubt Devils are cast out when Sin is rooted out of the Heart And then those that believe in Christ speak with Tongues too when the old things are vanish't from their Lips they do not speak for the future with the old Tongue of their first Parents who declin'd into Words of Wickedness So when by Compunction of Heart and Confession of the Mouth former Sins are blotted out they must necessarily destroy Serpents that is extinguish the venomous Suggestions c. And thus he goes on in that allusive way accommodating the whole Christian Life to something of those miraculous Acts in the Primitive Days But let the ingenuous Reader judg now Is it not probable that had St. Bernard been so very illustrious for Miracles beyond all the Saints whose Lives had been ever written instead of apologizing for the defect of Miracles or drawing the equivalent between the Conversion of a Sinner and casting out Devils or speaking with Tongues he would not have put in a word or two here of what great things God had enabled him to do Again it is observable of St. John Damascen concerning whom they tell us that his Hand having been cut off by the Saracens for the Profession of the Faith he praying before the Image of the Blessed Virgin and falling asleep upon his awaking found his Hand restor'd only a Seam of Blood visible where it was cut off and joyn'd again Now if we consult himself he tells us of the Doctors and Pastors of the Church that succeeded the Apostles in their Grace and Dignity that they having obtain'd the enlightning Grace of God's Spirit did both by the Power of Miracles and Eloquence of Speech enlighten blind Men and reduce the Wanderer into the way * Damascen Orthodox Fid. l. 1. c. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But we saith he who have neither the Gift of Miracle nor of Speech c. Is this spoken like a Man of Miracle ‖ Cum modestiâ viro Christiano dignâ humilitate de seipso loquitur B. Pater Damascenus c. His Commentator indeed would bring him off as if it were his Modesty to speak thus of himself and gives the instance of S. Paul confessing himself least of all the Apostles But certainly were he never so modest he would not lie for the matter by any means especially when he made mention of the Miracles that former Ages had produc'd St. Paul as humbly as he thought and spoke of himself made no scruple upon occasion to mention the mighty Powers that God had endu'd him with and so did St. Peter too Nor was it other than their Duty sometimes to do it both to own the Gift with Thankfulness and to make use of it as an Argument to enforce their Doctrines upon those they had to deal with Thus much for the Persons 2. For the Doctrines It would be too tedious to run through the various Heads of Doctrine which they boast of as confirm'd by Miracles many of which are so monstrously ridiculous so highly improbable so confessedly fabulous so perfectly needless and to no purpose that they are not worth one minute's regard either to examin or expose them The Legends of the Saints and the School of the Eucharist lately published in English I may add Father Cressy's Church History will abundantly furnish the Reader that is at leisure to dip into that way of Learning However because our Cardinal hath thought fit to make this of Miracles his last Argument for the Proof of Christ's bodily Presence in the holy Sacranent and besides pointing at great numbers hath himself insisted upon six or seven which he thought of the greatest weight (e) V. Bellar. De sacr Euchar l. 3. c. 8. I shall examine one or two of them It is a very considerable Miracle the Cardinal mentions from Paulus Diaconus in the Life of Saint Gregory which I rather pick out because I find our Putney Convert very fond of it It is of a Woman that laugh'd while in the distribution of the Sacramental Bread Consensus Veterum p. 69. she heard it call'd the Body of our Lord when she knew she had made it with her own Hands Upon this St. Gregory prayed and the outward species of Bread was turned into visible Flesh by which the Woman was recovered to the true Faith and the whole Assembly mightily confirmed This were a good significant Proof of Transubstantiation indeed if it were but true Though here also a Man might as justly question his Senses at the sight of such a Change as he must always renounce them in the belief of the thing it self But there are considerable difficulties before the truth of the Story will go down with Vs Vnbelievers For 1. It is a very unlucky thing that never any such Miracle was yet wrought in view of any of those Churches that do professedly deny this Doctrine In the second Council of Nice Actio 7. Therasius the President puts this grave Question What is the cause that Miracles are not wrought by any of our Images and as gravely answers it himself Because Miracles are not given to them that believe but to them that believe not It is indeed what St. Paul intimates concerning the Gift of Tongues 1 Cor. xiv 22. which most Interpreters apply to all other Miracles We are the Persons to whom this Ocular Demonstration should be made and because it hath not yet upon any Occasion or Challenge whatever been made amongst us we may reasonably question the truth of this or any other Story of this kind which they tell amongst themselves Besides 2. this Story was writ by Paulus Diacocus about two hundred years after the Death of this Gregory and in an Age as Fabulous as any hath yet been I add lastly That the very Doctrine of Transubstantiation had hardly got the least footstep in the Church in the days of St. Gregory it cannot be pick'd out of any of his Writings no not in that passage which Mr. Sclater hath quoted from him * Consens veterum p.
