seruice In this waking dreame the Author of the Guide of saith was brought to raue as followeth Now I come saith he to the great Character of our glory and renowned title of our profession the name Catholike a name famous in the Primitiue Church famous in the Apostles dayes and inserted by them among the Articles of our Creede famous after in all succeeding ages and vsed commonly by the Fathers not so much to make a difference which some thinke betwixt the Iewish Synagogue and the Christian Church as to seuer and distinguish the false named Christians themselues from the true and vnfaigned beleeuers And Reason teacheth D. Whitaker often confesseth the markes and properties of the Church to be vnseparable from the Church whose markes they are Therefore that which once was must still continue a marke of the Church because the true Church although it admit some accidentall change yet it is alwaies in nature vnuariable in essence vnchangeable so that the properties which flow from the essence thereof as the name Catholike doth can no more be altered changed or cease then the power of laughing a propertie which proceedeth from the nature of man can euer cease to appertain to man c. 18. sect 1. 4. p. 155. 138 Auditum admissi risum teneatis amici 2 If the power of laughing proceede from the nature of man and the nature of man consist in reason it will bee very hard for any man to refraine laughing that hath but so much reason as to consider the vanitie of this assertion that a name should be an vnseparable propertie proceeding from the nature of any realitie God gaue names to the first Man and to the first Woman and the first man gaue names befitting other creatures but the names proceeded not from the nature of the creatures named but from the Imposers otherwise their names should haue beene the same in all nations and languages And if the name Catholike were an vnchangeable marke or naturall propertie of any reall Church it should be of the Greeke Church or nation vnto which the name or title of Catholike is prime and naturall If the reall propertie answering to this name had belonged to the Romish Church the holy Ghost would haue exprest it by a Romane name and haue called the Romane Church the vniversall Church at least the Romanists should haue called themselues vniuersals not Catholikes But let vs listen againe vnto this Rauer Wee onely inioy the liuely badge and are inuested with the Liuerie of the true professors of Christ Neither can Mr. Abbot or Mr. Whitaker dismantle vs of that royaltie by saying Names may be falsly imposed to things or vniustly vsurped For this name is not imposed by man nor vsurped by abuse but imparted by God inspired by the Holy Ghost as I haue proued aboue who cannot apparell vs with any faigned attire nor can the Deuill take from Gods people their cognizance or nobilitate his vassailes with the colours of Christ 3 Was the name of Catholike more immediately inspired by the Holy Ghost then the name of Angels or Apostles was or was this title more appropriated to the Church than the other two titles of Holy and Apostolike Now S. Paul tels vs 2 Cor. cap. 11. verse 14 15. that Sathan himselfe is transformed into an Angell of light and it is no maruaile if his Ministers transforme themselues into the Apostles of Christ Is it then impossible for the ministers of Sathan to vsurpe the name of Christs Apostles or Catholikes though both names were imposed by God and inspired by the Holy Ghost Certainely seeing this transformation is not in substance but onely in colour or shew it must needes include the colour or vsurpation of the name whether of Apostles or of Catholikes But he further addes That no heretike could euer obtaine to be called Catholikes by true Christians For this very reason we Protestants of reformed Churches who are if not the onely true Christians on earth yet the truest Christians and the most conspicuous members of the Holy Catholike Church as militant here on earth dare not vouchsafe to bestow the name of Catholike vpon any Papist but with such an addition or item as wee giue the name of Angels to infernall fiends which we tearme Satans Angels or collapsed Angels Now the same analogie which Gods Angels or a holy Angell