kind of worldly felicity the hart of man could wish On the other side that Christians might know that they are not to serue God for these temporall goods he would haue the raigne of Iouian a most pious Emperour more short then that of Iulian the Apostata Also Graetian a godly Prince not so gracious in name as in manners he permitted vnto the sword of a rebellious Tyrant Secondly this felicity the Marke of the Church is knowne by the End which is the saluation of soules by dilatation of Christian Religion amongst Heathens and by maintenance of peace vnity in the ChristiaÌ„ Church agaynst the breaches of factious doctrine For without question Felicity that serues to so diuine heauenly an end is diuine and heauenly and sheweth the Church in fauour wherof the same is granted to be the only true Christian Church Neyther it is hard for any man to discerne vnto which Church this felicity mantayning peace of Religion amongst Christians dilating Christian Religion among the Heathens doth belonge as also where that accursed kind of felicity is found by which no Nation of Infidells hath been conuerted but only the quiet of Christendome in matters aswell of Religion as of ciuill Gouernement peruerted Thirdly this felicity proper vnto the Church is made euident by the Effect to wit by the pious workes godly liberalityes therof shining in the Princes vnto whome the same is granted For as God doth by speciall prouidence honour and enrich these Princes for the benefit of his Church so likewise by secret inspiration he doth infuse acknowledgment heerof into their hart and moueth them to discharge their debt of gratitude towardes him by shewing their liberalityes vnto his Church Thus Cyrus though a Pagan did acknowledge his temporall felicity in being made Monarch of the world from the haÌ„d of the God of Israel 2. Paralip c. 36. v. 23. for the comfort of his banished people whome therfore he set at liberty restored vnto their country and assisted them both with his authority and liberality to rebuild their Temple Who doth not know the reuerence vnto the Church the obedience vnto Bishops the magnificent bounty of erecting euery where Temples vnto Christ that shined in the most mighty and fortunate Christian Emperours as were Constantine Theodosius and Charls all three surnamed the Great Who doth not see the workes of true Christian felicity in our country and of what Religion those Princes were by whom Churches Monasteryes Hospitalls and other workes of Piety with their temporall endowments were founded This then is that kind of Temporall felicity which is to be held a Marke of the Church to wit That wherof Gods miraculous prouidence is the Authour Propagation of Christianity amongst Heathens the end Liberalityes in teÌ„poral workes of Piety the effect Without these respects to make happy Euent a note of the truth or vnlucky successe a signe of falshood what is it but to set Religion on the dyce to expose Conscience vnto chaunce to make Fayth mutable with the wind If the Professors of true ReligioÌ„ cast out of Churches by the piety of their Ancestors built meete to heare Gods word in a priuate chaÌ„ber shall Truth that remaynes for euer Veritas Domini maner in aeternum Psal 136. stand obnoxious vnto the rottenes of the roome must their fayth also fall to the ground and perish with their bodyes if happily the place breake through the weight of the multitudes that thither ouer-zealously flocke Desire of the food of their soule so drawing away their thoughts as they did not aforehand apprehend the daunger of their corporall life God forbid Progidious thinges that did happen at the change from Catholike Religion in England VVIll our Aduersaries themselues be content to haue their Religion put to this triall If they be content things in this kind recorded by their Annales will bring their cause in danger When King Henry the eight had withdrawne himself from the obedience of the Sea of Rome togeather with Schisme though agaynst his will did enter Irreligion towards the most blessed Sacrament reserued in Churches what happened Stow or Howe 's cronicle they shall vnderstand in their owne Croniclers wordes Vpon the 25. of May the rood of S. Margarets Patins by the Tower-street in London was pulled downe and broken in peeces togeather with the Tabernacle And three nights after to wit on the 27. of May was a great fire in the same S. Margarets Parish not farre from the Church the which flre consumed there more then a dozen â—ouses and many persons men and women brent to death Was not this a iudgment did not God presently punish that fact of Heresy with fire the punishment by Christian custome appoynted for that kind of impiety Did not the fire come iust in time to punish that irreligious act hauing giuen them first three dayes to repent according to that decree of the Scripture Esd 10. 