against that decree which was made against them at the Dyet in Germany Luther was presently writ against and confuted by many learned men in all Catholick Countries his Doctrine and he were condemned first by Pope Leo the tenth and afterward by the Councel of Trent so that Luthers going out and the beginning of his new Sect are most certainly known and recounted by many Yea the falshood and novelty of Luthers doctrine as also his going out of the Roman Church and that the said Church of Rome is Christs true Church is plainly demonstrated further by this thing which is most worthy to be taken notice of At that time when Luther began his new sect there were not in the world any Religions but these the Roman Paganisme Judaisme Mahometisme the relicks of Nestorianisme in Greece and some Hussites in Germany some one of these was Christs true Church for he had a visible Church upon earth Therefore the Roman must be it for even the Lutherans deny that any of the other could be it Hence infer first that Luther could not but know that he went out and separated himself from Christs Church by forsaking all Churches one of which he knew must be it Secondly that he could not but know that the Roman Church was it thirdly that supposing the Church of Rome were it which must be supposed or else the denyers must say Christ had no true Church upon earth it could not be guilty of any Heresie or Idolatry nor give any just cause to Luther of going out of it and consequently by his revolt from the communion of it he incurred the sin of schisme by teaching doctrine contrary to it he fell into the sin of heresie Fourthly that all that entered into that schismaticall league with him and embraced his opinions were guilty of the same sins so far forth as ignorance did not make their acts involuntary Fifthly that that schisme unlawfully begun by Luther cannot be lawfully continued by others and therefore all that are not Roman Catholicks expose themselves to evident danger of their souls unless they return to the communion of the Roman Church The fourth Point Consider now what may be drawn out of all the precedent points first that antiquity is not onely a mark of the true Church but it is one by which even the most ignorant soules may easily finde out which is the true Church and which are late sects and consequently false for a smal enquiry will bring them to the knowledge of which Religion is of the longest standing and a far lesse will discover unto them which are of the latest for of Luther above mention is made Calvin begun at Geneva anno 1538. and Protestant Religion in England begun under Queen Elizabeth though some symptoms of falling into it were difcovered in her predecessor Edward the sixth his dayes as is evident out of John Stows Chronicle and other Protestant Writers as also out of the Stature book 2. That since according to Saint Austins rule which is that if there be any thing practised in the Church universally and no time of its being introduced can be assigned that thing is to be supposed to have its first origin from the Apostles times no known beginning of the Roman Catholick Religion since the daies of the Apostles can be specified it must be the true Religion On the contrary since both the going out from the Roman Church and also the first beginnings of all later Sects are easily demonstrable none of these can be true or a soul saving Religion 3. That all who are not Roman Catholicks for these know it have great reason yea are obliged to inform themselves about the requisitenesse of antiquity in point of Religion For by a neglect of this they expose themselves to the danger of making an imprudent choice to the great prejudice of their soules whereas a compliance with this obligation of searching after the antiquity of Religion will bring them easily to a perfect insight into the defectivenesse and falshood of all save only that Religion of the Roman Catholicks Inquire therefore of the old paths you who are out of that way which your Ancestors held for above eight hundred years together in England before Luther was born you who have left the true worship of God and sacrifice to the Idols of your own fancies learn that lesson well which Moses reads to you Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise remember the dayes of old consider the years of many generations ask thy Father and he will shew thee thy Elders and they will tell thee What The ancient being and truth of the Catholick Religion and the non-entity of these late ones of our miserable times The Eleventh Meditation Of Unity The first Point Consider first that the true Church of Christ is but one The Scriptures Councels Fathers History and Reason prove this truth imprint in thy minde the many divine Oracles with which the true God of Wisdome hath confirmed this One is my Dove my perfect one Cant. 6. One God one Faith one Baptisme one body one spirit sayes Saint Paul Ephes 4. who also recommends to all Christians most earnestly that they will stand fast in one spirit with one minde Phil. 1.27 and that they will be like minded having the same love being of one accord and one minde Phil. 2.2 in all which places and many more he exhorts to unity in Faith Judgment and opinion Our Saviour every where speaks of his Church in the singular number tell the Church upon this rock will I build my Church intimating thereby it is but one the General Councell of Nice and Constantinople received by Protestants define and professe in their Creed that the Catholick Church is but one the holy Fathers all unanimously fight for the unity of Christs Church against Hereticks and schismaticks and History delivers unto posterity the continued succession of Popes Bishops Priests Doctours Confessors Virgins and Martyrs for fifteen centuries of years together and more all whose lives deaths books and blood have published signed and sealed their attestations that there is but one Church the Roman Church which is the Catholick Church Consider secondly and that seriously what forces natural reason brings to establish this Unity verity it self is but one and that indivisible and propositions contradictory cannot possibly be both true how then can Sects or Religions contradicting one another in one and the self same points be more than one of them true Different Nations people of different callings and qualities may meet in conjunction together and make one and the same body in Faith and Religion as it happened in the Primitive Church But different Sects and People of a contrary beliefe about the self same material objects or points of Faith for example about the real presence of Christs body in the Eucharist about Justification about Purgatory about the infallible Authority of the Church and such like cannot
Pau. What lopping produceth in the Vines that persecution effecteth in the Church saith Saint Persecution Justin The blood of Martyrs is the seed of the Church in Triphon saith Tertullian in his Apologetick cap. ult and Saint Cyprian both said it sealed the truth of it with his blood King James also is said to have often repeated these Saint Cyprians words sanguis martyrum semen ecclesia and upon reflection of the truth of them to have often expressed his mislike of shedding Priests blood The blood of Tiburtius and Valerianus of Faustinus and Jovita of Saint Clement Saint Thecla and Saint Katherine shed for the Faith of Christ drew a far greater number than they were to believe in him did not the death of Saint Lucia the Roman widdow double in Geminianus and others converted what the Church was robbed of by her death Was not the number of Faithfull B lievers as much augmented in the conversion of Adauctus as it was diminished by the death of happy Felix And did not the Curch gaine by loosing Saint Januarius almost five thousand For so many were converted at his martyrdome Read the Martyrs sufferings those who love to read rare things and they will be convinced of what even the Apostata Julian was convinced that the sequell of persecuting Christians is the multiplication of Christians Consider a second effect of suffering for such a cause and that is the great glory which doth acrew both to God and to the sufferers thereby God cannot regale man more in this mortal life than to make him a Martyr and man cannot perform a greater point of service for God than by suffering as becomes a Martyr for no man bath greater charity than such an one In Martyrdome God compleateth man with the greatest of his favours and in the same man complieth with God in the superlative degree of his indeavours O strange and most perfect circle of perfect love Persecution betwixt God and man in martyrdom out of the Ocean of infinite love flows this felicity into man by a strange participation and from it runs back into the same abysse by a pure intention O strange reciprocation and unheard of communication betwixt God man in martyrdome O martyrdome a felicity which none conceives but he who receives it a secret which no man knows but from God who tels it a word which none understands but from him who gives it and a favour which none can deserve but let all desire it Pardon me said one I know what 's good for me fire crosse beasts breaking of my bones disjoynting of my limbs brusing of my body and all the torments that the Devill can inflict come