Cardinal clearly distinguished between these two Notions his Reader might easily have seen how far the Light of Prophecy may be said to be a Mark by which to know the True Church viz. so far as to do Him and his Cause no manner of Service For in the latter Sense it may be admitted to be such a Mark inasmuch as the accomplishment of those Prophecies which concerned Christ shew'd that Jesus was He and that his Doctrine was of God. But then this Light of Prophecy comes no other way to be a Mark of the True Church than as 't is an Argument or if you will call it so a Mark of that Doctrine the Profession whereof makes the Church So that when we have made the best we can of this Note the Church is still to be known by the Religion it professeth tho that Religion is known to be Divine as by other Arguments and Testimonies so also by the accomplishment of Prophecies And yet even here we must be something cautious in laying down the fulfilling of Predictions as an Argument to prove the Truth of Christianity For there are some Prophecies both in the Old and New Testament that in part have been and will in time be fully accomplished by such Persons whose Doctrine we are by no means to follow For Antichrist was foretold as well as Christ and when he comes and fulfils all that has been said concerning him so long before the accomplishment of those Predictions is a Mark upon him not that we should receive but that we should reject him and his Doctrine So that 't is not barely the fulfilling of Prophecies but of such Prophecies only as described the Characters of that Person whom we were bound to hearken to and to obey in all Things that is an Argument of True Doctrine And in this Sense we are not unwilling to admit the Light of Prophecy to be a Mark of the True Church tho it be a very improper way of speaking Since the Doctrine it self which is demonstrated to be a Divine Doctrine comes to be the proper Note of the Church and the Light of Prophecy is left to be one of those Arguments by which the Doctrine is demonstrated to be Divine But this way of marking for the Church is very uncomfortable to the Cardinal's Friends because it will force them to acknowledg that 't is not the Church that makes the Religion but the Religion that makes the Church He therefore finding no advantage to his Cause by this Notion of Prophetick Light wholly insists upon the former and makes the Gift of foretelling things to come to be one Note of the Church and doubts not but to shew it in his own and will not allow it to be in any other So that these two Things must come under Examination I. Whether it be a Note of the Church II. If it be Whether he has sufficiently proved that they of the Roman Church have it and no others I. Whether it be a Note of the True Church The Cardinal offers to prove that it is by three Arguments huddled up together which being distinguished are these 1. That as Christ promised the Gift of Miracles so he also promised the Gift of Prophecy to the Church 2. That none knows Future Contingencies but God only 3. That it is a certain Note of False Doctrine if a Prophet foretells any thing and it does not come to pass Let us now see what all this will amount to 1. Christ promised the Gift of Prophecy to the Church no less than the Gift of Miracles To which it might be sufficient to say that as Miracles notwithstanding such a Promise are no Note of the Church so neither is Prophecy such a Note meerly because it was also promised And there is the same Reason for the one as there is for the other for neither the one nor the other was promised to last always in the Church And we have been told sufficiently that the Notes of the Church according to Bellarmin himself must be Characters that are inseparable from it Now the place by him produced is so far from proving that the Gift of Prophecy should flourish in every Age that there are pregnant Intimations in it of the contrary He refers us to the Prediction of Joel applied by St. Peter to the Church Joel ii 18. Acts ii 16. And because he refers us to it thither we will go and not as he does take Things for granted which ought to be discoursed but bring forth the Text and see what Argument it will afford The Apostles as the Chapter shews spake with Tongues to the amazement of all the Strangers that heard them But the Unbelieving Jews mocked and said they were Drunk Upon which Peter lightly passing by that absurd Reproach told them that this was that which was spoken by the Prophet Joel And it shall come to pass in the last Days saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Sons and your Daughters shall Prophesy and your young Men shall see Visions and your old Men c. And again I will pour out in those Days of my Spirit and they shall Prophesy Now tho Prophecy in the strict Sense signifies foretelling Things to come yet it is here put for Supernatural Gifts in General and particularly for speaking Divine Things by Inspiration and likewise for speaking with new Tongues which is undeniably evident from hence that the Apostle's speaking of the wonderful Things of God in Tongues they had never learn'd was by St. Peter affirm'd to be foretold in this Prediction of Joel So that the Cardinal ought to have been very much afraid to make what was promised in Joel a Note of the Church for by this means he has made it unavoidably necessary for those of his Communion the Young Men and the Old Men c. to speak with Tongues by Inspiration which is in effect to unchurch his own Party And therefore I imagin his Followers will not follow him in this nor advance the Promise in Joel into a Note of the Church but will rather say that the fulfilling of it in the first Age of the Church was a Testimony to the Truth of Christianity and that the Prediction of Joel was accomplished tho the same extraordinary Gifts were not continued in every Age afterward 2. He says That none knows Future Contingencies but God only which if it should prove that a Church is there where the Gift of Prophecy is yet it does not prove that there is no Church where that Gift is not unless it be an inseparable Mark of the Church to have all those future Events made known to one or other in it which God only knows Our Saviour said of that Day and Hour when Himself should come to judg the World no Man knoweth but the Father only Does it therefore follow that God must have revealed it to one or other in the Church If because God only knows Future Contingencies
Obadiah hid an hundred of them There were some False Prophets amongst the Jews were all the Jewish Prophets therefore deceived when they pretended to foretell any thing We find that God charged the Prophets of Hierusalem no less than those of Samaria with Imposture with running before they were sent Jerem. xxiii 14 21 25 c. and prophesying when God had not spoken to them and with prophesying Lyes in his Name and a great deal more to this purpose Therefore by the Cardinal's Logick it appears by the False Prophets in the Old Testament that Catholicks are deceived as often as they would foretell any thing To conclude this Matter since the Cardinal seemed to take a particular delight in proving his Notes of the Church out of the Old Testament I shall leave this one Argument out of the Old Testament against his present Note of Prophetick Light. To make it a Note of the Church it is necessary that there should have been no True Prophecy but in the Church which is notoriously False because Balaam who was but a Heathen Diviner prophesied truly of Christ It is necessary also that this Gift should always have continued in the Church which is alike False because there was no Prophet amongst the Jews between Malachi and Zachary the Father of John the Baptist that is for about 400 Years together And thus much concerning the first Inquiry Whether Prophetick Light be a Note of the Church I come now to the Second II. If it be such a Note Whether the Cardinal hath sufficiently proved that they of the Roman Church have it and no others He pretends to prove that there have been Prophets in the Catholick Church which no Body denies But you must know that the Catholick Church is a Term of Art which these Masters to the Abuse of Names and Words as well as of Things and Persons are resolved shall signify the Roman Church Well let the Roman Church be their Catholick Church with us 't is but the Roman And now that we understand one another How does he prove that there have been Prophets amongst them Why he produces the Prophets of the Old Testament and those that prophesied for 500 Years after Christ Agabus for Instance who is mentioned in the Acts chap. 11 c. Now by this I