Irâ—n lib. 1. ca. 20. Chrisostome The sectes say they be called of the name of the arche heretike but to vs no man hath giuen a name faithe it self which is catholike surnameth vs so and S. Ierome If thou S. Hieron cont Luciferanos heare those which are called Christians to beare a name not of our lord Iesus Christ but of some other as Marcionites Valentinians know ye certenly that they are not the Church of Iesus Christ but a Sinagoge of Antichrist Now yow poore abused Lutherans and Caluinists be holde the horroure of your bothomlesse pitt you are no more Christians and you haue no part in the saluation by Iesus Christ All aucient Fathers do witnesse with one consent that the only Catholike is in the Church of Iesus Christ and all that bear the name of one particular man be heretikes and excluded from the kyngdome of Iesus Christ Those witnesses can not be reproued and this is one marueilous iudgement of God against heretikes and a comfort for the Catholikes by the Creed of the Apostles it is a necessarie consequens that any Church if it be a true must needes be catholike but there is not a societe in the vvorld which doth possesse the name Catholike saue only the Romain Church All others will call them selues Arrians Lutherans Caluinists the reformed Church Gospellers ProtestaÌ„ts and such other kinds of special names as they haue but Catholikes doe not so for in all parts of the vvorld vvhere the name Catholike Church doth sounde it is intended and vnderstood to be the Romain Churche yea by the heretikes them selues A maÌ„ that passeth by Geneua being asked what he is if he answere I am a Catholik is taken of no man there for a Caluinist Seek not here to blynde your selues against so manifest a trueh but forsake both the sect and also the name of these wicked deceiuers the Archeheretikes of this tyme which will draw you with them selues in to their bottomlesse pitt of euerlasting damnation if you do not enter again in to the Church and mount vp in to the firmament of Catholikes The secound marke of the true Church is the succession of Bishoppes sithens S. Peter to this day which neuer hath bene interrupted the vvhich succession the fathers haue alwayes obiected against heretikes of their tyme as an inuincible argumeÌ„t for euen as to the propagation of mankinde mariage is necessarie so to the procreation of the children of God according to the spirit the order of preisthood is instituted vvhich can not be continewed perpetuallie but by spiritual propagation from those priests whom Iesus Christ did first institute It is not so of kings as it is of preistes for if all the kings of the earth should faile at once the people might create new But if all the priests of the world should happen to fayle it is not in the power of all mankinde to make new Their institution is diuine and not humain Iesus Christ him selfe must come again in person in to this vvorld for to institute som new S. Ireneus Iran li. 3 c. 3. sayth that by this succession all heretikes be coÌ„founded for neuer heretike could shew his next predecessor in communion of doctrin And to proue that the Romain Church is the true Church he rekeneth the Bishoppes of Rome from S. Peter vnto S. Eluther the Pope of his tyme vvhich vvas the twelveth Tertullianus Eusebius Prosper S. Hieronimus S. Augustin Epiphanius Optatus and all the auncient fathers haue vsed this argument against heretikes Tertullian sayth shew the Tertul. lib. de praescr beginÌ„ing of your churches and the orderlie succession of your Bishoppes deriued by succession froÌ„ some one of the Apostles as vve doe shew the orderlie succession in the Romain Church from S. Peter Account sayeth 8. Aug. epist 165. in psal S. Augustin the priests sithens the state of S. Peter and look in to that order of fathers vvhich haue succeded one an other and you shal fynde that the Romain Church is the same stone that the proud gates of hell can not vanquish And he sayth further that the Aug. cont ep fundam succession of priests in the romain Church by one continual line holdeth him in that Church Likerwise Optatus Shew sayth he the first beginning of your chayer you which wil Optatus lib 2. chalenge the holy Church vnto your selues And Epiphanius hauing orderlie recited the names of all the Bishops from S. Peter vnto Siricius then Bishop which was the thirtie eight Epiph. har 27. he addeth Let no man meruail if we be so exact in this recital for by thies things the euident trueth of the Church doth alvvayes shevv it self If then those auncient fathers haue so greatlie estemed that continuation of twelue twentie or forty souerain bishops successors of S. Peter how much stronger is that argument at this day for vs which shew the continuacion of more than two hundred thirtie thre without exception This argument is insoluble and all the heretikes of the worlde caÌ„ not answer the same for the Church can not be without priests nor without Bishops and pastors There must needes be as S. Paul sayth some for the edefying of the body of Iesus Christ Ephe. 4. vntil he come to iudge the worlde And as S. Hierome sayth the Church which is without priests is not a Church and none S. Hierom. can be priest if he be not ordeined by a Bischop being successor of the apostolike priesthode This marke is not only most certain most euident but forcible to know Con. Laud. con 12 do 61. c. the true Church for where the succession of priesthode is there is the succession of doctrine Moyses the prophets our sauiour him selfe in the Gospel doth affirme the same Deut. 17. Math. 2. Now then we shew the succession of priesthode of the soueraign Bishop of this tyme by ascending froÌ„ predecessor to predecessor vpward vntil we arriue at S. Peter and enter as it were in to the side of Iesus Your Caluin seing him selfe by this argumeÌ„t so intangled Caluin that he could not slip away he striueth he wringeth him selfe he tourneth and tosseth he broyleth with so great rage as he speweth out a whole flud of iniures against Popes priests and Bishops Oh the madde dogge seing cleerlie that succession is a verie certein signe of the true Church to which he could not answer whereby he is proued to be a deceiuer sent of the deuil he casteth from the poysonful pit of his harte iniureis sufficient to darken the heauen O ye Lutherans and Caluinists if you be capable of reason if you may be taught by the holie Ghost if you be touched with the desire of your saluation then examin you without passioÌ„ this argument hearken to that which your own consciences shal teache you and be ye not enemies to your own saluation For sithins that you haue not the order of priesthood from any Bishop successor
to the Apostles you are owt of the communion of the Church of IESVS Christ you be without Church without priesthood and without any mediation towards God for that you haue not any preist of the order of the Mediator Your ministers be those that S. Ciprian speaketh of who without lawful S. Ciprian lib. 4. ep 9. calling without gods ordinance without ecclesiastical order doe appoint them selues to be head ouer rash men take to them selfs titles of Bishops and like apes they resemble mens actions and them selues being not in in the Church counterfait the face of the Church arrogating to them selues her authoritie truth blessing others being them selues cursed of God promising life being theÌ„ selues dead calling vpon God being blasphemers administring priesthood being theÌ„ selues prophane presenting theÌ„ selues to the altar as intercessors to God being theÌ„ selues sacrilegiouse prouokers of gods wrath their preaching is not preaching but preuarication of the woord of God their priesthood is not priesthood but a seruice of the deuil and ministerie of Antichriste for Apes be alwayes Apes and neuer shal be men and heretikes alwayes heretikes how so euer they doe counterfait and neuer shal be Catholikes except they enter again in to the bosom of the Church where the lauful succession of priesthood of the Apostles doth remain The third marke is Antiquitie for euen as the good seed was sowen in the field by the house houlder before the cockle by the enemie so it is certein that the true church is more auncient than the false Now that the catholike Apostolike and Romain Church is the same that IESVS Christ him selfe hath instituted more auncient then all the sects of heretikes this argumeÌ„t wil forse them to confesse In all notable chaunges of religion six things are to be marked the Author the new opinion the tyme when it began the place where it began the Impugners that it had the small number of folowers when the same began to make her separation of communion from the religion that it dyd forsake first vve know that the Author of the heresie of ArriaÌ„s was a preist of Alexandria named Arrius of Nestorians a Bishop of ConstaÌ„tinople named Nestorius of Lutherans a monk of the order of S. Augustin named Luther Secondlie we know that the new doctrine of Arrius imported that the sunne of God was a creature Of Nestorius that there was two personnes in Iesus Christ Of Luther that the Eucharist is not a sacrifice and that man is Iustified by that onely special faith which he hath of his own iustification Thirdlie we know that the sect of Arrius dyd beginne the yere of our Lord 324. that of Nestorius the yere of 431. that of Luther the yere 1517. Fowertlie we know that the Arrianisme dyd beginne in Aegipte the heresie of Nestorius in Thrace that of Luther in Saxonie Fiftlie we know that the Arrians were Impugned by Pope Syluester by the Councel of Nice by S. Athanasius ' by S. Hilarie and many others the Nestorians by Pope Celestin by the Councel of Ephesus by S. Ciril and many others the Lutherans by Pope Leo the tenth by the Councel of Trent by all vniuersities catholikes and by many Doctors Finally vve know that in the beginning when all those archeheretikes did separate them selues from the communion of catholikes they were small in number an that euen then the catholikes were dispersed throughout the world in infinite numbers None of all those thinges can be obiected by the Lutherans