upon me so be that I may enjoy Christ O myrrour of martyrdome blessed Bishop Ignatius if to us thy words seem so sweet how sweet were thy thoughts when thou uttered these words when thou suffered what thou longed for when thou enjoyed the reward of what thou suffered Answer thou O my soul at least guesse what a case that enamoured bea rt was in then think ruminate meditate with desire humility sorrow and purpose to be often that in affection which thou cannot till God please be in effect The third Point Ponder first that all who are out of the true Church are incapable whilest they remain so of this great purchase of martyrdome for without Catholick and true faith it is impossible to please God and without pleasing God as little possible to be a martyr Now those who are not members of Christs true Church cannot have true faith whilest they remain so Hence infer that though Sectaries suffer upon score of Religion as some of severall Sects have yet none of them are martvrs for as amongst severall Sects of believers there can be but one true Church so amongst several sorts of sufferers there 's one only of them can be true martyrs the reason of this is contained in these words of Saint Austin Non poena sed causa facit martyrem not the punishment which a man suffers but the cause for which be suffereth makes a Martyr Let him suffer torments and death never so willingly and that upon account of Religion yet he can be no martyr unlesse his Religion be the true one Occidi potest coronari non potest sayes that holy Father Infer secondly that he who will deny the Primitive Martyrs to have been of the same Religion with the Roman Catholicks which now are must positively prove in what and when the Roman Church which was once the true Church even by the Confession of all Sectaries did fall from being the true Church This fall this change this transition is inconceptible and yet Sectaries are obliged to prove it or else return to that Church again Ponder secondly that in case it were supposed that Sectaries might be capable of being truly Martyrs yet no one sect no nor all sects together out of all which Fox makes his Martyrs could make up a Martyrologe comparable to what is in the Church of Rome Gather out of the precedent points first that the mark of Martyrdome is only to be found in the Roman church and consequently that it is the true church Secondly that the martyrs of the Primitive Church and those Roman Catholicks that suffered under King Henry the eighth Queen Elizabeth and her successors were all of one Church all Roman Catholicks all true Martyrs for Sectaries could never yet prove any innovation in matters of faith or false doctrine introduced by the Church of Rome add to the former those martyrs all Catholick Priests and in number 21 who have suffered in England since the year 1640 till this present year 1654 inclusive Hail King of Martyrs Christ the meritory and exemplar cause of all true martyrdome we magnifie thee in these thy martyrs noble Champions and pious Prodigals of their blood for thee Please if it be thy blessed pleasure that in this thy cause my unworthy self with many more may have some share of these sweet sufferings and if not dye for thee at least dye for not dying for thee The seventeenth Meditation Of Prophesies and promises and the figures of the old law fulfilled in the true Church The first Point COnsider first that not only the the Prophets of the old law but Christ himself also foretold many things of great concernment which were to be verisied and fulfilled in his Church or by it in these prophesies also many large promises of ample privilegies and prerogatives made in reference to the same Church were included which were afterwards accomplished And Saint Paul often in his Epistles intimateth that the Jewish Synagogue with its sacrificies and ceremonies was a Symbol or Figure of Christs church and its proprieties So that no sect amongst Christians can or indeed doth deny these truths in affirming of which the scriptures are so clear and copious Consider secondly that the fulfilling of these prophesies is to be brought against Turks Jews Pagans
reach the ability of nature or art for such persons question lesse have conference and hold correspondence with God and de facto Insidels were brought to embrace the Catholick Faith by these motives as the cheifest inducements The truth is That it is not only in all mens opinion morally but as many learned Divines teach metaphysically impossible that that Religion should be false which God hath confirmed with his own Hand and Seal I mean with these Arguments Motives and Marks which the absolute power of God onely could produce for otherwise it would follow that God should induce men into error and be the author of falshood a thing which implies a contradiction and is incompatible with the goodnes and veracity of God and would make the divine will repugnant to it self by commanding men to serve him in the true Religion and yet leading them to a false one by the whole complex of such and so extraordinary motives as these are Thus much for the instruction and conviction of non-christians and such as do not admit the holy scripture to be the word of God Concerning which people I adde that when any of them are come so far as to believe with humane faith which may be in every ones power to do that these motives convince that to be the true church which is confirmed by those divine signes and when they do accept of that Church for such God will undoubtedly raise their humane Faith up to be divine by infusing into them the auxiliary forces of his supernatural grace and light with the habit of divine faith Now for the better understanding how from humane faith a man may ascend to an act of divine faith Note the distinction betwixt these four principles into which an act of faith may be resolved First the extrinsical motives and these are not nor can they be the efficient cause of an act of divine faith but they are dispositions that is they are motives or cause why that Religion or such a point is accepted on for the truth Secondly The Authority of the Churchs and she doth onely propound what is to be believed and gives order and direction how to proceed in the carriage of belief Thirdly The Veracity of God revealing to the Church and by the Church to us divine truths and this is the formall object or cause why the understanding assents to such a thing as a divine truth for therefore we believe that such Books are Divine because God hath revealed to the Church that they are so Fourthly The habit of Divine Faith together with divine grace and these are the efficient cause of an act of Divine Faith All these four principles intervene in the analysis of theologicall Faith but with subordination to one another and not as so many independent first principles of Faith for the first immediate and indemonstrable cause of mans assent is God revealing though the cause of accepting such a faith must be the motives of credibility I conclude this Preface with giving the Reader notice that before I begin with the Meditations of the particular Marks of which I have chosen out onely 16. I thought fit to premise 4 Meditations which are both of most necessary subjects in themselves as also preparatives for the more fruitfull perusage of those which follow And for a clearer demonstration to Sectaries that such and such are put for marks of Christs Church by scripture it self I have of set purpose cited the proofs universally out of the Protestants own Bible A Table of the severall Meditations following MEd. 1. Of the end of Man Page 1 Med. 2. Of divine Faith Page 11 Med. 3. Of Christs true Church Page 22 Med. 4. Of the Marks in generall Page 33 Med. 5. Of Miracles Page 46 Med. 6. Of Sanctity of Life Page 57 Med. 7. Of Holinesse of Doctrine Page 73 Med. 8. Of the Conversion of nations Page 91 Med. 9. Of the Vninterupted and Apostolical Succession of the Pastors of the Church Page 106 10. Of the antiquity of the true church Page 123 Med. 11. Of Vnity in matters of Faith and Religion Page 143 Med. 12. Of the Amplitude and Extent of the Dominions of Christs Church Page 156 Med. 13. Of the Name of Catholick and whose it is by right Page 167 Med. 14. Of the gift of Prophesie Page 176 15. Of easy Decission of Controversies Page 186 16. Of Persecution and Martyrdome Page 198 Med. 17. Of the Prophecies and Promises and Figures of the old Law fulfilled in Christes Church Page 208 Med. 18. Of Temporal blessings Miraculously bestowed on the Defenders and Propagators of the Catholick Religion Page 219 Med. 19. Of the Disasters and Vnhappy ends of the Opposers and Enemies of the Roman Church Page 233 M. 20. Of the Confession of Adversaries Page 249 Of the end of Man The first Meditation and a ground to those which follow after Of the End of Man Of the means to attain it and of the Use which is to be made of that means The first Point COnsider first how the Almighty drawing man by the act of creation out of the darksome abysse of that non-entity or nothing in which hee had laine from all eternity past without any reall being and bringing him into the light of life now a rational and noble creature placed him in this inferiour world but for what end to spend precious time in searching after sensull pleasures in hunting after honours in scraping up riches No the end for which God created thee man was more sublime than so it was a supernatural end an end of the highest perfection and the most to be wished for that can possibly be to serve God in this life and to enjoy eternally the beatisicall Vision of him in the life to come this was that which God intended in creating thee do thou prefix to thy self the same end if thou will be happy Consider Secondly for the better understanding of this mainly fundamental point that this end hath two parts or is twofold So sayes St. Paul Ye have your fruit unto sanctification but your end eternall life And our Saviour intimateth the same in these Divine words Matt. 6. 