burthen light The which moueth a man to conceiue great hope of eschewing euill and liuing wel which hope consequently hart to do well a man cannot haue who perswadeth himself that Gods commandements be vnpossible to be obserued as I shewed before Againe it teacheth that as a man may by grace auoid sinne and easily keepe Gods commandements by doing good workes liue well so this good life is pleasing acceptable vnto God and these good workes as proceeding from grace and receiuing vertue froÌ„ the merits of Christ of which this grace doth depend are meritorious and such for reward whereof God will giue to them that perseuerantly do them euerlasting blisse in the kingdome of heauen The which doctrine will doubtlesse if it be duely considered breed in a mans mind great loue and delight to doe well as the contrary must needs breed at least a coldnes in deuotion if not a contempt loathing of good deeds and specially of those good deeds which haue any difficulty annexed to them It teacheth also that for sinners are prepared exceeding great punishments in the next life and that though there be meanes in the Church to get remission of sin pardon of the paine yet it teacheth that a man caÌ„not ordinarily be absolutely certaine that hee hath so vsed those meanes as that hee hath thereby gotten that remissioÌ„ or pardon which is a great motiue to make men wary not to fall into sinne and to moue them Cum metu tremore operari salutem with feare and trembling to worke their saluation whereas Protestants vpon supposed certainety of saluation cast away this holesome feare and so may easily become carelesse of auoiding any sinne Furthermore it prescribeth holesome lawes and customes of fasting and prayer and of other exercises of vertue piety wherby the flesh may be subiect to the spirit and the spirit to God It maintaineth also secret confession of sinnes to a Priest as being a thing necessary and commanded by our Sauiour himselfe the which both is a great bridle to hold men backe from sinne as experience teacheth and is a speciall meanes whereby the Pastours of the Church knowing the inward coÌ„science of their flocke may better apply fitte remedies to their spirituall diseases prescribe to euery one fit exercises for their practise and progresse in vertue Finally the profession of this Church is such that euen simple Protestants when they see any Catholique do a thing amisse will ordinarily say You should not thus or a man of your profession should doe otherwise So that those which be sinful in the Roman Church cannot in any sort ascribe their sinnes to any defect or peruersity of the doctrine of the Church but must needes acknowledge theÌ„ to proceed froÌ„ their own frailty or malice coÌ„trary to the teaching of the Church sometimes eueÌ„ coÌ„trary to their owne conscience actuall knowledge Wherefore I may conclude that although there be some sinfull men in the Romane Church yet it may well be called Holy because the doctrine which it beleeueth and professeth of it owne nature enclineth and directeth a man to the true holines and consequently is of it selfe holy and also because there be many holy persons in it some of which are certainely knowne in particuler to be such by proofe of miracle others are onely knowne by this probable reason to wit that they hold the same faith which was holden by those who haue bin certainely knowen holy men and houlding the same faith which must needs be the true faith sith none are truly holy or can possibly please God without the right faith which is but one they haue in them a root out of which true holines is apte to spring and therefore when wee see no apparant euill fruite whereby wee may discouer some euill roote but only good which is apt to spring of this good root and especially when we see the fruite of their good workes to be conformable like to the workes of those which are knowne Saints wee haue great cause to iudge that they also are iust men and in some sorte holy if not perfectly Saintes Sith therfore many men which haue bin and are members of the Romane Church haue beene and are knowne either by absolute proofe of miracle or at least in this other manner to be holy Of these as of the better more worthy and principall part the whole may be as I said before tearmed holy as a tree that hauing a roote apte to giue life to the braunches some of which being deade others haue life is absolutely said to be aliue which if wee should see to haue a corrupted roote and could not perceiue it to haue any liuing braunches wee should haue cause to affirme absolutely that it were dead and not aliue §. III. That the Romane Church onelie is Catholique THIRDLY I finde that the Protestants company is not Catholique that is to say vniuersall neither in time nor in place for it came vp of late and is but in few places of Christendome neither in points of doctrine for their doctrine consisteth chiefely of negatiues that is to say in denying diuers pointes which haue beene generally held in former