and Caluinists againste the catholikes First they haue neuer obiected vs the autor of our faith contrary to theirs neither haue they named vs after any particular man vvhich they wolde verie willinglie haue done if they could Secondly they doe not shew the beginninge of any our nevv doctrine if they ascend not vp to the Apostles vvhose nouelty is ours and is our antiquitie against all heresies They are not also hable to shew any tyme certain of our faling from the Church nor the place neither where it should haue begun nor those which did impugne the same as new nor that any councels haue bene celebrated against her nor finally that this our Church catholike Apostolike and Romain did separate it self from some greater that was before in such sorte as those which did coÌ„municate with the Romaine Church vvere fewe in member and that the rest of Christians were farre more greater For it appeareth by the epistles of S. Gregorie the Pope vvhich he did vvrite to the Bishops of the East of Afrike of Spaine of France of Italie that almoste all the Christians of the world did coÌ„municate with him Now it is a thovvsand yeeres past sithens S. Greg and the doctrine of faith vvhich he did teache is the same that the Church doth teach at this day The fowerth marke is continewance without being interrupted It is foretould in Daniel Dan. 9. that the raigne of the church shall neuer be dispersed and in sanct Paule that heresies 2. Tim 3. can not long stand the Churche being like the brightnes of the firmament vvhich shineth in perpetual eternitie Heresie is as a Comet conceiued of the vapours of the earth vvhereof the flame ceaseth so sone as his earthly norishement doth faile The Church in an other sorte is as a continual flud which can not drye Heresie is as a flud of tempest vvhich presently doth faile wherof S. Augustin sayth Be not you sayth he amased to see the fluds swellinge and roaringe In illud psa 97 Ad nihilum dâ—uâ—nâ—ent tanquam aqua deâ—urrens for a tyme. It is a violence of vvater vvhich runneth downe and shall cease verie sone for the same can not long continue many heresies be alredie dead they haue runne in theyr channel as long as they could they be slydden away the rootes be drie and hardlie shal one finde the marcke where they were It is verie certein that the Church catholike Apostolike and Romain hath coÌ„continued since the Apostles in her visible brightnes vnto this day vvhich thing if heretikes doe not fullie grant yet doe they confesse that those things which they blame in the same vvere alredie brought in before a thowsand or twelue hundred yeres But vvhat heresie hath euer lasted any thing near that tyme yet I vvil confound them by this argument Before that Luther did start vp besydes the Romaine Church there was not in the vvorld but thes religions Paganisme Iudaisme Machometisme and the relikes of Nestorianisme in Grece But it is certein by the confession of Lutherans and Caluists them selues that the Church of IESVS Christe was not in any one of thies sectes vvhereof it foloweth that she was in the Romaine Church or els quyte extinguised in al the vvhorld vvhich can not be Trulie this marke of the true church is famous for sythens Theobutes and Simon Magus the first Archeheretikes vntil Luther two hundred diuers heresies haue had their course wherof some were vpholden by verie mightie Patrones by
of the Church vicar of the souerain head essential Iesus Christ and successor of S. Peter in that vicareige to whom al Catholikes which are dispersed throughout the world are ioyned as members to their head Loe here 12. markes of the true church That is to say 1. The possessiō propertie of the name Catholike 2. The succession of the Apostolike priesthood 3. Antiquitie 4. The long cōtinuance without interruptiō 5. The largenes of the kingdome 6. The victorie of the whole world by efficacie of doctrine 7. The conformitie in doctrine with the primitiue Church 8. The holynes of doctrine 9. The holines of life of the possessours 10. The gloire of miracles 11. The Infelicitie of the impugners and prosperitie of the Protectours 12. And the vnion of the members with their head the successour of S. Peter These are comprised in fower woordes of the Creed that is to say in that she is one Holy Catholike and Apostolike I doe not enter here into the groundes of the doctrin of the Catholike Church The principal scope of this present treatise was onely to shew that out of the Catholike Church man can not be saued whatsoeuer thing he doth whereunto I haue added these outeward markes the which without farder disputation may be sufficient to euery Christian mā to resolue him selfe touching all difficulties whatsoeuer for all the controuersies which haue bene are and euer shal be in the faith doe rest therein and are reduced to that onely head to finde the true Church Which being ones found a man is out of all hazard and peril of errour For all agree vpon this principle that there is but one Church and that the same can not erre being as saith S. Paul The piller and seur grounde of truth And therefore whosoeuer shall doubt of any thing as of Sacramentes of the Inuocation of saincts of praying for the dead or of any other point of lerning he must onely marke that which the Church doth teach thereof and then therevpon to resolue him selfe more assuredly then if an Angel of heauen were descended expressely to informe him of the same And euery other cōgregation which shal call it selfe the church teaching the contrary must needes be conuinced of falsehood of being sent from sathan of heresie and of impietie All the markes of the Catholike Church are euidenly found in the Romain Church The respect of the name Romain is not to the town of Rome but the to chaire of S. Peter which hath that highnes of glory to haue bene cheefely and especially priuileged by the prayer and promise of our sauiour who prayed for S. Peter to that ende that his faith might not faile and founding vpon him his Church hath promised vnto him that the proud gates of hel shall neuer preuail against her as in fact we see that sathan hath ouercome the Churches of the other Apostles and ouerthrowen their chaire In Hierusalem in Alexandria in Ephesus and els where But not the chaire wherewith S. Peter hath innobled the citie of Rome This Church is onely inuincible insupplantable immouable frō her foundation It is she that hath born away the victory of the whole world She hath destroyed Paganisme ouerthrowen Idolatrie expelled al heresies tamid kingdomes Empires ouercome the Philosophers driuen away the darkenes of the world hath gained to god all men of good will She hath troden down and always shal tread down the head of sathan She hath ben euer sithēs S. Peter an obiect vnto the world very apparant as a moūtain of vnderstāding A burning light not to be quenched and an infallible Pole starre directing the way of God To her onely in the troublesome and tempestous sea of variable opinions of men we must haue regard She is the quickening plant that God hath planted in earth hauing her Roote in heauen Yt is not possible for men to root her out no more than it is to throw downe God from his heauenlie seat vpon whom she is founded All the heresies of the world haue bent them selues against that Church Titans Hypocrites and euel Christians haue assaulted her but she remaineth victorious ouer all her enemies not by the merits of men but by the efficacie of that prayer which our sauiour made to his father for the faith of S. Peter and to make his promise effectuall The promises of the truth it selfe can not be vaine Iesus Christ sayd of the temple of Hierusalem that there should not one stone remayne vpō an other and so it came to passe The Iewes edeuonred them selues with might and maine to build the same again but fier came from heauen and placed it self in the foundations for to hinder their intreprise He said of his church that it should endure as long as the world shal remain And men doe see that hither to she remaneth as long as the world hath indured heauen and earth shall passe but the woordes of our Sauiour shall not passe Let these wicked Spirites heretikes Schismatikes Hypocrites and deuelishe men lay their embushes conspire make warre and doe all they can against that Church yet shal they get nothing They fight against the prayer and promise of our Sauiour they doe fight against GOD him selfe The deuils haue not gotten the victory in heauen against the Angels neitheir shall they get it in earth against the Church Many Angels did fall many members of the Church doe fall dayly But as the kingdom of Angels was neuer wholly ouerthrowen so the whole Church shall neuer be vanquished Hel may shake the earth but not the heauens The Church is not an earthly building a building of Adam a building of no other foundation then natural It is an heauenly building whollie supernatural and diuine whereof not man but God him selfe is the foundation and founder and the holy Ghost is the Architect which hath gathered together the liuely stones This building is not made of men borne by nature as the children of Adam but of men made heauenlie regenerate by grace as the children of God Faith which is the bond of the bodie of that Church is aboue the heauen the obiect of that faith which is IESVS Christ Author of that regeneration doth appertain more to heauen by his diuine person then to earth by that humain nature Therefore a thowsand hels shal neuer be able to preuaile against that church whosoeuer thou art therfore which hast separated thy self from that Church what so euer thing thou doest thou art not apparteining to IESVS Christ thou art a member of sathan and a pray of euerlasting damnation Goe about the earth and the see trott vp and downe the world and goe where thou wilt searching the truth thou shalt not find the same out of this Church The Church Catholike Apostolike and Romain is the same of whom doth spring rise as from a center all the droctrine of Christianitie the chaire of S. Peter is the chaire of Iesus Christ and of the truth it self al other