33. Seek first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse so that here 's sanctity and eternall beatitude the one is to be practised in this life the other shall be purchased in the next the one is finis maximus and the other is the remote end and as the self same thing may be both the end and the means also respectively so here holinesse of life though it be really mans end in this life for he is created to serve God in this life yet in respect of the finall end which is eternally to enjoy that insinite goodnesse the former is onely the means by which the latter is attainable Gather out of this Fundamentall point a strong resolution and effectuall desire from henceforth to make the consideration of this so noble end thy serious and frequent
Symbol of eternall reward but those that laboured in the VINEYARD It s of infinite consequence therefore whether or no the Sect you are on be the true Church pray read meditate conserre compare Sect with Sect till you finde out the true Church for as truly said Saint Cyprian and Saint Austin He shall not have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his Mother to wit the true Church Christ's Church Do thou therefore O my soule study the matter of the salvation and glorifying God well The Catholick Church is the school in which the Holy Ghost presides as chief Professor in it onely all truth is taught none elswhere nor true divinity out of that schoole that long and hard lesson thy life led here thou must give an exact account of both in the particular examen at thy death and in the generall at the day of doom learn a pace by living that thou may attain to an intuitive knowledge of God and obtain the praemium of eternal life Amen The fourth Meditation Of the Marks in general of Christs true Church The first Point COnsider first what is meant by the Marks of the Church a mark in general is that by which we know a thing and are able to distinguish it from other things by the direction of that mark so the divine Wisdome set certain marks upon his Church by means of which it might be made notorious and easie to be found out as also by the same means easily discernable from all other Sects whatsoever Consider secondly that the marks of the true Church must needs have one propriety and that is clarity They must be things though they be rare and extraordinary yet clear known apparent and free from obscurity and uncertainty in themselves and therefore they are called signes and notes by reason of their facility of being observed and taken notice of but if they be defective in this they are no marks but things as much subject to be questioned and controverted as that very thing to wit the Church or its infallible authority whose marks they are pretended to be but miracles prophesies and strange conversions of Nations also Unity Sanctity Universality and Apostolical succession which foure last are mentioned in the Nicen Creed these are plainly convincing arguments and marks by which Christs Church may be found out and distinguished from all false Sects that have them not Hence inferre that all modern Sects shew themselves guilty of maintaining a bad cause and that Christs true Church is not amongst them because they assigne no such marks as these above mentioned but other obscure things and points controverted betwixt them and the Roman Catholikes Such are lawfull administration of the Sacraments and sincere preaching of the Word of God and the like these are no marks but we must finde out where these are by the forementioned marks they make themselves by this guilty also of another fault which is called petitio principii or begging the question by taking that for an argument in their own behalf which very thing is the question to be argued For by the marks of the Church as we must finde it out so must we find out who are true Pastors also when this question is urged apart The second Point Consider now the necessity of these marks First from the holy Scriptures Exod. 3. God gave Moses order to undertake that great enterprize of bringing the Israelites out of their Aegyptian bondage To which Moses made reply alledging his own insufficiency Upon which God confirmed this his extraordinary Embassadours Commission with the gifts as it were with his great Seale of working Miracles which he made use of to the astonishment of both Nations all being convinced thereby that he was a man of God nor did God send any other of his Prophets upon any great designe but he authorized them with the gift of miracles prophecy eminent sanctity or some one of them by means of which credit was given to their words that they were the words of God revealed to them Christ our Saviour made use of the same means as necessary to induce the Jews to believe what he was and that his doctrine was divine the same power and confirmation he gave to his Apostles Disciples and their successours as wholly necessary for the propagation of the Gospel and certainly there could be no ground for thinking that ever the mysteries of Christian Faith should seem probable to Insidels unlesse the preachers of Christs doctrine were qualified with these divine Priviledges Consider secondly the necessity of these marks from this God exacts of man prudence in his moral actions much more in the main one such as are deliberation and choice in point of Religion on the election of which his eternal interest depends and certainly that man proceeds not prudently who fals rashly upon any Sect or Religion without well grounded motives witnesse the divine wisdom which sayes He who believes soon is light of heart That is fickle inconsiderate imprudent mark this prudentiall point you Novellists examine what motives hold you in the way you are in and what marks of the true Church your sect hath Ponder further the necessity at least convenience of a true understanding and comprehension of the marks and signes of the true Church from this if these two quaeries which be the marks of the true Church and in what Sect or Religion are they to be found were sully answered as by the divine assistance they shall be in this Treatise then it would clearly appear which were the true Church and so all doubts and controversies would vanish or be composed easily Gather hence how much conducing and necessary in order to a setled security of minde and a prudent choice of Religion is a sober and mature search after the marks of Christs Church especially for those who are not yet confined to any determinate Sect and for those who professing some one in particular yet fear that all is not well with them for those also who finde none of these Marks upon the Church they are in Enter into a serious consideration with thy self about these two queries thou that loves thy soules security seek and thou shalt find to wit the true Church by its marks and signes Say with David Now have I begun this change is the work of the right hand of him that is on high I have been mindefull of the works of the Lord I will be mindfull from the very beginning of thy wonderfull things and I will meditate upon all thy workes And after a diligent inquiry made for finding out of the marks and signes of Christs Church in your own Sect you will at length conclude with these words of the same Prophet Psalm 73. 10. We have not seen our signes there are none upon this our Church now there is no Prophet none amongst us whose doctrine we are certain is from God soul-saving secure The third Point Consider now the