ages as appeareth by the Chronicles of the Magdâ—burgenses their owne doctors who confesse that the ancient Fathers held this and that which they now deny And there is no learned Protestant vnles he be too too impudent but he will confesse that there cannot bee assigned a visible company of men professing the same faith which they doe euer since Christ his time continuing without interruption till now And therefore will he nill he he must confesse that the Protestants Church is not vniuersall and therefore not Catholique as out of Scripture I shewed Christs true Church must be But the Romaine Church is Catholique For first it hath bene continually without ceasing since Christ and his Apostles time stil visibly though sometimes in persecution professing the same faith which is receiued from the Apostles without change tilâ— this day It is therefore Catholique or vniuersall in time It hath also had and hath at this day some in euery countrey where there are any Christians which is almost if not absolutely euery where that communicateth and agreeth with it in profession of faith Therefore it is also Catholique or vniuersall in place It teacheth also an vniuersall and most ample vniforme doctrine of God of angels of all other creatures specially of man of mans first framing of his finall end of things pertaining to his nature of his fall by sinne of his reparation by grace of lawes prescribed vnto him of vertues which hee ought to embrace of vices which hee ought to eschew of Christ our Redeemer his Incarnation life death resurrection ascension and comming again to IudgemeÌ„t of Sacraments and all other things that any way pertaine to Christian religion Neither doth it at this day denie any one point of doctrine of faith which in former times
without exception or respect of persons he beareth to al maÌ„kind hath ordained some marks or notes by which all sortes and consequently euen simple men may sufficieÌ„tly discerne which company among many which challenge to themselues the title of the true Church is indeede the true Church For sith hee would haue euery one to heare and learne thinges necessary to saluation only of the true Church we must needes thinke his wisedome and goodnes to haue marked this his Church with such manifest signes properties that all men may easily know it and discerne it from others whome he knew would take vpoÌ„ them though falsly the title and profession of the true Church This seemeth to haue beene expressely foretold by the Prophete Isaias when he saieth Scietur in gentibus semen eorum germen eorum in medio populorum Omnes qui viderint â—os cognoscent illos quia isti sunt semen cui benedixit Dominus Their seed shall be knowen in the nations their ofspring in the middest of people all that shall see them shall know them because these are that seed which our Lord hath blessed Which is as much as if he should say that the Church shall haue such manifest markes that it shal be easy for euery one to know them to be the true Church Some of these markes are set downe by S. Austen who calleth them bandes or chaines which doe hold a faithfull man in the Catholique Church although for the slownes of his wit or for some other cause he doth not euidently see the truth of the doctrine in it selfe Of these markes diuers authours haue written at large I for breuitie sake haue chosen out onely these foure Vna Sancta Catholica Apostolica One Holy Catholique Apostolique because I hope these will be sufficient and because I finde these eâ—pecially set forth in Scriptures commeÌ„â—ed by Councels and generally admitâ—ed of all sortes both Catholiques and Protestantes as now I am to declare First for the generall admittance of these properties of the true Church I need no other proofe but that both Catholiques and Protestantes allow of the Nicene Constantinopolitane Creed whereâ—n we profes to beleeue the true Church â—he which Church is there described with these onely foure properties which before I named as though by those onely euery man might sufficiently know that Church which in euery pointe they are bound to beleeue Now if besides this proofe out of the generally receiued Councels some precise man would haue â—eproue these properties to agree to the true Church out of the Scripture it selfe this also I may easily doe The true Church is signified to be One by those wordes of the Canticle Vna est 〈◊〉 mea if we will beleeue the exposition of S. Cyprian and S. Austen Also we may gather the same out of those wordes of our Sauiour in which he calleth his Church vnum ouile one sheepfold Also by those places of S. Paul where he tearmeth the Church vnum corpus one body Moreouer Christ our Sauiour praying for his Church did specially intreate without doubt obtained vt omnes vnum sint that all the membres therof should be one thing to wit that at the least they should al professe one and the same faith all partake of one and the same baptisme and other Sacramentes all liue vnder one and the same Lord in