perceive that it was warily done of the Cardinal and not in course to call his Church the Catholick Church for if he had produced the Prophets of the Old Testament and Agabus with the Prophets of the New to prove that the Roman Church has had Prophets it had look'd so simply that the Cardinal himself could not have born it But this is one of their old Fetches that when they would get any Credit by the Prophets and the Apostles they call themselves the Catholick Church and then because the Prophets and Apostles belonged to the Catholick Church they must belong to them and to no Christians of any Communion but theirs But how I pray comes it to pass that we have less Interest in the Prophets the Apostles and the Primitive Christians than the Roman Church has nay that we have none and they have all One thing I am sure of that if our Doctrines and theirs be severally compared with the Writings of those Renowned Antients it will not be hard to say who are their Children they or we and that they are our Predecessors and Parents and not theirs in all those Points wherein we differ from them And therefore since 't is in behalf of those particulars wherein we have left the Church of Rome that the Prophetic Light of the Old and New Testament is produced as an Argument that the Roman Church has had Prophets we have some reason to think that the Cardinal by producing the Prophets of both Testaments in this Cause has given us a terrible Weapon against himself and by their Prophetick Light discovered that if the Roman Church and ours cannot be parts of the same Church then we who have the Prophets and Apostles with us in the Doctrine we maintain are a True Church exclusively to them and not they to us In the next place we are told of Gregory Thaumaturgus and Anthony and John the Anchoret whose Predictions are related by St. Basil Athanasius and Austin Now Gregory was Bishop of Caesarea Anthony an Aegyptian Monk and John an Anchoret in a certain Wilderness of Aegypt But how all this proves that there have been Prophets in the Roman Church is never to be made out otherwise than by supposing the Greek and the Aegyptian Churches to signify the Roman Church by the same Figure that the Catholick Church and that of Rome are all one The express Testimonies he brings are concerning St. Benedict St. Bernard and St. Francis. St. Benedict told Totila that he should reign nine Years and dye the Tenth which as Gregory saith happened accordingly St. Bernard foretold the Conversion of four unlikely Persons And which was very admirable as Bellarmin affirms when he was desired to pray for the Conversion of a certain Nobleman Fear not says he I shall bury him a perfect Monk in this very place of Claravall Upon which the Cardinal cries out How many Prophecies are there in this one Sentence For that he should one Day be a Monk and persevere therein to the Death and end his Days in a holy sort and that before St. Bernard 's Death and this in Claravall and that he should be buried by St. Bernard 's own Hands are six distinct Prophecies and all of them not without God's singular Providence fulfilled As for St. Francis He admonished the Generals of the Christian Army not to fight upon such a Day with the Saracens for God had revealed to him that upon that Day they would be beaten But they contemning the Admonition of Blessed Francis fought and were overthrown with a miserable Slaughter And many more things of the same kind the Cardinal assures us might be added And if he had none of a better kind than these he ought to have produced his many more and at least given us Number for Weight Now tho I could very willingly give him all his three Stories yet I am loth to be thought so silly as to take every thing of this kind for Gospel which we are told by Bonaventure that wrote the Life of St. Francis or by Gofrid that wrote that part of St. Bernard's Life where the Cardinal finds him a Prophet no nor by Gregory himself in the second Book of his Dialogues concerning the Life and Miracles of Benedict the Abbot The Story of the Blackbird that went off with the Sign of the Cross Dial. lib. 2. cap. 2.4 and that other of the little Black-Boy invisible to all till Benedict saw him that drew away the idle Monk from his Prayers with many more such rank Fables as these are do plainly shew that Pope Gregory had Credulity enough to have lived in the Age of Gofrid or in that which next
the receiving of Apocryphal Books into the Canon of Scripture and other Opinions and Practices in the Christian Church And for the Doctrine of Transubstantiation as it is against the common Sense of Mankind and destroys the certainty of every thing else so the Jews upon all occasions object against it We have a Witness beyond Exception even of the Roman Church who brings in the Jews objecting against this Doctrine Fortalitium Fidei Lugd. Anno 1525. and representing the unreasonableness and absurdity of it from fourteen several Heads of Argument which I may not here represent to the Reader because it would be too great a Digression Nor do I find this Learned Author who writes in Defence of the Roman Church and attempts to answer these Objections alledging that this was the Doctrine which was taught by the Hebrew Doctors The Jews have so far abhorred this Doctrine Decret Gregor l. v. Tit. vi cap. 13. Accepimus autem c. and so far detested Christians upon this account that they were wont when they made use of Christian Nurses to force them to throw away their Milk for three Days together before they gave suck when it happened that at Easter these Nurses had received the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ This Pope Gregory complains of and decrees upon it that Christians should not for the future be Servants to the Jews J. Albo Ikkarim And Josephus Albo disputes against this Doctrine of Transubstantiation very vigorously And so do many others V. Nizach vet p. 255. in their Books against Christians And many more Testimonies might be produced Lipman Nizachon p. 11. were not most of their Books printed in Italy where it is not safe for them to be too plain And Learned Men do very well know that the Passage in Joseph Albo against this Doctrine of the Roman Church hath been expunged in one Edition of that Author 'T is very well known that all the later Jews are against this Doctrine And that Trypho the Jew and the most ancient Writers have not objected it against Christians is only an Argument that this Doctrine was not so old as that time in which they lived This Doctrine the Jews are certain cannot be true because if they are not certain of the Falsity of this they have no Certainty of their own Religion nor can ever be convinced of the Truth of ours The Truth is this is one great occasion of hardening them against Christianity and we are never like to see them come into the Christian Church till this Doctrine of Transubstantiation and the Worship of Images be removed out of it But then the Practice annexed to the Doctrine of Transubstantiation of worshipping a Creature is so dangerous that even they who own the Doctrine confess if that be not true they cannot be excused from Idolatry God give us a just Sence of these things that we may not hereafter have besides our own Sins which will be load great enough the Obstinacy of the Jews in great measure to answer for THE END LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. The Fourteenth Note of the CHURCH EXAMINED VIZ The unhappy End of the Church's Enemies Decima quarta Nota est Infelix exitus seu finis eorm qui Ecclesiam oppugnant Bellarm. L. iv c. 17. de Notis Ecclesiae IMPRIMATUR July 27. 