fulfill both parts of Christian duty decline from evil and do good and prescribes the means the other gives occasion to sinne freely and puts a barre against vertue the one hath a pleasant taste at first and seemingly rellisheth well but in the operation proves rank poyson to the soul the other seems harsh and hath somewhat of the bitter in it but in effect it proves a true cordiall the teachers of the one are those of whom our Saviour bids us beware that come in the sheeps cloathing of soft indulgent and condescending Doctrine but the effects of it proves them to be interiourly ravenous wolves the others are like good shepherds who restrain yet feed their sheep and govern them well In fine the one doctrine leads to the narrow way and strait gate which leads to life the other points out the broad way and wide gate which leads to perdition Inferre secondly that since these tenents of Sectaries make many become Sensualists and Syren-like have a sweet sound pleasing to the ear yet destroy and kill those therefore that desire to escape all danger must imitate Ulisses whose companions being inveigled by the charms of Circe were metamorphosed into Hogs an excellent Hieroglyphick of some Sects and the effects they produce but Ulisses himself by stopping his ears miss'd the hearing of her bewitching voyce and by that means got safe away If you shun not the occasions of hearing bad language and dangerous Doctrine Saint James his words He that loves danger shall perish therein will be verified in you Where your eternal interest is concern'd seek the greatest security and adhere to that Doctrine which most favours fanctity which the more you shall love the more shall you resemble the holy of holies Christ himself The eighth Meditation Of the Conversion of Nations by the efficacy of Doctrine The first Point COnsider first how that the great Commander of the world in chief Christ Jesus resolving to reduce into that one Kingdome of his Church all those Nations which the rebellious Princes of darknes had kept enthral'd in the slavery of infidelity for the effecting of this great designe first made choice of twelve men which he called his Apostles who were to be seconded by new supplies from time to time till that great conquest were finished the arms because the war was a spirituall one in which souls were more looked after and esteemed a greater booty than bodies were to be such as that noble Champion Saint Paul gives us a list of to wit Verity for the sword belt or scarfe the breast plate justice the shield of faith the helmet of salvation and the sword was to be the word of God this he calls the Armour of God This word was the sword which was to doe the deed Of this the same Saint Paul said that the word of God was Efficacious and more penetrating than any two edged sword and of it our Saviour meant when he said I will give you a mouth and Wisdome against which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist And he expressed their Commission in these words Goe teach all Nations baptizing them Consider secondly what may be hence infer'd as undenyable First that efficacy of Doctrine and the conversion of souls thereby is a signe and mark of Christs true Church for at this aimed king David when he said that the Law of the Lord was not only immaculate but converting soules Secondly that that Church was and is the true Church of Christ which hath in all ages and doth still prosecute the same work of converting soules The second Point Consider now the efficacy of the Roman Catholick doctrine And first a priori as from the cause Mans intellective faculty aimes at truth and seeks to perfect it selfe in the knowledge thereof as being it 's naturall object and for the rationall appetite the will good is that which it hunts after Now certaine it is that the Church of Rome teacheth the most noble and sublime things that can be studyed or conceived Such are the nature of the Divine effence and its perfections the eternall beatitude of man and the most comfortable and efficacious means to obtaine it and how to remove the letts and impediments to the purchase of it Add to these the excellency of Christs Church and its holy Sacraments and Sacrifice together with the doctrine contained in the Second point of the former meditation And as for the verity of this Catholick doctrine it is grounded upon the greatest authority that can be exacted yea or wished for to wit the veracity of God and the testimony of that Church which undoubtedly deserves more credite than any single person or particular Sect in the world that is the Church of the Roman Catholicks dispersed over all the world Now these things so great and so beneficial to mans soul established also by so unquestionable authority how can they but move the will that is the rational appetite of man the sensitive indeed a thing not more excellent in man than in bruits finds the effects of Luther and Calvin's doctrine more agreeable to it but speaking of the soul as rational in loves that which is truly good Quid enim fortius desiderat anima quam veritatem As truly said Saint Austin Tract 26. in Joan. Consider secondly the efficacy of this doctrine à posteriori or from its effects the forcible attractivenesse of this converted all that have been converted after the successefull labours of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ other Apostolicall men put for ward the work and amongst the first was holy Pantenus who converted many Indians soon after which the Scythians Dacians Nemians and Morines of which Paulinus writeth were brought into the Church as also the Armenians and Hurmes as Saint Hierom recounteth In the fifth Age the Scots were converted by Saint Palladius a man born in Rome and sent from Rome by Pope Celestine into Scotland to preach the Faith of Christ to that Nation This is recorded by Prosper Bede and Baronius soon after Saint Remigius and Saint Vaus authorized both by the same power of the Bishop of Rome brought the French Nation to embrace the Catholick Faith at which time Clodoveus their King received the first tincture of Christianity by being baprized by Saint Remigius As for our own Nation England whose the conversions patently convince these late Sects of Novelty and falshood the first time of its being enlightned by Christs Gospel was in the Apostles time the second illustration of it was when Pope Eleutherius sent the men of God Fugatius and Damianas thither who baptized King Lucius and converted his Subjects And thirdly it was totally converted by whom By St. Austin and his companions Justus Mellitus Laurence and others Whence they From Rome By whose order Saint Gregories the Pope And here is matter for amazement when a man reflects how ungratfully our English off-spring like an unnatural brood defiles the Nest
Ecclesiastical Prelat but even sense and reason requires to wit that he should use that power for the edification and not to the destruction of that Church which gave him it that he should Preach and Teach her doctrine that he should administer her Sacraments but he went beyond his Commission yea quite contrary to it he preached doctrine contradictory to that of the Church he taught her doctrine was false in many of the mainest points and that her Sacraments were not so many and so efficacious causes of grace as they were he could have no commission for this yea his revolt and rebellion against the Church quite annull'd his former Commission and devested him of all the faculties which had been delegated formerly to him as for Episcopacy though some of his clients stiled him Bishop of Wittenberg as Oecolampadius whose Grave stone expresseth him the first Bishop of Basil and Zuinglius of Tigur and Calvin of Geneva yet neither he nor these other ever gave out or pretended they had Episeopall Consecration or jurisdiction from the Roman Church or from any precedent Bishops so that what they acted in this kinde was by a usurped power and invalid Consider secondly the calling of the English Ministry the Protestant titular Bishops urged alwayes against their Catholick Antagonists that they were true Bishops their proof was because they were consecrated by the old Catholick Bishops Mark here for your comfort Catholicks that your Bishops and by consequence your Priests are acknowledged for true and lawfull even by their adversaries But you Protestants mark in order to your amendment that this very means and the onely argument by which they must prove themselves lawful Bishops which they make use of to establish your cause destroys it and with all confirms that the Roman Catholicks are the onely true Church For since that main thing which Christ gave his Church to wit power to ordain Bishops and Priests and to send them to seed souls with the word of God and the Sacraments is granted to be in the Church of Rome it follows evidently that it is the true Church of Christ and that its doctrine and Sacraments are onely true for Christ could not give that Church commission to Preach doctrin contrary to his nor could the Church which confessedly hath this power ordain others and give them commission to Preach against it self Hence also it followeth if these supposed Protestant Bishops were ordained by the old Catholick ones by going against their commission and preaching and acting against that Church which gave them their power first that their former true commission ceased and was annulled Secondly that Protestants and their Bishops were and still are guilty of Schisme by not holding communion with the Church of Rome and thirdly that they are guilty of heresie these Bishops and ministers to wit in believing and teaching Doctrine contrary to the Roman Church which they say gave them their power Fourthly that they incurred the Ecclesiasticall censures for the forementioned reasons and consequently could not give orders lawfully so that their Successors were not lawfully ordained Fifthly that since the Protestant Bishops neither used the true form nor matter in the consecration of their later Bishops and Ministers with which the first of them was supposed to have been consecrated with by the old Catholick Bishops even upon this score the later were no true Bishops nor Priests Sixthly that since none can lawfully succeed in a Bishoprick unlesse the former Bishop be either dead or canonically deposed even upon this ground all the first of the Protestant Prelates were unlawfull because the old Bishops were living and not deposed when the later