holie scriptures The Samaritanes were heretiques and did fortifie them selues with the texte of the law of Moyses Our sauiour hath condemned them with his owne mouth when being asked of the Samaritane whether God should be worshipped in Hierusalem or in Samaria he answered you worshippe that you know not wee worshipp that Iohan. 4. we knowe the saluation is of the Jewes For it is as yf he had sayd yow Samaritanes which be distracted from the Iewes you shal haue nothing in the treasure of saluation and you can not but erre This only voice thundering from heauen you worshipp that you know not is a sufficient flash of lightening to ouerthrow all that these deuided felowes frō the Curch can imagine to haue eyther holie or godlie Let no mā be ouertakē by the deuil through ignorance of this doctrine S. Augustin teacheth vs clearly that although heretikes S. August in Enchrid ad Lauren. do preache the name of Iesus Christ yet that name is not their seur groūd as it is to Catholikes but remayneth proper to the Church only for if one consyder aduysedly that which belongeth to Iesus Christ he shall not fynde it amongst heretikes what so euer but in tytle and shew only the effect of the vertue shal not be there they sound out with full mouth that they holde the sonne of God for the redeemer of the worlde but notwithstandyng after they haue pronounced those woords because they spoyle hym of his vertue dignitie that which S. Paule sayth Collos 2. is truly proper vnto them that they keepe not the heade whereof the whole body which is the Church by ioyntes bandes being compacted groweth to the increase of God And according to this Optatus properly sayth that the buylding Opt. li. 3. 6. of heretykes is but only a wal which hath no corner stone nor couerture aboue in such sorte that if they make a gate he that entreth in is alwayes without subiect to wyndes rayne tempest theeues and to wylde beasts But the Catholike Church is an entier howse in the which God doth dwel and he dwelleth not in any other Al that which is inclosed therein is couerd wel assured out of daunger of the incommodytyes of the ayre of theeues and of all external harme Furthermore he compareth heresie to artificial trees which fowlers fashion in likenes of a natural tree hauing the shew of a true tree but full of snares and of glew where the brides searching their life fynde their death wheras the Church is a true tree in deed full of good fruits without snares and fraude But aboue al. S. Cyprian hath very wel sayd that heresie and idolatrie be in Lib. de vnit Eccles the same damnatiō as daughters of the same father when sayth he by the coming of Iesus Christ the light being reuealed vnto the gentiles and the sonne of saluation shyning to the face of al people the darknes of idolatry was chased out of the world Satan seing his seates and temples desolate and his Idols forsakē of al people on te earth which did runne vnto the Churches of Iesus Christ he found a new craft vnder the self same name of Christian to intangle them that were not wel aduised and to make them fal from the grace of Iesus Christ that is he hath sturred vp heresies with the which he hath subuerted the fayth corrupted the truth and broken the vnite of concorde in such sorte that those whom he can not longer hold in the auncient way of blyndnes he hath deceaued by the error of a new way so spoyleth men euen within the Church deceauing them with an other kynd of darkenes to the end that not contynewing in the vnitye of the Church they may yet cal them selues Christians and walking in darkens they may perswade them selues to haue the light making them blinde without perceauing their blyndes yea then when they thinke them selues most sure of the light For as he is a cunnyng woorkeman to transforme him self often into an Angel of light he leadeth them in to likelihoodes of truth that he may so deceiue them in the truth affirmyng the night for day death for life infidelitye for faith Antichrist vnder the name of Iesus Christ And ther is not any absurditye how monstrous and foule so euer it be that he doth not make them receyue and that very greedelye and hauing once bleared them with his iugling tricks he holdeth theyr iudgements so fast tyed and hampered that they can not see the very open and manyfest truth so that hauing now no more roote in God they be cast into a reprobate sense turnyng to their owne destruction al that is presented vnto them and sticke not now to stād and fyght agaynst God him self Now to them wich suffer them selues to be deceiued it happeneth sayeth S. Cyprian for not searching the truth of faith by the right way according to the direction of our heauēly Maister who doth send vs to the chayer of S. Peter which of his proper auctoritie by prerogatyue he hath ordeined to be head as the fountayne roote of his Church And this was a greate benefit of God that he hath giuen a certaine seat to his Church as auncyently was the chayre of Moyses to the end that in the doubtful points of faith men myght haue a place to resorte vnto as to a certeine Vniuersite to receiue their iudgement and resolutiō and so to kepe the vnitie of faith among so many dyuers nations that were to enter in to the Church This is certeinly the point whereby all heretikes in the world haue perished doe perishe now and shall alwayes perishe for that they like not not sauour not the Sacramēt of the vnitie of faith in the vniuersal brotherhood of the Church nor acknowledge that there is one certain Church the only mother of al the children of God which is only holie Catholike and Apostolike vnto whom Iesus Christ her spouse head hath giuen the character of the order of his eternall Priesthood the keyes of the realme of heauen all aucthoritie ouer his howshould vnto whom he hath promised assistance of his holie spirit vntil the end of the worlde in whom is the wil of God the forgiuenes of sinnes and the distribution of graces who only hath the woord of God in keeping the pure doctrine of the Gospell the true vse of Sacraments to whom only therefore doth appertain to iudge of the true sense of the holy scriptures and to decyde the controuersies of faith that rise among men whose iudgements in earth be ratified in heauen which Church being but one and vndiuided in faith yet extending it self in her cōmuniō as the beames of the sunne as long and as wyde as the whole world encreasinge multiplyinge dayly without end or lymit continueth inseparably vnited to her head as the beames to the body of the sunne not liuinge but of his grace not breathing but of his
indiuisible than the beames of the sunne it is not to be holden by halues it is a gift of God and a grace infused and the gifts of God are perfite For concerning faith who so euer faileth in one article is culpable in all And he is no lesse drouned which is but two fingars ouer head in water than he which is an hundred fathoms dieper A mans faith eye and honour are thre things that can not endure to be hurt or impared how litle soeuer it be Many of them which haue yet some liuelie roote in the Church and hate heresie doe giue to them selfes some times libertie to blame or contemne certein obseruances and ceremonies of the Church as in their opinions vnprofitable These lo do daungerouslie erre besides that they shew herein their beastlines and ignorance for nothing vniuersallie receiued in the Church is of small consequence or importance And vnwoorthie are they to haue any place in the Church and to be partakers of the Sacraments of euerlasting life which doe disagree with her in the least point that a man can think of Men ought with more reuerence to iudge of such things as are approued and alowed of the vniuersal Church When men debate of humain matters let then humain reason take place but in the doctrine of faith the only authoritie of the Churche ought to rule It is not for vs to take vpon vs to cōfirme and establish that whereunto we must obey We must in al submit our selues wholie to her iudgemēt without exception of any thing what soeuer it be For so soone as faith is seuered from the Sanctuarie of the Church she is out of her natural element she hath no more vital spirit The Church hath secret motiues considerations tending to the vtilitie and preseruation of her vniuersal familie incomprehensible to any one priuate person yet notwithstanding they haue theyr foundacions and grounds verie firme and sure The most excellent Philosophie that euer was in the worlde is that of Abrahā which Philo describeth Abraham Philo. He reduced all the effects of the second causes to the first cause immediatlie he dyd not attribute to the sunne the light of the day nor to cloudes the rain nor to eyes the sight nor to eares the hearing nor to other next instruments of sense the cause of their facultie not to the feet force to goe not breathing to the lunges not concoction to the stomak not to trees and seeds their yerelie fruits but he reduced all things immediatlie to him onlie which spreadeth abroad his benignitie and beneuolence largelie franklie and freelie in all places he bendeth all his forces to hym alone hoping by hym only to be ayded and staying him self vpon him only neither trusting vpon heauē nor vpon earth ayer beasts plants or rootes with intent to loue them as causes And as a man may say he trauersed through all the rankes and troupes of the host of all second and instrumental causes apperteining to the OEconomie or general disposition of the vniuersal nature for to approche vnto the soueraign head the Creator of substances the giuer of formes the first mouer first cause and cause of causes to the ende to loue him only and to giue him only thankes for all benefits receiued And this Philosophie of Abraham was as a shining beam of the innocencie of nature before sinne which innocencie consisted in cleaning wholie to God and depending vpon God in all things not resting vpō him selfe nor vpon any creature whereupon also God loued him more and was more reuealed to hym than to those that loue the second causes and search deeplie in to them not satisfied otherwise with the first In like maner in matters