so that a man not yet resolued in the truth might bee guided by this marke to find her out as the wise men by the Starre were directed vnto Christ Surely no Jdem lib. 4 cap. 5. for scimus initio fuisse multo pâ—uciores Christianos quam essent Iudaii what better was shee in the time of those ten bloody persecutions which indured for the space of three hundred yeares when a man could no sooner make profession of his faith but hee was either killed with the sword or burnt with fire Alij flammis exusti alij ferro perempti alij flagris verberati alij cruâ—iati patibulo c. or drowned in the Sea or stoned to death or slaine quicke or famished with hunger or thrust through with bodkins or throwne to wild Beasts or pulled in peeces with Trees or wilde horses or boiled in lead or made away with more exquisite and more Tragicall torments If that be possible then the Perilli of our time haue inuented to gratifie the Romish Phalleris Come a little lower and compare the Church not with the number of the Gentiles which no Papist in the world can for shame deny to haue euer exceeded the number of Christians but with Heretikes I meane not al sorts ioyned togeher for they will subscribe to a Haeraetici sunt per totam faciem terrae alij hic alij ibi alia secta in Africa alia haresis in oriente August de past Cap. 8. Austin the Church is euery where and Heresie euery where but the Church is the same euery where heresie is not the same but most different but only the Arians which sometimes haue so ouerspread the whole Christian world as that if any had said Loe here is Christ or there is Christ thou wouldest haue beleeued him The Church was like a Sparow that sitteth alone vpon the house toppe or like a Pelican in the Wildernesse and an Owle in the desart they counted themselues the onely Catholikes but the true Christians they tearmed Scismatikes Augustine calling them Ioannites and Ambrosians and Athanatians and Homousians Euen as the Papists at this day challenge the name of Catholikes to themselues and call vs Lutherans and Zuinglians and Caluinists They did not onely possesse the Church of Ierusalem and Alexandria Antiochia Constantinople and the rest in the Eastern Empire but passing thence into the North from thence with the Gothes and Vandals into Germanie and France and Spaine and Italy yea into Africke to had infected all the Churches in the West Which makes Ieremy say that the whole world groned and marueiled Hierom. in dialog contr Luciferianos to see her selfe become am Arrian an Arrian sate in Peters chaire the head of the Church a Durand lib. 2. that great Melchisedecke whose Priesthood is not to be compared to any other their * Dominus deus noster Papa Ex trau Ioh. 22. vt citat Iuell God and their Lord the a Durand lib. 2. Pope himselfe rather then hee would die in the defence of the Gospell subscribed to Arianisme surely the whole Body must needs goe wrong Liberius teste Athan. Epist ad Solitariam vitam agentes idem patet ex preambulo Concil Nicen. when the head did thus miscary This plague indured not for some small moment like the Macedonian Empire which was but a Flash and gone but for the space of three hundred yeares and vpward Where was now the true Church amongst the Arrians Bodin which oppugned the Doctrine of the Nicene Synod in sundry councels and expelled the Orthodox Bishops and enioyed their roomes and instead of the true Christ worshiped an Idole of their owne inuentions or rather in a few miserable and forlorne wretches which remained in prisons and wildernesses and Mountaines and dennes and Caues of the Earth as was the case of the Church at that time so was it in the time of Wicliffe and Husse for then the Diuell had for a long time bin loosed and Antechrist was in the height of his pride the light of the Gospell was taked vp in the Ashes of Popery Ποῦ â—οτε εἴσιν ὃι τὴν πενίαν ἡμÎν á½Î½ÎµÎ¹ÏƒÎ¶Î¿Î½Ï„ει καὶ τῶν πλοῦτῶν κομπάζοντες á½Î¹ πλήθει τῆνεν á¼ÎºÎºÎ»Î·ÏƒÎ¯Î±Î½ á½…Ïιξοντες καὶ Ï„ÏŒ βÏοχυ Î´Î¹Î¬Ï€Ï„Ï Î¿Î½Ï„ÎµÏ‚ ποίμνιον Nazianz. in oratione contra Arrianos in so much that that which Nazianzen spoke in the oration against the Arrians might fitly haue bin applied against the Papists Where be those that obiect pouerty vnto vs boast of their prosperous Estate this is another marke of the Popish Church Where be those that define the Church to bee a multitude and set at nought a little Flocke and yet if multitude should beare the bell away the Papists should not haue any such cause of triumph as they will beare the world in hand that they haue There are at this day fowre Religions in the world if the name of Religion may bee giuen to them all Iudaisme Paganisme Mahametanisme and Christianisme of all these Iudaisme is the least but Paganisme exceedeth all the rest Mahametanisme which is a mixture craftily composed of the other three both in largenesse of Countries and multitude of people goeth beyond all Christendome for it hath not onely seated it selfe in the whole Turkish Empire and the large kingdomes of the great Sophi but spreadeth abroad in many places of the vast dominions of Tartarie Cathaia China almost vnto the Easterne Ocean and what it hath of later yeares gained in the west wee feele partly in the