usurped their Sees or were intruded by others But the truth is these first Protestants took to themselves that Ecclesiastical honour without being called by God as Aaron was and took upon them the Office of preaching without being sent contrary to the words of Saint Paul It must not be presumed but positively proved by them that they were consecrated by the old true Bishops and that they succeeded them legally they must be able to prove when where and by what Catholick Bishops they were consecrated and what faculties and commission they had All other Catholick Priests can demonstrate in behalf of their Apostolical calling all these particular circumstances but the Protestants could never yet prove their lawful calling thus and yet are obliged to do it otherwise they are to be looked upon as having got into the sheepfold not by entring in at the doore but by elimbing up another way And indeed the Catholicks urge which they are not liged to do very positive and probable arguments to convince the Protestants unlawful calling and that they had not any consecration or jurisdiction from them For first the Catholick Bishops all of them absolutely refused to consecrate any of the Protestants who seeing this and not hoping to obtain it of them by proceeding in a fair way aimed at the getting of it by underhand dealing but that good old and infirm Bishop of whom they thought to have taken orders without discovering that they were Protestants having got some hints of their designe rejected them their next plot was the producing of a Register in which were set down the names of divers Protestants ordained Bishops by such and such Catholick Prelates but the forging and fraud of this Register was soon laid open by the Catholick party and so that attempt ceased The next Machine they moved was by an Order from the Court that so many Divines and Lawyers should enter into consultation and resolve whether some new form of making Clergy-men might not be found out without dependence of the Church of Rome but the ridiculousnesse of this adynaton soon made that conventicle desist from proceeding further in that way at length therefore they resolved to ordain each other without more ado which seven or eight of them ventured upon all on one day not after the ancient Catholick manner publickly and solemnly in the Church at high masse and in the eyes of many hundreds of people but privately in an Inne and without any witnesses And lastly Queen Elisabeth and the Parliament ordained that all who had the Queens Letters Patents for to be Bishops should by the people be acknowledged for true Bishops notwithstanding what soever defect might have happened in the consecration of them Now these instances and particularly the last plainly intimate that all was not well with these Protestant Bishops in point of lawfull calling The fourth Point Out of the precedent points many fruitful consequences may be gathered and first that that Sect which wants Pastors lawfully called cannot possibly be the true Church of Christ 2. That none can be lawfully called unlesse they be consecrated by Bishops lineally descended from the Apostles 3. That since there must be a See Apostolick somewhere for otherwise Apostolical succession cannot be derived down from age to age till the world
of a Judge which is clearly to pronounce sentence so that both parties which contest about the thing controverted may understand and acknowledge who is cast who hath got the better 2. There is a difference betwixt the written laws and the judge in civill matters the one is the rule acording to which the judg must give sentence but the other to wit the judge must give the sentence he is the mouth of the law and must interpret its land the legislatours mind now the same Analogy and comparison holds betwixt the holy scripture and the written law of God and the ecclesiastical judge 3. About the scriture it self arise many controversies which have been long agitated to and fro as what Books are Canonical which Apocriphal the Roman Catholicks say the books of Judith Toby Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the first and second of the Macchabees are canonicall scripture the Protestants deny them to be so Now how shall this great controversie be decided the scripture cannot give sentence for it hath not a living voice in like manner about the sense and meaning of many places of the canonical scriptures many long quarels have been amongst different Sectaries themselves and betwixt them and Roman Catholicks the scripture it self can never compose these controversies for want of a living voice 4 The old Hereticks had never been convinced nor condemned iâ— the scripture had been appointed for judge for still they wou'd have had evasions the scripture neither did nor could give sentence against them but the Church by the Pope and General Councels As for the private spirit this must either be supposed to be an infallible judge or not if not Sectaries can never have their controversies truly decided for this judge may erre give a false resolution and so expose poore soules to an evident danger of frequently believing that to be a point of divine Faith which is not so or the contrary If infallible what shameful presumption will it be to challenge to your own particular person such an assistance of the Holy Ghost as by it you shall infallibly judge a right in whatsoever point of Controversie and yet deny this to the whol body of the Roman Church 2. The question is whether that private spirit be the holy Ghost or a wicked spirit or your own spirit to wit your own judgment or fancy How shall this question be determined O miserably misled souls of such Sectaries do you not see in what labyrinths of errours and miseries you wilfully involve your selves Is not this to walk in a circle like the wicked But since you will be so heare the word of the Lord Wo be to the foolish Prophets who follow their own spirit Ezcek 13. Mark these words well and amend least your folly in following your own spirit bring you to eternal wo. But O thou infinite goodnesse God send forth thy pirit that these deluded souls may become new creatures make them members of that Church to which only the spirit of truth teacheth all truth Amen The sixteenth Meditation Of Persecution and Martyrdom The first Point COnsider the many and clear Texts of the holy scripture in which our Saviour doth denunciate to his Apostles and Disciples and in them to the succeeding members of his church that for their professing and propagating of his faith they shall undergo persecutions of all forts yea death it self Beware of men for they will deliver you up to the Councels and ye shal be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake Mat. 10.17 18. And ye shall be bated of all men for my name sake v. 22. But when they persecute you in this City fly into another v. 23. The time cometh that who soever killeth you will think be doth God service Matt. 16.2 They shall lay hands on you persecute you delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prisons Luke 21. v. 12. And some of you they shall cause to be put to death v. 16. Gather hence first that God permits for he could hinder it if it pleased him his Church to be persecuted to wit by the Devil and his Emissaries wicked men Secondly that persecution is a mark of Christs Church and much more martyrdome Thirdly that to fly in time of persecution is lawfull till God dispose the circumstances for their sufferings The second Point Consider first that what our Saviour foretold begun soon to be verificd of men that persecuted Christs church the Jews Pagan Princes hereticks are the chief The Jews not onely persecuted Christ whom they hanged on a crosse and his Apostles and Disciples before his Passion but after his sacred death they were most bitter and violent against the young flock of his church as may be read in the Acts of the Aposeles yea their sacrilegious and savage handling and abusing the blessed sacrament other holy things when they laid hands on them by stelth as also their very crucifying of even Christian chrildren argues an implacable and incredible hatred of them against christian religion 2. As for the Pagan Princes Nero Demitian Trajan Aurelian Maximean Dioclesian and Galerian with many others how cruelly and barbarously did they torture Christians In Rome alone three hundred thousand Christians were martyred amongst which were twenty seven Popes and the sacred bodies of 180000 of them were buried in that famous Churchyard of Saint Calistus Pope and Martyr Now if in the City of Rome alone so many were martyred to what an immense number would all that suffered for the same cause in all other parts of the world if they were added to these amount 3. And for the Hereticks it is their main maxime and a principle in which generally all the sects of them are united to oppose and band against the Roman Church their heads and judgements look all severall ways but in this point they are tyed together out of this opposition sprung hatred and this egged them on to persecute Catholicks which they did most bitterly The Arian Emperours the Kings of the Huns Gothes and Wandels and Martyrdome sent many thousands of Catholicks martyrs to heaven nor were they a few hundreds that were put to death for the same religion under Henry the eighth King of England and Queen Elizabeth And could thou be so cruell England as to see thy own bowels so often unbowelled at Tyburn and not yet repent Not yet give over seeing thine shed thy own blood and this for thee For the old religion the true religion thy religion The third Point Consider the admirable effects which the Divine Providence hath drawn out of these sufferings of Martyrs the first effect and that a happy one was an increase thereby of Catholick religion that very medium which the enemies of the Church took for the destroying of it the same the Divine Wisdome made use of as an instrumental cause for the greater propagation of it The Church is not lestned by persecutions but augmented saith St. Leo Ser. I. de Petro