of faith those which doe rest altogether vpon the Church shal rather be illuminated of the holy Ghost than those which doe not giue credit to her but vpon a caution or condition of some natural reason If any would know the way how to render a reason of his faith and of all obseruances of the Church S. Peter thereunto doeth exhort him And in 1. Petr. 3. dede the studie of such a science is the most noble and most worthie that is in the world only let him be humble and holde this for a principle or maxime though he vnderstandeth not the reason of any obseruances yet notwithstanding the same is grounded vpon some iust reason aboue his capacitie And when he hath layed for his ground this humilitie and comyng afterward to searche the motiues and reasons of the Churche then the knowleige of the general disposition and gouernement of the Church shall teach him considerations more deep more excellent more ample more confortable and shall replenish his mynde with a cleerer light than the knowleige of al Naturs vvorkes and therein he shal take more pleasure than if he had in his head the collectiōs and gatherings of al the knowleige in the worlde fast sowed one to an other and coulde giue a reason of the whole disposition of natural things in al parts of the whole frame of this worlde In the primatiue Church Sinesius the great Sinesius philosopher called by Christians to the state if a Bishop vvould not accept the same but with reseruation of some opinions of the ethnical philosophie The fathers condescended to his desire assuring them selues that so excellent a wit would easilie cast of al those reseruations of his philosophical folie by cōference with wise and learned men of the Church And in dede this learned man being made Bishop did soone cast away al reseruations of his seueral opinions and conformed him selfe in al points to the Church cōdemning him selfe and deriding his own vanitie proceding rather from the root of folie and pryde of a philosopher than of malice And truelie to addict him selfe obstinatlie to some particularities of opinions against the vniuersalitie Genes 27. it is the part of one that is ignorant of the first elements and principles of Christianitie and a token of a short and feeble iudgemen that hath a verie shmal beam of brightnes and is so poore of vnderstāding as he is not hable to conceiue that the riuer which he dwelleth next vnto is much lesse than the Ocean sea and that the sterres be much greater thē they appear to his eyes esteming the greatest things that he knoweth to be the most that God can doe in that kynde and considereth but one thing onlie where he ought to consider an hundred thousand persuading him selfe euermore to haue in the compasse of his brain all that God is hable to doe or wil doe mesuring all things by his own capacitie and sufficiencie which is not onlie an extreme folie but also verie daungerous for such folk vpon the least motion of the deuil wil throw them selues from the high pinacle of the temple down to the ground I mean from the firmament of the Church to the bottomles pit of heresie Wil we then be assured neuer to erre and to
haue our spirite quiets peacible amōg all the wherl wyndes and tempests of heresies this is the onlie mean he that walketh in the spirit of the Church is in the high way he goeth not in darknes he goeth by day and setteh sure footing The church is to him a bulwark of quietnesse a wall of brasse a stay more sure then the firmament of heauen yea I say truelie more sure than the firmament of heauen For rather the heauen shal fall in pieces and all the whole frame of the worlde shal fall into cōfusion and nature shal erre rather than the Church shal come to errour in that doctrine of the saluation which she doeth teach her children And good reason for her vnderstanding his higher than the vnderstāding of all nature for it is the vncreated vnderstanding the holie Ghost God him self which doth gouerne the same immediatlie And for the Churches sake heauē earth and all Nature haue bene made and doe consist without whose prayers the frāe of the whole worlde could not stād one moment The Angels them selues as S. Paul sayth are all Hebr. 10 to minister to them which receiue the inheritance of saluation which are the childrē of the church But I will no forther open the priuileiges of Grace the heauenlie and liuelie comforts which the children of the catholike Church haue The catholike Church is the onlie fortresse impregnable the wiseman to her wil haue his recourse and shal be saued She is the strong fort of the citie of God founded vpon the rock whiche can not be vndermined Genes 27. fortified by the inuincible force of the holie Ghost garded by heauenlie armies vvhich are camped round about cōpassed of all sides with the fauour of the almightie She is the true earthlie Paradise where the tree of lyfe is planted which all of her house may freelie vse and thereby receiue nourishment of lyfe euerlasting She is the true house of God where he doth dispose his graces and all his goodes and the souueraign felicitie And who euer can taist of the fruit of the name Catholike he shal fynde hem selfe happie and shal perceiue in that he is a Catholike he is as it were weeded out of him selfe to be transplanted in God and being lostin him selfe he shal fynde him selfe grafted and rooted in God in whom he shal stand more surelie more liuelie more happilie and be more his own man thau standing in him selfe where vpon his soule shal be filled with true sound parfite soueraign diuine and euerlasting ioye I doe not call in question whether the catholike Churche be visible nor where she is being a societie not of Angels or of soules separated from the bodie but of men She must necessarilie be visible that one may say there is the Church pointing to her with the fingar and shewing her to the eye otherwyse sayth S. August Aug. tract 1. 2. in 10. no man could be assured of the vnitie in the which men must necessarilie enter and holde them selfes to the ende they may be ioyned to the head communicate with all the other members thereof And our lord should in vain haue bidden men resort to the Church and obey it if it were inuisible to the face of the whole worlde so that she can not by any manner of wayes be hidden nor darckned in the earth no more than the sonne in heauē Yea sayth S Iohn Chrisostom S. Chrys ho. 4. in cap. 6. Efa it were more easie to put out the light of the sonne than to darcken the Church And those which say that the Church which was planted of the Apostles and dyd lighten the Gentiles is no more extant and that she is lost many a day agoe and that strayght after the Apstoles she was eclipsed of her light and became an Apostata in such sort as the worlde is entered in to darknes as before and those which doe compare her to the Sinagogue in the time of Eli those I say are verie impudent and their impudencie can not be heard with out indignation for that it is contumeliouse to the sonne of God as if the sonne of God which sayd that he is the light of the world and that he came to renew all to destroye the vvorkes of the deuil and to dispossesse him of his raign had not doen that vvhich he promised nor that vvhich he came for and as yf his light had bene as a flash of lightening vanishing avvay and not as a sonne rising to chase out effectuallie the darknes of the vvorld This is a moost vile and shamefull abasing of Christs honour and estimation this is to take from him the deserued inheritance of all Nations vvhich GOD the father promised vnto him this is as it vvere to spoyle him of his dignitie and the royal scepter and to plucke him downe frō his throne and to take from him his royal Diadem vvhich the father gaue him and to make that GOD hath not kept his promisse They vvhich vse thies vvoordes are not in the Church them selues sayth S. Augustin Aug. in psalm 101. Thou sayest that the Church is not extant because thou art not in her Look vvell to the matter thou art not in dede in her but she is and shal be extant though thou art not Al that the scripture doth teach Numer 20. 3. Reg. 8. Math. 18. Acto 15. 18. 20. feighteth against this impudent saying It hath bene foretold that the glorie of the secound house of GOD shal be greater then the glory of the first that she shal reach from one sea to an other from the Orient 1 Tim. 3. Psal 1◠Esa 2 Dan. 2. Mich. 4. Math. 7. to the Occident that she shal fill Asia Affrica Grece Italy all tounges all nations and the Iles ferre of and that the sauiour shal make as it vvere nevv heauens and nevv earth so that the Sinagogue in comparison of the Church is no more then one starre in comparison of the Sonne and had but fevv litle spartles of that light whre of the full brightnes is spred vpon the Church Origin sayth that the first signe Iud. 6. giuen to Gedeon of the flyse only devved from heauen the earth round about remaining all drye did prefigure the Sinagogue and the secound signe of all the earth bedevved the flyse contynevving drie did prefigurat the Churche In Daniel also the Church vvas prefigured by the Dan. 2. litle stone cut from the mountaine vvithout hand of man the vvhich hauing broken the Image of Gold of Syluer of brasse of Iron and of clay vvhich did represent the Empires of the vvorld became a great mountaine and did fill the vvhole earth vvhere vpon sanct Augustin doth argue against the heretikes If the Ievyes be sayd to be blinde for not hauing seene the stone being but litle what blindnes is that in them which can not see the same being a mountaine so those saith he which denie the Church dispersed