miserable distresse of Hungarie and Transiluania and haue iust occasion of greater feare if the Lord out of compassion to his poore Church shall not ouerthrow the plots of that proud Senacherib 2. Kin. 19.28 and put a hooke in his nose and a bridle in his lips and carry him backe againe the same way that he came Now for Christianisme amongst those that professe the name of Christ there are not aboue a third part that are Papists for the Russians together with the Reliques of the Greeke Church the Armenians and the Christians that are vnder the Emperour of the Abassens doe exceede the number of all those which holde the Principles of the Romish Church The Protestants come not much behind them for howsoeuer within these hundred years the Moone did suffer such an vniuersall Eclipse that a man would haue iudged she had lost her light and the Lords flocke was but like a few grapes after the Vintage is ended here a grape and there a grape on the outmost boughes Breui occupauit doctrina Lutheri non Soli multa regna in partibus septemtrionalibus sed etiaÌ„ vsque ad Indos excurâ—re aufa est Bel. lib. 3. de pont Ro. cap. 23. Yet since it pleased God to stirre vp the heart of Martin Luther to stand at open defiance with the Italian Goliath which reuiled the Israel of God shee hath euery day recouered her light the Gospell that was then hid
which shal follow the Lambe whethersoeuer he goeth these bee his people and the sheepe of his pasture these be they which haue this prerogatiue to be called the sonnes of God Psal 100. Gal. 4.1 Rom. 8.17 and the heires of God annexed with Christ and these are they which I affirme to be often contained in a very narrow roome in respect of the wicked There is much chaffe and little wheate it is the wheate that God keepes for his garner there are many stones but few pearles it is the Pearle which Christ hath bought with his bloud 2. Cor. 4. Many fowles but onely the Eagles bee good birds Sathan hath a kingdome and Christ but a little flocke it is like to Bethleem in the land of Iudah Luk. 12.32 Mich. 5.2 Gen. 8.3 but a little one amongst the Princes of Iudah it is like to Noahs floud going and returning like the sea flowing and ebbing or like to the Moone filling and waining sometimes so Eclipsed and darkened with the earth that thou canst not perceiue that Christ the sonne of righteousnesse doth shine vpon it The story of Times will make this plaine innumerous were the men of the old world yet Gods flocke was onely contained in the family of Sheth they onely were called the Sonnes of God Gen. 6.2 afterward this flocke was compassed in a very narrow fold in Noahs familie it was enclosed in one Arke and yet there was one Wolfe amongst these few sheepe Nat lupus inter oues Ouid metam lib 1. Thus it continued in a very narrow compasse till Abrahams time and so downeward till it beganne to multiply in the land of Egypt and afterward in the promised Canaan as yet it was still tied to one place there was but one pasture for Gods sheepe the rest of the world playde the harlot with other louers and went a whoring after their owne inuentions and in this one pasture there were more Goates then sheepe for though the number of the children of Israel were as the sand vpon the sea shore Rom. 4.27 yet onely a remnant was to be saued When the fulnesse of time was come that God had sent his sonne made of a woman this Moone did suffer such an Eclipse as that the quickest eye could hardly perceiue her then she beganne to recouer her light for God broke downe the partition wall and rent the vaile of the Temple and made no difference betwixt the Iew and the Gentile Tuos Niriusque mihi nullo discrimene agetur Then Gods sheepe brought forth thousands and ten thousands in the streets then the Vine stretcheth forth her boughes vnto the riuer and her branches vnto the lands end then God gaue vnto his Sonne the heathen for his inheritance and the vtmost part of the earth for his possession Yet then and euer since the gleanings of Satan haue bin more then the vintage of Christ Yet take a suruey of the world as it is at this day deuide it into three parts with Ptolome or into fowre with some later writers nay into sixe or seuen with our last Geographers Maginus and you shall not find much aboue one of these seauen which professe Christ Amongst these seperate the orthodoxe from the heterodox and you shall find that Christ is now almost banished out of the world so that if the sonne of man should now come Luk. 18.8 he should scarce find faith in the earth the true profession of the Gospell is confined in a little corner of the Northwest and in this corner remoue the Athiests and Hereticks and Worldlings and Neuters and Hypocrits how little will the remainder be after so many substractions And no maruell for many are caled but few are chosen and broad is the way that leadeth to distruction Gods sheepe haue a little narrow path but the Goates haue a beaten Cartway Vse 1 This being so it is strange what Bellarmine ment to make amplitude and multitude to be a note of the true Church especially when he proposeth to speake of such notes by which it may be most easily knowne and distinguished from the false religion of the Iewes and Heretickes