8. He that within three dayes shall not come backe to HierusaleÌ„ his whole substance shall be consumed Did not the fire fall right in the place where the sin was committed as if God by sending that fire had sayd vnto them you haue disquieted my Tabernacle violated my house abused my sacred Body left you vnder the forme of bread and would not repent therfore in vengeance therof I now burne your tabernacles fire your houses consume your bodyes into ashes When Queene Elizabeth in the second yeare of her reigne had put Catholiks from all Churches not permitting them so much as one for the Religion that all her Christian Progenitours Kings of England had professed who knowes not what happened vnto the Chiefe the most goodly and glorious of all those Churches presently vpon the very next yeare their Religion being scarse yet warme in the profession thereof An. Reg. 3. On the fourth of Iune sayth the same Annalist betweene foure and fiue of the afternoone the steeple of Paules in London was fired by lightening The fire brast forth as it seemed to the beholders two or three yardes beneath the foote of the Crosse and from thence brent the speere which was of two hundred and sixty foote downe to the stone-worke and bells so terribly that within the space of foure houres the same steeple with the roofe of the Church so much as was timber or otherwise combustible were consumed which was a lamentable sight and pittifull remembrance to the beholders therof Thus he This was the welcome Heauen gaue vnto the new Religion then entring into our Kingdome by fiering vpon them that most magnificent Temple which vnder Catholikes had stood almost a thousand yeares They that vrge the falling of an old chamber as miraculous vengeance sent from heauen vpon Catholike ReligioÌ„ what can they with any shew of probability answere vnto theÌ„ that will presse them with this prodigious lightening fiering which came directly from heaueÌ„ vpon them Specially seeing therwith their Communion-table was also fired though
only the Nouatian Church or meeting place for prayer escaped the houses roūd about being al in a flame Which they did attribute vnto the prayers of their Bishop who was then praying in their Church and in memory of that supposed miracle did early keep a solemne feast and yet after their triumps insultatiōs agaynst Catholike their sect vanished away within short time after there was scarse any memory therof which wil be also the end of these torrēts of errour that novv swell with waters and keep a noyse in the world How great was the ioy of the Pagans when at the time of the banishment of S. Chrysostome the Church of Constantinople being cōsumed with casuall or with procured or as other rather thinke miraculous fire togeather with the Emperours pallace house of the Senate all Christian monuments were wasted and consumed and in particular the Statua's of Constantine and Theodosius the great the two Christian Emperours whom Idolatry did most detest yet two images or Idols the one of Iupiter and the other of Minerua were found in the confused masse of ashes vntoucht Infidels did interprete this prodigy that the Gods had not forsaken the Empire but would agayne returne Which foolish conceyte of cōfort was but a lightening before death seing presently the Gothes preuayling togeather with their entrance Paganisme was wholly vtterly extinct not any practise therof being left in the Empire I will conclude with one more Example of the diuine prouidence in afflicting his seruants the Orthodoxe Christians in such sort that in the iudgment of men and Heresy he might seeme to mislike their Religiō The citty of Antioch being by situation of the place subiect to earth-quakes was free and quiet from such mischances in the gouernment of three Eutychian Emperours Zeno Basiliscus and Anastasius for the space of threescore and seauen yeares Heresy reioycing and florishing therein Euagrius l. 4. c. 5. Iustine the most Catholike Prince succeeding them in the Empire the Catholiks of Antioch were exceedingly cōforted to see their long persecution now at end For Seuerus the Eutichian and head of the Acephali