throwgh the world doe not stumble against de litle stone but against the mouÌ„taine Esaie expressely fortold that the Church Esa 2. 54. 66. shal be as a mountaine manifestly lifted vp aboue the mountaines whervnto all nations Matt. 5. shall resort vvhich our Sauiour him selfe confirmed saying that his Church is a citie set on a montaine which can not be hidden what shal I say more sayth S. Augustin the Churche is shee not manifest doe not we shew it with our fingar and those that doe not see so great a mountaine be they not blinde which against the shining candle put in a candelsticke do shut theyr eyes S. Bernard writeth elegaÌ„tly hereof against the heretikes of his time the stone cutt without the hand is becomme the mountaine filling the vvorlde and thincke you saith he that it is within your dennes this is to caluÌ„niat al the vniuersal vvorld Thou maiest easily see the citie sett vpon a mountaine the Church catholique which can not be hiddeÌ„ Moreouer S. Augustin saith that by Gods prouidence it Aug. in psal 101. hath bene so disposed that the testimonies of Iesus Christ are obscure in the olde prophets but those of the church are manifest to the end that men should haue recourse to the Church for couÌ„seil to learne of hir their saluation And he saith forther that the Church sithens the Apostles time hath not only not lost any part of her light but also hath alwayes augmented the same still proceeding and encreasyng as the new moone from smal light to a greater If any one saith he doe not perceiue the moone in the first point of hir increasing one might excuse the vveakenes of his eyes but he that doth not perceiue the same in her fulnes that man is starke blinde From the tyme of the Apostles vvhen the Church did not shew as yet very much hir face vpon the arth simple men were deceiued by false teachers saying here is the Church here is Christ vvounding as it vvere in the dark of the moon simple and plain meaning folke but now how blinde is he that erreth in the ful moone Pope Leo the S. Leo. first S. Hilaire and other auncients vvhich liued in the mayn course of mightie heresies S. Hilarie doe vvitnes that the Church vvas neuer darkenid sithens the Apostles by the infectioÌ„ of heresies The Church say they may be diminished in the Globe of multitude of children but not in light and clearnes much lesse by the persecutions of tyrannes for as sayeth Tertullian the bloud of Christians is the seed of the Church and euerie martyr is as the grayne of wheate falling on the earthe which bringeth foorth manye Poore Cicero Cic. l. 2. q. Ac. searching the soueraigne God complaineth saying by the dissention of philosophers vve are constrained to be ignorant of our Lord and can not know vvhich is he that vve ought to worship for Lord and gouerner of the world This can not besayd of the Church the contradictions which heretikes doe make against her doe not darken her but make her rather better knowne and as Vincentius Lyrinensis sayth Vinc. Lyr. doe scoure her and make her brighter geuing occasion to catholikes to vnderstand cleerlie and feruentlie that vvhich before they beleued couertly and coldly And it is certeiÌ„ that the Church had more knowleige of God in some certein articles in the tyme of S. Augustin then in other tymes before and in the tyme of S. Bernard then in the tyme of S. Augustin and at this day more then she had since the tyme of the Apostles so that ther is now none that seeth not cleerly in the light of the Church except those vvhose eyes satan hath put out and vvhich are willingly blynde sith all now doe know vvhere is the cheire of S. Peter the Church Catholike Apostolique and Romain which hath the name of Catholike the succession of Bishoppes sithens S. Peter to this day the consent of people and nations and many other wel knowen markes whiche do distingwishe the same from all false religion of panims of Iewes and of heretikes and doth make it sufficiently euident that none can be excused neither those which refuse to ioyne vnto her nor those that do depart from her I wil not here sett downe all the markes of the true Church as if this present treatice were to that end but I shal touche only some few TWELVE MARCKES OF the true Church THe first marke of the true Church is the name Catholike which although all heretikes would pretend to be theirs yet neuer could they obthain thus much sayth S. Augustin S. August lib. cont epi. fund c. 4. that if a Panime demaunded of an heretike the place where the Catholikes doe assemble them selues he durst not shew his owne Sinagogue And S. Ciril sayth if thou goest in a Cyril cat 18. citie doe not aske vvhere is the Church nor where the house of GOD is for the heretikes say that they haue the Church and the howse of god but aske where is the Catholike Church for that name Catholike is proper to the holy Church mother of vs all that are of right beleif and an heretyke vvould be mocked and laughed at to shew his Churche for the catholike Pacianus hath treated of this point expressely where he saith Christian is my name Catholike is my surname that doeth name me this maketh me knowne the name catholike is not deriued of any one man it doth not sound any thing of an heretike it is not referred to any particullar Authour it agreeth to the principal head body of that tree vvhose braunches beinge cutt of are the sectes of heretikes but the tree it selfe liueth mainteined by his roote and coÌ„tineweth alwaye the same vvhich is all one whole body and called Catholike but euerie heresie taketh the name of some one which is the authour therof where vpon S. Athanasius â—than serm â—â—â—nt Arria against the Arrians sayth Christian people neuer tooke their names of their Bishoppe no we are christians and so named not of the Apostles them selues but of our lord in whome we haue beleued by the voice of Bishoppes and Apostles Those which haue taken their faith of others are by good right surnamed from the cheefe of their heresie Lactantius sayth the only Catholike â—ct li. 4. c. 3. Church is that which keepeth the true worshippe of God this is the fountein of trueth the house of faith the temple of God in whom if any do not enter or from whom if any doth depart he cutteth him self of from hope of lyfe and of euerlasting saluation but euerie sect of heretikes doth pretend that the catholike Church is on ther syde how be it bearing the names of Marcionites or Arrians they are no more Christians they haue lost their name christian in taking straunge names of men Likewise Iustine the martyr S. Ireneus S. Iohn S. Chrys hâ— 33 in act Apost Iust mar contriph S.
Emperours by kynges by lerned men making innumerable books out of the vvhich a man vvoulde haue sayed that they could neuer be blotted And notwithstanding by the wonderfull prouidence of God thei be so weeded out of the earth that there remaineth nothing at all nether of the followers nor of their bookes nor of theyr doctrine nor any signe at all but that which is found in the bookes of catholikes who if they had not written their names in their books vve had not knovven that such heresies had euer bene in the vvorld and there is no doute but the flouds of heresies of theis tymes vvil also slyde avvay shortly The fyueth marke of the true Church is the largenes of the raigne And this marke is verie euident in the Catholike Church the which doth fructifie throughout the vniuersal vvorld in both the hemispheres And the sunne doth not streache his beames further then she I know vvel that she hath not the temporal regiment of external Iustice throughout the whole vvorld but she hath euerie where obedient childrē So that there is no tonge nor people nor climat of countrie inhabited vvhere if perhaps the most parte be not carholikes yet at the leaste there are some I say some notable number which assamble them selues in the Church and cōmunicate Catholiklie in the Sacraments of the Church among the Turkes among the Persians among the Tartarians among the Panymes throughout the compasse of the earth for the carholike Church is not restreined vvithin the bonds of Italie Fraunce Spaine Germanie England Polland Rome Hungarie Greece Siria Armenia Ethiope Egipt and other countries vvherof the names are vvel knovvn vnto vs and where the Catholikes be in infinite number but she doth spread her self in to the new world and in all those foure partes of that nevv vvorld vvhere she hath many Churches without mingling of heresies of the East syde in the Indians of the west syde in America towardes the north in Iapon towards the south in Brasilia what heresie is that that euer had such largenes As for the sectes of Lutherans and Caluinists they haue not passed in Asia nor into Africa nor in to Grece nor into many prouinces of Europe Yea euen in the verie springs of mischief in the North where heresies haue most might there are not two townes neighbours possessed of one self sect All heresie is as a serpent A serpent neuer S. August lib. de pasto ca. 8. lib. de vtil credendi cap. 14. 17. departeth farre of from his denne And S. Augustine sayth very wel that the Church is euery where heresie also euery where But the Church is one and the self same euery vvhere where as heresies be not the same euery where but be of great diuersitie the one not knowinge the other Wherof it doth appeare sayth he that none of those is the Catholike Church And he compareth heresies to boughes cut from the vine which abide in the place vvhere they fall vvithout fructifying wher as the Church is the liuelie stocke which doth bring fruit in all hir braunches throughout whereso euer she doth extend her self The sixt marke is the conquest of the world by efficacie of doctrine which is the doctrine of the true Church being liuelie mightie more pearsing then any two edged swoord and cōuerting effectuallie the soules to God The Philosophers sayth S. Athanasius with loftines of learning and magnificence of speche could neuer perswade any one citie to take their laws of them for that sayth he their doctrine was dead and without force and their speche did not proceed of the spirit of God but of the spirit of man Neither did any man euer read that the heretikes conuerted Idolators or Iewes to the faith Their care sayth Tertullian is not to conuert straungers to Iesus Christ but to peruert hys domesticals Tert. lib. de presc har and those which he alredy gotten to him not to geue lyfe to the dead but to giue deadlie poison to the liuing not to lifte them vp which be on the grounde but to make them fall that stand vpright The efficacie of their doctrine is not to edifie it serueth but to distroy