hath to Sathans Angell or to a collapsed Angell a true and holy Catholike hath to a moderne Romane Catholike For by this tearme we meane such a one as being a seruant of Sathan doth seeke to transforme himselfe into a true and holy Catholike The point which this blinde-guide was to proue was this That no heretikes could vsurpe the name or title of Catholike We say it is the propertie of the moderne Romish Church to counterfeit the fairest titles giuen to the Church by orthodoxall Antiquitie more plausibly then the ancient heretiâ—es could And by this propertie we discerne her to bee that mother of Harlots which can imitate the Lambs voice whilest she acts the Wolfes part Hee further obiects that the Iewes and Mahumetans when they heare a man named a Catholike thereby conceiue some member of the present moderne Romane Church not any of Luthers or Caluines followers So we likewise when we heare a people brag and instile themselues a holy nation wee presently conceiue the parties that thus instile themselues to be Iewes Yet doe we not for all this beleeue that the Iewish Nation is the Holiest of Nations or the onely chosen people of God now on earth As for both Iewes and Turkes it is likely they could bee well content to suffer the Romanist to inioy the name Catholike as a preheminence aboue Christians For they might well hope to proue their owne Religion to bee better then the best professed amongst Christians if once it were granted that the Romane Catholike Religion is the best But to giue the Christian Reader some reall solace after his pleasant recreation at this ridiculous Discoursers folly in that he and his fellowes can thus seriously pleade for the name Catholike which they seeke by faction to ingrosse vnto themselues this is an argument to vs that the floods already approach the sandie foundations whereon this spirituall Babylon is built and that her downefall is at hand For vnlesse her professed Champions and Pilots were likely to be drowned they would not so earnestly catch at such shadowes or floating bul-rushes as this Guide of Faith hath done But leauing the shadow let vs in the next place see whether haue better interest in the body or substance whether wee or they doe better deserue the reall titles of Catholikes CHAP. XXI That the title of Catholike is proper and essentiall vnto the faith professed by the present visible Church of England but cannot truely be attributed to the Faith or Creede of the moderne visible Romish Church 1 WHether the name Catholike were first bestowed vpon the Church or vpon that faith
Law or Gospell hath beene imparted but they haue impugned both or had them in derision or it may bee in the Iew which acknowledgeth the truth of Mosaicall and Propheticall writings and yet oppugnes the truth of the Gospell which is contayned in them with greater spight and violence then the Heathen which acknowledge neither Briefly as the contrarietie is greatest which is betwixt opposite qualities of neerest alliance in predicamentall line such as haue the same immediate or proximum genus so is their infidelity or enmity vnto the Catholike faith most deadly which communicate with true Catholikes in most principles and yet swarue grosly from them and from the truth in some particular principles or practices thereon grounded As for an Heathen to hold murther or incest to be no sinne is not a crime so haynous as the like in a Iew For a Iew to licence or authorize incestuous mariages to allow or reward the murther of Christians for whom Christ shed his blood includes not so great an enmitie vnto Christ and his Lawes it argues not so high a degree of infidelity as the like practice or opinions doe in him that professeth himselfe to bee a Christian to bee a successour of Christs Apostles to bee Christs Vicar here on earth 5 To proue our intended conclusion by full induction first let inquirie be made what pillage and spoiles of ecclesiastical Benefices the Pope or which is all one the Church of Rome hath made by Bulls of prouision throughout this and other Kingdomes whereby many Christians haue beene induced to account sacriledge no sinne Secondly what oaths whether of allegiance from Subiects to their Soueraignes or of solemne leagues