being expeld a Catholike Patriarke was ordayned in his place chosen by the Pope and the Emperour Ammian l. 3. c. 6. with exact care to giue the afflicted Antiochians the best they could find The Catholiks being full of content in respect of this change and peace after so long molestations God in his secret iudgments would alay their wine with water their ioyes with sorow For their Bishop being come behold a suddan earth-quake surpriseth the citty at dinner tyme as they were at meate And a whirle-wind rysing vnfortunatly at that very instant blew the fire and flame of the kitchins then burning according to the tyme of the day vpon the buildings that were shaken by the earth-quake So the commiserable citty set vpon by a double mischiefe and enemy togeather at once was destroyed with the most of her inhabitants amongst them was her Catholike and holy Bishop Euphrasius who his head being first stroken off by the fall of a pillar was buried in a sepulcher of fire to the excessiue ioy of the Eutychians and Seuerus their ring-leader but to the great lamentation of Catholiks specially of the good Emperour Paulus Diaconus in Miscell l. 15. For vpon newes heerof he put off his Diademe and purple vested himselfe in sacke-cloth sate solitary many weekes togeather weeping in silence not admitting of any mirth though the dayes were solemne and festiuall vpō which his custome was to goe with great pompe and splendour vnto the Church Where also we may note that the ioy the Eutychians tooke in this mischance was but the dancing of death seeing presently heereupon they were so rooted out that in the hystories of the next succeeding Age there is no memory of them As Catholiks haue cause of comfort in these Examples to see things succeed with them as they did with the orthodoxe Christians and Saints of God in former ages so likewise our Censurers that making themselues of Gods Priuy Counsell giue out their Writs agaynst vs may tremble to see themselues hardened in malice as former Heretiks were and to feele the same lightenings of death as they did And for conclusion of this Chapter I will agayne repeate the wordes of the Holy Ghost wherwith I beganne in which Catholiks may receaue comfort our insulting Aduersaries may heare their doome from Gods owne mouth This is the worst of all vnder the sunne that the same things happen alike vnto all to the good and to the impious Hence the hartes of the sonnes of men are filled with malice and contempt in their lyfe-time and afterward they shal be carryed into Hell CHAP. III. Comfort by comparison with our Aduersaryes and Gods cleere Iudgments agaynst them BEfore I beginne to discourse of this Argument I must heere meete with an Obiection which I know will be made agaynst what hath byn sayd to wit If mischances happen alyke to the good and to the bad to the Christian and to the Infidell to the Catholike and to the Heretike Why doth Cardinall Bellarmine make Temporall felicity a Marke De Eccles l. 2. c. 20. wherby to discerne the true Christian Church I answere that without all doubt there is a kind of Temporall felicity proper vnto the true Church according to the prediction of the Prophets that haue spoken so much of the Tēporall glory and happines therof This felicity though the same be mingled with many priuate mischances is apparant and may be discerned from the felicity of prophane worldlings by three notes by the Authour by the End by the Effect therof The Authour of this felicity is God not working according to the ordinary course of things but by miracle sending the same downe from heauen And therfore it is tearmed by Bellarmine Diuinitùs data Lib. 5 de ciuit c. 46. especially giuen of God and by S. Augustine A Deo euidentissima largitate concessa comming apparently from the speciall bounty of God This felicity God vseth to grant when the same is necessary for the defence of true Religion agaynst Infidelity and Heresy and it appeared manifestly in the victories obtayned by Constantine the Great by Theodosius the great by Honorius his Sonne by Charles also the great Neyther hath the like speciall prouidence and supernaturall assistance been wanting or lesse apparant in sundry battayles fought in this age betwixt Catholiks and Heretikes For though God permit strange accidents sometymes which tend to particular triall of his seruants yet misfortunes and miraculous ouerthrowes dismall vnfortunate deaths fall more frequently vpō his enemies as might be proued by examples ten for one if need so required Lib. 5. de ciuit c. 18. God sayth S. Augustine that men might not thinke that the prosperity of this life were not to be gotten but by seruing the Diuell adorned the two most Christian Emperours Constantine and Theodosius with all