and this marke doth shew it self very openlie in thies our dayes Here is now the very large harvest of the new world in ripenes It behooueth to send workmen but from whence doth the Lord of the haruest take them The Church catholike and heresie making both profession to be of Iesus Christ their dueties are to increase the howsehold of Iesus Christ asmuch as they can by conuerting the infidels to the faith This notwithstanding because IESVS CHRIST vvil not be planted in the hartes of straungers by other handes then of his deare spouse therfore the catholikes only are they which preache the Gospel to Idolators and gaine them to Iesus Christe The heretikes haue neuer drawn the least prouince from Paganisme to Christianitie when we haue conuerted thē to Iesus Christ the heretikes come afterwardes to deceiue them But men see that God doth not permit the worke of conuerting them to any other then to his true Church as we being those Soc. l. 4. c. 27. Soz. l. 6. ◠37. Theod. l. 4. only which be the fishers of men those alone which draw the soules of men from the sea of infidelitie to the shoar of Christianitie The heretiks neuer throwe their nettes in sea but after that we haue put the fish vpon the shoar then they put all their gloire to rob and carie away some litle fishe as theues not as fishers Euen so the Gothes being alredy made Catholike demaunding Catholike Bishops for to gouern their churches Valence sent them Arrians for to subuert them The cause why the heretikes can not conuert the infidels to the faith is for that propounding the scripture they doe not propound the true sense vvhich is properlie the svvoard of the spirit The vvordes of the scriptures are but as the sheath which holdes the sworde of the spirite They then fighting not vvith the sworde but vvith the sheath onlye it is no merueil if they doe not pearse the hartes of Infideles Besydes that the heretikes and Idolaters belonge all to one self maister But in the Romain church not onlie at the beginning but euen at all tymes this efficacie hath bene found This is the Romain Church vvhich did first conuert the Englishe men to the faith in the tyme of S. Gregorie the Pope This is the Romain Church vvhich did conuert the Saxons and the vvhole coutrey of Almains in the times of Pope Conon and of Pope Zacharie This is the self same Church that conuerted the Vandales Bulgarians Sclauonians Polonians Danes Norwaies Hungarians Morauians vvith infinite kinges people And it is not past twoo hundred yeares ago syns rhat one only mounke S. Vincent of the order of S. Dominike did conuert to the faith 25000. as vvel Iewes as sararins It is in our tyme that the new vvorlde receiued the
faith of the Romaine Church And it is not many yeres ago syns that some Turkes some Ievves vvere baptized at Rome and other places in the Romain Church The Lutherans Caluinists can not boaste them selues to haue conuerted to their sect neither Panimes nor Turkes nor Iewes vvhervpon it doth appeare that they be of the spirite of the deuil sithens that all their force is no maner of waye to get the Infidels but only to distroy the Christians The seuenth marke is the conformitie of doctrine with the Primitiue Church Now that the auncient fathers did teach the same doctrine that we doe at this day and condemned for heretical that whiche we condemne their bookes beare vvitnes therof of the vvhich I wil say further that who so euer readeth them shal necessarelie frame to him self a catholike spirit and shal neuer after drinke the venim of any heresie For all thies fathers as they vvere well instructed vpon what states the holy Ghost doth rest him self so doe they breathe out nothing but humilitie abatement of presumption abnegation or denial of them selues a soueraigne reuerence to the Church a perpetual flame of charitie and a care of spiritual vnitie and as a man might saye an indiuisibilitie with the Church The eight marke is holines of doctrine that is to saye vvhen the profession of doctrine doth not contein any falsehood concerning matter of faith nor iniustice concerning maners by the vvhich marke it is conuicted that there is no true Church in the vvorld but the catholike Church For there is not a sect in the vvorld be it of the Panimes Iewes Turkes or of heretikes as vvel olde as new but it doth contein in her doctrine some manifest impietie or some iniustice directly contrary to reason as the sect of Caluin doth make God authour of sinne and as much the cause of the treason of Judas as of the conuersion of S. Peter and doth teache that the christiaÌ„ can not do any good worke Besyds that al theyr writings be impugnours of chastitie of virginitie of Religion inveihing against fasting against vovves against all orderlie deuotion in the church establishing all vice prouoking to dispaire laboring to extingwishe the seed of immortalitie in the hartes of men But the Church catholike is perfaictlie holie and immaculate in her doctrine she doth teach many things in her misteries aboue reason but nothing against reason she doth teache to auoide sinne she doth correcte transgressors she doth comfort the penitentes she doth exhorte all her childreÌ„ to walke holilie iustlie religiouslie in all their wayes and to haue their verie thoughts holie purging illuminating making them perfect for to present them holie to God Come sayth S. Augustin to our Churches there is nothing set foorth to see or to follow vvich is impossible nothing vniust nothing impure there be insinuated the comandementes of the true God or his marueilles declared or his giftes praysed or his graces demaunded And ther is no perfect ioye nor true consolation in the vvorlde but there for that there is not any remissioÌ„ of sinnes in the world but there The ninth marke is holines of lyfe aswel in priests as in the people I know that this marke although many doe cauil at it yet is it forceible more notorius in catholikes thaÌ„ in all the sectaries of the world S. Chrysostome sayth that all the kindes of Iustice that the seruants of God haue in truth the seruants of the deuil may haue the same in dissimulation The deuil sayth he hath his meeke men and his humble men he hath his chaste men his almes giuers his fasters and all kinde of goodnes that god hath created for the saluation of men The deuil hath brought in the same kind for to deceiue them to the end that between the true good and the good faigned there should be a confusion by the which the symple not being easelie hable to discerne the true good from the good faigned whiles they searching the men of God they light vpon men of the deuil and there is not any thing but onlie charitie that the vncleane spirit can not counterfeit All apparence of Iustice is found in deceiuers except onlie charitie which is not found but in the onlie seruants of God The holie Ghoste hath reserued to him self onlie this vertue of charitie in such sort that by no other action of Iustice a man may so wel discerne where the holie ghost is as by the vertue of charitie All heresies at te beginninge come masked with a superficial holines whiche for that it is not of the spirit of God can not soundlie be there setled And as the ape learned by arte to hold the candle after he hath stode some small while in stead of a candelstik at the sight of a nut caste before him leaueth all for to runne after it euen so they can not long time indure without manifesting the spirit wherof they be And as theyr father was a morderer from the beginning so they be come straight waies theeues kindlers of Ioh. 8. discention worse then Panimes and Barbarians and aboue all other vices Pride is to them peculiar whereof S. Augustin sayth Insundrie places there be sundrie heresies but one Aug. l. de past only mother pride hath ingendred them all as also our onlie mother the Catholike Church hath brought foorth all faithfull Christians dispersed throughout the world And all thes heresies doe springe by accident of some euil occasion Egesippus speaking Egesipp apud Eus lib. 4. hist cap. 22. of the first heretike sayth thus then the church was called a virgin not being yet corrupted by adulterous doctrine but one Theobutes for that Theobutes he was denied a bishoprike did beginne to trowble and corrupt all things It apeareth in the ecclesiastical Act. 8. Tert. con ValeÌ„ Epiph. he â—4 Theod. l. 3. 5 historie that SimoÌ„ Magus Valentin Marrian Arrius and all those olde monsters did spring out from theÌ„se for disdeining that others were preferred before them they made a secte for to reuenge them selues Apoc. 16. I. Coch. in actis Luth. 15 17. Luth. in ep ad Argen l. con Aug. l. de missa sing being eloquent and of great witt and of those that S. Iohn calleth false Prophetes issued out of the throat of the dragon vncleane and deuelish spirits practising the kinges of the earth Luther witnessed his owne motiue in the first disputation aginst Ecchius crying out this cause is not begunne for the loue of God Him self hath written that willinglie he would haue denied the presens of Iesus Christ in the Eucharist if the scripture had not bene so cleare for that therby sayth he he did see that he might do much hart to the Papacie He boasteth him self that kinges Princes and Popes were not worthie to vntie the latche of his shoes he sayed that he would that they should holde him for a holie man whether men would or no that he did not