1687. Guil. Needham IF he be an unwise Builder who pulls down what he intends to build up then Cardinal Bellarmin tho one of the Master-Builders of the Church of Rome deserves not to be reckon'd one of the wisest For he must shut his Eyes close who does not plainly see that he frequently defeats his own Design by giving Notes which conclude that Church to be false which he design'd to prove was the only true one Such for instance is that which is now to be consider'd as shall in the Sequel of this Discourse be made appear The Confutation of which cannot be difficult since I find nothing in the whole Chapter that hath so much as the shew of an Argument Whereas some of his Notes are guarded with a pretence at least of Scripture Reason and Antiquity this is exposed naked to the Assaults of its Adversaries without so much as a Paper Shield to protect it He tells us indeed many Tragical Stories of unhappy Deaths some of which are true some doubtful and others false some of Persons who were deadly Enemies other of Persons who were zealous Defenders of the true Church But had the Stories been all certainly true and had the Persons who thus died been all of them implacable Enemies of the Church of Rome yet what does it signify unless he had also proved That when a Person dies an unnatural Death the meaning of it is That that Church of which he professed himself a Member is false and the Church he opposed the only true one But how unwise soever he was in the choice of his Note he was so wise as not to attempt the proof of this unless the Citation of this Scripture may pass for a Proof Praise his People O ye Nations for he will avenge the Blood of his Servants and will render Vengeance to his Enemies (a) Deut. 32.43 God will avenge the Blood of his Servants therefore if a Protestant die an uphappy Death the Church of Rome is the only true Church But why did the Cardinal send out this Note so forlorn For a good Reason because no Defence could be found for it But why did he then bring it into the Field Because he knew it was Popular and might serve the Cause better than another that was never so well fenc'd For will not he dread to oppose the Church of Rome who is persuaded that God will set a Note of Vengeance upon those that do so Will not he stedfastly adhere to it who believes that that is a certain way to an happy Death In short whosoever can be persuaded to believe that the Church of Rome is by this Note distinguish'd from all other Churches he will as much dread to turn Protestant as he does to die the most prodigious sort of Death But the Mischief is That however serviceable this pretended Note may be to them among weak and undiscerning Persons it will do there as much disservice among those who are judicious and able to examine it For when they shall once see what a palpable Cheat it is and in case that it were a Note of the true Church that the Church of Rome hath the least Reason of any Church in the World to pretend to it they will be thereby disposed to break off from the Communion of that Church which contradicts its own Marks and betake themselves to some other Church which hath a better Title to them For the effecting of which I shall proceed in this Method I. I shall premise some Things as preparatory to what follows II. Shew that this can
Apostolicum solium annos decem menses septem tenuisset praecipiti morbo ex humanis ereptus est Raynald ad an 1352. n. 21. as their own Writers witness But Luther had eat a lusty Supper and was merry and jocular the Evening before And so had several of their Popes the next Evening before they died Pope Paul II after he had supp'd most jollily and perswaded himself that he had many Years to live the same Night died of an Apoplexy (o) Et cum annos plurimos vivere sibi persuaderet anno salutis nostrae 1471. v. Kal. Augusti hora secunda noctis cum eo die laetum consistorium habuisset jocundissime caenasset Apoplexia correptus vitam cum morte mutavit Johan Stell Anno 1464. p. 262. Pope Leo X led constantly a merry Life but his Death happen'd in the highest excess of Feasting Mirth and Jollity and so suddenly that there was not time afforded for Absolution and Extreme Unction (p) Ex hujus victoriae nuncio Leonem Pontificem ingenti diffusum gaudio referunt in qua Apoplexia correptus nullis perceptis Sacramentis aetatis anno quadragesimo sexto nondum exacto decessit inopina morte Raynald ad an 1521. n. 108. Die insequenti laetitiae pompam sua morte clausit inopina quidem adeâ— ut ne Sacramentis quidem munitus suerit N. 109. And if Luther jested the Day before he died methinks it might have passed without any severe Censure since Sir Tho. More the Pope's Martyr was so sportful upon the Scaffold and died with a Jest in his Mouth But what credit is to be given to his Enemies we may learn from those monstrous Tales they spread concerning his Death not only after but long before it Such as that horrible Miracle wrought at his Funeral for the Conviction of Hereticks which he confuted with his own Hand And it is not unpleasant to read how they contradict one another One says That he purged out his Entrails like Arius Another That his Mouth was distorted and his whole right Side turned to a duskish Colour But above all commend me to Thyraeus the Jesuit He confidently tells us That in a Town of Brabant named Cheol there were many Persons possess'd with Devils who were brought thither to be cured by the Intercessions and Prayers of the Saint of the Place That these poor Creatures were on a sudden deliver'd from these Evil Spirits and that this was the very Day that Luther died That the day after the Devils return'd again into the same Bodies and being asked whither they were gon the day before answer'd That by the Commandment of their Prince they were call'd forth to attend the Soul of their Grand Prophet and Companion Luther This Fable as ridiculous as it is malicious is quoted at large and credited by as considerable a Man as Florimond de Ramond (r) De la Naissance de l' Heresie l. 3. c. 11. p. 332. He I say that shall reflect upon these things will not be apt to believe the Reports of his Adversaries If we take the account of his Death from Sleidan we shall find it very different and such as was every way becoming a most pious and devout Christian (s) Jo. Sleid. Comment l. 17. But it will be said that he was his Friend and therefore as little to be credited as his Enemies Hear therefore what many Learned Men of the Church of Rome say who cannot be suspected of any partiality in Favour of him The Fathers in Trent saith Father Paul and the Court of Rome conceived great hope seeing that so potent an Instrument to contradict the Doctrine and Rites of the Church of Rome was dead c. and the rather because that Death was divulged throughout Italy with many prodigious and fabulous Circumstances which were ascribed to Miracle and the Vengeance of God tho there were but the usual accidents which do ordinarily happen in the Deaths of Men of sixty three Years of Age (t) Hist of the Counc of Trent l. 2. p. 149. So that in Father Paul's judgment there was nothing in his Death but what was common Yea that the very worst Circumstances were no other than such Accidents which happen also many times to VERY GOOD CHRISTIANS is acknowledged by a late Adversary (u) Spirit of Mart. Luth. p. 104. who hath written a Book on purpose to disparage him Yea that he died in great Honour as well as piously another hath informed us After Supper says Thuanus immediately before the Night in which he departed when he was ask'd Whether in the Eternal Life we shall know one ather he said that we should and confirmed it by Testimonies of Scripture As many strove who should best express their Love to him while he lived so neither by Death could they be drawn from loving him The Citizens of Mansfield contended that he ought to be buried with them because that was his Native Soil but the Authority of Frederick the Prince Elector prevail'd that he should be carried to Wittenberg and there honourably Interr'd (w) Post caenani proxime ante noctem qua decessit cum rogaretur num in illa sempiterna vita simus alter alterum agnituri ita esse aiebat Scripturae testimoniis confirmabat Ut certatim eum vivum c. Thuan. Hist l. 2. And indeed the transcendent Honour that was done to his Memory seems to be that which chiefly provoked his Enemies to set their Inventions on work to defame him The Cardinal 's next Instance of an unhappy End is Zuinglius And why is his Death reckon'd unhappy Because he was slain in a War against Catholicks (x) Zuinglius in bello contra Catholicos trucidatus est Bellarm. But is it a strange thing for a Man to be kill'd in a War Does every one that so ends his Days die miserably If so How many Millions hath the Pope brought to a miserable End in sending them to the Wars against Saracens and Hereticks O that they 'l say is a glorious Death that merits the brightest Crown in Heaven But Zuinglius was kill'd in a War against Catholicks But stay the Cardinal makes them Catholicks too soon he supposes them Catholicks before Zuinglius was kill'd whereas he was to prove them Catholicks by his being kill'd for his unhappy Death is the Note now under debate by which they were to be known to be of the true Church But that his Death could be no Argument that God disapproved the cause in which he died is evident because to the great grief of our Adversaries the Reformed Religion which they hoped would have died together with him made a greater Progress after his Death than it had done before I shall speak but a word to the two next because the Cardinal's Spite is chiefly against Calvin who brings up the rear Oecolampadius says Bellarmin in the Evening went well to Bed and in the Morning was by his Wife found dead