due subordination subiection to that vniforme and orderly gouernement of lawfull pastours ordained appointed in the Church by him The true Church of Christ therefore is one Contrary the conuenticles of Heretiques are destitute of this marke of vnitie according as Tertullian affirmeth saying Denique penitus inspectae Haereses omnes in multis deprehenduntur cum auctoribus suis dissentientes Finally all Heresies if they be well looked into are found to differ in many thinges from their first founders And the reason of this disagreemeÌ„t amoÌ„g Heretiques the same Tertullian assigneth very well in the same place saying Variant inter se Haeretici dum vnusquisque pro suâ— arbitrio modulatur quod accepit quemadmodum 〈◊〉 pro arbitrio composuit ille qui tradidit Heretiques do differ in pointes of doctrine â—mong themselues while as euery one taâ—eth vpon him to fashion the faith which he receiued according to his owne liking 〈◊〉 fancie like as he that first deliuered it â—nto them did inuent it according to his owne will and pleasure The true Church is also proued to bee â—â—ly by that of S. Paule Templum Dei sanctum est quod estis vos The temple of God is holy which temple you are By which place notwithstanding S. Paule did not â—eane to signifie that euery one of this companie was holy For a litle after in the same Epistle hee saith to the same coÌ„panie Omnino auditur inter vos fornicatio â—â—lis fornicatio qualis nec inter gentes There is plainely heard fornication among you and such fornication as the like is not among the heathen He doth not therfore I say meane that euery one of the Church is holy but that the whole company is to be tearmed holy because the profession thereof doth of it selfe wholy tend to holines the doctrine being such as withdraweth from all vice and instructeth and moueth men to vertue the Sacraments also do not only signifie but in the vertue which they haue from Christ his Passion they also worke in vs as instrumentall causes true inward sanctitie Wherfore although euery one that is in the Church be not holy yet no doubt alwaies some are the which their holines it pleaseth almighty God to testifie and make knowne sometime by miracle and ordinarily he vseth to make it apparant enough by the light of their vertuous actions which at all times in many members of the true Church doe so shine before men that by it men are moued to glorify God and sometimes to imitate in their owne life that which in others they admire And whatsoeuer member of the Church faileth from this holines of life it is euident that the faulte is only in himselfe who liueth not according to the prescript of his profession nor vseth in due sort those meanes which it hath of the holy Sacraments which as I said before are effectual instruments of sanctification Contrariwise no sect of Heretiques is truely holy neither was there euer any person that did inuent or obstinately adhere vnto any sect of heresie which â—ad in him true saÌ„ctity And no merueile Because the very profession and doctrine it selfe of euery heresie is opposite to the very rootes of true sanctity the which rootes be true Christian faith and humilitie For how can he be truely holy and iust who being possessed with the spirit of heresy must needs be depriued of true faith without which the iust man cannot liue according to that saying of S. Paule Iustus ex fide viuit Or how can he be holy that doth
neglect all endeuour in the study and practise of vertue and to cast away care of auoiding sinne and vice consider whether this can bee a good tree which of it owne nature bringeth forth so bad fruite And see whether this company which teacheth and beleeueth such points of vnholy doctrine can possiblie be a Holy Church In the Romane Church I confesse there be some sinfull folke all in it are not good For the Church is called nigra formosa blacke and faire in it are mixed good and bad as out of diuers parables of our Sauiour I proued before But there are two differences betwixt the sinfull which are in the Romaine Church and those which are among Sectaries The first difference is that among heretiques there are none which wee may call truely holy of which as of the better or more worthy part their congregation may be tearmed holy as the Romane Church may It may bee perhaps that one may finde diuers of them who abstaine from grosse outward sinnes as stealing swearing c. And that some of them doe many workes morally good as to giue almes to the needie and that they liue at least in outward shew in vpright and moderate sort But alas these be not sufficient or certaine signes of sanctitie all this perhaps farre more we may reade of heathen Philosophers these outward actions may proceed of naturall sometime of sinnefull motiues and consequeÌ„tly they may be very farre from true holines which must be grouÌ„ded in true charitie for as S. Paule saith to distribute all that one hath to feed the poore or to giue ones bodie to burne doth nothing auaile without charity which