wherof we may make Profit IF the Doctrine preached was so pious and the Preacher authorized to preach by Diuine Order why was the sermon ouerthrowne by suddayne death in the mid'st therof Why Because God is Lord he may permit he may doe as he pleaseth and yet no man may say vnto him Why do'st thou so Propter fines nobis ignotos Deo notiffimos in die Iudicij declarandos August He will not haue man thinke he hath right to be of his priuy Councell nor in his doings to reprehend what he doth not comprehend Notwithstanding why this mischance fell on these persons rather then on others is a mystery that lyes hidden with a million of more in the treasury of Gods secrets to be reuealed at the day of Iudgment yet in generall why this same was permitted in some Catholikes reasons may be rendered by which we may reape both comfort and profit Reasons in regard of Protestants VVIll ProtestaÌ„ts haue a reasoÌ„ why God would haue this Iesuit dye before their eyes preaching forgiuenes of iniuryes charity and peace that they might be witnesses of the fight agaynst the vulgar Puritan slauÌ„der that Iesuits incense Catholike people agaynst them vnto bloud-shed and murder Behold a Martyr a witnesse that lost his breath in the refutation of this slaunder Nor can their accusers name the Iesuit that for the time he was Iesuit killed any man or euer drew sword in anger or weÌ„t armed into the field They be present indeed many tymes in battayle to help the soules that are wounded and can make vse of their helpe and though they walke in the mid'st of dangers yet haue they no other armour then their habit no other pistoll but their beades by their side Iniquissimus belli Author Osiander Hist CeÌ„t. 16. fol. 30. no other sword and lance besides a Crosse in the one hand and their Breuiary in the other How would Puritans insult and traduce Iesuits as manquellers could they proue one of them to haue dyed as did their Archminister Zuinglius with his fiue Martiall Mates fighting in the field vnto death drowned lyke Pharao in the red sea of bloud of the effusion wherof himselfe was Author In hoc cognoscent homines quòd discipuli mâ—iestis Ioa. 14 15. Will they haue a reason God would haue this Catholike Priest dye in the commendation of Charity then which no doctrine is more properly Christian that they might feele euen with their handes the rashnes of them that iudged the fall was to punish the then preaching of Doctrine Antichristian They iudged being ignorant of the Catholike custome that our Ministers of Gods holy Word be like theirs who commonly spend the time not in exhortations vnto good life but in bitter declamatioÌ„s agaynst the Pope This accident hath made knowne our Sermons to be made in another Tune as opposite vnto theirs as is light vnto darknes sweetnes vnto bitternes Charity vnto hatred mildnes vnto arrogancy Will they haue yet another reason God permitted this accident that the zeale of hearing Gods word the hard condition of Catholikes might heereby be made knowne vnto the Christian world All the Churches of England haue byn erected by our Catholike Ancestours and yet Catholikes now haue not permitted theÌ„ so much as one Church of so many to heare the word of that Christian Fayth wherby the same were founded They must eyther want the comfort of the bread of life or els resort to priuate Chambers for the same with danger of mischance that the auncieÌ„t cause of Ieremy his complaint may seeme renewed in vs Thren c. 5. 10. In animabus nostris afferebamus nobis panem With losse of our liues we get the bread of our soules And which is worse when such disasters happeÌ„ they that haue taken our Churches from vs insult agaynst vs and the Religion that built them We may yet adde hereunto a fourth Reason Seeing God in his iudgments still aymeth at the finall end of his mercyes why may we not thinke he permitted this Accident to mitigate men harts towards Catholike ReligioÌ„ Disponit omnia suauiter causing according to his sweet course of prouidence the instinct of nature to concurre heerin with the motion of Grace For such is the disposition of mankind that the most Innocent being in excesse of prosperity are enuyed their great vertues suppressed small faults eagerly pursued to their disgrace On the other side when men are fallen from the highest of felicity into the depth of misery euen the wicked'st are pittyed their faultines extenuated and what may be in them worthy of prayse is presently called to mind Iehu when he saw Iesabel stand in her window looking proudly wantonly into the streete 4. 