the Holy War And there he takes notice how the Christians being then about Antioch with a small number and those in great dispair and a very languishing Condition for want of necessary Provisions and the Enemy at hand with a potent numerous Army and when they were in this distress it was at length seasonably revealed to some Body where the Holy Lance was which was brought into the Field in the nick of time and carried before the Souldiers and three Holy Men appeared in the Clouds fighting for them and by this means they unexpectedly got an entire Victory with the slaughter of an hundred thousand of the Turks I will not question the Truth of any part of the Story but let any Man consider the various Successes of that War and that it was concluded to the advantage of the Infidels who remained Masters of all at last after so much Blood and Treasure expended and so many of the bravest Spirits of Europe thrown away upon those tedious and fruitless Expeditions and he will be apt to suspect that here the Cardinal did manifestly prevaricate and that he had a real design to betray his own Church and give up the Cause to Mahomet After this he boasts of a notable Victory over the Albigenses where a hundred thousand of the Hereticks were totally routed by his Catholicks that were not the tenth part of their number It is true the Histories of those times do generally mention a very great Overthrow given those poor People in a Battel by a very inconsiderable handful of Men under the Command or Simon Mountfort and that Peter King of Arragon who came to their Assistance was slain on the Place and Raymond Earl of Thoulouse forced to fly And upon this occasion to strengthen the Cardinal's Argument as much as is possible I think it will not be amiss to call to mind some other of their glorious Victories over these Albigenses These we must know were a sort of Hereticks that were spread far and near and had a long time infected the Church See Usher de Christ Eccl. Success Scat. cap. 10. Sect. 23 24. c. some say they had continued ever since the days of the Apostles Pope Innocent the Third very desirous to find a Remedy for this Inveterate Evil appoints divers eminent Preachers to go into the parts where they were thought to be the most numerous and teach nothing there but the pure Doctrine of the Church of Rome and endeavour by this means to convince them of their supposed Errors But this way not succeeding the Hereticks remaining obstinate still notwithstanding the Diligence of the Missionaries he bethinks himself of a more effectual Expedient Since Perswasions will not prevail he is resolved to try whether Terror and Force may not have a greater Power of Conviction than Argument Therefore he publishes a Crusado against the Hereticks as had been formerly done against the Infidels in the East and sets forth his Bull of Plenary Indulgence to all that should engage in this Sacred Militia and makes them as sure of Heaven as those were that should be sent on his Errand to the Holy Land. Upon this extraordinary encouragement great Multitudes flock together from all parts and full of Zeal and Rage they march on and perform many notable Exploits to the Eternal Honour of themselves and him that put them on that pious Work. In one City they put threescore thousand to the Sword sparing neither Sex nor Age. And when the tender-hearted Souldiers found there were some Catholicks in the Place they desire to know whether these might not be admitted to Quarter The Pope's Legat that was attending the Action commands them to make no Distinction for fear a Heretick might escape under that pretence And he excuses the Severity of the Order with a Scripture Expression The Lord knoweth who are His. This beginning was enough to strike Terror into all that heard it and then they go on valiantly still doing great Execution wherever they come Whenever any Town or Castle was surrender'd it was always upon these Articles they that would be converted had their Lives they that refused were Hanged or Burnt After they had proceeded a while in this manner Simon Mountfort a stout Zealot is by common consent chosen General of the Pilgrims for so they were called and appointed Commander in chief for this new kind of Holy War with a Promise of the Government of what had already been or should happen hereafter to be taken from the Hereticks He armed with a sufficient Power quickly forces Raimund of Tholouse out of his Dominions The poor ejected Prince flyes to the great Lateran Council for Relief they as if the question had been about a Matter of Faith suffer the Debate to come before them and depriving Raimund constitute Simon E. of Tholouse Raimund hereupon retires into Spain Simon 's new Subjects suddenly revolt and force him to go himself and send his Wife to several Courts to beg such Supplies as might be sufficient to reduce them to Obedience But before that could be done he is crushed to pieces with a great Stone out of an Engine as he lay before Tholouse Soon after his Younger Son Guy is likewise slain at another Town Almaric the Elder and Heir to his Father highly inraged with these Misfortunes that fell so thick upon his Family swears desperately that he would never remove the Seige till he was Master of the Place But notwithstanding this insolent Bravado he is constrained to go away in a Disgrace aggravated with the Guilt of a presumptious foolish Oath Before this Raimund was returned and entered again upon his Legal Inheritance and died at last in Possession of it and left the Sucession to his Son when Almaric was fain to wander up and down the World earnestly entreating all that pleased to pitty his Condition to afford him some Succours that he might be enabled to endeavour the Recovery of what had been lately usurped by his Father And now upon a Review of the Successes on both Sides thus far the Hereticks seem clearly to have the Advantage And for what followed after this it is an Argument of the particular care the Divine Providence has always had in the preservation of those distressed Albigenses that could never be destroyed by the many potent Combinations that have been made against them and the violent Persecutions they have endured within these last five hundred Years but in spight of all the Malice of their Enemies the Remains of them at this Day are enough to exercise the Valour of another Mountfort if any unhappy Age should chance to produce one For his Catholick Victories in Switzerland and the Low-Countries if the Cardinal had been pleased to acquaint us what they were perhaps they might be easily ballanced However for ought I can learn the Protestant Cantons are in as good Condition as the other I am sure the Confederate Provinces of the Netherlands are grown a very rich and
own Authors 11. The Glory of Miracles These alone were never a Note of the true Church And those extraordinary Gifts which were bestowed at first for the Confirmation of Christianity we think they are ceased long ago But we are forewarned of False Christs and false Prophets Mat. 24.24 which should shew great Signs and Wonders which me-thinks should make a Church very careful how they made any pretension to Miracles But the Church of Rome is resolved to do it and would fain perswade us that there are many great Ones wrought among them to this very Day and as they believe always will be But we know and they will not deny it that many of the Miracles they have talked of are meer Forgeries and Delusions others altogether incredible and but weakly attested and wholly unworthy of the Seriousness and Gravity of the Christian Religion most of them said to be done in Corners and are never to be seen but among themselves When they please to oblige us Protestants with the sight of a few of them they may then deserve to be farther considered till that be done they must give us leave to think that their Church is reduced to great Streights when it shall stand in need of such slight Artifices as these to support it 12. The Light of Prophecy This if they had it can bring no more Advantage to their Cause than the other The Church of God anciently when extraordinary Revelations were more common had not always Prophets in it And when any appeared the Prophet was to be tryed by the Faith of the Church and not the Church by the Predictions of the Prophet And we are still commanded to try the Spirits whether they are of God 1 Joh. 4.1 Because many false Prophets are gone out into the World. 