charity must proceede de corde puro conscientia bona fide non ficta out of a pure harte a good conscience and an vnfained faith The which things being most inward and consequeÌ„tly hidden and secret cannot sufficiently be shewed to others by those outward actions which may come from other causes as soone as from these Nay they can not be knowen certainely of the party himselfe For nâ—sâ—it homo vtrum odio vel â—more dignus sit a man knoweth not whether he be worthy of hate or loue and quis potest dicere mundum est cor meum who can say my hart is cleane but these things are reserued to him onely qui scrutatur cordâ— who searcheth the harts to witte almightie God and it cannot be perfitely knowen of men who haue them truely and consequently who be truely saints vnles it please him to reueale it by miracle or some other certaine way vnto vs. But hitherto it was neuer heard that almightie God did by miracle or any such certaine way giue testimony that either Luther or Caluin or any of their fellowes or followers had in them this true holines or that they were Saints but rather while as they presumptuously attempted to worke miracles it hath pleased God by giuing either none or euill successe to testifie that they were not Saints Whereas on the contrary syde it hath pleased God to giue testimony by miracles of the faith and holines of life of diuers which professed the Romaine faith of which sort I might bring in many examples but I will at this time onely name S. Bernard S. Dominike S. Frauncis who on the one side were certainely knowen to haue bin professours of that religion which was then is now professed at Rome as may appeare both by that which is left written of their liues also by this that they were chiefe fathers and founders of certaine Religious orders of Monkes and Friers which yet continue there on the other side they are certainly knowen to be holy men partly by their sober chast vertuous life partly by the guift of miracles in so much that euen Luther himselfe and other of our aduersaries confesse them to haue beene Saints The which being confessed of these must needes inferre the like confession of the sanctitie of many other who were also professors of the same Romane faith whose names we may finde registred in the Calender euen in bookes sett out by Protestants and whose vertuous life holy death miraculous deedes we may find in good authours See Saint Athanas. in vita S. Antonij apud Surium S. Bernard in vita S. Malachiae S. Antoninus 3. parte hist. titulo 23. 24. Surius throughout his large volumes of the liues of Saints others Now this being coÌ„fessed that diuers whom we know to haue bene members of the Romane Church are saincts we may well inferre that at least some part of this Church is holy and that therfore of this part per synecdochen the whole may be tearmed holy especially considering that the faith of this part which was a principall roote out of which their holines did spring is all one in substance with the faith which we all professe and therefore we may say that our faith and profession enclineth and leadeth to the same holines of life that theirs did And therefore though many through their owne fault faile in the practise of vertue and holines yet our profession being all one with the professioÌ„ of these holy men is to be tearmed holy as theirs was Of which holy profession in some sort all our whole companie may be called holy as of the art of painting or any other art all that professe them are commoÌ„ly tearmed by a name proper to their professioÌ„ though it happen that diuers of them be not very skilfull nor doe not much exercise his art And from hence riseth the second difference betwixt Protestantes and vs to wit that the very doctrine it selfe which Protestantes teach doth as I shewed before induce men to libertie and consequently to lewde life whereas the Romane faith which wee professe both expressely forbiddeth all vice and prescribeth lawes contrary to liberty and loosenes of life containeth most soueraigne meanes to incite and moue a man to all perfite vertue and holines of life As for example It teacheth that notwithstanding the presence or predestination of Almighty God maÌ„ hath free-will wherwith being ayded by Gods grace which grace through the merit of Christs Passion is ready for all that with humble deuout and perseuerant prayer will aske by frequenting in due sort the holy Sacraments will seeke for it he may auoid sinne and embrace vertue the which taketh away despaire of shunning euill and doing well which easily followeth of the contrary opinion It teacheth also that Gods commaÌ„dements be not vnpossible to be obserued nay nor hard through helpe of grace which is alwaies at hand to be obserued of one which hath but a good will according as S. Iohn saith mandata eius grauia non sunt his commaÌ„demeÌ„ts be not heauy yea that they may by the same grace be easily obserued according to that of our Sauiour Iugum meum suaue onus meum leue my yoke is sweet my