and Pagans and Infidels whatsoeuer and therefore such as are both g Notae debent esse propriae non coÌ„munes lib 4. cap. 2 et postea in eodem cap. notae variae inseparabiles auera Ecclesia proper and inseperable in respect of the Church and againe such as thogh h Non quidem efficiunt euidenter veruÌ„ ipsam esse veram Dei Ecclesiam sed tameÌ„ efficiuÌ„t euidenter credibile De ecclesiae lib. 4. cap. 3. they make it not euidently true yet they make it euidently credible not only probable for i Lutheranorum notae non sunt vllo modo sufficientes nam non declaraÌ„t quae sit vera Ecclesia se cuÌ„duÌ„ haeretic nisi probabiliter lib eod cap. 2 that is the imperfection of our notes if you will beleeue him nay amongst those which admit of the Scriptures and Ecclesiasticall Histories and writings of the ancient fathers faciunt etiam euidentiam veritatis Lord how plausible a Doctrine would this haue beene vnto Ahab how would it haue fitted his turne to plead for Baal what meanest thou Eliah thus to trouble Israel As though wee were all Idolaters and thou onely a true worshipper of God Consider the matter aright and thou shalt find what a weake ground thou standest vpon those are the true worshippers of God who are the most in number now thou art but one and the Prophets of Baal are fower hundreth and fifty how pleasantly would it haue sounded in the eares of the Iewes when Ieremiah thus prophesied Behold might they say all the inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem are against thee and is the spirit of God departed from vs all to possesse thee Thus Constantius disputed with Libanus Bishop of Rome against Athanasius k Hoc orbis terrarum comprobat quota tu pars es orbis terrarum qui solus facis cum homine scelerato pacem orbis dâ—ssoluis Theod. lib. 2. cap. 16. The whole world is of this Opinion and what art thou that thou shouldest take part with a naughty fellow and disolue the peace of the world If this obiection had bin vrged against Luther when he first began to baite the Popes Bull hee might easily haue answered in Athanasius his words Athan. Epist ad solitarian vitam agentes What Church is there now that doth openly adore Christ if it bee godly it is Subiect to danger for if there bee any that feare God as indeede there are many euery where they haue hid themselues with Elias in Dens and Caues of the earth But the example of the Iewes will not much mooue our aduersarie quia non est eadem ratio populi Iudeorum et populi cristianorum Bellar. li. 3. dâ—â— Eccle. milit cap. 16. and might the Church of Christians bee still knowne by the multitude of professors
vnder a bushell is become like to Dauids Sunne which commeth foorth as a Bridegroome out of his chamber and reioyceth as a Giant to runne his course the professors of the Gospell haue wonderfully increased so that now their sound is gone through the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world Psal 90.4 There is no place in the Globe of the earth where Christ is professed which hath not some Protestants Italy the very Center and sinke of Popery and the seat of the great Whore when Iezabel hath done what shee can in murthering the Lords Prophets will affoord seuen thousand men which haue neuer bowed the knees of their hearts vnto Baal Vid Bell. de Paul Rom. lib 3. cap. 21. Nostris temporibus Romana sedes magnaÌ„ Germaniae partem amisit Suetiam Gothiam Noruegiam Damam c. In France wee haue a farre greater number in Germanie the maior part almost all Polonie all Denmarke Swethen Norway Britaine and all the Islands in the Northerne seas which haue taken the militarie Oath to fight vnder Christs standard If these be not equall to them yet consider on eyther side such as know the Principles of Christian Religion and can giue an account of their faith and we haue a farre greater number for the common people amongst them are stupide blind and doe no more vnderstand the mysteries of their saluation then Pagans and Infidels or those in the Acts who being demaunded of Paul whether they had receiued the holy Ghost made answere that they neuer heard whether there was an holy Ghost or no. Act. 19.2 And little maruell for many of their Priestes doe no more vnderstand their Masses which they mumble dayly in their Churches then Balaams Asse vnderstood his owne voice It is enough for them to belieue as the Church belieueth though they know no more what that is then did Bellarmines Collier who being demaunded what he belieued quoth hee that which the Church beleeueth being againe demaunded what that was answered the same which I belieue Herein we will not thinke much that the Papists exceede vs Bellarmine may giue good measure if he draw the dregs and all August in Psal 39. but Austen will teach him another lesson Noli numerare turbas hominum incedentes latas vias implentes crastinum circum ciuitatis natalem clamando celebrantes ciuitatem ipsam male viuendo turbantes noli illas attendere multi sunt quis numerat sed pauci per viam angustam incedunt Christ hom 40. ad populum Antiochium Chrysostome will teach him that not in numeri magnitudine sed in virtutis probitate consistit multitudo It was a prety stratageme of the Romaine Captaine when his Souldiers were few in number