betwixt Prince and Prince or free Soueraignties or of solemne contracts betwixt man and wife haue beene dispensed withall and vtterly nullified by the Pope by which meanes a great part of the Christian world haue beene seduced to esteeme breach of lawfull vowes or periurie ioyned with disloyaltie to bee no sinne Thirdly what mariages the Pope hath licenced betweene parties forbidden to marry not onely by the Law of God but by the ciuill Law of the Ancient Romanes and other Nations by which means many great Families and whole Christian Kingdomes haue beene induced to account such incest or fornication as was loathsome to the Gentiles to be no sinne Fourthly what massacres or cruell butcheries of men neuer conuicted or condemned by course of Law haue beene either licenced before hand or commanded or else allowed approued and commended after the fact done by the Pope whereby many Christians haue beene seduced to account cruell murther no sinne but a meritorious act yea an act of mercy and pitty towards Christs Church If all such particulars as belong to euery branch here specified and haue beene related by vnpartiall Historians were duely collected and examined with the circumstances we might referre it to any Heathen Ciuilian to any whom God hath not giuen ouer to a reprobate sense to beleeue lyes whether the supposed infallibility of the Romish Church or the prerogatiue giuen to the Pope by his followers bee not according to the Euangelicall Law and their owne tenents worse then heresie and worse then any branch of Infidelitie whereof any Iew or Heathen is capable yea the very 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or period of Antichristianisme Why should wee looke for a greater Antichrist in Rome or elsewhere then hath beene already reuealed when as the Pope hath herein manifested himselfe to be the first borne of Sathan in that hee takes authority vpon him to execute the prerogatiue wherein Sathan and his Angels most delight that is of turning Gods affirmatiue precepts into negatiues and Gods negatiue precepts into affirmatiues 6 Amongst other explicite Articles of the Romane Creede which euery Bishop at his consecration is bound by oath to maintaine this is one that in the Masse there is sacrificium verum proprium et propitiatorium pro viuis et defunctis A propitiatorie sacrifice as well for the dead as for the liuing How farre this heresie doth contaminate or ouerthrow the Canon of Catholike faith into which it is inserted by Pius Quartus as it were a toade or spider put into the Chalice or wine of the sacred Eucharist I am not now to meddle My onely purpose for this present is to giue the Reader to vnderstand that failing in other points about consecration of Bishops in England their principall exceptions against our Church and Ministerie is that our Priests in their ordination doe not receiue the power of sacrificing Christs body and blood in the Sacrament But their inserting this clause into the forme of ordination doth proue their Priesthood to be antichristian And as many as receiued ordination in this forme had the number though not the character of the Beast And although this clause did not nullifie their Priesthood which had beene thus ordained before the doctrine of the present Masse was fully discouered to be a part of Antichrists Liturgie yet doth it now make all communion with them either in ordination or in the Romish Sacrament of the Eucharist to bee a desperate heresie and for this cause the controuersie about the Masse must bee reserued to the second Booke of this TREATISE FINIS * Pro concione is as much as Pro rostris (a) for this word Church whether we doe according to the most vsuall and otherwise most refined Dialect of this Kingdome pronounce it or as some other Dialects would haue it Kurk or as the most ancient Dialect sounds it Kyrke all deriue their pedigree from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the first signification is in value the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the Lords house or palace All the difference in the diuers pronunciation of it in our English ariseth from the different manner of pronouncing or expressing the Greek K or Î¥ in the Latine English or moderne tongues