much that day a Spanyard Gather hence first that since the forementioned Princes and their Armies on which God bestowed these victories were Roman Catholicks as all history evidently shews and since the victories bestowed on them were above the forces of nature or humane endeavours and pollicy and none such were ever obtained by any other sect it evidently follows that the religion of these Roman Catholicks is the true religion 2 that these examples related by authors of good credit and those many evidently prove against atheists and such as in cline that way that there is a God and that god by his providence rules the world and that ther is no such thing in the world as Fortune or Fate those things w ch seem casual are only so in regard of secondary causes nothing is casual in respect of the prime cause God this mans adverse fortune and the others successeful endeavors this mans want the others plenty this mans health and others infirmities are all from the hand of God his gists and the one as well as the other matter for vertue and means to salvation if they be used well with a rectified intention The third Point Consider first that Sectaries even all put together cannot make it appear that they have received any miraculous favours like to the above mentioned either in confirmation of any of their sects or any other way Gods providence hath permitted the Sarazens Turks to prevail much against Christians and to possesse themselves of many Countries in which catholick Religion had formerly flourished yet this doth not argue that God loves them better than the Christians or thereby approves of their Alcaron In like manner in the Wars betwixt Catholicks and Sectaries the latter as they have often received the worse so have they often been prevalent against the other yet never but upon some great advantage and are now in possession of many Towns and Countries which were sormerly Catholick but this is no more a divine approbation of their Tenents and Doctrine than the Turkish Temporall successe pleads the truth of their Religion in both cases of the prospirity of Turks and Sectaries as also of what dammages they have inferred to Catholicks these are only ordinary and experienced in all ages effects of the divine providence which humbles this man and exalts that man Quia calix in manu domini virimeri plenus mixto inclinavit ex hoc in hoc Psal 74. But these miraculous effects are plainly a divine confirmation of Religion And thus must all Sectaries argue against Insidels inbehalf of Christianity and their own Sects by denying that their worldly prosperity proves them to be in favour with God and of the true Religion and yet convincing them that these prodigious effects are arguments of true Religion and of Gods great protection for they are so indeed And therefore thou may truly say O holy Church with the holy Prophet I will not fear thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about psal 3.6 Though an host should encampe against me my heart shall not fear though war should rise against me in this will I be confident ps 27.3 The nineteenth Meditation Of the Disasters and unhappy ends of the opposers and enemies of the Roman Church The first Point AS victories and other temporall blessings miraculously bestowed upon the defenders propagators of the Roman religion so extraordinary and prodigious punishments inflicted upon the persecutors of the same are signes and arguments that that is the true Catholick Church of Christ consider therefore first that though God permit the wicked livers and those and those that seek the ruine of his Church to go long unpunished yet to convince the world that this is meerly'a permission of his thereby to give the just matter for merit and the bad time to reclaim themselves repent and that he can lay his heavy hand hard on where he pleases he lets men have frequent experiment that he hath a reserve of miraculous punishments which he lets flie like his thunderbolts out of the Clouds at them and especially at the enemies of his Church Scismaticks Heretick and Persecuters Consider secondly that those punishments are twofold some are such as cannot be conceived to be otherwise then by miracle as when God punished the Madianites by the mutuall slaughter of one another others tho not transcending the forces of natural causes yet are such and accompanied with such circumstances as that it appears evidently that God thereby punisheth extraordinarily Such were the punishments of Herod he that in killing the holy innocents aymed at the killing of our Saviour who was consumed by Vermin and so dyed having first killed his own wife and children and attempted to kill himself And of Pilate who killed himself as Eusebius recounts As also of the other Herod the Tetrarch who beheaded S. John Biptist and treated our Saviour as a fool he was thrust out of his king dom sent into banishment and in it lived and died with a great deal of misery Consider thirdly that amongst other signes by which the world might easily know that the only true religion before Christs time was that of the Jewes one was and that a principall one the exemplar and extraordinary punishments which God exacted upon those who were irreligiously in jurious to the same Such were those nine plagues which were laid upon the Aegyptians for oppressing that faithfull people the Philistians for handling the Ark of the Testament unworthily suffered many calamities the Bethsamits for their irreverent looking only at that Ark contrary to Gods comand were punished with the death of 70. men of prime quality and 80000. of the vulgar sort Antiochus for the out cryes and Sacrileges which he committed in his persecution of the Jewes was struck with most abominable diseases and devoured by vermine Baltbasar for his Sacrileges committed in Hierusalem and prophane abuse of the sacred Vessels in the very heat of his banquet read the dismal sentence of his losse of life and Kingdom which was put in execution that very night written miraculously by singers which appeared upon the wall and Heliodorus to omit many more besides other scourges was cruelly whipped by two young men sent by God for his sacrilegeous attempt of robbing the temple of Hierusalem Hence inser that if such like punishments can be shewed to have been laid upon the enemies and persecutors of the Roman religion it must by the same consequence be judged to be the true Church of Christ The second Point Consider therefore first the tragical end of those Pagan Emperours that persecuted the Catholick Church of the first 24 of them which sat at the sterne of the Roman Empire betwixt the time of Augustus Cesar and Constantine the great as there was scarce 4. of them which did not persecute that most cruelly most of them the Catholick Church so hardly four of them escaped the
may saved and this acknowledgment did produce this effect in that honourable Lady the Countesse of Buckingham which was present at that publick disputation betwixt Mr. Fisher a Jesuit and Master White a Minister held by the Kings order For Mr. Fisher demanding of Mr. White whether or no he thought that one dying a Roman Catholick might be saved and he answering that upon his soul he thought such an one might be saved presently upon this she resolved to become a Roman Catholick and what she then purposed she soon put in execution as many thousands could witnesse Thirdly They confesse that Roman Catholicks do not erre in any fundamentall point of Faith and that they want none of the things essentially requisite to salvation and therefore the most learned Adversaries grant that Roman Catholicks are a true Church or members of the true Church though not the true Church to wit alone The consideration of this also as of the former cannot but comfort ROMAN CATHOLICKS whilest they remain so Now what a madnesse is it to fall from that Religion in which all parties agree that salvation may be had Certainly a prudent man will not venter his temporal estate upon a probable security if he can have a certainty provided also that it be lawful much lesse his eternall No man can in conscience expose his soul to hazard if he may make sure work For though in things which are necessary necessitate pracepti only a probable opinion of Doctours will save a soul harmlesse yet in things which are absolutely necesfary and means without which salvation cannot be had as the being a member of the true Church is the surest way is to be chosen Fourthly that very thing which hath been by me prefixed to my self as the end of my endeavours in these twenty