to make euery man draw a bough in the drie dust that so the â—amnites with which hee was to encounter beholding them a farre off might beleeue that his Armie was greater then indeed it was we are no such dastards as to be afraid of euery withered branch that can rayse vp dust into the ayre Liuius decad 1. lib. 9. if the Papists purpose to match vs with multitude let them bring such as haue some skill to handle their spirituall weapons I end seeing the Church is like vnto the Moone sometimes in a glorious splendour sometimes clouded with Schisme and sometime so darkened with the shadow of heresie and superstition and persecution that the eyes of Linceus can scarse behold her Seeing that the Papists at this day cannot compare neyther with the number of Christians taking the name generally for all such as professe the name of Iesus nor with the Protestant Churches if we take an account onely of such as vnderstand the Principles of their Religion Hic non tenetur nota marginalis quae nunquaÌ„ occurrit in li. Sent. P. Lamberti I see no reason why Bellarmine should make multitude a Note of the true Church or if it were why the Papists should challenge it themselues and therfore hee may bee well censured with a hic magister non tenetur Å¿ Viues de causis Co rupt Art or nota quod haec nota nihil notat it was onely to make vp the number of notes that hee may number one Art nam cum non prosunt singula multa iuuant though they be of little force being seuerally considered yet if they bee all ioyntly taken they will proue like t Plut Apoth Seleucus his roddes or like a threefold corde which is not easily broken Indeede hee had need to bee stronger then Hercules that could cut off all the heads of Hydra at one blow but a simple warriour taking one by one may make an end of them before hee bee wearied for they are like to the tayle of Sertorius his horse Plutar. in vita sertorij which a valiant Souldier taking it all together could not pull off but a poore Skull pulling one hayre after an other had quickly made it bare Vse 2 Secondly dooth Gods flocke sometimes consist of a very small number then it behoueth thee beloued Christian with greater diligence to trie and examine thy selfe whether thou bee comprehended in this number for as in that vniuersall deluge of waters all were drowned that were not in Noahs Arke so in the great floud of fire which shall bee at the end of the world all shall be swept away with a riuer of brimstone which are not of this flocke it is a common saying he shall neuer haue God for his father which hath not the Church for his mother and hee shall neuer bee a member of the Church triumphant which is not first of the Church Militant first then thou art to enquire whether thou bee of the true visible Church and this thou shalt know by two markes by the true preaching of the word by the right vse of the Sacraments for where these two are performed according to the prescript of Gods word there must needs be a true church this is somewhat but it is not all for what did it auaile Iudas to bee numbred amongst the twelue hee was in hell before any of the rest came at heauen all that are in the church bee not of the church there are both good and bad fish in this net there is wheat and tares in this field Sheepe and Goates in this fold thou must therefore goe further and examine whether thou bee one of that Company which God from eternity elected vnto life and in time effectually calleth by his holy Spirit and makes true members of his Sonne Iesus Christ which is the head of this body whether thou bee of that flock which Christ calleth his gardeÌ„ Cant his sister his spouse his loue his doue his vndefiled which is the pillar and ground of truth 1. Tim. 3.13 the body of Christ Eph. 1.23 the temple of the Lord Eph. 2.21 which the gates of hell shall neuer preuaile against Matth. 16 18. Here thou must exercise thy
18.1 and remooued vnto Ierusalem as the onely place which hee had picked and culled out of all others to set his name there according to that of the Prophet He refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph chose not the tribe of Ephraim but he chose the tribe of Iudah euen the hill of Sion which he loued and there hee builded his sanctuarie as an high palace like the earth which he stablished for euer Psal 78.67.68.69 Thus he made a seat for himselfe an holy place for the tabernacle of the most highest Here was a Temple for the Lord an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob those that shall but sleightly peruse the graunts and priuiledges which God hath promised this one citie will thinke that it had beene as impossible for her to fall away as for the found to be darkened in the midst of heauen The hill of Sion is a faire place euen the ioy of the whole earth vpon the North-side lieth in the citie of the great king God is well knowen in her palaces as a sure refuge Ierusalem haue I chosen out of the tribes of Israel to put my name in it for euer 2. King 21.7 The Lord hath chosen Sion to bee an habitation for himselfe hee hath longed for her saying this shall be my rest for euer Psal 132.14.15 heere will I dwell for I haue a delight therein Heere was the seate of iudgement euen the seate