10 commanded her to be cast downe When she was dead and her body lay bleeding in the way her knowne immeÌ„se wickednes could not hinder his hart from a compassionate remembrance of her worth saying She was a Queene Sepelite eam quiâ— filia Regis est v. 23. and a Kings daughter let her be buried with honour Who knowes not the weeping of Alexander at the death of Darius The teares of Caesar vpon the fight of Pompey his head through remeÌ„brance of his former high worthines and state The destroyers of Hierusalem as Ieremy foretold Iosephus de bello Iudaico Herem 2. 15. wept in her destruction yea the Emperour that was Gods instrument therein passing afterward by occasion that way shed many teares vpon her This is HierusaleÌ„ that was once the fayre and beautifull Citty the ioy of the whole earth If misery be thus able to purchase fauour vnto wicked persons and mortall enemyes how much more vnto Catholike Religion that in so many of her children slayne in that their innocent exercise of deuotion lay so wofull a spectacle to our Country It is scarse possible but by that pittifull sight men should be warned to remember her Sanctity her Dignity her inestimable Benefits in former tymes bestowed on this Land and in their hearts to say This is the Religion that from her Head-Citty Rome sent hither ChristiaÌ„ Preachers Beda hist Angl. Tob. 13.22 Per vicos Alleluia caÌ„tabitur AngloruÌ„gens quae nihil nouerat nisi BarbaruÌ„ frendere nunc Hobraeum didicit Alleluia caÌ„tare Greg. wherby we Englishmen were first conuerted froÌ„ Idolatry vnto Christ and by the merits of his Bloud washed from the crimes of our cruelty in the heauenly lauer of Purity This is the Religion that did first banish from our mouth the vncouth names of Panime Gods that taught vs first to pronouÌ„ce the sauing Name of IESVS by whose meanes the sweet Alleluia began first to be songe in our streetes in hope of heauenly felicity This is the ReligioÌ„ that for a thousand yeares togeather was the sole ChristiaÌ„ Queene raigning in all our Catholike Princes working in their harts knowledge and loue of celestiall things mouing their handes to leaue monuments of their piety memorialls of
by the instinct of Nature accounted the punishment of God as it were taking the execution of Iustice immediatly into his owne hand Hence it is that they who from the hand of Diuine execution escape afflicted frighted wounded and hurt are to be held as set free by Gods speciall warrant as punished inough according to the equity of his iudgment Wherefore presently to set vpon them as deseruing more punishment is not only iniustice and cruelty but also a kind of impiety and condemnation of God as if he wanted eyther wisedome to know or iustice to hate or power to punish sufficiently the grieuousnes of mans sinnes We will not stand vpon the Deniall but this chance might be sent vpon these persons as a punishment of God in regard of their lesser or veniall sinnes seing euen Martyrdome it selfe the death most glorious of all other may be inflicted as a punishment in this kind ◠Mach. 6.14 as the Machabees Martirs sayd Nos propeccatis nostris ista patimur At least they that suffer may ought to make that accoūt as S. Cyprian counselleth Decet Martyres verecundos esse Cyprian in exort Martyr supplicia sua peccatis ascribere non se de passione iactare Wherfore these woūded Catholike men and women supposing in Christian humility this to haue byn the stroake of Gods hande for their sinnes how properly might one of them haue turned vnto the Puritan with the wordes of holy Iob Iob. 19 22. Haue pitty haue pitty on me for the hand of God hath strucken me for my sinnes as you suppose and I do not deny yet the nūber of them how great or small they are God knowes much better then you do Deserued I punishmēt Behold these bleeding woundes witnesse I haue already had my punishment at the handes of the liuing God Creatures may well spare me at least you my friendes allyed vnto me both in nature and country whome the like mortality may not I say the like iniquity makes liable vnto the same mischance Call to mind the saying of our Sauiour vnto the eager enemyes of the guilty Woman He that amongst you