if the Church had had no need therof after him But it is the custome of GOD to make the first formes of thinges as moulds and afterwardes to let the same be continewed by succession propagation according to their nature TESTIMONIES OF THE fathers and of Councels for the supremacie of S. Peter IT should not be neede full to procede here any farder But because heretikes be so impudent liars as to sey that the auncient fathers haue neuer geuen to S. Peter nor to his successours Bishops of Rome those names of Prince of Head or of Soueraigne I will bring forth some testimonies for to confound them S. Irene being nere to the tyme of the Iren. l. 3. c. 3. Apostles sayd That it muste necessarilie be that all the vniuersall Church that is to say all the faithfull which be in all the world should resorte to the Romain Church for her most high principalitie and doth adde that in this Church the true traditions of the Apostles and the faith vvhich geueth life hath always bene kept S. Ciprian he which forsaketh the Chaire of sainct Peter vpon the vvhich the Cyp. l. de vâ—ita eccl ep 55. 69. Church is founded doth he think to be in the Church Moreouer he doth call S. Peter the head the fountain the Roote and the matrice of the Church He doth attribute to him the supremacie of the Apostles in preheminence of excellent grace he saith that vnfaithfulnes can not haue accesse to the chaire of S. Peter and that the cause of all heresies procedeth of this that men be not obedient to one onelie Bishop vicar of Iesus Christ S. Hierome Among the twelue Apostles one ys chosen head for to take away all occasions Hieron cont Ioâ—â—a 71. of schisme And being in the holy place of our lords natiuitie in Iurie he did write to Rome to Pope Damasus in these termes Loe here the faith which I haue learned Hieron ad Damas pap in the Catholike Church If I doe erre in any maner of fassion as Ignorant or as misaduised I desire that you correcte me sithens that you haue the seate and the faith of S. Peter And if you allow my confession I protest then bouldelie against whosoeuer shal reproue me that I am not ignorant that he is wicked or an heretike Your citie of Rome is happie where the faith of the fathers kepeth it selfe vncorrupted Here the euil children haue consumed their Patrimonie Here the good graine is degenerate into cockle whereas your Rome being allwayes fertile with diuine seede watered with heauenlie graces fructified in one selfe same puritie Now in the vvest the sonne of Iustice doth rise Here in the East that Lucifer vvich did fall from heauen hath set his throne I pray yow therefore to teach me that which I ought to keepe secret or vtter concerning the fayth I shunne euerie heretike I folowe yow onelie I am the sheepe vvhich demaundeth succour of the Pastour I speake to the successour of the fisher to the disciple of the Crosse I hould me to your holines that is to say to the chaire of S. Peter I know that vpon this Rocke the Church is gronded that vvhosoeuer out of this house doth eate the Lambe he is prophaned he is not of Iesus Christ he is of Antechrist Moreouer he calleth the Romain Church a verie pure fountain vvhich doth not receiue Illusions against the faith vvhich hath neuer norished heresie vvhich hath allwayes continued immaculate Ruffinus Ruffin in sym sayd also that neuer heresie tooke beginning at Rome S. Augustine who knoweth not the principalitie of the Apostleship of S. Peter is Aug. tract 55. 124. Ep. 164. lib. de Bapt. to be preferred before any Bishoprike The Principalitie of the Apostolike chaire hath allwayes had force in the Romain Church S. Peter as concerning his person by nature was but a man by grace a Christian But by more abundant grace that on selfe same man is the cheef Apostle and for the supremacie of his Apostleship doth represent the vniuersall Church And speaking of the Repentance of S. Peter Our Lord sayth he hath healed the disease of all the bodie in the head and in the verie toppe of Aug. ser 144. de paen Pet. the Church And praying for S. Peter he hath prayed for all for that the benefit of the head doth redounde to the people He doth moreouer call the Pope father of the Christian Aug. in q. vet nou Test q. 75. Amb. ser 47. people S. Ambrose saith our Lord ascending into the onely ship of the Church whereof S. Peter is the gouernour that ship doth so swimme in the high See of the world that the vvorld perishing she shall kepe safe as did the Arke of Noe in the shipwrake of the world those whome she shall haue receaued And as the flud being passed the doue brought into the Arke the signe of peace euen so after the burning of the vvorld to those whom the Arke of the Church shall represent Iesus Christ shall bringe the signe of his peace of his Ioye He sayth further that Peter is the vicar of the Loue of Iesus Christe towards vs that he is the stone of Churches which as an vnmouable Rocke conteineth the heape and Ioining together of all Christian building That not S. Andrew but S. Peter hath had the primacie and care of Churches Optatus emong the markes of the true church putteth the chaire Optat. li. 2. of S. Peter for the first and cheefe There is saith he but one onely chaire which hath bene set at Rome where the head of the Apostles S. Peter hath bene president in whom the vnitie of the chaire is kept of all and he should be a Schismatike and wicked man who against that singular chaire would set vp an other S. Leo. Of all the world onely S. Peter Leo ser 3. is chosen president for the vocation of the gentiles for all the fathers of the church And allthough there be many priestes and many pastours emong the people of God Yet S. Peter doth gouern them all And it was so ordained by great prouidence that in euery place there should be one head in the great townes other superiour heads hauing more ample Iurisdiction by whose meanes the care of the vniuersall Church should come to the seat of S. Peter and that nothing should be disagreing with his soueraigne head Prosper Rome is the seat of S. Peter A Hatchet of heresies the head of all the Prosp lib. de Ingratis world That which she can not possesse by Armes she doth hold the same by religion S. Gregorie It is most cleere vnto al those that know the Gospel that the care principalitie of the whole Church hath bene giuen to S Peter Prince of all the Apostles by the voice of our Lord him selfe S. Bede S. Peter hath specially had the keyes Bed in vigil S. Andr. of the kingdome of heuen
chaires are the chaires of pestilence Take away frō before thy eyes those clouds of euil opinions heaped together and thickened by false reportes against ecclesiasticall persons and doe hinder the to see the truth if there be any spottes in those persons which be sett in the chaire of S. Peter it must needes be that all the true children of God find them selues therby inwardlie woūded and praye to God to make them cleane But in the meane time what so euer they be in their maners those are particular matters personal and separated from the chaire which is a dignitie authoritie and matter vniuersal I know that in manie ther is not a cromme of the holines of S. Peter that they be scandelouslie gone a straie from the life Apostolike but they teach the faith of S. Peter the Apostolike doctrine Looke not then vpon the faultes of the persons haue regard to the promise and to the prayer of our sauiour If the defectes of the ministers be of more force with the or beare more swaie with the for to alienate the from the church than the reuerence of the prayer and promesse of our sauiour to kepe the there thow art vnwoorthie of any other prayer and promesse of our sauiour The chaire of S. Peter is the maistresse of the faith I wold that she were also the example of holie life But what so euer scandal there hath bene in some thou shalt find others in the priesthood and people that better know the faults wherin they are then thei self more learned also and lesse reprocheable in their maners and in all pointes lesse imperfect then they self and are in ioye and in peace of their conscience in this Church There they receiue the sacraments of life euerlasting they exercise the workes of charitie and there attend the iudgement of God Doe not say apart to thy selfe that thou doest worshippe Iesus Christ that thou doest beleeue the Gospel and that thou doest resolue thy self according to the expresse word of God euen so sayd Arrius Manicheus Pelagius and all the auncient heretikes Thou doest not worship Iesus It is thy imagination and thy particular fansie wherof thou doest make an Idol which thou doest worshipe Thou doest bowe thy self downe before the woord of the deceiuer that hath seduced the not before the woord of God That which the Church doth teach is the expresse woord of God That which the heretike doth teach is the expresse woord of the deuil which doth vsurp the iudgement of the expresse woord of God and doth vse the same for a baite to make the swallow vp the hooke of error This now is the verie greatest of al synnes for wheras al that a mā may say of the formalitie of sinne it is no other thing but the turning away and goyng farre of from God There is no crime which seperateth more from God than heresie and there is not a sinner that Iesus Christ doth hate so much as the heretike The sinnes of workes Adulterie Meslanghter couetousnes and other doe depriue men of the grace of God but thei doe not driue a man from the Church neither doe they cut away the roote of life which is the faith by the which a man may find the way to enter againe into grace but heresie doth not onlie take away grace but doth also cut away the root of life doth depriue men of the participatiō of all good things that be in the church The scripture sayth that faith is the substāce of thinges to hoped for that without faith it is impossible to please God that the iuste of God do liue by faith that is to say breflie that faith is the foundation of all Christian building Now heresie doth take awaie from vs faith then onlie heresie is a sufficient cause why the heretike can neuer wel ground his hope can neuer doe worke agreable to God nor can neuer haue the life of the iust of God The other sinnes be as a tyle taken from the couerture or as a stone drawen from the wall which doth much hurt to the building But heresie is as it were the vndermyning of the foundation which doth destroye the whole building To be short this kinde of argument is plaine and verie true that no man can saue him selfe without the Sacraments of the Church The Sacraments be not administred but by the priest the priestes be not made but by the Bishoppes Bishoppes be not made but in the Romain Church then what so euer thing that man doth it is impossible by all impossibilitie to saue him self out of the Catholike Apostolike and Romain Church Doe not resist thees argumēts