13. The Confession of Adversaries This if the Cardinal's Instances were pertinent would yet be but of little Consequence for if some Protestants have spoken favourably of his Catholicks some of his Catholicks have spoken favourably of Protestants Or if we should be willing to hope well of some of them as we are and they should adjudge us every one to Eternal Damnation as they generally do this would be but an ill sign that their Church must therefore be the truer because it is more Censorious and Uncharitable than Ours 14. The Vnhappy End of the Church's Enemies A wise Man would be something afraid of passing this into a Note before he was himself safe in his Grave For all things come alike to all Eccl. 9.2 there is one Event to the Righteous and to the Wicked Many of the most Zealous Patrons of the Romish Persuasion have met with as Tragical and Unfortunate Ends as the most accursed Heretick that ever was devoured by Vermin or burnt at a Stake 15. Temporal Felicity This may be placed in the same Rank with the former it is altogether as variable and inconstant as that no certain Judgment can be made upon it They are not to learn that the Enemies of their Church have been often successful and that Victory has not always waited upon their Catholick Arms no not in their most Holy Wars when Religion has been the only ground of the Quarrel Thus upon a Review of all the Notes in order as they are mustered up by the great Cardinal it may appear to any unprejudiced Enquirer that he has missed of his Aim For that they are either no Notes of a Church at all or not proper to that of Rome And now after the highest Pretences of an Infallible Church and the absolute Deference and Submission which they say is due unto it any Man that shall seriously consider the Matter must needs wonder they should have no surer means at last to find it out than a few slight and improbable nay some of them very vain false and extravagant Conjectures The Protestants whom they will not allow to be certain of any thing have far better Evidences than these and as good Assurances of the Truth of their Church as can be desired For we think the True Faith True Worship and a Right Administration of the Sacraments do unquestionably make a True Church These the Romanists themselves cannot deny to be the great and necessary Notes and if the Controversy betwixt us come to be determined by these it will soon appear which Communion we ought to prefer We make Profession of the whole Catholick Apostolick Faith as it is contained in the Holy Scriptures and briefly comprized in the three Creeds which is all that was ever received in the Primitive Church They have made large Additions to the Antient Belief and increased the number of the Articles from Twelve to Four and Twenty many of which were not so much as heard of in the First Ages and never made necessary to be believed till above fifteen hundred Years after the Publication of the Gospel We Worship Almighty God and none but him and unto him we Pray in a Language we understand through Jesus Christ our only Mediator in whose Name when we ask we are sure to be heard They have a kind of Worship which they give to Saints and Images which as to all External Acts of Adoration is the very same they pay to God himself and when their Addresses are directed unto Him all their Publick Service is in an unknown Tongue and they set up to themselves many Mediatours of Intercession when they cannot tell whether they hear them but it is most certain that God has never promised to hear them for their Sakes We receive the two Sacraments which Christ ordained in his Church and administer them both in such Manner and Form as he has appointed They without any Divine Authority have made Seven Sacraments and in the Lord's Supper they believe that there is offered up a proper Propitiatory Sacrifice for the Living and the Dead they adore the Elements which they think are Transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of our Saviour and suffer the Laity to communicate but in one kind robbing them of the Cup contrary to the plain Institution and express Command of our Blessed Lord. And since we have the True Faith True Worship and the Sacraments rightly Administred it is evident that we are not deficient in any thing that is necessary to the Constitution of a True Church But They will never be able to prove themselves such a One by the late Additions they have made to the Creed and their many Deviations from the Primitive Rule And yet they will be continually vaunting that they are not only a True Church but the only True Church in the World and upon this Presumption they thunder out their Anathema's upon all Christendom besides and confidently condemn them for a Company of Heretical and Schismatical Conventicles But they cannot justify that rash and uncharitable Sentence nor make good any part of this heavy Charge For we that heartily believe all the Antient Creeds cannot be accused of Heresy neither are we guilty of Schism because we only Reformed those Errors and Corruptions which they had introduced and wanted not sufficient Authority for what was done But if they are still absolutely resolved to stand to the Censure they have passed and allow no True Church upon Earth but their Own it is not Cardinal Bellarmin's Fifteen Notes that will ever prove it FINIS ERRATA Pag. 367. l. 3. for not r. most P. 371. Marg. l. ult for cap. 3. r. 13. LONDON Printed by J. D. for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-Yard 1687. BOOKS lately printed for Richard Chiswell THE Pillar and Ground of Truth A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsly claims to be That Church and the Pillar of That Truth mentioned by St. Paul in his First Epistle to Timothy Chap. 3. Vers 15.4o. The Peoples Right to read the Holy Scripture Asserted 4o. A Short Summary of the Principal Controversies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome being a Vindication of several Protestant Doctrines in Answer to a Late Pamphlet Intituled Protestancy destitute of Scripture Proofs 4o. Two Discourses of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead An Answer to a late Pamphlet Intituled The Judgment and Doctrine of the Clergy of the Church of England concerning one Special Branch of the King's Prerogative viz. In dispensing with the Penal Laws 4o. A PRIVATE PRAYER to be used in Difficult Times 8o.
into the Doctrines of the Primitive Church which will have as many Inconveniences in it I fear as they are apt to object against searching to this end into the Scriptures so he must examine all the particular Doctrines that are controverted between both Churches to see which are most agreeable to the Faith of the Primitive for he cannot know this in the Lump and by the Gross and to tell him as they sometimes do that 't is impossible for their Church to have departed from the Faith of the Primitive and that the present Age could not alter from the Doctrine of the foregoing and so upward this is not to make the Primitive Faith a Note of the present Church but to prevent all enquiry about this Note and to make it wholly useless and insignificant He that will therefore make use of this Mark to know the true Church by must be supposed and allowed to inquire into the Doctrine of the Primitive Church about all those particular Controversies and Matters of Faith that are in difference between us and must not have his Enquiry stopt and precluded by any general Pretences of the Infallibility either of Oral Tradition or of the present Church but must freely and impartially examin the particular Doctrines that are controverted that so he may bring every one of them to the Touchstone of the Primitive Faith and try whether they are agreable to the same or no and according as he finds this that is whatsoever Church he finds to hold the same Doctrine with the Primitive in all the particular Points of difference That he must conclude to be the true Church from this Note given of it Our Adversaries do not usually care to enter into particular Points of Controversy wherein they are very sensible they shall be sooner foiled and bafled and therefore they generally wave those which are capable of being made more plain and evident to most Mens Capacities and they chuse rather to dispute and wrangle about more general and intricate Matters in which there is some more room to cavil and to amuse and perplex themselves and others with seeming Difficulties so that tho particular Controversies may be made very plain and it appears often in them as clear almost as the Light on which side the Truth is as Whether Prayers ought to be in a known Tongue Whether the Communion ought to be in both kinds Whether the