Meditation which was to shew that the marks of Christs Church were to be found onely amongst the Roman Catholicks and consequently that Christs true Church was onely with them is by many of the chief protestants Writers granted by granting those things which really are the marks of Christs true Church They grant that S. Malachy S. Bernard S. Francis S. Dominick others were Roman Catholicks that they were Saints and that they wrought Miracles they grant the mark of Antiquity and that no known beginning of the Roman Church since the Apostles time which is a convincing argument that it begun in the Apostles time can be assigned They grant that the Roman Church never went out of any Society of Christians ancienter than it self They grant that no particular time can be assigned in which any innovation of Faith was introduced or change made in the Church of Rome which three things notwithstanding they ought not onely to deny but are obliged positively to prove the contrary or els grant that their forsaking the Church of Rome and caluminating it is most unjust as most certainly it is Besides this in granting as they do that the holy Fathers of the Primitive Church held the same forementioned opinions which the now existent Roman Catholicks hold consequently they must grant these two to be both one as also the Roman Catholicks to have those who were eminent in Sanctity Miracles Prophesie and the like for the holy Fathers of the Primitive Church were persons priviledged with all these great endowments and by good consequence to have the marks of Christs true Church In brief it hath been most amply proved by Catholick Authors as by the Protestants Apology and other learned Books that the ablest protestant Writers grant those things to be amongst Roman Catholicks which are truly the marks of Christs Church Read also the eleventh and thirteenth chapter in every Century of the Magdeburgians and you will see how effectually the Protestants like good advocates plead the cause of the Roman Catholicks who may truly say with Moses Our enemies are judges of the equity of our cause The second Point Consider now what things the Protestants acknowledge against themselves And here a man may truly say Out of thy own mouth I judge thee naughty servant First they disclaim from the antient Fathers and will not own them That Luther and Calvin and the Centurists doe so it is well knowne to all that read theire workes And that many of the English Protestant writers doe the same their works do witnesse True it is many of them doe pretend to appeal to the Fathers but since as many or more of them doe not but the contrary it appears by this that the Protestants are divided amongst themselves in this main point Therefore Mittam Egyptios contra Egyptios I will put the Egyptions against the Egyptions belongs to them And since of the forementioned Protestant Authors many do plainly censure and condemne the Fathers for holding popish tenents hence also it followes that they must grant them to bee all one with the now Roman Catholicks Secondly they grant that the ancient Fathers condemned in the ancient hereticks many opinions which are held by the protestants themselves now a days This is instanced at large by the author of the Progeny and others that the assertions of the old hereticks were condemned and that notwithstanding the Protestants now hold the same is evident and therefore they are forced to grant it in particular about the Sacraments the Scriptures Freewill Faith Good-works Mariage of Priests Monachism and divers other points Thirdly they grant that the four first generall Councels lawfully condemned Arius Nestorius Eutyches and Macedonius and that these were truly hereticks and yet some of them erred but in one point Therefore since to deny any one point sufficiently propounded as a truth revealed by God makes an heretick and this by the protestants own consession let any prudent man judg whether the protestants do not expose their sules to evident danger First by denying so many points now held by the Roman catholicks and the same held by the antient Fathers also Secondly by not having amongst themselves one and the same body or number of things to bee believed but on the contrary taking to themselves all liberty in believing and being actually so various and disagreeing in matters of faith as every where they are amongst them selves and so by granting these former to have been truly hereticks for their denial of some one point as they must grant it seeing the four first general councells are received in England hence it followes that they condemne and undo themselves and their own cause Founthly they grant that when Luther began there was neither true preaching nor true pastors nor true doctrine in the world Which thing though it be most false yet by granting this they grant that they themselves had no Church till Luther began and what Church began then onely could not be the true Church of Christ for want of Antiquity apostolical succession Visibility and Indefectibility which proprieties Christs Church must have True it is that Prideaux as also some others troubled
RomanCatholicks generally perform much lesse will they pretend to come neer these in Fasting In brief their doctrine is exclusive of works of supererogation Merit Mortification and Satisfaction how then can it be but destructive of true Sanctity yea and salvation in fine all the means they pretend to get sanctity by is faith alone this medium of faith the Roman Catholicks have and besides it all the other comfortable helps mentioned before Who can now but be afraid of the ones condition and admire the other Consider secondly what Saints they have they will not now surely own that Calender of John for any more since Father Parsons examination proves it a ridiculous false thing the chief of their forefathers were Luther Calvin Beza and such like what lives led they Scandalous and exorbitantly bad Luther himself ingeniously confesseth that when he was a Papist he said Maffe and that devoutly for many years that he lived in his Monastery for he was once an Augustine Friar punishing his body with Watching Fasting and Prayer by which he followed the counsell and example of our Saviour that he kept Poverty Chastity and Obedience and that he honour'd the Pope out of meer Conscience Well at length he begun a new Sect did this make him continue his former piety Did he increase it Did he become a Saint Behold what he did he casheer'd Fasting Prayer Watching his Vows his Monastery and the Pope and instead of these took a Nun called Catherine Bore for his Concubine and gave himself wholly to Lust Gluttony drinking of Wine and sensuality What he writ was conformable to the temper which these Vices put him in to and so he persisted to his dying day Calvin was not onely given to lust but to lust against nature to wit Sodomy for which his Shoulder was burnt with a mark of a Lilly at Noyon in France Beza kept not onely a Concubine but a Boy also to satisfie his lust with both which he was so transported that he could not forbeare to expresse the same in wanton and scandalous Verses which are extant amongst his other Works As for these mens followers and adherents Luther himself fayes upon the Gospel for the first Sunday in Advent of his that they were become worser livers than they were whilest they remained Papists Erasmus in his Epistle to Vultu rius Neocomus gives the same character of them and Jacobus Andraeus a famous Lutheran in his 4. Sermon upon the 21. of S. Luke sayes To the end that all the world may know that they are no Papists nor attribute any thing to good works they do no good works at all and indeed experience teacheth that those who turn from being Papists do not become Saints but Sensualists The fourth Point Consider now what may be gathered out of the precedent points First either these modern Sectaries acknowledge Luther Calvin Beza or others of their times for their first Founders or not if they do then they admit men of scandalous lives for their Founders and so the Religion or fruit sprung from these bâ—d trees cannot be good If they disavouch them then they be like the Acephalists members without a head and without Ancestors for they cannot lay claim to the Saints mentioned in the second point since they so little resemble them either in belief or life Secondly the reason why due respect to the Saints in heaven is neither taught nor practised by them to wit because they have had none of their own and because the true Saints indeed were Roman Catholicks thirdly seeing that the opposition of contraries and their repugnancy appears more clearly when they are paralell'd together compare the Roman religion and the best of these later sects together in point of virtue and sanctity which is the cream quintessence of mans felicity in this life then make a prudent choice and side with that party where there is most Sanctity and by good consequence most hopes of salvation then with the Cherubins and Seraphins cry out Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath Son of God since you bid us be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Heavenly Father since you bid us be holy because you are holy grant us what you command and command what your good pleasure is My heart is ready O God my heart is