the more thou doest enforce they self to auoide them by euasions so many more halters doest thou put about thine owne neck smitest the axe in to thine owne foot And what so euer thy tounge doth speake to the contrarie thy soule doth fight against the and thy conscience shal neuer be in rest as longe as thou shalt be in heresie And S. Hierom vpon those words of S. Paul Hier. in epi. ad Tit. c. 3. that an heretike is subuerted and condemned by his owne proper iugement sayth verie wel thus the fornicator the adulterer the manslaer and other euil doers be driuen out of the Church against their willes by the priestes But the heretikes of them selues without constraint do depriue them selues of the Sacraments of saluation and of all the good things which be in the Church damning them selues wittinglie and throwing them selues downe hedlonge from their proper fredome in to the bottomlesse pitt of euerlasting perdition For conclusion I will exhort the as the Angels of God did exhort the handmaide Agar that was departed with her sonne from the house of Abraham whom to bring home again finding her in the wildernes taking the waie towardes Aegipt he saied to her poore il aduised Agar seruant of Sara from whence comest thou and whether goest thou tourne again to thy maistres and humble thy self vnder her hand as if he wold say thinke on thy estate that thou comest from a noble house riche ful of the blessings of God that thou goest to cast thy self as a strayed sheepe into the throte of the woolf in the land of malediction And all these things well thought on turne again to thy maistres and humbling thy self vnder her hand thou shalt be happie in that house Euen so will I say to euerie heretike thinke that thou comest from the house of the lyuing God which is the Catholike Apostolike Romaine Church in the which onlie is the grace of Iesus Christ and the remission of sinnes and all blessings of God and thou goest in to the sect of a deceiuer which is one particuler man by whose mouth sathan hauing diuided the from the bodie of the only Church it must neds folow that thou fall in to the bottomlesse pitt of heresie which is the bottomlesse pitt of death and euerlasting damnation Take then the exhortation of the Angel comforter of Agar if not thou shalt soone mete an other Angel which shal be thy destroyer 1. Cor. 10. Heb. 9. If thou hast erred vntil this tyme cut the threde of thy errours renounce heresie and all newnes of opinion be the disciple not of any particular man what so euer he maye be were he more holy and more eloquent then an Angel but only of the Catholike Church the which can neuer erre for so much as she is gouerned by the holie Ghost and that IESVS Christ is her head which is the seur ground of the Catholikes vnto the which I pray God giue vs the grace to cleaue and continue firme and sure that we be found lyuelie members of his body when we shal-be iudged SO BE IT Libellum hunc Gallice intitulatum Du firmament des Catholiques contre l'Abisme des heretiques fideliter è Gallico in Anglicanum idioma per nobilem virum Joannem Pauncefote translatum ac per eximium Dominum Dom. Thomam Stapletonium Anglum S. Theologiae professorem examinatum ac manu eius propria approbatum Ac postremo ex primaria copia manu dicti D. Stapletoni subsignata fideliter teste venerabili Domino D. wilhelmo Clederow Prefbytero Anglo transscriptum tuto posse imprimi ac prelo committi praesentium tenore attestor ego infrascriptus Antwerpiae 9. Octob. Anno 1590. Michael Hetsroey Bruegelius S. Theologiae Licentiatus Canonicus Cathedralis Ecclesiae B. Mariae Antwerpiensis librorum Censor
that the gates of hell should neuer preuaile against the same that he would giue him the keies of the kingdome of heauen and that all that he sholde bynde and vnbynde in earth should be bound and vnbound in heauen he hath not spoken of giuing the keyes to the other Apostles So the church is builded vpon the faith and confession of S. Peter And the faith which is the seed of our regeneration is called the faith of S. Peter Let that also be considered which is spoken of in S. Luke that the people pressing Luc. 5. on our sauiour for to heare the word of God our Sauiour seing neare the lake two shippes went vp into the one which belonged Luc. 5. Io. 21. to S. Peter where being set he did teache the people And those that sailed in the other shippe transported them selues into that of S. Peter with Iesus Christ Let it be further considered that the two miracles done by our sauiour in the taking of fishes were done in the ship of S. Peter and by the ministerie of S. Peter That S. Peter also is only he among the Apostles that our sauiour made goe vpon the waters for whom only he paied tribute for whom only in particular he praied to his father to the end his faith should not fayle to whom onlie he gaue charge to confirme the faith of his bretherē of whom as head of others he did require more loue then of others whose feet he did first vvashe accordng to S. Augustin to whom he did first appeare after his resurrection to whom only he foretould his death and death on the crosse to whom onlie he said three tymes feed gouerne my sheepe meaning his Church whome more preciselie than others he commaunded to folowe him who onlie vvhen the disciples were scandalized at the vvordes of our sauiour saying that he vvolde giue his bodie to eate answered for all the Apostles and sayd Lorde thow hast the wordes of life euerlastlng and we beleeue the same whom onlie among all the disciples our sauiour did baptize with his owne handes First Euodius immediat successor of S. Peter in the Bishopryke of Euodius in lib. Anthioche hath written that our sauiour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did baptize onlie the virgin his mother among women and S. Peter onlie among men and that S. Peter did baptize S. Andrew S. Iames S. Ihon and the others That S. Perer also as head of the Apostles after the ascension of our sauiour did assemble the church for to chuse an Apostle in the place of Iudas That S. Peter after the sending of the holie ghost did first preache and conuert in two sermōs eight thowsand soules That he Act. 1. did the first miracle on the lame man which was at the gate of the temple That he as soueraine iudge did condemne the fraude and hipocrisie of Ananias and Saphira whom he did kill with his woord That he knew and did condemne the first notable Archeheretike Simon Magus that to him was directed as to the head the vision of that sheete Let downe from heauen hauing of all sortes of beastes and comandement to preache to the Act. 1◠gentiles the which vision doth concerne the direction of the vniuersal Church that for him as head of the Church prayer was made without intermission in al the Church Act. 15. which is not sayd of anie of the others That he in the Councel of the Apostles did speake first as head That he in the most holie Creed of the Apostles did begin first by that high woorde Credo therby making the christian religion a religion of faith for whose sake S. Paul saith that he went vp expresselie into Hierusalem note also that S. Peter him selfe doth testifie that God chose him emong the Apostles that by his mouth the Gentiles should heare the woord of the Gospel and beleeue Let it be also considered that after that the twelue Apostles had receiued the holie Ghoste and the gifte of all tounges hauing distributed among them selues all the earth therin to plant euerie one in his quarter the Gospel of Iesus Christ S. Peter as head of the twelue is sent to the head of the world to the Queene of cities the cheif citie of the Romain Empire to the end that the law of trueth which did reuele it self for the saluation of all people might sprede it self abroode more easilie from the head to all the bodie of the world and vvhere the vvorld had the head of his Empire there the prince of the Apostles hath had his seate in the citie of Rome in the which hauing first giuen order to the affaires of the East he comes him self to make his aboade for to forme and set in order the affaires of the west and of all the world where hauing ended his course before the tyme of his death 2. Pet. 1. Iesus Christ made vnto him yet one prerogatiue more by appearing vnto him and saying to him that he would be glorified by his martirdome within the citie of Rome Let it be further considered that the Churches founded by S. Peter that is to saye Antioche and Alexandria haue bene named the chief In Con. Calced Patriarchal Churches and did goe before all the others in the Councels Let it be considered Optatus lib. 2 that in the primatiue Church in the testimonial letters that they gaue to those that went in to farre coūtries did chaunge their habitations to the end they might be receiued where they went to the cōmunion Sidon Apol. l. 7. ep 2. there was put downe in subscription after the first letters of the names of the father of the sonne and of the holie ghoste the first letter of the name of S. Peter for witnes that such a one was Catholike Finallie let it be considered that the Church hath made a feast or holie dare of the chaire of S. Peter fos to praise God for the soueraign benefit that he hath done to his Church to giue him a chaire eminent aboue the others which shold alwais be certein vnto whom al the world may haue recourse of whom all the world ought to be instructed as sayth Optatus the which feast is very auncient For Bede and S. Augustin make mention therof Optat. li. 2. Bed in Thetl Aug. ser 15. de sanct But in none of the other Apostles are the prerogatiues found to be called of our sauiour into the feloushippe of his name and of his office and pastoral care and euen of his death to be the mouth of the other Apostles in all occurrent affaires nor the other prerogatiues the which haue bene attributed of all the aucients to the supremacie and principalitie of S. Peter which being euident in S. Peter it is superfluous to speake of them in his successors For it is well knowen that our sauiour giuing a head to his Church hath not intended to giue onlie the same for the time of S. Peter as