Scriptures are to be read by the People and the like yet to avoid those and to prevent the Disadvantage of such manifest and particular Points they carry the Dispute off to other things and run into the general Controversies of Infallibility and Church-Authority and Resolution of Faith and a Judg in Controversies and the like and here they think there is more room for Cavil and Sophistry and they can hereby lead Men if not into Scepticism and Doubtfulness yet into a Maze and Labyrinth where they shall not so easily get out Which way of theirs seems to me just as if a Person in a plain Controversy about Weight or Measure which were otherwise easy to be determined should to avoid that think fit to run into the perplext Dispute What was the true Standard of Weights and Measures or everlastingly wrangle about that Question Whether Matter consisted of Divisible or Indivisible Parts and because he could raise Difficulties here and keep up a long and intricate Controversy about those Matters would not be brought to yield that a Pound was heavier than an Ounce or an Ell longer than an Inch. I cannot but think that some of our particular Controversies may be almost as clearly decided as those two and that the running into some general ones is as remote and sophistical as the other We must therefore according to this Note of the Church not be foreprized or prevented with any general and more perplext Dispute but we must fairly examine all the particular Doctrines of the Church and see whether they are agreeable with those of the Primitive Church or no before we can find out the true Church at present not that the true Church we are to look for is confined to any particular Place or Country but like a great Homogenial Body every Part of which is of the fame nature with the Whole wherever the true Primitive Faith is profest in all the Parts of it there is a True Church and all particular Churches being united together in the same Bond of Faith do make up the Catholick Church over all the World. If there were but one Particular Church upon the whole Earth that did profess this True Faith that alone might be called the Catholick Church because that alone had that Catholick Faith which did properly make and constitute the True Church But this Faith being common to a great many Particular Churches this makes them to be all true and all Catholick as to Faith but as to Place 't is ridiculous to call any one Catholick and as absurd as to call a Part the Whole in that sense no Church is Catholick in the other every Church is that holds the Whole Christian Faith We are not therefore to seek for any Particular Church that shall usurp to it self the Name of Catholick in exclusion to all others but for any Church that maintains the true Catholick Faith profest by the Primitive which upon that account is a True Church and acknowledged so by this Mark which is here given of it To find out such a one and to distinguish it from others we must very carefully enquire into all the particular Doctrines and Points of Faith which are held by it and see whether they are agreeable to the Faith and Doctrine of the Primitive Church and according to this Method and saving to our selves all the forementioned Advantages of it we are very willing to have the Difference adjusted between us and the Church of Rome and to have it decided by this Note whether we or they are the True Church that is whether we or they in all Matters of Controversy between us do most agree with the Doctrine of the Primitive Church And here is a very large scope offered to me and what has taken up a great many Volumes on both sides so that to most People Scripture one would think should be a shorter and an easier and therefore a better way to know the True Church by but since our Adversaries are not willing to leave the Case to that we are ready to accept of the Primitive Church to be Judg between us and as has been often offered before by Bishop Jewel and others we shall be very willing to stand to its award and decision for however some few Divines of the Reformation before they were so well acquainted with Antiquity and when they could not so well distinguish what was genuine from what was spurious and corrupted by your Church were at first especially more jealous and distrustful than they need to have been of it and unwilling to
's making Jesus Christ the Head of the Church never made it one So far was he from making this a Note of the true Church that he rather makes it a Sign of the contrary Luk. 6.26 Wo unto you says he when all Men shall speak well of you for so did their Fathers to the false Prophets Mat. 5.11 Our Lord calls them Blessed and certainly he speaks not of them that were out of the true Church that are reviled and have all manner of Evil said against them Luk. 6.22 23. He pronounceth them Blessed who are reproached and whose Name is cast out as Evil he bids them rejoyce in that day and be exceeding glad St. Peter reckons the Reproaches for the Name of Christ a Glory and Happiness 1 Pet. 4.14 And Simeon foretold of Jesus that he was set for a Sign which shall be spoken against Luk. 2.34 And we preach Christ crucified 1 Cor. 1.23 unto the Jews a Stumbling-block and unto the Greeks Foolishness says the great Apostle of the Gentiles So far is this Confession of Adversaries from being a Note of a true Church as the Cardinal would make it that the Reproaches and Scoffs of Enemies is no Reflection upon the true Church of Christ The worst of Men do not use to treat the best things well and when these bad Men are Enemies they do no Prejudice with wise Men by their Invectives and Reproaches Qui enim scit illum intelligere potest non nisi aliquid bonum grande à Nerone damnatum Tertull. Apol. Tertullian concludes the Christian Religion good because Nero one of the worst of Men bent his Force against it The Church will want nothing that is required though Jews and Pagans should with one Consent perpetually declaim against her In a word this Confession of Adversaries of what use soever it may be can be no Note for it is contingent and arbitrary and lies at the pleasure of those who are not only out of the Church but Enemies to it and in the Infancy of Christianity the Church was without this Note and if that be allowed to be a true Church this can be no true Note of it II. But if it should be granted that this is a true Note the next Enquiry will be whether or not the Particulars produced by the Cardinal do evince that this Note is peculiar to the Roman Church exclusively to other Christians that are not of her Communion 'T is certain that by the true Church the Notes whereof the Cardinal attempts to give us he means only the Church of Rome V. C. vi C. ix C. xi And what in the Beginning of his Book he calls the true Church he calls afterwards our Church and makes them both one and the same At last it comes to our Catholick Church with him So that this Note of his which he calls the Confession of Enemies must belong peculiarly to the Roman Church or else 't will do him no Service For this is a Rule which the Cardinal hath laid down C. II. that Notes must be proper and not common For says he if I would describe a certain Man to one who knows him not I must not say he is one that hath two Eyes and Hands c. because these are common things and he will never find him by such common Descriptions as these According to this Account we may justly expect that when the Cardinal produceth the Confession of Adversaries in behalf of the Church he should produce Witnesses who speak of that very Church of which he makes this Confession a Note else these Witnesses prove nothing to his purpose If they should chance only to speak some favourable words of Christianity or of some few Christians this will be short of what they are produced for in this Place And what ever good use may be made of their Confession yet 't will not belong peculiarly to the Church of Rome They must speak to the Church of Rome and in her behalf or else the Cardinal had better have spared them They 'l do him no service if they do not make good his Note and that cannot be done if they witness not in behalf of the Roman Church 'T is time now to call the Witnesses and hear what they have to say in behalf of the Church of Rome And here not to invert that Order which the Cardinal hath taken we will begin with the Pagans and see what they have to say in behalf of the Church of Rome The Cardinal begins with Pliny the Second He in his Epistle to the Emperor Trajan gives this Testimony in behalf of Christians viz. that they detested all Vices lived most holily and were blamable on this account only that they