is without sinne let him cast the first stone at her Ioan. 8 7. Quare persequimini me sicut Deus carnibus meis saturamini Why do you pursue me as if your were God Iob. 19.22 innocent from sinne pure from misery your selues yea rather why do you pursue me as if you were more then God eyther more wife to apprehend or more zealous to detest or more stronge to reuenge the greatnes of my sinnes that wheras He after punishment hath set me free you to fill vp the supposed defect of his iudgment would come vpō me with a new supply of your strokes Haue pitty haue pitty on me for the hand of God hath stroken me But these wordes would not haue moued mercilesse harts and so those distressed soules might better as perchance they did lift vp their eyes vnto God in holy Dauid his complaynt Psa 78.27 Quem tu percussisti persecuti sunt super dolorem vulnerum meorum addiderunt ego sum pauper dolēs salus tua Deus suscepit me Whom thou hadst struken they pursued and added new griefe vnto my woundes I am poore and in payne thy saluation hath taken me vp O cruelty of men they had not pitty of me being poore destitute of ayde nor commiseratiō of me bleeding in payne not only outwardly through the woundes of body but also inwardly though griefes and frights of soule They bare no respect vnto me as a thing particularly beholding and belonging vnto thee as one whom thy saluation tooke vp into thy handes out of those ruines If a Tygar or Shee-wolfe hauing a man in her pawes should out of compassion let him free how cruell would he be thought that should seeke to make that man away presently vpon his escape O Lord thyne anger as the Prophet sayth is as fierce as the Shee-beare that hath lost her whelpes Osee 13.8 Whence we may gather how wild and sauage they are that would stone them to death that come bleeding from vnder the hand of thy terrible anger Whome thou hadst struken they pursued and added new griefe vnto my woundes But shall such cruelty passe without punishment No. They shall receaue the greatest punishment that God in his implacable anger can lay vpon men in this life which is set downe in the wordes that next follow Appone iniquitatem super iniquitatem eorum non intrent in iustitiam tuā deleantur de libro viuentium Psal 68.28.29 cum iustis non scribantur Lay vpon them iniquity vpon iniquity and let them neuer enter into thy righteousnes let them be blotted out of the booke of life and not be written amongst the iust And this may be another reason of this permission in regard of Puritans to wit for the greater obduration of the more hoat vnmercifull and obstinate sort of them For as their malice is such as they would if they could loade the Catholike Church with wound vpon wound so God permitting mischances to happen before the eyes of their body that carry some shew of scandall subtracting from before the eyes of their soule the light of his grace to make due inspection vnto them giues them occasions wherby they heape iniquity vpon iniquity filling their hearts more more with malice contēpt till being come to the measure of Gods appoyntmēt they be carried into Hell These iudgmēts of God are so much the more terrible because they least of all regard thē whom they most cōcern being so blinded deluded with the delightful imaginations of selfe-fancy in their interpretation of Scripture as they neuer so much as apprehend the heynousnes of their offence in contēning the perpetuall Christian Tradition of the Church I will not insist vpon this poynt but referre it vnto the inward search of their Conscience desiring them in Christ Iesus and as they tender their saluation that they will call to mind how many thousands of Heretikes haue byn in former Ages that thought thēselues no lesse secure of the truth then they now doe did alledge Scriptures for their errours as fast as they now do and more cleere and expresse then they can doe any yet now burne for euer in hell for their contempt of the Tradition and Authority of the Church Reasons in the behalfe of them that were slayne the happines of their death TO come to the principall intendment of God who in the midst of his iudgments is euer mindfull of his mercyes Psal 33.8 He permitted this mischance for the same cause for which he permitted the misfortune of the Christian army in the holy Land whither by his speciall ordinance they were called agaynst the Saracens Godefred in vita Bern. l. 3. c. 4. Otto Frising in Fred. l. 1. c. 38. Baron Tom. 12. An. 1145. S. Bernard was summoner of