of the house of Dauid To whom the Lord had sworne by his holinesse that his seed should endure for euer Psal 132.5 his seat should be as the Sun before him that he should stand fast for euermore as the Moone the faithfull witnesse in heauen Psal 89. When the Israelites were yet in the wildernes God told them by his seruant Moses that hee had appointed them a place in the land of Canaan where they should all meete out of their seuerall tribes and townes to offer their first fruits to sacrifice vnto the Lord You shall seeke the place which the Lord your God shall chuse out of all your tribes to put his name there and thither you shall come and shall bring your burnt offrings your sacrifices your tithes the offrings of your hands and your vowes c. And there yee shall offer before the Lord. Deut. 12. This was Ierusalem for thither the tribes came vp euen the tribes of the Lord to testifie vnto Israel and to giue thankes vnto the name of the Lord. Psal 122. Moreouer here was there συνεδÏιον their chiefe Councell Sigon de rep haeb lib. 6. Cap. 7. or high Commission consisting of the king and princes of the people to wit the chiefe of euery tribe and of seuentie Elders Gijon de resp haeb lib. 6. cap. 7. and of the high Priest with the Doctors of Law in which all matters of greater moment were concluded and vnto which as vnto the Oracles of God in difficult pointes which could not be decided by the Iudges of particular Townes and Cities they were to haue recourse for the full determination therof according to that of the Prophet If there rise a matter too hard for thee to iudge betweene bloud and bloud betweene plea and plea betweene plague and plague in the matters of controuersie within thy gates then shalt thou arise and goe vp vnto the place which the Lord thy God shall chuse and thou shalt come vnto the Priestes of the Leuites and vnto the Iudge that shall bee in those dayes and aske and they shall shew thee the sentence of iudgement and thou shalt doe according to that thing which they of that place which the Lord hath chosen shall shew thee and thou shalt obserue to doe according to all that they enforme thee Deut 17. Beside this the law was there more diligently then in other places expounded the Prophets did reueale Gods secrets vnto the people and by thundering out the Canons of the law did striue to weane them from their euill wayes and by the promises of the Gospell to wooe them vnto God the Iebusites which before time God had permitted to dwell amongst them that they might be thornes in their eyes and prickles in their sides were now extirpated Sigonius de rep Haeb. li. 1. so that they could not choke the word of God which was sowne amongst them and make it vnfruitfull Was there euer City vpon the face of the earth which had such a Charter as this it was the Citie where God had promised to be resident where was the Arke of the Couenant and the glorious Temple which Solomon had built at Gods appointment where the Kings of Iudah had their abode where the Law and the Prophets were diligently read and expounded vnto the people where all points of difficultie were handled where was the Priestes Pallace whether the whole land had recourse out of their seuerall Tribes as vnto the place where men ought to worshippe Iohn 4. it was a heauen vpon earth and a type of that glorious City which is aboue and is Ierusalem so fallen from God can there not one righteous man bee found within her walles is the holy City become so wicked is the faithfull Spouse become a Harlot are her Princes become Rebels her Iudges Murtherers her Golde drosse her charity oppression her ripenesse rottennesse her almesdeedes al-misdeedes Hath the leprosie of sinne so infected euery part of her body Isai 1. that from the sole of the foote to the crowne of the head there is nothing whole therein but woundes and swellings and sores full of corruption What neede we goe further for prouing our conclusion for as hee speakes in Tully Cicero lib. 1. de orat Eyther this is enough or I know not what will suffice if you would haue Topicall Arguments after such a demonstration as this I could leade you through many places of inuention which would manifestlie confirme my assertion I could shew you the Churches of Gallatia and Philippi and Corinthus which Paul had planted Apollo and other Disciples had watered and God had wonderfully encreased I could instance in Smyrna and Pergamus and Laodicea c. In which the Euangelist Iohn had so painefully laboured in Constantinople and Ephesus and Nice and Chalcedon famous for the generall Councels in Carthage and Hippo and other Churches of Affricke in Antiochia the first Godmother of Christians and in a word in all the Easterne and Affrican Churches in which so many Worthies haue florished What is the cause of these particulars at this day behold they are fallen as though they had not been planted as though the seede of the word had not beene sowne amongst them Isa 40. as though that stocke had taken no roote in the earth the Lord hath blowne vpon them and they are withered and the whirlewind hath taken them away like stubble the abhomination of desolation let him that heareth it consider it sitteth in their holy places which are now