were too forward to part with their Lives for their God and they rose up before day to sing praises to Christ But what is all this to the Church of Rome especially as it is now constituted and distinguished from other Christians which are not of her Communion and do not own themselves subject to the Bishop of that Church He speaks well of Christians and we allow that those of the Church of Rome at that time were such We have no quarrel with the Christians of the Roman Church who lived in the days of Trajan Pliny speaks well of them He does so indeed But what does he say Does he say that they worshipped Images or that they adored the Host That they prayed to Saints and made use of several Intercessors That they deserved Favour because they came so near the Pagans in these things He says no such thing He tells us that they lived well and detested Vices that they sang praises to Jesus and were willing to die for God. Did we ever find fault with any of the Church of Rome for their good Lives or the Hymns of Praise which they sing to Christ Have we ever quarrelled with them for detesting Vices or exposing their Lives for the Honour of the true God He commends the Christians that lived then but not for any thing which they either believed or practised which is now a matter of Controversy between us and the present Church of Rome Pliny commends the ancient Christians Be it so Why must this be restrained to the Church of Rome Were there no Christians but what were in Communion with and were subject to the Roman Church He commends the Christians of that Time But will this justify them who afterwards shall call themselves by that Name He commends them for their good Lives their Love to God and Gratitude to their Saviour Will this justify the present Church of Rome Will it serve to defend the Worship of Images or Prayers to the Blessed Virgin and Invocation of Saints Does it appear that there were no Christians in the World but those of the Church of Rome and that that Church was then what it is now What the Cardinal produceth afterwards hath no greater Force than
this Testimony of Pliny Tertullian tells us that the Heathens would not hear the Cause of Christians whom they knew to be guiltless but condemned it at all Adventures and that the best Emperors favoured Christianity and that 't was persecuted by the worst All this however it may serve the common Christianity does not make for the purpose for which the Cardinal does produce it The same may be said as to what he mentions of the Efficacy of the Prayers of the Christian Souldiers from the Epistle of M. Aurelius and if St. Antony St. Hilarion and St. Martin were reverenced by the Pagans I do not so much as imagine what Service this will be to the Cause the Cardinal hath undertaken to defend or what Prejudice 't will be to ours So that hitherto here is nothing said to the purpose in hand nothing said but what the Protestants may as well apply to themselves as the Church of Rome His next Set of Witnesses are Jews if we examine them we shall only find that he hath wisely made choice of two great Names but that neither of them speak one Word to the purpose His Authors are Josephus the Historian and Philo Judaeus two incomparable Authors they are and by no means to be excepted against Here 's the Mischief that neither of them have a Syllable that makes for the Defence of the Church of Rome or the Prejudice of the Reformed However let us hear them speak And first let us hear what Josephus the elder of the two hath to say It is this that Jesus was a wise Man Jofeph Antiq. Jud. l. 18. c. 6. if it be lawful to call him a Man that he was the Effector of wondrous Works c. and that he was the Christ or Messias By the way the Cardinal makes Josephus speak Non-sense as he reports his Testimony For he says not only that Josephus does affirm Christ to be more than a Man but that he was truly the Messias Now Josephus would never speak at this rate to affirm that Christ is the Messias is to affirm that Christ is Christ for the Messias and Christ are the same Josephus affirms that Jesus lived at that time which he mentions and that Jesus was the Christ or Messias But to let this pass I grant that Josephus affirms that Jesus was the Christ what is this to the Church of Rome any farther than it concerns our common Christianity I would fain know why the Cardinal produceth this in behalf of his Church or what reason can be assigned why Protestants may not as well apply it to their own The common Christianity is concerned in such a Testimony and so far the Roman Church is also But set aside that Consideration and take the Church of Rome as the Cardinal does as distinct from and opposed to other Christians that are not of her Communion and I dare say I will produce Testimonies as pertinent as this of Josephus out of any Page of Homer's Iliads or the Commentaries of Julius Caesar For what Coherence is there between these two Propositions Josephus confesseth that Jesus was the Christ Therefore the Church of Rome is the Catholick Church And yet this is in truth the Cardinal's way of arguing Let us hear next what Philo Judaeus hath to say in behalf of the Christians of the Church of Rome Now it would be to me a wonderful thing to find Philo say any thing in behalf of those Christians when he never once mentions the Name of Christian in all his Works Yet the Cardinal hath the Confidence to affirm that Philo hath written a famous Book of the Praises of those Christians who lived in Egypt under St. Mark the Evangelist After this his positive Affirmation that Philo had written such a Book as being sensible that Philo hath no Book that bears any such Title he adds the Testimony of some of the Ancients that Philo meant the Christians and not any Sect of the Jews as the Centuriators would have I do not think it worth my while to examin his Antient Writers which he quotes for his Opinion Philo Judae de vitâ Contemplativâ I will for once take it for granted that Philo means the Christians of whom he gives so good a Character under the Title of Therapeutae Let it be so What is this to the Business Because those Christians in Egypt were good Men and such as Philo describes them must therefore the Church of Rome be the Catholick Church The next Witnesses which the Cardinal produceth are Turks He tells us that in the Alcoran 't is said that Christans are saved that Christ was the greatest of Prophets and had the Soul of God and that the Sultan of Egypt reverenced St. Francis whom he knew to be a Christian and a Catholick To what purpose all this is produced I do not understand I am sure it cannot serve that of the Church of Rome as she stands separated from other Christians And if it be a Testimony in behalf of our common Christianity then all Christians are concerned in it as well as that of the Church of Rome The Alcoran will do the Cardinal no Service unless he could have produced some Testimony peculiar to the Roman Church or that might have justified the Worship of Images Adoration of the Host the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or some of those Doctrines and Practices peculiar to that Church The last Set of Witnesses produced by the Cardinal he calls Hereticks A Man would think the case very desperate that needs such Witnesses But yet I find the Church of Rome does not disdain such as these when they speak of her side But in the present Question we shall find they do that Church no Service The Substance of what the Cardinal alledgeth is what follows viz. That an Arian King honoured St. Benedict a Catholick That Luther when an Heretick owned that in the Papacy were many good Things nay all that was good e. g. The true Scripture Baptism c. That Calvin calls Bernard a pious Writer and yet he was a Papist That another Protestant acknowledgeth Bernard Dominic and Francis to be Holy Men To which he adds a Passage of Cochlaeus who reports an Article of Agreement wherein the Protestant Helvetians write that they would dismiss their Confederates Quiet as to their true undoubted and their Catholick Faith. From all which I see not what he can collect for the Interest of the Church of Rome We do honour every Man that is good in the Church of Rome but this does not infer that we justify all her Doctrines We own that they have the true Scripture and Sacraments but this does not justify their addition of Apocryphal Books to the Canon of the Scriptures nor of more Sacraments than were owned to be strictly so in the Antient Church We will allow that there have been pious and holy Men of that Church and are not scrupulous in calling them by the Name by which they are commonly