ready Help me Lord to remove the obstacles and apply the means aright that being freed from the enemies of my conversion I may serve thee in sanctity and justice all the dayes of my life Amen The Seventh Meditation Of holinesse of Doctrine The first Point Consider I. that Christs true Church hath as it must needs have amongst other marks that of holy doctrine and such as becomes Christs Church it must teach nothing against Piety Verity Reason Equity or good manners but on the contrary all things in it must be conformable to Piety and Vertue as truly they are The holy Ghost speaking by the mouth of the Prophet David confirms this truth gives the Churches doctrine many great Elogium's in that long but most sweet Psalm 119. The law of the Lord is immaculate that is without spot or blemish of falshood or impiety The precept of the Lord is Lucid that is bright shining and like a light to shew us the true way to serve God and save our soules The testimony of the Lord is faithfull and Saint Paul cals it a sound doctrine by which Metaphor he intimates that as that body cannot be judged sound healthfull which is seased upon by any disease so that Doctrine Faith or Church cannot be wholsome and soul-saving which hath adhearing to it any maxime or assertion false or favouring vice but there needs no proof of this for it is called the word of God And the doctrine of Christs Church must needs proceed originally from Christ who will not permit his Church to teach impious or false doctrine Consider secondly of how great concernment it is for men of understanding to have sometimes for the subject of their most serious and retired thoughts the consideration of what doctrine is taught by the different Sects now on foot in England and to mark which and how far they are pec cant against piety And thou who tenders the good of thy soule weigh their tenents and those of the Roman Catholicks with an equall ballance but let not the love or sear of thy temporal interests meddle with the scales and after exact notice taken of them all cast thy selfe without more adoe into the arms of that religion which seems to teach that doctrine which is conducing to piety andthy souls eternal felicity The second Point To understand how agreeable to Piety and Verity the doctrine of the Roman Catholicks is take these three considerations for matter of the frequent meditation The first is That tenents of the Roman Catholicks about those matters which are controverted betwixt them and other Sectaries are more beseeming Almighty God and his Church much more advantagious to the
honour of both and greater expressions of divine perfections than the adversary opinions are Is it not better to have more means for obtaining divine grace and consequently more Sacraments the instrumentall causes of it than fewer to receive the real body blood of Christ is not that a more noble memorial of Christs a thing more beneficiall to man and more honourable to God than a bit of Bread onely and a sup of Wine Is it not farre more beneficial for frail and sinfull men that Christ give Priests power to remit and forgive them their sins than otherwise that the Church of Christ be conspicuous and visible in all Ages that it be liable to no defectibility or fallibility that it have easie and accessible means for the decision of Controversies that some stately and majesticall form of worship be exhibited to the divine Majesty as also that a sacrifice of some rare thing such as is the precious body blood of Christ be offered daily to that infinite deity that there be an Ecclesiastical Hierarchy ascending by different degrees up till it come to one supream head to whom all are to yeeld obedience do not these make more for the Churches perfection Gods honour and glory than the contrary Frame to thy self a lively Idea of the congruity of these particulars with Gods and his Churches greater honour look upon these instances with a judicious eye and conclude that in case it were doubtfull whether the affirmative or negative opinion were truer in these points yet since one of the two must be embraced choose that which is most conducing to the honour of God and his Church The second consideration is that the opinions of the Roman Catholicks these in particular now urged and others which will be mentioned hereafter are more suitable and consonant to the holy scriptures than their contradictories are For the better intelligence of which observe these two rules whereof the first is clear places of scripture must be preferred in point of proof before hard and obscure ones the other is many texts of Scripture must be a greater argument than fewer caeteris paribus these two rules can be rejected by none but such as conscious of their own unjust plea will come to no try all at all Now conformably to these rules it is apparently evident that Roman Catholicks bring more and clearer places out of the scriptures to establish the truth of the forementioned opinions and others which they hold than their adversaries can possibly bring to the contrary Read any Catholick book of Controversie and you will see the truth of what is here affirmed and by the way note also how this consideration strengthens and fortifies the truth of the former The third consideration is that the tenents of Roman Catholicks are more conducing to the security of mens salvation than the Negative opinions are in this corruption of humane nature vitiated by that Original sin of our protoparent Adam the flesh wages war continually against the spirit and the inferiour against the superiour portion of the soul and the issue of the war would be the undoing of the nobler part unlesse it had continuall recruits and supplyes both of auxiliary forces from heaven and made use also of Fasting Watching and self-denial and other asperities and mortifications for these are the ordinary arms with which the rebellious passions vicious inclinations must be curb'd these are the things so much recomended in the scriptures both Propheticall and Apostolicall these are the things recommended unto us all by Christ himself when he bid us deny our selves take up our crosses follow him as also when he bid us go in the narrow way and enter in at the strait gate Now this is the very doctrine of Roman Catholicks and only of them They both in their Pulpits and with their pennes inculcate these vertues continually witnesse the many rare Treatises written by their Priests upon that subject as also of the angelical vertue Chastity and of the Sacrament of Confession which is accompanied with the exercise of most virtuous acts of Contrition Penance purposes of emendation of satisfying for injuries done and removing the occasions of relapses all which vertues as they are contrary to self-ease the wild liberty of flesh and blood so they keep off sin secure salvation so much the more and thus you see how their doctrine teaches to decline from evill by the aforesaid means as for doing good which is the second part of the works of Christian duty it is most certain that their doctrine favours this and leads to this most effectually for they teach that the commandements of God may be kept and that the difficulty of observing them is not insuperable They teach that man hath a free liberty of will not onely to doe evill but good also They teach that mans works done in vertue of Christs merits and united with them may be good and meritory of an increase of grace and glory These opinions cannot but animate a man towards the keeping of divine precepts and doing all the good he can and consequently bring a greater security of salvation Which if thou takest to heart truly thou must like love and embrace this doctrine The third Point Consider now whether or no the doctrine of other Sectaries now swarming in England be holy and wholsome and how helpfull it is to the saving of soules this will appear by a short survey made of those particulars which are commonly held by them all first behold what a pitiful poor and naked thing they make the Church of Christ by w ch Church is here meant not this or that Church which either Roman Catholicks or other Sects call Christs Church and theirs but prescinding from controversie about whose or where it is we mean the Church of Christ secundum se and which all Sects must grant Christ hath upon earth this they devest of all the ornaments which become it and the founder of it They deny it to be of infallible authority and say it can and hath erred they will not admit it to be the judge of Controversies nay nor to have been in all ages visible they deny that Priests have power to remit sins which is contrary to the expresse words of Christ and contrary to the Book of Common Prayer and they averre that Christ hath not left his real and true body and blood to be received by Christians nor that there is in the Church any true proper or propitiatory sacrifice and since sacrifice is so great an act of Religion as it is by depriving the Church of Christ of this they undervalue the Church and monarchicall government which even Aristotle a heathen could define to be the best for keeping of order they deny Christs Church a man would think that God who does all things in number weight and measure should have made the Church a master-piece of his wisdome power and goodnesse the Roman Catholicks indeed