Some expressing χ by the English K others by the Latine C. which in English is vsually expressed by Ch as Carolus in English Charles and Cista a chest so likewise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by liâ—e corruption of speech comes to be Church Such as expresse the Greek χ by the English K and the Greeke Î¥ by the Latine or English V. pronounce it Kurke such as retaining the true pronunciation of the Greeke χ found the Greek Î¥ like vnto the latine or English Î¥ haue propagated the name of Kyrke * Aliud enim materia est aliud species Cui materia legata est species ex eâ facta non debetur vt sâ—lana legata est deinde vestis fiat aut ex tabulis navis aut armarium Similiter traditur si navis legata dissoluta sit nequè materiam nequè navem refectam deberi Hottoman Quaest il lust Quaest octaâ— * See Col. 1.18 and Ephes 4. vers 11.12.15.16 Cap. 4. Cap. 5. See chap. 17. parag 1. Cap. 6. Cap. 7. Ecclesia duplex est militans et
triumphans vtramque complectitur hic articulus Triumphans est coetus ille beatarum animarum cum Christo regnantium qui et de mundo et de Diabolo triumphauit et regnat cum Christosecurus in aeternum quem Apocalypsis describit Hi inquit sunt qui veâ—erant de tribulatione magna et lauerunt stolas suas et dealbauerunt cas in sanguine agni et ideo sunt ante thronum et scruiunt ei die ac nocte in Templo eius et qui sidet in throne habitat iâ— super illos non esurient neque sitient amplius non cadet super illo sol neque vllus aestus c. Vt ad Ecclesiam militantem veniamus haec bisariam consideratur primùm strictius quatâ—nus dicimus eos esse in Ecclesia qui ita sunt in domo Dei vt ipsi sint domus Dei seu Templum Spiritus sancti qui constituunt vrbem illaus beatam Hierusalem de coelo descendentem a Deo paratam constructam ex viuis lapidibus de quibus dixit Apostolus Multi vnum corpus â—â—mus in Christo Iesu quos et alibi vocat populum emundatum abomni iniquitate acceptabilem Deo sectatorem bonorum operum Ecclesia vero elatenus accepta soli Deo nota est Quemadmodum idem Apostolus aitâ— cognouit Dominus qui sunt eius Verùm ad eum modum non oportet accipere Ecclesiae vocabulum vbi vel Christus de audienda Ecclesia precipit vel patres post Apostolos de authoritate Ecclesiae differunt Eâ—câ—irid Christian institut fol. 65. See this point handeled at large in the third booke vpon the Creede Sect. 3. from the 6. chap. to the 15. Cap. 8. Heb. 12 11 See Fr Mason of the consecration of Bishops c. l. 1. c. 4. pag. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If ye put a comma after the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sense of this later interpretion will bee full * Vide Andraeam Laurentium in Libello de Excommunicatione * Lib. 3. de Ecâ—les mil. cap. 2 et in catechismo in â—ticulo de sancta et Cath. Ecclesia * Raynold in Thes Cap. 9. * See the 17. chap. of this booke especially parag 6. Guide of Faith cap. 5. pag. 54. Cap. 6. Cap. 9. See the 19. Chapt. of this Booke Cap. 10 Gal. 4.25 * In a Sermon vpon the 31. of Ier. vers 22. * Sepulveda in his Epistle to Erasmus Esa 53.10 * Hannah prayed and said My heart reioyceth in the Lord mine horne is exalted in the Lord my mouth is inlarged ouer mine enemies because J reioyce in thy saluation They that were full haue hired out themselues for bread and they that were hungry ceased so that the barren hath born seven and she that hath many children is waxen feeble The Lord killeth and maketh aliue he bringeth downe to the graue and bringeth vp 1 Sam. cap 2 ver 1 5 6. Cap. 11 * Ioh 1.12 Cap. 12 Cap. 13 Cap. 14 * Qui hactenus lecti beatorum patrum Canones de Nouatianis Encratistis et Arianis dati sunt huius autem haeresis magistros quo loco habebimus * Minorâ—â—â—st quae nunc nouata est haeresis an maior illis qua hactenus fuere Tharasius sanctissimus Patriarchas dixit Malum perpetuo idem est et aequale * Epiphanius venerabilis Diaconus sanctissima â—atanes Ecâ—lesiae et Vicarius beatissimi Thoma Archiepiscopi Sardinia inquit Maxime autem in rebus Ecclesiasticis in quarum decretis cum paruis tum magnis errare idem est si quidem in vtriusque lex diuina vioâ—atur * Ioannes venerabilis Monachus locum tenens thronorumorientalium dixit Haeresis ista omnibus haeresibus â—eior est malorum omnium pessima vtpote quae Oeconomiam seruatoris nostri subuertat Synod 7. Act. 1. Cap. 15 * See this point excellently handled by father Paul whose Apologie for the state of Venice as I now perceiue is translated into the English tongue See Sir Edward Cokes Reports in Lailors case * 2 Cor. 2. cap. vers 15 * In the third book vpon the Creede Section the last Mat. 16.18 Cap. 16 Cap. 17 * Hic tum Epictetus Episcopus noÌ„ fidei inquit causa Jmperator hodie neque Iudiciorum Ecclesiasticorum faciendoruÌ„ studio adductus Liberius hunc instituit sermonem sed quo possit apud Senatores Romanos gloriari se rationibus Imperatorem superasse Constan Tantaâ—e orbis terrae pars Liberi in â—e residet vt tu solus homini impio subsidio venire pacem orbis ac mundi totius derimere audeas Liberius Esto quod ego solus sim non tamen propteria causa fidei fit inferior Nam olim tres solum erant reperti qui Regis mandato resisterent Tunc Eusebius Eunuchus Tu inquit Imperatorem sacis alterum Nebuchodonosor Liberius Minime sane sed non minus temere tu hominem condemnas de quo nullum factum sit indicium quam ille olim Tom. primo Concil pag. 478. Liberius Romanus Pontifex Athanasio Hilario et Hier testantibus per vim et minas sollicitatus huic primae fidei formulae subscripsit Athanasium condemnauit et cum Arianis communicauit idque per literas ad Valentem a liosue scriptas significans ab exilio liberari sedique suae restitui petijt Itaque contra fidei confessionem ac iustitiae legem peccans adeoque turpissi mam sibi morum et vitae maculam inurens Arianorum communione pollutus quanquam infidelis et haereticus non esset a communione Catholicorum et sede Pontificia excidit Binnius in notis ad Sermiens Concil habit Anno 357. And againe Liberius Arianorum communione pollutus ab vnitate Ecclesiae Catholicae merito exciderit Ibid. * Exceptus autem a qui busdam et generis et pietatis cognatione cum eo coniunctis Ecclesiam offendit quasi maluÌ„ in mente aut quasi signum in colle vt Prophetae verbis vtar hoc est numero per exiguam atque obscuram quod vide licet pijs viris libertas omnis ab eo qui imperium tenebat erepta esset sacras etiam omnes domes spoliatas ac servim occupatas vni sictae Anastatiae templum orthodoxis patebat forcasse etiam quia propter ambitùs et circumscriptionis angustiam contemptui habebatur quemadmodum norunt qui vetus hoc Templum perspexerunt Vita Nazianzeni a Greg. praesbit Conscripta * Ioh. 9.20.21 Cap. 18 * Vide Hottoman illust quast quast 17. An quae a falso Magistratu per Magistratus nomen gesta sunt raia esse debeant 2 Thes 24. Mat. 23.3 * In the third book vpon the Creed Sect. 3. and 4 in diuers Chapters Cap. 19 * cap. 9. parag 5. of this booke his words are set downe Cap. 20 Cap. 21 Cap. 22 Conâ—ilâ—or Iesum Christum crucifixum pro nobis â—arne sepultum resurgentem in coelosque reuersum venturum iudicare viuos mortues praeter haec mortuorum resurrectionem expecto secundum vnius cuiusque actionem aeternam retributionem â—onorum simul malorum obsecrans intercessionem sanctissimae intemeratae Dominae nostrae deiparae semper virginis Mariae sanctorumque Angelorum sanctoruÌ„ gloriosorum ApostoloruÌ„ ProphetaruÌ„ Martyrum CoÌ„fessorum Doctoru sept Synod act 1. 3. * Hoveden anno 79â— * In the fift book vpon the Creed or a â—â—eatise containinâ— the originall of vnbeleefe c. sect 4. * Sed neque semper neque omnes haereses hoc modo impugnandae sunt sed nouitiae recentesque tantummodo cum primum scilicet exoriuntur antequam infalsarint vetusâ—ae fidei regulas ipsius temporis vecentur angustijs ac priusquam manante latius veneno maiorum volumina vitiare conentur Caeterum dilatatae et inueterata haereses nequaquam hac via adgredienda sâ—nt eò quod prolixo tempurum tractu longa ijs furandae veritatis patueâ—it oâ—casio Alque ideo quascunque illas antiquiores vel schismatum vel haerescon prophanitates nullo modo nos oportet nisi aut solâ si opus est Scripturarum authoritaâ—e conuincere aut certe iam antiquitus vniuersalibus Sacerdotum Catholicorum Concilijs conuictas damnatasque vitare c. Vinc. Lirinens Commonit c. 39. Cap. 23 Mat. 19.9 * In the third book vpon the Creed section the fourth See section the second ca. 2.3.4 * In the booke fore cited sect 4. cap. 5. par 12.